OUR FIRST HIKE INTO THE CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS

THE VIEW FROM CATHEDRAL VISTA

It felt so great to step out of the motorhome this morning into the predawn dusk & wait for the sun to rise over the Peloncilla mountains.  Hadn't been outside for a sunrise since leaving the ranch last March.  Not a sound in the campground except for a few birds shaking off the sandman.  Always felt this was the finest part of any day to be outside & enjoy the wonders around us.  A quiet time.  A time for reflection.  A time for appreciation.

SUNRISE ON THE CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS BEHIND PORTAL ARIZONA (Photo taken from Rusty’s RV Ranch)

Took us awhile to get ourselves motivated this morning but we finally got it to-gether * headed out in the car around 8:45.  First stop was the just newly opened Chiricahua Desert Museum a few miles south of Rustys.  Met co-owner Sheri just as she was hanging out the open sign.  With husband Bob they opened the Desert Museum just four short months ago.  Everything is new & they have put themselves to-gether a fine facility.  Be sure to see my photos of their efforts.  A large reptile & amphibian room is nearing completion & Bob (Herpetologist) will be bringing the creatures back from Texas in couple weeks.  If your in the area be sure to drop in to their nature store & check out the hiking gear, nature books, gifts, paintings, sculptures, southwest jewelry, etc plus amphibian reptile room.  They also do silk screen hats & T-shirts on site.  And if all that isn't enough, Sheri & Bob have future plans for a large water garden to the south of the building.  ECO WEAR & PUBLISHING

CHIRICAHUA DESERT MUSEUM

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From the Desert Museum we drove the short 4 miles to Rodeo where breakfast had been recommended.  Stopped into the Rodeo Cafe for a good old feed of bacon & eggs.  My favorite but rarely have anymore because of the ridiculous prices most places charge these days.  But, at $5.99 we thought that was a bargoon & we both had B & E's & coffee.  And, it was a great breakfast to boot. 

PHOTO ABOVE IS FROM RUSTY’S WATER GARDEN.  APPEARS TO BE SOME FEATHERS CAUGHT ON A ROCK IN THE LITTLE STREAM

RUSTY'S RV RANCH << (click for Rusty’s website)  Having connection problems so will have to try & add Rusty’s photo album either later to-day or try again to-morrow.  I don’t think it was Live Writer causing the problems last night.  Just think it was sporadic dis-connects to the internet interupting the upload process.

Headed back up the road to Portal, Arizona & headed for the old Post Office & Library.  We had come across Portal last March when we came over the Chiricahua mountains from near McNeal on the other side.  I had taken photos of the Portal store at that time but had missed the old Post Office & Library.

LOCAL PORTAL RESIDENTS WAITING FOR THE MORNING MAIL

From Portal we drove into the Cave Creek Canyon area.  Caught a lucky break when I pulled over to take a picture of the canyon & Kelly spotted a Roadrunner in a tree right beside the car.  Finally, after 3 years I was able to grab a few pics of a real Roadrunner.  We then headed for a short hiking trail called Vista Point.  Figured we had better start out with a few easy short hikes to get our legs back into shape again.  What a great feeling it was to be out walking on a new rocky trail again surrounded by beautiful trees, mountains, & rich deep blue skies.  First trail we've been on since leaving the southwest back in the spring.  No wonder our legs felt like rubber when we got home later.

ROADRUNNER…….’meep meep’

Drove into the Sunny Flats campground again & it looked just as beautifully peaceful as it did 6 months ago when we first came across it on a day trip over the mountains.  No hook-ups here & no cell phone or internet signal.  It's a small campground with only the wind & the birds in your ears.  Took a few photos & talked to another RV couple camping there in their motorhome.  Really friendly folks who invited us in for a tour of their Georgy Boy Class A coach.  Really nice rig.....really nice people.

IN FRONT OF THE PORTAL POST OFFICE & LIBRARY

It was only 12:30 but we were already so tired we decided to head back to the rig.  We just haven't been able to tap into our energy resources since arriving from the north & we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing & dragging ourselves around between short snoozes & dozes.  I think if I could sleep totally uninterrupted for about 3 days I might be OK.

We had fans going inside as the sun really heated things up to-day.  In fact we never spent any time in our lawn chairs at all.  Almost missed the moonrise in late afternoon but did spend some time outside as things nicely cooled down.  I will go outside later to-night & just sit quietly under the big desert moon listening to the distant coyotes.

A QUIET BENCH OUTSIDE THE PORTAL LIBRARY

We will stay one additional night here at Rusty's & then head out Wednesday morning for the short drive to the ranch just over on the other side of the Chiricahuas to the south. We're looking forward to hopefully getting ourselves caught up with our time zone dilemma as we begin phase two our trip this year......our life on the ranch:))

 

JAGGED CHIRICAHUA PROFILE (Photos taken from Rusty’s RV Ranch)

 

TO-NIGHT’S BIG DESERT MOON

GROANER'S CORNER:))  Mark, our five-year-old grandson, couldn't wait to tell his grandfather about the film we had watched on television, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." The scenes with the submarine and the giant octopus had kept him wide-eyed. In the middle of the telling, my husband interrupted Mark,  'What caused the submarine to sink?'   With a look of incredulity Mark replied, 'Grandpa, it was the 20,000 leaks!'

FACEBOOK READERS GO HERE TO SEE OUR ACTUAL WEBSITE COMPLETE WITH PHOTOS & MORE INFO.

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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now....AL.

TODAY WE MET RANDY & PAM WARNER OF THE ROADRUNNER CHRONICLES

RANDY & AL WITH PAM CHECKING A MAP INSIDE THE COACH

The overnight rain & slightly cooler weather front took a big chunk out of the recent oppressive high humidity & our day was slightly less muggy.  Emphasis on 'slightly less muggy.'

RANDY & KELLY DART ACROSS THE BUSY HIGHWAY

Message on Facebook this morning from Randy Warner from, THE ROADRUNNER CHRONICLES  saying they would be rolling through Bayfield on their journey north somewhere around noon.  We had been in touch a couple weeks ago so we knew they would be heading into our neighborhood.  Only place we could think of with a parking lot big enough for a large motorhome with a car on back was a place called the 'Docks' just off highway 21.  Randy phoned when they got to Grand Bend so we knew they would be in Bayfield in about 25 minutes.  Kelly & I drove over to the Docks & found the parking lot full of cars.  The Docks is a restaurant & it was lunch hour!!  We saw Randy & Pam come over the bridge & one look told him he was not going to get into that parking lot.  Randy threw a blinker on & pulled over to the side of the road.  It was a Friday & the highway was busy but he jumped out & came across the road to where Kelly & I were.  A quick handshake & the 3 of us hustled back across the highway to the safety of their Allegro Bus Motor Home.

PAM & KELLY IN THE ROADRUNNER

Met Pam inside & we all had ourselves a quick RV chin wag for about 20 minutes.  Covered a few of the normal bases such as computers, routers, phones, routes & destinations, etc.  We knew Randy & Pam had a ways to go yet today so didn't want to hold them up alongside the road.   Slipped outside for some more pics, handshakes & goodbyes.  Kelly & I were no sooner back across the increasingly busy highway & Randy had the  Allegro Bus wheels rolling.  Grabbed a few last pics as he hit the big diesel air horn & they were northbound & gone.  Been following Randy's blog for about a year now so it was nice to finally meet the person behind the keyboard.  Nice fellow.

RANDY EXPLAINING HIS ROUTER SETUP

Later in the day Kelly tracked down an unsuspecting Jeep owner.  She had noticed a jeep wrangler parked at the Tucker Communications Office in Bayfield different times during working hours & because of the problems I'm having trying to figure out the hard & soft top dilemma she went in & asked the guy if he could come over after work & help her poor mechanically challenged & totally frustrated husband to get the hard top off the Jeep & the soft top on.  And that's how we met Peter today.

KELLY TAKES ANOTHER DEER PARK LODGE RESERVATION

OK, fast forward................Now, it's nearly 9 p.m. & we just got home from a mud, water, mosquito & branches in your face kind of jeep foray through a heavily wooded forest near by & I will save  our last '3 hour Jeep lesson for tomorrow's blog.  Am just needing a little R&R at the moment.  And, another coffee...... two thirds of my 7 o'clock coffee got jolted right out of it's holder & dumped into the Jeeps transfer case & I later found my top denture on the passenger side running board:))  We went a muddin!! 

PETER SHOWS US HOW TO PUT THE SOFT TOP ON........'OHHHHHHH', WE HAVE SO MUCH TO LEARN:((

AND PETE LEADS THE WAY THROUGH AN APPLE ORCHARD TO THE FOREST BEYOND

 

'OH OH'....... THIS COULD GET SERIOUS!!

GROANER'S CORNER:))  Here are 5 good tips for our fine hard working women folk......

1. It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job.
2. It is important that a man makes you laugh.
3. It is important to find a man you can count on! And doesn't lie to you.
4. It is important that a man loves you and spoils you.
5. It is important that these four men don't know each other.

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/ (a work in progress)

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

FOUND US A NICE PASSPORT AMERICA RV PARK EAST OF DEMING NEW MEXICO

EASTBOUND I-10 TRAFFIC AT SUNSET EAST OF DEMING NEW MEXICO TONIGHT
It was a peacefully quiet night parked north of El Paso at the Texas Travel Information Center tn Anthony Texas.  We were the only ones there in the RV section with one lone truck over in the trucker’s area.  Our morning skies dawned clear as a bell and we sure welcomed Monday morning’s warming sunshine and big blue skies.


FUN COUNTRY RV

Our appointment at Fun Country RV was for 10 a.m. so we left our overnight spot at 9:30 arriving to our destination at 9:31.  Yes, quite a drive alright.  Although early, the friendly service manager took us right in and very quickly diagnosed the problem with our water pump so here’s the good news/bad news.  Good news is it was a blown fuse.  Bad news is they suspect the problem to be the pumps ‘pressure switch’.  The pump works but we cannot leave the pump on long or it blows the fuse.  They suggested we use the pump but turn it off after using and said we might want to wait until we get home to have the  pressure switch or pump replaced.  So that’s what we’ll do and see how we make out.  The pump is 12 years old.  At least right now we have a reasonably good working water system again.  I would give Fun Country RV two thumbs up and five stars.  They charged us a minimum fee and the whole staff was very friendly and helpful.  They had two little shop dogs and Pheebs had a blast with those two guys racing all around the place inside and out. And of course everyone there loved the Pheebs.

NICE BRIGHT WAITING ROOM

PHEEBS AND THIS LITTLE BLACK FELLA HAD A RIOT TEARING UP THE PLACE

HARD TO SEE THE LITTLE BLACK DOG IN THE CORNER OF THE COUCH

LOOKS LIKE THOSE COUCH POTATOES ARE HAVING  A BLAST

I think it was around 11 when we rolled out of Fun City RV heading west on I-10.  What a totally beautiful weather day it was as we cruised by Las Cruces New Mexico.  Very light traffic on I-10 towards Deming but it’s to be expected out here on the Southwest’s less congested roads, highways, and Interstates.

A WAVE TO THE ROADRUNNER AS WE WENT BY….SOME READERS MAY REMEMBER MY NIGHT PHOTOS OF THIS FELLA FEBRUARY 11TH OF LAST YEAR….ROADRUNNER

OUR FIRST BORDER PATROL CHECK POINT OF THE SEASON

YES WE ARE DEFINITELY BACK IN THE GOOD OLD SOUTH WEST AGAIN

WE ARE NO STRANGERS TO THIS AREA AND IT WAS NICE TO SEE THE FLORIDA MOUNTAIN RANGE AGAIN
Still undecided as to where we’re going we decided to head for a Passport America RV Park I had spotted earlier on the Passport America site.  The El Rancho Lobo RV Park is located about 9 miles east of Deming New Mexico and we had to pay attention to directions on how to get there.  Although located less than a mile off I-10 on the south side the two access points off the Interstate are a few miles from the Park

HEADING UP THE ROAD TO THE ‘EL RANCHO LOBO RV PARK….I LIKE IT ALREADY BECAUSE OF THE TREES

WE THINK WE JUST MIGHT STAY HERE FOR A FEW DAYS

CAMP HOST GAVE US A PACKET WITH LOTS OF INFO ABOUT THE SURROUNDING AREA….NICE PERK

This Adult only RV Park is a true gem in the rough and we had a good feeling about it right from the time we drove through the gate. $11/night. $150/mth.  It’s not a high-ender Park with a pool and hot tubs, etc. nor is it anywhere near the other end of the scale either.  Neat and clean from what I have seen so far.  The camp host was a very friendly fellow and drove Kelly ‘and Miss Pheebs’ around on a golf cart to show them where things were.  Kelly said there is a really nice shower and laundry room.  I will make the Park rounds tomorrow and take some photos.  Just too tired today and with the warm sun beaming in the rig’s windows this afternoon I just stretched out in my recliner and totally enjoyed being right where I was just doing what I was doing.  From my chair I can see traffic going by on I-10 half a mile  or so away.   And the traffic noise is barely audible if your outside.  Totally inaudible inside.

WE ARE ABOUT HALF A MILE SOUTH OF I-10

IN THE BACKGROUND IS CROOK’S PEAK NAMED AFTER 1800’S ARMY OFFICER GEORGE R CROOK…..THIS PEAK WAS A NAVIGATION POINT FOR INDIANS, SETTLERS, AND ARMY CALVARY TRAVELING THROUGH THE AREA

THIS IS GERONIMO POSING WITH MEMBERS OF HIS TRIBE AND GENERAL GEORGE CROOK’S STAFF DURING PEACE NEGOTIATIONS ON MARCH 27, 1886….AND NO I DID NOT TAKE THE PHOTO……
Now for you country and western fans out there we might have something of interest here.  We were told the RV Bus Coach parked to our right a couple spaces away was originally owned my Mickey Gilley and later by Travis Tritt years ago.  The camp host was telling us about it.  We met the couple who own the Bus and they are from Nebraska.  Unfortunately they blew the engine near here but managed to make it into this RV Park.  Apparently the engine can be easily removed and the plan is for a diesel engine repair facility in Las Cruces to come out and remove the blown engine.  The coach will then be towed to Las Cruces NM where the new engine, mounted on the old engine frame, will be slid back into the bus.  The owners of the Bus said it is going to be a $12,000 bill by the time it’s all done. 

MAY HAVE ONCE BELONGED TO MICKEY GILLEY AND TRAVIS TRITT BUT NOT SURE….IF WE GET TALKING TO THIS COUPLE AGAIN WE’LL ASK THEM

LATE AFTERNOON IS SLOWLY SLIPPING INTO EVENING’S TWILIGHT

A WEST BOUND FED-EX TRUCK ON I-10 HEADS INTO THE SUNSET
It was sure nice to see those welcoming ‘New Mexico’ signs along I-10 today just south of Las Cruces.  It seemed to make our 13th annual Snow Bird journey to the great American southwest somehow official:))

THE FLORIDA MOUNTAINS SOUTHEAST OF DEMING NEW MEXICO

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A man was driving down the road. He passed a traffic camera and saw it flash.  Astounded that he had been caught speeding when he was under the speed limit, he turned around and, going even slower, he passed by the camera.  Again, he saw it flash. He couldn't believe it!  So he turned and, going at snail's pace, he passed the camera.  AGAIN, he saw the camera flash. He guessed it must have a fault, and home he went.  Four weeks later he received 3 traffic fines in the mail, all for not wearing a seatbelt.
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“Watching railway tracks on one's journey is very soothing. I love a bit of Trainscendental Meditation.”
Q. Did you hear about the new sushi bar that caters exclusively to lawyers? A. It's called, Sosumi.
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A little boy was attending his first wedding. After the service, his cousin asked him, "How many women can a man marry?" "Sixteen," the boy responded. His cousin was amazed that he knew the answer so quickly. "How do you know that?" "Easy," the little boy said. "All you have to do is add it up, like the Preacher said: 4 better, 4 worse, 4 richer, 4 poorer."
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