Where We Live

Since most people who read this blog have never nor never may come to Yuma, I wanted to take a few pictures of the surrounding views. This is what it looks like from our house, if you aren't including the small civilized area here at the base. Sorry if the pictures look very similiar; there's not much change in scenery here.

While you can't see it in the pictures, it was actually really windy when I took the pictures. We get all of the same Santa Ana winds that Southern California does. Here though, they don't burn anything because, well, there's nothing to burn-no trees, nothing. The winds really get kicked up, causing these horrible sandstorms that are actually similar to a blinding snow storm, minus the icy roads. It's definitely a new experience.

We have a view of the Chocolate Mountains everywhere we look. Ironically, they do look like big chunks of chocolate everywhere. While barren, they are pretty in their own way.

There are mountains completely surrounding us less than a couple miles away, but the immediate area where the base is is this desert flatland.

There is some green scrub brush scattered throughout the desert.

Everyday, there are LOTS of planes landing at the base, as the primary reason for the base is for the HALO School...they jump all day, everyday.

More of our desert (this is what it looks like out where the guys jump). I have anywhere from a 25-50 minute drive into town depending on where I'm going. This is the scenery most of they way. As you get closer to Yuma, it reminds us much of Ft. Lauderdale. Everywhere are canal systems, just like the Everglades. Here, the canals bring water so farmers can grow crops. In Florida, the canals drain the Everglades so people can build houses. One of the first signs of "greenery" on the way into town is a huge orange orchard, and just like Florida, the oranges are almost ready. They should be ready to harvest in Jan/Feb. Interestingly, Yum is a huge farming town, and the canals are to thank for that. With the almost perfect 365 days of sun, the farmers can grow crops quickly, harvest, and replant.

To give you an idea of just how sunny it is here all the time, yesterday, Luke and I stopped in at McDonalds. I'd never been in this particular McDonalds in town, and as we were getting a snack, I was looking at all the pictures hanging of old Yuma. One of the signs hanging above a boarding house read, "Free Room and Board any day the sun doesn't shine."