on we go from Mittry Lake, this is #2

I just may have to hire this guy!  Sometimes I worry that I am booooring!  But, Oh well, you can tune me out if ya want!  Hope ya don't want!!

Here we go into the park, first thing we saw was this beautiful bird, couldn't decide if it was a hawk or a golden Eagle, but it was a beauty, that we know!

We passed these date palms, what a shock for me, I didn't know dates grew on palm trees, but yep, they do.  It is so interesting to see how they pollinate the trees, they are like holly trees, there is a male and a female.  As the dates grow they thin the clusters, then bag them until they get ripe, then go up with a bucket lift and trays, and empty the bags.  They can go as high as 40ft, date trees can grow up to 100ft tall.  Some companies still have people that climb the trees and harvest them that way, WooWee, how fun that would be, right????? NOooooo, don't think so!This is Bill and his friend Bob, coming out of a small canyon at the beginning of the park, looking for a little gold maybe??

This will give you a little history of the park, mines and the river, ok, get out your magnifying glasses folks, I try, but it ain't always easy!

Following Bob and Cindy in their jeep, some rocks, huh, this place is amazing, and they found gold everywhere, and yes, we did look, but not hard! haha

Now, for those of you that are asking for pictures of me, see that wrinkled hand, TADA, it's mine, and aren't these the most intriguing flowers, they were on a really smooth bush, unlike most cactus.

This doesn't look quite the way it looked in person, Cindy and I thought it looked like a Cream Cycle that melted.  Gotta have an imagination to see it, and if the colors were more vivid, you would.

A trail, whoohoo, I do love trails, but it was a long way down and Cindy wasn't inclined to go, and really neither was I, maybe next time,

There it goes, down, down, down..................... purty scenery, huh?

Sweet William saw this set of stairs and promptly went down the 3 steps, coming back up they were a LOT steeper, he took it one step at a time, kinda like the Cadillac song! Remember Johnny Cash?

This was a sorta natural bonsai tree, , but looked much better in person, it was all gnarly and wind blown, pretty.

Remember the path, here is where it came out, to this coal car, it was called the Stamp Mill trail, next time............................, and there WILL be a next time!  These are the park ranger boats they use to cruise up and down the Colorado River and keep track of what is going on.  Pretty view again, Love the water.

Our last stop before heading home was this wonderful old Cemetery, sooo, we opened the gate and wandered in to take a look see.

These were just a few of the folks that use to live here, some gold mining, some working in stores, mercantiles, as well as on the riverboats, and some even chopped wood to keep the riverboats going.  Of course there were lotz of other occupations as well.  There was a town of about 2500people during the gold mining days in the late 1800s, 3 elementary schools, and of course as I said mercantiles, churches, and the often found bars and bordellos.

Here Bob and Sweet William are checking some names out, and Sweet Cindy struck a pose, TADA, ain't she gorgeous????

Now we are back in Yuma, why I took this picture is beyond me, except I LOVE the palm trees, they are so gorgeous down here!  See, blue sky!!!!

Well all of you, got more coming, so get a good nights rest and check again, until then, Prayers, Hugs and Love to all, Arlette & Bill too, and the happy Sassy, she got to go with us! She has now wet on a good part of Arizona! Yaaaaa.(that's Sassy, not me!) haha