February 5th

Here we are in Tucson. This morning we were ready to leave and the neighbors told us I-10 was closed due to a semi wreck. Traffic was backed up all directions. So we decided to stay here another day. We had no plans to be anywhere in particular anyway.

We went to the Visitors Center to see how we could spend our day. We went to one of the 43 locations for the Gem Shows and looked at all the gorgeous rocks and stones from all over the world. There was jewelry to die for too. The tent waslarger than  HUGE. The gal at Visitors Center told us this tent is about 1/10 as big as some of the others. I can't imagine.

We found good Mexican fast food for lunch -- a Sonora hot dog and a shrimp taco. We went to the Skecher's Outlet store and I bought a pair of new tennis shoes that have memory foam in the soles. I plan to wear them soon. We drove around looking at the nice neighborhoods, went to a mall and came home.

We plan to go to Silver City, NM tomorrow.  We plan to go to the  Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. There, in the 1280's, people of the Mogollon culture occupied caves, which may have been used as ceremonial centers, work areas, communal kitchens or prayer kivas. The site today is eerie and beautiful: brick barriers and catwalks are still intact. It is a mystery as to why these people lived in these cliffs and appeared to have abruptly left after about 25 years. We are able to walk through the caves.

After a month of staying in Yuma, it was time to leave. I didn't want to go. Buster said, "It's time to head East." No telling where this trip will take us! We have no plans!

We enjoyed our friends we met last year in Yuma and new friends this year. It will be fun to return next year and hopefully we can stay longer!

Last night we met up with our Olympia friends, Fred and Judy, and had dinner. Buster and Fred fish together in the ocean and Puget Sound. They are the couple who went over to Yuma and the four of us went to Los Algondonas and stayed in the hotel.

Hopefully I can write more often from now on. It was just a busy life in Yuma! Too much to see and do all the time!!

Susan