At 9:30AM on Friday, December 9th, yours truly got into Matilda, and starting driving south and then west, taking I 25 to the I 10. Four hundred and fifty miles later, we arrived at the Best Western Casa Grande, in Casa Grande, Arizona, going from 7000 feet above sea level, to four thousand feet to 800 feet above sea level. Along the way, I saw a tree in the middle of nowhere all decorated with sparkling garlands! Signs on the highway stated that for the next...miles severe sand storms might occur, and to slow down and get off the road until they abated. The mountains were all around, with the desert, flat and barren. I went a steady 80 miles an hour, stopping once for a potty break, and once for gas. I got to Casa Grande around 5:30 PM.

The next day Matilda and I were off at about 9:15AM. We reversed direction for three miles, and got on I 8. I passed a truck (not a semi) loaded down with boxes of Dole Iceburg Lettuce. I looked around for green fields but really didn't see any. The land was still desert, but then I began to see huge cattle areas, with bales of hay stacked way high! There were also green fields that must have been alfalfa or another type of grass for hay. Also there were a lot of saguaro cacti everywhere, most of them looking like they needed water and lots of it. I came to a very small town called Dateland, which advertized the "World Famous Date Shake." Some how that did not appeal to me, but I may stop there and get one on my way back to Lemitar. There was a large stand of date palms which could be seen from the road.

There were also many acres of cotton waiting to be harvested and baled. Never thought of cotton being grown in Arizona. There were a lot of buses, most painted white with port-a-pottys on a trailer, all heading east, with most of them on frontage roads. Passing a field which had been plowed and readied for planting. One of those buses was parked there. They must be used by the field workers.

I passed Stein, a ghost town, which runs right along the highway, and which I will drive through on my way back.

Out of Arizona and into California, with big brown mountains, with jagged peaks all around, we reduced our speed to 75 miles per hour. The time changed to Pacific Time. Along came the Imperial Dunes, with people on dune buggies riding all up and down them. These dunes are four or five times higher than on the Cape...

From the dunes, we came into the Imperial Valley, where a lot of produce is grown. I saw fields and fields planted with what looked to be broccoli or brussel sprouts, or some other vegetable in that family. There were other really green fields, but I had no idea what was planted there. I passed the All American Canal, which is an 80 mile long aqueduct, carrying water diverted from the Colorado River, into the Imperial Valley. It is the only water source for the Imperial Valley

All cars came to a stop at the Border Patrol area. I was asked if I had any fruit in the car. I replied that I had two oranges, three apples and two bananas. She asked to see the apples and oranges, checked the stickers on them, then handed them back to me. On a table next to her was a bag of oranges that had been confiscated, so I don't know why mine were okay. Perhaps where they were grown???

Further on there was another Border Patrol stop, where the cars and trucks were checked, with dogs sniffing the cars and trucks for items such as drugs or illegals or both! I was waved through.

Onward, we started climbing again, huge rock mountains everywhere...this rock pile was small compared to the others, but it pretty hard to stop to take pictures...who wants to play "King of the Mountain?"

Along this upward climb to 4000 feet above sea level, once again we reached another Border Patrol stop. Three in all. And I went through one in New Mexico on I 10, and again in Arizona on I 10.

The boulder mountain range, which I don't know the name of, was all around me for miles and miles, as we went up and down and back up again. Finally we got to El Centro, and about a 100 miles from San Diego. At sea level. A piece of cake...

Arriving at Marty's, Will greeted me. Marty was doing errands and I don't think expected me so early. It was about 2PM, but remember, I had gained an hour. I had driven 350 miles.

When Mar got home, we celebrated Christmas. Last Christmas season, I was knitting rectangles - Will had commented that he liked the colors I was using - fall colors. Well, a month or so ago, I met Pam - who among other things volunteers for the Magdalena Animal Shelter. She and a friend had a booth at the Socorro Fest for the animals, with crocheted items Pam had done, all proceeds going to the Shelter. I happened to mention that I needed someone to put my rectangles together into a blanket. Pam looked at me and told me she would be happy to it. I bought a head- band for the cold, and two mice stuffed with catnip. Pam gave me her number, and eventually we got together. We found we had a lot in common, including our birthdays were a day apart (but she is much younger than I am). We met the day before I left, had coffee and talked for two hours. She had finished the blanket for Will...

Aja was given the mice...

When I get back I am getting three more of these mice for Sammy, Maggie and Moe. They are really great!

Yesterday, I drove up to Bolsa Chica in Huntington Beach. There I met Phil and Gihan...

Bolsa Chica is a National Wildlife Preserve, converted from a Military Reserve to a Wildlife Preserve...Route 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, separates the area from the Pacific Ocean...

It is a huge area, with water areas which are brackish and rise and fall with the tides. There are many birds here, as well as ground squirrels, rabbits and probably many others. We only walked two miles of it, but I think you could spend a full day here, and maybe, just maybe, walk all of the trails...

There were many sandpipers walking along the shoreline finding interesting food...

along with other water and sea birds...

Along the path, there was a very small hawk sitting on the fence...

I don't know what the name of it was. Phil thought it might be a Cooper's Hawk. As Phil got closer and closer to it, taking pictures, the hawk would fly to another perch on the fence. Phil walked in to take more pictures, and the hawk would fly to another part of the fence. This happened all along our path, until the hawk had had enough and flew off. However, as we walked back, there he was, waiting for Phil, and the same process happened until we headed for our cars!

Closer to the end of where we would turn around, we watched two blue herons flying to a palm tree. Then another pair flew to another palm tree right next to each other. One of the first pair was carrying dried grass in his beak. I told Gihan and Phil that I was pretty sure they were nesting in the palms...If you look very closely, you can see one standing in the left side of the palm tree, looking as if he/she has no legs...

We came to the end of the path we were following, and as we had lunch reservations at 2PM, we needed to start back. In this picture you can see some of the concrete areas from the military site. And along where we walked were areas where mortars had been placed with the track still around them so that they could be rotated.

Right where we stopped to turn around, Phil and Gihan spotted a Great Blue standing in the grass...

A break in the clouds, showed the rays of the sun falling into the ocean...always a beautiful scene...

The water area we were walking along was now all mud as the tide went out...

We were nearly to the end of our walk, when Gihan spotted a Great Blue Heron standing as if he was posing for everyone. He did not move as we stopped to take pictures, along with others, including a bunch of Cub Scouts who actually quieted down when they saw him...

As I passed over the bridge to the parking lot, one of many small white egrets was standing on rocks...

We had seen a rabbit busily eating, several squirrels running back and forth, a hawk, pelicans, a huge seal swimming with the tide going out to the sea, egrets, Great Blue Herons, Sand Pipers, Terns, and ducks. It was a great day!

I followed Phil and Gihan to a really neat restaurant in Newport Beach, called Pizzaria Mozza, owned by a famous chef, whose name I cannot recall, but remember that he was on the Food Channel several times. Along the way, when I was at a stop light, I was able to take this photo of a sculpture of a surfer on a big wave...

I had the best pizza I have ever had, and I mean it!! Incredible pizza!

After we had lunch and kissed and hugged and said our goodbyes, I decided I would just continue down Route 1, until it came to an easy access to the I 5. Along the way, the sun was setting, and it was a most beautiful sunset. I kept trying to find a place to turn off so I could take pictures, but with traffic all around me I couldn't find one, so I got over to the far right-hand lane and still driving, I took this picture, not taking my eyes off the road. It came out pretty well, I thought, even showing the cars from my side view mirror!

Today has been an easy day, doing wash, getting some things from the store, and going to the bank. Repacking. And writing my blog...

Tomorrow Marty and I leave here at 7AM for the airport, and fly out around 9:15AM headed for Honolulu, Hawaii, where we will board a smaller plane and fly to Maui. We will stay there for two nights and one full day, and then take the ferry to Molokai, where we will be for two weeks...

Life is good!

A hui hou,

I love you all!
Sally