Reaping The Fruit In Yuma...and Clarification on Algodones, Mexico.

Oranges, lemons and grapefruit!

My brother had invited us to join him - and others - to pick some fruit at a farm near Yuma.  The orchard is run by friends they know and the fruit was free for the pickin'.  We had other, firm, plans so Bernie picked for us and - the photo above - was a result of the fruit of his labor.  Thanks!

Fresh, hearty and healthy!

Back at our 5th wheel, Jeanette got busy with washing, sorting and packing the fruit.  We also shared the fruit with Hector and Diane who left Yuma, yesterday, for points north.

Diane drops by to pick up Jeanette for a planned couple of hours at a Yuma park along the Colorado River.

With their departure from Yuma planned for Wednesday morning, Hector and I headed back to the Coyote Wash Golf Course for a well earned (in our minds at least) 18 holes.

Beautiful weather and golf is a magical combination

While we busied ourselves, chasing a little white ball over 6,000 + yards of grass and desert, Diane and Jeanette took Chico (Portuguese Water Dog) to the Colorado River for a much enjoyed swim.

Chico is so friendly and fun, and it wasn't long before he joined some of the locals who were cooling off in the river.

And swim he did.......

As official photographer, Jeanette talked about the fun Chico had running in and out of the water, chasing sticks and entertaining the local swimmers.

Enjoying a beautiful evening, while dining outdoors at our site.

Hector and I joined Diane and Jeanette, back at our site, to enjoy a lovely outdoor barbecue, on a beautiful and warm evening.  We threw some chicken thighs on the Weber BBQ and, when ready, we enjoyed some fresh veggies, salad and rice along with some fun chat.  The wine was nice too!

We'll have the opportunity to reconnect with Hector and Diane in the Palm Springs area in the weeks ahead.

Riding out to my brother and sister in law's home for happy hour and dinner, Wednesday afternoon.

Jeanette and I had a busy day yesterday and that concluded with dinner at Bernie and Rita's place, last evening.  We got to enjoy another beautiful evening, outdoors, in the warm desert heat.  What a treat!

Algodones, Mexico - Note:

Writing about a botched pair of prescription glasses in a previous blog, that was ordered from an Algodones optical store, some readers may have perceived, or been left with the impression, that Mexican services (professional or otherwise) are usually a negative experience.  That is simply not true!  Our experiences with optical, dental and pharmaceutical services (and more) have been nothing but professional and exemplary.

The prices and services are very good and, with one exception, these past three years, we've been very satisfied. A botched root canal, by a Canadian dentist, led me to have dental surgery to repair the tooth in Algodones, last year.  The service was professional, high tech, and the Mexican Dental Surgeon fixed my tooth - at 1/10 the cost of having the botched work done back home in Canada.  Am I a happy camper?  You bet!

The incident with one (of three) prescription services we ordered there, a few weeks back, was simply due to careless work by one lab tech.  Trust me when I state that, back home in Canada, I've had similar issues with botched goods and services.  So, clearly, our experience with the botched eye glasses in Algodones is not a reflection on Mexicans or Algodones, Mexico.
 
I have nothing but good things to say about Mexican people.  They are a gentle, honest and most caring culture. They have to hustle to earn a living.  There are no social services...no freebies! I respect their culture and their way of life.  They are beautiful people and deserving of  our respect.

The Fox-TV shock jocks and the red necked radio shock jocks (who profess to be journalists...but are merely loud mouths with little substance) who misinform viewers with puffed up and tromped up garbage news, perpetuate the myth that Mexicans are dangerous and untrustworthy.  That has never been our lived experiences, having traveled a lot in Mexico.  Have any of you been in south central L.A.....or in Chicago, or in Mafia infested Montreal, or the drug gang killing field in my home city of Vancouver, BC?  I feel much safer in a Mexican environment than in many major North American metropolitan areas.

Anyhow, I thought I should clear the air about Mexicans, Mexico, the services, the culture and our experiences there.  One botched pair of glasses does not black mark an entire culture.  Do I enjoy the long lines and ridiculously long wait to cross back through US Customs out of Algodones?  NO!  But it is a reality when one chooses to cross into Algodones.  Value for dollar, the goods and services offered in Algodones, Mexico, are pretty darned good.

Enough said!

Thanks for dropping by.