FLORIDA JEAN BATTLED HURRICANE IRMA WITH TWO MOPS AND A BUCKET

It was about 8 p.m. when Aunt Jean called from Florida Monday night to tell us she was doing fine.  Aside from a lot of small debris constantly hitting the side of her condo her only concern was the water seeping in under the front door pushed there by relentless wind gusts.  With two mops and a bucket she was able to keep that water seepage under control.  Other than that she said everything went well and she was even able to fall asleep around 3.a.m despite the winds howling at her door.  It was so good to hear her voice on the phone last night.  Jean asked me to thank all the readers who expressed concern for her and her safety. 

 

Kelly’s sister and husband had a large awning ripped off the front of their mobile home in Clearwater while they stayed with their son in a stronger house not too far away.  Last we heard they still didn’t have power there.  Seems to be some damage to neighbor Monica’s carport in Frost Proof but she doesn’t know the extent of it.  And it looks like Cherie and Chris’s boat survived hurricane Irma down there in the Florida Keys at Marathon.  A big relief for them.  Technomadia

AND YES THAT IS PHEEB’S VERY OWN COUCH

If you really like Hummingbirds you will really love this You Tube….. Slow Motion Hummingbirds.  And I liked Desert USA's latest edition with two articles about places Kelly and I have been to many times.  A Night on Ghost Mountain of course was particularly interesting to me since we have hiked up there a number of times.  Type ‘Marshal South’ into ‘Search’ on our sidebar for all my posts over the years about Ghost Mountain.  And The Night They Shot Mangas Coloradas takes place in a historical area we are very familiar with from our ranch sitting days near McNeal, Bisbee, and Tombstone Arizona.  Type Fort Bowie into our ‘Search’ bar.  Or Fort Rucker, Tombstone, Bisbee, Cochise Stronghold, John Slaughter Ranch, or, or, or….. We have soooooooo many great memories from that whole southeastern area of Arizona and I’ve posted about every one of them from early 2008 to early 2012.  You can find all my posts under ‘Archives’ on our side bar right underneath the ‘Search’ box.

Not too much going on around here today.  Pheebs and I did get out for a short drive but I was anxious to get back home and get the shingles off the second half of our shed roof before the sun got up over the pine trees and made the job too hot for me.  On our way home from Goderich we passed Kelly on her way to Goderich.  I did get the shingles off the second half of the shed roof but dammit I hurt my wrist again and had to go inside right away and ice it.  That’s probably going to put a hold on things for another couple days.  Very annoying!!

ON OUR WALK THIS AFTERNOON I NOTICED GATHERINGS OF MUSHROOMS ON THE FOREST FLOOR

I WAS  HOPING THESE LITTLE FELLOWS WERE TRULY SPACE ALIENS COME TO EARTH TO RID THE WORLD OF ALL IT’S HUMAN EVILS

It will soon be time to begin my annual frog round-up.  Our front yard pond is not deep enough for frogs to survive the winter so each year I have to catch the little green fellers and transport them over to our Park’s big pond where they can get down deep into the mud.  I’m thinking there may only be half a dozen frogs in our pond this year and that number is way down from years ago when I had dozens of them to catch with my net.  Maybe I will begin that round-up tomorrow.

OUR PARK’S POND

Still no movement on this winter’s travel plans yet.  Unlike other years we somehow seem to have a kind of shadow hanging over us.  I don’t know if it’s a cloak we have pulled over ourselves or what.  Maybe things will kick into gear in a few weeks or maybe next month at this time.  Or maybe I’ll be out shopping for a new winter coat with a parka and a pair of size 10 fleece lined snow boots:((

GROANER’S CORNER:((   I was in a couple’s home trying to fix their Internet connection. The husband called out to his wife in the other room for the computer password. “Start with a capital S, then 123,” she shouted back.  We tried S123 several times, but it didn’t work. So we called the wife in. As she input the password, she muttered, “I really don’t know what’s so difficult about typing Start123.”

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A man dies and goes to Heaven. He gets to meet GOD and asks GOD if he can ask him a few questions.  "Sure," GOD says, "Go right ahead".
"OK," the man says. "Why did you make women so pretty?"   GOD says, "So you would like them."
"OK," the guy says. "But how come you made them so beautiful?"   "So you would LOVE them", GOD replies.   The man ponders a moment and then asks, "But why did you make them such airheads?"   GOD says, "So they would love you!"

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Knock Knock!
Who's there?
Halibut!
Halibut who?
Halibut going out for a drink.

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COLD NIGHT, WINDY MORNING AND CRUISING THROUGH TOMBSTONE ARIZONA

MORNING WALK

Okay so where the heck are we anyway??  Well let me see now……we’re in Arizona’s Cochise County with Sierra Vista 20 minutes to the west, Tombstone about 20 minutes northeast, Bisbee 20 minutes southeast and the Mexican border maybe 25 minutes due south.  All estimated times of course.

I’M THINKING THIS WASH HEADING FOR THE SAN PEDRO RIVER MAY HAVE IT’S ORIGIN IN THE DISTANT MULE MOUNTAIN RANGE IN THE BACKGROUND

A LOT OF PRICKLY MESQUITE TREES IN THIS AREA ALONG THE WASH

ONE HAS TO ALWAYS BE CAREFUL WALKING ON ANKLE TWISTING ROCKS

And where is it we’re parked??  At the moment we are parked at friends of ours who we met through the RV Net Forum way back in January 2009 when we came to this area for the very first time.  (here’s a link to one of the days Roy Rogers) Our friends names are Pat and Nancy who by the way are also RV boon-dockers who sometimes travel in their Casita travel trailer.  I wrote in one of my posts years ago about how because of the Bayfield Bunch these folks left California and came here to this area of Cochise County, bought a 10 acre piece of property and built a new house.  All solar powered I may add.  It’s a story of coincidences and I will try to find that post which will explain the series of events which landed these fine folks right here where we are parked for the next week or so.

NANCY AND PAT’S HOUSE ON THE LEFT AND US ON THE RIGHT

Now, why are we here??  Readers may remember Kelly’s brother Peter and wife Leslie coming to visit us in Congress during January for the past 3 years.  They are from Webster New York and Arizona has grown on them.  Wanting to return again this January they expressed an interest in seeing southeastern Arizona where Kelly and did some ranch sitting for a few years in our early travel days.   ‘Walla’ we’ve been wanting to return to this memorable area for the last few areas anyway so a plan quickly came together.  Peter and Leslie are flying into Phoenix Friday morning then with a rental car are coming down here to Sierra Vista where they will stay at the Fairfield Inn.

BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE RAIN HEADED OUR WAY WE MAY MOVE THE MOTORHOME HERE TO THIS OLD BUT FIRMER STRETCH OF ROAD ON PAT AND NANCY’S PROPERTY

We haven’t firmed up any plans on just where we will be going or what we will be seeing yet but along with Sierra Vista we’ll likely be driving up to Coronado Peak in the Huachucas and slipping down the other side along the Mexican border then north to Parker Lake.  Tombstone, Bisbee, and some of the true ghost towns like Fairfield, Gleeson and Pearce.  We’ll maybe do the Middle March road through the Dragoon Mountains, the Chiricahua Monument, and maybe Fort Bowie.  We hope to get up and over the Chiricahua Mountains and down the other side to Portal near the New Mexico State line.  Rucker Canyon, old Fort Rucker, and the Mary Kidder Rak homestead are on the agenda as well.  Might get over to the Whitewater Draw near McNeal too.

NANCY TOLD US A FEW YEARS AGO THE WASH BEHIND THEIR PLACE WAS POPULAR WITH ILLEGALS COMING ACROSS THE BORDER…..ON OUR WALK THIS MORNING WE FOUND EVIDENCE OF THAT

DISCARDED BACKPACKS, WATER BOTTLES, PIECES OF CLOTHING ETC.

IT IS ALARMING THE NUMBER OF BODIES FOUND EACH YEAR AND ALTHOUGH THIS AT FIRST LOOKED LIKE THAT IT WAS ONLY A BLUE JEAN JACKET

We arrived at Nancy and Pat’s place about mid afternoon Wednesday and for the moment we are parked near their house but with a good chance of a 2 day rain coming up on the week-end we may move a short distance away on their property where the ground is firmer with less chance of mud.  Desert mud in this area is like gumbo and sticks to shoes and paws like cement.  Because of our higher altitude now in southeastern Arizona (4200’) our night’s are much colder so we’re probably going to have to slip the rig into Sierra Vista to top up our propane tank.  By the way Nancy and Pat had us in Wednesday night for a delicious BBQ chicken dinner with a great cheese and onion laced scalloped potato dish:)) 

WITH RAIN IN THE FORECAST WE MAY RE-LOCATE A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY TO THIS OLD FIRMER ROAD BED

Generally after a travel day we like to have a relaxation day but neither one of us felt much like relaxing so with Pheebs anxious to get rolling we all piled into the Jeep and headed into Sierra Vista.  The traffic reminded a bit of Sarasota Florida but only maybe half as bad.  Wanting to know where Leslie and Peter would be staying we first located the Fairfield Inn.  Great location just steps from a handy indoor mall complete with movie theaters, eateries, Sears, Best Buy, Dilliards etc.  Appleby’s, Texas Roadhouse, and more.

Stopped into a place called Schlotzsky's for a sandwich then slipped over to the big Fry’s Supermarket for a few things.  Been a few years since we been in there and they must have changed the store around because I couldn’t seem to connect on one single memory of it.  The store looked different than what I remembered.  I really like the spot lighting they use to display their natural health food section.  Kelly picked up a few things while I walked around the store looking at all the really neat-o colors.

A COUPLE PIGEONS HANGING OUT IN FRYS PARKING LOT

Wanting to touch base with a few old memories we headed out the Charleston Road towards Tombstone reminiscing about our time boon-docking on a scenic slab of cement there for a week one time.  Great memories of our search for the old ghost towns of Charleston and Millville.  Our times in Tombstone as well.

WITH ALL THE SHOOTING GOING ON IN TOMBSTONE I DID A BUNCH OF DRIVE-BY SHOOTING MYSELF

We will be back here next week with Peter and Leslie.

SEEN ON THE STREETS OF TOMBSTONE ARIZONA TODAY LOOKING FOR A THRIFT STORE

NOT ALL OF TOMBSTONE’S OLDTIMERS ARE BURIED IN BOOT HILL

WHAT WOULD TOMBSTONE BE WITHOUT IT’S TOMBSTONES EH

From Tombstone we headed south down highway 80 to the junction of highway 90 and turned right for Sierra Vista.  Wasn’t long and we were back to Nancy and Pat’s place and that was it for our day’s outing.  Very windy here so we kinda hung out inside.  Things will begin to ramp up for us Friday and we should have us a busy week coming up.

LOOKING SOUTH TO NACO PEAK IN MEXICO TONIGHT

From our current location east of Sierra Vista we have a very much most beautiful view of the city by night. 

WAITING FOR DARKNESS TO DESCEND

SUNSET OVER THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS TONIGHT

LIGHTS OF SIERRA VISTA ARE SLOWLY BEGINNING TO TWINKLE ON AS THE PLANET VENUS HANGS BRIGHTLY IN THE EVENING SKY

PINPOINTS OF LIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE HUACHUCAS

THESE TIME EXPOSURES SHOW A LONG STRING OF WHITE CAR HEADLIGHTS DRIVING EAST OUT OF SIERRA VISTA ON HIGHWAY 90

GROANER’S CORNER:(( As migration approached, two elderly vultures doubted they could make the trip south, so they decided to go by airplane.  When they checked their baggage, the attendant noticed that they were carrying two dead raccoons. "Do you wish to check the raccoons through as luggage?" she asked.  "No, thanks," replied the vultures. "They're carrion."

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= I hate used car dealers. They can be so over sell us.

- What do you call an Arab bodybuilder?  A protein sheikh.

Wife texts husband on a cold winter morning: "Windows frozen, won't open."Husband texts back: "Gently pour some lukewarm water over it and then gently tap edges with hammer."  Wife texts back 10 minutes later: "Computer really messed up now."

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There was a barber who paid close attention at his parish whenever the topic of evangelization was discussed. He thought he should be doing more to share his faith with his customers.The next morning the barber told the Lord in prayer, “Today I’m going to witness to the first customer who walks through my door.”A man came in as he opened his shop and said, “I need a shave.” The barber said, “Yes sir! Just have a seat and I’ll be right with you.” The barber went in the back and prayed a quick prayer saying, “Lord, the first customer just came in and I’m going to witness to him. Give me the wisdom to know just the right thing to say. Amen.”Then the barber came out with his straight razor in one hand and a Bible in the other and told his customer, “I have a question for you: Are you read to meet your Maker?”