The last couple of days it has been cold and raining so we haven’t been doing much.
Monday, Patti did the laundry I cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen floor.
Yesterday we went to Parker to do some shopping.
I have been doing some writing on The Boars Tooth.
Last evening we went over to Becky and Dennis’s To play cards.
Kind of boring but that’s about it for now. Every day can’t be a carnival.
Woke up to the sound of rain on the roof.
Yesterday Dennis and I went out in the desert to fire the horse pistol. The gun worked pretty good. We fired 12 rounds from it with no serious problems. The main spring seems a bit soft. We had drop the hammer twice on a couple of the caps. I know that the non gun people out there aren’t going to know what I’m talking about. Sorry!
Unfortunately I forgot to take a camera with me. From now on, I am going to keep the camera in the jeep at all times.
The sun is trying to break through the rain clouds but I think it might be a sucker hole.
If the rain continues, I will have to spend today working on the next of Jacks adventures, “The Boars Tooth”. I won’t publish it until it is done and proof read this time.
The last couple of days I have been puttering with a few little projects.
A couple of years ago my brother, Sonny, gave Me an old .44 caliber Cap and Ball horse pistol that he found some where. When He got it it was all rusted and not functional. He cleaned it up and got it working. I haven’t fired the pistol yet and wanted to do the first firing in a safe manner so Thursday I built a test stand for the gun so it can be fired with a lanyard.
I will probably tri it tomorrow.
Roy and Dennis’s Rhino’s (ATV’s) have been out of service lately. Roy’s had starting problems and was lade up for a couple of weeks. He got it running a couple of days ago.
Dennis had a new top and rack built for his Rhino and got it back Thursday. Yesterday I helped him install a new windshield.
The last ride we went on (last season) was an attempt to find a mercury mine on the north edge of the Yuma Proving Grounds. We tried three times but didn’t find it. On the last attempt we passed a trail that we now think is the one that goes to the mine. This afternoon we are going back out there to try it again.
We left the park around 12:30. In the party were;
Jo Ann and Dave in their brand new jeep.
Becky, Dennis in their Rhino,
Patti and I in Clifford.
We went south on the Yuma road until we got to the trail and turned right, into the proving grounds and followed that track until we came to the trail that we suspected was the one to the Cinnabar Mine. After a few miles we came to a stone structure that looked to have been a dwelling.
About a half mile further up the trail we could see the workings of the mine.
There are several structures, all made of brick.
This one looked to be a cooling tower judging by the way the inside was made.
above the tower was what looked like bases for the rock tumbler where they cool the cinnabar to extract the mercury
A little farther up the hill is what looks like a flue or chimney.
On another trail that went up the hill we found the mine it self.
The shafts were pretty scary looking.
We didn’t try exploring the shafts.
We followed a trail past the mine that ended up in a cul-de-sac.
Appropriate don’t you think?
We got home a little after 6:00.
Cold again today. This morning about 4:00 the auxiliary propane tank went empty. I woke up to go to the loo and the heater was on but was blowing cold air. Fortunately we have a small electric heater so I turned the propane heater off. When I got up around seven the out side temp was 33 degrees. I went out and turned on the main LP gas tank After breakfast I went out and sat by the pond to read; it was chilly but the sun warmed me up.
Every morning when I start the pond pump a couple of humming bird come flying in to drink and bathe.
I have been trying to get some good pictures of them and this morning I got my chance.
Here are the pictures I got this Morning.
It didn’t dawn on me that I should be taking a video until the bird flew away. Maybe next time.
Patti has not been feeling well she has the Quartzsite crud. Its a cold and Like every year it is going around the Park.
I took her out for breakfast and on the way home we stopped and got the auxiliary LP Gas tank filled.
This afternoon I took a ride over to the Colorado River to see if I could find some mosquito fish or other critters for the pond but I think this is the wrong time of year for small fish. The water is very cold right now but maybe in a couple months it will be better.
I did find some good looking places to go kayaking. Unfortunately I didn’t take a camera with me.
Patti’s back has been giving her trouble lately. It could have something to do with collecting rocks.
Debbie came by yesterday and took Patti to the Blue Water Casino in Parker, AZ. She came home a winner and took me out to dinner. We went to a new cafe in town “The Q Cafe”. We were not impressed. I ordered chicken parmesan; it looked like they cooked it yesterday, put it in the freezer and just reheated it. The sauce was thick and dry, the spaghetti noodles were thick and gummy. I complained to the waitress and she took my meal off the bill. Patti had meat loaf and mashed potatoes. She told me that the gravy was packaged and the potatoes were instant. We probably won’t go back.
I rebuilt the waterfall and I think it looks better.
The rock that I am using for the first fall is a volcanic conglomerate. As such, is pretty pores and is leaking. It appears that the water is seeping through the rock so I will have to put a piece of the pond liner under it and slope it so that the water that seeps through will still end up in the pond.
