TRAVEL WITH THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

FOUND SOME INDIAN MORTEROS & A GRAVE SITE TODAY

THREE INDIAN MORTERO GRINDING HOLES

To answer Thom’s comment in yesterday’s blog about unhooking water on cold night’s. We have a plastic quick disconnect on the rig so I always turn off the water at the ground tap & then disconnect the hose at the rig because those plastic parts will freeze & break pretty quick. We always have water in our fresh water tank & just switch over to that each night until the sun thaws out the water hose next morning. Tap on, re-connect & away we go for another day:))

HEADING OUT THIS MORNING FOR THAT BARE BUNCH OF ROCKS JUST OVER THE MOTOR HOME IN THE BACKGROUND

The blog reader folks over near Sierra Vista found these last few night’s too cold for their liking so have high tailed it over to Quartzsite Az. We might meet then in Borrego Springs, California sometime later in the season.

FOUND THIS GRAVESITE IN THE MOUNTAINS TODAY

Decided to return to the little canyon in the Swisshelm Mountains just a few miles from us to the east. We had driven up there last week but ran into a couple of hunters so didn’t hang around. This morning we luckily found where the road continues even further towards the base of the mountain. We had missed that last time.

WE’RE GONNA HEAD FOR THAT ROCK FACE

What a great test for the Jeep these roads are & I must say I am so pleased with the way that little Jeep handles itself. It has been a great teacher & has already taught me some new driving techniques. I have learned not to bother with the clutch & brake on really rough terrain & just the let the Jeep handle itself in 4 wheel drive 1rst gear. No need to lay on much gas going up & over ditches, creek beds or wash outs & same thing with not touching the brakes coming down sloping areas. The sure footed little Mountain Goat just drives itself steadily along. Guess it’s like easing up on the reins of a horse & letting it have it’s head to lead the way. Same thing with the Jeep. Ease off the gas, brakes & clutch & let it have it’s head. Only thing for me to do is steer with my left hand & take pics with my right:))

KELLY SCOUTS THE ROAD AHEAD

We would not have seen any of the rugged territory we saw today if we had not had a 4 wheel drive vehicle…..& especially a Jeep. I can’t even begin to tell you how pleased I am with the darned little boxy looking thing. Definitely one of my favorite vehicles of all time. Me & that Jeep are big buddies for sure……10-4!!

The area we were hiking today is prime rattlesnake territory & even though they are supposed to all be underground now in hibernation, you just never know. My eyes are always scanning the ground ahead of where we are walking & my ears are always on high alert for any kinds of sounds in the grass or rocks around us. I would not be comfortable walking in this area during the summer when the snakes are out for sure!!

After clambering around a large bouldered area of the Swiss Helms we came across what we think are Indian Morteros. We have seen these before in the Southwest. They are grinding holes. Stones were used to grind various seeds to pulp & after a time these grinding stones wore round holes into the rock. Seeds could be dumped in the hole & then ground with a stone. As you look at the round holes in the photos let your imagination take you back hundreds of years to a time when tribal Indians roamed these very lands across Prairies, Valleys & Mountains. Indian Villages would be located very close to these Morteros because this is where the woman would spend endless hours each day grinding the corn meal to powder. As you look at these photos just envision the Indian women sitting there on these rocks working away with their grinding stones.

KELLY FINDS THE FIRST MORTERO’S ATOP THIS FLAT ROCK TO THE RIGHT OF CENTER

LARGE BOULDER IN THE CLEARING CONTAINED THE FOLLOWING MORTEROS

What fascinating lands these are & what fascinating periods of history we sometimes stumble across. Just another great day spent outdoors hiking & exploring the wonders & magic of Mother Nature. For me, it just doesn’t get much better than spending quality time in these beautiful & natural surroundings of the great American Southwest.

THAT’S THE SULPHUR SPRINGS VALLEY WAY OUT THERE WITH THE MULE MOUNTAINS ON THE LEFT & THE BEGINNING OF THE DRAGOON MOUNTAINS ON THE RIGHT

Just noticed Merri & Steve from OUR COFFEE CAFÉ have joined us on our travels as blog supporters. Welcome aboard folks. I had a look at Merri & Steve’s site & I think some of you ‘Foody Folks are going to like their blog. Grab your appetite & head on over to say ‘Howdy:))’

We’re off to the Vet again in the morning with the Motormouse. She would be a little embarrassed about her problem & probably wouldn’t want me to mention it in the blog. She’s asleep beside me right now & maybe I can sneak in the reason before she wakes up, climbs on my lap & has a look to see what I’m writing about today. Motor has developed a sometimes common problem with certain dogs & it’s called an anal sack. It is a small swelling near her rear end. Not life threatening but something that has to be attended to. She doesn’t even know she has it & we sure as heck haven’t told her about it either. She thinks she’s going to the Vet for a relaxing Pedicure & a handful of doggy treats. Well, she still may get the treats alright but the ‘handful’ may end up having a very different meaning for her. I will let you all know tomorrow night what it was all about.

PARKED THE JEEP & WALKED UP THE PATH

SPOTTED OUR RIG ABOUT 3 MILES AWAY OUT IN THE VALLEY BELOW…

GROANER’S CORNER:(( There was an old man sitting on his porch watching the rain fall. Pretty soon the water was coming over the porch and into the house.
The old man was still sitting there when a rescue boat came and the people on board said, "You can't stay here you have to come with us."
The old man replied, "No, God will save me." So the boat left. A little while later the water was up to the second floor, and another rescue boat came, and again told the old man he had to come with them.
The old man again replied, "God will save me." So the boat left him again.
An hour later the water was up to the roof and a third rescue boat approached the old man, and tried to get him to come with them.
Again the old man refused to leave stating that, "God will save him." So the boat left him again.
Soon after, the man drowns and goes to heaven, and when he sees God he asks him, "Why didn't you save me?"
God replied, "You dummy! I tried. I sent three boats after you!!"

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

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

Monday, November 22, 2010

THE VET RESCHEDULES THE LITTLE MOTORMOUSE

YEP, WE HAVE SOME CUTE CRITTERS IN THESE PARTS ALRIGHT

Temps dropped below freezing last night & our outside water hose froze up again so I had better get myself into the habit of unhooking that hose from the rig every night now.

FLYING OUR OUTSIDE MAT IN A BIG ARIZONA WIND

We loaded up the little Motormouse for her 11 a.m. Vet appointment & headed for Douglas Arizona this morning. Nice drive down the valley surrounded by mid morning mountain ranges. Never is much in the way of traffic around these parts & I absolutely love that. Welcome to southern Arizona:))

THE LITTLE MOUSE HEADS FOR THE VET THIS MORNING

Needed groceries so popped into the Walmart Supercentre. There is a McDonald’s at the entrance so we dropped in for a coffee & a bite. I always think of Bruce & Margie now when I walk into a McDonald’s for breakfast because that is what they liked to do in the mornings. There were 18 people in the restaurant & 16 of them were Mexican folks including the 2 lady staff members.

I THINK THESE FOLKS IN THE WALMART PARKING LOT WERE ABOUT READY TO HEAD ON DOWN THE ROAD

Did I mention Douglas is a border town but we have never seen anything or ever really heard anything bad about Douglas like you do other border towns. Douglas is kind of a tired town that has some fine examples of southwestern architecture. I don’t think of Douglas as a city. It’s more like a big sleepy easy going town & we have found most of the Mexican folks friendly. But, going back to McDonalds……one of the staff ladies was on her cell phone while cooking & it turned out to be our longest McDonald wait of ever. While finally eating our breakfast, Kelly’s cell phone rang & it was the Vet’s Office calling to re-schedule the little Motormouse’s appointment to Wednesday at 10. It was the Vet’s wife & she was in the process of taking her husband to emerge because a Gerbil had gone crazy & tore off both her husband’s legs & threw him through the garage door….Ok, Ok, that never really happened, but she was taking her husband to Emerge because of severe pain in one of his feet. The little Motormouse’s condition is not serious so Wednesday will be just fine & the Motor was just happy to be out for her very first Jeep ride with Mom & Dad. Kelly had to hold on to her real tight over the bumpy roads until we reached pavement because the little Monkey might have bounced right out the window. I nearly fell out of the Jeep 3 times myself:))

IT’S A LONG WAIT FOR US GUYS WHILE MOM’S IN THE GROCERY STORE

We were back to the rig by 12:30 & unloaded our 4.6 tons of groceries. I was just able to make it to the Elfrida Photo Group by 1 o’clock. Nice to see familiar faces there since I attended the last meeting back in January. Jean & Ray, founding members of the group were in place with their welcoming smiles. Well, Jean had a big smile anyway. Ray was busy dealing with a Scorpion sting. I forgot to bring home a flyer but the Group is having a Photo Show in Sunsites on Dec. 3rd. Hey Ray, can you wing one of those flyers across the valley about the times & location. And yep it’s true, Ray really was stung by a Scorpion yesterday. He has also had to dispatch a few rattlesnakes on their property over the years too.

OFF LOADING SOME TRIMMED PINE BRANCHES A FEW DAYS AGO

Our travels may take us into the Bisbee & Sierra Vista area tomorrow. Nothing final yet but we might be meeting up with some RV folks & long time blog readers. Wednesday is a return to the Douglas Vet & Thursday just might find us back up in the Chiricahua mountains again. Yaaay team:))

HEADING ON UP THE LANEWAY

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Once there was a girl who wanted a boyfriend. Her mom wanted to help her, so she set up a blind date for her daughter. When the girl got back from the date she said "That was the worst night of my life!"
"Why is that?" her mom asked.
"He owns a 1922 Rolls Royce!"
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"He's the original owner mom!"

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

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

Sunday, November 21, 2010

A FULL MOON, A STAR FILLED NIGHT SKY, AND A CAMPFIRE:))

NIKON D50… 700mm TELESCOPE LENS AT 1/4000 SEC SHUTTER SPEED… COLLAGE DONE IN PICASA 3

WAITING FOR TONIGHT’S FULL MOON

We finally have a smattering of white puffy clouds in the big blue Arizona sky & that adds character to the day & makes for scenic photos. You also need clouds for beautiful sunrises & sunsets.

OUR BACK YARD:))

Loaded ourselves into the Jeep this morning & headed on down the long bumpy road to the little town of Elfrida for a good old Sunday morning breakfast. You have to understand that eating places in small dusty wind blown western towns are not exactly like eating at your high end city fancy schmancy restaurants. Sometimes these little places are lucky if they have two chairs that match. Your probably not going to get a tablecloth & you sure won’t get some ear ringed waiter guy in tights flitting around your table either. I like these little hole in the wall places & feel quite at home with the mismatched silverware & tattered window shades. And, if ya have to lean over & blow a little dust of the table, well, that’s alright too:))

THE ‘GROTTO’ ALONG THE ECHO CANYON TRAIL

We have a bit of a busy morning coming up Monday so decided to just grab some R&R again today. Have to take the little Motormouse into Douglas to see the Vet at 11, grab some groceries at Wally World & then I’m hoping to pop into the Elfrida Photo Group in the afternoon. Same group I attended all the time we were down in this area last winter. And, one day this coming week we plan to head back to the Chiricahua National Monument to do another scenic trail. There is also a Jeep tour in the wind with friends & fellow Jeep owners early in December. And, a big move is coming up…….. but we won’t be the ones moving.

We are soooooo much enjoying the freedom of this Cradlepoint router & I really like the fact that neither of our laptops are tethered to anything. We can carry the lappers outside if we want too. A really nice side benefit we hadn’t counted on is the increased reception power. When we first set up last Sunday we had 2 green Verizon bars which was adequate but the blog took a long time to publish. We hooked up our Wilson antennae & that solved the slower connection speed problem pushing Verizon up to 3 & 4 green bars. But, now with the Cradlepoint Router acting as an antennae as well, we no longer need the Wilson antennae up on the roof so took it down this morning. Methinks if the router & Wilson antennae worked together we might be able to even bring in the Space Shuttle or Moon Base Alfa. D’ya think:)) Also nice to not have the Verizon modem not plugged into the lap top & sticking out the side or back where it could get bumped to bits. That modem is now plugged safely into the out of the way router itself. Nice:))

A LAST REST STOP BEFORE PUSHING ON TO THE END OF THE TRAIL

THE FINAL LEG OF THE HIKE AND AT LAST…. THE JEEP:))

Now, to answer a few more questions. Our new header picture in the Chiricahuas was a team effort with me, Mr. Self Timer & Mr. Small Portable Tri-Pod guy all working together to create the photo. Do I use a polarizing filter? Yes, sometimes but wasn’t using it in the Chiricahua pics. I do have UV filters on both camera lenses though & yes, both cameras are Nikon DSLR’s Yes, our Jeep is a 6 cylinder, 6 speed stick shift standard transmission vehicle. (and we love it) No, we don’t know how long we will be staying in these southeast Arizona parts. And, why don’t we like RV Parks? Well, I’m not going to touch that one with a 10 foot pole, but if you follow our blog for any length of time….you will understand:))

THIS MORNING’S WALK

ED FREY first came across my desktop sometime this past summer. He had somehow stumbled across our blog about our times at the ranch this past couple of years The mention of the Sulphur Springs Valley perked his interest. Ed attended school in Douglas & still has relatives in the area. He was in Douglas a short while ago to attend a school reunion & passed up this way through McNeal just a few weeks before we left Ontario. He dropped a book off at the ranch for me to read at that time & this morning I started into that book entitled, ‘Chasing Rainbows And Similar Acts Of Foolishness’ written by W.D. “Arizona” Kennedy. I’m half way through it already because I love these kinds of books written by down to earth people about their life & times as they remember it. Reminds me of another book I read last year by another Sulphur Springs feller, Walter Swan, who wrote, ‘'me 'n Henry. I like these books because they are written by ordinary everyday people in a truthful fashion. No fiction stuff!! Their memories take place years ago in the very area we are right now. A great look into the past in a way that I like to read about the past. Hope we can meet Ed on his trip back down through the valley on his way home to Nevada in a few months. He’s up around Silver City New Mexico somewhere at the moment. Gotta get his book back to him…. I think he’s got family in there:))

ANOTHER GREAT DAY FOR LISTENING TO, 'THE SON’S OF THE PIONEERS’

Checked the internet for the full moon time in the area, set up my camera’s & tri-pods & waited for the moon to come up over the Swisshelm Mountains. Kelly got a campfire going as well as the BBQ. Real darn nice way to wind down the day….10-4:))