Monday, October 26, 2009

SOME AUTUMN COLORS & RAIN DROPS IN ARKANSAS

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SOME AUTUMN COLORS AT T-RICKS RV PARK ALONGSIDE I-40 EAST OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

I think my head was unconscious before it hit the pillow last night because I can't even remember going to sleep.  Not a sound during the night so we both slept well.  Rolled out of the park at 6:10 this morning & our first stop was just down I-55 for $165 worth of gas at a little place called Dongate.  Prices are definitely up over last year's trip.  Rigs running good but did notice yesterday we have a slow leak in the plastic windshield washer container.  Will have to get somebody to weld that up:))

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HARD TO TELL BUT ALL THESE CEMENT PADS ARE SLOPED

We have seen two sunrises in a row & that's a real treat for us because we have pine trees all around our house in Bayfield & never get to see the sunrises or sunsets.  At the Arizona ranch we will see the sun rise over the Swiss Helm mountains every morning & set behind the Mule mountains to the west every night.  Now, I'd say that's pretty darn special:))

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AN OLD TUMBLE DOWN SHED SITS NEARBY OUR CAMPSITE

Crossed the Mississippi from Illinois into Missouri this morning about 7:30 & waved to Elvis over in Memphis as we exited the ramp from I-55 to I-70 around 11:15.  I have always found this interchange west of Memphis a pivotal point in our journey coming or going to the southwest.  It's roughly a half way point to our western destinations.  Coming home this is where we make the major swing to the north & coming down it is the big turn in our westward travels.   The land seems to really flatten out this side of the Mississippi too & we saw the first of many cotton fields.  We noticed the absence of  abundant autumn colors this morning as well because autumn here is in an earlier stage than up north.

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THOUGHT IT WAS AN APPROPRIATE PHOTO FOR HALLOWEEN

I am typing this blog to-night from a small rain soaked RV Park in Hazen Arkansas which is just a short distance east of Little Rock.  This is probably our 5th stop here in the last 3 years.  We stumbled upon it a few years ago when I was tired from driving & willing to just pull in anywhere......even a crowded RV Park.  But, for us it turned out to be a bonus find because there is hardly ever anyone here.  It's kind of a shabby little place but it's safe for our dogs to run loose.  The interstate is only about a half mile north on the other side of a small forest & we can hear the steady low rumble of traffic but not enough to be annoying.  Name of the park is T-Ricks like in T-Rex the dinosaur.  Big gas station at the entrance which makes it convenient for a fuel stop as well.  The town of Hazen stretches from here to the south but we've never been there.  We just use this as a convenient overnight stop with full hook-ups.  ($25) My theory of why this park never made it is this..... the cement slabs are not level!!  All the slabs are sloped down to the north so no rig sits perfectly level.   It's not a big concern for us but for the high enders out there this would be totally pooh pooh!!  Could be why this park fell on hard times.  Fine with us though & it's a good one nighter stop for the Bayfield Bums:))  Yahooie Louie.......

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THAT’S US ON THE UPPER RIGHT

Some folks may wonder why we push it a bit when leaving home for the southwest.  A lot of it has to do with weather.  Our destination is the warmer weather of the south & when your rolling out of Ontario at this time of year it is wise to get as far south as soon as you can.  Ice & snow storms can roar in at anytime & there is no point dawdling with that threat hanging over your head.  We are not cold weather people so have no interest in hanging around cold damp weather areas on the way down either.  The further south we get the less propane we use to keep warm at nights too.  As I stated in a previous post we generally keep the hammer down until we slip over the mountains through the Apache Pass west of Roswell, New Mexico & down into Alamogordo.  For us, this is where our much slower & relaxed winter lifestyle begins.  We are once again back to our beloved mountains, canyons, & desert.  From here there is no reason to hurry anywhere for the next 6 months or so.   It's just the Point A to Point B that we like to get behind us & the return trip is the same in spring.

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WE ARE ACTUALLY PARKED IN THE WRONG WAY….WHY??  BECAUSE WE COULD !!

RICK got me clued in on Googles 'custom search box' after I mentioned earlier that I wished I had a way of finding things on our blog site.  I had seen it in the 'Add A Gadget' menu earlier but in my probable haste to the refrigerator or something I promptly forgot about it.  Rick has it on his site & I have added it to mine.  Haven't used it yet because I forgot I put it there!!DSC_0013

THIS DECAYING SWING SEAT HASN’T HAD A RIDER FOR A VERY LONG TIME

Welcome to blog followers, MARK & TERI & may you live long & prosper.  Well hey, that's what Spock used to say on board the starship Enterprise & if it was good enough for the folks he talked to it's good enough for all the Bayfield Bunch followers too:))

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JUST GOTTA ADD SOME MILK & ORANGE JUICE, HIT THE SWITCH, & I’VE GOT MYSELF ANOTHER VERY FINE YUMMY SHAKE ON THE WAY:))

Reading VERAGIRL the other day I noticed a website on her page called, BITS FROM BILL'  He seems pretty savvy on techie stuff & his site looks very informative.  He has some opinions about Windows 7, Vista, & XP.  Hop on over & check out Bill's bits. DSC_0007

CAN YOU FIND KELLY & MAX IN THIS PHOTO??

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Two hydrogen atoms meet.  One says, 'I've lost my electron.' The other says, 'Are you sure?'  The first replies, 'Yes, I'm positive.'

FACEBOOK READERS GO HERE TO SEE OUR ACTUAL WEBSITE COMPLETE WITH PHOTOS & MORE INFO.  BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

6 comments:

  1. You are in my (Janna's)neck of the woods tonight guys, I grew up just south of Little Rock and my entire family still lives there--know what you mean about getting in a hurry when you leave for the south. We watch the weather and then take off, if we really push hard the first day we can reach warmer weather in St. George, UT the first night. Travel safe.

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  2. A good night's sleep works wonders. Makes the next day's ride much more pleasant. Stay safe! Looking forward to your Blog every day :-)

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  3. The way you're going, it sounds like you've just got a couple of days to go and you'll be well into NM and it'll be time to slow down and take it easy. I'm sure you're both looking forward to that!

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  4. Kelly was easy to spot but your trick photography almost hid Max. Getting ready to check out Bits from Bill. Anxious to try the new windows.

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  5. Will you be coming down I 20 in Texas? We all are at Tawakoni State Park.

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  6. We've said it before, we'll say it again - we're waiting with open arms to welcome you to our great southwest!

    What custom search box? Where? How? Why? When?

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