SmartWeigh in Congress, AZ

We moved from Yuma up to Congress, AZ.  The weather is about 10 degrees cooler here in Congress.  We are staying at the Escapees North Ranch RV (Rainbow Park).  Escapees is a great RV Club, which we joined our first year on the road.  It is the oldest RV Club in the US and has a great membership of experienced and friendly members all eager to help each other.  There are many Escapee RV Parks across the country and for the cost of an annual membership you can stay at all of them for a great rate.  One of the many programs Escapees provides is the SmartWeigh program.  They maintain and operate high end weight scales that are set up to weigh both sides of each axle independently.  In this way you can observe how well your load is distributed within your RV.  Some things can be changed some things cannot be changed, but it is still good to know the loads and proper tire air pressures can be determined as well.  The timing worked out great for us, since we recently upgraded our truck, and the results we received were fantastic.  We are within tolerance of all of our capacity limits of truck front and rear GAWRs (Gross Axle Weight Ratings), truck GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating); The trailer was also within all GAWR limits and the GVWR as well.  The process was very interesting as well.

Coming into the Wickenburg, AZ roundabout, we see the giant cowboy spurs...

As we peel off toward Congress, AZ we see an eclectic School Bus RV conversion putter by...

 This way to North Ranch RV Park in Congress, AZ.

A little Easter cooking with Shilo

Oh yes, SmartWeigh... This is the flat and level concrete pad, with the precision scales in the middle.

A shot of the two scales that sit in a slight depression in the concrete such that the scale surface is level with the concrete pad surface to maintain the integrity of the RV's levelness.  These scales can be slid along the depression in the concrete to match the tire widths of each axle of the many different RVs that cross these scales.

A close up on one of the scales.  We were told that these scales are Swiss and cost in the 10's of thousands of dollars.  They operate by oil compressed within the scale.

We watched an earlier customer enter the process as Weighmaster Ron guides the driver to the scales for the front axle measurement. 

Front tires stopped precisely on top of the scales.

Ron makes the first reading.

Now the Head Weighmaster George is involved with the rear axle measurement.  We can see Gari at the rear (you can tell by the kayaks on the roof), lining up Romeo for his turn.

Gari pulls ahead as Ron gives direction.

Ron stops the vehicle just ahead of the scales, then checks the position of the scales relative to the wheel width, then slowly moves the vehicle tires onto the scale.

The photographic documentation continues from inside the truck now, all passengers must be aboard for weighing.  We are hooked up to the trailer now and in the mirror we see Ron as he measures the high points of the trailer with his articulating measuring stick.

Gari makes a tight turn with Romeo and we document the kayak to trailer clearance... not bad.

We prepare to be debriefed by the Weighmasters and receive all of the data.

We witnessed one sad but exciting event that occurred in the lot next to our spot.  We took this picture from our door.  It's a little difficult to see the detail, but the husband and wife in the tan Travel Trailer had a situation.  For unknown reason the wife got into their Ford Pickup truck, which you can just see the back end of extending in front of the tan trailer; and she repeatedly rammed the truck into the front driver's side of the trailer crunching the front cap and bedroom slide of the trailer.  She also totaled the truck.  The front grill and radiator of the truck were destroyed.  We figure she totaled both truck and trailer in this event.  You can see the Sheriff car to the left Ambulance at center and Firetruck at right.  They ended up taking the wife away in the ambulance, we do not think she was physically injured.  As the wife rammed the trailer, backed up and rammed again and again probably more than a dozen times, the pitiful husband came out and stood there and helplessly watched as the wife reigned destruction upon their possessions.  He didn't yell or wave his arms, he just stood out of the way silently watching.  We feel sorry that they had to go through this.  At the time we didn't know what in the world was happening and thought we may be next on the list to be rammed!  Oh Lord that was an anxious few minutes in time.

This is closer up on the trailer damage.  The front cap is smashed, the front slide, probably the bedroom slide is all bent and racked.  The tongue jack is destroyed.

You can see how close we were parked to the action.  The battering ram pickup truck is parked next to it's travel trailer and you can see our truck with the kayaks on the roof and and our trailer right behind in the adjacent lot.

This is a close up of the truck that was the battering ram....  She totaled it.  The radiator is punctured.

Dancing with Hummingbirds

A quick post about two pass times in the winter desert... Saturday night dancing and watching the Hummingbirds nest and multiply.

Leading off with a Father-Daughter Dance at Caravan Oasis.

The first nest on the carport column of Jerry's Yuma home.  Two eggs ready to be hatched.

Two fuzzy little hatch-lings a couple of weeks later.

Getting bigger, can see the beaks better now... Soon they will be gone.

We interrupt this post about hummingbirds to display some magnificent light striking the Gila Mountains just so...

The babies are gone and the quarter shows the size of the nest.

Look!  a second new nest on top of the clothes line!  It is just right of the center mast.

One egg in there today...

 Now we see two eggs!

There is Miss Priss sitting on the nest.

 A sunset looking east in Yuma Foothills...

This crowd antes up for one of the last Five Crowns games of the season. Bring your quarters if you are going to hang around with this crowd.

Catfishing in the Desert

Recently I accompanied two Yakima sportsman legends on a field trip to catch Catfish in the Sonoran Desert.  That's right, this is no joke.  Jerry has already done the local field research and leads the fishing expedition this day.  He drives us out into the desert north of Wellton, AZ.  It turns out this area is desert reclaimed as farmland by irrigation from the Colorado River, and this area represents the largest lettuce growing operation in our country.  They grow here 365 days a year!  There are well planned and constructed irrigation canals crossing all throughout the farmland area, really quite a sight to see.  And it turns out there are fish in those ditches!

First stop. Don is amazed by the unlikely fishing spot.

Jerry explains the Catfishin' procedure.  

A view along the first irrigation canal, it goes on for quite some distance. The first obstruction that can be seen is the first bridge crossing the canal.  We understand that the fish like to school under the bridges.

Bait Du Jour, Chicken Livers!

A shot of the expansive lettuce fields.

Looks like Iceberg Lettuce.

First hook in the water... heading toward the first bridge...  There is quite a current in the canals.  The water is probably about 6 or 8 feet deep at the center of the steeply sloped sides.  Falling in would be no joke.

There is a colony of Swallow nests under this bridge.  The flock scatters as the fishermen approach...

Jerry lets his bait under the first bridge. 

This is a shot of some of the nests underneath the bridge.

Don and Jerry fishing from the top of the bridge.

Don fishes under the bridge, Jerry fishes from the top.  This bridge has the very desirable feature of water input which also seems to attract the fish.

 Working both ends of the bridge.

Fish on!  Don is hooked into a Striped Bass!

Don hangs the first fish of the day!  Nice Striper

Jerry pulls a big ol' Catfish out of the canal.

 Hero Shot!

The field laborers work diligently nearby.

 Don pulls another Striper.

Jerry is hooked into something big!

He's hauling out another big ol' Catfish.

That's a catch worthy of a fish fry.

And now we know it is possible to catch Catfish in the middle of the Sonoran Desert!