All is Well at the Casino del Sol!

I think we may have found our resting place for a minute! This Casino del Sol is something else! The parking lot is humungoid, the casino is really nice inside (with a very good ventilating system for the smoke) and almost felt like we were in the Venetian in Vegas.

The landscaping is beautiful and there's a ton of room to walk Savannah, also feeling very safe while doing so. We were able to put our antennae up on the van and are getting somewhere around 60 channels or so...crazy, a lot of them are Spanish but we're still bringing them in...that's what counts!

[caption id="attachment_3807" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Pick a spot, any spot![/caption]

The parking for the RV's is in the back of the casino over by the amphitheater, which reminds me of a place in Denver called Fiddler's Green, well it used to be called that until Coor's took over. It's gorgeous!

[caption id="attachment_3811" align="aligncenter" width="300"] AVI Ampitheater[/caption]

I wish it were open to the public so we could kick our soccer ball in there, but I understand why it's not. For lunch we made our first round of smoothies...yummy scrum-diddly-umptious smoothies! We bought a single serve blender, which actually works pretty darn good with all of the stuff we jam-packed in there! haha

[caption id="attachment_3809" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Serving One...at a time[/caption]

We're still learning. I'm going to call this smoothie the Tutti Frutti...I might just call all of them that, since the name is so much fun! The contents of the Tutti Frutti consists of: Apple juice, ice, strawberries, blueberries, banana's, peanut butter, Muscle Milk protein powder, yogurt and ground up Flax seed. Yes, all in this single serving cup....it was overflowing with scrumptiousness!

[caption id="attachment_3808" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Tutti Frutti awww Rootie[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3810" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Thumbs Up to my babaa'[/caption]

We're both pretty stoked that this is going to be a normal part of our days now. We just have to get another blending cup for easier smoothie making...today we shared and made two. The blender is pretty small too so it fits right in with our stuff in Joon...welcome to the family Blenderella! haha

In the early evening I took Savannah on a hunt, making sure she got to sniff every single cactus, rock and shrub! That's when I saw this little guy...the red and pink caught my eye, but he almost looks translucent!

[caption id="attachment_3805" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Lil' Liam the Lizard[/caption]

All in all I'd say this place is pretty nice and welcoming of travelers ..which is always nice to find, especially when you don't know where you are! I spent the majority of my day finding out exactly where we are and what is nearby, like parks, Wal-marts, Farmer's Markets, where my sista' lives and if there are any other places to camp, either Casino's or BLM. I feel like I have done a fairly good job with this, but we shall see when it comes time and we are there either parking for a few days... or driving to the next place! For now though, we will be parked right here at this casino, enjoying the mountain scenery, each others company and being able to channel surf...woo hoo Surf's Up Dude's and Dudette's!

PEACE

 

 

Flip Floppin' to a Fresh Feast under a Full moon

I really love this spot we're in and even though we're missing "our shows" it's a nice change to not have regular TV...we can always catch up online. On mornings like this, I think we really have to thank ourselves for doing what we want to be doing, instead of what everyone else thinks we should be doing.

[caption id="attachment_2754" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Hello Morning![/caption]

After our morning rituals, I decided to take Savannah to the very top of the hill (where we hit the dead end yesterday) to take in the sights of, well...everything and maybe even get some good shots of our spot from up above. It's a pretty steep hill, even steeper than Laughlin's hill, and I was wearing flip flops (when am I not) but we were going to do it anyway!

[caption id="attachment_2759" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Pretty good![/caption]

When we finished our walk, I figured it was about that time to "shower" and hopefully the water had had enough time to warm up a bit more...been freezing until almost close to sunset! I never really thought the solar shower wouldn't heat up as much in the Winter, I thought sun is sun...nope, all sun is NOT equal my friends! It's a good thing I've figured out how to be fast and smart at this shower taking stuff! This is what I do when we have a spot that's pretty private (let me think that, okay) unless you have great binoculars: I get in my bikini, fold a towel to put on the ground (for the dirt and sharp rocks poking in your butt!), fill my Charmin box with water and clean my face, refill with clean water to shave, then move over to the Solar shower to wash the bod and hair. This way you're not wet and cold the whole time (it's been windy for the last few months, seems that wind knows when you're wet!) Even with the water being way less than luke warm, it always feels good to be clean and fresh! Oh, and I am definitely going to need a hairscut soon. I think I'm going to grow the top out a bit but keep cutting the back...I miss my hair!

[caption id="attachment_2760" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Fro fro is clean again![/caption]

The days seem to be getting shorter even though they're not. Maybe it's because we are on Arizona time and the sun doesn't come up til' like 8:30 a.m! We do keep getting some pretty radical sunsets though, so I can't complain about the sun going down, just wish it wasn't before we had dinner! Dinner tonight consists of loaded mashed taters, corn and brown rice...yes, we need to go shopping!

[caption id="attachment_2761" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Best bowl of mush out there![/caption]

Don't forget...Full Moon tonight!!!!

[caption id="attachment_2762" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I ❤ You![/caption]

PEACE

Back to the nature

It feels so nice to be back "in the wild" again! Okay, so we're pretty much right off the highway, but we have total privacy, we are the only ones around, we can't really even hear the traffic on 95 and I can walk my Bug around bushes and nature again. She is absolutely loving all the Nature potty walks, for sure.

[caption id="attachment_2723" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Stop and smell the...cactus!?[/caption]

It was such a beautiful day today, we must have gone on 4 walks! The walks these days consist more of light walking and LOTS of smelling, listening, hunting and light digging. Even though we are in, what seems like, a pretty 'safe' area, we are still in the nature and you never know when something is going to pop up around a bush, a rock or a mountain top so we stay closer to the van...but she still gets her hunt in!

[caption id="attachment_2724" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Beautiful day for a hunt![/caption]

In between catering to Savannah, haha I was able to paint my nails, they've been bugging me so it was nice to finally get that done...nice and festive for the upcoming month of December!

[caption id="attachment_2726" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Purty[/caption]

Savannah found a new spot, so she's not in Daddy's way but she can still window hunt. Good thing she's small or this would either never work or look super funny!

[caption id="attachment_2725" align="aligncenter" width="225"] She's goin' Pro![/caption]

It's funny too, because I make her a seat on the chair but she climbs up to the top of her perch and watches...funny girl!

It's so great to see amazing sunsets again too. I think we missed quite a few in Laughlin due to all the bright lights.

[caption id="attachment_2728" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Everything around us was PINK!![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2730" align="aligncenter" width="300"] She did NOT want to take this picture![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2729" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Wow![/caption]

I have to say, being in the city and around other people has its place, but there's nothing like being wherever you want to be, being able to watch Mother Nature work her magic with the sky and being able to get in our fort at night to snuggle up with the one(s) you love. It's so nice to be in the nature once again to fully appreciate everything that's out there. For all of you out there hoping for something different...if you can't get out and truly do what you want maybe you can do things a little differently. Go a different route to work, talk to new people, where mismatched socks, help someone, eat something different for lunch, wear your hair different, sit and watch that sunset even if your favorite show is on, set your alarm in the middle of the night for that meteor shower. If you always do everything the same way, you'll never find out what you're missing.

I hope today brings something different to you in a great way!

[caption id="attachment_2731" align="aligncenter" width="300"] She put on her pigtails today![/caption]

PEACE

 

 

 

 

 

Just another day in the van

The past 2-3 mornings I have been waking up at the crack of dawn. This morning I decided to get out of bed and let J' sleep in a little bit, usually if he's not awake with me it's because he wasn't sleeping during the night. I bundled my nugget (and myself) up and we went for a little walk. Last night we ended up moving up to this plateau right above where we have been camping so I walked her around where the van used to be. It's nice because there are many more potty places for her there and it's nice and flat...no big rocks to climb up and over!

[caption id="attachment_2531" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Our lil perch[/caption]

She has been wanting to go down the big hill to the main road but I never have the right shoes on and knowing me I will slide down that hill! Today I gave in...a little bit and she was so excited!

[caption id="attachment_2532" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Where does she start?[/caption]

That hill is pretty steep and when I started sliding we went back to the top....we would try again another day. The wind was pretty strong already, whipping me around (not helping with the shoes and rocks down the hill) and I could also see Savannah walking a little sideways when a big gust would come through...she's so little!

[caption id="attachment_2533" align="aligncenter" width="225"] The wind in our hairs[/caption]

We got back in the van and snuggled with daddy for a bit before getting up for the day...it's always so nice to snuggle when it's cold outside (about the only thing good about cold weather!). Since she had already been out, all she wanted to do was window hunt, so we ended up getting up sooner than later.

[caption id="attachment_2534" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Would rather be hunting[/caption]

We got up and walked her again together, just up on the perch. She loves it when daddy is up because she doesn't have to be on a leash...she has selective hearing when she's with momma, yep she's a brat!

[caption id="attachment_2535" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Running like the wind![/caption]

We all got back in the van...we are ready for some coffee!! We were getting everything out and ready to brew and J' said, "Holy cow...look!" I turned where he was pointing and boom...my day was automatically made. A herd of Bighorn Sheep were right there on the other side of the mountain feeding. They feed off of the vegetation and were moving from plant to plant, bush to bush, never staying in one spot for more than a minute or two.

[caption id="attachment_2536" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Pretty darn close[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2537" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Biggest Horns[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2538" align="aligncenter" width="300"] J's camera zooms better[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2539" align="aligncenter" width="300"] They are so rad![/caption]

I had to switch cameras about 6 pictures in because J's camera has a lot better zoom than mine...I was just happy to get some really good pics! Aren't they so cool? They stuck around a good part of the day, going up and down the mountain as well as circling it a couple of times. The last time we saw them it was around 3 p.m. or so, they were feeding and nearing the edge closest to town and all of a sudden you see one of them take off running. At first, I thought they were trotting down the hill and gravity was making them run then we realized they probably picked up a scent of one of their predators....they were all booking it and they are fast!! It was amazing to see them run at the speed they were. I told J' I would like to be on the back of one of them...wouldn't that be fun!? I think so...don't know how they would react to it...haha

It was another nice day...windy, cold, in the van with the heater on...but at least we have the van, we have warm clothes and a heater to keep our toes from turning blue (well mine at least, I'm a wimp)! We practiced the guitar a little bit and I hit a new record of staying in my jammies all day long! I don't think much more is going to happen today so I'm writing this post a little early. I think with the sun going down at (what seems like) 3:oo in the afternoon...really like 4:30...I seem to be wrapping my days up a lot earlier than I usually would. I think the rest of the day I might just goof around on Facebook and play some games!

[caption id="attachment_2543" align="aligncenter" width="225"] I obviously thought something was hilarious!![/caption]

I hope you had a great day and get to do a little goofing around yourself!

PEACE