A DAY OF BIG WINDS

BIG WINDY SKIES

First email in this morning was from Rosanna at Paws & Hooves Ranch with a warning about the impending wind forecast for to-day. Said she had a red flag weather warning on her computer. Checked the Tucson weather channel & yep, we had some mighty big winds coming our way alright. Figured I'd better get outside & get a lot of loose stuff picked up before it becomes somebody else's loose stuff. SOMEBODY IS SLEEPING IN MY BED AGAIN!!

Kelly headed off to Elfrida for her Friday morning Yoga class while I battened down the hatches around the rig & waited for the blow. And, just as the weatherman predicted, the first big wind gusts hit us at 11 a.m. exactly. Luckily I had gathered up 9 large rocks & set them on top of the chickens so they wouldn't blow away. The rooster assured me he could take care of himself as he proudly strutted around his compound. I later saw him airborne, going by the window about 60 MPH.....backwards!! I'm sure he will be proudly back. The wind gusts battered us all afternoon without let up. The rig rocked back & forth as each gust did it's business on us. Reminded me of my old navy days aboard the H.M.C.S. Saguenay when we were out a few times in the North Atlantic & had the wind & waves battering the destroyer. THE SWISSHELM MOUNTAINS ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE RANCH

Earlier before the wind got too bad Kelly took the car & headed off to Bisbee. Wanted to browse around a bit, pick up a few things & stop into the Bisbee Library for some DVDs. She'll have a tail wind coming home so hope she can get the car stopped before reaching the New Mexico State Line. Ingrid & Tom dropped Corky off for a few hours late this morning while they went over to Sierra Vista so I enjoyed getting down on the ground & playing with all the dogs. Occasionally I would have to hang onto a doggy tail as the wind gusts would swoop in suddenly trying to make birds out of us all. Had to keep the little motormouse inside though or she would have been blown clear across the lower 48 States. AND THIS IS CORKY.....THE BIG ENERGY GUY

Kelly made it back from Bisbee around 3 & said it wasn't windy there at all. Bisbee is sheltered in the Mule mountains. We did the chores a little bit on the early side to-day because Jackie & Sergeant John in Elfrida wanted to take us up to the Apache Lair for all you can eat fish n chips. We scooted around & got things squared away before heading to Elfrida about four thirty. THE GLEESON MOUNTAINS NORTHEAST OF THE RANCH

John was home but Jackie had left Wednesday on a family medical emergency up in Phoenix so Kelly, John, I headed north up near Sunizona to the restaurant. Can't even remember the last time we had fish & chips but it would probably have been at Madelyn's Diner in Stratford Ontario a couple of years ago. Fish n Chips were good & of course we did eat all we could eat too. Thanks for the great supper Sarge. Headed back to Elfrida & John had us come in to see an old 50's classic RV movie staring Lucille Ball & Dezi Arnaz called, The Long, Long, Trailer. About a honeymoon couple buying & towing a 40' house trailer on a trip from California to Colorado in the mountains. Although the movie is probably around 50 years old, to-day's modern RV folks can still identify with all the problems & situations that arise from their life on the road. Same problems still apply to-day. A good movie in it's time & still holds up for RV folks needing to touch base with their humorous side of the RV lifestyle. APACHE LAIR STEAK HOUSE WHERE SERGEANT JOHN TOOK US FOR SUPPER

Said good-bye to John about 7:30 & headed for the ranch. Noticed that the wind had finally subsided. Probably won't get over that way again before we leave but it was nice to have met John & his wife Jackie. Sergeant John is the fellow with 2 Hudson Hornet cars that I blogged about last Sunday. Nice folks for sure & maybe see you again in November. Safe RV travels to California next month. THE MOTORMOUSE

Driving home was like being on another planet for us because the sun had gone down & we were surrounded by darkness. It is rare for us to be out after dark anymore. Guess it's just one of those older folks routines we have unfortunately slipped into, but I do miss it. Have always enjoyed night time driving because you get to see the world in a whole new perspective. Stars, moon, farm lights, little towns & neon signs, etc. Years ago when I drove for an Airport shuttle service between Stratford & Toronto Ontario I was on the road a lot in the early to late evening hours. Always looked forward to the later night drives up to the Goderich & Bayfield areas. I miss that part of the job now but I don't miss the heavy stress filled mad traffic chaos in the Toronto area. I still avoid large cities to this day. Been there, done that & don't need to do that no more.................................................

No photos for the web album to-night.

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GHOST TOWN OF PEARCE & THE AMERIND FOUNDATION

SUNRISE OVER THE SWISSHELM MOUNTAINS

Cloud cover first thing this morning assured us the sun was going to leave us alone for the day. We actually got off to an earlier start as we headed north up the Sulphur Springs Valley. HERDS OF BIRDS HEADING TO THEIR EARLY MORNING FEEDING AREA

First stop was for gas in Elfrida followed by a second stop for coffee to go before our third stop at the Library. We had to make a U-turn before we got to the Library though. While I was filling up with gas Kelly had taken two small bags of garbage out of the back seat & dropped them into a trash bin at the service station.....except one of those bags wasn't trash!! Yep, she mistakenly threw the bag of Library books & DVD's in the trash. Oh, how sweet it is that something was FINALLY not my fault:)) Retrieved the bag with no problem & off we went to the Library. PEARCE'S GOLD MINING HILL

Our first main destination this morning was the ghost town of Pearce just south of Sunsites which in turn is southeast of Benson Arizona. The large mining scarred hill just east of Pearce is the first thing we saw & it was obvious the hill had been used for mining with traces of roadways crisscrossing the slopes. Cement or adobe buildings terraced up the hill in one area accounting for a third of the hillside. The town of Pearce & what's left of it lay a short distance away to the northwest. It is still an active town & boasts more original buildings than Tombstone. Key word there is...original. The General Store is still intact & serves more as a museum. It is only open 2 days a year for tours. Across the road is the original Post Office & beside that a small gift & pottery shop. The lady owner inside was very friendly with a wealth of information on Pearce. Said Pearce was the largest gold strike in Arizona history back in the 1890's. Said it literally happened overnight & resulted in emptying Tombstone for a time. People flooded over the Dragoon mountains from Tombstone with some even transporting houses with them. At some point a disastrous flood occurred in the mine killing many miners. This is what I found on the internet about Pearce...."John Pearce, a rancher, struck gold in this vicinity in 1894 and the Commonwealth Mine was begun. The railroad station opened in 1903. For several years Pearce and his wife lived in Tombstone where he was a miner and she managed a boardinghouse. They saved their money and began a ranch in the Sulphur Springs Valley. It was while riding the range that Pearce stopped to rest at the top of a small hill and here he discovered rich ore. Pearce sold out for $250,000. The peak of production at the mine was reached in 1896. However, the mine was worked until 1904 when shaft cave-ins caused a shutdown. With the erection of a cyanide plant in 1905, the mine went back into operation. It is now inactive." Post Office est. March 6, 1896. THE GENERAL STORE IS NOW A MUSEUM ONLY OPEN 2 DAYS A YEAR

No ghost town visit is complete without a trip to the local cemetery so we headed a short distance west until we found it. The cemetery is still being used so the old pioneers & miners are mixed in with newer folks. Sign inside the gate says Abraham Lincoln's bodyguard is buried here as well as some Confederate soldiers. I did find one of the soldiers. PEARCE'S CEMETERY WITH THE DRAGOON MOUNTAINS & COCHISE'S STRONGHOLD IN THE BACKGROUND

From Pearce we made our way north stopping briefly for some pictures of an old Helicopter bone yard along the way. A lot of them appeared to be out of service Coast Guard choppers. There is also an active helicopter service there as well I think.AN OLD HELICOPTER BONE YARD

Driving north on highway 191 we were flanked by the mighty & mysterious Chiricahua Mountains off to our right & the jagged Dragoon mountain range on our left with the hauntingly ominous Cochise Stronghold ever present & ever vigilant. The cloud shrouded sky lent itself well to the legends of the mountains & it was one of those days you might have heard the Indians as they passed on their war ponies. It was one of those kinds of days when the winds could have coaxed the secrets out of the canyons. SAND HILL CRANES IN FLIGHT

We turned off 191 & headed west into Texas Canyon to the small settlement of Dragoon & beyond to a place recommended to us by several people. The Amerind Foundation (Amerind meaning American Indian) houses one of the finest private collections of Native American art & artifacts in the country. http://www.amerind.org/ This is a very impressive building but I was only allowed to take pictures on the outside & could not take my cameras into the museum. I understand the reason but it always miffs me just the same when that occasionally happens.THE AMERIND

The museum houses a large collection of artifacts dating back many hundreds of years & more. Various southwest Indian cultures are well represented as the history of the land & it's people are displayed well in the galleries. Of particular interest to me was the Chiricahua Apaches who lived & died in this very area. Cochise, Geronimo, & others played out their lives here on these plains, deserts, plateaus, & mountains. I spent most of my time inside watching a DVD on the last days of Geronimo's futile struggle with the white man's ways, deceptions, & treacheries. The broken promises, the heartbreak, the end of an era. It was a sad time in American history for the North American Indian peoples. NICE SPAINISH ARCHITECTURE

t was early afternoon when we left the Amerind & headed back down the valley. Earlier we had heard some noises coming from the back of the car & later determined something was amiss with the driver's side rear wheel. By the time we got near home we could here some screeching & grinding when slowing down & turning corners. When brakes were applied it kinda stopped. I was at first sure it was a wheel bearing but then figured it was probably something to do with the brakes. And as always, I figured it was the end of the world & we would have to get the car over to Sierra Vista for an expensive brake job or something. Or throw the whole car in the garbage can & try to find another one:(( I'm real good at figuring worst case scenarios you know. With vanishing dollar signs in my head I got out to look at the wheel after we got home. Noticed right away something was different than the other wheel. Looked like a wear mark all around the outer hub & on closer inspection saw a stone lodged between the drum & something else. The stone had lodged itself there & was scraping on the turning drum. A screwdriver quickly & easily popped the stone out & short test drive around the yard confirmed the squeaking was gone & all was well in Al's world again. Oh dear, will wonders ever cease......................................... IT'S KELLY SCHMOOZING WITH THE LOCALS....(THAT'S KELLY ON THE LEFT:))

To-morrow........ "Time to clean the car!!!!"

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RUCKER CANYON & THE CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS

HEADING UP RUCKER CANYON ROAD

Cooler this morning with a high light cloud cover. We knew the day was not going to be another cooker & that was a big relief. Weatherman is calling for temps to drop into the low 80's & mid 70's. I would say those mid 70's are just about totally perfect. A LOT OF FREE RANGING CATTLE IN THIS AREA

Been a month now since we settled into the ranch here & our propane level was down about the empty mark. Pretty good considering we didn't roll in here with a full tank to begin with. Packed things up, secured the coach about 9:30 & headed over to the Double Adobe Road RV Park near Bisbee to re-fill our propane tank. Came to about $55 dollars so we were pretty low. A word about the Park to other RV'ers. The park only accepts cheques or cash for propane. No credit cards. Also, if your thinking of staying there it would be good for you to know that they have a shotgun shooting range right beside the park. If you have pets that are scared of guns this would not be a good campground for you. While we were getting propane, shotguns were going off & poor Checkers & the little Motormouse were totally traumatized. We couldn't get out of there fast enough. Other than that, it looks like an OK campground.....if you like that campground thing that is.

WE SAW SOME DEER BUT NO BEARS

We were back to the ranch & re-settled into our spot in less than an hour. Did some more tree watering & then loaded the cameras in the car & we were off for another day trip. On our drive through Leslie Canyon last week we noticed another road leading into the Chiricahua mountains so to-day we returned to that point & headed on up Rucker Canyon road. http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/forest/recreation/scenic_drives/rucker_tex.shtml As soon as you start gaining altitude the environment begins to change from desert brown to jungle green. The cottonwood trees are beginning to leaf out now so the splotches of early spring green in the treetops is refreshing. Pine, & Ironwoods, mixed with Agaves & Prickly Pear Cactus make for roadside beauty. Valleys of yellow grasses appear between the mountains & forests of Mesquite trees dot the hillsides. Overhead, patches of blue sky between billowing clouds let through enough sunlight to highlight the high cliff faces of colored rock on the mountain sides. We are so fortunate to be here & to be a part of this beautiful American southwest. KELLY'S LOADING ROCKS IN THE CAR

A fork in the road led us on a 6 mile trip up to Rucker campground. No one there but the wind in the trees & the babbling of a mountain stream running down through the empty campground. Note to RV'ers...I wouldn't bring anything bigger than a small Class C, truck camper, or B class van up here. Not sure if I would feel comfortable tenting either because of the Bear population. The road ends at the campground. We noticed a lot of free ranging cattle in this area as well & had to stop & let a small herd cross the road on our way back down the road to the junction. A QUIET MOUNTAIN STREAM

When we reached the road junction we had to decide whether to return the way we had come & go back through Leslie Canyon or head east over the mountains on Tex Canyon Road & see if we could find highway 80 in the San Bernardino Valley. That highway would take us back down to Douglas. We needed some groceries anyway so headed east. Surprisingly, the road through the mountains was very good with only a few slow downs to cross some minor washes. The scenery was beautiful & around every corner was another panoramic view. We were wishing we had a portable GPS unit though because we had no idea how far the highway or Douglas was. We have one on our wish list because with the amount of hiking, car trips, & RVing we do on back roads it would certainly be a useful & safe thing for us. We have been looking at some Garmin Vista models with built in altimeter & compass. RUCKER CANYON

From atop a hill I finally spotted what looked like the San Bernardino Valley ahead, far off on the horizon. The dirt road was steadily leading down hill so I knew we had crested the mountains & were on our way down the east side of them. Seemed like a long time but we finally reached highway 80. Just a few words here about dirt roads. After to-day we probably have enough dust in the car to make up a whole 50 pound bag of topsoil. If you don't like dust & dirt the American southwest is probably not going to be your cup of tea unless you stay on the pavement & only move between them there fancy RV Parks. If you want to experience the mountains & the deserts you have to get off the Interstates, get off the pavement, & get yourself out onto the dust & the dirt of the back roads. The wild west for the most part is still the wild west & as far as I am concerned that's exactly what makes it one of the most interesting & best places in the whole country. LOOKING EAST TO THE SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY

Ok, getting back on track......... Once on highway 80 it was about a 40 mile scenic mountain vista drive through the Perilla mountains to Douglas. In that 40 or so miles we might have past 3 or 4 vehicles coming the other way. Just another thing I love about the southwest, endless miles of open roads & big wide open spaces. GREAT CLOUD PATTERNS TO-DAY

Popped into a little Mexican restaurant called Jaliscos for a bite to eat before grocery shopping. Kelly had something called a Chimi Changa or something. I learned a long time ago not to eat anything I couldn't spell or pronounce right so I had a hamburger & fries. Kelly did say her Chimi Jange thingy was very good though. Only about 5 blocks to Wally-World so we stocked up on some groceries & headed back to the ranch. Really nice overcast sky with eerie gray cloud patterns all the way back. Yep, ya just gotta love it out here alright....................................... ALIEN SPACE SHIP CLOUDS OVER THE MULE MOUNTAINS

To-morrow we are headed for the ghost town of Pearce........and beyond!!

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TO-DAY WE MET JC & BEV...FELLOW RV'ERS & BLOGGERS;))

JC & BEV ON THEIR 2008 HONDA GOLDWING

Weatherman said it's going to be another cooker to-day so figured we'd just hang around the ranch & try to stay cool. Kelly headed off for a Yoga class in Elfrida this morning & I continued puttering with my little garden project. Have also been busy watering trees the the past couple of days as well. They have quite an extensive irrigation system here on the ranch with lots of taps & hoses.

Jeannie phoned this morning saying another RV couple was coming down to look at the ranch sitting job plus another one in the area for this coming November in case we can't make it back here in the fall. With the economic downturn & a very unpredictible summer coming up for everyone it is a good idea for them to have some back up people in place because they are planning a 3 week cruise in November. Under normal circumstances we could have been back here for sure but with all the doom & gloom predicted in the coming months it's anybody's guess where we all be. A LAST MINUTE PICTURE

So, to-day we met fellow RV'ers & bloggers, JC & Bev. They are Escapee members & are presently camped up in Benson at the Escapee Park. They rolled in around 1:30 on a nice looking 2008 Honda Goldwing motorcycle complete with trailer. When they are traveling in their 40' Country Coach Class A Motorhome the trailer actually fits inside their towed Ford Hybrid car & the motorcycle has it's own lift & carrier right on the back of the motorhome. These folks are fulltimers & have traveled extensively including Europe. Really nice people & it was a pleasure to meet them. And of course it never ceases to amaze me once again how we already know & have met some of the people they know of. You can check out their travel website here... http://mytripjournal.com/webber I have also added them to our, "Blogs We Follow."

And now a "shout out" to any fellow RV'ers who might be interested in a ranch sitting job next November. A few days ago I did a blog on the Paws & Hooves Ranch up in Sunizona. Well those two ladies are friends with Jeannie & Ray who we are presently ranch sitting for. All 4 of them are planning a cruise for next November so Rosanne & her Mother are going to need someone very reliable to look after their critters for 3 weeks. Jeannie phoned us yesterday morning & suggested we post it in our blog because it's really RV people who are probably best suited & outfitted to do the job. Email The Bayfield Bunch at mousebanana@msn.com & we will forward your emails to Rosanne at Paws & Hooves. Rosanne & her Mother can have a look at the emails then directly email back anyone they are interested in. To have a look & find out more about the Paws & Hooves ranch just check back in our blog here a few days ago to Saturday Feb. 28/09.

Last night's DVD was called "De Lovely" staring Kevin Klein & Ashley Judd. It is a musical about the life & times of songwriter & composer, Cole Porter. Wasn't sure if I was going to like it at first but once the movie got going I enjoyed it to the end. Another movie we watched the other night was called, "The Diving Bell & The Butterfly." This is a well done movie & true story of a man in France who suffers a massive stroke & is left totally paralyzed except for his left eye. Through the help of 2 special needs nurses he learns to communicate by blinking his eye yes or no to their unique communication process. I don't care for captioned movies as a rule but this movie just draws you in right from the opening scene & we watched it right to the end.OK, HERE WE GO........HOLD ONTO YOUR HAT!!And it was one year ago to-day that we left Truth or Consequences New Mexico for our long 8 day journey home to Bayfield Ontario, Canada.

Well, it was a good thing JC & Bev showed up to-day or I wouldn't have had a single photo for the blog to-night. After all, how many chicken pictures can I put in before our readership drops below zero................:((

No photos for the web album to-night.

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THE GHOST TOWN OF FAIRBANK & ANOTHER STOP IN BISBEE

We knew it was going to be hot to-day so we made an extra effort to get ourselves out & about earlier than usual. Had hoped to be the road by 9 but it was after 10 before we got ourselves mobile. Filled up the Santa Fe in McNeal & headed west on Davis Road to Tombstone. Our destination was the old ghost town of Fairbank located west of the San Pedro River on highway 82. The historic town of Fairbank used to be a very important transportation hub. Three railroad lines passed through Fairbank including the New Mexico & Arizona which connected Fairbank to Benson & the Mexican port of Guamas. In the 1880s, at the peak of the silver boom in & around Tombstone, Fairbank served as a central point of entry & exit for miners, prospectors, materials, & ore. Tombstone was not connected to the railway until 1903 so passengers had to take a stagecoach from Fairbank. Passengers who stepped off the train in Fairbank in the 1880s would have seen an elegant hotel and restaurant, a post office, railroad depots and several other businesses. And so it was that we pulled off the highway into a dirt parking lot & down around a short road to what was left of the once booming little town of Fairbank. Well, there isn't much left but a sign tells us that it is probably one of the last authentic places with some original buildings intact. The old schoolhouse has been restored & is now a museum but it was closed to-day. There were 3 wooden buildings of which 2 were locked. The small open building was probably for horses years ago. A handwritten sign on another building said for us to stay back because of rattlesnakes. The largest building is completely enclosed by a wire fence with a no admittance sign. This was the General Store, Saloon, & Jail years ago. Plans are in the works to restore this building & a new steel roof has already been put on to protect what's left of the interiors. The San Pedro River & old railway line run along a short distance west of the buildings. It was Fairbank's old cemetery located about a half mile north of the town down a narrow dusty mesquite lined road that interested us the most. The cemetery is located atop a rough & rock strewn hill with a narrow footpath leading up to it. As we walked up the path I imagined how many of Fairbank's residents had been carried up this rocky stretch to their final destination. I also thought of all the people who flock to Tombstone's Boot Hill & believe that to be a real authentic cemetery. Oh sure, there are people buried there all right, but anything you see above ground has been manufactured & jazzed up for the tourist trade. I wonder what people would think if they ever saw a real western cemetery, untouched by human hands for over a century. I'm sure a lot of folks would find it boring with it's piles of stones, brambly mesquite trees, decaying old wooden crosses, & rusting gates & fences. No fancy or humorous inscriptions on the tombstones, because there are no tombstones. Just piles of rocks & stones on the gravesites with a few old tattered & broken wooden crosses that have stood the winds of time. Anything inscribed on a piece of wood has long been weathered out by the Arizona sun. There are no flowers here, no manicured trees, no finely mowed grass. Just piles of rocks marking the end of someone's life. No one to remember, no one to care. And so we made our way back down the hill of forgotten dreams & walked the half mile back to our car for some much needed water. Tucson tied a heat record to-day at 91F which was first set back in 1910. We probably topped out somewhere around 85F in our area & by the time we made it back to the car from the cemetery Kelly had a headache from the heat. The sun just seemed to ignite your skin everytime it touched you. I've heard it called a dry heat down here but I think it's more like a fry heat. Thank heavens for A/C in the car. The heat must have been brutal in the old days in these parts. Hard to comprehend people out in the hot sun digging holes in the hardened ground searching for silver, gold, & copper, day after day. I'm sure it led many to early graves. From Fairbank's we headed west to Whetstone where Kelly had seen a pottery place advertised on TV. Browsed around in there for awhile & thankfully came away empty handed. Headed back down highway 82 past Fairbanks, through Tombstone & south to Bisbee. Stopped along the highway in Bisbee at a scenic look-out & took a few more photos of this picturesque little town in the mountains. And, it seems everytime we go to Bisbee it seems to expand it's boundaries. To-day we stumbled into a little town once known as Warren, but has been annexed by Bisbee so falls under the Bisbee name now. A couple of weeks ago we came across San Jose which is another little town also now under the name of Bisbee. So, for anyone going to Bisbee, be aware that it is made up of 3 separate little towns. Or is it 4. There is another little section on Erie Street that seems to be a whole street complex unto itself & if you find The Bisbee Breakfast Club........you have found Erie Street. The BBC - http://www.bisbeebreakfastclub.com/

Well actually we didn't quite stumble into Warren, I was directed there by someone who has a nose for values & of course an ulterior motive for searching out new places. Before I knew it I was hauled into & dragged through 2 Thrift Stores. Well ok, this time I went willingly.........sort of!! Of course Kelly didn't buy anything & I ended up with 2 Teddy Bears for .75 cents & a $5 lamp. Hey come on, we needed the Teddy Bears to sit on the dash of the motorhome & I was never happy about the reading lamp we had beside the chair in the rig. From the Thrift Stores it was over to Safeway for a few groceries. It was well past my 2 o'clock coffee by this time so grabbed a coffee at Starbucks. I should have known better because I've had their Charbuck coffee before & to me it's just about the worst coffee of ever. And then to add insult to injury they charged me $1.74 for a small cup. No wonder they are closing their stores across the country. Bad coffee & bad prices!! I'll be glad to get me a good old Tim Horton's coffee when we get back to Canada.

Finally made it home to the ranch about 3:45 & it was soooooo hot that the water coming out of the garden hose to water the trees was turning to steam before it hit the ground.
Well, almost....................................................................

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SERGEANT JOHN & HIS HUDSON HORNETS

REMEMBER THEM BIG BACK SEATS YEARS AGO:))


We first met Sergeant John back in December last year when Kelly posted a question on the RV Net Forum http://www.rv.net/forum/ about boondocking spots around Sierra Vista Arizona. John responded on the forum saying he lived in the area & worked at nearby Fort Huachuca so new the area well & daily traveled the very road we were presently boondocking near. We corresponded with him back & forth for a bit & John dropped in to see us one Friday afternoon on his way home to Elfrida from Sierra Vista. He extended an invitation for Kelly & I to drop in & see him & his wife after we got settled in our McNeal ranch sitting job. To-day we dropped in & met John again, his lovely wife Jackie, & their cute little dog, Mattie. She's a little peach. THIS 1951 HUDSON HORNET HAS HAS WON MANY AWARDS & APPEARS ON VARIOUS CAR WEBSITES


John is a car buff & his two vintage Hudson Hornets have been a big part of his life for quite a few years. Lovingly cared for they have won many awards & been to countless car shows across the country. John once had the largest Hudson website on the internet.......until AOL pulled the rug out from under many subscribers a few years back & he lost the whole site. Much of it was backed up but John just hasn't got around to setting it all up again. WHEN CARS WERE CARS


The cars had been under winter wraps in John's large garage until to-day. The dusty covers came off & the Hudson's came out. A gun metal blue & gray 1951 Hudson Hornet & a pale yellow & green 53 Hornet. The 53 actually came from Saskatchewan Canada & John drove up their to trailer it back. The farmer he bought it from actually sent him the front license plate a couple of months later. You can see it in to-day's photo album. THIS 53 HUDSON HORNET CAME FROM SASKATCHEWAN CANADA


It's been awhile since I was around older cars & despite being about 8 years old when these cars were popular they did bring back memories for me. The overall rounded design of the car reminded me of the Chevs, Fords, & Dodges of that era as well. The big chrome grills, large whitewall tires, wrap around sun visor, & the big hood ornament. They all had hood ornaments back in those days as well as big chrome bumpers. The cloth designed & soft cushy seats, big round chrome centered steering wheel, the large round speedometers, & the big thumping bass sound of the single speaker in the middle of the dash. These were the days when cars were cars & quality meant what it said. No shortcuts, no plastic pieces, no back room politics about giving the consumer minimum amount of product for maximum amount of money. Those were the days when you trusted the cars your neighbor built. Those were the waning days of the last great decade of trust. Those Hudson Hornets came from the 1950's. And those Hudson Hornets in John's garage to-day were just about as new as the day they were made. And that was nearly 60 years ago & that says something about quality!!
A VIEW FROM THE BACK SEAT OF THE 53


Jackie & John live in the little burg of Elfrida north of Douglas, Arizona. They have a class A motorhome & generally travel in the summer months. They have covered all of the lower 48 States. John says the Army had occasionally sent him on training classes around the country & when that happened they took their RV with them. Great way to travel & see the country. This summer they heading over to California. KELLY'S NEW PAL, MATTIE

We don't often socialize a whole lot but I must admit it was nice to actually be sitting in a real stick house again to-day talking to some interesting people. Second day in a row for us & we're beginning to feel like social butterflies. When your living in an 8 x 33 box day after day it kind of blows you away when you step into someone's real house. Their kitchen is huge and they even have a real full size rec room basement under their house. I can't even remember the last time I was in a rec room basement. I had one in a new house a long time ago when I lived in Stratford, Ontario & it was my favorite place to hang out. Cool in the summer & warm in the winter. No outside noise & what a great place to run & hide when your wife had things for you to do. JACKIE & JOHN AT HOME IN THEIR COMFY LIVINGROOM


Yep, that basement brought back some memories alright, just like them there Hudson
Hornets......................


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TO-DAY WE MET 2 INCREDIBLE PEOPLE & THEIR 106 LEGGED FAMILY

ROSANNA & HER BEST PAL & MOM, CAROL

On our journey through life we occasionally meet some fascinating people along the way who turn out to be true kindred spirits. And so it was this morning as we met 2 big horses, 3 mini horses, 4 curious goats, 3 inquisitive sheep, 5 exuberant dogs, 9 passive cats, 1 large feathered & sometimes noisy blue/gold McCaw, a rather handsome & lengthy King snake, & of course 2 wonderful spring chickens named Carol & Rosanna. Actually, Carol & Rosanna are the human Mother & Daughter side of the Paws & Hooves ranch near Sunizona, Arizona. And yes, definitely spring chickens.
MMMMMM, I LOVE MY OATS

Can't exactly remember how we first came across the Paws & Hooves ranch but I'm thinking it was probably from an RV website or fellow bloggers about 4 months ago. A chance encounter with fellow RV'ers Doug & Joanne http://www.mytripjournal.com/ourdream in Yuma last December brought the P&H ranch to the forefront as Doug & Joanne were good friends of Carol & Rosanna. That meeting in Yuma also directly led us to our ranch sitting job here near McNeal Arizona where we met Jeannie & Ray who of course were very good friends of the P&H ranch as well. We soon began emailing back & forth with Rosanna & that eventually led to our visit to-day. And, another chance meeting on the internet with a lady in Wisconsin turned out to be Rosanna's sister, Donna. Yes, I know this is all a bit complicated & I'm not even sure if I have it all straight but I it never ceases to amaze me how a lot of scattered & random RV people are all interconnected somehow. It's a very small world out here on the road indeed.
MY NAME'S PAL & I'M THE BIG NUMBER ONE YARD BOSS AROUND HERE!!


Everyone we met spoke highly of Carol & Rosanna & without exception everyone said the same thing..."you just have to meet Carol & Rosanna, they are the best people ever!!" And so this morning we took a drive up to Sunizona & the Paws & Hooves ranch to meet the ladies. Carol is Rosanne's Mother & at 85 she truly is a spring chicken. They are genuine animal lovers & all the critters on their ranch have been rescued from bad situations at one time or another. These are dedicated people & look after all the critters on a daily basis. And they care for these animals with all the love you could ever imagine. SO, YOU NEVER SEEN AN ALIEN BEFORE??

We first met Fred the King snake. A rather lengthy fellow residing in a large glass case in the living room. Fred was just in the early days of waking up from his winter's hibernation. A rather handsome fellow as he slowly moved about in his environment looking for a snack. An ear piercing screech brought our attention around to a large blue & gold McCaw sitting in a big cage near a window. His name was Chile & I think he figured we were paying too much attention to Fred. All this time little Tooti the wee dog was dancing around us nervously barking. I'm sure she considered us intruders. I can't remember all the cats names but some were sleeping & some welcomed us with open paws. Wow, this was just our kind of place.
MY NAME'S FRED....WHAT'S YOURS


Outside we met 3 mini horses, & what sweet little fellows they were as they nuzzled up to the fence for a pat on the nose. All the critters on the ranch have names but being on the north side of 60 now, my memory didn't retain them all. The goats & sheep kept their distance but they followed us everywhere with those slotted & mysterious alien eyes. All the while in the barnyard we were accompanied by a large friendly dog who's name was Pal. He is the official yard boss. Next was 2 large horses with one being an Appaloosa. Rosanna fed them & it was funny to see them toss the loose hay on the ground to get at the oat kernels in the bottom of the feeder. Carol was busy topping up the water tanks.
THE ANIMALS ON THE FARM COME FROM RESCUE CENTERS


In the large front yard 3 big friendly dogs just about bust the fence down trying to get our attention. These guys were really hyped for our affection so Rosanna opened the gate & turned em loose. We were nearly bowled over with frantically wagging tails, large jumping paws, & big slurpy smooches. These guys were wired & I loved it. Dogs are my all time favs. Dogs I can bond with.....we have a lot in common:)) GET OVER HERE MISTER & I'LL PUT A SLURPY ON YA


And what is it that holds this magical animal farm to-gether? Well, "you just have to meet Carol & Rosanna, they are the best people ever." You have to see the love that comes from these two to-wards their animal family. They are dedicated hard workers. At one point I saw Carol carrying a long iron fence post across the yard. Did I mention Carol is 85:)) They told us about the diamond back rattlesnake they had living in their shed for awhile. They let it be & it let them be after Rosanne had a talk with it. The snake lived there until the local vet moved it for them while out at the ranch on a call. Rosanna is an avid & serious hiker having done the Grand Canyon twice, top to bottom. And rafted down the Colorado River through the canyon as well. She has hiked trails in Europe & is out once a week on long hikes in the nearby Dragoon & Chiricahua mountains. In the gloom & doom of our worldly times the personalities of these 2 ladies is like a big breath of fresh air, a warming ray of sunshine, or just a great big glass of feeling good. It was truly an honor for us to meet the whole warm hearted 110 legged Paws & Hooves crew to-day. And one with no legs.........see, I didn't forget ya Fred.........................ssssssssssssssss:))


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