DODGE CITY KANSAS TO RATON NEW MEXICO & AWWWWW NUTS WE BLEW A REAR TIRE!!!!!

THE ROCKIES AS SEEN WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY 300mm LENS…TAKEN FROM TRINIDAD’S WALMART PARKING LOT IN COLORADO
 
COLORADO TOWN OF TRINIDAD & THE ACTUAL DISTANCE AWAY OF THE MOUNTAINS
Our day was rolling along just fine until we blew a rear driver’s side outer dually Michelin tire.  We both heard a short escape of air sound but there was no change in the handling of the rig.  I even thought the ‘pssssshhhh’ sound might have come out of the stereo.  We were on a paved 2 lane highway with no shoulders.  As it was we had been looking for a place to pull off for Pheebs to have a run anyway.  Spotted an old derelict building ahead with enough room to pull across the highway & in.  Good thing we did.  Stepping out of the rig we saw right away the outside driver’s side tire appeared down.  On closer inspection I saw a big slit in the sidewall so knew the tire was totally ruined.  And it was hot!!  We assessed the situation & decided it was safer to stay where we were & call our COACHNET for roadside service.  This was the first time we have ever had a flat RV tire & the first time we have ever had to call for roadside service involving any of our rigs.

 
Kelly spoke with the Coachnet folks & gave them our location.  Our Garmin GPS told us were 26 miles northeast of Trinidad Colorado on highway 350.  Just south of a place called called Thatcher.  Knew it would probably be a couple hours before things got organized & the tire service place would reach us.  Spent that time removing a bunch of stuff from our rear storage area so I could get in & unbolt the spare tire.  Happy to see it was a brand spanking new Michelin tire same as what is on the rig.  Also took the time to check the generator oil & the Winnie Wagon’s oil as well.  Just a wee smash of oil for them both.  Also sat down & started on tonight’s post while waiting for the tire service fella to show up.

 
ADOBE WALLS & TIN CEILING
 
THIS OLD BUILDING WE WERE BESIDE WITH IT’S ORIGINAL ADOBE WALLS WAS PROBABLY BUILT IN THE 1800’S & MAY HAVE BEEN A STAGE STOP ON THE SANTA FE TRAIL
Aside from our new toaster setting off the smoke alarm this morning we had another quiet start to the day.  Oh,  there was the guy who cruised by with a noisy muffler heading into the Casino.  Got money for one arm bandits but not enough money to put a new muffler on his car.  Priorities eh!!

THAT’S US UNDER THE BOOT HILL CASINO PARKING LOT LIGHT JUST BEFORE PULLING OUT
We got out of Dodge around 6 a.m. & headed west on highway 50 in the direction of Garden City & points beyond.  Our casual destination was Trinidad Colorado.  Watched another Kansas sunrise filling my driver’s side mirror.  Big orange ball of fire lighting up our way ahead.  My eyes were on the horizon when just west of Holly Colorado I caught the faintest dark object in the distant haze low on the horizon.  Mountains??  Maybe:))

EVER SO FAINT BUT THERE ARE MOUNTAINS IN THEM THAR HILLS

Past couple of days we have been following the Santa Fe trail.  I think we may have picked it up around Dodge City somewhere.  How great it was today when there we were heading west on the Santa Fe trail while on our rig’s Ipod playing through the rigs stereo the Sons Of The Pioneers were singing one of my favorite songs, ‘Along The Santa Fe Trail’.  For me that was special happening today.


‘ALONG THE SANTA FE TRAIL’

MORE PHOTOS FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT TODAY
At the town of La Junta Colorado we picked up highway 350 which headed us south.  Coming out La Junta’s southern end I spotted snow capped mountains right away far to the west.  No wondering this time, those mountains were the Rockies.  I would say in all travels west this was the best first mountain sighting I can remember & it was the snow that made such a striking impression.  Rolling through Colorado’s Comanche Grasslands on 350 we were reminded of the rolling hills & trees around Hillsboro & Chloride New Mexico.  Felt we were truly back in the West again.  Flat top mesas, distant plateaus, Aspens & Cottonwoods in their blazing Autumn colors, scrub Pines & Junipers.  What a beautiful land this is.   And then………………’pssssshhhh’!!!!!!!!!!

Our tire service guy arrived & got himself right to work on our flat tire.  Mexican fella with lots of Tattoos & a big friendly smile.  Took him about 20 minutes to wrestle Winnie’s flat tire off & Winnie’s new tire on.  And there right in the middle of the flat tires tread was a Phillips screw imbedded in the rubber.  The rip in the side wall was opposite of where the screw was imbedded.  He said we were lucky we found a spot to pull off before the tire shredded & caused damage.  Also before the other dually, overburdened, also blew.  The thing I take away from this experience is that if one dually goes flat you don’t even know it until it’s too late.  Had we not heard the ‘pssssshhhh’ we would not have suspected a thing.  

  

 

OF COURSE EVERYTHING I TOOK OUT OF THE WINNIE WAGON I HAD TO PUT BACK IN AGAIN INCLUDING THE FLAT TIRE & RIM
Tire fixed we headed 26 miles into Trinidad, hopped I-25, & slipped off exit 11 at Walmart to buy some bug spray & make a decision.  We were at the top end of the Raton Pass & it was 3 p.m.  Our Mountain Directory said we had some 6% downgrades in front of us.  Did we want to spend the night at Walmart & do the downgrade in the morning or did we want to do it this afternoon.  We are always up & on the road early so we did not want to miss the scenery heading down the mountain in the dark.  Decided to keep on & enjoy Colorado’s afternoon colors.  Off we went.  Despite some scary comments we had read about the Pass we did not find it much of a challenge at all & I was surprised at how the Ford geared itself down in the grades.  With the Damon I had to do that manually pulling the gearshift down into lower gears as grades steepened.  Compared to Arizona’s Mingus Mountain, Borrego Spring’s Montezuma Grade, & the Yarnell Hill, the Raton Pass was a Pussycat.

Decided to pick up some gas in Raton.  Spied a K-Mart & figured we would spend the night there but it turned out to be too scruffy & not a level spot to be seen.  Kelly spotted a KOA across the road.  We don’t normally do RV Parks & speciously not expensive KOA’s but we were tired, it was getting late, & they had electricity & water.  And cable TV.  And nice to grab a hot shower.  And so that is where we are tonight.  In a KOA in Raton Colorado.  Tomorrow we will enjoy the scenery all the way down I-25 to maybe Albuquerque.  After all, scenery is what it’s all about for us……………………

YIKES, NOW THAT IS TOTALLY WAY TO CROWDED FOR US
GROANER’S CORNER:((  Here's a short one for all you texter's out there........Can you read the following?
YY U R YY U B I C U R YY 4 ME
Too wise you are, too wise you be, I see you are too wise for me.
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- 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.

WHY I LIKE BLOGGERS, BLOGGING AND BLOG LAND:))

MANAGED TO CATCH ME A SMALL RAINBOW THIS MORNING

Another cold wet rainy day here in south-western Ontario.  Figured I had better get myself out of the house and catch me a little fresh air.  My travels took me up and around the Goderich harbour and down along wind tossed Lake Huron.  Only camera I had with me was my point and shoot Canon Powershot SX210IS so all of tonight’s photos are with that camera.

THE OCEAN GOING CARGO SHIP STEFANIA 1 WAS IN HARBOUR THIS MORNING PICKING UP A LOAD OF EITHER GRAIN, BEANS OR CORN

 

GODERICH’S SIFTO SALT MINE IS SEEN ACROSS THE HARBOUR

JEAN AND SKIP are currently in Cottonwood Arizona and yesterday toured the historic mining town of Jerome Arizona built on the side of Mingus Mountain.  We accidentally first encountered Jerome in November of 2007 after an unplanned harrowing trip over Mingus Mountain.  I was driving the Motor Home that day with Max, Checkers and the Motormouse on board with Kelly following in the Santa Fe.  If I thought getting over Mingus Mountain was scary....I had no idea what was ahead of me in the narrow twisting streets of Jerome!!  For my post that day click here.... FROM BEDROCK TO DEADHORSE
 

TRUCKS WAITING TO DROP OFF THEIR LOADS OF GRAIN AT THE GODERICH GRAIN ELEVATORS…BLACK PUFF OF SMOKE LOWER RIGHT CAME OUT OF A STACK ON THE STEFANIA 1’s STERN 

A TRUCK TIPS IT’S LOAD INTO THE AUGERS OF THE LARGE GRAIN ELEVATORS WITH THE STERN OF THE STEFANIA 1 JUST AHEAD

STU AND DONNA travel fully prepared for flat tires and it was a flat tire on their fiver along I-40 near Knoxville that had them donning safety vests, putting out traffic cones and hauling out the impact wrench, jack and spare tire.  And, was there damage to the rig?  Yes there was.

I always find my fellow Blogger's posts about their views on blogging interesting.  How they got started, what they like or dislike about blogging.  What motivates them to write a post every day or every once and awhile.  Where do ideas come from and how are ideas formulated.  I'm always interested in the mechanics of how people put their posts together as well.  Are they using Live Writer, Blogger, or a different writing platform.   What photo editing programs are being used and how are they used in relation to a Blogger's post.  Some blogs are records of daily activities, some are more travel oriented, some opinionated, some occasionally humorous and some occasionally sad.  I find the whole world of blogging very interesting.  I thought Donna’s TRAVELS IN THERAPY post this morning was a fine example of how the freely sharing of information between Bloggers can be so very helpful.

 
A blog may be technically helpful or thought provoking on a philosophical level.  It is the wide diversity of topics I enjoy here in Blog Land.  And, for the most part it is the respect here in Blog Land that most Bloggers have for one another that I appreciate the most.  Very rare to find rude and sarcastic comments in our community and I think we all appreciate each other's maturity for that.  I have seen other forums where things get very personal and nasty.  Nice to be part of a community where most of us have respect and understanding for each other's thoughts and opinions.  It is also the support Blogger's have for one another in times of difficulty that makes our community very caring and very special. It was this morning’s post post by BIG DAWG AND FREEWAY  that set my mind to thinking of all my fellow bloggers and the great community we all communicate in. 
 
<<< RURAL ONTARIO

To answer the question about my suspected wheat intolerance and if it was diagnosed by a Doctor.  No, it was not.  Just my opinion on some physical things that have been occurring for quite awhile and seemed to coincidentally take place after eating breads and buns etc.  Maybe I do not have wheat intolerance at all, but at least the symptoms for wheat intolerance got my attention enough to make me try some new changes to my eating habits.  Since making those changes I have not had the lethargic bloating feeling I was getting so bad after eating products made from dough.  I love anything made from dough so have always fell prey to things like donuts, muffins, sweet buns, and any kind of bread products, etc.   Wheat intolerance or not, I figure a change regarding wheat products could very well be a positive and healthy change for me.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  We'll see how it goes.   I should also add here that I consider myself a very fortunate person in that at the age of 67 the only prescription drug I take is something called Arthrotec which helps with the sometimes aching stiffness I get in my legs.  Been taking this for about 13 years now when it was originally prescribed for bone spur problems in both my feet which have long since been surgically corrected.

GODERICH EVEN HAS A HORSE RACING TRACK

One of my favourite periods of each day is my 20 minute morning shower time.  This is a time when the beginnings of many blog ideas for the day are conceived.  My shower routine is always basically the same from the time I enter the bathroom to when I leave.  I generally always turn on a small electric heater because I like the feeling of warm air wafting over me.  And, I like my shower water on the hot side as well.  I also have a habit of turning the bathroom lights down while in the shower and I have absolutely no idea where I picked that habit up or why.  As many long time readers know, I am a music oriented person so of course I have music in the bathroom as well.  Back in the 80's I made countless hours of cassette tapes (remember them) from CD's.  It is all the ambient tapes that  I now listen to each and every morning in the shower on a boom box I found a few years ago in a Goderich Thrift Store.  It is that warm air, soft lighting, hot water and music which makes a special time for me each and every morning:))

 

A STORMY LOOKING DAY AT THE LAKE

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Old ranch owner John farmed a small ranch in Montana.  The Montana Wage and Hour Department claimed he was not paying proper wages to his workers and sent an agent out to interview him.

'I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them,' demanded the agent.

'Well,' replied old John, 'There's my ranch hand who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $600 a week plus free room and board. The cook has been here for 18 months, and I pay her $500 a week plus free room and board. Then there's the half-wit who works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own room and board and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night.'

'That's the guy I want to talk to, the half-wit,' says the agent.

'That would be me,' replied old rancher John.

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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
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.

SO, DID WE GO TO LAS VEGAS TODAY……NO WAY JOSE’!!

I love the sound of Spring Frogs & Monday night parked in Beatty Nevada I heard my first frogs of the year.  The night time temps stayed warm & I’m sure that brought the guys into song despite not seeing any water anywhere in this dry dusty vacant lot.  Trees are really beginning to bud in these parts & it is so nice for we Northerners to see the color green again.

<<< HAD A HARD TIME EATING MY TUNA SUB THIS MORNING

Looking back I see that it was about a year ago right now we were at the Lost Dutchman SP near Apache Junction east of Phoenix, Arizona.  Just gotta love this RV lifestyle & the freedom it offers.  The thoughts of getting home & spending another boring summer just sitting around in one place already has me in the dumpster!!

 

EVER HAD A ‘TERRIBLE’ CAR WASH OR BOUGHT BEER AT Mc’DONALD’S??   BEER SIGNS WERE FOR ANOTHER STORE IN THIS MALL COMPLEX BUT IT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD FOR McDONALD’S!!

The big clock on on the wall said 6:40 this morning as I swung the big rig’s wheel hard left & exited our vacant lot in Beatty.  A minute later we were southbound on highway 95 heading in the direction of the big action Jackson city commonly known as ‘Lost Wages’ or as some officially call it, Las Vegas.   It was a  beautifully quiet morning on the highway heading south with very little traffic.  Sunrise behind a heavy cloud cover cast darkened hues onto the mountainsides.

Anyone who knows us or has followed the Bayfield Bunch for any length of time knows that we would not, let me repeat that, would not voluntarily enter any large city just for the sake of seeing the city.  We have both been to downtown Vegas plus the strip before so no need to go there again.  No, we were heading for a place far nicer than any darn big old City.

I think it was fellow RV’ers Bea & Herb Wytinck who first mentioned to us about the VALLEY OF FIRE a few years ago in Quartzsite Az.  My cousin Norma & husband Jim sent us a website about it last summer & I’m sure we have read where other RVing friends have been here as well.  Well, now it’s the Bayfield Bunch’s turn to have a look at the Valley Of Fire for themselves:))

After becoming turned around in the north end of Las Vegas a bit around 9 o’clock this morning we had to solicit some directional help from a McDonald’s patron who quickly put us back on the right track heading northeast on I-15.  While at McDonald’s we both had a big bowl of Lentil soup of course:))

Purposely went by the turn off to Valley of Fire & went on down the road a bunch of miles & turned south for  the little town of Overton.  We had some good leads on a few boon docking areas south of Overton.  Loaded up with fresh groceries & headed further south checking out areas as we went along.

 

Came across a road leading to the Valley of Fire’s East entrance so we decided to head in & look for the Visitor Center.  Always a great place to start an exploration of any area because they have all the answers & brochures pertaining to the region.

It is easy to see why they call this place Valley of Fire.  Although we had a cloudy day going on the color of the rocks still suggested great volumes of fiery rock. 

THEY WERE CLEARING THE CLAY LIKE SAND OFF THE ROAD

It was apparent right from the moment we turned onto the Park road that this was going to be a great place to spend a few days hiking & seeing things.  I love large unusual rock formations & this place had them in Spades.  This Park has the ‘WOWSER’ factor for sure:))

  

Almost missed the Visitor’s Center because it was so well blended into the rocks around it.  There were campsites available we could have had but with no Verizon signal in the Park we decided to go back to a boon docking site we had passed earlier.  Kelly needs the signal for work so it is important we have it.

  

  

VISITOR’S PARKING LOT & INTERPRETIVE CENTER

KELLY DOUBLE CHECKING FOR A VERIZON SIGNAL IN THE PARK BUT NO LUCK

Headed ourselves back out of the Park with great anticipation for returning over the next few days to see as much as we can see here.  Like Joshua Tree, even just a drive through the Park is worthwhile for folks just to see all the great colored rock formations.

 

We had noticed a number of RV’s parked atop a Mesa not far from the road to the Park.  They were all reasonably spaced out & although not normally our first choice it had a good Verizon signal & a 360 degree view.  Lake Mead is almost visible to the south & maybe if it was sunny we could see some sparkly water.  As I write this our outside temperature is 80F & we are being mercilessly pummeled by heavy, heavy, wind gusts….but at least the wind is warm.

 

TRYING TO KEEP THE SATELLITE SHELTERED FROM THE HEAVY WIND GUSTS WE ARE EXPERIENCING ATOP THE MESA

In Monday’s blog I made a passing reference to our accidental wrong turn & harrowing ride we had over Mingus Mountain right smack dab into the narrowed streets of Jerome on November 26th of 2007 with our 33 foot motorhome.  Our blog for that day is HERE & the photos I took while trying to squeeze through the streets of Jerome & still leave some paint on the houses are HERE.  Additional pictures of Jerome, Arizona are HERE.

ATOP THE MESA WITH THE ASSUMPTION LAKE MEAD IS JUST THIS SIDE OF THE DISTANT MOUNTAIN RANGE

And a word about photo’s from the driver’s seat.  Years ago in the ancient realm of 35mm photography during the Jurassic age of manual focusing, light meters, f-stops & slow shutter speeds it was near impossible & downright dangerous to trying taking a photo while operating a motor vehicle.  In the digital age of auto everything it is no more dangerous than changing a station on your car radio.  In fact it may even be safer simply by the fact your eyes never leave the road.  No telephone numbers to look at or texting keys to suck all your attention out of you.  Your total focus is on the road ahead.  Here’s how I do it.  First & foremost I generally use a wide angle zoom lens set to a wide angle setting of about 18mm.  That covers a lot of area out front of you.  Camera is set on auto focus & exposure so no worries there.  Never put the camera up to your face & look through the view finder or you may well find yourself over the edge & down into the canyon below.  Just hold the camera out in front of you at arms length & hit the button.  That’s all there is to it & your eyes never leave the road.  But, we’re not finished yet.  When you get the photo home & into your photo editing program you will probably find the horizon crooked for starters.  So, first thing in Picasa 3.8 is to get that horizon line straightened up again using your ‘Straighten’ tool.  Now, look for whatever it is you were taking a picture of.  Here’s where your ‘Cropping’ tool can make or break your photo.  I have both my Nikons & 2 Canons set to the ‘finest’ settings possible & that allows me to go into a photo & pull something out of it that is still going to look sharp even if it is enlarged.  I call this ‘looking for a photo within a photo.’  In the shot you took through your windshield maybe it was the twisting road or rock formation that caught your attention.  Just ‘crop’ in on your point of interest & ‘walla’ you just might have yourself a fine photo.  Your ‘Retouch’ tool will come in handy for removing those ‘smooshed windshield bugs’ out of your photo as well.  Try to keep your windshield clean or else the auto focus in your camera may try to focus on all the bug smooosh.  I’m not saying to go out & start taking photos in rush hour traffic.  I’m just saying know your vehicle, know the road conditions, know the traffic around you & know your camera equipment.  Don’t ask me about doing this on a bumpity desert trail in a bouncing Jeep Wrangler with a 6 speed manual transmission either…..that’s another blog!!

OUR SIDE YARD FOR THE NEXT BUNCH OF DAYS….YA JUST GOTTA LOVE THIS BOON DOCKING STUFF I TELL YA:))

And I just noticed today that our Sitemeter shows we have now surpassed the quarter million mark on ‘hits’ to our blog site.  Who would have ever thunk it.  Thanks everybody:))

GROANER’S CORNER:(( 

A priest and a bus driver both died and went to heaven at the same time. They get to the pearly gates where St. Peter greets them. He motions to the priest, and they both hop in a jeep and go out the back door. There are about 50 acres of rolling hills with a little cottage on the knoll. St. Peter turns to the priest and says "This will be yours for eternity. A perfect little cottage, right next to a wishing well. Anything you wish on that wishing well will come true guarantied."
The priest says, "Oh, thank you so much. This I shall enjoy!"

St. Peter drops off the priest, goes back to the pearly gates and motions to the bus driver. They hop in a stretch limo and go out the front door. There are about 500 acres of land, with mountains and lakes and rivers. There is a huge castle on one of the mountains with about 200 rooms. St. Peter says "This will be yours for eternity. You can live in that castle with servants to wait on you hand and foot, and you can have everything you want."
The bus driver looks and St. Peter and says "Well, now, don't think I'm not grateful, but shouldn't the priest get all this, not me? Shouldn't I get the cottage and 50 acres instead?" St. Peter just laughs and says "The reason you get all this is because when the priest preached, everyone fell asleep. Now, when you drove your bus, people prayed!"

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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.

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