Desert Messenger

16 www.DesertMessenger.com July 11, 2018 24.7 By Jackie Deal 24.7? Do I mean 24 days, 7 hours? Nope. 24.7. The distance to Elkton, Oregon and a different world; that was the mileage from my home in Sutherlin, Oregon to our Chapter 9 camping club rally at Elkton. We camped by the river. Those of us who have RVed remember when any river would do. My husband and I once camped on a hillside in a very primitive campground on a hill by a river. The view was beautiful and I directed him, ever so carefully, to park just perfectly between two trees. So perfectly in fact that he could not open any of the doors on the motor home and was trapped inside. This time we had no trees or hill to contend with so we parked, met our neighbors, registered, laughed, met new neighbors and we hugged old neighbors. Well, we hugged everybody. We are the hug- gingest group! There was, of course, plenty of food throughout the rally. Lots of des- serts, so many snacks that meals were hardly necessary. Then there was the Rivers Edge Winery tour! Leth thee, do thix (or was it eight) itty, bitty wine samples equal too much? We all picked our favorites and quite a bit of money changed hands. For some unknown reason our RVing club is a favorite of the winery. Do you love campfi res? The Elk- ton campground provided a pit and fi rewood and we bathed in that good smoky aroma; not exactly the per- fume of the month but so nostalgic. Some "wag" once told me that Quartzsite is "God's waiting room", now does that mean we are all sim- ply waiting to die? I hardly think so! True, we do get nostalgic over certain things, like campfi re smoke and trips to unknown places. We also share photos of new grand or great-grand babies and ooh and aww and coo. But that doesn't mean there isn't still life in us old folks. The musi- cians who perform nightly at the parks, they may be tottery and even on oxygen but they're still in there living while they're alive. Then there's the hundreds of vol- unteers that keep little ole Quartzsite running. Ever think how the QIA (Quartzsite Improvement Asso- ciation) runs on volunteer energy? And also there's the Salvation Army Thrift store, other thrift stores, Se- nior Center, the Chamber of Com- merce, and many, many more vol- unteer driven places. Volunteering not only gives back it helps us feel alive. And being alive is what Quartzsite is all about. Some of us are too chicken to brave the sum- mer heat but we still love Quartzsite six months of the year. The rest of the year we live, love and volunteer in our Northern homes. The best of all worlds: to be able to go, do, live while we're alive. Travelogue Desert Messenger MyQuartzsite.com E-EDITION: DO YOU HAVE EXPIRED OR UNUSED MEDICATIONS? DUMP THE DRUGS at QPD! Dispose safely at QUARTZSITE POLICE DEPT. Mon - Fri. 8am-5pm 305 N. Plymouth, Quartzsite 928-927-4644 Space donated by Desert Messenger Your vacation should be a pleasant experience for you and your family. Take a few simple steps to reduce the possibility of becoming a victim of a burglary or other criminal acts against your home. Before you leave for your trip No- tify local police of the departure and return dates of your trip and provide the name and telephone number of a neighbor or relative to notify in the event of an emergency. Vacation Watch Request Form is available online at http:// c i . q u a r t z s i t e . a z . u s / i m a g e s / P o - lice_Department/QPD_Vacation_ Watch_Request.pdf Going on vacation? Notify QPD AA Meetings QUARTZSITE LOCAL SURVIVORS GROUP Mon. 5:30pm Big Book Study Thurs. 5:30pm Topic Sat. 5:30pm 12x12 Meeting Community Bible Church 375 E. Sunrise St. Gloria 316-617-1877 Randy 928-216-7297 BLYTHE, CA Blythe Primary Purpose Group has Topic Discussion Meetings 7:00 pm (CA Time) every Monday and Friday at 187 N. 7th Street - Blythe

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