TONIGHT MARKS OUR FIRST OFFICIAL NIGHT IN THE HOUSE:))

YEP, GONNA HAVE ME A BIG BED TO SLEEP ON TONIGHT

 

I think it was a combination of both mental & physical fatigue that came together knocking both Kelly & I down for the count late Saturday afternoon.  We were tired, we were discouraged & we were happy.  We had been busy all day.  Kelly was out wheeling, dealing, & garage sailing over at North Ranch & I kept my wheelbarrow on the go putting an ever larger dent in our big pile of crushed stone.

 

I’M GETTING THERE, ONE WHEELBARROW AT A TIME:))

When you buy an older house like the one we have, problem solving becomes job 1.  Between the two of us we have been doing reasonably well at handling the daily challenges & unfamiliarity's confronting us.  This is not something new for us.  We did the same thing when we moved into the old farmhouse back in 95.  Did it again with our Bayfield move in 2002 & we’re doing it again now here in Congress.  With our matching ‘let’s get er done’ personalities we have a tendency to fly right into things & I think it was just that flying right into things that temporarily caught up with us Saturday.

JACKIE, JOHN, KELLY, & THE PHABULOUS PHEEBS

I totally fell asleep in my recliner after supper & stayed there the entire night.  Never once looked at my computer.  Never even got out of my clothes into my jammies.  I will blog more about some of the things that have taken place in the last couple days, a bit later.

GIT ALONG LITTLE DOGGY 

Health wise, I have run into a problem.  Readers may remember me complaining a bit about my legs off & on.  Especially last Spring when I had some X-rays etc.  The problem seemed to clear up for the summer, but in late August while working at rearranging our back yard I began having difficulty with my upper right leg & thigh area.  To make a long story short, this problem has steadily been getting worse & I am at a point now where it is difficult for me to walk without the aid of a cane because of the pain in my hip area.  Today in particular, was the worst day I have had. Not wanting to sound like a complainer I have only slightly alluded to this problem a couple times in my posts.  I had been optimistic the problem would clear up ‘any day now’.  Been missing most of our morning walks since we arrived in Congress & am discouraged at the thought of not being able to get out on any of our usual southwest rock scrambles.  Doubly discouraging is the fact I have a lot of enjoyable things I have been looking forward to getting done here on the property.  If I don’t move my leg, I have no pain, but I’ll be dammed if I am just going to sit here like a bump on a log every day. I think I may have a hip going sour on me. 

So, that’s what’s been happening here & I figured I might as well get that out & up front.  It’s one of the reasons I have been stuck taking so many photos around the house & property.  And, one of the reasons my posts lately haven’t included any of our usual day trips, hikes or travels.

---

Monday, I hope to get myself back into blogging mode & posting mood again.  Want to tell you about how friends John & Jackie really helped Kelly & I today, how a washing machine took care of our laundry woes but nearly flooded us out when a plugged drain pipe backed everything up.  A hamburger at the Arrowhead Saloon that made me give silent thanks for my Doctor putting me on Crestor last summer & the wind blows our back door open while we are away….but Pheebs was home, & slips outside looking for Mom & Dad.  Loading heavy mattresses into a pick up truck today & yay, tonight will be our first official night of sleeping in the house.  Monday or Tuesday I hope to answer a few more questions from readers emails, comments, & Shout Box queries.  And Scott, about towing the Jeep, crankcase, transmission, etc, I’ll have an email headed your way shortly:))

OMG!!

And, would you believe it has been warmer back home in Bayfield Ontario than it has been here in Congress Arizona.  We ended up down around the freezing mark Saturday night.  However, we have a pleasant warm up on the way:))

IS THAT REALLY YOU UNDER THAT HAT JOHN??

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A young man asked an old rich man how he made his money.  The old guy fingered his worsted wool vest and said, "Well, son, it was 1932. The depth of the Great Depression. I was down to my last nickel. I invested that nickel in an apple. I spent the entire day polishing the apple and, at the end of the day, I sold the apple for ten cents.  The next morning, I invested those ten cents in two apples. I spent the entire day polishing them and sold them at 5:00 pm for 20 cents. I continued this system for a month, by the end of which I'd accumulated a fortune of $1.37.
Then my wife's father died and left us two million dollars."

-----------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

TRIMMED A FEW TREES, MOVED A LITTLE GRAVEL, GRABBED A FEW ZZZZZZZZZ’S

CLOUDY SKIES OVER CONGRESS ARIZONA

Rain in the desert brings a pleasantly sweet pungent aroma & that was very apparent when I stepped out of the Motorhome under dark cloudy skies this morning. It comes from the many Mesquite trees & shrubs growing here.

OUR FRONT YARD AREA NEXT TO GHOST TOWN ROAD

Kelly was off to Wickenburg this morning with a grocery list & a few errands to run. I don't know where that Gal gets all the energy. Pheebs & I held the fort down & I spent my day trimming Mesquite & Palo Verde trees at the front of our property right next to Ghost Town Road. Like I've said before, I generally like to trim trees up to the 6' level so I can walk under them without knocking my hat off or poking myself in the eye with low hanging branches. And I tend to either eliminate or cut in close on the Mesquite shrubs. They are the worst for snagging skin when one walks by. The big Prickly Pear Cactus plants I just generally leave alone with the exception of fishing out the dead stock stuff. I like the looks of them, despite their skewering spikes. Cleaned up the remains of 2 Agave plants but we have 4 left which I hope will survive & grow. Love those Agaves.

 

NICE TO HAVE THESE AGAVE PLANTS IN OUR FRONT YARD

Put a few wheelbarrow loads of stones down but I'm holding off for kind of an unusual reason. I need a long handle shovel & good garden rake for this job. The shovel I have been using is a short handled one we normally carry in the Motorhome. To level out the stones I have been using my foot instead of a garden rake. Now here's the odd part. Leaning against the wall a few feet away I have a brand new never used long handled round mouth shovel & garden rake. Bought them in Wickenburg a few days ago. So, why am I not using them? Well, in case we take them back for a refund. The day we bought the new shovel, garden rake & leaf rake, an email rolled in when we arrived home. Some readers may remember me posting about friends John & Jackie (HUDSON HORNETS) moving from Elfrida Arizona to Congress. The email was from John saying, "can you use any garden tools, I've got shovels rakes, etc". They are due to rumble into Congress this week-end with a whole boat load of stuff so I've been waiting to see what John has in the way of garden tools. We might be able to return the new stuff so I have held off using them.

TRIMMED UP TWO MESQUITES ON THE LEFT & A PALO VERDE TREE ON THE RIGHT

Sooooo nice being outside working on a cloudy day with cooler temperatures. A feller can just keep on going & going without the heat sucking all the energy out of him. I really enjoy creative & constructive yard work so I am one happy camper these days for sure. A darn tired happy camper that is. But, it's a good kind of tired & I like that. We are so fortunate because if we were back in Bayfield with the cold damp weather we'd end up having to just sit in the house looking out the window for most of the winter. No matter what the financial cost of traveling south each season, it pays off a million times over in both the mental & physical departments. I am so lucky to have these projects to work on.

RETIRED ROD, Loyce, & Biscuit made it to Mesa Thursday but not without a lot of something banging on the roof of their Motorhome near Payson Arizona. Banging on the roof of anything is generally not a good sign & Rod will tell you all about what happened.

<<< DOGGY GOING LICKITY SPLIT DOWN THE ROAD

Many of we RVing folks are experiencing the ravages of aging & each individual has their own personal distress list. No, I'm not about to tell you about mine, but you can read Froggi Donna's take on a few ongoing issues she has noticed lately & is dealing with. I think this aging stuff is something we can all identify with. Drop by & see what she has to say about, THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY.

I HAVE HAD TO DO SOME CREATIVE TRIMMING >>>

And for you serious photography buffs out there, you might want to stop by Andy Baird's site & have a read as Andy talks, ABOUT THE PHOTOS.   Professional photographers say, " The mark of an amateur: show everything you've got. Mark of a professional: only show your very best. I guess that kinda puts me somewhere in between the two as an advanced amateur. I'm comfortable there & do try to hold things down to a dull roar in what ends up in my blog. I'm still basically a one shot Charlie though. I do understand the logic of photographing a subject half a dozen times or more & then picking the best one, but that's just taking photography a little too seriously for me, & if I do that, the fun goes out. Maybe it has something to do with my impatience, d’ya think:((

THIS FENCE DIVIDES OUR PROPERTY & I’LL BE GLAD WHEN IT’S GONE

Noticed this morning we have a new Blog Follower. A big southwest welcome to Pia Kaven. We're not doing too much traveling at the moment but if you have a shovel & a wheelbarrow Pia, come on over:))

PHEEBS HAS MADE PEACE WITH THE TEST PATCH OF CRUSHED STONE & LIKES IT NOW…ONCE SHE GETS THE PEANUT BUTTER OUT OF THE KONG:))

GROANER'S CORNER:(( In an effort to motivate the boy into focusing more attention on his schoolwork, the father said to his son, "When Abe Lincoln was your age, he was studying books by the light from the fireplace." And the son's reply, "Dad, when Abe Lincoln was your age, he was The President of The United States!!!"

--------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

AS SOON AS HE DUMPED THE CRUSHED STONE, I THOUGHT…..’OH OH’

 

OUR NEIGHBOR GROWS SUNFLOWERS

Had me one of those early starts today. Went to bed at 10 Wednesday night, woke up 4 hours later & that was it....I was up for the day. Hate when that happens. Finally made it out for a morning walk. Kelly & Pheebs have been out everyday but I missed a few mornings because of a bothersome right leg.

OPENING A GATE TO THE SONORAN DESERT THIS MORNING:))

A white dump truck rolled in about 8:30 this morning with our 8 tons of half inch crushed stone. Soon as he dumped it I knew we had underestimated how much we need & maybe the stone size itself. Next size up they will deliver is 17 tons. One more ton than Tennessee Ernie Ford sang about years ago. Turns out 8 tons was plenty for now because we're just not sure if we like the size. I put a small patch down in front of the porch to walk on for a bit, so we'll see. Pheebs walks around the patch of stones....not a good sign. I did spread some out along the house where I plan to plant Cactus. By the way, thanks to the folks who sent in gardening comments. Guess I better reconsider those Yellow Bells eh. Think I’ll get meself a ‘how to’ book on planting Cactamuses & other South-Western plants.

While cleaning up another room in the house today we found an old torn part of a yellowed Wickenburg newspaper. No date but there was an ad visible for Lewis Motors. An 'Oil Change Special' said oil, filter, & lube...$13.88. A couple cars for sale as well. 1985 Chevy Blazer...$4,495. A 75 Olds Cutless for $1,495. No idea how long ago that might have been but am guessing late 80's.

FIRST LOAD OF STONES GOES DOWN…7.99 TONS TO GO:))

Thanks to Larry C & Hot Shot for letting me know I had duplicated a paragraph in my Wednesday post. I have since fixed that. When editing my finished post I sometimes re-position paragraphs by copy & pasting them. On several occasions I have forgot to 'cut' the original positioned paragraph. Shows you how short term my short term memory can be sometimes. Thanks guys:)) Maybe catch you in Congress next time Larry........

I WILL PROBABLY PUT VARIOUS CACTUS PLANTS ALONG THIS WALL

While standing in his undies, TOM got to see a swat team swing into action pretty much right in front of him. Hours later, he needed some blood work done....but it didn't have anything to do with the swat team or him being in his undies.

<<< YES, WE EVEN HAVE HORSESHOES IN OUR BACKYARD

The American Air Force was busy over Congress again today. I can hear fighter jets training up there but can't see em most times.  With today's heavy cloud cover moving in, some of them were down to the deck a few times in their high speed turns. Somebody with a turned up radio 3 blocks away bothers me but high speed jets overhead.....no problem:))

MY BACKYARD BRUSH PILES ARE GROWING 

And again, just a reminder to folks on Facebook. Because I have been hacked, scammed, & slammed several times, I do not accept friend requests, game requests, birthday calendar stuff, or anything like that, etc. etc. I post my daily blog on Facebook & that's it.

SITTING IN OUR BACKYARD WATCHING AN APPROACHING STORM THIS AFTERNOON

RAINY NIGHT IN CONGRESS

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A woman walked up to a little wrinkled up man rocking in a chair on his porch. "I couldn't help noticing how happy you look", she said. "What's your secret for a happy life?" "I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day," he replied. "I also drink a case of whiskey a week, eat lots of fatty foods, and never ever do any exercise."
"That's amazing, "the woman said. "Exactly how old are you?' "Twenty-six," he said.
---------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

TURNED OFF THE TV & LISTENED TO THE CHICKENS

MORNING SUNRISE OVER THE WEAVER MOUNTAINS
Didn’t take me long to turn the TV off this morning after turning it on.  All the talking heads, both media & political were absolutely running amok with all their post election jabberwocky, predictions, graphs & predictions for the future. Analysis Paralysis.  Panels of ratchet jawed media types all squawking & cackling at the same time.  I much prefer the real chickens & crowing roosters we have right here on Ghost Town Road. So, off it was with the television, tipped back in my recliner & listened to the preferable bliss of our neighbor’s barnyard hen house:))
---
And before I forget, one last thought on all this political stuff.  I thought Donna K over at Travels In Therapy had a fine post on ELECTION DAY THOUGHTS.  Her opinions echo my own, & I’m sure many other folks as well.
--- 
Commenter Phil was interested in the new BBQ we picked up at Camping World last week.  It is a portable O-GRILL 1000.  We have only used it once & it worked fine.  Chose this one because of it’s compact traveling size, lighter weight & it’s easy to carry.
---
I really like the ‘Mission’ recliner Kelly bought the other day. She said there was a second one at the store but it was in need of repair. We weren’t real impressed with the brown/beige recliner she bought so Kelly phoned the lady back & asked if we could swap the brown/beige recliner for the other ‘Mission’ recliner once they repaired it. (a missing bolt or something) Lady said she would do that & this afternoon her Son delivered the other matching recliner….Groovy. I think it might be the first time ever that we had two things that matched. Except for a couple pairs of my socks once a long time ago.

APPARENTLY THESE 2 MATCHING RECLINERS CAME OUT OF A WELL TO DO HOUSE IN WICKENBURG…CHAIRS ARE ONLY SIDE BY SIDE FOR THE PHOTO
Had an email from Marianne at FRUGAL-RV-TRAVEL Tuesday that I’m sure a lot of Boondockers & wannabe Boondockers will be interested in.  Marianne has added a new venture to her site called, BOONDOCKERS WELCOME.  No doubt a nice way to travel for many folks, so be sure to drop by & check it out.  I was sure I had Frugal-RV-Travel on our side bar but checking this morning I see I did not.  I do now:))
---

I am probably going to be a little challenged for traveling blog fodder over the next little while.  Normally, we would be off boondocking somewhere now or at the Ranch down in Cochise County.    Once we get settled into the house we’ll be out & about exploring the areas back roads & attractions around the Congress area again.    Lots of old west history in these parts & we’ll see if we can dig some up.
---
I again spent a fair bit of my time clearing brush this morning.  Kelly worked away at clearing the Motorhome out.  I think she had more stuff packed in there than was possible for the Motorhome to even hold.  Even thought I saw her carry in a kitchen sink.
---
Not at all happy with our new Remington gas weed whacker we bought last week.  Starts fine, runs good, but try to keep the cable in the spool is another story.  For a brand new machine I am very disappointed.  The string was wrapped on the spool incorrectly for starters & it all went downhill from there.  Tried repeatedly to reload the spool but finally gave up.  I am about 2 seconds away from heaving the whole thing over the fence!!!!
---
One of the little problems we have here is tracking dirt into the house every time we come in.  Along with that dirt comes the dreaded Goats Head burrs which stick to our shoes & little doggy paws.  Once inside the house they then imbed themselves into our mats waiting to ambush AL as he comes walking along in his socks later.  I have been painfully ambushed a lot ever since we arrived her a week ago. This afternoon we ordered 8 tons of half inch brick colored crushed stone.  It will arrive Thursday morning between 10 & noon.  I am going to have a very busy wheelbarrow for awhile & I will spread that crushed stone in front of the house & around the sides.  That will take care of the dirt problem & knock some of those Goats Head stickers off our shoes before coming in.  It will impede weed growth as well, & besides, it looks cool.  And for sure, we will have a much cleaner little Rascal Buns.
---

CAN YOU TELL PHEEBS LOVES HER RECLINER
GROANER’S CORNER:((   
If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can get going without pep pills,
If you can always be cheerful and ignore aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when, through no fault of yours, something goes wrong,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can say honestly that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion or politics,
Then, my friend, you are almost as good as your dog:))
-----------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

BYE BYE SOFA, HELLO RECLINERS:))

KELLY’S RECLINER ON LEFT & MY ‘MISSION RECLINER’ ON RIGHT
Finished my brush clearing along the back fence line early this morning. Hoping this will save us a couple dollars. The fence guy doesn't have to do it before starting the fencing. Of course I am getting the cart before the horse because we still have not heard back from the fencing guy. Oh well, when we do, he won't have to waste his fine fence talents clearing pesky brush.

THE OLD RUSTED FENCE RUNS THROUGH THAT CACTUS & I HAVE CLEARED EVERYTHING BACK FROM THE FENCE LINE FOR A COUPLE FEET
By 9 a.m. I moved inside out of the sun & busied myself hanging pictures & putting up some lighting around the front porch. Kelly was off to Wickenburg to do some wheeling & dealing on a couple pieces of furniture. Once a week into town is plenty for me & having just been to Wickenburg Monday, that was enough of that & I was glad to stay home. Fired up the IPod/Bose & had the old house just a swinging. Probably been a few years since Glen Miller, Benny Goodman & the whole crew from the Big Band Era shook the aging rafters in our little Ranch house.  Don’t want to shake em too hard though.  Not a level floor in the place or a square corner anywhere, but it sure suits our lifestyle & we love it. Besides, we are both a little off center ourselves, so the house is a good fit for us:))
 
WE PICKED UP THAT PALM FROND AT THE SALTON SEA LAST WINTER
 
Glad to finally see this day arrive & be over with. Maybe politically minded people can get back to showing a little civilized good will towards one another again. Politics sure have a habit of bringing out some of the worst in people. As we traveled across the States last week & turned our television on at the end of each day it was simply sickening to hear the areas repetitive local politicians trashing each other over & over & over again.  Soap Opera theatrics, gutter sniping, slime balling....& worse. Almost made me want to up & spit on the floor!!  Politics….baaaa Humbug!!
 

KELLY FOUND THIS RATHER UNIQUE DRESSER
Kelly was home about 2:30 & said some furniture was on the way. She had swung a deal with the same place we had bought some stuff last March. We decided over the past few days the sofa we had bought was not comfortable. In Bayfield, we both like our recliners so Kelly swung a deal with the lady to take back the sofa in exchange for a couple recliners. No, not a straight exchange:((   Keep in mind, this is all used furniture I'm talking about here.

AND WHY 3 RECLINERS?  WELL, THERE ARE 3 OF US YOU KNOW
 
Couple fellas showed up about 5 this afternoon with the recliners plus a few other things Kelly had found.  Loaded the sofa onto their utility trailer & they were off back to Wickenburg.

GLAD TO SEE THE SOFA GO, IT JUST WASN’T COMFORTABLE
We spent the next half hour or so playing musical recliners.  What goes best where & who wants what chair.  Finally worked it out & I ended up with a different recliner.  Pheebs ended up with my old recliner & Kelly ended up with her own recliner.  And a good time was had by all:))

Kelly & were very flattered this morning when we read JoAnn Dubrouillet’s 'BAYFIELD' segment of her recent trip to Canada. JoAnn & friends Kathy & Larry visited us back on SEPTEMBER 17TH. Thanks JoAnn & it was great to see you:))

FINALLY GOT OUR NEW BBQ SET UP…COMPLETE WITH A COUPLE STEAKS
GROANER'S CORNER:(( A woman rushed into the supermarket to pick up a few items. She headed for the express line where the clerk was talking on the phone with his back turned to her. "Excuse me," she said, "I'm in a hurry. Could you check me out, please?" The clerk turned, stared at her for a second, looked her up and down, smiled and said, "Not bad.
--------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

WE SPOTTED INDIAN JOE BEFORE HE SPOTTED US

Amazingly enough, I did not take a single photo of anything today.  Tonight’s pics are from a rough & tumble Jeep ride Kelly & I took all the way up to the peak of the Harquahala Mountains last March.  First photo is the tail end of a Red Tailed Hawk I caught with my 300mm lens on the way up.

 

OUR DESTINATION WAS SOMEWHERE ATOP THAT MOUNTAIN RANGE

Today, we spotted Indian Joe before he spotted us. Or, I should say, we spotted his faded old powder blue Ford pick-up truck with it's tell tale yellow tailgate. IJ's truck had been described to us by several folks who highly recommended Indian Joe as an all round handyman, hard worker & one who can be trusted. It's an old house we have & it needs a handyman's touch in many areas. On our way back from Wickenburg today we spotted an old powder blue truck outside the Congress Dollar Store. We knew Indian Joe couldn't be far away & sure enough, with the description of a fellow having a black ponytail, we tracked him down inside near the soups & soap isle. Introduced ourselves & a couple hours later Indian Joe & his friend Cas dropped over to our place.  Did a walk around of things needing attention. He will be getting back to us Thursday. No word from the fence guy yet….& no sign of any Javalinas yet.

WOW, WE MADE IT TO THE TOP

Did manage to get a little weed whacking done this morning before we headed off to Wickenburg for a few stops including Stewart's Hardware, a consignment shop, Alco, Safeway for groceries, Ace hardware, Re-Store (Habit for Humanity) plus a stone & gravel place to have a look at some pea stone.

HIGHEST POINT IN SOUTHWESTERN ARIZONA… ATOP THE HARQUAHALA MOUNTAINS LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION OF CONGRESS ARIZONA

I think we have decided to go with wire fencing across the front of the property, with a driveway gate. We will plant the entire fence line with Sage & Yellow Bells, etc. In a few short years we will have a solid green & flowering privacy hedge all the way across the front & up the sides of our property. In this kind of desert area, folks put in rubber/plastic water drip line tubing about 4" under the surface. A programmed timer comes on each day (especially during the hot dry summer) & adds a bit of moisture to the plant roots. This way, growth is rapid, thick, & goes a long way in assuring the life of everything planted.

IT WAS A LONG HARD ROAD UP & IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG HARD ROAD DOWN

And no, I am not going to complain about the heat. Nope, just not going to do it. Not one little bit even. Just not going to say anything about how hot it is at all. Not a peep, not a squeak. No sireeeeee, not me!!

Again, Nina over at WHEELING IT  has another in a series of informative posts & this one has to do with internet on the road. Getting on & staying on-line is often a touch & go bit of business for RV'ers. Confusing, what kind of a system to go with, equipment to use, what about this contract stuff, Verizon or Millenicom, etc. etc. Don't miss Nina's post...they got themselves some smokin hot solutions & answers over there complete with diagrams to explain things. And, don't forget to read the comments on Nina's post as well. More info there.
 
No problem with the time change this past week-end. Arizona never changes time so there's no moving ahead in the Spring or moving back in the Fall. I like it when things are simple like that. In fact, I seem to like the simpler ways of doing things more & more all the time.

FINGERS CROSSED THAT WE DON’T MEET ANOTHER VEHICLE COMING UP THE MOUNTAIN

Just remembered someone asking about gas prices in our area & I think we paid $3.84 when we filled up the Jeep in Congress a couple days ago. Nice to have a gas pump we can get familiar with. The many varied gas pumps while traveling are always a real challenge. For us, gassing up is always a two people procedure. Kelly does all the credit card number stuff at the pump & I do all the stuffing of gas into the rig itself.

Found out a few more snippets of history on our house here on Old Ghost Town Road.  Built in the mid 50’s by a fellow who worked in the Congress Gold Mine just up the road.  Indian Joe said the house was always rumored to have gold stashed away in it.  Said he knew one of the last owners.  An old Veteran who lived here by himself.  He became ill & was taken to the Vet’s hospital somewhere & never returned.  Some of his Grandchildren moved into the house & trashed the place.  A couple from California bought it, stayed only a year & defaulted on the mortgage.  Enter the Bayfield Bunch:)) 

KELLY WALKS BY THE Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory CONSTRUCTED ON THIS SITE IN 1920 

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man enters a barber shop for a shave. While the barber is foaming him up, he mentions the problems he has getting a close shave around the cheeks.
"I have just the thing," says the barber taking a small wooden ball from a nearby drawer. "Just place this between your cheek and gum."
The client places the ball in his mouth and the barber proceeds with the closest shave the man has ever experienced. After a few strokes the client asks in garbled speech, "And what if I swallow it?" "No problem," says the barber. "Just bring it back tomorrow like everyone else does."
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