THE BIRD’S ARE BACK:))

A HOUSE FINCH STOPS AT OUR BIRD BATH FOR A DRINK
A 3 minute splash of rain in the night hardly settled the dust but did make for some soggy work gloves left in a wheelbarrow this morning.  We awoke to another big bright sunny Arizona day with temps pushing 70F

GUESSING THIS FELLOW AS A LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER
Disappointed to see some of my newly planted Cactus has already been nibbled on.  I suspect rabbits because we do see them in the yard.  So discouraging………With a combination of dog poop & moth balls we just may have convinced Louie LaPew to vacate his premises under our house. We have not heard any activity for about 3 days now.  I may have to try that same combination of deterrents around my cactus plants too.  Dumped the rig’s tanks this morning so that’s another ‘to do’ off the list.

RINGED-TURTLE DOVE
At last we have some birds beginning to frequent our feeders so I am encouraged once they get used to us being here I’ll be able to come with a few more bird photos before too long.  Waiting for a cloudy day before I wash the rig.  Topped up the coach batteries today as well.  You can see I am scrambling for things to write about here.  Needless to say it was a pretty quiet Sunday. 

<<< ??
Ever get bombarded with questions by a barber when all you want to do is sit there quietly & enjoy a slight head massage from the cutting & trimming.  Maybe just close your eyes & catch up with some thoughts for 10 minutes.  I liked how TOM, a skilled aircraft technician ( I think that’s what Tom was/is) handled the barber’s persistent questions.  I probably would have made a relaxing barber guy because it’s not likely I would have asked nobody nuthin.   IVAN has himself over near the controversial super secret military base known as Area 51.  If he gets his Chopper in the air he & Hailey, the truck, & the fifth wheel may vanish forever without a trace.   But not to worry because rumor has it Wandering Willy (in stealth mode of course) has slipped quietly out of Canada heading south.  Where oh where will that Wily Willy be headed this winter:))

HOUSE SPARROW ON THE LEFT
Couple questions from STORMRUNNER Dianne over there in our Shout Box today.  “I have forgotten Al but how far did you say you were from Yarnell”…… We are 10 driving miles from Yarnell or about 8 miles as the Crow flies.  And a bacon & eggs breakfast with home fries & toast at the Ranch House Restaurant in Yarnell is $7.95.  A bit steep for my pocket book of course:))

AND I SEE CURVY BILL THE THRASHER IS BACK >>>
GROANER’S CORNER:((  The irony of life is that, by the time you're old  enough to know your way around, you're not going anywhere anyway.  And blessed are those who can  give without remembering and take without  forgetting.   Oh & when I was younger I was always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps getting harder to find one these days.  (Keep in mind folks I don’t write these jokes, I just find them on the internet.  I do re-write some of them a bit & string them together sometimes though……AL:))
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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

YES THERE IS A MEMORIAL TO THE 19 FIREFIGHTERS IN YARNELL

 

YEP, SURE IS GOOD TO BE IN OUR SOUTH-WEST HOME AGAIN

It was already warm this morning by 7:15 as we did a short walk around the block.  Kelly wanted to hit a couple neighborhood garage sales at 8 a.m.  We did that & there was nothing of interest for us.

  

WE ALWAYS LIKE TO CHAT IT UP WITH OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE MORNING

NASH PATIENTLY WAITS FOR PHEEBS

The 3 of us piled into the Jeep about 9 & headed up to YARNELL.  Kelly wanted to check out a Craft store or 10 & I had something to pick up at the hardware store.  Asked a lady if there was a memorial to the 19 Firefighters & she said yes it’s on the north side of the Ranch House restaurant.  Not easy to see at first but it’s there on a hillside a few steps from the restaurant parking lot.

 

KELLY READS AN INFORMATION BOARD & THE MEMORIAL IS LOCATED JUST NORTH OF THE RANCH HOUSE RESTAURANT WHICH MANY PEOPLE MAY HAVE SEEN IN THE NEWS REPORTS

FIRE OCCURRED ACROSS THE HIGHWAY IN YARNELL’S POPULATED NEIGHBORHOOD

 

I’M THINKING THIS RESTAURANT PARKING LOT WAS A KEY STAGING AREA DURING THE FIRE

We had no intentions of having breakfast but while looking at the Memorial the smell of bacon & eggs coming from the nearby Ranch House soon changed our minds & we wondered on over.  As usual it was packed but we bellied ourselves up a couple stools at the counter.  We both had us a big mess of bacon & eggs & I was once again reminded how I cannot eat as much as I once did.  Of course there is another factor involved here as well.  As mentioned in other posts we have always found American portions of food dished up are generally larger than Canadian portions.  You American folks really know how to strap on the old feed bag & of course we Canadians really appreciate that:))

  

The Ranch House restaurant is & always has been a popular spot of for bike clubs coming up out of Tucson & Phoenix or down from Prescott & points beyond.  Bikes of all kinds but mostly Harley-Davidson riders.  All bikers like the challenging ride up & down the Yarnell Hill as well.  From one climate zone to another in less than 10 minutes.  As Yarnell’s logo says, ‘Where a desert breeze meets the Mountain air’.  Yep & it sure does too…………

KELLY BROWSES SOME CRAFT STORES

  

THIS YARNELL SCOOTER RIDER HAS HIS 2 BEST PALS WITH HIM

I had mistakenly said in a recent post it didn’t appear the Yarnell fire had crossed highway 89 but this morning we saw obvious signs that it did indeed jump the highway.  Many Firemen must have been very vigilante & busy putting out spot fires as they flared up on the east side of 89.  Some right around where the Firefighters memorial now stands.

BURNT SHRUBS & TREES ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY

After a quick stop at the Yarnell hardware store & a few craft shops we took a drive through the neighborhood where the fire did most of it’s destruction.  Reminded me of how an unpredictable Tornado can flatten a house & not touch the next one to it.  Fire damage in the Glen IIah area was like that.  One house burned to the ground & both houses on either side untouched.  Some areas with burnt trees right next to another area with no fire damage at all.  I’m guessing it depended a lot on where flaming hot embers landed.  Most structures & their roof’s are wood so would be quick to catch fire maybe.  Even saw some brick dwellings burnt out.  Must have been an extreme expression of emotions when residents were allowed back in.  Some came home to chaos & burnt ruins while their neighbor came home to an undamaged house & property.  Can only imagine the anguish by some & the joy of others.  We saw about a dozen ‘For Sale’ signs on burnt out properties.  

 

IN SOME PLACES ONLY AN OLD STONE FIREPLACE CHIMNEY REMAINS

   

THIS BURNT CORNER PROPERTY IS FOR SALE ‘AS IS’ FOR $10,000

RE-BUILDING OF HOMES IS UNDER WAY

Despite the fire Yarnell’s residential neighborhood is still a very pretty place with it’s winding roads & cozy homes set amongst towering boulders & lots of of greenery.  Construction was underway on rebuilding homes & I think a year from now one will be hard pressed to see any fire damage as foliage & trees quickly spring back to life.  Already I saw flowers growing on black earth.  Thought we would would have a look for Gaelyn (GEO GYPSY) & her fifth wheel but soon realized there are now a lot of fifth wheels parked on scorched properties as people live in them while rebuilding their homes.

YARNELL WAS, STILL IS, & WILL CONTINUE TO ALWAYS BE A WONDERFULLY SCENIC LITTLE COMMUNITY

   

19 SHOVELS & 19 FLAGS FOR THE 19 FIREFIGHTERS WHO DIED NEARBY BRAVELY FIGHTING TO SAVE THE PEOPLE & PROPERTY OF YARNELL

We were back down on the desert floor by 12:30 & quickly retreated to the cooler air inside our house.  It was another hot day which luckily came with a breeze.  Noticed last week when we arrived a metal latch on our front gate was broken.  The weld was busted.  Kelly phoned Marteen, the fellow who did our fencing last winter & he came today & re-welded the latch back on.  Nice Mexican fellow & he never charged us for welding it.  Said he had never seen a welded latch broke like that before.  I’ll bet it was those darned Sheeps in a hurry to get in for their daily succulent cactus feast.  Marteen knew about the sheep in our yard.  It’s funny, but I think everybody in Congress knows about the sheep in our yard.  When we’re talking to people they will say, “Oh, so you’re the people who had the sheep in your yard”.  We did come across one fellow this morning at a garage sale who keeps chickens in his yard to keep weeds down.  NO, we are not thinking about getting a herd of chickens!!!!

 

MARTEEN OUR FENCE BUILDER FROM LAST WINTER REPAIRS A BROKEN GATE LATCH

CAUGHT THIS HOT SHOT PILOT ROARING LOW OVER OUR HOUSE TODAY

Kelly called a Wickenburg Vet about a snake bite vaccine shot for Pheebs & the Vet kind of discouraged us from doing that.  Said the Rattlers are not active now & if they are out they are very sluggish.  Vet also said there would be no Rattlers out in March but we already know better…..

SPOTTED THIS LITTLE FELLOW ON MY BEDROOM WINDOW SILL KEEPING AN EYE ON PHEEBS WHO WAS SOUND ASLEEP ON MY BED THIS MORNING

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Did you know every morning is the dawn of a new error.   And frustration can be described as trying to find your glasses without your  glasses.  Here’s a good answering machine message……"I am not available right now, but  thank you for caring enough to call. I am making  some changes in my life. Please leave a message after the beep. If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes."

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.