GOT ME A NEW PROJECT…CLEANING UP OUR ABSENTEE NEIGHBOR’S PROPERTY:))

OUR ABSENTEE ALBERTAN NEIGHBOR’S PLACE BEHIND US…HE’S NEVER BEEN HERE SINCE WE HAVE BEEN HERE

 

THE PORCH FACES SOUTH

It seems I went to Mexico last night for some crazily zany times.  Don’t remember a lot about it but for sure it was quite a trip from the little bit I do remember.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we had total recall from our dreams each night…..or would it?

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO CLEANING UP THIS ONCE NICELY LANDSCAPED AREA

Actually in reality I/we have been to Mexico a few times.  Twice to Puerto Vallarta, about half a dozen times to Palomas (Pink Store) & once to Sonoyta/Lukeville.  Enjoyed all our times in Mexico except for our last trip across the border at Lukeville.  We have not been back to Mexico since & are not likely to go again.  We found out first hand just ‘how fast’ things can go wrong.  You can read my post for that day here….OUR MEXICAN BORDER TOWN INCIDENT....2008

I THINK THIS FELLOW CANADIAN PLANNED ON HAVING HORSES HERE AT ONE TIME

Mark from BOX CANYON BLOG had this paragraph in one of his recent posts that caught my attention.  Liked what he had to say & liked what he/they have to offer………"If your inner explorer longs for new ground and a little more space between slide-outs…if you are ready for less people, concrete and pavement…if you've had it with in-the-City-freeways, noise, and sketchy neighborhoods…if "Walled Resorts" with too many Rules,  Happy Hours, and Pot Lucks, and the same 'ole same 'ole loop-de-loop morning walks are beginning to feel mundane and not what you imagined Freedom Road to be...if "outings" have morphed to drive-byes or trips to Walmart or yakking it up while sitting in a circle of camp chairs...if Bingo is no longer fun...if you and your dog are getting that pudgy feeling…if you are bored to smithereens and sluggish as a snail (deep breath)….then maybe it's time for an ORGEE.  (Outdoor RV Gang for Exercise and Exploration.) ORGEE IN UTAH

 

Stumbled my way into a piece of luck this morning.  The large piece of property that butts onto our back & south side is owned by an Albertan whom we have never met.  He has not been here at all for the past few years.  Fairly new small house on about 3 acres.  Really nice piece of property but it needs some TLC.  This fellow’s cousin, a Real Estate Broker in Wickenburg keeps an eye on the place & we met him last winter.  He was in to check the property this morning & spotted me in the back yard.  Had us a chin wag & I mentioned I had been thinking of cleaning up some of the dead underbrush & cactus along our driveway fence line on our neighbor’s property.  Dave, the Real Estate fellow was happy about that & gave me clearance to go ahead & clean up whatever I wanted on his cousins property.  That was a big piece of luck for me & with that official permission a half later I was over on the neighbor’s property hard at at with my gardening tools.

I HAVE ALREADY GATHERED UP SOME LARGE PILES OF BRUSH

  

MY TOOLS LEANING AGAINST OUR FENCE & LOOKING OUT THE NEIGHBOR’S DRIVEWAY WITH OUR PLACE ON THE LEFT

This clean-up on my neighbor’s property is not a paying job but that is of no matter to me.  I’m just happy to have something to do again that I really enjoy doing.  First phase will be cleaning up all along the driveway leading in past our place.  Second phase will be getting into a once beautiful large treed area & cleaning that all up. 

 

BY CLEANING UP ALL THIS OLD DEAD BRUSH IT MAKES OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SAFER FROM FIRE

As I have said many times, sitting around relaxing doing nothing just doesn’t work for me.  Now I have a new project & am really looking forward to not grumbling so much that I have nothing to do.  I think Kelly might be looking forward to that too:))

NICE PIECE OF PROPERTY FOR SOMEONE IF THIS ALBERTA RANCHER FELLA EVER DECIDES TO SELL

 

Our winter weather here in Arizona this year has been far better than last year.  More consistently sunny days with higher temperatures.  I remember last year the locals saying it was the coldest winter for a long time.  Think we got up around 70 today which was great for working outside.  Put about 3 hours into my new clean up job  before I had to call it quits around 1:30.  Sun was getting pretty hot.  Sure feels good getting some working exercise again.  At my age with ever stiffening muscles any kind of exercise is a bonus.

 

THREE PHOTOS OF THURSDAY NIGHTS CRESCENT MOON USING A SLOW SHUTTER SPEED & MOVING THE CAMERA AROUND

GROANER’S CORNER:((  To get away from their high-stress jobs, a couple decided to spend weekends relaxing in their motor home. But after finding their peace and quiet disturbed by well-meaning, but unwelcome visits from other campers, they devised a plan to assure themselves some privacy. Now, when they set up camp, they place this sign on the door of their RV: "Insurance agent. Ask about our term-life package."

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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 DAY TRIP THROUGH BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY & BRAINLESS DRIVERS…REALLY? YES REALLY!!

AN OUTDOOR LUNCH SOMEWHERE ON BLM LAND NEAR BAGDAD…BAGDAD ARIZONA THAT IS

With my telescope Wednesday night I was able to see an additional 2 moons surrounding the planet Jupiter bringing the total to 4 altogether.  With the cooler night air here in Arizona the atmosphere is very stable making for some great stargazing.  And not a lot of light pollution here in little Congress as opposed to many heavily populated areas.

HOW UNFORTUNATE SOME PEOPLE SEE THE BEAUTIFUL DESERT AS NOTHING MORE THAN A GARBAGE DUMP

One of the longest fellow RV Bloggers I have been in touch with over the years is in the hospital.  Having just undergone a serious operation GYPSY was re-admitted to hospital & remains there.   Here’s a Gal a few years ago who drove a big pick-up truck hauling a big 5th wheel.  Did everything herself.  She traveled alone & I’m sure was a big inspiration & trail blazer for a lot of other Gals thinking they would like to do the very same thing.  Gypsy’s daughter just updated her status……..I’m sure Gypsy could use a few words of encouragement at the moment.

HEADING INTO THE SLEEPY LITTLE TOWN OF YARNELL THIS MORNING

Slight breeze in the predawn morning but could feel the temperatures were warming.  And warming is good.  Turned out to be another great short sleeve day here in sunny Arizona.  When we look at the weather map & photos from back home it just makes us shiver & count our lucky stars we are where we are.  Good friends of ours are having to return home from Georgia because of health issues & in an email said this will be their last year heading south.  They are in the process of saying their final good-byes to all their southern friends before beginning their final journey home Saturday.  We will all have to face those decisions & final journeys some day but until then it’s just best to get out & keep doing what one enjoys doing as best one can….while one can.

 

THE YARNELL FIRE LITERALLY CAME RIGHT UP TO THE BACK DOORS OF THESE PLACES

Walking the same area morning after morning gets a little repetitive so we hopped in the Jeep & drove about half a mile up the road to where the original town of Congress once stood next to the old Gold Mine.  Same area, same desert, but nice to at least walk around somewhere with a slightly different scenic perspective.  Decided it would be a nice day for a day trip.  Knew there was a section of paved highway between Kirkland Junction & Hillside that we had never been on so that was the plan.

AND YET ANOTHER STOP AT THE YARNELL BAKERY

After a quick stop at the Congress Library & some fuel we had the Jeep’s wheels rolling up the Yarnell Hill shortly after 10 a.m.  How nice to be out & about going somewhere again just watching all that fine southwest scenery flowing by the window.  Say, when’s the last time I told you how much we love this Arizony place:))

SLIDING OUR WAY THROUGH PEEPLES VALLEY

Slipped on through Yarnell after a quick stop at the bakery.  Maybe our last cause the donuts seemed smaller & the coffee was weak.  Cruised through Peeples Valley enjoying the sweeping grasslands ending in the far off distance.  Turning off highway 89 had us heading for Kirkland Junction.  This is a familiar road to us because it is the way we head back to Canada in the Spring & come down in the Fall.  However instead of turning right in Kirkland Junction on our old route we went straight through which put us on a new road with new scenery.

NICE QUIET TRAFFICLESS HIGHWAY FOR MOST OF OUR DAY TRIP TODAY

Had heard how nice this drive is & now we can back that up.  Really liked all the big houses & horse ranches way back in off the highway on big acreages.  Rolling ranchlands.  Told Kelly if we ever win a million bucks we’ll come back here & build ourselves a big Mossmagator of a Ranch.  Maybe we’d even get us herd of Gerbils too.

Many Jeep roads leading off the highway so of course we had to check some of them out.  Liked the big boulder areas.  Again, like I said a few posts ago, if anyone with a little sense of adventure is planning on spending time out here in the southwest be sure you get yourself a high clearance 4 wheel drive vehicle.  You are going to enjoy your time more here if you do.  If you like the outdoors, the backcountry, & like to get yourself off the highways to do some exploring over hill & dale this is the land to be in.  And you don’t need a great big souped up humungous tired, super suspensioned 6 feet off the ground Jeep to do it in either.

KELLY OPENS A COWBOY GATE LEADING ONTO BLM LAND

 

Our Jeep is stock right from the factory with no modifications whatsoever.  It has taken us everywhere we have wished to go within reason.  When heavy duty jacks, winches, & ropes have to used that is where we draw the line.  I might have found some fun in that kind of Jeeping many years ago but not any more.  We don’t go anywhere or do anything that we feel is going to damage our vehicle.  Winching vehicles over large boulders is not my idea of fun.  I think there are lots of different vehicles for the rough roads here that work well.  Just so happens we have an 06 Jeep Wrangler which works great for us.  Both on & off the bumpy roads.

  

CATTLE’S WATERING HOLE, A COWBOY FENCE & MORE DESERT TRASH

It’s mostly all BLM land alongside the highway we drove today so anyone can head off on any of the little roads unless posted not to do so.  One road we pulled in we stopped & ate our lunch near a livestock watering hole.  A ranch hand & small boy went by on gator machine & dropped a couple big salt blocks off for the cattle.

<<< I ALMOST CAUGHT ALL OF THIS YOUNG MEXICAN BOY’S BIG BRIGHT FRIENDLY SMILE

Another road we drove in we got out & went for a walk among the large boulders.  Yet another road had us peering down over a steep drop off.  Some kind of a Shrine alongside the road near highways 96 & 97 intersection had us turning around & going back to have a closer look at it.  These types of Shrines are common here in the southwest along the roadsides denoting where someone has lost their life.  We’re not in the habit of stopping at these but this Shrine caught our attention because it was very substantial with a poured concrete walkway leading to it.

 

 

KELLY READS SOME OF THE INSCRIPTIONS INSIDE THE SHRINE

We had already been to the mining town of Bagdad a year ago so we turned off highway 96 & headed west on 97 for highway 93.  On our day’s loop drive this was the point of our return trip.

 

WE BOTH AGREED THIS LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING BUT DIDN’T KNOW WHAT…I’M GUESSING A DUCK BILLED PLATYPUS BALANCING A BIG ROCK ON HIS BILL

 

Our leisurely pleasant drive ended when we reached highway 93 running between Kingman & Wickenburg.  A 4 lane highway in spots, a 2 lane highway in others with a few passing lanes.  We swung into the surprisingly heavy southbound traffic & it immediately brought back memories of the days I used to work in that kind of environment in & around Toronto Ontario.  I am no stranger to heavily aggressive traffic & have spent countless thousands of miles & endless hours over a bunch of years fighting my way through that kind chaos & mayhem.  Today I was reminded of why back in the year 2000 I left that job & have never once returned to the Kitchener/Toronto corridor for over 13 years.  The aggressive driving & tailgating I saw today was sheer stupidity.  I figured these must be city drivers out here in the long stretches of open desert highway.  I right away recognized their needless & brainless aggressions.  And there is a reason I recognized it right away because I had figured it out a long time ago what causes it.  And what I figured out back then came from a lot of driving experience.

 

HAD OURSELVES A NICE WALK ALONG A JEEP ROAD ON BLM LAND

The people driving these vehicles are not bad people.  They are Moms & Dads, friends, Sons, Daughters, Gramma & Grandpas, Aunts & Uncles.  These are good people & probably good members of society.  A social worker here, a company president there, a salesman, a school teacher, somebody just out for a drive, maybe a doctor or two, some military folks, delivery drivers, & the list goes on.  For the most part, like I said just ordinary nice people.  So what happens when they get into a vehicle.  The answer is very simple & my logical conclusion is just that….very logical.

Before these people get in their vehicles they pause & set down their glass jars.  Yes, some drivers have glass jars.  They reach up to the tops of their heads & un-latch a flap & lift a lid.  They then reach into their heads & remove their brains.  Very carefully they place their brains in the glass jar & climb into the drivers seat.  It is the last thing they very carefully do until they exit their vehicle at their destinations….if they get there.  They put the glass jar with their brains in it on the seat beside them, start their vehicle & wheel out into the traffic where there are already a whole bunch of other brainless drivers motoring along with their brains in the glass jars beside them as well.  When these pathetically stupid drivers reach their destinations they put their brains back in their heads, exit their vehicles & once again become the nice caring intelligent Moms, Dads, Uncles, Friends, Sons, Grammas, Daughters, Husbands & Wives they once were before getting into their vehicles to reach wherever it was their brainless skulls led them in such a horrendously stupid manner in the first place.  Believe me, with all my years on the road dealing with fellow drivers this is the only logical conclusion I was ever been able to come up with years ago.  You know your Dad’s a nice guy, your Son is an intelligent young man, your Daughter a thoughtful & responsible person, your Grandpa’s a loving soul.  These are all fine people……until they get behind a steering wheel with a little glass jar sitting beside them with their brains in it……………10-4!!

 

PHEEBS SCOUTS THE TRAIL AHEAD, LOOKS, & LISTENS

GROANER’S CORNER:((    These are actual newspaper headlines gathered from papers across the country.
-Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim
-Shot Off Woman's leg Helps Nicklaus to 66
-Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax
-Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told
-Miners Refuse to Work After Death
-Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
-Stolen Painting Found by Tree
-Two Soviet Ships Collide, One Dies
-Two Sisters Reunited after 18 Years in Checkout Counter

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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 RELAXING DAY KICKS OFF 2014

With each passing year I am always glad to see the old year slip into history. Kind of like hitting the ‘refresh button’ on an internet site. Some things reassuringly remain the same and stay on the page while other familiarities vanish, bringing forth the challenge of apprehensive change. It is those changes that can add excitement to new horizons…….if one lets them:))

Had ourselves a very Bayfield Bunch kind of New Year’s day.  Kelly baked a bunch of cookies, I fiddled around with my cameras & downloaded some music from I-Tunes.  Kelly cleaned the rig & I burned some garbage, filled up the bird feeders, & scruffled around in the dirt a bit.  Managed to grab myself a few more bird photos as well.  A slow relaxing start to the new year.

Reading TOM'S POST about touring the Huntsville Alabama Space Museum a few days ago I was reminded of where I was 8 years ago today.  We were in Tucson at the time so I decided to drive myself over to the PIMA AIR & SPACE MUSEUM.  I’m not a big museum guy but I do like anything to do with aircraft.  Luckily for me it was New Years day & there were not a lot of people there.  Arriving early I was the first guy through the Museum’s gates in 2007.  Spent a great few hours leisurely wandering around crowd free:)) 

 

THAT ONE LITTLE FELLOW HAS A ‘LEG UP’ ON THE OTHER GUYS FOR SURE

ONE WITH THE LANDING GEAR UP & ONE WITH THE LANDING GEAR DOWN

No big plans for the new year, no resolutions & no great expectations.  We will just kick along in the dust much the way we did last year & try to make ready for whatever comes our way.  Now that our rig is solar equipped, road tested, & camping comfortable, we certainly plan on some summer travels.  Last summer’s health issues kind of put a damper on things at the time.  Kelly has an appointment with a specialist in London Ontario in April so we’ll see how that pans out & we’ll go from there.

I’m hoping we’ll be back on the road for a week or so early to mid February again.  As usual we have no idea where we will be heading but we’ll figure that out about the time we roll out the driveway.

Got my telescope set up outside tonight so am going to keep this post short & head on out to the back yard for a bit of stargazing.  There’s something up there you know & one of these nights I’m going to find it…………………

DOGGY RUNNING FAST TODAY

GROANER’S CORNER:((  An optimist stays up to see the New Year in. A pessimist waits to make sure the old one leaves. 

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