Wrapping up Yuma

Cocopah RV & Golf Resort

Yuma, AZ

March 6, 2026

No trip to Yuma for us is complete without a patio brunch at the Garden Cafe.  

The vegetable quiche is my favorite and the homemade fruit bread is so yummy.  The fruit in the bread changes day to day and we were happy we were served warm (just out of the oven) strawberry walnut bread.  

The cafe is down a short narrow alley with small businesses on either side.  Lots of color, trees and plants and pots and benches. 

 

Vintage Studio Art Treasures...a fun place to browse.

Another day, the four of us visited Martha's Garden.

The Gardens were founded in 1990 by Nels and Martha when they planted 300 Medjool date palms. Today there are over 8,000 palms in over 130 acres of desert.  It is still a family run and operated business which is proud to mention that they grow, pack, and sell their own product. It is an organic farm...no pesticides or chemicals are used from transplant to harvest.  

The date farm is open everyday except Sunday from 10:00 to 5:00 in the winter (summer hours differ).  They advertise one farm tour a day which begins each morning at 10:30, but we couldn't go because pups are not allowed and we had Lucy.  There is a nice patio setting and a gift store on site.  In addition to date shakes, they offer a variety of packaged dates. Dark chocolate covered, white chocolate covered dates and dates rolled in walnuts, pecans and coconuts.  Dates are a new food item for me. And I came home with three containers of plain Medjool dates (which can be kept in the freezer for up to four months) and a small container of the walnut dates which I didn't think were as good as just the plain ones.  

Bags help protect developing dates from pests (birds, insects, and bats), and from harsh weather (rain, wind and sun).

Back at Belle, I was excited the African Violet I have nurtured for a while finally has a bloom.  It was on the "almost gone" counter at Civano at the end of last summer.  

Carol's tulips bloomed.

Lucy plays ball.

Joe makes repairs.

We take daily walks...a morning walk and an evening walk in-between the heat of the day works good for us.

Sunrise

Long-billed Curlew...one of my all time favorite birds.

Screwbean Mesquite Tree

Golden Tickseed

Northern Mockingbird

Sunrise

The castor oil plant (except it looked like a tree).

Sunset

Yesterday was travel day so stay tuned.

Until next time, 

HAPPY TRAILS!

and SWEET DREAMS!

A Winter Vaca...

February 12, 2025

Cocopah RV Resort

Yuma, AZ

...but first a quick catch-up from the oasis.

The start of another wonderful day...

Lucy enjoyed a very nice play day at the Doggie park in Green Valley.  

Quail Creek Dog Park in Green Valley. This is the side for small pups.

It's a huge park divided in half to separate big and little dogs.  There were only a couple of other pups there. Lucy ran and ran and chased and chased...it's so much fun to watch her socializing and having a good time.  

Taking a break under the shade pavilion...

Lucy loves ice and one of those wonderful warm, sunny days we were enjoying our rockers on the patio.  Before I knew it, she jumped on the table and turned my water  glass (thank goodness for Tervis) over and just helped herself.  Now I add ice to her water bowl if we are sitting outside.  

Lucy is always a good helper, 

Dad needs my help with the hose reel...

and loves to play fetch.

So focused on Joe and the ball...

I planted some flowers.  I just love our little kitchen table garden especially with the afternoon sun shinning in.  It's my favorite time of year because I don't have to shut the blinds to keep the heat out.

So on Monday, February 10th, we loaded up the bus and headed west.  

It's Lucy's first RV trip and we are happy to report so far so good.  She sat with me all the way and watched the world go by.  It is so amazing how puppies adapt.  to what ever we throw at them.  She sat like the sweet little pup she is all the way to Cocopah RV Resort in Yuma. 

Our last trip to Cocopah was in February 2014.  My how the time flies !  Monday night we joined Carol and Ronnie and Don (his better half, Jan, wasn't feeling too good) for pizza.  Lucy went for little while and then we took her home to her crate for a nap.  Good friends just seem to have "this thing" when they meet up that wipes out all the time passed in-between visits.  The conversation and laughter just flows like we had seen them last week.  Life is good that way ! 

Lucy has already made friends at the puppy play area.  It's a huge 2.5 acres of green grass nestled within the residential area and not fenced in so we haven't let Lucy off-leash yet. 

This is Daisy...Lucy also met Keva and Lexie and their humans who are all so nice to our very active 5 month old puppy.   

 This morning, our walk was along the Colorado River.  The path has been greatly improved since we were here 11 years ago.  It is so peaceful and so pretty to walk along the river...one of my favorite things to do while here.  

We also spent time at the pond in front of the RV Registration office.  We saw lots of birds this morning. I photographed a few and my favorite was a Snow Goose.  

These beauties migrate to and from their breeding grounds in northern Alaska and Canada.  They are strong fliers, walkers, and swimmers.  The male and female mate for life. The female chooses a nest site sheltered among vegetation in the willows and rocks or small shrubs.  Being close to snow melt when breeding presents a challenge to find a dry spot and the female sometimes makes several decisions only to change her mind.  These geese are vegetarians with a hearty appetite.  In fact their two favorite activities are eating and sleeping.  

So until next time...

HAPPY TRAILS !