BEING THE SOCIAL BUTTERFLIES WE ARE PHEEBS AND I WENT VISITING THIS MORNING

'OH DAD CAN I PLEASE GO OVER AND PLAY WITH MY  NEW PALS’

Stepping out of the Motorhome Sunday night I was bowled over by the encompassing darkness and beautiful star filled night sky.  With the Moon lighting up the night for the past 3 weeks and being closer to earth bound lights what a treat it was to be once again standing in complete silence with glittering diamonds overhead stretching from mountain top to mountain top.  How unfortunate that so few people ever get to experience anything like that.

SUNRISE IN THE GRASSLANDS AND ON THE SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS BELOW

EASY WALKING OUT HERE IN LAS CIENEGAS

WE DON’T CALL IT THE GRASSLANDS FOR NOTHING

For the size of the Las Cienegas Conservation Area there are not a lot of boon-docking sties and the ones that are here are sometimes little dusty road pull offs with most of them big rig friendly though.  Not large parking areas here like Rock House Road in Borrego Springs or Ogilbe Road west of Yuma.  There are two entrances into Las Cienegas, one from the south  off highway 82 and one off highway 83 from the west.  The Empire Ranch is closest to the paved west entrance.  For anyone who is unsure and has never been here I might suggest you un-hook somewhere in Sonita and drive the few miles out into the Cienegas grasslands to scout out a spot, if there is one.  Throw  a couple lawn chairs in your toad in case you find a spot you like.  Leave the chairs on the site and return for your tow vehicle or trailer.  For experienced boon-dockers just bring your house with ya and you'll know what to do.  Or if your coming in the west entrance just follow the pavement to the Empire Ranch and un-hook there.  You will find wheelchair accessible washrooms at the Ranch and water.  Because of a few steep gulleys that might drag the rear end of our rig I suggest you do not try to drive your RV between the south and west entrances but definitely take your toad on that drive to see the nice wet area pond along the way.  By the way you will not find any cactus in the grasslands so no ‘stickers’ in little paws.

REMINDS ME OF AN AFRICAN SAVAHHAH

A WELL DRESSED INTREPID MORNING WALKER

MUST BE SOMETHING TO SEE WATER RUSHING THROUGH HERE DURING THE AREA’S SUMMER MONSOONS

THOSE ARE THE HAZY HUACHUKA MOUNTAINS ON THE HORIZON AND OUR RIG IS VISIBLE LOWER LEFT

ALWAYS LOOKING FOR GOLD NUGGEST

 

BACK FROM OUR MORNING WALK PHEEBS GETS A BRUSHING

Feeling like a second restful day around the coach Kelly stayed home while Pheebs and I headed out for a Jeep ride.  Sonoita is about 5 miles south down highway 83 so little Monkey Buns and I headed that way where I stopped for a coffee to go.  Having a destination in mind we headed east out of Sonoita on highway 82 until we found the south entrance to Las Cienegas.  We knew a long time RV Blogger friend of ours was camped out somewhere down that-a-way and we weren’t long in finding Ivan and Hailey.  Last time we saw Ivan nearly a year ago he was camped out south of Patagonia Arizona.  We had ourselves quite a chin wag this morning for maybe an hour or so.   Ivan has an adventuress traveling spirit and always likes to search for out of the way boon-docking spots.  Pheebs got to say hello to Ivan’s cat Hailey through the closed screen door.  Soon it was time to go and bidding Ivan a fair adieu Pheebs and I took the super dusty winding back road through the Conservation to our rig about 5 miles to the north.  We were home shortly after high noon.

YES INDEED FOLKS IT’S THAT ELUSIVE IVAN FELLOW HIS VERY SELF

PHEEBS GETS A TUMMY RUB

NO IVAN’S NOT TRYING TO LIGHT  UP A SMOKE IN THE WIND HE’S TRYING TO SEE IF HE GOT A PICTURE OF PHEEBS AND I ON HIS SMARTPHONE…..BESIDES HE’S A NON-SMOKER

Not much going on this afternoon except for sitting outside enjoying south-eastern Arizona’s marvelous for us 73 degree temperatures under clear sunny skies.  We are both so happy to be away from the heat further west.  Until the past couple years Kelly wasn’t bothered by hot days like I was but now it bothers her more than even me at times although I am the one who publically complains about it.  Temps going up to 80+ here in a couple weeks but we’ll be long gone from here by then.

A FAINT MORNING MOON SETTLES WESTWARD

OUR RIG AS SEEN FROM NEAR THE KING RANCH….AS THE CROW FLIES WE ARE ABOUT HALF A MILE NORTHEAST OF THE RANCH

PART OF THE ONE TIME VERY ACTIVE EMPIRE RANCH….I STILL HAVE  UN-PUBLISHED PHOTOS FROM A YEAR AGO WHEN WE WALKED ALL AROUND HERE

WHILE AT IVAN’S THIS MORNING WE SAW 4 PRONGHORN ANTELOPE SAUNTER BY

COMING BACK FROM IVANS I STOPPED FOR A FEW PHOTOS OF A SMALL POND ALONGSIDE THE ROAD

NEAR WHERE WE ARE CAMPED WE HAVE THIS HANDY LITTLE TIRE WASH

We were surprised late this afternoon when Pheebs all of a sudden went flying out the door.  Yes we often leave our door wide open.  There was a sudden stampeding of hooves away from our coach and when we looked out we had about 40 head of cattle standing close by staring at us.  Cows love Pheebs and Pheebs loves cows and many long time readers will remember when we were camped south of Congress Arizona in late January of 2012 and Pheebs was in a circle of cows going around touching noses with them.   Pheebs and I slowly walked over talking to the cows but they were a little unsure and backed off.  Being the curious critters they are I’m sure they will be back again to see Pheebs.

STEPPING OUT OF THE COACH THIS IS WHAT WE SAW AND THEY HAD BEEN UP TO JUST THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIREPIT

YEP WE HAD US A A REAL ARIZONA BOVINE STAND-OFF ALRIGHT LATE THIS AFTERNOON

‘OH PLEASE DAD CAN I GO OVER AND PLAY WITH MY NEW PALS’

‘I THINK THEY’RE ALL GOING HOME NOW DAD’

 

GOING HEAD TO HEAD

AND EYE TO EYE TOO

‘OKAY IF I CAN’T PLAY WITH MY COW PALS I’LL PLAY WITH MY TOYS

GROANER’S CORNER:(( While two families were waiting in line to see the Washington Monument, their two 5-year-old boys were getting acquainted.  "My name is Joshua. What's yours?" asked the first boy.   "Adam," replied the second.   "My daddy is a doctor. What does YOUR daddy do for a living?" asked Joshua.   Adam proudly replied, "My daddy is a lawyer."   "Honest?" asked Joshua.   "No, just the regular kind," replied Adam.

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Okay, here’s a real Groaner!!

A man is waiting for wife to give birth. The doctor comes in and informs the dad that his son was born without torso, arms or legs. The son is just a head! But the dad loves his son and raises him as well as he can, with love and compassion. After 21 years, the son is old enough for his first drink. Dad takes him to the bar and tearfully tells the son he is proud of him.
Dad orders up the biggest, strongest drink for his boy. With all the bar patrons looking on curiously and the bartender shaking his head in disbelief, the boy takes his first sip of alcohol. Swoooop! A torso pops out!
The bar is dead silent; then bursts into a whoop of joy. The father, shocked, begs his son to drink again. The patrons chant "Take another drink"! The bartender still shakes his head in dismay.
Swoooop! Two arms pops out. The bar goes wild. The father, crying and wailing, begs his son to drink again. The patrons chant, "Take another drink"! The bartender ignores the whole affair. By now the boy is getting tipsy, and with his new hands he reaches down, grabs his drink and guzzles the last of it. Swoooop! Two legs pop out.
The bar is in chaos. The father falls to his knees and tearfully thanks God. The boy stands up on his new legs and stumbles to the left.... then to the right.... right through the front door, into the street, where a truck runs over him and kills him instantly.
The bar falls silent. The father moans in grief. The bartender sighs and says, "That boy should have quit while he was a head."

Told ya:))

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A SHORT 40 MILE TRAVEL DAY TO THE COOLER GRASS LANDS OF SOUTH EASTERN ARIZONA

WHETSTONE MOUNTAINS ALONG THE SKY LINE

It was a brisk walk in much cooler air this morning and that told us our days would now finally be much more comfortable for us. 

Nice quiet sunny Sunday morning as we rolled out of Casa Del Sol heading east on Vallencia Road to I-10 where we hung a right up the ramp and onto the Interstate.  We weren’t long in reaching highway 83 and angled off another ramp in a southerly direction.   Some may have guessed where we were headed and at 9:40 we pulled of the highway into the grasslands of Las Cienegas National Conservation Area.  We had been here nearly a year ago so we knew where we were going and luckily the same spot we were at late last February was empty.   We are about 35 miles North-West of Sierra Vista Arizona and not far from our old Winter stomping grounds in the first half dozen years of our travels.

ON HIGHWAY 83 HEADING SOUTH THROUGH THE SANTA RITA FOOTHILLS WITH THE SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS ON THE HORIZON

WEST ENTRANCE LEADING INTO LAS CIENAGAS NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA AND HOME OF THE  OLD HISTORIC EMPIRE RANCH

ROAD IS ONLY PAVED AS FAR AS THE EMPIRE RANCH THEN IT’S A BIT OF A DUSTY TUMBLE FROM THERE

WE WERN’T LONG GETTING COMFORTABLE AT OUR OLD SPOT

We knew this high ground site had a great Verizon signal but no phone signal for our T-Mobile.  Didn’t take us long to get set up and how nice to feel comfortable again with a nice refreshingly cool breeze wafting it’s way through the coach.  This site in what we call ‘the grasslands’ and has views which travel one’s eyes 20 or 30 miles in any one direction.   It’s  also the home of many wandering Pronghorn Antelope.  With a bit of luck we will be seeing them again this year.  Did you know they are the second fastest land mammal in the world.  Only the Cheetah is faster but for shorter periods of time.  I had better dial in a higher shutter speed on my camera.

NO THOSE ARE NOT PRONGHORN ANTELOPE….THEY ARE A SINGLE FIILE LINE OF BIG BLACK COWS AND PHEEBS IS KEEPING AN EYE ON THEM

SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND

Had ourselves a totally relaxing afternoon sitting outside under our awning enjoying panoramic views and idyllic weather.  Quite often after a long travel day we are sometimes pretty knocked out the following day and today was the ‘following day’.  A warm Sun with enough of a breeze to keep it from feeling like a hot Sun.  We are very fortunate to be here with no road sounds, trains, or planes.  A few other RV’ers scattered about in the far off distance.  Yes ‘fortunate’ is definitely the key word here for us today…………….

CAMPED BETWEEN THE MUSTANG MOUNTAINS ON THE LEFT AND HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS ON THE RIGHT

MUSTANG MOUNTAINS TO OUR SOUTH-EAST

IT IS SO QUIETLY PEACEFUL HERE WE CAN HEAR A FLEA SCRATCH ITSELF AT 40 YARDS AND HOW ABOUT THOSE BIG BLUE ARIZONA SKIES

CLOUDLESS SUNSET OVER THE SANTA RITA MOUNTAINS

SUNSET ‘ON’ THE WHETSTONE MOUNTAINS

PARTIAL SUNSET ‘ON’ THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS

SUNSET ‘ON’ THE MUSTANG MOUNTAINS

GROANER’S CORNER:))  Two lawyers were in a coffee shop talking. One of the lawyers names was Thomas Strange. After a while their conversation became rather morbid, and they started to started to talk about what they were going to have on their tomb stones. Thomas said the he wasn't going to have his name put on his tomb stone, instead he was going have "Here lies the body of an honest lawyer!!!" "Why are you going to have that?"asked his friend. "Well", said Thomas, "When people are walking through the cemetery, and they see...Here lies the body of an honest lawyer. They will say "Oh...That's Strange".

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You know you are in a Texas church when::

People grumble about Noah letting coyotes on the ark.

The preacher says, "I'd like to ask Bubba to help take up the offering" and five guys stand up.

The restrooms are outside.

Opening day of deer season is recognized as an official church holiday.

A member of the church requests to be buried in his 4-wheel-drive truck because "It ain't never been in a hole it couldn't get out of."

When it rains, everyone is smiling.

Prayers regarding the weather are standard practice.

The choir group is known as the "OK Chorale".

The pastor wears boots.

Four generations of the same family sit together in worship.

There is no such thing as a "secret" sin.

Baptism is referred to as "branding".

There is a special fund raiser for a new septic tank.

Finding and returning lost sheep isn't just a parable.

High notes on the organ can set the dogs to howling.

People wonder, when Jesus fed 5000 whether the two fish were bass or catfish.

People think "rapture" is when you lift something too heavy.

The final words of the benediction are, "Ya'll come back now, ya hear?"

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