PHOTOS TONIGHT FROM LONE PINE CALIFORNIA & ITCHING TO GET ON THE ROAD & GET ROLLING

TONIGHT’S PHOTOS ARE FROM OUR MARCH 2011 TRIP TO LONE PINE CALIFORNIA…’SUNRISE’

Well, I’m having quite a time with myself.  Knowing we have a major trip ahead I am itching to get on the road & get rolling.  This sitting around waiting to go somewhere has me about half drove crazy. We both agreed today if we had a larger more spacious rig we might have been on the road already taking a longer leisurely route maybe first to a never before been to place for us Sue from The MoHo and Other Traveling Tales mentioned in her recent post.  The MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE in California lies just North of JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK.  Could have spent some time there before working our way Eastwards over towards & through Arizona’s Monument Valley.  I remember in 2009 when we left Borrego Springs in March we went up through Joshua Tree to LONE PINE CALIFORNIA.  Because I didn’t take any photos today I have included photos from our Lone Pine trip.  What is really holding us back from heading to Bayfield too soon right now is the amount of ice & snow still on the ground.  Neighbor emailed us saying there is still nearly 2’ of hardened snow in our driveway at home.  Certainly do not want to arrive home to those conditions.

 

ALABAMA HILLS BACKGROUNDED BY THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS 

Reading MERIKAY'S post this morning I was reminded of why we return to the South-West every year.  Florida would be much closer for us each winter as would the popular Rio Grande Valley of Texas.  But our hearts are in the South-West.  I have traveled at one point or another through probably two thirds of the States.  I have a tendency to look for & usually always find the scenic beauty in each State I have ever been in.  It was on a trip West through America’s Northern States in 1971 that I first saw mountains & that was it.  When I traveled down through Utah into Arizona as far as the Grand Canyon’s North Rim in May of 1992 & saw the desert lands through Monument Valley my destiny was sealed.  From that point on my soul purpose was to some day if possible return to the great South-West.  Been doing that now since 06 with not a single solitary regret.  I have posted many times in the past why we prefer the Western side of the country as opposed to the Eastern side but I’m not going to get myself into all that again.  Just as the saying goes, ‘Different strokes for different folks’ & leave it at that.

 

Merikay also mentioned she wouldn’t like to live in the desert long term.  Nor would Kelly or I.  We’re fine for the months between late October & early March but to spend hot summers here would not interest us.  Just as much as we do not like cold northern winters we would not like hot desert summers either.   Both those 2 weather elements would trap us inside with furnaces running in winter months & air conditioners going full blast in summer.  Not our idea of a healthy environment.  And boondocking in the heat would be totally out of the question for us as well.  Can’t see sitting around in the hot desert with energy levels sapped by the heat.  Desert walks & hikes would be out as well because of snakes.  We could never relax knowing Pheebs could run into a Rattlesnake at any time.  Even right here on our own property & that is one reason we will be glad to put a few miles between us & Congress shortly.  Not that we don’t love you Congress, it’s just the Rattlesnakes we want to avoid.  And we know they are around us right now………………….

 

Kelly has never seen the Canadian Maritime Provinces or traveled up through Northern Ontario & out across the Canadian Prairies.  She has never seen the mountains of Alberta & British Columbia so those two trips are of definite interest to us at some point.  The Canadian West & American North-West might be an option for us this Fall, we’ll see. 

JUST GOTTA LOVE IT HERE IN THE ALABAMA HILLS

 

A reader sent a link this morning which may be of interest to Canadian Snowbirds again.  U.S. CONGRESS OFFERS LITTLE WARMTH FOR SNOW BIRDS.  RVing would be so much easier for we Canadian RV’ers if there wasn’t that darn border with all those rules & regulations between our two countries. 

 

THIS WAS OUR SWEET GIRL ‘CHECKERS’

A friend of ours in Bayfield also sent us this bit of information regarding Canadian Snow Birds::  On February 4, 2011 the Canadian and U.S. governments issued a declaration known as Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness. The purpose of the program is to enhance security and increase the legitimate traffic of people, goods and services. ------ By June 30, 2014, as part of the Beyond the Border initiative between our two countries, the border program will be expanded to include the sharing of entry and exit information on both Canadian and U.S. citizens. Thus, an entry record into one country can be utilized to establish an exit record from the other. ------ While this expansion will mean travellers will have to be more vigilant in calculating their length of stay in the United States, it will have no impact on the current policies which Canadian citizens are already subject to. To be clear, this exchange of information will in no way change or shift the way in which either country determines your residency. Canadian and U.S. policies related to immigration and taxation remain unchanged. ------ For immigration purposes, eligible Canadian citizens are generally admitted into the United States for a period of "six months less a day" which is calculated within any twelve month period. ------- For the purposes of taxation, generally speaking, if you consistently spend four (4) months or more each year in the United States, you would need to file IRS Form 8840, in order to avoid paying U.S. income tax.

 

First book I have chosen to read on our Kindle is, UFOs:  Generals, Pilots, & Government Officials Go On The Record. (suggested in our Shout Box)  One of the last books I read a few years ago while we were near Elfrida Az was, The Day After Roswell by Col. Philip J. Corso.  With so many schlocky books & hoaky TV programs on UFO’s it is difficult to separate fact from fiction.  Have read & seen many TV shows on the subject but it was Corso’s book a few years ago that logically put a lot of the UFO pieces of the puzzle together for me.  I am a very skeptical person when it comes to a lot of things & that up to a point includes the UFO phenomena.  I have never seen anything I couldn’t explain but my Mother did & when she told me about the large round object that floated silently over our house in Tavistock Ontario one summer night many years ago I believed her & that went a long way towards blunting my UFO skepticism & opening my mind.  Not just that but I have always had some kind of ‘knowing’ feeling inside about life elsewhere in the Universe.  Nothing I can explain.  It’s just a feeling I have & I’m sure many others have it as well.

 

 

As mentioned a few times previously my favorite time of the week is Saturday morning. Has been for as long as I can remember. In 1970 the Sandpipers came out with a song called, Come Saturday Morning & for me it sums up my feelings exactly. The words, "we'll travel for miles in our Saturday smiles" have always stuck with me. The harmonies are soothing. You can listen to it here....SATURDAY MORNING. Two of my other Sandpiper favorites from the 60's are, GUANTANAMERA & Misty Roses. (couldn't find free music for Misty Roses)

THIS WAS OUR NUMBER 1 BOY ‘MAX’

 

Noticed an odd thing has been going on with my Picasa 3.9 photo editing program these fast 3 months or so.  The exposure I set (and save) for some photos is not the same exposure which publishes.  Darker photos such as sunsets, Moon, or night time often come out way lighter than I intended them to be.  Never had this problem until the past few months.  Wonder if anyone else using Picasa has noticed this.

 

AND THIS WAS OUR PRECIOUS LITTLE CORA (MOTORMOUSE)

 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  An elderly couple was attending church services when about halfway through she leans over and says to him, "I just had a silent passing of gas, what do you think I should do?"
He leans over to her and replies, "Put a new battery in your hearing aid..."

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN LEFT HOME ALONE & UNATTENDED??

A few more things into the rig today.  Seems each time I carry something out I end up re-arranging things I have already re-arranged every other time I have carried something out.  It is the way of Snow Birds.

  

OCOTILLO BLOOMS

Some years we have already been home by now.  But those were the earlier years when we had tired of being in the rig for months on end & just wanted to get on home, stretch out in our large overstuffed recliners with big TV & a decent stereo sound system playing endless ambient music.  Spend a couple days in the nice spacious hot shower & just wander from room to room going ‘WOW’ is it ever great to be home & have all this wonderful space to stretch out & live in again.  Fortunately we have this at both ends of the trip now & that sure makes traveling a whole lot nicer for us.  Now if we can just convince all the people back home to get outside with their hair dryers & tackle all those frozen snow banks around our 5 Seasons Park.

Dictionary defines the word ‘explanation’ as, ‘a statement or account that makes something clear.’  Sometimes in my rambling thoughts describing things or offering opinions I get myself off track.  It can be a bit confusing to a reader at times so when someone questions something I have said I generally always come back with what I hope is a clearer explanation about things.  And I don’t mind doing that.

High overhead this morning one of those daring young men in their flying machines must have got his foot a little heavy on the gas pedal & launched himself right through the sound barrier causing a double sonic boom that about blew our shorts off.  Wonder if his Commanding Officer will have a few words with him when he gets home.  Ya, ya, I know jets don’t have gas pedals.

VERY FIRST BEAVER TAIL CACTUS BLOOM ON OUR PROPERTY >>>

Have you ever been left alone & unattended with 37 freshly baked Oatmeal cookies left cooling on a kitchen countertop?  Nobody around, no security cameras anywhere, not even an alert doggy keeping a watchful eye.  Just you & 37 freshly baked warm Oatmeal Cookies.  Happened to me this morning when Kelly baked a batch then took Pheebs & headed off to the Library.  No……..you do not want to know the rest of the story.  Some things are just better left unsaid.

The battle of the Alamo raged on for over 13 days back in 1863 when hordes of Mexican troops savagely attacked the weary defenders.  A similar type of battle was just waged by Contessa & Colin in Mexico lasting long hours into the night.   Battle weary & exhausted they did manage to stem the tide, fend off, & kill countless numbers of their armed to the jaws assailants.   Check out ATTACKED!!

  

MAMA GILA WOODPECKER PEERS OUT OF HER SAGUARO NEST IN OUR FRONT YARD

Ever wonder about dreams? I am a lite sleeper so frequently wake up 3 or 4 times during the night. Not very restful but I do dream a lot & I figure the reason I remember them is simply due to the fact that I don't slip into that deep heavy sleep for the entire night. I have also learned that as I am waking up from a dream I can remember it better if I don't open my eyes. I liken it to opening the back of a 35mm camera with a roll of unexposed film in it. As soon as the light hits the film the images are erased. Same thing with the brain so if I'm coming out of a dream I resist the urge to open my eyes & look at the clock. Well, as long as it was a good dream that is. I try to go back into the dream sometimes but it usually begins to fade & I'm only able to retrieve bits & pieces most of it. I like my flying dreams best as I float over trees & people on the ground. I have never remembered a landing but my take off is always the same. I take about 4 quick steps forward & very carefully step up into the air & begin to float skyward. Sometimes I fly very fast but most times I just kind of move along slowly hovering over things here & there. And sometimes there are others in the air with me. Meeting old friends is another part of the dream process I enjoy. People from 50 & 60 years ago occasionally come to visit. No rhyme or reason but all of a sudden there they are & I'm talking to them. Could be someone I only met once or twice decades ago or it could be a current friend. People who seem to have the most impact & leave the longest lasting memories for me are the ones who have passed away. In any dream sequence a departed friend or relative may appear & it is always such a good feeling inside to once again see & talk with them.  But it doesn’t last.  They drift away into the mist & a sadness fills the void. It's those dreams that I try to hang onto as I'm waking up. I try to re-enter the dream & run after my old friend or family member to see them just one more time.  But they are gone until one day they choose to re-appear in my dreams to once more put a smile on my sleeping face.  And I like that………………………..

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Three elderly men are at the doctor's office for a memory test. The doctor asks the first man, "What is three times three?"
"274," came the reply.
The doctor rolls his eyes and looks up at the ceiling, and says to the second man, "It's your turn. What is three times three?"
"Tuesday," replies the second man.
The doctor shakes his head sadly, then asks the third man, "Okay, your turn. What's three times three?"
"Nine," says the third man.
"That's great!" says the doctor. "How did you get that?"
"Simple," he says, "just subtract 274 from Tuesday."

ANSWERING SOME QUESTIONS, A FEW EXPLANATIONS, & SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

After a gusty wind & cloud shrouded cooler day Wednesday we woke up to clear blue sunny skies this morning with light winds from the North-West.  Always nice to step out in the early morn & see a sky full of shimmering stars.  Planet Venus & a crescent Moon were very prominent low in the South-east side by side.  The Moon and Venus rank as the brightest and second-brightest celestial bodies in the nighttime sky.

<<< PHOTO TAKEN FROM MY BEDROOM WINDOW OF THIS MORNINGS CRESCENT MOON & PLANET VENUS TO THE RIGHT

Took Pheebs big comfy bench bed out of the Jeep & replaced it with our rear seat this morning.  Also put the tow bar back on the Jeep & packed some stuff in behind the seats.  A few more things into the Winnie Wagon.  Packing up to go on a trip whether for a few days or a few months is always kind of a nice low key excitement for me.  Just the fact I know we are going somewhere puts an extra spring in my step.  Kinda like getting the maps out & plotting a route.  Fun stuff:))

Our cell phone mysteriously quit working Wednesday.  Kelly spent all morning with Skype calls here & there trying to find out the problem.  It seems Bell Telephone in Canada dropped their partnership with T-Mobile yesterday.  Our phone generally works off AT&T towers but here at our Congress house the only tower we accessed close by was T-Mobile.   So now our phone is dead in the water.  Kelly finally did find a solution but we will have to wait a couple days until another cell phone arrives from T-Mobile itself.  She sure spent a lot of time on Skype this morning getting all our phone stuff straightened out.  Only thing I managed to get straightened out today was me in my recliner.  This technical age for the most part is great but there always seems to be so many glitches along the way.

 

In Wednesday’s post I said the following:  “How unlike our other 6 years when we would spend the entire winter boondocking in our 33’ Class A Damon Challenger & got along just fine”.  A reader in our Shout Box checked me on that statement saying, “you spent a lot of years ranch sitting near Bisbee not boondocking”.  First, I should have worded my initial statement better.  Without going back & looking things up I’m guessing we Ranch sat in 09, 2010, 2011, & 2012.  Four years averaging maybe 2.5 months a season.  Rest of our time was spent boondocking from Fall of 07 to Spring of 2012.  Though technically not boondocking at the Ranch because we had electric & water does not take away from the fact we spent our entire RVing time from day one in the Fall of 2006 right up to the Spring of 2012 living in our rig while Snow Birding in the South-West.  And in Thursday’s post it was the smaller space in our Class C I was referring too.  I should have remembered, referred to, & separated our time at the Ranch as RV Park living & not full blown boondocking.    But for someone to say, “you spent a lot of years ranch sitting near Bisbee not boondocking” is partially incorrect as well.  Whether in an RV Park or Boondocking, a small space is a small space & that was the gist of my post.

Bob over at the THE CARETAKER CHRONICLES & Paul from R SANITY RV ADVENTURES in comments on my Wednesday post wondered whether that Winnebago Destination was really on a Peterbilt frame.  All’s I can say is it had the ‘Peterbuilt’ logo embedded on the front of the coach so from that I was assuming it’s a Peterbilt (truck) frame.  Also has the ‘Workhorse’ emblem as well so maybe it was somehow a combination of both.  Definitely a Chevy gas engine for sure.  To complicate things further the Destinations manual said UFO chassis.  So, confusion is the order of the day here about the chassis thing.  If the numbers had worked out in our favor this week we would probably have grabbed this coach.  We read & researched this type of Winnebago & as with any rig there were some issues but overall we found people who had these rear end Winnebago Destinations & Latitudes loved them.  Nowhere did we read, as some have suggested about the engine being too small for the coach etc.  And no, we do not have any plans whatsoever in buying a diesel coach……………….

Now, to clear up a few other comment things.  In deciding to go back to a Class A all’s we had to do was reverse our pros & cons about going from bigger to smaller to going from smaller to bigger.  People’s needs, circumstances, & priorities change.  Some folks go with change as it happens while others remain steadfast with where they are & what they have.  Kelly & I have always been of the belief if one has the desire & means to make changes then do so.  After all, that is how & why we ultimately arrived at the Snow Bird lifestyle.  It is precisely why we spend our winters where we do.  Had we not thought that way even years ago we would still just be sitting in our Bayfield house every winter forlornly looking out our frosted windows complaining profusely about the miserable cold & stormy weather outside like every other poor soul has had to do this winter.  Sitting in a house all winter in Canada or the Northern States to me makes no sense if, & I emphasize IF one has the financial means, are free of work commitments, & are currently in good enough health to head south into warmer healthier climates………..then why not.

We sold our Damon Class A Motorhome for several reasons last year.  It was 10 years old & we had it for 6 of those years.  It treated us very well in those 6 years but we didn’t want to wait until we got ourselves into an ongoing fix & repair cycle at some point as inevitably happens with aging vehicles.  I am not mechanically inclined & have no interest whatsoever in trying to fix this, that, or the other little thing.  I have zero interest in keeping any kind of a vehicle for 10, 20, or 30+ years unless it was some kind of antique hobby I enjoyed.  Give me the challenge & excitement of a newer & different vehicle any day as opposed to same old, same old, same old. 

Getting back to what I was originally talking about let me say that after buying our Congress house we very contentedly busied ourselves last winter totally enjoying our time working away fixing things up.  Thought to ourselves, ‘well now that we have the house we won’t be traveling as much’ & that was true last winter.  That is how we felt.  We were focused on the house.  But that was last winter & in our lives things have a habit of changing & thank heavens they do.  Remember, I am not a fan of same old-same old. 

With the thought in our heads a year ago about not traveling as much we made the decision at the time to downsize our RV.   Coupling that with our aging Damon we figured it was the right time to make the change which it was……. except for one thing & here is where we made our mistake.  Yes, we here at the Bayfield Bunch, unlike some, do admit our mistakes.   We should have stuck with a Class A instead of switching to a Class C.  Simple as that.   Nothing wrong whatsoever with Class C’s & they have many pros but we have learned in this past year a Class C no matter how hard we tried to adapt, just was not the best vehicle suited to our particular needs.   Remember, every one of us is different & what works great for one person or couple does not necessarily work great for the next person or couple.  It’s important to remember that.  And that is precisely why some of us come south for the winter while others chose to stay in the North.  Why some are Snow Birds, some are Full Timers, some prefer RV Parks & some prefer Boondocking.  Think of what a crowded mess this RV world would be if we all thought alike eh.

In a rather rambling round-a-bout way that brings me back around to my previous thoughts.  Either make the best of what you have & perhaps not be happily satisfied or make the effort to change what it is that is not feeling right about your situation.   Thus our decision to put ourselves back into a roomier Class A Motorhome again at some point in the not to distant future.  Is there a chance we could be making another mistake??  Is there a chance you could walk out of your house & slip on a banana peeling??  If you think not then you are the people out here with that so called perfect Motorhome………….10-4:))

And a reminder to folks looking for any of my ‘Older’ or ‘Newer’ posts…..scroll down to the bottom & look for the pink bar with the word ‘Home’ in the center of it.’  Hover your mouse either on the left or right side of that word for ‘Older’ or ‘Newer’.  I don’t know why this new template won’t visibly display the words openly!!

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A little boy opened the big family bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages. "Mama, look what I found", the boy called out." What have you got there, dear?" With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam's underwear