Thursday, November 1, 2018

A Stop in Boulder City On The Way to Yuma


After leaving Virgin, UT we spent a couple nights in Boulder City, NV to visit with John and Pam, whom many of you know from Oh, the Places they Go!. It was a fun visit, with lots of political talk between John and Jim, a great hike up nearby Black Mountain, a close encounter with bighorn sheep and dinner at the Boulder Dam Brewery. Oh, and their new house is lovely!

On the way up to Black Mountain, the one on the right, via the River Mountain Trail. Red Mountain is to the left.

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The trail was built by the CCC in the mid 1930s.

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There was a big group of people up by zipline platform on Red Mountain.

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Our destination.

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Looking down on the trail. The switchbacks are fairly gentle.

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Jim, Pam and John resting at the overlook after almost three miles and 1,200’ feet of climbing.

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We had a little incident at the top where we inadvertently got to test out our DeLorme InReach device. It was in Jim’s backpack and somehow the lock button got unlocked, so while he was leaning against the bench the SOS button was engaged. We heard it go off but in Jim’s panic to try and stop the SOS while not being able to see the print very well without his reading glasses, it was sent. The only good thing is we had phone signal so someone called a couple minutes later to verify whether it was a true emergency. At least we now know it actually does work if we ever need to use it. Jim was a bit embarrassed but I imagine they get quite a few false alarms.

Views of Boulder City and Lake Mead from Black Mountain. Vegas is also visible but it was too hazy for photos looking that direction.

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After the hike we stopped by Hemenway Park where the resident herd of handsome bighorn sheep were hanging around and grazing on the grass. You can see they are very accustomed to people.

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We didn’t realize that the males are so much darker than the females.

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The horns have such intricate detail.

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And I like their white butts.

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Since 2012 a large number of sheep from this River Mountains herd have died from a bacterial pneumonia infection but the numbers have been improving the past couple years so it may have run its course.

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On Monday we headed off to Yuma, AZ so I could have some dental work done in Los Algodones. Dr. Fonseca and two other dentists, including the one in CA I saw for the tooth infection in the spring, recommended replacing the crown next to the tooth I had to have pulled since it was chipped and has some gum recession. I was also ready for an implant but wanted to ask more questions and hadn’t decided where I wanted to have that done.

After many years of going to Mexico for dental work we have gotten accustomed to things being done a bit more casually, but I was surprised when we arrived at Dr. Fonseca’s office and her assistant informed us that she had surgery last week and would not be back for another week. You might have thought she would have called to let us know, but she said the oral surgeon who pulled my tooth back in April, Dr. Roy Castillo, would come over and do the crown if I wanted. Since I was there and I was happy with the extraction he did, I said that was fine. And since I was considering using him for the implant anyway I could get some answers about that, too. After looking at my x-ray he thought I needed a post put in by the endodontist since I had previous root canal done on that tooth. They called over and said I could be seen right then, so I was escorted a couple blocks away to the endodontist. After reviewing the x-ray he said there was not enough tooth left under the crown to support the post and they were afraid if they removed the old crown the tooth might break off. The consensus was just to leave it as is, and when and if it starts to bother me, which it is not (yet, anyway), I would just need to get the tooth pulled. Not what I wanted to hear but at least they were honest about it.

So it was back to Dr. Castillo to discuss the implant, and when he answered all my questions I asked when he could do it if I decided that’s what I wanted to do. He said he had time to do it right then, so I just told him to go ahead since I wanted to get this next step over with. Being my first implant I was apprehensive, but other than a feeling of pressure it was not the least bit painful. It’s been a little sore since the anesthetic wore off but that’s understandable considering the gum has been cut. Now it’s more waiting, four months until I can go back for the abutment and final crown. I will be glad when it’s all finished.

While in Yuma this time we stayed at Cocopah RV and Golf Resort on the west side. It’s a large, well-kept but older park with gravel lots, and being a bit early in the season it is still on Passport America. Well worth $20/night at the Passport rate. They have lots of activities, a pool, spa, fitness center, tennis and pickleball courts, clubhouse, golf course, restaurants, etc. I’m sure it’s crazy here once all the snowbirds arrive but it’s very quiet right now, and far enough from the interstate that it’s not annoying. Many of the Yuma RV parks are right on the highway, which always baffles us as to why anyone would spend months there. And their wifi worked great but it would probably be different if the park is full.

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Our view, which was nice until the wind picked up and the dust started blowing across the field.

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We could have left yesterday since I didn’t have to go back for the crown, but there were high wind warnings and lots of blowing dust so we hung around here so I could visit the Yuma School of Beauty, where I’ve been a couple times before, for a much needed haircut.  Being Halloween some of the students and staff were dressed in costumes. I am not sure what Ubando, the student who cut my hair, was supposed to be and I didn’t ask since I was more interested in what he was doing to my hair.

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It turned out he didn’t quite understand what his instructor was telling him about how to do my cut, so the instructor ended up doing it. I have had that happen before at beauty schools unless you get a student who is close to graduation, which is fine with me.

Today we’re making our way back to Jojoba Hills for a couple months. We’re looking forward to staying put for awhile.

30 comments:

  1. Nice that you made it to Yuma and are getting your dental work done, Now you can enjoy Jojaba Hills for a while.

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  2. Nice to visit with Pam and John, and of course they took you hiking to marvelous views. Glad to know your emergency beacon works, and that you didn't need it. Especially if that close to the Sheep.

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    1. Yes, we expected a hike while visiting John and Pam :-) The sheep were a nice surprise.

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  3. We always have a good time with Pam and John. Great photos of the sheep. I think the sheep are beautiful.
    Have a safe trip west.

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    1. That's as close as we've ever been to a bighorn. Made me a little nervous but they had no interest in the people.

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  4. I loved your pictures of the sheep, especially the two headed one!
    Sue

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    1. Funny, we didn't realize that sheep had two heads!

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  5. It was so nice to spend some quality time together while relaxing and hiking. Thanks for stopping to visit. Your photos of the sheep are wonderful. There was quite a crowd of sheep at the park today, as well, as we drove by. You certainly had quite the adventure in Mexico. Glad that the implant went smoothly. Let's hope the old crown hangs on for a long time. Safe travels back to Jojoba!

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    1. Thanks, it was a great weekend. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there will be no new dental problems for a long time!

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  6. Advocates for the West recently won a suit to have domestic sheep removed from grazing in a large area in central Idaho.

    It seems Bighorns are susceptible to pneumonia passed from domestic sheep. An entire herd of Bighorns was nearly wiped out several years ago. The ranchers fought it bitterly, but folks are increasingly interested in seeing public lands used as habitat rather than for grazing.

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    1. That's interesting. I also read that the bighorns don't develop any immunity over time and there is no vaccine they can give them.

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  7. So fun that you stopped by to see Pam and John. Looks like a great hike, and the bighorn sheep in the park are wonderful! I'll take those over the herds of Canada Geese that take over most city parks. :-)

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    1. A park full of sheep was a nice bonus after our hike, much better than geese!

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  8. Missing our slick rock hiking partner...

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  9. Oh those beauty school cuts can be interesting experiences! I once spent 2.5 hours getting my hair cut by a student...it was ridiculous! I have had very good haircuts in Los Algodones 3 times...only $5.

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    1. It is always a slow process at a beauty school. Took an hour and a half for the shampoo and cut, but it only cost $7 and the student learned some things!

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  10. We love that area and of course your hiking buddies. Great views from the top. Your pics of the sheep are awesome. So good that their numbers are being restored - I'm sure that lush city grass is helping :-)

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  11. That was a good test of the InReach. I wonder what would have happened if you didn’t have cell signal and they couldn’t call to check? Sounds as if your dental adventure went well. Welcome to the implant club!

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    1. They would have sent a text to the InReach. Jim has his phone set up so he can use it to text instead of the device, but he forgot his phone that day so he had a hard time trying to see the small print and type a message on the tiny keys on the device since he also forgot his reading glasses. It was a comedy of errors and we planned to make a fast run back down the trail if we saw a rescue helicopter coming :-)

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  12. Whew, 3 miles and 1200 feet. I’d take a rest too. Fabulous views at the overlook. Funny story about your distress call. Looks like a lot of development down there from Black Mountain. I’m amazed at a “resident herd of big horn sheep”. They are gorgeous. Their horn designs are amazing. What art in nature. SO much dental work. I don’t envy you at all. I’m knocking on all the wood I can that all I have in my mouth are fillings. Looking forward to your posts from Jojoba Hills. I really want to visit there and look around.

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  13. May not have been a bad idea to check out the emergency feature on your DeLorme. You never know when it might be needed. Isn't Pam and John's home lovely? Given their love of bighorn sheep, it seems appropriate that they live in an area where they gather. Hope your implant heals well. See you both soon.

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  14. You were very fortunate to hang out and hike with the Big Horn whisperer :) I think that was a good false alarm, now you know it works and what to expect if you have to do it for real (which i hope you dont have to).
    By the way, a dental implant is the best way to go, I should know I have over ten :) in my mouth. Good luck with yours.

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  15. Hi, Jim and Gayle - looking forward to a post from Jojoba Hills! I'm assuming it is not near any of the terrible fires? Love the photo of the haircut guy dressed as a pepper shaker. Best of luck with the dental stuff!

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    1. No, not near any fires, at least not yet.
      Of course, a pepper shaker!

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  16. hey there old college roomie and friend its Lynne (shocker huh? lol) Yep, I still check in every so often and make sure all is well with you Love your blog and photos!!! Stay safe and healthy

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    1. So good to hear from you! Hope all is well in your world, Pittsburgh still?

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