WE HAVE DECIDED TO HEAD WEST

A LAST QUIET WALK AROUND THE PROPERTY THIS MORNING

Made myself a coffee about 10 this morning & set a lawn chair & table in front of the ranch house fireplace.  Placed the IPod/Bose on the mantle with ‘The Sons Of The Pioneers’ filling the empty rooms with their harmonies.  I will maybe talk about my feelings sometime while sitting there in that chair, but not now.  It was not one of my better days.

Took myself for a drive in the Jeep later to think things over & when I returned I washed all the dust off it & began packing up the Motor Home.  As soon as the D90 camera body arrives we will continue our journey westward.  Camera is due to arrive Friday sometime.  We both just need to give ourselves a break from all this.……

Had a surprise visitor this afternoon.  Checkers let us know someone was coming & as the big black pick-up truck drew closer I recognized Ivan & Hailey from ROADTRIP 2010.  We first Met Ivan last winter at the Ranch near McNeal.  Nice to see him & finally get to meet Hailey, Ivan’s little four legged traveling companion.  We all sat on the front porch of the ranch house for a good old RV chin wag & catch up.  We speculated where that rascally WANDERING WILLY might be hiding out these days with his recently acquired Palo Verde desert pin striping:))  Ivan stayed about an hour before he & Hailey headed back to the White Water Draw where they are boon docked for the night.  

TAKE CARE IVAN………

A workable & reliable internet connection for RV’ers is probably one of the most talked about topics by folks on the road.  For many younger RV’ers a solid secure & failsafe system is needed because they are conducting business from their rigs.  In Motty’s case his business connections are international & he has gone through various set-up scenarios to reach his present configuration.  Check out Motty & Patti’s TRAVEL LIVING JOURNEY.

A FEW LAST MEMORIES OF THE RANCH

NO GROANER’S CORNER TONIGHT:((

DRAGGING MORE SAGEBRUSH + JIM & RENE DROP BY FOR SUPPER

JIM, RENE, AL & KELLY ON THE FRONT PORCH OF DA RANCH

It was nearly a hundred years ago when Mexico’s Pancho Villa invaded the United States in Columbus, New Mexico.  He hasn’t been seen or heard from since but don’t tell that to Hailey from ROADTRIP 2010 because she has been up in a tree keeping a wary eye out for that wily Pancho these past few days!!

Donna & Russ are looking forward to spending some lazy days in their brand spanking new Lazy Daze in a few days.  Another sentence like that & I’ll be in a daze myself:))  Watch for their new rig coming soon at TRAVELS IN 'THERAPY'.

Noticed this morning we have a few new blog Followers on our list.  The Bayfield Bunch welcomes…..Felicia & Jeff from HIGGINS POD…..Ron & Thelma from RON & THELMA & LITTLE ELI…..David from RV EXPLORING AMERICA IN RWHLST8…..Cindy & Ken from FRERX ADVENTURES…..Aaron at DESERT ZONE…..and last but not least, RUNNINGLINER.  Thanks to all you folks for dropping by & adding yourselves to our Friends/Followers list:))

Had my fuel price wrong for California a couple days ago.  I think it was diesel fuel I was thinking about.  Paid $3.32 in Elfrida yesterday for gas & that is a 40 cent jump in about a week & a half.  Doesn’t sound like anyone is worried about the rising prices so I’m just going to go stick my head back in the sand & forget about it….until we have to fill up the Motor Home again.  What a rude awakening that will be!!

How nice to finally feel warm air earlier in the mornings now.  With the morning sun spilling over the Swisshelm Mountains onto the Valley floor this is a very special place for sure.  I enjoy filling up the bird feeders as the the feathery little fellows are literally jumping up & down on the branches near by.  As I turn my back & head for the rig I can hear the whirring of many little wings as my tiny friends all swoop into the feeders.  Somewhere in the far distance I hear a single cow & from another direction the faint barking of a dog.  The birds are happily twittering & a slight breeze rattles the lanyard on the tall flag pole.  It was just one of those special moments this morning.

Biggest part of my day was spent dragging down Sagebrush weeds with the Jeep & old tractor tires & then burning the small piles.  Someone commented how clever it was of me to come up with the tire dragging idea but alas, it was not my idea.  It’s a common thing for dealing with weeds on a ranch in these parts & it was Ray from the McNeil Ranch that had spotted those tires all bolted together & told me about it.  My main reason for dragging those weeds down had to do with a fire hazard to the house.  The Sagebrush was so thick & dry that if I fire ever started somewhere it would sweep right up to the house in no time.  Felt it was important to create a fire break but boy oh boy is it ever dusty now.  Arizona has waaaaaay more dust than it really needs & we probably have more dust in the Motor Home than Oklahoma lost in the dust bowl years.

BURNING ONE OF MANY SAGEBRUSH PILES

Jim & Rene from LIVE. WORK. DREAM. who are now on the property we just vacated last week walked over around 4 with a big pot of Chile Beans On Rice.   Kelly had made up a Tuna Casserole & after a property walk around we all sat out on the front porch chowing down on Tunabeans enjoying the beauty of the Swisshelm Mountains sweeping up from the eastern side of the valley floor.  Food & conversation was great as we watched the nearly full moon climb lazily into the twilight sky.  Desert nights always cool off quickly so as darkness settled in Rene & Jim, who were in shorts, headed back down the lane for the 4 minute walk back to their rig.  Nice way to wind down the day.

  

I must admit that Kelly & I are still waffling back & forth on this ranch deal.  At times we are totally convinced that this is the right decision for us.  Other times we are filled with doubt & apprehension.  It is a very big decision & not unlike the one we made a few years ago when we decided to buy an RV & hit the road as Snowbirds for 6 months of the year.   Seems to be at night when the fears set in but as soon as I step out of the rig in the morning & feel the total peace of this place envelope me I am convinced we are doing the right thing.  Sometimes during the day Kelly is up for the idea & I am down on it.  Other times it is opposite & most times we are pretty much on the same wave length.  Oh, tis quite a Roller Coaster we are on over here at the Bayfield Bunch.  I do have some other thoughts & feelings about all this which I may share with you in a future post.  Thanks again to all the folks for their ‘comments’ & ‘emails’ today.

GROANER’S CORNER:((  'O'Halloran,' asked the pharmacist, 'did that mudpack I gave you improve your wife's appearance?'  'It surely did,' replied O'Halloran, 'but it keeps fallin' off.'

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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.

 
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BY GOLLY, WE’RE NOT DOWN & OUT WITH THIS RANCH DEAL JUST YET:))

AND, I WONDER WHAT IS GOING ON HERE:))

Before I go any further let me just say a big word of thanks to all you folks for your positive comments & encouraging emails regarding yesterday’s blog.  I was really down in the dumps last night figuring we were going to lose this ranch opportunity for sure.  When I got up at 4 a.m. & turned on the computer I was heartened by what I read from readers.  And here I was, the guy who wanted to drop the ‘comment’ section from our blog last summer. (not too smart) Thank you all so much:))

FRIDGE & STOVE ARE BRAND NEW & NEVER BEEN USED….AND YES, THAT IS A DISHWASHER AT THE OTHER END OF THE COUNTER…AND ‘YES’ WE DO LIKE THE ORANGE COUNTER TOP……

 

KEEP IN MIND THESE PHOTOS ARE DONE WITH A WIDE ANGLE LENS SO THE ACTUAL SIZE IS SMALLER THAN WHAT APPEARS HERE

Right now at 6:15 p.m. with temps still at 65F I am sitting in a lawn chair on the front porch of the ranch house with the Swiss Helm Mountains stretched out in front of me.  I am watching them slowly soften in the twilight.  A slightly pastel three quarter moon hangs over the valley as the sun sets over my shoulder behind the Mule Mountains.   The Real Estate fellow just left half an hour ago:))

THIS BIG COVERED CEMENT PORCH FACES THE SWISS HELM MOUNTAINS SO Y’ALL ALL BETTER COME ON DOWN & SET A SPELL:))

Despite being heartened by the support of many readers this morning I still felt down knowing there was no incentive for us to remain here any longer.  Couldn’t seem to get interested in doing anything & tried not to look over at the mountains.

THIS IS THE SAGEBRUSH I WILL BE WORKING AT CLEARING WEDNESDAY

THIS STUFF IS TINDER DRY & A MAJOR FIRE HAZARD

Needed a few groceries so we headed off to Douglas this morning.  It was a pretty quiet trip there & back as we both dealt with our feelings about the ranch.  Moped myself around Wal-Mart hanging off the end of a shopping cart for half an hour.  Didn’t really take notice of the beautiful warm sunny morning on the way back to the rig.

AND THIS IS HOW I DEAL WITH CLEARING ALL THAT SAGEBRUSH BY TOWING THESE TIRES OVER THE GROUND

THIS AREA WAS TOTALLY FILLED WITH SAGEBRUSH UNTIL I DRAGGED IT

  

DRAGGING THIS OLD SET OF TRACTOR TIRES AROUND WITH A CABLE ATTACHED TO THE JEEP WORKS GREAT

IT’S A WIDE SWATH THESE DRAGGED TIRES MAKE

I was outside packing some stuff into the rig when Kelly said, “there’s an email here from Glen.”  (ranch owner)  The email was very positive with some thoughts, ideas, & suggestions as to what we could do regarding the purchase of the ranch.  We followed those suggestions & that has started the ball rolling……really rolling.

THAT BIG BOXY THING ON THE WALL IS CALLED A SWAMP COOLER

Kelly was on the phone right away making inquiries & reading up on real estate procedures, visa applications for living in the States longer, tax info, maintaining a residence in Canada, etc.  She also placed a call to the real estate fellow looking after the sale of this property.  And she did all this between emails coming & going plus work related phone calls.

COWBOYS ON HORSEBACK ARE NOT AN UNUSUAL SITE AROUND HERE

Slightly after 4 this afternoon Craig Abbot from Abbot’s Real Estate rolled up the laneway & that began an hour & a half of listening, learning, & negotiating.   We were very encouraged by the conversation.  We are a long way from a final hand shake on this 40 acre ranch property but for Kelly & I, today was a giant step forward.  Depending on what ranch owner Glen & Real Estate owner Craig come back with, this may or may not be a done deal at some point.  If we have to drive away & leave this all behind then that is what we will have to do.  Time will tell & we will see what happens.  In the meantime…..you can find us west of the Swisshelm Mountains.  Turn left at the constellation Scorpios, right at the big Dipper & then just slide yourself on down down a shimmering Moonbeam to where the Bayfield Bunch is at…10-4:))

WATER PUMP IS IN THE LARGER RED PUMP HOUSE…SMALL WORKSHOP BARN IN THE BACKGROUND

 

INSIDE THE SMALL BARN/SHED

And, what was going on in the post’s first picture?  That is Craig Abbot of Abbot’s Real Estate crunching some ranch numbers this afternoon with Kelly looking on.  I was surprised at Kelly’s Real Estate knowledge.  I kind of sat there like a bump on a log as usual just nodding my head at the appropriate times.  Like I always say….”she’s the one with the most good brains in the family!!”

CAN YOU SEE KING KONG IN THE SWISS HELM MOUNTAINS…HE IS LOOKING TOWARDS YOUR RIGHT & HIS WHOLE HEAD IS THE MOUNTAIN TOP COMPLETE WITH AN EAR, AN EYE & AN EYE BROW

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Why did the cookie go to the doctor Because he felt crummy.

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EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
stargeezerguy@gmail.com
 
BISBEE PHOTO ALBUM
http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/BISBEEARIZONAAFEWFINEPHOTOMEMORIES
 
Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/
OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/
 
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.

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