TURNED OFF THE TV & LISTENED TO THE CHICKENS

MORNING SUNRISE OVER THE WEAVER MOUNTAINS
Didn’t take me long to turn the TV off this morning after turning it on.  All the talking heads, both media & political were absolutely running amok with all their post election jabberwocky, predictions, graphs & predictions for the future. Analysis Paralysis.  Panels of ratchet jawed media types all squawking & cackling at the same time.  I much prefer the real chickens & crowing roosters we have right here on Ghost Town Road. So, off it was with the television, tipped back in my recliner & listened to the preferable bliss of our neighbor’s barnyard hen house:))
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And before I forget, one last thought on all this political stuff.  I thought Donna K over at Travels In Therapy had a fine post on ELECTION DAY THOUGHTS.  Her opinions echo my own, & I’m sure many other folks as well.
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Commenter Phil was interested in the new BBQ we picked up at Camping World last week.  It is a portable O-GRILL 1000.  We have only used it once & it worked fine.  Chose this one because of it’s compact traveling size, lighter weight & it’s easy to carry.
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I really like the ‘Mission’ recliner Kelly bought the other day. She said there was a second one at the store but it was in need of repair. We weren’t real impressed with the brown/beige recliner she bought so Kelly phoned the lady back & asked if we could swap the brown/beige recliner for the other ‘Mission’ recliner once they repaired it. (a missing bolt or something) Lady said she would do that & this afternoon her Son delivered the other matching recliner….Groovy. I think it might be the first time ever that we had two things that matched. Except for a couple pairs of my socks once a long time ago.

APPARENTLY THESE 2 MATCHING RECLINERS CAME OUT OF A WELL TO DO HOUSE IN WICKENBURG…CHAIRS ARE ONLY SIDE BY SIDE FOR THE PHOTO
Had an email from Marianne at FRUGAL-RV-TRAVEL Tuesday that I’m sure a lot of Boondockers & wannabe Boondockers will be interested in.  Marianne has added a new venture to her site called, BOONDOCKERS WELCOME.  No doubt a nice way to travel for many folks, so be sure to drop by & check it out.  I was sure I had Frugal-RV-Travel on our side bar but checking this morning I see I did not.  I do now:))
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I am probably going to be a little challenged for traveling blog fodder over the next little while.  Normally, we would be off boondocking somewhere now or at the Ranch down in Cochise County.    Once we get settled into the house we’ll be out & about exploring the areas back roads & attractions around the Congress area again.    Lots of old west history in these parts & we’ll see if we can dig some up.
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I again spent a fair bit of my time clearing brush this morning.  Kelly worked away at clearing the Motorhome out.  I think she had more stuff packed in there than was possible for the Motorhome to even hold.  Even thought I saw her carry in a kitchen sink.
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Not at all happy with our new Remington gas weed whacker we bought last week.  Starts fine, runs good, but try to keep the cable in the spool is another story.  For a brand new machine I am very disappointed.  The string was wrapped on the spool incorrectly for starters & it all went downhill from there.  Tried repeatedly to reload the spool but finally gave up.  I am about 2 seconds away from heaving the whole thing over the fence!!!!
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One of the little problems we have here is tracking dirt into the house every time we come in.  Along with that dirt comes the dreaded Goats Head burrs which stick to our shoes & little doggy paws.  Once inside the house they then imbed themselves into our mats waiting to ambush AL as he comes walking along in his socks later.  I have been painfully ambushed a lot ever since we arrived her a week ago. This afternoon we ordered 8 tons of half inch brick colored crushed stone.  It will arrive Thursday morning between 10 & noon.  I am going to have a very busy wheelbarrow for awhile & I will spread that crushed stone in front of the house & around the sides.  That will take care of the dirt problem & knock some of those Goats Head stickers off our shoes before coming in.  It will impede weed growth as well, & besides, it looks cool.  And for sure, we will have a much cleaner little Rascal Buns.
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CAN YOU TELL PHEEBS LOVES HER RECLINER
GROANER’S CORNER:((   
If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can get going without pep pills,
If you can always be cheerful and ignore aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when, through no fault of yours, something goes wrong,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can say honestly that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion or politics,
Then, my friend, you are almost as good as your dog:))
-----------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

BYE BYE SOFA, HELLO RECLINERS:))

KELLY’S RECLINER ON LEFT & MY ‘MISSION RECLINER’ ON RIGHT
Finished my brush clearing along the back fence line early this morning. Hoping this will save us a couple dollars. The fence guy doesn't have to do it before starting the fencing. Of course I am getting the cart before the horse because we still have not heard back from the fencing guy. Oh well, when we do, he won't have to waste his fine fence talents clearing pesky brush.

THE OLD RUSTED FENCE RUNS THROUGH THAT CACTUS & I HAVE CLEARED EVERYTHING BACK FROM THE FENCE LINE FOR A COUPLE FEET
By 9 a.m. I moved inside out of the sun & busied myself hanging pictures & putting up some lighting around the front porch. Kelly was off to Wickenburg to do some wheeling & dealing on a couple pieces of furniture. Once a week into town is plenty for me & having just been to Wickenburg Monday, that was enough of that & I was glad to stay home. Fired up the IPod/Bose & had the old house just a swinging. Probably been a few years since Glen Miller, Benny Goodman & the whole crew from the Big Band Era shook the aging rafters in our little Ranch house.  Don’t want to shake em too hard though.  Not a level floor in the place or a square corner anywhere, but it sure suits our lifestyle & we love it. Besides, we are both a little off center ourselves, so the house is a good fit for us:))
 
WE PICKED UP THAT PALM FROND AT THE SALTON SEA LAST WINTER
 
Glad to finally see this day arrive & be over with. Maybe politically minded people can get back to showing a little civilized good will towards one another again. Politics sure have a habit of bringing out some of the worst in people. As we traveled across the States last week & turned our television on at the end of each day it was simply sickening to hear the areas repetitive local politicians trashing each other over & over & over again.  Soap Opera theatrics, gutter sniping, slime balling....& worse. Almost made me want to up & spit on the floor!!  Politics….baaaa Humbug!!
 

KELLY FOUND THIS RATHER UNIQUE DRESSER
Kelly was home about 2:30 & said some furniture was on the way. She had swung a deal with the same place we had bought some stuff last March. We decided over the past few days the sofa we had bought was not comfortable. In Bayfield, we both like our recliners so Kelly swung a deal with the lady to take back the sofa in exchange for a couple recliners. No, not a straight exchange:((   Keep in mind, this is all used furniture I'm talking about here.

AND WHY 3 RECLINERS?  WELL, THERE ARE 3 OF US YOU KNOW
 
Couple fellas showed up about 5 this afternoon with the recliners plus a few other things Kelly had found.  Loaded the sofa onto their utility trailer & they were off back to Wickenburg.

GLAD TO SEE THE SOFA GO, IT JUST WASN’T COMFORTABLE
We spent the next half hour or so playing musical recliners.  What goes best where & who wants what chair.  Finally worked it out & I ended up with a different recliner.  Pheebs ended up with my old recliner & Kelly ended up with her own recliner.  And a good time was had by all:))

Kelly & were very flattered this morning when we read JoAnn Dubrouillet’s 'BAYFIELD' segment of her recent trip to Canada. JoAnn & friends Kathy & Larry visited us back on SEPTEMBER 17TH. Thanks JoAnn & it was great to see you:))

FINALLY GOT OUR NEW BBQ SET UP…COMPLETE WITH A COUPLE STEAKS
GROANER'S CORNER:(( A woman rushed into the supermarket to pick up a few items. She headed for the express line where the clerk was talking on the phone with his back turned to her. "Excuse me," she said, "I'm in a hurry. Could you check me out, please?" The clerk turned, stared at her for a second, looked her up and down, smiled and said, "Not bad.
--------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

WE SPOTTED INDIAN JOE BEFORE HE SPOTTED US

Amazingly enough, I did not take a single photo of anything today.  Tonight’s pics are from a rough & tumble Jeep ride Kelly & I took all the way up to the peak of the Harquahala Mountains last March.  First photo is the tail end of a Red Tailed Hawk I caught with my 300mm lens on the way up.

 

OUR DESTINATION WAS SOMEWHERE ATOP THAT MOUNTAIN RANGE

Today, we spotted Indian Joe before he spotted us. Or, I should say, we spotted his faded old powder blue Ford pick-up truck with it's tell tale yellow tailgate. IJ's truck had been described to us by several folks who highly recommended Indian Joe as an all round handyman, hard worker & one who can be trusted. It's an old house we have & it needs a handyman's touch in many areas. On our way back from Wickenburg today we spotted an old powder blue truck outside the Congress Dollar Store. We knew Indian Joe couldn't be far away & sure enough, with the description of a fellow having a black ponytail, we tracked him down inside near the soups & soap isle. Introduced ourselves & a couple hours later Indian Joe & his friend Cas dropped over to our place.  Did a walk around of things needing attention. He will be getting back to us Thursday. No word from the fence guy yet….& no sign of any Javalinas yet.

WOW, WE MADE IT TO THE TOP

Did manage to get a little weed whacking done this morning before we headed off to Wickenburg for a few stops including Stewart's Hardware, a consignment shop, Alco, Safeway for groceries, Ace hardware, Re-Store (Habit for Humanity) plus a stone & gravel place to have a look at some pea stone.

HIGHEST POINT IN SOUTHWESTERN ARIZONA… ATOP THE HARQUAHALA MOUNTAINS LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION OF CONGRESS ARIZONA

I think we have decided to go with wire fencing across the front of the property, with a driveway gate. We will plant the entire fence line with Sage & Yellow Bells, etc. In a few short years we will have a solid green & flowering privacy hedge all the way across the front & up the sides of our property. In this kind of desert area, folks put in rubber/plastic water drip line tubing about 4" under the surface. A programmed timer comes on each day (especially during the hot dry summer) & adds a bit of moisture to the plant roots. This way, growth is rapid, thick, & goes a long way in assuring the life of everything planted.

IT WAS A LONG HARD ROAD UP & IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG HARD ROAD DOWN

And no, I am not going to complain about the heat. Nope, just not going to do it. Not one little bit even. Just not going to say anything about how hot it is at all. Not a peep, not a squeak. No sireeeeee, not me!!

Again, Nina over at WHEELING IT  has another in a series of informative posts & this one has to do with internet on the road. Getting on & staying on-line is often a touch & go bit of business for RV'ers. Confusing, what kind of a system to go with, equipment to use, what about this contract stuff, Verizon or Millenicom, etc. etc. Don't miss Nina's post...they got themselves some smokin hot solutions & answers over there complete with diagrams to explain things. And, don't forget to read the comments on Nina's post as well. More info there.
 
No problem with the time change this past week-end. Arizona never changes time so there's no moving ahead in the Spring or moving back in the Fall. I like it when things are simple like that. In fact, I seem to like the simpler ways of doing things more & more all the time.

FINGERS CROSSED THAT WE DON’T MEET ANOTHER VEHICLE COMING UP THE MOUNTAIN

Just remembered someone asking about gas prices in our area & I think we paid $3.84 when we filled up the Jeep in Congress a couple days ago. Nice to have a gas pump we can get familiar with. The many varied gas pumps while traveling are always a real challenge. For us, gassing up is always a two people procedure. Kelly does all the credit card number stuff at the pump & I do all the stuffing of gas into the rig itself.

Found out a few more snippets of history on our house here on Old Ghost Town Road.  Built in the mid 50’s by a fellow who worked in the Congress Gold Mine just up the road.  Indian Joe said the house was always rumored to have gold stashed away in it.  Said he knew one of the last owners.  An old Veteran who lived here by himself.  He became ill & was taken to the Vet’s hospital somewhere & never returned.  Some of his Grandchildren moved into the house & trashed the place.  A couple from California bought it, stayed only a year & defaulted on the mortgage.  Enter the Bayfield Bunch:)) 

KELLY WALKS BY THE Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory CONSTRUCTED ON THIS SITE IN 1920 

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man enters a barber shop for a shave. While the barber is foaming him up, he mentions the problems he has getting a close shave around the cheeks.
"I have just the thing," says the barber taking a small wooden ball from a nearby drawer. "Just place this between your cheek and gum."
The client places the ball in his mouth and the barber proceeds with the closest shave the man has ever experienced. After a few strokes the client asks in garbled speech, "And what if I swallow it?" "No problem," says the barber. "Just bring it back tomorrow like everyone else does."
--------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

HAD TO THROTTLE MYSELF BACK TODAY

AT THE CONGRESS MERCANTILE STORE TRYING TO DECIDE ON A KITCHEN TABLE

As expected, I kinda overdid my brush clearing Saturday, so today was pay back time & I spent most of the day inside out of the heat working on a few easy house projects. Set up our Shaw satellite dish & found the Anik satellite right away. However, we had to re-activate our receiver after being dormant for 7 months & that cost Kelly two & a half hours out of her day just sitting with her Skype headset  on waiting for someone at Shaw to acknowledge her call.  She was told the long delay had to do with so many people calling in with problems resulting from Hurricane Sandy.  If Kelly would have hung up she would have lost her place in line.   Within seconds of having someone on the line, our receiver was updated & we had our first picture on the new TV.  Gotta love that high definition stuff.  Upgraded our package as well in an effort to find some interesting programs for a change….if that is at all possible:((   Now I can totally aggravate myself with CNN again. So glad to get away from the local stations we were pulling in with our antennae while in transit last week. And Phil, no, I don’t think we ever did see a Phoenix station.

KELLY FINALLY MAKES CONTACT WITH SHAW DIRECT & WE LATER REPLACED THAT TV TABLE WITH A BETTER ONE

Kelly had dropped into the Congress Mercantile Store again Saturday & spotted a used wooden dining room table with 4 wood chairs she liked. Plus, a small table to put our television on. Took us about 3 minutes to drive over & have a look at those things. Came home with the items we looked at in the store.  Store owner Judy was again helpful with local information & co-owner husband Jerry was good enough to deliver the 2 tables & 4 chairs for us. At least we now have a table to sit down & eat at.  We do not have a table in the Motorhome so I’m gonna miss sitting in my chair dribbling soup down my shirt.  With the purchase of the little dining room table, we will now move lock, stock, & barrel into the house Monday but will continue to sleep in the Motorhome until we get the bed problem figured out.

IT’S STARTING TO LOOK A LITTLE MORE LIKE HOME EVERYDAY…STILL HAVE TO FINISH PAINTING THOSE CUPBOARDS & DRAWERS

And a reminder to folks to check their Spam folders occasionally. I never seem to remember to do that & Kelly happened to find 4 comments in there from folks over the past month or so. Found one in there from Karen & Steve a month ago. And another one from Linda A. No idea why they end up in a Spam folder & I have no idea on how to prevent that.

 

KELLY CARRIES IN THE LAST KITCHEN CHAIR & JERRY TELLS US A BUNCH OF STUFF ABOUT SAGUARO’S WE NEVER KNEW.  HE ESTIMATES OURS TO BE ABOUT 200 YEARS OLD  

I seem to recall a recent commenter asking something about Rattlesnakes. So far in all our southwest travels we have never seen one. We know they are around & probably close by sometimes, but so far so good. They are not active in the cooler cold weather but with the hot days we are having right now they could be out & about. It was on my mind the past couple days as I have been clearing brush on the property. I'm careful not to stick my hand anywhere I can't see & I am relying on the Rattlers to at least give me a buzz if I'm getting too close. A wire fence will not stop them from coming on the property but a special wire around the bottom helps. An adobe wall would keep them out but it's just much too expensive for us to wall in our entire property. Our main reason for fencing is to keep the Javelinas (wild pig like critters) out. They will kill a dog pretty quick & can cause serious injury to people. And, they are in the habit of coming into our back yard at night.  At least they were last March when we were here.

 

TOOK THESE JAVELINA PHOTOS NEAR ELFRIDA ARIZONA IN NOVEMBER 2011

Casita Wren had a question about how we stay warm on cold nights while traveling. We had a Legacy Blue Flame Heater installed in Quartzsite about 4 years ago. It is extremely rare for us to run the rig's furnace. Doesn't take up much space, throws a great heat, & runs on propane. It's thermostatically controlled so we just set it for whatever. And, it has a pretty blue flame fireplace look. Very fuel efficient & we never RV without it. Interestingly enough, they are, or were, made in Mississauga Ontario but could only be bought in the States…Side note:  While looking for the Legacy website I came across a page that said ‘images of Blue Flame heaters.  When I clicked on THIS SITE a multitude of photos came up.  And, there was our little Motormouse.  Second photo in shows Motor sitting beside our blue flame heater in Quartzsite back in January 09.  Seventh photo in is Motor on my bed snuggling with her Teddy Bear.  No Legacy Blue Flame Heater in sight….just our little Motormouse (Cora) & her Teddy.  Motor died the very night we left our house in Congress last March for the long sad drive home to Bayfield Ontario. 

OUR LITTLE MOTORMOUSE JUST A COUPLE DAYS BEFORE SHE WAS GONE

We are still waiting to hear back from the fence guy who we think is in Mexico at the moment. Met our next door neighbors on our north side for the first time Saturday. Nice folks & it just so happens they are best friends with the fence building guy so they assured us they would get us a good deal on the fencing. I could tell the neighbor lady was very happy about me cleaning up our big weed infested overgrown property. Bud, our neighbor to the south is in California until January so we haven't seen him.

NOTHING FANCY, JUST OUR FIRST MEAL IN THE HOUSE…CHILE CON CARNE:))

When Kelly opened our front door tonight to take Pheebs out, a bird quickly flew right into the house.  Took nearly 5 minutes to catch the little feller but I was finally able to cup it softly in my hands & return it to the outdoors.  This little bird turned out be a persistent fellow & nearly got right back inside again.  Quickly closed the door but it tried to get through our screen.  Clung to that screen for quite awhile watching us.  I was close enough to the little guy to see it’s feathers moving from it’s beating heart.  We were on an eye to eye level only inches way.  One of us finally blinked & he flew up into the rafters of our porch & headed for bed.

These hot days bring warm nights, so I was outside with my binoculars tonight.  The Milky Way stretched from horizon to horizon & seemed almost close enough to reach up & touch.  One of my favorite constellations, the Pleiades (Subaru or Seven Sisters) was visible low on the northeastern horizon.  My 7x50 binoculars have always revealed far more stars in this cluster than are visible with the naked eye.  But, when I put my new 15x70 Celestron binoculars on my tripod & looked at the Pleiades for the first time through them, I was totally amazed at how many more stars in that cluster were now visible.  A much different star pattern than I had seen before.  From the Pleiades I followed the Milky way & swung up through Perseus & Cassiopeia.  The sky was literally littered with billions of what appeared to be patches of light fog.  The glow of light from stars so far away they are not even visible.  How great it is to be under the big Arizona night sky again………..:))

ONE OF MY MOON PHOTOS TAKEN FROM NEAR ELFRIDA ARIZONA, DECEMBER 21RST 2010 NIKON D50 – 700mm TELESCOPE LENS

GROANER'S CORNER:(( After digging to a depth of 100' last year, Russian scientists found traces of copper wiring dating back a 1000 years, and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network at that time.
So as not to be outdone, in the weeks that followed, American scientists dug 200', and headlines in the US newspapers read: "US scientists have found traces of 2000 year old optical fibers, and have concluded that their ancestors already had advanced high-tech digital telephone 1000 years earlier than the Russians."
One week later, the Irish press reported the following: "After digging as deep as 500', Irish scientists have found absolutely nothing. They have concluded that 5000 years ago, their ancestors were already using mobile cell phones".

--------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

TANGLING WITH THE MESQUITES & PALO VERDES

NOPE, NOT A MOUNTAIN, JUST A HIGH ROCKY RIDGE A BLOCK BEHIND OUR HOUSE…I’M HOPING TO CLIMB MYSELF UP THERE SOMETIME THIS WINTER

Warm enough overnight to have the window beside my bed open. I was lulled to sleep by Crickets & awoke in the morning to the sound of our local Rooster up the road. Now, how nice is that. Under a half moon high overhead Pheebs & I had a nice walk around the front yard about 4:30. The air was very still as the Moon's warm glow cast it's soft light on our Saguaros, Palo Verde & Mesquite trees. A small bunny slipped around a large Prickly Pear cactus. Pheebs didn't see it. I think this quiet time just before sunrise is my favorite of day. And, it was warm enough to totally appreciate it. Another bonus.....sounds like we have a Great Horned Owl nearby & how nice to hear the mellow sounds of hooting in the night.

CAN WE GO BACK TO BAYFIELD MOM & DAD WHERE I WON’T GET SO MANY STICKERS IN MY PAWS:((

We luckily landed in Congress two days before the free community waste management week-end so we were able to get rid of a couple Jeep loads of garbage. Of course a Jeep load of anything isn't too much but we did manage to get rid of an old aluminum door, a tire, half a dozen flattened cardboard boxes, a tin awning, & strangely enough, a sponge cushion seat that may have come out of an old RV. It was lying behind the house & was definitely not there when we left in March. We also noticed some big tire tracks that were not here when we left so am wondering if someone with an older RV stopped in here for an overnighter at some point & threw the seat cushion affair behind the house. Hmmmmmm. Just another reason for us to get a fence with a gate installed. Especially when we are not here for 6 months of the year.

ROBBERS BEWARE….WE HAVE SSS!! A ‘SPENCER SECURITY SYSTEM’!!

Kelly headed off in search of some Saturday morning garage sales but came home a few hours later empty handed. Even went as far as Wickenburg.  I spent a total of 6 hours trimming Palo Verde & Mesquite trees. Sure wished I had brought my chain saw, but my manual Swede saw does pretty good & the exercise is good for my arms. Those thorny Mesquites can rip a feller up pretty good so I wore a long sleeve shirt & thick gloves. About 10 o'clock I had to switch to short sleeves & the Mesquite branches didn't waste any time getting at me. Despite the heat I hung in there & got myself a lot done before taking a 2 hour break before having another go at it for a couple more hours. Just the way it used to be years ago before this unwelcome age crap began to creep in & slow things down a bit. No matter, I enjoy the yard work.

GETTING MYSELF A FEW PILES OF TREE LIMBS GATHERED UP

CLEARING BRUSH ALONG THE BACK YARD PROPOSED FENCE LINE

  

YEP, AL FINALLY SAW THE LIGHT……..:))

This is our first experience with an RV in hot weather & I must say I am surprised at how blasted hot it can get inside the coach. If we were boondocking now we would for sure have to move to higher altitudes to escape the hot days. Because we do not have a couple beds yet, we are still pretty much living in the Motorhome. Seems a little silly because the house is so nice & cool. And, the Verizon signal in the house works great as well, even with the router out in the rig. Right now typing this I am in the house sitting in my recliner with nice ambient music on the IPod/Bose system. Now that the house is filled with music, it feels like home to me. A small fan brings me a soft breeze, a glass of cold Cranberry Ginger quenches my thirst, Pheebs is lying beside my chair & Kelly is on the sofa writing down some measurements for a table to put our television on. Sometimes I just have to up & give myself a good pinch to see if this is all real. It's like Kelly said yesterday, we are kinda like boondocking in a desert setting on our own property.....with a full size kitchen & bathroom. And my fav, a big shower with a big supply of hot water:))))))

I REALLY DO TRY TO SMILE IN PHOTOS, BUT MY FACE IS JUST NOT ONE OF THOSE ‘SMILEY FACE’ EMOTICONS 

Not sure if I mentioned this before but the 5 Cactus plants I hurriedly & temporarily planted last March have all survived. I was afraid the Javalinas would have eaten or trampled them. Right now they have a lot of weeds all around & close by, but as soon as I get some flowerbeds figured out I will move them into their permanent spots.

WE DO HAVE ENOUGH ROOM HERE TO PARK A COUPLE RV’S IF NEED BE

Have I mentioned lately how much fun we are having. Of course ‘fun’ may mean different things to different people of course.  Just got out of Bayfield in time because they are really having some very depressing November weather. Rain & temps in the low to mid 30's. Better give myself another pinch as we had to tough out another perfectly warm day here in sunny Arizona.  Weatherman says we have cooler temps headed our way next week.  

Everything we plant here will be native plants. Much the same way we did it in Bayfield. Whatever grew naturally in the forest I dragged home & planted. We did look at some plants at the new Congress Mercantile place along highway 89 & I think we'll try to keep our spending local. Very helpful & friendly lady who grew up in these parts & knows her plants. She has a lot of groovy stuff in her store.

AT THE CONGRESS MERCANTILE WE LIKED THE CALIFORNIA PEPPER TREE ON LEFT & YELLOWBELLS ON THE RIGHT

Couple questions in our Shout Box abut MPG with the Motorhome & does Kelly drive it. I have no idea how many miles we get to the gallon & it's probably best I don't know that or we might never get out of Bayfield. The way I look at it is, we knew going into the RV lifestyle it was going to be expensive.  With the ever rising cost of fuel it was just one of the things we had to accept for the Snow Bird lifestyle we chose. I can tell you one thing though, it cost us just under a thousand dollars for gas to travel about 2300 miles……. And, Kelly has driven the Motorhome but I pretty much do all the driving. Kelly drove large school buses years ago so can handle it if necessary. I must admit, I am a driving hog. It is the only place in a vehicle where I feel totally comfortable & relaxed. I am not a good passenger at all.

NEIGHBOR’S HOUSE AT SUNRISE

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A woman and a man are involved in a car accident; it's a bad one. Both of their cars are totally demolished but amazingly neither of them are hurt.
After they crawl out of their cars, the woman says, "So you're a man, that's interesting. I'm a woman. Wow, just look at our cars! There's nothing left, but fortunately we are unhurt. This must be a sign from God that we should meet and be friends and live together in peace for the rest of our days."
Flattered, the man replied, "Oh yes, I agree with you completely!"
"This must be a sign from God!" The woman continued, "And look at this, here's another miracle. My car is completely demolished but this bottle of wine didn't break. Surely God wants us to drink this wine and celebrate our good fortune."
Then she hands the bottle to the man, The man nods his head in agreement, opens it and drinks half the bottle and then hands it back to the woman.
The woman takes the bottle, immediately puts the cap back on, and hands it back to the man.
The man asks, "Aren't you having any?"
The woman replies, "No. I think I'll just wait for the police..."

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