BOOTS & PAWS ON THE GROUND IN BAGDAD THIS MORNING

THIS IS MY 6:30 A.M. PHOTO OF THE PLANETS MERCURY ON THE LEFT & BRIGHTER VENUS ON THE RIGHT….I WILL HAVE PHOTOS OF THE OTHER 3 PLANETS VISIBLE EACH NIGHT IN TOMORROWS POST

With our day time temperatures on the rise our nights are becoming milder as well & Monday night with no wind it was comfortable enough for me to be outside with camera & tripod trying my luck with a few Star & Planet photos.  Thought to myself, ‘I really need to be out at night more & gain some experience at doing this type of photography’.  Have always enjoyed being under the stars but these past years I’ve sort of slipped into an unfortunate ‘in house’ routine. 

THIS MONDAY NIGHT PHOTO SHOWS THE BIG DIPPER TO THE LEFT OF CENTER & A SOFT GLOW FROM YARNELLS MOUNTAIN TOP LIGHTS

LOOKING TO THE SOUTHEAST THE LIGHTS OF WICKENBURG & POSSIBLY PHOENIX ARE PRESENT IN THE NIGHT SKY

LOOKING NORTH FROM OUR FRONT YARD….2 LARGE HILL SIDE WATER TANKS ON LEFT

LOOKING WEST CAN YOU SEE THE STRAIGHT LINE OF BLINKING LIGHTS FROM 2 F-16 FIGHTER JETS ON NIGHT MANOUVERS….LEFT SIDE

LOOKING NORTH I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO CATCH ONE OF THE F-16’S DROPPING A YELLOW FLARE (CENTER BOTTOM) & YOU CAN SEE A FAINT LIGHT TRAIL TO THE RIGHT OF THE FLARE SHOWING THE JET MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN

Pheebs & I hadn’t been out for a couple days so it was into the Jeep & off we went this morning.  Thought I’d slip out just north of Congress & check out the road to Hillside again.  It is usually very washboardy at it’s south end but noticed this morning it had been graded not long ago so off we went on the Hillside Road heading Northwest up a long valley with the Date Creek Mountains running along on the south side of us & the Weaver Mountains on the north side.  It was 21 miles to the dusty little tumble down town of Hillside & we were in no hurry.

IT’S A ROUGH & TUMBLE LANDSCAPE ALONG SOME SECTIONS OF THE HILLSIDE ROAD

THIS FELLOW EVEN HAS A COW BELL ON

HILLSIDE IS JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT MOUNTAIN RANGE

THE VALLEY FLOOR

How nice to roll along in the morning’s warming air with our windows down & how nice to see some different scenery again.  We had been up this road a couple times before a few years ago & I did remember a few areas but for the most part it was like I was seeing all this beautiful scenery all over again for the first time.  Mountains to the left of us, mountains to the right of us & more mountains straight ahead.  On the valley floor prickly pear cactus spread up & over the hillsides interspersed with tall Saguaros climbing over miles of seemingly unending rough terrain.  Huge boulders strewn with reckless abandon sometimes thrown together in piles reaching hundreds of feet in the air.  If there’s a hundred large boulders in this valley there is a million.

LIKED THIS LITTLE GREEN VALLEY BELOW

THIS PARTICULAR SECTION OF THE VALLEY FLOOR WAS COVERED IN VOLCANIC TYPE LAVA ROCKS & BOULDERS

HILLS ARE BECOMING GREENER & GREENER

The further along Hillside Road we went the more the road improved & by the time we rolled into Hillside we were on a fairly smooth but very dusty surface.  Hillside is one of the those typical old western towns with it’s heyday long behind it.  Anyone living there has a fair distance to travel for groceries & supplies but like so many other little western towns we have seen over the years people living there have adapted well to their harsh surroundings & I suspect most of them are quite happy to be living far from the maddening crowds.

HOUSE HIGH ON A ROCKY HILL IN HILLSIDE ARIZONA

THE LONG AGO CLOSED HILLSIDE GENERAL STORE

SAW THEM SWITCHING OUT THIS PURPLE TRUCK CAB FOR A WHITE TRUCK IN HILLSIDE….I WAS TEMPTED TO FOLLOW THIS GUY TO SEE HOW IN THE HECK HE WAS GOING TO GET THAT LONG HALF SECTION OF HOUSE AROUND THE CURVES AHEAD

A mile north of Hillside we reached highway 96 which runs from Kirkland Junction through the McCloud Mountains to highway 93 connecting Phoenix with Las Vegas.  With a food destination in mind we turned left & headed 23 miles for the wee mining town of Bagdad Arizona just a few miles off highway 96.  We had driven this same beautifully scenic road a couple years ago & I so enjoyed driving it again this morning.  This finely paved highway with next to no traffic steadily descends & winds it’s way around enough tight curves to make this drive pleasurably exciting.  Love these kinds of mountain roads.  And then there’s the long sweeping vistas where one can see for miles into the greening canyons all the way up to the towering mountain tops.  Twenty one miles of WOWS:))

LOOKING FIRST NORTH THEN SOUTH ALONG THE SANTA MARIA RIVER

Having been in Bagdad Arizona before I knew right where we were heading.  Bashas Supermarket.  Bagdad’s main street is about 3 blocks long with Bashas right about in the middle.  We had been there before so I knew there was a food section to the right soon as I went in the door.  Knew they had tasty breaded chicken (Col. Sanders style) so grabbed me a couple pieces along with a coffee to go & I was right back out to the parking lot where my furry little navigator was anxiously waiting.  With windows down & a warm breeze blowing through the Jeep we weren’t long in wolfing down our lunch in the warm Arizona sunshine.  Nice:))

BAGDAD ARIZONA IS THE SITE OF THE HUGE BAGDAD COPPER MINE

DOWNTOWN BAGDAD & THAT WHITE BUILDING TOP LEFT IS BASHAS….ONE OF MANY TRUCKS HEADS FOR PHOENIX WITH A LOAD FROM THE MINE

LUNCH TIME FOR US GUYS:))

NOW THAT IS CONCENTRATION

THOUGHT ABOUT GOING TO THIS DINER BESIDE BASHAS BUT IT WAS BUSY & I KNEW WE COULD SAVE A FEW BUCKS BY EATING AT BASHAS

From Bashas we took a little 4 minute tour around the downtown area before heading out towards the humungus Coppermine area to see what we could see.  Road ended at the mine complex so we doubled back & took another road up to the Bagdad Airport.  Nice views from this higher elevation & noticed the airport was locked in behind tall wire fences.  It was exactly high noon when I took a picture of the airport sign & from this spot we began our homeward trek to Congress 50 miles to the south.

THIS HIGHWAY RUNNING NORTHEAST OUT OF BAGDAD ENDED DOWN THERE AT THE MINE ENTRANCE

THE HUGE OPEN PIT COPPERMINE CAN BE SEEN IN THE DISTANCE

HEADING FOR HIGHWAY 93 ALONG HIGHWAY 97

BIG TRUCK HEADING BACK TO THE BAGDAD MINE FOR ANOTHER LOAD

YEP THAT THERE’S MY VERY MUCH MOST BESTEST PAL OF EVER ALRIGHT

We weren’t long in reaching highway 93 or should I say the racetrack between Phoenix & Las Vegas.  I have written about this stretch of highway before & the maniac drivers who use it.  As expected today was no exception & it didn’t take long before the Porsches, Audis, BMW’s, & Mercedes Benz cars were screaming by with their wired & whacked out frenzied Mad Max drivers behind the wheel.  I was sure glad to get off that race track onto highway 71 heading a short 7 miles into Congress.  Don’t think I even saw another car the rest of the way home.

JOSHUA TREES ALONG HIGHWAY 93 NORTHWEST OF CONGRESS

It was just a few weeks ago one of the F-16 fighter jets often high over our house most days crashed about 5 miles Southwest of Bagdad where we were today. Pilot was killed.  F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes Near Bagdad Arizona

THE CONSTELLATION PERSEUS IS STRAIGHT OVERHEAD NOW

MY NIGHT TIME CAMERA & TRIPOD SET-UP

Have to say again how so totally nice our weather has finally become.  So warm now I didn’t even have to turn turn on my bathrooms ceramic heater for my shower this morning.  Don’t think we’ve had a heater running anywhere in the house for a couple days now.  Nice, nice, nice:)))))))))

TONIGHT’S CRESCENT MOON FROM OUR BACK YARD TONIGHT

GROANER’S CORNER:((  One day, a little girl is sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly notices that her mother has several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. She looks at her mother and inquisitively asks,  "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?" Her mother replied,
"Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."  The little girl thought about this revelation for a while, and then said,  "So, Momma, how come ALL of Grandma's hairs are white?"

A TIRE FIXED, A NEW CACTUS, AND OUR FIRST WARM AIR DAY IN A LOOOOONG TIME

GILA WOODPECKER ON ONE OF OUR FRONT YARD SAGUAROS

How nice each morning to step out our front door & actually see 5 Planets in the pre-dawn sky.  From East to West it’s Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars, & Jupiter.  Venus is the bright one low to the horizon in the Southeast with Mercury below & to the left.  Saturn is left of the large constellation Scorpios while Mars in is to the right of Scorpios in the constellation Libra with Jupiter the other bright Planet further off to the West.

I headed off to Wickenburg first thing this morning.  Notice I said I & not we.  Had to leave the little Pheebers at home because I was headed for the Wickenburg Tire garage.  Been noticing a slow leak in the Jeeps passenger side rear tire so wanted to get that looked at.  I recall a slow leak in one of the rear tires last summer but can’t remember which side it was.  Could be the same one.  I was pleased with the quick service at Wickenburg Tire & I was in & out of there in about 20 minutes.  It’s a ‘first come-first serve’ type garage.  In that 20 minutes they found the valve stem had a slow leak so replaced the valve.  I also had the tires rotated while there too & all tire pressures checked.  Fifteen dollars for the valve stem replacement & fifteen dollars for the tire rotation.  Thought that reasonable.  We will definitely be doing further business there & plan to take the Big EEE in for a tire check before we begin our long haul back to Canada next month.  Wickenburg Tire is for us conveniently located on Tegner Street very close to the round-about at highway 93 & Tegner.

  

We know it’s our kind of weather when we can begin leaving our windows & doors open all day long again & the last couple days that is just what we have been doing.  About time too after this long cold winter here in the Southwest.  Today was the first day our air was actually warm even with a slight breeze blowing.  Sure hoping our cold weather is behind us now.  Of course night’s are still cold but that’s the way it is in the desert.  Starting today our long range forecast is calling for sunny 80 degree temps each & every day. 

THIS IS THE WEST END OF A GILA WOODPECKER TRAVELING EAST THROUGH A PRICKLY OCOTILLO PLANT

Spent the majority of my day sitting quietly outside reading while soaking up & thoroughly enjoying our beautiful weather.  Finished my book by American fighter pilot Arthur Donahue called ‘Spitfire’ & am now well into The Last Enemy which is another autobiography by an RAF Spitfire pilot during the Battle of Britain. 

ANOTHER NEW ARM GROWING ON ONE OF OUR SAGUAROS 

IT’S NOT OFTEN WE GET A FLICKER AT OUR FEEDER & NOT SURE IF THIS A NORTHERN OR A GILDED

 

‘SARGE’ BROUGHT US OVER A NEW CACTUS THIS AFTERNOON SO I WASN’T LONG IN GETTING IT INTO THE GROUND

GROANER’S CORNER:((   An elderly husband and wife noticed that they were beginning to forget many little things around the house. They were afraid that this could be dangerous, as one of them may accidentally forget to turn off the stove and thus cause a fire. So, they decided to go see their doctor to get some help. Their physician told them that many people their age find it useful to write themselves little notes as reminders. The elderly couple thought this sounded wonderful, and left the doctor's office very pleased with the advice.  When they got home, the wife said, "Honey, will you please go to the kitchen and get me a dish of ice cream? And why don't you write that down so you won't forget?"  "Nonsense," said the husband, "I can remember a dish of ice cream!"  "Well," said the wife, "I'd also like some strawberries on it. You better write that down, because I know you'll forget."  "Don't be silly," replied the husband. "A dish of ice cream and some strawberries. I can remember that!"  "OK, dear, but I'd like you to put some whipped cream on top. Now you'd really better write it down now. You'll forget," said the wife.  "Come now, my memory's not all that bad," said the husband. "No problem, a dish of ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream."  With that, the husband shut the kitchen door behind him. The wife could hear him getting out pots and pans, and making some noise inconsistent with his preparing a dish of ice cream, strawberries, and whipped cream. He emerged from the kitchen about 15 minutes later.  Walking over to his wife, he presented her with a plate of bacon and eggs. The wife took one look at the plate, glanced up at her husband and said, "Hey, where's the toast?"

PLODDING ALONG ON THE OLD STAGE COACH TRAIL

It’s those in between days I have the most difficulty with.  You know the ones where you can’t decided what you want to do for the day.  I didn’t want to sit around the house yet I didn’t feel like going anywhere.  For a few hours I was stuck in limbo between a ‘didn’t want’ & ‘didn’t feel like’ before Pheebers finally convinced me in no uncertain terms to take her for a Jeep ride.

NICE TO SEE THE HILLSIDES GREENING UP

PHEEBS CHECKS OUT A DRY CREEK BED AS WE CROSS IT

Well where to go I thought as we drove out the gate & headed down Ghost Town Road.  It was a beautiful sunny warm Sunday morning with birds singing in the trees & some nice tunes on the radio.  Figured we’d just keep it simple & head ourselves on over to the old gold mining town of Stanton & pick up Stage Coach Road heading north up into the Weaver Mountains.  Always a nice scenic drive up that way so that’s what we did.

I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE A BIT OF SNOW LEFT AT THE HIGHER ALTITUDES

We motored along at a slow plodding pace probably not much faster than an old stage coach of yesteryear would have been traveling as it bumpily made it’s way over the once rutted & stony trail.  I wondered if the stage driver & his passengers at this time of year had noticed the surrounding hills greening up as I did this morning. 

About two thirds of the way up through rugged hills & short steep canyons is a small flat area with a few old Cowboy corrals still occasionally in operation judging from the cow paddies on the ground.  We generally always stop here for a leg stretch either on the way up or the way down Stage Coach Road.  Had to throw on a jacket to cut the higher altitude’s cool breeze.  Beautiful views all around with the morning’s silence broken only by the occasional moooing of cows somewhere off in the prickly Mesquite nearby. 

From the Cowboy Corral we probably climbed another five or six hundred feet up the last & roughest section of the winding road.  In some places this sometimes rock strewn stretch is narrow enough for only one vehicle.  With jagged rocks on one side & a nasty drop off on the other side a feller has to keep an eye on where’s he’s going.  A couple blind hair pin curves can make for an interesting confrontation with any approaching vehicles nosing around from the other side.  It’s no place to be in a hurry & for sure we were in no hurry this morning.  Don’t think we’ve ever met another vehicle on this section of road going the other way anyway.

Minutes later we were in Yarnell & after a quick cruise through the little town we found ourselves heading our way back on down the big Yarnell Hill on highway 89.  Noticed the guard rail is already fixed where the big 18 wheeler’s trailer had crushed it a week or so ago.  For anyone familiar with the Yarnell Hill the scene of that accident was at that sharp curve where the white Elephant is painted on the rock.

A LONG FREIGHT TRAIN PULLING ABOUT 60 TRAIN CARS SNAKES IT’S WAY UP OUT OF CONGRESS & BEGINS IT’S SLOW CLIMB NORTH THROUGH THE DATE CREEK MOUNTAINS……5 DIESEL ENGINES ARE AT THE RIGHT

Five minutes later we were home & that was about it for our day.  Sat outside later in short sleeves soaking up the Sun’s warmth reading my Kindle while tipped back in my chair listening to the sweet sounds of our backyard birds.  It’s quite a life we seem to have sometimes………….:))

PHEEBS SHOWS KELLY WHAT SHE DOES COMING DOWN THE YARNELL HILL IN DAD’S JEEP

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Two elderly Wal-Mart greeters were sitting on a bench at the entry way when one turns to the other and says, "Slim, I'm 73 years old now and I'm just full of aches and pains. I know you're about my age. How do you feel?'  Slim says, "I feel just like a new-born baby."  Really, Like a new-born baby?"  Yep. No hair, no teeth and I think I just wet my pants again."