TRAVEL WITH THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))

Sunday, January 12, 2014

DIDN’T QUITE MAKE IT TO THE TOP OF ROUND MOUNTAIN TODAY

DECIDING WHETHER WE WANTED TO RUN THE JEEP OVER THESE ROCKS TO REACH THE TOP OF ROUND MOUNTAIN

Wanting to change things up a bit from our usual morning walk we piled into the Jeep & headed off in search of some new horizons for a change.

NICE QUIET BOONDOCKING AREA HERE JUST OFF HIGHWAY 89 SOUTH OF CONGRESS

Slipped on down south of North Ranch & bumped our way into the desert through a familiar fence. This was the area we first came to in Congress back around the end of February 2012. JANNA & MIKE back then had told us of a nice boondocking area & that is where we headed back to this morning. KAREN & STEVE as well as RV SUE have boondocked here too. This is the place where Pheebs made friends with all the cows & all those cow smooching photos were taken. We waved at some cows & our two previous camping spots & headed further into the desert where we had not been before.

PHEEBS WAS CRYING TO GET OUT WHEN SHE SAW THESE COWS

We followed a rough & tumble road back to the Martinez wash, up over a ridge & onto a second plateau. One spot we got out to double check the road/trail ahead.

NO PROBLEM FOR JEEPERS

Coming down of the second plateau we entered a dry wash whereupon we turned south & drove a few miles along a sandy bottom. This is where 4 wheel drive really comes in mighty handy. The Jeep wallowed, yawed & slewed as each tire pulled it’s way through the gripping sand. It’s important to keep the wheels moving.

WHEN IN SAND IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP MOVING

We had been told by an ATV’er a ways back we could reach Round Mountain by following this wash. Well, we probably could have except we followed tire tracks in the sand to the right when we should have followed them to the left. We knew we were on the wrong trail when we could see Round Mountain becoming further distant on our left side & then behind us.

THAT’S OUR DESTINATION ROUND MOUNTAIN ON THE HORIZON

We stayed on the trail we were on which eventually led us to a road which in turn led us back to #89 highway. Figured we were half way to Wickenburg. We could turn right & go home or we could turn left & head to McDonald’s for a coffee. Easy decision & off we went to Wickenburg. What a maniac speedway of traffic that highway 93 is. Ridiculous!!

GAMBLE’S QUAIL

With coffees secure in their holders we backtracked up highway 93 through a couple round-a-bouts & found us the ‘Scenic Loop’ road. We have traveled this road before but today we were looking for a way to reach Round Mountain which isn’t really a mountain but just a big pointy topped hill. Of course if it was located out on the flat land Prairies I’m sure the folks living there would consider it a mountain. We remembered Scenic Loop road as being washboardy from last time. It hadn’t changed. Found the small dirt road leading to Round Mountain & went part way up & stopped. The road was deteriorating & the next section was narrow, steeper, & made up of a lot of sharp loose rocks. The Jeep would have gone up there no problem but how much did we want to beat up our tires on those sharp rocks. Decision was unanimous & we decided to park little Jeepers & grab ourselves some exercise by walking part way up. Nice views.

NO POINT IN BEATING UP OUR TIRES ON THESE ROCKS IF WE DIDN’T HAVE TO

Spotted a couple red Polaris RZR’s coming down. Those RZR’s are kinda somewhere between an ATV & a very small Jeep. Driver & passenger sit side by side instead of one behind the other. We see a lot of them around here & they are popular with folks. Because of their 4 wheels instead of 3 they look a little more reassuringly stable than an ATV. The folks stopped & chatted for a bit. One couple from North Dakota & the other couple from just up the road at North Ranch.

THESE 2 COUPLES WERE JUST ON THEIR WAY DOWN & SAID THE ROAD GETS WORSE NEAR THE TOP

We had ourselves back in Congress before 1 & that was about it for the rest of our day as far as things to write about go.

And we were saddened a few days ago when we heard that one of Pheebs little Pals on the block squeaked through a hole in a fence awhile back & disappeared. Gizmo’s house was right on the edge of the desert & the neighborhood is frequented by Coyotes. We hadn’t seen the Giz for a couple weeks & had wondered if something had happened……………I guess it did:((

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Women have a Passion for Mathematics. They divide their age in half double the price of their clothes & always add at least 5 years to the age of their Best Friend.

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

TALKING ABOUT ARIZONA PROPERTIES & STUFF WITH JANNA & MIKE

On my desktop I have some weather gadgets & keep an eye on temps for a few places like Yuma, Ajo, Borrego Springs, Quartzsite, Prescott, Congress, Benson, & Bayfield. Yuma is generally the warmest with Bayfield of course generally being the coldest. Was surprised to see Congress was the warm spot this morning at 6 a.m. with 54F. Yuma came in a close second at 49F. Bayfield Ontario Canada was in a major heat with 42F & that was only 1 degree less than Quartzsite Arizona. In Ontario we generally call that the January thaw which usually occurs about the 3rd week of January each year. Should add that I sometimes question the accuracy of these desktop weather gadgets I have…………….

<<< DALLY CAN’T JUMP OVER THE FENCE SO SHE JUMPS STRAIGHT UP IN THE AIR

In less than a week we have company coming to stay with us for about 7 days. Kelly’s Brother Peter & wife Leslie were here last January as well. They will fly into Las Vegas, spend a few days exploring around that area then drive on down to Congress here. Pheebs & will move out to the rig again & give Leslie & Peter my big bedroom complete with washroom. We did that last year when they were here & also when Aunt Jean came out for awhile. Us guys like hanging out in the rig:))

When we bought our Congress house in March of 2012 there was no fence across the front or about half way up our south side. In effect we had two entrances making a circle driveway. When we put the new fence in along the south side we effectively closed off the second entrance figuring we wouldn’t need it. Well, we figured wrong & have been tossing the idea around of putting a second gate in that fence line making it easier not only for our rig but other larger rigs to enter & exit our large driveway area. Turning to enter or exit our main gate & having to stop & open the gate leaves part of our Jeep or rig hanging on the road. And when Doug & Dolly pulled in a few days ago with their larger Class C they had to unhook to get back out again. Well that speeded up our decision on a second gate & today Marteen the fellow who did all our fencing last year dropped by to have a look & give us a price on a second gate. We agreed on a price & he will be back next week to start on the new number 2 gate.

THIS IS OUR MAIN GATE

OUR 2ND GATE WILL GO IN HERE & BE ANGLED…PHOTO ON RIGHT SHOWS THE ANGLE WE & OTHERS WILL BE ABLE TO COME & GO WITHOUT UNHOOKING TRAILERS OR TOADS

WILL BE ABLE TO COME IN MAIN GATE AT LEFT & EXIT THROUGH 2ND GATE AT FAR END OR VICE VERSA

With company coming next week I figured I had better shovel some of the Sonoran desert out of the Jeep & get things all spiffy inside again in case the 4 of us decide on a little desert rumble. Took out Pheebs wood riding platform plus a whole bunch of other stuff & re-installed the back seat. Remember last year when we had to borrow Bev & Jim’s rear seat out of their Jeep.

BIG JEEP INTERIOR CLEAN UP TODAY

About the time I was cleaning things up this afternoon a little yellow Jeep rolled into our driveway. Yaaaaaay, it was JANNA & MIKE along with little Emmi.

We had us a walk around our property as well as the neighbor’s property I have been cleaning up. A tour through the house was followed by a chin wag on our sunny warm afternoon patio.

EMMI WANTS TO GET A GAME OF TOYS GOING

We have always had a lot in common with Janna & Mike. Mike & I were born one day apart, one year apart. Their future plans are much like ours & we talked about that today. In fact our talks may have lined up our next Winnie get-away at the end of this month. We may see Janna & Mike again next week but you never know with we boondocking types when our paths will cross again somewhere. And I’m thinking it might not be so much as to when, but as to where:))

THAT LITTLE EMMI GETS LOTS OF ATTENTION

<<< HEY MOM & DAD I LIKE THIS MONTANA COWBOY GUY

Got the Jeeps interior all put back together & stowed away. No point in wasting valuable energy units washing the Jeep because we’ll probably have it back out in the dusty desert before too long again anyway. Lots of time for all that washing & waxing stuff when we get back to Canada in the Spring. It will give me something to do instead of grumbling & complaining I don’t got nuthin ta do……………

GROANER’S CORNER:(( In Canada's Newfoundland the Newfies have finally solved their own fuel problems. They imported 50 million tons of sand from the Arabs and they are going to drill for their own oil. Those Newfies are pretty smart eh:))

Friday, January 10, 2014

TURNED OUT TO BE A VISITING KIND OF DAY WITH SOME FELLOW RV BLOGGERS & FRIENDS

SOMETIMES WE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE DEER ON OUR MORNING WALKS

Our air temperature hung around 57 today but out in the warm sun if felt more like somewhere in the 70’s. House temps struggled to reach 60 & Kelly traded in her sandals for winter boots about noon. Her hands got so cold on the computer she had to slip outside to get warmed up.

WE CHANGED UP TO A BETTER GRADE OF BIRDSEED WITH BIGGER SEEDS & THAT HAS ALREADY BROUGHT OUR CARDINALS BACK >>>

Low energy levels so had myself a lazy day. Tipped back in a lounger outside & soaked up some sun while being serenaded by the beautiful chortling sounds of a couple Curve Bill Thrashers. They have the sweetest song.

I sometimes get myself in a knot about same old-same old boring daily routines. Tonight let me flip that coin over & see what’s on the other side. Seems the older I get the more routiner I become, & that’s not such a bad thing I guess. It is some of those daily routines that are the glue holding things together in a passively relaxing manner for me most days. To be aware of that I have only to have one of those daily routines interrupted. Sets me into a tizzy, brings out the grump factor, & gives me cause to pause & consider what just messed up my day. The strongest daily routines generally occur in the morning from the time we get up to just after breakfast somewhere. Mess with that daily morning routine & one messes with life itself. Those routines are the foundations of the day. Alter them in any way & the day could get shaky. Miss any one of them & the day can easily take a mental mis-step. Second to morning routines are evening routines. Much the same of course but maybe not quite as stringent. Morning & evening routines I understand & go along with. It’s the routines between the routines that I have trouble with. But I’ve already blustered on about those types of routines enough in previous posts so don’t figure we all need to hear that groaning again. There, that routinely ends another paragraph.

Gaelyn from GEOGYPSY dropped around this afternoon. Hadn’t seen Gaelyn since last winter. She spends her time as a Ranger at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim during the summer & part of her winter down here in Yarnell. In just a few days she heads off to South Africa for 3 months. Here’s a Gal who knows how to keep herself relaxingly busy.

Janna & Mike from TIN TEEPEE/LOG CABIN blew into Congress Thursday afternoon & tonight we met them over at Pat & Mike McFalls. Pat invited us as well as friends Jerry & Caryl over for Pizza & Happy Hour at 4. Last time we saw Janna & Mike was in 2011 while we did a security stint on a piece of property near Elfrida Arizona for a couple months. First time we met them was in the Kofa Mountains back in 2010 I think. Nice to see these two likeable people again & they will be dropping by our place sometime this week-end. Janna & Mike are Montana Ranchers. And it’s always good to see PAT & MIKE as well. That Mike character is quite a humorous story teller:)) Jerry & Caryl are actually neighbors of ours up the other end of Ghost Town Road.

Afraid I was a little lax in taking any photos of our get together this afternoon. Just didn’t think of it until we were leaving & all’s I got was one poor quality photo with my point & shoot Canon as folks were leaving. Could it be I’m slipping a bit………………

FROM L TO R – MIKE, CARYL, MIKE & JANNA

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Did you know we all get heavier as we get older because there's a lot more information in our heads. And, something else I’ve discovered…………
I like long walks, especially when they are taken
by people who annoy me. Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old
to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing
home at $4,000 per month. And did you know middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

- I sure hope I don't live long enough to get old....AL.

Thursday, January 09, 2014

NOT OFTEN WE HAVE COMPANY BUT BY GOLLY TODAY DOUG, DOLLY, & LITTLE FERGIE DROPPED IN FROM ILLINOIS:))

I was a bit frumped when I saw the early morning cloud cover but as so often happens here the sun prevailed & the day’s cloud cover remained very light. In other words…another fine Arizona day.

KELLY’S BREAKFAST OF GRAINS ON THE LEFT & MY BIG BOWL OF OATMEAL ON THE RIGHT…NO WONDER THERE IS OVER A HUNDRED POUND DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US

Figured with the potential feathered fury building in our back yard we had better get some birdseed first thing right quick this morning. Kelly slipped over to the Congress Depot & picked up a couple large bags of seed while I tried to hold the birds off with my hat. Managed to get the feeders filled & back out on the tree just in time to avert a major Avian disaster for sure.

<<< WE PUT US UP A HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER A COUPLE DAYS AGO & SO FAR WE’VE HAD ONE HUMMER:))

Had an email a few days back from an RV couple on their way from Illinois to Quartzsite. They were in the Cottonwood area & would be rolling on right through our neighborhood today. And that is how we met ourselves a couple of very fine folks this afternoon. Doug, Dolly, & their little dog Fergie rolled around 2. Traveling in a Class C towing a Jeep Wrangler Doug & Dolly are new to RVing & this is their first major trip. Doug is so excited to finally be here in the South-West. He has been a blog reader of the Bayfield Bunch & RV SUE for quite awhile now. A nice down to earth couple like our friends JEAN & SKIP. I could tell Doug & I have a lot in common & this is a couple I felt comfortable with today. We may see Doug, Dolly, & Fergie again on their way back to Illinois. And Doug, you have a fine start to your new blog. Let me know when I can add you to my side bar:))

DOLLY & FERGIE DOUG & HIS NEW HAT

In our conversation this afternoon Doug made mention he was never a hat person until finally finding himself a hat a few days ago in Cottonwood Az that he really liked. I could certainly relate to that & it reminded me of something I wrote back in September of 2011 regarding my dislike of hats as well. Here then is that updated paragraph:

I never was a hat guy. Made it through about 62 years without having to stick any silly looking hats on my head. But, that all changed when we began RVing!! I am one of those fellows lucky or unlucky enough to have a full head of hair and it has a tendency to be curly, unmanageable and unruly. When I wake up every morning it looks like a big Mac truck run over my head in the night. Remember Kramer from Seinfeld, ya, now you get the picture. In humid weather my hair can frizzily stand up making me look like I stuck my finger in a light socket. There is no known man made device in the world that can straighten out my hair in the morning except an abundance of water and shampoo. And Mousse which I stopped using a decade ago. You can see why I have a daily morning shower routine. Now, as any self respecting RV boon docker knows it is not always possible to have a full blown shower every morning due to water conservation aboard the rig. It is here where a desperately head covering chapeau rides to my rescue. I can chose to forego the shower and step out of the rig looking the way I do and scare the hell out of all wildlife around or I can festoon myself with some kind of hat cloaking device and keep the top of my head humanely hidden. Well, no choice there so I have to be hatted. If you meet me when we're traveling I will likely be adorned with either a baseball or Cowboy hat and if you meet me around Bayfield anytime in the summer it may just be the top of my head el natural:)) But I have noticed the last few years I am even now wearing hats at home in Bayfield. I much prefer a Cowboy hat to the standard issue ‘everybody where's em baseball cap’ but wearing a Cowboy hat in our area would attract undue attention & scramble the boys in white suits to come pick me up. Maybe the answer is to remove all my troublesome fly away hair, grab myself a Lollipop & pass myself off as Kojak. Y’all remember Telly Savalas as Kojak right??

PHEEBS MANAGED TO GET HERSELF IN EVERY PHOTO:))

And while I’m at it let me tell you a little bit about blue jeans & Cowboy boots. Like a lot of fellers my age I grew myself up in blue jeans and for many years never deviated too far from that track. But, somewhere in the 80’s I seemed to have slipped out of my blue jeans into other things like dark green work pants, large pocketed tank pants and fat guy's track pant ensembles. And, in the cold Canadian winters I mainly wore some kind of lined pants because I never did care for blue jeans in frigid weather. That denim material is just way too cold for me. Sure, back in the teenage days we all wore those jeans regardless of how cold it was. The first priority then was looking cool and the last priority or care in the world was freezing to death!! At some point in the last couple years I seem to have shifted back to wearing blue jeans again. Don't know exactly when that took place but it dawned on me awhile back while doing laundry one morning. Went through a Cowboy boots faze back in the late 60's for awhile too but they were too hard on my feet. Took me a lot of time and pain before I was finally forced from my 'cool' Cowboy boots to the much more comfortable footwear of running shoes. Took a liking to Rockports. Never was a sandals and shorts guy…..but that’s another story.

Kelly has writer’s cramp tonight from writing down all the suggestions from readers on what to look for & buy at TRADER JOES. Lots of great suggestions & thanks everybody for your responses. One of the most intriguing for me was Cookie Butter. What’s Cookie Butter you ask? Suggest you slip on back to Wednesday night’s comment section on my blog & see what RETIRED ROD posted about Cookie Butter:))

NOW DON’T WE JUST LOOK LIKE A COUPLE OF BROTHERS WITH OUR HATS & BEARDS & ALL >>>

I’m glad this fella’s post was brought to my attention this morning because I think it is important info for fellow RV’ers using the Picasa photo editing program on limited bandwidth. I’m going to send you over to RICK'S BLOG & he will tell you about a problem for bandwidth users with Picasa’s latest update feature. Do not upload Picasa’s Google+ driven update until you have read his post. For you tekky types out there you might want to keep an eye on Rick’s posts. He’s up on all that stuff.

A BIG WAVE & OFF THE ILLINOIS FOLKS GO HEADED FOR NEW & EXCITING ADVENTURES IN THE WILD WOOLY WEST

Y’ALL COME BACK NOW YA HERE:))

And in response to a Shout Box question…..yes we feel so sorry for Dally as well. She is so starved for attention. There are people living in the house where she is but we have never seen them & it is obvious they pay no attention to Dally. I think they are away all day. She sleeps outside at night & spends her days alone in a fenced yard. We think she is about 2 years old & we can tell she loves people. Problem is she is so happy for any attention she just goes bonkers & jumps up. She can’t contain her happiness. We’ve gone in the yard a couple times but she overwhelms us with her playfulness. And she loves Pheebs so much she overwhelms Pheebs as well. She just needs some true affection, attention, & love. She needs someone with the patience to calm her down a bit & train her. We know a little bit about Dally’s owners & the situation there & I’ll bet they would be glad to give her away……………..

SHE’S A SWEET GIRL THAT JUST NEEDS A KIND & CARING HOME

GROANER’S CORNER:(( When does a person decide to become an accountant? When he realizes he doesn't have the charisma to succeed as an undertaker & why do we sometimes write 'etc' at the end of a sentence? Because it means...
E-End of
T-thinking
C-capacity.

- I sure hope I don't live long enough to get old....AL.