On Tuesday afternoon we arrived at Imperial Dam LTVA, northwest of Yuma.  After getting setup we took a drive into Yuma to pick up some groceries.  We went to Fry’s, a grocery store, which we had heard about from our friends in Quartzsite.  Prices seemed pretty good if you have a Fry’s card, which we got there and were able to use right away.  Fry’s is quite a large store with lots of selection.  We drove around Yuma for a bit and it seemed to have a large selection of stores and restaurants.  Tuesday night the winds here got very strong and it howled most of the night.  I was a little concerned about my tilted solar panel but it held strong.

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By morning on Wednesday the winds had decreased substantially.  We had been having a problem with our shower leaking somewhere but could never exactly determine where the water was coming from. After my shower in the morning there was quite a bit of water on the floor and after removing a panel in the bedroom at the back of the shower I found the leak.  It was a connection from the valve to the showerhead.  After lunch we headed into Yuma to find a RV parts store to get a new rubber gasket for the connector.  We found an RV parts store near the airport on E 32 St.  Wow, what a store.  They had a huge inventory with many hard to find items for RV’s.  I found the part I was after and then we wandered the store a bit.  If you’re in need of parts for your RV while in the Yuma area this the place to go.  While in town we stopped at McDonald’s to sit in the their parking lot and use their WiFi.  We discovered that the Harbour Freight store was just down the street and so when we were done catching up on emails and Facebook we headed to Harbour Freight.  This is mainly a Tool store and they certainly had lots of them.  I picked up a few things and then we headed back to camp.  I busied myself with trying to fix the water leak and unfortunately it was a no go.  It turned out that the leak was actually from an elbow (probably a split) in the water line.  Bummer….  Well…  I had quite a chore getting the old elbow off: there just isn’t much room to work.  Finally, after much effort the elbow was off and sure enough it was split on the side.  Back to parts store tomorrow for a new elbow.  Our happy hours are a lot quieter now with just the 2 of us.  Today’s was delayed a little while I was wrestling with that water line elbow. Tonight’s supper was beef stew in the instant pot, and it was very tasty.

Thursday, later in the morning, we drove back to Yuma to the RV Parts store once again.  The elbow I needed was out of stock but there was a sample part on the outside of the bin.  I asked the lady clerk if they might have more stock and mentioned the sample on the bin.  She said “we can take care of that” and removed the sample for me.  It was in perfect condition and was only held to the bin with a zip tie.  That saved me from searching for other stores with the part, so I was thankful, and I was on my way.  We decided to try Lin’s Buffet for lunch.  A few years ago, while visiting friends after a cruise in Tampa, they took us to a buffet for lunch and Kim thought that the name was Lin’s so we thought we’d try this one out.  The food was was great and there was lots to choose from.  Lunch price was $10.49 per person, which was good considering it was all you could eat.  We certainly ate as much as we could.  We’ll be back here again but maybe next time for supper.  Stopped again for some WiFi but this was at a gas station.  Then back to our Motorhome at Imperial Dam. 

On the way we stopped at the visitor centre outside the Yuma Proving Grounds.  They have a large outdoor display of tanks and artillery.  We walked around and took some pictures.  While there another couple stopped to asked us a question about the display and during the ensuing conversation they mentioned they were from British Columbia.  We said we were from Ontario and they asked ‘where in Ontario?’ We told them Ingersoll, and the Lady said she grew up in Beachville and went to high school in Ingersoll.  So we talk for a bit more and discovered that they are staying in a Fifth Wheel almost next to us in Imperial Dam.  Wow, small world sometimes.  They had moved to British Columbia 35 years ago.  After we finished talking and seeing the rest of the display we headed back to camp.  I set about installing the new part in the shower, and thankfully all is good…  No more leaks.  Yay!!!!

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Friday morning was quite cool to start out. It was kinda chilly in the Motorhome at daybreak. I got up at a little after 7 am and started the generator and started the coffee as well as the furnace…just to take the chill off. We had a relaxing morning and then after a slightly early lunch we hopped in the car and took a drive around this LTVA area. We toured around for a bit and then headed out to the main road in to tour another road, and Lo and Behold, here’s comes the Stinger B. Stinger B is the nickname (officially or unofficially) for Tom and Deb’s Motorhome. Ken and Shirley lead the way with Tom and Deb right behind, heading up into our camping area. We waved frantically as they went by. Upon further discussion later, they wondered who these strange people were who were waving at them. Anyway we followed them in and parked close by them as they were refilling their water tanks. We walked over to their rigs and said Hello. I think they were surprised to see us standing there. We visited for a bit and then we suggested they follow us in to where we were parked as there was ample room for them to pull in around us. They did and so now were all parked together again. They busied themselves with setting up and such and then joined us for Happy Hour. It was just a beautiful day this afternoon. Bright blue skies, warm air and very little wind. Another nice time together and such a coincidence that they were coming in at just the time we were sitting at that corner. Life is definitely funny like that. Special Thanks to Ken and Shirley for letting us use their Wifi Hotspot to post this Blog Entry.

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