Colorado River water

On one of our 4 wheeler adventures we followed a gravel road along a canal.  I took a picture of where two canals come together.  The top picture has a palm tree on the waters edge.  You can see how the truck is covered with brown palm fronds.  This makes an excellent habitat for bats, rats and other critters to live especially along the water.  People don't realize what desert dwelling creatures will use for shelter.  The one canal is taking water east of Yuma and the one going to right is going to the fields of Yuma and also to the water treatment plant to supply the area with drinking water.  People will also try fishing from the banks along these canals.  They catch catfish that have followed the current from the Colorado River into these canals.

All the talk of walls to protect the border don't mention the other deterrents in the Yuma area.  Some of these canals also go along the border.    A few weeks ago an illegal drowned in one trying to swim across the canal.  What they don't realize is how strong the current is running just underneath the water.  The other problem is the walls of most of the canals are concrete and steep so once in its hard to get back out.   The news reported that they identified the deceased as an illegal who had been deported several times and had been convicted of several crimes. 

Road to Big Eye Mine

We took the 4wheeler out to the Kofa Wildlife Refuge.  We have always wanted to go to the old Big Eye mine on the refuge but the road is terrible.  You need a major 4 wheel drive vehicle.  The road was a challenge even with the 4wheeler.   We got within 2 miles or so of the mine but had to turn around because we didn't want to be out there after dark.   It was a beautiful ride with lots of beautiful scenery.   Once you get way back in there it is very peaceful, no people noise at all.  Not sure if we will go back there again because even the road to get out to where we can take the 4wheeler off the trailer is very rough. 

We are enjoying the local Xmas lights.  A lot of people decorate so it makes it very Christmassy even if there are palm trees and no snow.  Hard to believe Xmas is right around the corner.

More Desert 4Wheeling

After the Thanksgiving holiday weekend we went out on the Barry Goldwater Range again.  We seemed to have the whole thing to ourselves.  Everyone must have worn themselves out over the holiday.  So we went almost as far south as you can go and then thought we would see if we could start over the pass through the mountains.   We didn't get far because the road was made up of the finest most powdery sand and our tires wanted to sink.  We were out there by ourselves so we turned around not wanting to risk getting stuck. 

We stopped along the way and enjoyed these rock formations.  Also the ocotillo (the bush in the bottom picture) were in bloom.  They get green leaves on the branches and pretty reddish orange flowers on top of the branches.  They brighten up the desert.  The wind kicked up and we started to eat dust so we headed back.  Jim spent the next two days cleaning up the 4 wheeler.  He hates to see it covered in dust.