A REFLECTIVE DAY, BEAUTIFUL SKY & SUPPER WITH FRIENDS

A low key overcast day with final preparations for rolling out Sunday morning.  Terry & I did the morning chores around 9:45.  Enough sunshine over the mountains by then to keep a feller from freezing to the ground if’n he’s a walking too slow.  Despite the cloud cover it did feel a tad warmer & I think we got up to about 65F today.

MOTOR SURE KNOCKED THE STUFFINGS OUT OF HER LITTLE BEAR THIS MORNING

One of the great things about Arizona is it’s beautiful sunsets and late this afternoon the sky took on a texture of clouds like I had never seen before.

 

 

  

With it being our last night at the Ranch Terry & Martha had us over for supper.  Terry BBQ’d up some very delicious King & Chinook salmon which he had marinated in a special Terry top secret sauce.  It’s top secret because I can’t remember what he told me he put in it.  Salmon was excellent.

 

 

<<< OK LADIES HIDE YOUR FACES….HERE COMES ANOTHER PHOTO

Had ourselves a nice visit and it’s always great getting to know folks better.  Like us, they have been keeping a close eye on Arizona’s Real Estate market in southern Arizona.  We came close to meeting Terry & Martha a couple times last winter but our paths never did quite cross.  Nice down to earth folks.  My favorite kind:))

IT’S A NICE RIG THESE GYPSY JOURNAL FOLKS HAVE

It was a month ago today we arrived at the Ranch and already it seems so very long ago.  Found myself in a quiet reflective mood again with my usual touch of sadness at leaving an area that holds so many old and new pleasant memories for me.  Aunt Jean’s visit really put the icing on the cake for us here at the Ranch this year and those treasured memories will travel with us forever.  A week ago today we were sauntering around the streets of Tombstone Arizona:))

Below is a photo of why I have to wear a hat everyday if I don’t get my hair washed in the morning. No, I can’t comb or brush it because it seems each hair is spring loaded and snaps right back into it’s original wake up position. Not even a 4 ton lawn roller could flatten that mop into place. I often times envy you guys with your baldness, brush cuts, and no maintenance heads.

I have been to Las Vegas twice and the last time with Kelly.  Thoroughly enjoyed my visits to Vegas years ago & would not have missed it for anything.  A fascinating place to at least experience once in a lifetime for sure.  Of course you couldn’t drag me back there with a team of wild horses now.  Why?  My interests have changed & large cities and night life are no longer an attraction for either Kelly or I.  Check out TRAVELS WITH CC AND DIXIE for their well written and recent visit to Las Vegas.

SUPPER TIME FOR GLEASON & PEARCE

TERRY CLOSES TWO WATER VALVES FOR THE NIGHT

 The Last Paragraph:  Normally, after staying this long in one spot that Hitch Itch Fever is really grabbing at me & I am more than anxious to pull up stakes & move on.  But, not this time.  Could it be this dusty little Valley has an even stronger hold on me this year than last.  Naw, couldn’t be…..could it??

 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  O.M.G., I'm rich!
-Silver in my Hair
-Gold in my Teeth
-Crystals in my Kidneys
-Sugar in my Blood
-Lead in my Arse
-Iron in my Arteries
And, an inexhaustible supply of Natural Gas……………
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

THE GYPSY LIFE JOURNAL FOLKS ROLL INTO THE RANCH

THE GYPSY LIFE JOURNAL RANCH SITTERS ROLLED IN TODAY

Had ourselves a mighty busy morning with laundry to do, windows to be cleaned, tanks looked after, batteries and tires checked, things packed up and stowed away. 

Again, mixed emotions about moving out on Sunday.  We always grow so attached to Ranch dogs Gleeson and Pearce every time we come and it’s always sad for us saying goodbye.  They have become so accustomed to sleeping in our rig every night and I am going to miss seeing those two big fur balls stretched out on our floor.  Pheebs is especially going to miss all the kibitzing with her best Pal of ever, Gleeson.

LITTLE MOTORMOUSE LOVES HER NEW BEAR

We still have a few people emailing in now and again with problems accessing our site.  All emails have one thing in common in that all folks have Comcast as an ISP.  Definitely a Comcast problem but Comcast will not admit it.  If readers go to another blog site’s side bar and click on our site it might work.  You can find us on JANNA & MIKE'S blog for example…left side.  Or, IVAN'S blog, right side.

 

SAY, DID I TELL YOU HOW COLD IT WAS FOR OUR CAMPFIRE WITH AUNT JEAN A COUPLE NIGHTS AGO……..

How nice it is these days to see something that says, Made In The USA.  Readers will remember all the trouble we had a couple months ago with a Micky Mouse tripod setup we were trying to use with our satellite dish.  A couple of folks emailed us suggesting we have a look at a site called TV4RV.COM & after doing so we ordered their HG 102 heavy duty tripod.  Fed Ex dropped it off last week and today I decided to to unpack and set it up.

The minute I slid it out of the box I knew we had a good product.  Very carefully wrapped & how nice to see steel construction instead of plastic.  And, there on the top….Made In USA.  This is the quality tripod we should have had right from the beginning.  Similar type of surveyor's tripod we originally had with our Hughesnet satellite system 5 years ago but this one is designed better.

Because the tripod was basically familiar to me it didn’t take long to set up but I still had myself a little confusement over the mast assembly.  The confusemet wasn’t in the assembly, it was in my head.  Took me a bit but I did get it set up just fine and our dish is now happily  & securely mounted atop our HG-102 heavy duty tripod.   Kelly did call with a few assembly questions and company owner George Guevin was prompt in getting right back to her with the correct answers.  Two thumbs up for this quality tripod and company:))

 SO NICE TO SEE KEY COMPONENTS MADE OUT OF METAL AND NOT PLASTIC

Terry, Martha, & Charlie the Beagle from GYPSY LIFE JOURNAL rolled into the Ranch yard shortly after 1 this afternoon.  They had just spent a couple bird filled nights down at the Whitewater Draw about a mile south of the Ranch.  They hardly had time to set up before the Pheebs was in their Motorhome making herself at home on their couch.  That darn dog just has no shame.

I generally do the afternoon chores every day about 4:30.  Like to be consistent and keep the chickens on schedule:))  Terry & Martha walked around with me as we rolled up our sleeves for the arduous task at hand.  Lock the gate, turn off a couple water valves, plug in the chicken light, feed the chickens & check for eggs. Feed Gleeson & Pearce.  Slip into the house and tell Charlie what a great cat he is while petting him to the purring point.  Sneak him a little extra snack.  Walk the perimeter of the property stopping to schmooze with the donkeys and sometimes slip them a carrot snack or a small flake of hay.  They have plenty of grazing land to keep their tummies full.

And, that pretty much sums up the heavy duty afternoon chores.  Same thing in the morning with a few changes.  Usually have to break surface ice on water barrels for the dogs, thaw the chickens out, and rub the donkey’s tummies till they burp.

 New Blog Followers DENICE AND DENNIS have joined the Bunch just in time for our departure from the Sulphur Springs Valley in a couple days.  Welcome aboard folks:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  What would Economics be without assumptions?
Accounting.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

TODAY WE SAID GOODBYE TO AUNT JEAN:((

THANKS FOR THE GREAT WEEK JEAN:))

Needed a warm jacket this morning with a cloudy overcast blocking the warming rays of old Sol.  Turned the donkeys out into the large pasture fields.  Happy guys:))

THESE TWO ARE SURE GOING TO MISS EACH OTHER

We sure are indebted to Jeanie and Ray for letting us use their truck these past few days.  With our Jeep being in Sierra ‘Vista we would have been in a real pickle and Aunt Jean would not have seen the Communication tours north of Bisbee or Coronado Peak.  But, that’s just the way Jeanie & Ray are.  And to think that just a few short years ago we didn’t even know these fine folks.  And to have my Aunt Jean come and stay in their house…..well, that just says it all.

JEAN WATCHES AN ARIZONA ROADRUNNER THIS MORNING

 

READY TO GO AS PHEEBS AND MOTOR WAIT OUTSIDE TO SAY GOODBYE

Jean sure is going to miss Charlie the Cat.  Right from the time they first met they have been the best of Buddies keeping each other company.  Jean will miss the morning and evening snuggles and Charlie is going to miss Aunt Jean just as much as we are.  At 11:15 this morning Jean said her farewells to Charlie, Gleeson, Pearce, Motormouse and the Pheebs.  A farewell to the Ranch, the Mountains and to a part of Southeastern Arizona she has grown to love so much in just one short action packed fun filled week.  She so especially enjoyed the peaceful Ranch house.

PLEASE MOM, CAN I COME TOO……

Great to have the Jeep back so it was off to Tucson we headed through Tombstone, Whetstone and Benson.  As is normal for these parts the I-10 traffic was lite all the way to the Airport.  Kelly was all comfy in the back of the Jeep catching up on her reading.  Jean only had a carry on bag so not a lot of luggage.

JEAN GETS HER ELECTRONIC FLIGHT TICKET

Tucson Airport is an easy and small enough airport to be user friendly and likeable.  No problem parking close to the terminal with a short walk to Departures on the second level.  A quick and easy Passport activated electronic ticket and Jean was in line for her flight due for departure in about 45 minutes.  Walked as far as we could with Jean & then it was time for hugs and goodbyes.  No idea when we will see each other again but in the meantime we sure made up for all those lost years by creating a whole host of great new exciting and everlasting memories.  The Ranch house sure looks empty over there without you tonight Jean:((

 

KELLY PICKS UP AN ‘ON SALE’ TRAVEL BAG ON THE WAY OUT OF THE AIRPORT

We were soon back on the road making our way southeast along I-10.  A right turn in Benson took us down through Whetstone, Huachuca City and Sierra Vista.  Passing Fort Huachuca on our right Kelly pointed out an odd looking aircraft crossing low over the highway ahead from left to right.  I immediately recognized it as a Drone.  First time I ever saw one for real other than a picture.  Groovy:))

HEADING FOR THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS DEAD AHEAD

Our travels took us down through the community of Hereford where we slipped up and down some bumpy dirt roads and had us a peek at a couple 4.5 acres properties complete with houses for sale. Interesting.

<<< DEFINITELY NOT MY BETTER SIDE:((

Slipped through the southwest end of Bisbee, winged ourselves around the traffic circle and headed through the Mule mountains out into the Sulphur Springs Valley.  Twenty minutes later we were at the gates of the Ranch with 4 very happy little doggy guys just about jumping out of their furry little doggy suits.  I just love to see dogs soooooooo happy:))

 

HAPPY HAPPY DOGS EVERYWHERE

Tomorrow begins a new phase here at the Ranch as fellow RV’ers Martha & Terry from GYPSY LIFE JOURNAL roll in to take over our Ranch sitting duties until the end of February.  We will be rolling out for points west on Sunday morning……10-4.

GROANER’S CORNER:((  An RV’ers long journey always begins with an argument over how to load the rig.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.