Groundbreaking; the Golden Shovels Have at it!

This is the way the project looked on a Thursday afternoon for the groundbreaking ceremony and the following pictures shows how it looked the next Monday as the dozers went into action doing all the grading. The job trailer is set and offers spacious accommodation for Marc’s homemade plan table and his neat ‘50’s used schoolteacher’s desk.

Marc’s been trying to wrap things up on my rig and managed to find an auxiliary fuel tank for my Dodge so I won’t have to be purchasing fuel every couple hundred miles. Given that I have a short bed it needs to be cut down and modified just a tad but should still hold around 75 gallons and give me a range of nearer to 1000 miles if I’m filled. It’s always nice to be able to pick and choose your fuel stops when going cross country given the difference in pricing state to state. We also just purchased new heavy duty truck tires and he took time to get my lovely new stained glass window installed, which matches in perfectly to my rig’s graphics and colors. It’s a waterfall, river, cabin and bear in the evergreens—just the scene for the Northwood’s!

Things here in Yuma are winding down for me given that I hope to leave on the first of April if the heat doesn’t get to me before then. I now have a love-hate relationship with the desert—it’s nice in its way but the dusty, arid air wreaks havoc with my sinus and allergies and I miss the humidity and lush green of Wisconsin. Rocks and sand just aren’t inspiring enough for me anymore. Spring is awakening my sense of wanting to be back gardening and working outdoors and watching everything emerge from winter slumber. I miss my seasons!! 

Other snowbirds are feeling the heat as well, as they slowly trickle out from the lots a few at a time. Our neighbors got together for a wonderful celebration of birthdays last evening over some great pot luck entrees and it was nice to be able to formally say goodbye to all and wish them good travels. Of course, many of them no longer move with the seasons but the Canadian contingent are limited on stay days so many leave in March.