DROPPED IN TO SEE A COUPLE FELLOW RVing BLOGGERS TODAY:))

A LOW MIST ON THE DESERT FLOOR JUST AFTER SUNRISE

Again, a very welcome warmer night and morning. . Oodles & Ooodles of sunshine all day long and we pushed to nearly 70 which felt more like 80 in the sun.  Just another great El Perfecto Arizona weather day.

 

FIRST THING THIS MORNING LADY WAS AT THE DOOR WAITING FOR PHEEBS TO COME OUT AND PLAY

We were quite the social Butterflies earlier today as we headed the short distance into Ajo for groceries.  We knew Ed from THE PEREGRINATING GREYBEARD was hanging out at the AJO HEIGHTS RV PARK so stopped around to see him. 

First met Ed just over a year ago when we were property sitting just east of Elfrida at the foot of the Swisshelm Mountains.  We hadn’t met Ed’s dog Patches before so that was quite a treat to meet another gentle & loving member of the great Canine society.  Ed’s having a few medical problems but other than that he’s hanging in there with a positive attitude.  Always nice to touch base with folks.

 

PATCHES IS A REAL SWEETY PIE

It was a short hop across the road to Olsens IGA grocery store for some groceries.  Stopped by the in-store Café for breakfast as well.  Tried me some biscuits & gravy.  Chased that down with a couple pieces of home made deep fried chicken fingers.  My kind of brekky:))

We knew another Blogging RV Boondocker was nearby so Ed told us where to find him out on Darby Well Road.  We had met Boonie from OCCUPATION OF INDEPENDENCE 3 years ago one time up in Silver City New Mexico.  This morning he was camped just across from the spot we were first settled in about a month & a half ago. 

 

Boonie has two doggy Pals, Poncho & Coffee Girl.  Coffee Girl has the exact same personality and looks quite similar to the Pheebs.  She’s just a energetic ball of friendly energy.

 

<<< COFFEE GIRL

Be sure to read Boonie’s account of his missing Poodle entitled SAD STORY AT BOOK CLIFF.  Had us a chat with Boonie for awhile & then it was off to our rig to get our groceries out of the hot Jeep.  If we stay in the area for any length of time we may get to see Ed & Boonie again.  Maybe even Patches, Poncho & Coffee Girl:))

I like to take Pheebs for short walks in the afternoon.  We can strike off in any direction from the rig & wander among the green foliage of the Sonoran Desert.  Because of my energy drain these days I have had to keep our walks shorter.

  

Kelly was able to get in touch with my Nurse Practitioner’s office back home in Goderich Ontario today.  They said to fax all my Tucson hospital medical records to them.  Because of the longer waiting times in Canada we are hoping appointments can be set up now for April rather than waiting until we get home which could put us months behind.

 

LIKE THE SMOOTH GREEN BARK OF THE PALO VERDE TREES

 

  

 

COLOR IN THE DESERT

The Last Paragraph:  As any long term successfully happy couple knows, decisions are shared.  Whether it be the model of a new car, color of tiles for the kitchen floor, financial planning or destination of travel, things are always discussed and worked out.  Always.  My disinterest in Quartzsite this year does not mean we will not end up there.  It just means I will not get my own way again.  I may not be too good at cooking & stuff but I am pretty good at compromising……and that’s OK:))

KELLY CATCHES A FEW RAYS THIS AFTERNOON

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Co-workers sympathized as my mother complained that her back was really sore from moving furniture.
"Why didn't you wait till your husband got home?" someone asked.
"I could have," my mother told the group," but the couch is easier to move if he's not on it."

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-Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
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.

WE LOVE THE GREEN SONORAN DESERT:))

ORGAN PIPE CACTUS AND 2 YOUNG SAGUAROS AT LEFT

 

Sunday night’s post title said we were back in the land of giant Saguaros but after publishing it I realized I never put in a photo of one single Saguaro.  Today’s post takes care of that little oversight:))

  

SUNRISE AT DARBY WELLS

A pitter pattering of raindrops upon our roof caught my attention Sunday night around 9.  Continued on & off again through the night.  Not a heavy rain, just a pitter patter.  Ground didn’t even appear wet this morning & how nice the aroma from sweet smelling Creosote bushes after a light rain.  I was outside at 7:45 in pajamas & house coat with shovel & rake in hand cleaning up loose gravel and stones around our campsite.  Sooooo great not to have neighbors:))

 

WE ARE DEFINITELY IN SAGUARO LAND

How nice it is not to have our heaters going full blasters all night just to stay warm.  Kept our Blue Flame heater on low & there was no chill in the air at all.  Weatherman is calling for clearing skies this afternoon.

 

TEDDY BEAR CHOLLA & A GROUP OF SAGUAROS

Great to be back walking among the tall green Saguaro cactus in the Sonoran desert again this morning.  Pheebs loves bounding along the sandy washes & up the rock strewn banks through the Mesquite, Palo Verde trees & Barrel Cactus.  Minutes after returning from our walk she was sacked out on my bed.

Despite needing a few groceries in Ajo we decided to just stay put & soak up the peace & desert serenity surrounding us.  No need to rush off anywhere.

Kelly’s kind of been rattling my chain to stop in Quartzsite so she can pick up a few things but I have been rattling the chain right back saying up till a couple years ago we had been there 4 years in a row & besides, who needs all that chaotic people madness.  Like Las Vegas, glad we experienced it when we did but I don’t see no darned good reason to go back no more.

DARBY WELLS ROAD RUNS RIGHT THROUGH THE DESERT

 

HEDGEHOG & BARREL CACTUS

Question in our Shout Box wondering where we are going for the next 5 weeks.  Short answer….don’t know.  Only stop we might make for sure is Slab City to have Solar Mike check out a few small problems with our Solar system.  Other than that, who knows.  We’re in Ajo right now but for how long we have no idea yet.  Could be a couple days or a couple weeks.  Whenever the Spirit moves us….we’ll move.

 

THESE 2 ARE FOR YOU RV SUE….PHEEBS IS WONDERING WHERE SPIKE AND BRIDGET WENT

Finally remembered to put our solar panels up about 1 o’clock this afternoon & hoisted our flags while I was at it.  So easy setting up our satellite TV dish now with the new tripod.  Almost doesn’t seem fair when things are so easy.  Definitely not normal!! 

The Last Paragraph:  Well, well, well, couldn’t believe it but just minutes ago they announced on a B.C. news channel Tim Hortons is going to bring their coffee cup sizes in line with other coffee shops.  Boy, have I been ranting about that for a long time!!!!  Here is just one of my posts and my rant begins about a third of the way down….TIM HORTONS....THE DUMBING DOWN OF CANADIAN COFFEE DRINKERS.

A CANDID SILHOUETTE OF KELLY AGAINST MONDAY NIGHT’S SUNSET >>>

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A little boy went up to his father and asked: "Dad, where did all of my intelligence come from?"
The father replied, "Well son, you must have got it from your mother, because I still have mine."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
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.

BACK TO THE LAND OF GIANT SAGUAROS:))

PHOTO TAKEN WITH AL’S CAMERA BY TERRY FROM GYPSY LIFE JOURNAL

I always consider it a bonus if I am able to sleep in to 5 a.m.  Kind of sad seeing Ranch dogs Gleason & Pearce stretched out sound asleep on our living room floor this morning knowing it was the last night for now that we would have Pheebs & Motor’s best Pals in for a sleep over.

 

SUNRISE AT THE RANCH

Being a nostalgic kind of guy I walked around the Ranch grounds at sunrise this morning saying goodbye to the Donkeys, Charlie the Cat and the Chickens.  At this age & stage of the game and with things being the way they are these days one never knows what the future holds or if we will even be back this way again.  Plans change and temporary good-byes can be final sometimes.  On the upside….we may very well be back to the Ranch in 5 weeks:))

  

AW COME ON GUYS HOW ABOUT GIVING THE PHEEBS SOME

Had the Jeep hooked up and ready to roll by 8:35.  Terry & Martha were out with their cameras & we are grateful to them for taking a few photos of the Bayfield Bunch together as a family.  It is rare for us to be in one picture all at the same time.  We have always regretted we never did get a nice family photo of us when Max & Checkers were still alive.

 

GOOD BYE SMOOCHES FOR THE POOCHES

At 8:45 it was a final round of hugs and good-byes.  Waved to Gleason & Pearce just as Martha pointed out the Donkeys were braying a loud good bye from the field.  A short minute later we were out the gate in a slow cloud of dust & headed on down the road.

 

We had an interesting moody sky overhead as the rig rolled west up Davis Road.  So nice to see sun splashes playing across the Valley floor & along the surrounding mountain sides.  Slipped through Tombstone & the ghost town of Fairbank on our way to Benson & Interstate 10.  A quick stop for fuel and an Egg McMuffin at McDonalds had us on the fast track for Tucson.

HEADING WEST TOWARDS THE GHOST TOWN OF FAIRBANK

Passed the sign for Tucson’s International Airport where we dropped Aunt Jean off a few days ago.  Passed LAZYDAYS RV where we had our new toilet installed in December and passed the nearby University of Arizona Hospital where I ended up in Emerge just over a month ago.  With two medical appointment follow-ups we got to know the neighborhood well.  In fact, our turn off today onto Ajo Way west was only a block from the Hospital.

CAUGHT A WIND MILL ON THE FLY FOR YA MIKE:))  

Didn’t take us long to swing through the south end of Tucson & head ourselves back out into the desert.  Always a good feeling for me to be away from any built up city area.  We were once again on one of my favorite Arizona drives & half an hour west of Tucson we passed all the big Observatories atop KITT PEAK.  We both commented on the abundant green scenery while motoring through the Sonoran Desert with it’s countless Saguaro Cactus stands stretching over hill & dale.

WEST OF KITT PEAK

Couple of hours later we passed memorable HICKIWAN TRAILS RV PARK and rolled into Why Arizona.  This is another great memory area for the Bayfield Bunch.  A right hand turn led us up to Darby Wells road just south of Ajo and how nice to see the dust swirling up behind us again as we swung off the highway into another great scenic area full of tall green Saguaro Cactus, flower tipped Ocotillas, smooth green barked Palo Verde Trees,  prickly Teddy Bear Cholla cactus with Creosote bushes and Mesquite trees making for a welcome & refreshingly lush green landscape.  We hear the Spring flowers in this area are incredible.

GOT US A TIRED LITTLE DOGGY TONIGHT

Was hoping our old spot from a month ago near Boondocker Rick would still be empty but I wasn’t too optimistic figuring the area would be flooded with after Christmas Snow Birds.  Coming around a bend I saw Rick’s Casita & Jeep sitting in their same spot atop a hill.  And, just south of him I could see our old spot was……empty:))  Stopped on the main dirt road & unhooked the Jeep.  Minutes later I was lumbering up a rocky loose graveled road with the Motorhome through scratchy Mesquites carefully crafting some new desert pin stripping on the sides of the rig.  I like when that happens:))  A big wave from Rick as he recognized our rig ascending the rocky road.

IT’S MY TOY PHEEBS…….SO GIVE IT ME!!!!!!!!!!

We were barely stopped in our spot when Pheebs was out the door just a running.  Coming down the hill from across the way was Ricks dog Lady and seconds later the two best Pals were jumping, jostling & jousting just like old times.  Nice to see Rick again.  Some people a feller just takes a liking to right off & Rick is one of those people I liked from the first time I met him.  He was very instrumental in helping and being a good friend to RV SUE AND HER CANINE CREW when she was here awhile back.

   

BOONDOCKER RICK (file pic) & RV SUE’S OLD SPOT JUST AHEAD

Heavy overcast & a tad cool but we are secure in the knowledge we will have warmer nights now that we have come down from the high desert where we were.  Looking forward to warmer temperatures:))

 

Dark now & as I look at my watch I can’t help wondering what Pearce and Gleason are doing right now…………..

And, a special thank you to Terry & Martha from GYPSY LIFE JOURNAL for taking our pictures this morning & later including us in their Blog.  Much appreciated guys:))

THE ONLY PHOTO I MANAGED TO GET OF MARTHA & TERRY THIS MORNING 

 

OUR OLD SPOT ON DARBY WELLS ROAD

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A Ventriloquist with his dummy on a knee starts his act. One bit requires his dummy to tell Dumb-Blonde Jokes. After a few jokes, an angry blonde woman finally stands up and starts speaking her mind.
"I have had it with the stereotyping of all blondes being stupid!" the woman yells, and she continues ranting on about this.
Finally, the ventriloquist says, "Sorry ma'am ..."
The woman cuts him off by saying, "You stay out of this. I'm talkin' to the dummy."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
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.