Murray Family Farms. Passed this place many times without stopping. Today was the day.
Nicely decorated inside and out.
It's a large farm, all the fruit and vegegables are grown here. You can spend $5 to enter the fields and orchards. Pick what you want, and pay as you leave. Or, just buy from the store. All the fruit in the store is in season right now.
Budda's Hands. A lemon smelling and tasting vegetable. Used in salads and also as a zesty air freshener. The Chinese use them is several dishes.
A nice variety. Pat bought a huge Grapefruit. It's called a Pumelo.
Some nice winter squash.
Another nice display. We ended up buying a pretty large basket full. All of it didn't get home.
Decorative Gourds..several different kinds.
Some time before long, we'll stop and wander through the grounds and pick a few things. They even have large sweet strawberries out there right now. The Farm is located on Hwy 58 Between Bakersfield and Tehachapi.
A few yards below the summit of Sitgrave pass. This used to bo the old road before the bad curve was taken out on Route 66.
A lot of people didn't make the curve in the old days. The road has a little different route now.
A lot of "down hill" behind me.
Ed and Carl didn't want to ride their Harleys up the "old road". Don't know why :-)
"The Boys" on the West side on Sitgrave Mountain on "The Mother Road"
There are a LOT of burros in town today. I think the 'girls' put out a little hay, at least there's some attraction there this morning.
I think this is the same baby I was petting last week. The little ones are soooo cute!
A fire is roaring inside the old Oatman Hotel today. Hope none of the thousands of dollar bills get hot enough to burn.
An old motorcycle engine, and a pretty rock.
Carl is looking up at all the 'bucks' hanging on the walls and ceiling.
Must have been one of the many 'runs' that come through here every year.
An Arizona Christman Tree. And, there's Rudolph!
Ed and Carl getting ready to leave Oatman. I think there were more burros in town today than I've ever seen. And, since there weren't a lot of tourists, they were getting pretty agressive wanting carrots! It was chilly, in the 60's today. Still too warm for Carl to wear a jacket. He must have very good circulation.
These items were found on the shoulder of Hwy 93 in Arizona, just about 3 miles south of the City of Wikiup. While waiting for a trailer to haul Chunks Vulcan on, we started looking "down". We were on a bridge over a dry wash, that was maybe 50 yards long. this is what we found just near where we parked the bikes. I was totally amazed! Just think of all the miles and miles of highways in America, there must be tons of this sort of stuff along side them. Click on the picture for more detail. Oh, and the one in Chunk's rear tire isn't in the picture
After a nice BLT for lunch on the road, Chunk and I decided to share a Hot, Deep Dish, Cherry Pie, with Ice Cream. It was very tasty!
We saw several of the speed trap camers that the Arizona people have been talking about on the way down. And 3 wrecks, on that happened right next to me. We were in the car pool lane, going about 55 I think. A guy in a white van was checking out the Scooter, and didn't see the strawberry patch of brake lights in his lane. He looked up all four just before the impact, which pushed the car he hit into the one if front of it, and almost came far enough into hour lane to get Chuck, who managed to get around them. Thanks to the Zumo, we were able to fine Iguana Macks, in the South East part of Phoenix. We were the first ones there.
This is a nice neighborhood. This was taken from our outside table at the Restaurant. It was a nice warm evening.
Chunk and Slick. John says the new hair style will help his dating efforts
When Tony D.'s pony tail reached 8 inches, it came off and was donated to some organization. Teresa (and a lot of us) was happy to see it go!
Slick is pepping up his wings.
Beth and Flaco came in late. Her she is with Tony, Cactus Jack, and biglefti's back.
Flaco, Chunk and Slick.
Lanny is fitting in with the GB crowd, but he hasn't quite made the BF part yet.
Mel must have said something to crack up Jim Lohman. Jim seems quite amused
One of the prettiest Nomads I've seen!
Jim Lohman's new Star Ship. Not really my style, but, I have to admit, it's a beautiful machine. and, like all of Jim's "Stuff", it is tastefully done, and immaculate in appearance.
Sorry I don't have all the names, or all the individual pictures. I think that by the end of the evening, we had 15 VROC folks there. A good turn out.
Chunk, Flaco and Tony D.
Lanny lives about 40 miles from Iguana Macks. It was about 10 PM when we arrived to Santa's house..er, uh, Biglefti's house that is.
A somewhat new addition to the "Frilly Room". I've stayed it it several times as a guest of Lanny and Jeannie. I haven't taken pictures, I'm not a good enough photographer to give the room the justice it deserves. Jeannie and done a remarkable job of decorating, and, it's very quiet and comfortable.
Lanny's putting green on his back patio.
Looking out Lanny's patio windows.
Lanny is visiting with Chunk. You'd think a good looking guy like Lanny would have better looking pajamas
Wickenburg is an old town, where they still have real cowboys. We stopped for breakfast here, it was crowed with the locals. We had the Special, Green Chili, cheese and eggs, with some very good home fries and toast. We didn't have have a doggy bag.
Stopped to take a picture of some large Sugarao's but they didn't come out. I did get one of some rocks along the road.
The rocks These are about the size I thought my Kidney stones were.
There she is............Suzy in all her glory!
What a shame. Only a year or two ago, this was an active business. "the All Mart" store in Nothing, AZ. The pink building was a little automotive repair shop, and towing service. There was a lot of fun stuff to see around there, and the owner was always friendly. It's another "end of an era". I think this is where Chunk picked up the nail in his tire.
We found a small nail buried deep enough to let the air out. At least it wasn't a new tire
This is were we sat waiting for rescue.
Chunk was curious about the structure of the large bridge over the wash we were on. I think he went down there for an inspection.
The Big Sandy River. When we passed it just a short ways bfore the flat, there was a beautiful white horse standing down there on the River's edge. While waiting, I rode back to take a picture of it, but the Horse was gone.
Pat was able ot hook up the trailer. She's never done it before, but had watched me several times. Her and "Mom" was able to find us. We got the bike loaded, went on to Kingman where I left the scooter, and hauled Chunk and his Vulcan back to Lake Havasu City. It was a very fine day!
The Mother Road............Where we spend the winter...
Our new friend in Oatman. I learned a blogging lesson today....publish your posts before you work on them for an hour, then make a mistake and delete the whole thing! I'll start saving every few minutes from now on. After the pictures of today, the old ones won't be in the proper order, and most of the captions will be a little different, since I had to start all over and probably won't remember exactly what I wrote last time.........so, here goes.......
Yesterday evening, 12/2/08, we got a call from Vicky (Epibunny) Carlsen, she was only an hour away in Lake Havasu City. Our spare room was taken up with Pat's mother, so we invited Epi to stay over and use the Hide-a-bed. She did, and we had a nice visit.
Pauline, Pat and Vicky are in the gift shop and museum at Cold Springs on Route 66. We had a nice breakfast at home, and decided to head to Oatman, since Vicky had never been there.
Sherm hanging out iin the old gas station at Cold Springs.
Epibunny is checking out the "50's style" pin ups.
Glassware on a window sill, with an Arizona peak in the background.
The only "facility" at Cold Springs. Sort of primative, but it gets the job done. Actually, there's a very nice clean porta potty in side the plywood.
Epi taking pictures of the local color.
Someone made this drinking fountain, even has a pet dish. I imagine the water comes from a "Cold Spring"
As you start up the mountain from Cold Springs, there are signs warning to watch for the wild burros along the highway, all the way to Oatman.
A baby with a "no carrot" sticker the locals put on the little ones. Their teeth aren't strong enough to chew up a large carrot, so they get sick if they eat them.
Pat and Pauline feeding a burro. Pat always breaks her's up into small pieces. I like to feed them the whole thing, but make them work for it. I make them reach up as high as I can reach. Their teeth snap, and their big lips flap. Pretty funny
Mutual admiration. And the carrot in Vicky's hand helped.
This white one became quite attached to the Epibunny..followed her all over town!
This is a young one, but not a real baby. There were several ones in town today that had been born in October and November. Very cute little ones.
Epi on Main Street with friend.
Santa came into Oatman on a sleigh pulled by burros. The lead burro was, "Conrad, the carrot eater"
Every day, at 1:30 and 4:30 there is a "shoot out" in downtown Oatman. They are getting ready for the days show now.
Hi! My name is Spot....Got a carrot for me?
OK, another trip to Oatman, our first of this winter. Out of order because of my mistake.
here we are in Cold Springs. It's almost 80 degrees, stopped to take off some clothes.
The old gas pumps are set at 14.5 cents, I don't think they have been used for a long time!
One of the many gift shops on Oatman.
This is one of our favrorite burros. When we first started coming here, I couldn't see how the locals could remember which was which, but we're getting familiar with them now, and starting to recognize them.
OK, where's my carrot!
It's time for the gun fight again.
I like the rough skyling behind the city.
DD and Pebbles will remember this place. We ate here last February. It's for Sale, if anyone is interested.
Carl having a small Navajo Taco.
Pat had the same thing. A large piece of Fry Bread topped with meat and beans, cheese, onions, usually some lettuce and a lot of good salsa.
My treat of the season. Fry bread coated with sugar and cinnamon, then covered with peaches, good french vanilla ice cream, and topped with whipped cream...Yum Yum. My have to take an little large dose of insulin tonight!
The town is full of old machinery. There were several mines here in the old days.
This is the only feeding trough in town. The borro's are totally free to come and go, and they do go out into the desert sometimes. But, with water, hay, and carrots that the tourist feed them, they tend to stay around.
Carl and Ed made friends with this one.
Hey Mom! It's time for lunch!
The little ones stay pretty close to their mothers.
The Main Street in Oatman.
I took this one for my good friend Bob. No reflection on him, just interesting
Some of the burros get a little pushy if you don't feed them. This one grabbed the ladies purse! Pat had watched one bothering an older lady down the street, and a shop keeper came out and poured some water on her (the burro, not the lady)
Clark Gable and Carol Lombard were married in Kingman, and then drove over the hill to Oatman for their Honeymoon. This is where they stayed. The upstairs is just as it was then, their room still looks the same as it did them. It hasn't been used as a motel for years, but here is a little restaurant, a bar, and ice cream parlor inside. Clark Gable came here a lot to get away from the Hollywood crowd. He liked to play cards with the miners here.
Some locals had been checking out the Burgie. Not many people in town today. The large delivery trucks come in from the West, the road from Kingman is too narrow and steep and crooked for trucks. There is very little traffic on that stretch of Route 66.
Sitgrave Summit. It's only 3550 feet, but goes up fast. It's a great motorcycle road.
The top of the hill.
Ed is quite happy to see his camp. Looks like no one has used it for a long, long, time.
Carl waits while we stop for a "photo op"
Julie and Carl are buddies. Ed and Carl came over for "beans" tonight. I was under pressure, since Carl is the expert with a bean pot!
I was installing a new exhaust fan over the kitchen stove. Pat was outside cleaning up the area around the hole. I grabbed the camera for a framed shot.
Leaving for the day. That's our neighbor's house behind us. It's not the most decorated place on the street. TONS of Christmas lights and figures. It's nice we can enjoy it too.
Old gas station in chloride. A town that at one time had 7 working mines and a population of over 2000 people.
A VERY good place to eat. The owner and waitress were very friendly, and the food was outstanding!
Murals inside Yesterdays Restaurant and Bar.
More Murals.
They serve 172 different kinds of beer there. Some are seasonal, so they don't always have all 172, but it's close to it.
This was after the breakfast croud on Sunday, and before the live music started in the afternoon.
75 degrees near the end of November. Suppose to get into the 80's next week.
This guy was riding a Honda 250 Rebel. He had been inside asleep at a table while we were eating. He came out here for a smoke. I think it was "hangover city" for him.
Pat is taking off the electric vest, she finally got warm.
There were plenty of parking places, I chose to park by the big bumkin.
This is the oldest working Post Office in Arizona. I can't remember the year it started, I think 1862. The building next to it has been a grocery store and several other things over the years.
A house that's lived in now, made of adobe with a lot of straw in it, and also has a straw roof.
This is an information center, as well as a general store..I think the only one in town.
I couldn't figure out the large pipe coming out of the copula in the roof. It didn't look like it went down inside the old store.
Free Spirit Mercantile. I think there are a lot of Free Spirits in Chloride!
A very small building, but had thick, reinforced walls and barred windows. It was the town bank for years.
The old red house is still inhabited.
Not a balloon, but a large nicely painted rock...hmmmmmm..maybe Roy Purcell?
Large bellows by the old Blacksmith's shop.
This is the meeting place for the historical club in Chloride.
A dinner "melodrama" theater. Also where the Guns and Roses, an all female quick draw team perform 2 times a month. the alternating Saturdays have a mens team shoot out in the street. The theater is open all year except August.
The old Dead Donkey Bar
Undertakers office.
Part of Boot Hill in Chloride.
Not in business anymore, but I think it used to be a "hotspot" in old Chloride.
Carl leading the way towards Meadville on the Stockton Hill Road, North of Kingman.
Pat's Mother, Pauline Wells, on her 98th Birthday! This is in our yard in Kingman.
A Cafe in Truxton, on Route 66. Breakfast ride with Carl and Ed.
Our waitress was Miss Personality Plus!
The owner, her waitress and a frog named Santa. They are sitting in front of the fire, a big mesquite log is burning in there. Very cozy place.
The Truxton Cafe from the outside.
Will Rogers Hwy is only about a block long!
Looks like Navajo, but the lady inside said they got it from the Hualapai and Supai Indians.. I wouldn't swear to who made it.
The new Winter Lady in the Hackberry store.
There are a few changes inside the store this winter, but not many. Soft drinks and coffee went up from 50 cents to 75 cents this year.
More jewelery.
A KLR 650, belongs to the store owner. Looks to be in good shape, but well used.
Sunset. We're in the desert off Hwy 93, between Parker and Quartzsite, AZ. A beautiful evening. This is where we'll be spending our first night in "Minnie". We're headed for Yuma again, want to soak up some sun and warmer weather than Kingman. And, we're still looking for a more permanent winter digs down there. 
Didsbury Dave showed up Sunday afternoon, he left Calgary, AB Canada on Friday, he's pulling a 32' Featherlite hauler with 2 bike in it. This is Romy's nice 1500 Classic.
The Bedroom in Dave's trailer. It was about 30 below when he left Calgary, so without insulation or heat in the trailer, he hasn't used it much 
Dave is giving us the grand tour of the nice new trailer. He's opening up the ramp door here.
Catching up on all the news. Dave put in a long couple of days in some very bad weather to get here so fast. He'll be heading to Phoenix to drop the bikes. He's leaving them in Slick's garage.
After a huge plate of salad, the 2 plates of other food, Dave settles in to his thick steak. He's texting Romy as I take this picture. After the steak, he finished off with cobbler and ice cream and a few toppings/ Dave is a light eater!
The entry to "Danbar's", a historic eating establishment on old Route 66.
Lots of old pictures inside the Dunbar, and, items from some of the old, large Ranches in the area.
A marinated Rib eye, they use their own RedBar beer and spices for the marinate. Mushrooms and onions, Baked potato, Cowboy beans, and fresh hot biscuits. Instead of the Tortilla soup, I went with a nice green salad with Prickly Pear Cactus dressing.
The dining room was covered with some nice photographs and paintings. We had a nice dinner, but, with all the other places to try in Mahave County, we'll try something else next time.
Snow! December 17, 2008. This is about 8 AM in Kingman. We woke up to snow today! It's now almost 11 AM, it's still coming down, but there isn't any more on the ground. It's 36 degrees outside! So much for a warm Arizona Winter!! May not go for a bike ride today (although I did yesterday) Maybe we can work on Christmas cards and get them in the mail today.
I came around our van and startled Pat. Julie had just made some "yellow snow", and was anxious to get back into her blanket.
Thin sliced Spam, grilled, topped with thin sliced grilled onions, a thick slice of melted Provolone cheese, and a whole Ortega chili. The fries are hand cut for each order, and come out steaming hot.
Pat had a "triple decker" on marbled Rye. Thin sliced roast turkey (not the deli kind) and lots of ham and cheese. She chose the coleslaw as her side.
Our "bomb" in down town Chloride. The elevation here is around 4500 feet. There wasn't any snow in Kingman when we left to come up here to eat, it's about 22 miles from the house. By the time we left, there was over an inch on the ground.
Last time we were here for lunch about 3 weeks ago, we rode the scooter up in shirt sleeves.
There are several Swap meet/Flea Markets in Yuma. Although this isn't the largest, it's our favorite. Mostly run by Mexicans, for the Mexican market. Lots of clothes, household items, hardware, and FOOD! Most of the field and construction workers are on the job 6 long days a week, so Sunday's are the busiest day here.
The Vendors cover probably 3 or 4 acres. Not as large as the Arizona Swap meet at 32nd and 4E.
Food is a big part of the Mexican Swap Meet.
Been eating like this for most of my 68 years as of today. Nothing real unusuall here, but the salsas were very good, and the gravy was excellent. The Mexicans went up to Oklahoma and learned how to make good gravy!
It's hard to get by this place without spending a few bucks. Prices are very good, and they have a lot of 'hard to find' fasteners and speicalty items. As well as about anything you'd ever need to make repairs around the house. Same folks have a lot larger offering at the 'Clean Swap Meet', buy I like this one better.
Pat is admiring this ladies Santa Chihuahua.
Sort of strange underware. There is some very interesting clothing in some of the booths!
Several produce vendors are always here. Two 6 pound bags of oranges for $6 isn't bad, and they are sweet and juicy and fresh picked. Pat bought 2 bags of oranges and one bag of ruby red grapefruit.
About 40 feet to the top of the star. The Choir hasn't marched onto the tree yet, but there will be 7 rows going up, 80 some people. The narrators and soloists are off to the side, 22,500 lights that are all digitally controlled by sections. changes colors and shapes while the program is going on.
I'm not sure what they are judging, but they all appear to be 10's!
The light parade took 1 and a half hours, 160 some entries. Horses, dogs, pack goats, lots of beautiful floats, and 5 bands. Yuma is great! Next week on the 21st of December, they are bringing in over 50 tons of snow to dump on Main Street so the kids can play in it. MANY of the people that live here have never seen snow, especially a lot of the Field Workers kids from South of the Border. I think it's a wonderful thing to do! (even though I don't like snow:-)
One of the High School bands
The flash takes away the light effect, but there were a lot of entries with people on some very decorated vehicles.
8 of Yuma's motor officers brought up the rear.
Always easy to think of Jack and Barb when in Yuma... Avenue 4E is a popular place, it's the main intersection going to the largest Swap meet/flea market in the county.
The Tamale Festival in Somerset, right down near the Mexican border. There were over 50 different booths selling all kinds of Tamales. Sweet corn, pineapple, cinnamon and raisen, beef, pork, chicken, and all sorts of vegetables in side them. And of course beans and rice, coleslaw and macarroni salads. They had a good band, and other entertainment. We were there a few hours ago, and I'm still stuffed! (yeah, surprise, surprise:-)
There were tables set up in a few places in the 3 blocks where you could sit and eat the goodies. They also sold a Mexican specialty of thick hot chocolate, some with a peanut better flavoring in it. I had some....probably wouldn't again...
The end near the Band stand. They were so loud, the ground shook! There was a beer garden on the corner of the little town square. That's Pat in the black jacket getting her courage up to get passed the loud music 
