Life in the Desert

We have been in Yuma, Arizona for three months now and are almost feeling like locals.  When you move around as often as we did last year three months staying put is a long time.  We have found our favorite grocery stores; we frequent Sam’s Club and we know what stores are at the mall.  We have made friends, been to parties, taken lots and lots of bike rides (there are no hills in Yuma!) and are getting to know the desert.

Our day to day life here is very easy and fun.  I really do love our bike rides.  We go for an hour or so and just wander all around the residential streets.  At first there was very little traffic but now we have noticed that at the height of the winter season, the streets are busy all the time.  I read that Yuma’s population doubles in the winter.  Many visitors come just for a couple of months or so.  January and February are probably the busiest.

Kirby and I enjoy each others company and often will sit around the fire and enjoy the evening together.

We have visited the Flea Markets a few times.  Some places would call them Swap Meets.  Whatever they are called, they are mostly stuff we don’t need but it is fun to go and look.  Last week we found a wonderful produce stand.  Yuma calls itself the winter agricultural center of the US with acres and acres of produce growing in the winter.  So we were pleased to find some reasonably price high quality fresh veggies.  And as a bonus, on the weekends they sell fresh local made tamales!  We picked up half a dozen last weekend and they were great!

And speaking of tamales, a few weeks ago I was able to go to the Somerton Tamale Festival.  Kirby had a cold and didn’t feel up to going so I went with my sister and her husband (who live just down the street).  It was awesome!  If you like tamales, you would be in heaven at this place. There were 40 tamale vender booths.  So – that means to try them all you would have to eat at least 40 tamales!  I tried two or three, found a winner and bought some to bring home.  It is really an event not to be missed if you are in the Yuma area in December.

Remember back when we were in Utah and had that blow-out?  We finally had our repair work completed and don’t have to feel embarrassed by the way we look.  CJ’s in Yuma did a great, efficient job in not much time at all.  We were there about eight in the morning and dropped off our “home”.  Then we spent the day having a great breakfast a Mimi’s Café, visiting some Yuma parks, walking along the Colorado River and doing some shopping.  Around three we picked up our “home” and went home!  It didn’t even hurt too much.

The Colorado River

Winter seems to be the best season of all for sunrises and sunsets.  I am still in awe the desert sky.  Most days we have pure sunshine but sometimes at sunrise or sunset there are just enough clouds to give a gift of color.  And the stars at night!  Ah!  This has to be the best place of all to spend the winter!