GLAD I’M NOT A COW STOPPING BY FOR A DRINK

KELLY HUNG UP HER PEACE FLAGS TODAY…WE’RE SLOWLY GETTING IN THE GROOVE

Nice morning to be outside doing things.  More tree trimming & raking plus I managed to get a couple loads of laundry done & hung up in the morning’s cooling breeze.  Bright sunny skies overhead & all seemed well.  Neither one of us could explain our lethargic Sunday but I have a feeling it has to do one’s working life over the years.  We’re just used to getting up on a Monday morning & getting right at things.  The week-end is over & our brains which have been programed right from early school days to full blown work mode for the majority of our lives still automatically kicks into gear every Monday morning regardless of where we are or what we are doing.  I’m alright with that & enjoy the active motivation & stimulation of week day mornings.  Well most of the time anyway.

I’M NEVER TOO FAR AWAY FROM MY CAMERAS

Each morning we drive a little further out into the desert & do our walks in different areas.  I like this because we do not walk the same stretch of ground day after day after day.  Always fun finding new things & this morning it was some nice pieces of desert wood that someone had obviously thrown out there.  Probably somebody cleaning up an old property & didn’t have an artistic eye for some of the wood stumps lying around.  Not enough room to bring them home with 3 of us in the Jeep so Pheebs & I headed back later in the morning to load up the decorative pieces.  With temps hovering in the low 60’s I wasn’t worried about Pheebs & I running into any snakes.

LOADED UP SOME DESERT DRIFTWOOD

 

DESERT ROADS CAN OFTEN BE A TAD MORE EXCITING THAN BACK HOME COUNTRY ROADS

We bumped along a familiar Jeep road until we arrived at  what I figure was the site of an old ranch at one time.  We’ve stopped here before a few times so knew where it was.  Not much left except some old timbers lying about & a couple what I guess may have been chicken coops or something.  A windmill tower without it’s windmill holds 4 solar panels which I presume runs a pump somewhere below keeping a round metal tank full of water for nearby cattle.  Black Angus I think.  The tank is choked full of algae & was abuzz with many bees.  Could see water dripping from a pipe into the tank & guessed at 2 drips per second.  I’m sure other desert creatures come here to drink in the pre-dawn hours as well.

GLAD I’M NOT A COW STOPPING BY FOR A DRINK

 

THOUGHT I SAW JACQUE COUSTEAU SWIMMING AROUND IN THERE

 

Tuesday morning we may slip over past Wickenburg & do ourselves a little exploring around Vulture Peak.  We’ve done the Vulture Peak Trail part way a few times so I think we’ll look for some of the other trails in that area.  Lot’s of Jeep roads over that-a-way we haven’t been on yet.

 

FACES IN THE WOOD

Our internet signal here is still very sketchy.  Sometimes we can’t get on-line at all, other times it is agonizingly slow & on very rare occasions it seems to be as fast as a speeding bullet.  Doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or reason for the varying speeds & we have no choice but to be as patient with it as we can.  Needless to say we haven’t been keeping up with too many blogs & any blog with a lot of photos generally won’t open for us at all.  We get a lot of ‘This page can’t be displayed’ messages.  Frustrating.

WELL, WHICH HAT WILL I WEAR TODAY

GROANER’S CORNER:((  When I discovered my first gray hair I immediately wrote to my parents:  "Dear Dad and Mom, You saw my first steps. You might want to experience this with me too."
I taped the offending hair to the paper and mailed it.
My father's response was in the form of a poem:

It's a trustworthy observation
That nothing can compare
In the process of aging
With finding the first gray hair.

He signed off with this observation:  "That gray hair you sent is not the first one you gave us!"

FROM A COOLING FAN TO A WARMING HEATER

Went from a cooling fan to a warming heater in a rather short space of time.  This morning’s 38F had me turn on a little heater by my computer chair for a short while.  No I’m not complaining about it being too cold…..just sayin:))

I know I sometimes go on a bit about my dislike for our cold snowy winters back home in southern Ontario but of course like anything else there is always another side to the coin.  At times winter can be spectacularly beautiful with all it’s picturesque snowy scenes & crispy clear blue skies.  I have nice memories of cross country skiing, a short stint at down hill skiing, & of course many country road drives on bright sunny days through snowy rural landscapes.  I have many snow scenes in 35mm slides but very few winter photos in digital.  One of our blog readers lives in Ontario’s Beaver Valley which is a couple hours drive northeast of Bayfield & I’ve noticed this fellow has a keen photographic eye for nature’s beauty.  His photos remind me of winter’s scenic side & his interest in what nature has to offer mirrors my own love of outside natural photography .   Check out the Furry Gnome’s SEASONS IN THE VALLEY.  You can also find the Furry Gnome on our sidebar.

Let’s just say we had ourselves a very quiet day which left me with little to write about tonight.  Some days are just like that…………….

ANOTHER BACK YARD SUNSET

GROANER’S CORNER:((  "You think so much of your game that you don't even remember when we got married," complained the wife.  "Of course I do honey," the husband said. "It was the day after I sank that 40-foot putt."

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A gushy reporter told Jack Nicklaus, "You are spectacular, your name is synonymous with the game of golf. You really know your way around the course. What's your secret?"  Nicklaus replied, "The holes are numbered."

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An older gentleman is on a golf green about to putt out, and a foursome is behind him, waiting for him to finish. Suddenly, on the road alongside the golf course, a shiny black hearse pulls into view, followed by an entourage of some fifty vehicles.  Immediately, the man takes off his hat, places it over his heart, and stands at a respectful silence until all fifty cars have slowly passed. He then puts on his hat, taps his ball into the hole, and walks to the next tee. The members of the foursome are impressed, and, when they catch up to him, say that it has been some time since they have witnessed such a display of respect and dignity. To which the older gentleman replies: "It's the least I could do ... on Monday we would have been married fifty years!"

A GOOD OLD MORNING ROCK SCRAMBLE GIVES US BOTH A MENTAL & PHYSICAL LIFT

AT TIMES IT IS HARD TO THINK OF THIS AS A DESERT HERE

Soon as Pheebs & I stepped out the door this morning I knew it had rained somewhere nearby.  Being familiar with humidity I could immediately feel it in the air & a second later I could smell it.  The desert takes on a sweet pungent odor from it’s many Creosote bushes when it rains & the scent is always instantly recognizable.  Not a repulsive odor but definitely recognizable.  And I liked that touch of moisture in the air.

WE JEEP OURSELVES OUT INTO THE DESERT

  

OUR GOAL THIS MORNING WAS THE TOP OF THAT HILL

THE HILL CAN BE SEEN JUST BELOW THAT MOUNTAIN SUNSPLASH AT THE LEFT

We don’t walk our usual route from the house round the block into the desert anymore.  I do not like having to start my days off with loud barking dogs.  Instead we drive about a quarter mile to a different gate & head out into the desert that way.  No traffic, no people & no barking dogs.  This morning we drove a little farther out into the desert to a hill we have often driven by the past couple years.  Always thought we should just stop & climb up that hill sometime.  This morning was that time.  We were at a nice 63 degrees with not only a scenic patchy cloud cover but a thick enough cover to block the sun’s uncomfortable heat rays.  Uncomfortable for us that is.

 

WE START OUR CLIMB

It was the first time since we arrived here over a month ago that we both felt in more than just a walking mood.  How nice to feel that bit of strain in the legs again as we set about clambering ourselves up a moderately rock strewn but easily hikeable ascending terrain.  Not a place to come in the heat of day due to probable rattlesnakes in the rocks but it was cool enough & the rocks cold enough not to worry about snakes being out.

 

AS WE CLIMB HIGHER PHEEBS LOOKS BACK DOWN THE HILL AT THE JEEP THEN UP THE HILL AT THE SUMMIT

Kelly made it up about two thirds of the way & decided not to push herself to the top.  She likes to set off & do a little exploring on her own anyway so Pheebs & I headed on up the last third to the summit.  In the grand scheme of hikes & rock scrambling this hill was a pretty easy climb but oh how great it felt to be once again hiking on new ground seeing seeing new things & feeling a new sense of well being.  In our early years of RVing & boondocking we used to hike a lot more than we do now & I thought about that this morning as we made our way around Saguaro Cacti, Prickly Pear Cactus, Creosote shrubs, Palo Verde Trees, Barrel & Hedgehog cactus.  What a great feeling it was as I stood atop the hill gazing all about at the vastness of the open desert stretching out below in all directions reaching for distant mountains on all horizons.  This was the feeling of old, this was a feeling we have been missing for a long time, this was a great feeling of being back in touch with the great southwestern landscape. 

Staring out over the desert floor watching sunshadows play across the dappled green land I looked off in the direction of Quartzsite, the Kofa Mountains, Bouse, Yuma, Slab City, the Salton Sea & Borrego Springs letting our years of enjoyable past memories flood over me.  Ghost Mountain was out there in the Blair Valley & I felt a ripple of excitement course through me thinking soon we will once again be traveling old familiar roads, haunts & trails.  And looking forward to traveling on to new places where we have never been. 

OUT THERE ACROSS THE DESERT IN THIS DIRECTION LIE SOME OF OUR MOST FAVORITE & MEMORABLE PLACES

Pheebs & I explored around the top of the hill for awhile taking photos here & there.  Couldn’t see Kelly below anywhere but I could see the Jeep on the  desert floor.  Pheebs & I began our descent down the hill just enjoying the whole ambience of our cool partially cloudy & silent desert morning.  Still no sign of Kelly as we made our way past the spot where I saw her last.  Figured she might have headed back down to the Jeep but I couldn’t see any sign of her from my higher vantage point.  Pheebs & I were soon back down on the desert floor but the abundance of green vegetation obscured any sight of the Jeep.  Thought to myself it would be easy for someone to get themselves turned around & off track.  My sense of direction led me to the Jeep but no Kelly.  Oh-Oh………

OUR VIEW OF CONGRESS ARIZONA THIS MORNING

  

VIEWS FROM ATOP THE HILL

OUR HOUSE (NOT VISIBLE) IS ABOUT WHERE THAT CLUMP OF TALL TREES ARE ON THE LEFT

I figured just in case Kelly had got herself turned around I would sound the Jeep’s horn in a series of 4 beeps.  It was the 5th series of beeps before I heard a far distant shout.  Beeped a few more times & figured out the direction of sound & off Pheebs & I went with Pheebs in the lead with the command, ‘go find Mom’.  She was soon out of sight in the desert forest & it was not long before I spotted Kelly headed our way.  She indeed had got herself off track a wee bit but had been slowly picking her way along making her way back in the general direction of the Jeep.  She had not only found a walking stick but also a nice canteen with some water still left in it.  Only thing I had found was a pair of men’s blue underwear laying on the summit of the hill which I of course didn’t go near.  Over the years we have found many strange things in the desert.

A PAIR OF MEN’S UNDERWEAR ON THE GROUND

PHEEBS STARTS DOWN THE HILL

 

KELLY’S CANTEEN FIND

We were back home by 9 & Kelly feeling so much better today hopped in the Jeep & headed herself off to Wickenburg.  Had a couple repaired bedroom window screens to pick up at Ace Hardware & I knew she was probably going to hit some of her favorite stores so I opted out of going.  Makes it nicer for her knowing she doesn’t have impatient me sitting out in the parking lot.

A NEW SAGUARO ARM GROWS WHERE AN OLD ONE HAS BROKEN OFF

It was so nice outside today I parked myself on our front porch with my Kindle & sat reading for quite awhile.  No overbearing heat in the air & with a nice breeze I thoroughly enjoyed my time relaxing & reading on the porch.  Thought to myself, ‘now this is how it’s supposed to be’.  And I’m sure Pheebs thought so as well:))

SAGUARO SKELETONS

I think long time reader & our friend Pat down there in that Sierra Vista place near Tombstone & Bisbee got it right when in a comment he said, ‘Given the direction of flight of your helos (helicopters) I'd say that they were headed for the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin, NE of Barstow.  And I think reader Phil maybe had it right about their origin when he said, ‘Phoenix news on Wednesday night said a formation of 9 helicopters stopped at Scottsdale Airpark on a training mission. I think they said they were from Dallas area. I think they were Black Hawk helicopters’.  Both those points between A & B line up with my aforementioned guestimated line of flight.  Another great mystery solved & Britbabe I did think of Area 51 but determined it was too far north (Las Vegas) for the direction of flight for all those Helochoppers.

THE HILL ACTUALLY ENDED UP HAVING TWO SUMMITS

Break in’s & robberies are always a worry to everyone & especially now in today’s society with all it’s growing drug problems & social ills.  Especially vulnerable are traveling RV’ers.  Sadly enough it happened to the folks over at THE GOODE LIFE while in Albuquerque New Mexico.

LITTLE JEEPERS IS AT BOTTOM RIGHT

Amazingly enough another Blog Follower has made it through the Googleness maze to land themselves in the Friend Connect box on our sidebar.  Welcome aboard David Davis of PHXXINGS.  Nice to have you along.  As stated in your last blog post, “Checking the blog on 3/3/11 and was surprised that somebody had found it.  Thanks.  Some day I will have to get serious about this”.  Maybe today is the day David:))

MUCH HARDER TO SEE BUT JEEPERS IS JUST BELOW CENTER WAY OVER TO THE RIGHT

Upon arriving home this afternoon Kelly set about re-installing the two repaired bedroom screens.  I was convinced they were too big to go back into their window slots & gave up trying to help.  As usual Kelly’s patience & mechanical abilities & determination paid off & half an hour later she had her bedroom screens in place.

PHEEBS RUNNING WITH HER NEW BEST PAL ‘GINGER’ WHO WE SOMETIMES MEET ON OUR MORNING WALKS

GROANER’S CORNER:((  What If The Charlie Brown Gang Had Been Allowed To Age Like The Rest Of Us…Where Would They Be Today??

Charlie Brown: Operates Good Grief Counseling Inc., which specializes in people who are just having a bad day. Moonlights as a pitching coach at high school and college levels. Married to Marcie. They have a round headed son who wears glasses.

Linus: Developer of Security Blanket Software, which is a hot item on the New York Stock Exchange. Worth millions but is actively involved in charitable causes, including the Great Pumpkin 5K Fun Run every Halloween. Only man who makes Bill Gates nervous.

Lucy: Serving her seventh term in Congress. On her third husband. Claims she hasn't thought about Schroeder in years, but the background music on her answering machine is Beethoven.

Schroeder: After years on the classical performing circuit, he runs a piano bar in Carmel, Calif. Won't let anybody lean on his piano.

Sally: Never quite got over being spurned by Linus. Has a cat named Sweet Baboo. Sells Mary Kay Cosmetics.

Peppermint Patty: Women's athletic director at a Midwestern university. Her fashion credo: "Sandals go with everything."

Snoopy: In dog years, he'd be 350. Linus has created an endowment at Daisy Hill Puppy farm in Snoopy's memory.

THE TRANSITION FROM MILLENICOM TO VERIZON WENT SMOOTHLY THIS MORNING

SOUTH OF CONGRESS IS WICKENBURG’S VULTURE PEAK ON THE HORIZON

Thank you to readers for your concern, good wishes, & suggestions for Kelly’s health.  She did feel better this morning & actually made 2 trips to the library & on one of those trips took Pheebs in for a $5 nail trim.  We’re just taking things one day at a time right now.

WE SURE DO LOVE OUR DESERT PLAYGROUND

Had we forgot about it being Halloween we were certainly reminded of it while driving out to our walking point in the desert this morning.  Bobby (Boris) Pickett came on the radio singing…THE MONSTER MASH. Groovy:))

Unlike the problems Paul & Marti Dahl from RV SANITY had our transition from Millenicom back to our previous service provider Verizon went smoothly.  Kelly had less than a 10 minute wait before Verizon personnel answered her call.  Took about 20 minutes with questions & answers going back & forth both ways.  Minutes after Kelly hung up the phone we were all set up with a new Verizon account, all was well & it was internet as usual.  With the multitude of problems we & just about everybody else seem to continually have with phone companies, internet providers, electric bills, insurance companies, garages, etc. etc. & etc. it is always a very welcome & appreciated ray of sunshine to have something go smoothly with no complications or screw ups for a change.  It was our turn to have a lucky roll of the dice.  Nice:))

AM GUESSING THIS LITTLE FELLOW IN OUR BACK YARD AS A HORNED LIZARD

 

RV West magazine says Arizona RV Parks are reporting the arrival of NORTHERN SNOW BIRDS two to four weeks earlier this year.  Says the Farmers Almanac prediction of a cold hard winter could be driving the Birders south earlier than usual.

More helicopters west bound over the Date Creek Mountains today so I took a compass reading & estimated their direction of travel as west/northwest.  Hauled out my Atlas & guestimated a straight line of travel & that took them in the direction of Lake Havasu & beyond into California’s Mojave Desert area & Death Valley.  Drawing a line to the east/south east from their direction of travel I could not see any cities for hundreds of miles where these choppers might have departed from.  Figured with the amount of fuel those things burn they would fly the shortest route possible between points A & B so would not likely be headed for the Chocolate Mountains east of Niland Ca. or the Barry M. Goldwater range northwest of Ajo Arizona.

Noticed this morning we have a new Blog Follower.  We welcome MYSTIC2AWESOME to the workings of our inner lives here at the Bayfield Bunch.   Things are a bit slow at the moment but hope you stick around until we can get the big RV wheels rolling again & head ourselves off on another journey somewhere soon.

AND THIS SAGUARO CACTUS IS RIGHT IN OUR FRONT YARD:))

A nice drop in temperatures headed our way accompanied by a 50% chance of rain this week-end.  A welcome change as temperatures are predicted to drop into the low 70’s & high 60’s.  A welcome break from upper 80’s & low 90’s.  May only last a couple days before returning to mid 80’s but we’ll sure be glad for a couple cooler days:))

LOOKING EAST TO THE SOUTHERN END OF THE WEAVER MOUNTAINS

GROANER’S CORNER:((  "This house," said the real estate salesman, "has both its good points and its bad points. To show you I'm honest, I'm going to tell you about both. The disadvantages are that there is a chemical plant one block south and a slaughterhouse a block north."  "What are the advantages?" inquired the prospective buyer.  "The advantage is that you can always tell which direction the wind is blowing from."

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A Sunday School teacher was telling the story of the Good Samaritan to her class of 4 & 5 year-olds. She was making it as vivid as possible to keep the children interested in her tale.  At one point, she asked the class, "If you saw a person lying on the roadside all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?"  A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, "I think I'd throw up."