Sunday, October 23
“You know, Reg? This would be a good time to go to Mesquite.”
Entrance road to I-15 South from Cedar Pocket, Virgin River Gorge, Arizona
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “I LOVE driving through Virgin River Gorge!”
Imagine yourself riding in one of those cars in the scene above.
When you reach the place where the road disappears in the photo, you glide down into an enormous canyon while at the same time the cliffs on both sides rise far above you. You curve to the left and to the right, again and again, down to 2,000 feet. Suddenly the rock walls disappear and you’re flying across an expansive, desert plain.
I probably could’ve waited to go to the store. What I couldn’t wait for is another ride through the gorge!
The distance from Cedar Pocket Campground to Mesquite is only 18 miles.
The speed limit, once you’re out of the gorge, is 75 mph, and the interstate is straight across flat ground.. Usually the Perfect Tow Vehicle hums along at 58-60 mph.
Okay, sweetheart. Let’s see what you can do . . . . I press the accelerator.
We pass the exit for Littlefield and Beaver Dam and cross into Nevada at Mesquite. I take the first exit and pull into the gas station across the road from the Virgin River Casino.
At the propane tank I wait my turn behind a big fifth wheel having its two large tanks filled. Propane is $2.48 a gallon. I notice there’s a dump station here with a $7 fee.
I also notice that the area behind the gas station has parking spaces (just painted lines on asphalt) and signs all around say, “Paid parking.” A parking lot!
Well, if you drive across the desert to hit the casino and there’s no place to park . . . .
Taking the next exit, Reggie and I roll into Wal-Mart.
I’m grateful for the overcast sky.
If it were a sunny day it might be too hot for Reggie to wait while I shop.
I give him a brief walk-around which delights him to no end and pop him back into the PTV. I set the water dish on the passenger seat for easy access, bring the windows down a few inches, and lock the doors.
I snuggle Reggie’s face.
“I’ll be back soon, little guy. I promise!”
Reggie doesn’t whine or fuss.
Charlie (our neighbor with Sadie, the German Shepherd) suggested I give Reggie “Dream Bones” instead of rawhide chews.
I’ve never felt good about giving rawhide chews to my crew, so I’m eager to try this alternative. I find “Dream Bones” right away. They have an exterior made of vegetables. Inside is peanut butter.
I hope Reggie likes these . . . .
More canine encounters!
In the previous post, Reggie meets Beau, the miniature Australian Shepherd, and the two dogs play with abandon, chasing and tackling each other in the campground lane. Their antics attract people.
Among the group is a Jack Russell Terrier, eager to meet “The Dog That Flies” aka Reggie.
Reggie makes several canine acquaintances at this camp!
Here’s Reg showing Ted, the black Shih Tzu with a hair cut, how fast he can zoom.
Reggie tries to make friends out of the two cute terriers in the photo below — a Jack Russell and a mix — but the JRT becomes agitated, and before the three dogs have a chance to settle down and enjoy each other, the owner becomes agitated and she pulls the dogs back to the other side of their motor home, which, of course, means the JRT will continue this behavior because he didn’t receive the reward of play for being nice.
(Okay, that’s a run-on sentence. Nobody cares.)
On the return to the Best Little Trailer, we pass Charlie’s and Sadie’s campsite.
They have visitors! More dogs! Two chihuahuas! Oh, wow-wow!
“Look, Reg! They’re the same size as you!”
In the photo above, the guy in the back is Cuz, and the chunky lady in the foreground, nose-to-nose with Reg, is Scruffy.
“Scruffy?” I respond without thinking. “She doesn’t look scruffy.”
The owner explains. “She was named by a child.”
Cuz (below) is the daddy to Scruffy. This is need-to-know information for all my readers, I’m sure. Thus I post it here for you.
Since this initial get-together, Scruffy and Cuz make a few visits to our campsite, much to Reggie’s delight. Timidly they sneak over here, play briefly, do their business, and leave.
Conditions at Cedar Pocket Campground
The weekend passes quietly, even though the campground fills up and there are children running around. After a few hot days — sunny and in the 80s — clouds move in, cooling us somewhat.
I talk with Larry who is a full-time van dweller.
I met Larry the last time we were at Cedar Pocket. He’s in his 80s and has been coming to Cedar Pocket for 40 years, camping in various rigs over that time. He wishes it would rain to bring the air temperature down further.
(I like it warm, but I don’t say so.)
“I can’t take the heat and cold the way I used to,” he says. ” I think I need to get something that has an air conditioner and furnace and stay where there are hook-ups.”
In other news . . . .
Well, I don’t know that it’s news. More rumor than anything. Someone sighted a rattlesnake inside the campground. Of course, when I hear this my immediate question is “WHERE inside the campground?” as if that’s relevant because “Uh, RVSue? Snakes can move, you know.”
Anyway . . . . I’m extra careful when stepping outside after dark and when walking Reggie Man.
Bit of a water problem at the campground.
I haven’t tried to pump water yet, because we arrived here with several gallons. Word has it that the pump isn’t working. Water is stored in a large, above-ground tank. Of course, campers hope the pump is fixed before the tank empties!
That’s it for now!
I’m thinking Reg and I will break camp soon. This is a great camp and it’s inexpensive. Even so, I’m feeling a growing urge to move and I don’t know where to . . . yet.
rvsue
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