OUR LAST MORNING DESERT WALK WITH AUNT JEAN:((

First thing I do upon awakening every morning is to peer out the window scanning the sky for stars.  Lots of stars visible this morning so knew we were going to start the day under sunny skies.  For me, that is always encouraging.  And, especially this morning because it would be our last desert walk with Aunt Jean.

IT WAS A 2 HAWK MORNING WALK

It was with mixed feelings as Aunt Jean, Kelly, Pheebs & I headed through the old cowboy gate out into the desert.  Jean leaves Saturday morning & we will be on the road to Surprise Arizona before the sun is up.  A Blue Shuttle Van will pick her up where it dropped her off a couple short weeks ago at the Golden Corral.

  

Jean has said several times, this will be her last trip west & I couldn’t help but think of that as we ambled along our familiar morning trail for the last time.  Jean loves the big rock formations in the desert so we spent time walking amongst & marveling at the wondrous forces of nature.  So nice seeing Jean enjoying herself walking amongst the rocks. 

OUR VERY MUCH MOST FAVORITE INTREPID EXPLORER

Health issues are a concern now, the long flight was difficult, & the cold weather really took it’s toll.  But, we have to look on the bright side.  Having Aunt Jean come west for the past 2 years has been a great adventure for all of us.  How nice it has been watching her enjoy herself.  The Jeep rides, the rock scrambles, great suppers, the chats, morning coffee, evening ‘Dragon’s Den’ television, afternoon snoozes, a campfire, play times with the Pheebs, bird watching, & my personal favorite…morning desert walks.   The list goes on.   I asked Jean what her favorite time was in the past couple weeks, & as expected, it was the day we Jeeped ourselves out to House Rock.  Nearby was a formation of rocks she had seen on our header picture before coming west this year.  And, it was those rocks she most wanted to see.  Jean’s favorite moments can be found here at, A PERSONAL TRIUMPH FOR AUNT JEAN:))  Adventures & memories we will all have with us forever. 

Rest of our day was quiet.  In fact, so quiet that I missed part of it.  Rare for me to sleep during the day but sleep I did for awhile this afternoon.  Jean & I had talked for quite awhile about years gone by & reminisced about our old home town of Tavistock Ontario.  People we had remembered, family members past & present, school teachers old enough to have taught us both, future plans, hopes & dreams, & just about anything we might not have a chance to talk about again.  Our conversation was as enjoyable as it was sad.

At some point in the afternoon Jean attempted a crossword puzzle & it put her to sleep.  I pulled out my Chevy Chassis manual to look up a few things & I was gone too.  Nothing puts me to sleep faster than trying to read something.  My eyes quickly tire & my body soon follows.  The ingredients on a corn flakes box could have me unconscious in minutes.

Woke up just in time to haul myself out of my chair, put my hat on, & join the ladies heading out the door for supper.  It was a short trip to Nichols West.   Jean really enjoyed her Shrimp & Kelly enjoyed her Spring Rolls & Beet salad.    

 

JEAN CHECKS THE MENU AT NICHOLS WEST       

GROANER’S CORNER:(( 

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.

COLD DAY, BUT WE DID GET TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE KAY EL BAR GUEST HOUSE

THE KAY EL BAR GUEST RANCH…WICKENBURG ARIZONA

Despite temperatures being down to the freezing mark again last night, Pheebs & I were toasty warm in our little Class C.  I use a combination of heat sources.  The propane furnace in the rig & a small electric Sunbeam heater.  And, of course the little Pheebs herself is a heat source when she gets all snuggled up:))

 

BJ had a question in our comment section Wednesday night asking if I felt claustrophobic sleeping in the upper bed.  My answer to that is ‘No’.  In both our 2 Class C’s we had years ago the upper bed over the cabs were smaller & I could see where some folks might have problems with that.  In the Sunseeker there is enough room that Kelly can actually sit up.  Once again, Pheebs was right up into that upper bunk with me about 4 a.m. this morning.  What a smoochy little Monkey she is:))

 

 

Our morning started out in sunshine but our temps remained cold.  Clouded over in the afternoon & turned miserable with a rainy drizzle.  Poor Jean is suffering & will be so glad to get home & bask in her warm Florida sunshine.

USING SKYPE WITH KELLY’S NEW NETBOOK, WE ALL TALKED TO UNCLE HARRY (JEAN’S OLDER BROTHER) IN MITCHELL ONTARIO THIS MORNING

Headed off to Wickenburg about mid morning following up on an ‘invitation to visit’ from friends Bev & Jim.  It is their Jeep’s back seat we are using in our Jeep at the moment.  They have themselves a nice gig this winter caretaking a ranch on Wickenburg’s northeast side.  Staying in their 40’ Dutch Star Motorhome they have a nice spot surrounded by large Salt Cedar & Eucalyptus trees.  Had us a nice visit & met Sarah, the Maine Coon cat before heading out on a walk around the grounds. 

This is the site of a once well known active ranch called the KAY EL BAR GUEST RANCH.  Due to economic conditions the guest ranch is now closed.  Horses are corralled at the ranch but Jim & Bev do not have to look after them.  They just keep the grounds, cook house, cabins, & grounds in order.  The ranch owner occasionally returns for short stays so Bev & Jim see to it his quarters are in order when he checks in.

JIM, BEV, & KELLY…NOTICE HOW WARM FOLKS ARE DRESSED

YEP, THAT’S AUNT JEAN IN THE CENTER:))

 

HAD SOME EXPOSURE PROBLEMS WITH MY NIKON D90 AGAIN THIS MORNING SO SOME PICS ARE NOT THE BEST

ORIGINAL ROY ROGERS SHIRT HANGS IN THE DINING ROOM

Back in the 60’s, actor Val Kilmer’s Mother owned the ranch & while there to day, Jim said he thought it was her car that drove in by the main office.  We did get out for a walk around the grounds with Jim & Bev taking us through various buildings.  In the old cookhouse/dining room adobe walled building, hangs an original Roy Rogers shirt.  Thought that was kinda nice.  Very scenic & rustic grounds & had it been warmer we could have stayed longer for a better walk around of the property.  But, with a slight icy wind blowing Jean was really feeling the cold.  Well, we all were.

COOKHOUSE DINING AREA

 

 <<< VAL KILMER'S PHOTO HANGS IN ONE OF THE GUEST ROOMS 

We had errands to run in Wickenburg so after a short walk we said goodbye to Bev & Jim & headed the short distance into town.  Thanks guys:))

  

We were headed for the bank & a grocery store when Jean spotted an eatery downtown & thought maybe a bowl of soup might ease her chills.  We hadn’t counted on lunch but it sounded like a good idea anyway so minutes later we were seated in the Horseshoe Café.  A couple bowls of Chile & a turkey sandwich warmed us up & we were soon on our way again.

 

A bit of business to take care of at the Bank Of America & we were soon in the aisles of a Safeway Grocery Store across the road.  I only lasted one aisle in the store.  I could see the ladies were taking their time, there was nothing I needed, so I turned around, high tailed it out of the store & waited in the Jeep.  I’m a people watcher so entertained myself watching the foibles of afternoon shoppers trying to park their vehicles.  People do the strangest things!!

After the grocery store we made a bee line for home.  A very happy little dog was bouncing up & down at the window when she saw us pull in.  It was around this point our weather again took another nose dive & we spent the rest of the day inside trying to stay warm.  Arizona…..you have really disappointed us with your weather temperament these past few weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was JOHN & NAN who pretty well hit the nail on the head with Wednesday night’s mystery photo when they commented… “That bone resembles a pelvic bone / hip bone for humans. At least I "think" that is it”.

THIS IS THE BONE STICKING OUT OF THE WATER AT A DESERT WATERING HOLE WE WALKED TO A FEW DAYS AGO…I CROPPED IN CLOSE TO THE BONE & THEN FLIPPED THE PHOTO TO A VERTICAL FORMAT.  MAYBE HUMAN, BUT MORE LIKELY, COW.  BUT WAIT A MINUTE, I KINDA LIKE THAT ‘ALIEN SKULL’ THEORY………….:))   

GROANER’S CORNER:((  City Boy: Say, Dad, how many types of milk are there?
Father: Well, there's evaporated milk, buttermilk, malted milk, and --but why do you ask?
City Boy: Oh, I'm drawing a picture of a cow, and I want to know how many "spigots" to put on her.

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.

A SNOWY MORNING, A SEMI-SUNNY AFTERNOON, & THE DAMON SALE……..

NOT NICE AROUND HERE THIS MORNING

As I am typing this morning it is snowing.  Cloud cover moved in overnight, temperatures dropped, heard some rain on the Sunseeker’s roof, wind picked up & this morning we can’t even see the nearby mountains because sheets of snow have obscured them.  Poor Aunt Jean is going to be so glad to get back to 80 degree humidity driven Florida temperatures.

From here I will carry on with the second half of our Tuesday day & tell you about our Damon Challenger Motorhome sale.  I began this part Tuesday night but was too tired to finish it…….  First half of the day involved a lot of slow puttering around until the second half of the day kicked in.  For a little while now we had been in negotiations with a lady from Surprise Arizona regarding the sale of our Motorhome. A flurry of emails back & forth resulted in an tentative agreement last Friday but nothing finalized because of the week-end & a holiday for President’s Day on Monday. More emails back & forth this morning (Tuesday) & suddenly, early this afternoon, the deal was finalized & we were quickly on the move.  Jeri, our prospective buyer, emailed to say she was leaving Surprise Arizona & would meet us at the OUTWEST TITLES & TAGS company in Wickenburg.  A quick check with our bank in Wickenburg showed funds had already been transferred into our account.

PHEEBS COMES IN FROM A QUICK SNOWY WALK AROUND THE BLOCK

Jean & I piled into the Damon & headed for Wickenburg with Kelly following in the Jeep.  A quick stop for gas & we were at the Outwest Titles & Tags place 20 minutes later.   Outwest is the same place we changed the Damon's registration from Ontario to Arizona last week.

<<< AND TOMORROW, IF I DON’T FORGET, I WILL TELL YOU WHAT THIS IS…’HINT’ FOUND IT IN THE DESERT A COUPLE DAYS AGO…AN ALIEN SKULL PERHAPS:))

Jeri was already there waiting & what a delightful lady she turned out to be.  This was Jeri’s first venture into the wild & wonderful world of RVing & her excitement & enthusiasm were apparent.   She reminded me of RV SUE & HER CANINE CREW when Sue was in the early stages of venturing out into the RV world.  Nearly a year & a half later, Sue is still on the road learning her way around the great American South-West.

AT THE OUTWEST TITLES & TAGS COMPANY IN WICKENBURG

Did a walk around with Jeri familiarizing her with the rig.  Showed her all the bins, solar batteries, propane tank, fresh water tank, water & electricity hook-ups etc.  We then moved inside the coach where both Kelly & I were able to explain further things.  As any RVer knows, it is a time of information overload for anyone, and especially anyone not up with RVing.  Everything is new & nothing is familiar.  But, Jeri is a determined & intelligent lady who will see her way though her new adventure & do just fine.

  

JERI & KELLY GOING OVER SOME PAPERWORK

Having gone over the basics of the rig we all moved inside to do the paperwork, passing the ownership of the rig from Kelly & I to Jeri.  There is a real friendly Gal in the office here with a personality to boot & it was nice doing business with her.  Much easier to get in & out of the parking lot at Outwest with a big rig too.  The regular DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) parking lot is way to small for larger vehicles.

 

A VERY PERSONABLE EMPLOYEE HERE AT OUTWEST

Paper work took about 20 minutes & we were all back out in the parking lot.  I had brought along a screwdriver to take off the rear license place but of course ran into a problem.  The cheerful lady at Outwest lent us a pliers but eventually the only way I could get the plate off was using brute force & a Phillips screw driver to rip the metal around the screws & mangle it off that way.

THAT’S JERI IN THE BACKGROUND EXITING HER VAN & NO THAT IS NOT A CELL PHONE OR A GUN HANGING ON MY BELT, IT’S A CAMERA CASE

Jeri had never driven a large vehicle before & had planned to leave her car in Wickenburg & drive the Motorhome back to Surprise.  We didn’t feel comfortable with that because of the heavy traffic & offered to drive the rig to Surprise for her.  Much easier for me to move through the afternoon rush than someone unfamiliar with a much larger vehicle than they are accustomed to.

 

It was a 3 vehicle convoy that set out from the Outwest Title & Tags parking lot somewhere around 4:30 in the afternoon.  Jeri in the lead with her white mini-van, Aunt Jean & I in the Damon with Kelly riding shotgun in the Jeep behind us.  Our little convoy made it through Wickenburg & headed south on the 4 lane highway for Surprise Arizona.  Weather was still good & it didn’t take us to long merge into Surprise’s large & sprawling Malloppolis.  Somewhere in the heavy traffic our shotgun driver managed to get in front of us which actually made the following of a white vehicle easier.  Much easier to keep track of a brown square box with a Garfield teddy bear sitting atop the center brake light & a big white whip aerial on the black back bumper.

ROLLING THROUGH WICKENBURG I BEGIN MY FINAL JOURNEY WITH THE DAMON

All the while driving, I knew this was the end of an era for us.  It would be the last time I would ever drive or see our Motorhome again.  After 6 great years & way too many wonderful memories to think about, it saddened me to know this was the last drive in a beloved rig that had taken us successfully back & forth from Ontario to destinations as far away as California.  Even at 68 years old & with more than 40 vehicles under my belt over the years, I still get emotionally attached to things.  More so than most people I would think.  And, our Motorhome was no exception.

FOLLOWING JERI’S WHITE VAN TO SURPRISE AZ.

KELLY & THE JEEP SLIDE IN FRONT OF US TO HELP GUIDE THE WAY

Jeri led us through the roads & streets of Surprise to a very brand new & well done storage facility somewhere near her home.  A lady on a golf cart picked Jeri up & they set out looking for a place to park & store the Damon.  Minutes later they were back & Jeri climbed aboard.  Jean waited at the main office & Kelly followed us to an allotted spot.  I nosed in & turned off the Damon for the last time.  It was done.  Kelly showed Jeri a few things about the fridge & I stepped out of the coach to take a final couple of photos.  Despite my sad feelings, I held up pretty good.  A final nod to the coach that had been so good to us for so long & we were off back to the main office.  Said our good-byes to Jeri, wished her all the best…..and we were gone.

 

LAST 2 PICTURES OF OUR MOTORHOME BEFORE SAYING…’GOODBYE’

Darkness had replaced a golden sunset as we retraced our route back through Surprise to a place Kelly & I were familiar with.  5 GUYS BURGERS AND FRIES.  We were all hungry & were soon seated wolfing down burgs & fries.  Too bad about the loud ‘blasting’ noise in there this time.  If Rock N Roll is not played on a quality sound system, it comes out sounding like an annoying noise.  And, that was the case at 5 Guys.  Noise blasting out of a cheap speakers in the ceiling.  I’ve seen this before where owners or managers are not present & the staff of kids are left on their own to crank the volume for their own pleasure.  Too bad it has to be like that.  I was soooooo glad to get out of there to the peace & quiet of the parking lot.

YEP, HERE WE ARE AT 5 GUYS BURGERS & FRIES AGAIN

We were home in less than hour bringing to a close a rather emotional day.  Our Damon was gone & so were our worries about not selling it before returning to Canada & having to leave it on our lot here in Congress where the Pack Rats would no doubt have destroyed the wiring in it before we returned sometime next fall.  It is a big weight off our minds as we now look forward to new adventures in our new Sunseeker.

By the time Pheebs & I walked out to the rig Tuesday night I was sooooo tired I knew I could not finish the post I had started earlier in the day.  Did some editing, through in a few pics I had & that was it.

SURE LOOKS LIKE A GOOD WAY TO MAKE ONE’S CROSSWORD PUZZLES LAST A LOT LONGER

Slept in the upper bunk over the cab & that all worked out fine.  Lots of space up there but it sure confused Pheebs when I crawled up into the bunk.  She was standing on the main bed below watching me.  She jumped down, came over, jumped up on the dinette couch & stuck her head up as high as she could for a smooch & that was it.  She went back to the main bed & I rolled over feeling a little sad about the Damon & the fact Pheebs couldn’t get up into the bunk with me for a snuggle……or so I thought.

It was around 4 in the morning when I heard a few raindrops on the roof.  I stirred a bit as if I was waking up & the first thing I knew, I had a little doggy sitting on top of me with her furry little face tucked up right against mine & a tail wagging about a hundred miles an hour.  Don’t know how she did it, but she just somehow bounded right up over the dinette couch into that overhead cab area like nobody’s business.  What a great way to wake up with a happy little love filled doggie in your face.

 

PHEEBS DIDN’T WASTE ANY TIME GRABBING MY SPOT AFTER I GOT UP

Thought for sure I was going to have to help her down, but nope, no problem as she jumped down like a little Mountain Goat first onto the dinette back, seat, & floor.  And, all in one fluid motion.

Our weather day went right into the dumpster really fast.  Cold, wind, & wet.  About 8:30 the wet turned into snow.  Kelly took Pheebs out for a walk around the block.  Aunt Jean & I refused to go & opted to stay inside where it was warm.   

STILL WORKING AWAY AT GETTING SOME BELLS & WHISTLES FIGURED OUT ON THE NEW RIG

  

HAD TO GET THE CHEVY MANUAL OUT TODAY & FIGURE OUT A FEW THINGS…AND OUR COACH IS CERTIFIED GREEN, WHATEVER THAT MEANS

WELL, AT LEAST I KNOW HOW TO CHECK THE OIL:))  

THE GOOD LUCK DUCKS have themselves a new family member.  Franklin, a stray dog, wandered into their camp awhile back & the Ducks were quick to help him out.  We need more Good Luck Ducks in the world & we were so glad the Ladies reached out to the poor starving dog.  Not only to feed him, but give him a warm loving home as well.  A couple of the Duck’s cats may have their noses out of joint a bit so you might want to stop by & see how Franklin is winning his way into their wee tiny feline hearts.  KAREN & STEVE just left the Wisconsin winter behind & are now heading for the sunny south somewhere.  They don’t have a destination in mind but I’m sure they will know where it is whenever it is they get there. 

A DISTANT MOUNTAIN RANGE?

 

SURFACE OF AN ALIEN PLANET?

NAWWWW, JUST A DESERT MUD PUDDLE THE COWS WALKED THROUGH

Good thing a few readers straightened me out about the difference between galvanized & stainless steel when I referred to our Sunseeker’s kitchen sink in Tuesday’s post.  An online dictionary states….. ‘Galvanized’

1. Shock or excite (someone), typically into taking action: "his voice galvanized them into action".
2. Coat (iron or steel) with a protective layer of zinc.

I think our stainless steel sink in the Sunseeker has very little to do with either, so once again, readers helped me learn something new:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A redneck family from the hills was visiting the city and were in a mall for the first time in their life. The father and son strolled around while the wife shopped. They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but absolutely mesmerized by the two shiny, silver walls that moved apart, then slide back together again.
The boy asked,"Pa, what's 'at?" The father, also never having seen an elevator responded,"Son, I dunno. I ain't never seen anything like that in all my life. I just ain't got no idea what it could be."
While the boy and his father watched in amazement, an older fat lady stepped inside. The walls closed, and the boy and his father watched the numbers light up. They watched until it reached the last number, and a few seconds later the numbers lit up again coming down. The walls opened up again, and this voluptuous 24 year old blonde stepped out and strolled away.
The father leaned over and quietly said to his son,"Boy, go get your Momma!!!!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.