AWWWWWW NUTS.....NO BLOG TO-NIGHT:((

GETTING IN THE GROOVE OF BEING HOME

WAITING FOR WARM SUNNY DAYS & ENDLESS ROADS

I had meant to include a couple travel stats in last night's blog but of course forgot. In case anyone was interested, we put a total of 5,987 miles on the motorhome this past winter. Total cost for gas was $1,552 & maybe another $300 for day trips in the car. Not bad considering how much a week would cost flying to a resort in the Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico, or Barbados, etc. SOME GOOSE ACTION ON THE POND THIS MORNING

Big surprise when we looked out the window this morning. Everything was white!! Had snowed in the night giving everything a very wintery look. It did remind me of Christmas though. The day remained cold & the snow is going to hang around until to-morrow when we'll be up into the low 40's. Last time we had seen snow was back in March during our stay at the ranch in southeastern Arizona. YES, IT'S JUST ABOUT AS COLD AS IT LOOKS TOO AS WE TRUDGE THROUGH THE FOREST

It has taken me 3 days but I am beginning to feel a little normal again. Nice to resume our daily morning walks around the pond, along the creek, & through the pine forest where we live. That jet lag, or in our case, rig lag really knocks the stuffing's out of a person. Brain doesn't function well, short term memory goes into the dumper, irritability levels off the chart, simple tasks suddenly become major confusion, etc. I'll be glad when my tired brain cells have been re-instated & simple tasks once again become just minor confusions!! A FROZEN BIRD'S NEST AWAITS A WARM SPRING FAMILY

Sandra commented on yesterday's blog suggesting we should name our motorhome. It's been in the back of my mind for awhile but her comment brought it to light again. I'm thinking of calling her.......Bisbee. Any ideas folks?? MAX SENSES DEER DURING OUR MORNING WALK

One year ago to-day we had a rather large event going on here at home. Click on this link & scroll two thirds of the way down the page looking for the blog entitled, The Happy Face Of........ "SURPRISE:))" http://thebayfieldbunch.com/2008_04_01_archive.html (it's the last blog on the page) A QUIET CREEK WINDS THROUGH THE FOREST BESIDE OUR PATH

For the last two years in a row we have come home to dead van batteries. Both batteries were new & had been kept inside during the winter months. Batteries had been maintained & charged periodically. To-day we had to put our 3rd new battery in the van. Luckily the batts were warrantied. Our garage man told me to-day we would be better off leaving the battery in the van for the winter & just have someone start it up & take the van for a short run every once & awhile. Better for the battery & better for the van. It's very unfortunate but batteries are not built like they used to be. In to-day's throw away society things are made on the cheap for higher company profit margins I guess. WE WALK THIS PATH EVERY MORNING WE CAN

To-morrow I might slip up to our Canadian Tire store in Goderich for a walk around just to really get myself in the groove of being home..............................:))OUR CEMENT DALMATION DOG BLENDS RIGHT IN.....Look for the tiny red collar

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

THE LAST TRAVEL BLOG.....BUT NOT THE LAST BLOG:))

WORKING ON THE YARD CLEAN UP TO-DAY

They say machines don't have feelings or emotions but every time I walked by the motorhhome to-day I couldn't help but sense it's loneliness. For four & a half months we were all one big happy family traveling about, boondocking, living & playing to-gether. The rig held up it's side of the bargain by giving us trustworthy & reliable service while on the road & during our whole stay in the southwest. It gave us heat when we needed it & cool air when it was hot. The plumbing system worked fine & despite a noisy water pump it always gave us plenty of hot water to scrub our little faces. It gave us electricity & light to read by, music on the radio, internet, & television. The solar system worked perfect & it carried our bicycles & towed the Santa Fe for us. Kept us safe while on the road & gave us protection at nights. The doggy guys were kept cool by it's fans while Kelly & I were away on day trips & it provided sanctuary the few times we were in congested RV parks. I am reminded of the time in Oliver Lee State Park, New Mexico when it decided to throw me a little curve by not retracting one of it's leveling jacks. Memories of windy nights when it rocked us to sleep & cold nights with warm heaters going. Open windows with big Arizona breezes blowing through & California nights with campfires under the stars. Doggies trundling up the steps & doggies trundling down the steps. It let me know it was unhappy about the hard climb over the mountains east of Las Cruces coming home & it also let me know how happy it felt when I gave it it's head & let it run clear & free on the Interstates. Memories of the people we met who came inside to have a look at our adobe paint job & southwest decorating. Memories of Fillmore bounding inside & up on Max's bed. Max never forgave Fillmore for that!! Yes, many great memories of our best traveling season ever. Best weather of ever as well. We met more people this year than in previous trips, saw more places, did more hikes, & traveled more miles on day trips. Some of our technology changed along the way for the better too. When the modem broke down on our Hughes-Net satellite system at City of Rocks State Park in New Mexico we were forced to make some decisions. Not knowing what caused the modem to malfunction we decided not to sink money into another one & instead went the way of a different technology. Purchased a Verizon Air Card in Silver City & from then on we never looked back. (anyone want a Hughes-Net dish) WHEELBARROWING A BIG LOAD OF SPRING AIR

From egg pockets in Borrego Springs to a ka-zillion egg salad sandwich's on the way home, it was a trip full of memories that will last us many years. Some memories were a bit embarrassing like the time I had a shower & left the drain valve open which resulted in all the shower water pouring out into the parking lot of an RV dealership in Las Cruces New Mexico. And yes, there were people out walking around in the parking lot too. I think the longest & warmest memories we have are of our days at Jeannie & Rays ranch near McNeal, Arizona. That was a great learning experience for us & a memory that will be with us always. Many, many, memories & those are but a few.

But now the rig sits alone & empty in it's parking space. The radio is silent, cozy warm air is replaced by cool damp temperatures inside. The warm dial lights of appliances & night lights have gone out. The CB radio isn't crackling with truckers & the quiet whirring of fans isn't moving air in or out anymore. It rests in it's spot with a big sad face waiting for the hustle & bustle of little paws & big clumpy boots & shoes. It's waiting for the return of the Bayfield Bunch to give it life, to give it purpose, & to give it meaning once again. So, with all that in mind, I walked over to the rig this afternoon, patted her on the rump, thanked her for making all the memories possible this past winter & told her to rest up for the summer because in the fall it will once again be time to load up the whole gang & get out there on the highways & byways in search of new roads, mountains, canyons, old & new friends, & a whole great big pile of new memories. And you know what........I think I put a smile on her face:)) And a special thanks to all the nice comments, emails, & notes, from people welcoming us home. And once again thanks to absolutely everyone for being a part of our journey. It was you folks who inspired me to write the blog each day & take the photos. Thanks for being a part of my hobby........................ AL:))

OUR HOUSE & LITTLE VILLAGE OF BAYFIELD ONTARIO, CANADA http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/ I hope to upload the last album sometime in the next couple of days.

ANGOLA MICHIGAN TO BAYFIELD ONTARIO CANADA...."WE'RE HOME:))"

WELL, THIS JUST ABOUT SAYS IT ALL.....WE'RE ALMOST HOME:))


Little did we know last night the Wally-World parking lot was the obvious hang out for all the local yokels & their souped up cars with busted mufflers. From the revving engines & horn honking I know where Indianapolis gets it's drivers from now. It's just a short drive from Angola to Indy!!!! Despite being parked on the edge of hot rod heaven we did manage to finally get some sleep. OUR LAST PIT STOP IN MICHIGAN JUST BEFORE REACHING THE BORDER


We were up by 4:30 & on the road by 5:30. When your that close to home you can just smell it & there was no holding us back. Kelly had looked up a Cracker Barrel in Lansing Michigan & wanted to stop there for a last CB breakfast. I said, "no way, I want my egg salad sandwich!!"...............I'll be getting the stitches out to-morrow:(( SHSSSSS, DON'T WAKE HIM........HE'S SOUND ASLEEP:))


The Lansing CB was easy to find so we Cracker Barreled ourselves one last time until we roll again in the fall. Couldn't finish my skillet though. I think Dolly Parton's wailing & shrieky voice coming out of the overhead speakers killed my appetite. Probably a fine person but her voice just grates on me!!

We got to the border at exactly 10:30 & were lucky because hardly anyone was there & we had a young fellow that was more interested in what kind of dog Motormouse was than the 53 Mexican illegal's we had stashed away under the bed. We were over the border in less than 3 minutes with no hassles. And once again this year if you heard that strange sound in the air this morning, it wasn't the wind, it was just me breathing a huge sigh of relief. Exactly one half hour later you might have heard a strange swishing sound in the air as well. That was just Kelly & I swamping down a great big pail full of Tim Hortons coffee in Forest, Ontario. Yaaaaaaay Canada:)))))))))

OH, OH, THERE'S A BIT OF SNOW LEFT IN THE DITCHES

The final hours drive from the border home was so relaxing. It was a beautiful sunny Saturday morning with lite traffic through sleepy rural farmlands. Temperatures were cool but not cold. Slight coloring in the trees lining the fields suggesting early buds beginning to emerge. Couldn't help think it is similar to the Texas flat grasslands though except we have trees & farms everywhere here. We rolled into Bayfield at high noon stopping at Clan Gregor Square to un-hook the car. Just makes it easier getting the rig into the driveway when we reach home a scant couple of miles further.

So nice to come down that final stretch of road & pull into our little community, round a couple corners & then into the rigs parking place beside our carport. Touchdown!! The Bayfield Bunch had successfully completed another southwest travel mission. Again, that huge sigh of relief spreads across the land. For snowbirds like us who still come & go during the season, coming home is always kind of unique experience. We just kind of stepped out of the motorhome looking at everything, remembering this, checking that. The doggy guys were racing around re-familiarizing themselves with everything. Got a huge spring clean up ahead of me but that's ok, I enjoy that. We walked into the house & were amazed how big & roomy it looked. And uncluttered & tidy too, just as we had left it. Sometimes it takes a period of time away from home to really appreciate what you have. IS THIS FOR REAL....ARE WE REALLY HOME??


Rest of the day was spent scurrying around unpacking the motorhome, doing some yard clean-up, trying to get the van started, bringing the motorcycle home from the neighbor's garage, re-connecting all the garden lights, laundry, bringing in the 7.4 tons of food Kelly had squirreled away in the motorhome, etc. etc. etc. & many more etc's. LOTS OF MAIL TO BE SORTED OUT


My brain had long since turned to mush to-day so it fell to Kelly's expertise & patience to get the 3 TV/Stereo remotes all figured out plus give Al a lesson on how to use a desktop computer again. The laptop internet connection had to be re-configured so Kelly took care of that too. I was struggling with trying to figure out how to get my shoes untied when Kelly set me on a chair in the corner, patted me on my wee pointy little head & said, "just relax, I'll take care of everything dear." How come all you women are so darn smart anyway!! HOME SWEET HOME


It's after 9 now, just had a hot shower, favorite tunes on the computer stereo, Kelly's out in the living room watching her shows, doggies are all asleep in their favorite spots, & I'm.........well I'm still trying to untie my darn shoes..............................!!!!

No photos for the web album to-night but don't go away, I'll be back to-morrow night:))

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

GOREVILLE ILLINOIS TO ANGOLA INDIANA

ME & MY 739th EGG SALAD SANDWICH THIS MORNING HEADING INTO INDIANAPOLIS:)) (and a big thanks to the 9 ranch chickens for making this all possible)

Seems the further north we travel from southeastern Arizona the warmer the mornings are. 54F at dawn & I think that's the warmest of all of our southwestern travels. It's one of the only things in the southwest I don't care for......cooler nights & colder mornings.

Had the big wheels rolling at exactly the same time as the morning before so we were on our way at 6:35 a.m. Immediately noticed how much lighter it was so knew we were heading for a time change which later occurred around Terra Haute in Indiana. That now puts us officially in sync with Ontario time.

It was another good driving day with cloudy skies & dry pavement. The usual egg salad sandwich with my morning 10 o'clock coffee kept me focused & on top of my game. Rig was running fine, Kelly was busy on the computer, & the furballs were all snoozing, so we just put the hammer down & kept on rolling.

Reached Indianapolis about 11:30 & decided on one of 3 possible routes to deal with the city. I-70 goes right through Indy & didn't seem like a good choice because it was a Friday. We knew route 465 North was clogged with construction so that only left route 465 southeast eventually swinging around to the north as the only reasonable choice. Luckily it was the right decision & we were able to motor right through Indianapolis with no problems. The southern by-pass does go south for quite a ways & I thought for sure I was going to see the Gulf of Mexico out the right hand window if we didn't start heading east soon. By noon we were off the by-pass & clear of the city heading north on I-69. Somewhere along the way I had a momentary lapse of attention & we ended up in the suburbs of Auburn Indiana. Despite the startled looks of a few neighborhood elders & frightened children, we managed to get the big monster motorhome off their streets & back out to the Interstate again about 2 miles away.

Kelly, on the internet, found a Wal-Mart listed in the town of Angola ahead so we decided to head there & spend the night. Big parking lot & we have ourselves tucked into a far corner complete with a strip of grass for the doggy guys. Right now the sun is shining, the thermometer tells us it's 64F, motorcycles are on the streets, bugs are on the windshield, noisy hot rods are wizzing around the parking lot, & happy Wally-World shoppers are passing by whistling cheery little springtime tunes:))

We traveled 445 miles to-day. We'll head out in the morning & travel the final 284 miles to Bayfield & home so it looks like this is the last night on the road for us but it will not be the last blog. I'll be back to-morrow night & I'll do another follow up blog on my thoughts & feelings about this past winter's trip. I will continue to blog all through the summer although it won't be on a daily basis. Whenever I come up with something I think is interesting I'll either write or photograph it. It's going to be a summer of future travel decisions & plans for The Bayfield Bunch so stay tuned to see which direction we are headed next.

Now, I wonder if this Wal-Mart has a McDonalds............................................

THE DOGGIES LOVE THEIR GRASS

No photos for the web album to-night but I will put one final trip album to-gether of our journey home shortly.

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

HOPE ARKANSAS TO GOREVILLE, ILLINOIS

TO-DAY'S TIRED LITTLE TRAVELER

The nasty storm settled down last night about 9 o'clock & by this morning the parking lot had already dried up. Temps were reasonably mild & there was still a solid cloud cover. We had the big wheels rolling by 6:35 a.m. No sign of wild Bill or Hilliary as we rolled through town & headed east on I-30. They must have had other committments:)) THERE ARE A LOT OF ICE STORM DAMAGED TREES IN A WIDESPREAD AREAA FIELD OF PURPLE BESIDE THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS

It was a pretty straight forward driving day as we made the big turn to the north from just west of Memphis around 11. The customary wave to Elvis of course. To date we have not stopped even once at a McDonalds. Who would have ever thought that possible. And we breezed right through Texarkana Wednesday without stopping at the Cracker Barrel we usually like. I am very worried now that we may even make it home without hitting a fast food place. Yes, these are strange days indeed!! KELLY TOOK ALL THESE BRIDGE PHOTOS WITH OUR LITTLE CANON CAMERA

It seems every year the truck traffic doubles. I wonder what the folks out west would think if they were to ever drive over this way. I-55 between Memphis & St. Louis was a never ending wonk of heavy truck traffic. Sure doesn't look like the economy has slowed down any. And the drivers haven't slowed down either!! To-morrow morning we do battle in Indianapolis:(( THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER CROSSING

We traveled from Hope Arkansas to Goreville Illinois to-day which turned out to be 562 miles. We knew there was a nice State Park in this area because we had stayed here once before. In December of 2004 on our way back from Big Bend National Park we pulled into this park late on the afternoon of December 31rst. The park was actually closed for the season but the gate was open so in we came. It was New Year's Eve & we were the only one's here. And co-incidentally, we are in the exact same spot we were nearly 5 years ago. We just had Max then & we were driving a small Ford Gulfstream Conquest Class C. The next day we did a really stupid thing.......we drove over 700 miles to get home. Not to worry, we won't be doing that to-morrow because we are older & smarter now, right!! Just want to get Indianapolis behind us & then we'll stop for the night maybe somewhere around Fort Wayne Indiana. Looks like we'll be home sometime Saturday. And the incentive for wanting to get home right now.........big screen TV, big cushy recliner, long hot showers, big double bed, & my very own 25 gallon drum of unconditional peanut butter!! FERNE CLYFFE STATE PARK IN GOREVILLE, ILLINOIS

Rod noticed that I had mentioned last year we would never come home one day before April 1rst ever again but guess I'll have to make an exception because our inside Bayfield sources tell us the snow is all gone & promise there will be no more. WE SPENT NEW YEAR'S EVE AT THIS SAME SITE 4 YEARS AGO

Right now here at Ferne Clyffe it's 70F, the side door & windows are open, spring song birds are in the air, trees are budding, & our paid for electricity doesn't work!!!! Don't ask, I'm too tired...................................

No photos for the web album to-night.

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

HASKELL TEXAS TO HOPE ARKANSAS

A WINDMILL HOBBY FARM IN TEXAS

"We plan another peaceful night"........Well, those were my famous last words last night just before the drunken red neck party got underway in a 5th wheel trailer 3 spots away from us. We think the 5th wheel was there long term & the owner is probably working somewhere in the area. Three pick-up trucks rolled in about supper time with guys getting out carrying beer. By 7 o'clock the trash music was blaring, voices were loud, obnoxious, & animated. Don't know what time the party broke up but it was the gunshots that woke us up & scared the dogs. Heard a pick-up truck leave & another gunshot. Could hear people laughing so knew it was some drunk firing his gun into the air as he left. Keep in mind, it is acceptable for people to carry guns down here!!!! We were up early in the dark & on the road by 6:45 a.m. Texas time. As the sky slowly lightened up we realized we had a heavy cloud cover overhead & it was to remain that way for the rest of the day. Cloudy days are actually better for driving so I didn't mind. Once again it was so nice to see the many signs of spring along the way. A lot of trees & shrubs with light purple blooms. Traffic picked up significantly when we reached St Jo & turned east onto highway 82 west of Gainesville. Stayed on 82 all the way to New Boston where we picked up I-30 east to Texarkana. This is the exact same route we used when going the other way back in November. KELLY'S ON THE JOB AS WE'RE ROLLING ALONG (no I didn't turn around to take the picture)

We have traveled many areas of Texas before & no matter where your going it's always a long haul to get there & it's not the most exciting scenery along the way. Very flat country but at least it's easier on the motorhome than steep mountain grades. But, give me mountains & canyons any day over flat prairie like topography. The best part of Texas we've liked so far is the Big Bend area because of it's great mountain scenery. Needless to say we were pretty glad to get Texas behind us as we crossed the State Line into Arkansas in Texarkana about 3:15 this afternoon.

OUR OVERNIGHT SPOT IN HOPE, ARKANSAS JUST BEFORE THE STORM HIT

Kelly checked her RV Parks book & found a city RV Park in Hope Arkansas with easy access off I-30 so that's where we headed. And if Hope Arkansas sounds familiar....it's past President Bill Clinton's birthplace. The RV Park was full so the lady in the office told us to go to a baseball diamond with a paved parking lot a block away. No charge & it was a lucky break for us because right now as I'm typing this it's raining heavily & we've got bad thunder & lighting overhead. Glad we're not parked on bare ground, muddy gravel or grass. One of the first things I noticed when I exited the motorhome was the humidity in the air. Hadn't felt that since last summer in Ontario. LOTS OF RAIN, THUNDER, & LIGHTNING

Total miles covered to-day was 413 so looks like we went 2 miles further to-day than yesterday. Roads & visibility were good. Kelly kept the egg salad sandwiches coming so we just kept on rolling. Problem is, by the time we get home I'm going to look like the east end of an egg salad sandwich going west................................ CHECKERS IS HIDING UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL FROM THE BIG THUNDER MONSTER

THE LITTLE MOTORMOUSE IS HIDING IN THE TUB

AND AL IS HIDING UNDER HIS SECURITY BLANKET

6:25 P.M............. Oh Oh, we just got a tornado watch advisory. Better get this blog sent........:((

No photos for the web album to-night.

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

FROM ALAMOGORDO NEW MEXICO TO HASKELL TEXAS

LOOKING LIKE SPRING IN THIS WEST TEXAS REST AREA ALONG HIGHWAY 380

A quiet night in the Alamogordo fairgrounds gave us a chance to catch up on some sleep from the previous night's wind at the ranch.

Moved our clocks ahead an hour & hit the road at 7:15 a.m. Nice clear morning with no clouds as we headed north to Tularosa & swung east into the Sierra Blanca mountains. It was a long climb to the Apache summit but not as short & steep as the climb over the Organ mountains east of Los Cruces on Monday. This is a scenic pass with many evergreen trees at the higher elevations. Fueled up in Ruidoso for $115 & that was the first fill up since Tombstone AZ back on January 28th.

TREES ARE GREENING UP.....HEY, WHO'S THAT IN THE WINDSHIELD!!

By 9 o'clock we were over the mountains & down the other side into the rolling foothills heading out onto the great plains. Motored through Roswell & for the first time ever we didn't stop at Wal-Mart. In fact we hardly stopped anywhere. With our new Verizon air card we have internet with us in the motorhome at all times so we don't have to look for McDonalds or hot spots anymore. Last November on our way west we stayed in Brownsfield Texas for 2 whole days just so we could use the internet & get caught up on things. Now, while I'm driving, Kelly is at the computer desk looking after Deerpark business or just surfing. We are soooooo pleased with Verizon & have never doubted our decision to dump the Hughes-Net satellite system. When we get home the Verizon program will be de-activated April 4th until we activate it again in the fall. IT'S OUR 2 TRAVELING MASCOTS.......THE BISBEE KIDS:)) (no wonder a lot of people wave at us going by)

It's a long haul across the midwest plains with a lot of very flat & endless yellow grass fields but at this time of year it seems the farther east we drive, the greener the scenery is becoming. So nice to see trees appearing again with their lime green spring foliage. Signs of spring are everywhere & that is making the long driving days more enjoyable. THE DEERPARK PHONE KEPT KELLY HOPING TO-DAY

A lot of old, tired, & dusty little western towns along highway 380 but I like this route because there is very little traffic on the road. Many times I can see for miles ahead or behind & not a vehicle in site. We have used this route before & have become familiar with it's rest stops & overnight areas. Because we had a good stable tailwind to-day I decided to push it through to the little town of Haskell Texas. We knew there was a small free & public RV Park in the town because we had been there 3 times before so it was a welcome relief to finally reach our destination after 411 miles on the road to-day. We are in the park now with spring song birds in the tree beside us & a warm westerly breeze wafting through the open door & windows of the motorhome. Only 3 rigs here & we plan another peaceful night before heading out in the morning again. We know the part of the trip we have just completed in the last 2 days was the easiest part of our journey home because of the quiet, low traffic roads, few people, small towns, & no congestion or stress. To-morrow as we head east the traffic will begin to steadily pick up & by the time we get up into the Gainsville area things will begin to heat up & remain heated up for the rest of the way home. OUR OVERNIGHT SPOT IN HASKELL TEXAS....HAD TO TIE CHECKERS UP IN CASE THERE WERE ANY CHICKENS IN TOWN

Not sure where we'll be to-morrow night but we'll try to make it to Bonham Texas where we know we can stay in a Wal-Mart parking lot for the night if we have to. We take this longer route north of Dallas to avoid the traffic congestion & chaos to the south. As long as Kelly keeps feeding me those egg salad sandwiches & coffee & the wind stays at our backs, we'll just keep the big wheels rollin & rollin & rollin.

And thanks to the friends & followers for all the emails & comments yesterday & to-day. I plan to get back to you folks but it might not be until after we're home. By the end of these long travel days I'm just about asleep at the computer. In fact when I'm g..... ....... ................. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

No photos for the photo album to-day.

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

THIS BLOG IS COMING TO YOU FROM ALAMOGORDO NEW MEXICO

GLEASON & PEARCE IN A PLAYFUL MOOD

In the words of television's Gomer Pyle years ago..."surprise, surprise." This blog is coming to you from the downtown fairgrounds in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Jeannie & Ray came home about 10 this morning so we figured there wasn't much point in us sitting around the rest of the day waiting for to-morrow. GLEASON GETS A TUMMY RUB THIS MORNING

The strong wind gusts last night had us out of bed about 1 a.m. but they finally subsided about half an hour later. Nevertheless, not a good sleep!! The sun was up before we were for a change & the start of another fine day was underway. A picture perfect morning for what we knew would be our last walk before leaving the ranch. We had a full turn out with 5 happy wagging furry doggy tails to accompany us up the road & back in the early morning Ariziona sun.

The thought had occurred to us that Jeannie & Ray might be home early this morning because they are early risers like us & we knew they weren't too far from home last night. Sure enough, around 10 the truck & fifth wheel pulled in. They had spent the night in Wilcox. Lots of hugs all way round including the dogs. Had us a bit of a chat for awhile & then we set about getting the rig ready to roll. Luckily I had most everything ready to rumble for Tuesday morning so it didn't take long to get last minute things in order for a Monday morning departure. We all said our good-byes & took some pictures. Jeannie took a couple with me, Pearce & Gleason so I hope to have those shortly. Again it was with mixed feelings but I could smell the dust of the open road in my nose so I was chomping at the bit to get rolling. Waved good-bye to the ranch gang & rolled out the gate at 11:17 a.m. Felt a little guilty at leaving so quick but I knew Jeannie & Ray would understand plus they had just got home from over a months trip & I'm sure they were anxious to get their feet on the ground, unload their fifth wheel, & grab a few zzzzzzz's. MY PAL PEARCE

Didn't take me long to begin my reminiscing as we rolled through Elfrida. Last night's supper with Ingrid & Tom at the Longhorn, Sergeant John's house with his Hudson Hornets in the garage, & the Elfrida Library where we had made 6 or 7 trips for DVD's over the past 7 weeks. There was the road to Gleeson which reminded me our ghost town hunt. Further along another road leading east into the Chiricahua mountains reminded me of our 2 trips into Rucker Canyon. Past the Apache Lair where the Sarge took us for fish n chips a few weeks back. We next passed through Sunizona & that brought back memories of our visit with Rosanna & her Mom Carol at their Paws & Hooves ranch. We continued north on 191 flanked by the mighty Chiricahua Mountains on our right & the Dragoon Mountains on our left with the heavily defended Cochise Stronghold so predominantly wedged into the mountain range. We were reminded of our day at the Chiricahua National Monument & our long hike into Fort Bowie. The Cochise Stronghold's memories came back when we had hiked the Cochise trail to the summit. Passed the turnoff for the ghost town of Pearce & that brought back memories of being there & then traveling on to the Amerind. Memories, memories, memories. We are so fortunate to have our memories & the ways & means to go out there & create those memories in the first place.

191 finally turned us east onto Interstate 10. Picked up an excellent tail wind, flipped on the cruise control & we were well on our way. I watched out the right window & rear view mirrors for many miles as the Chiricahua mountains finally faded into the distant haze. I was wondering if Gleason & Pearce were helping to unload the 5th wheel back at the ranch. Gonna miss those guys.

AL, KELLY, JEANNIE, & RAY

It was such a great feeling to be on the move again watching the great southwest scenery passing by. Mountains lumbered out of the mists on both sides then slowly took their places as they trundled by us heading west. Traffic was lite, ambient music on the radio was relaxing, Kelly made egg salad sandwiches & coffee, & we just kept on rolling & rolling. Wilcox, Lordsburg, Deming, & Las Cruces. Rig was running great & the doggy guys snoozed the miles away. We did get a little turned around in Las Cruses but figured it out enough in time not to get lost too bad. It's a steep climb out of Las Cruces on highway 70 up through the St Agustin Pass into the Organ mountain range. This is a hard grade on an RV & I remember the transmission light flickering on last year when we climbed this mountain. The Chevy workhorse engine & Allison transmission were working overtime. At last the summit was laboriously reached & we tumbled down the other side of the mountain into the Tularosa Valley & headed northeast. This set us up for a nasty crosswind all the way to Alamogordo. We could see towering columns of white sand in the air to our left as we passed the White Sands National Monument. At first I thought it was great clouds of smoke caused by some military tests or something but no, it was white sand being blown hundreds of feet into the air by turbulent winds for miles & miles.

We reached Alamogordo about 5:15 & that marked exactly 6 hours on the road & 317 miles with only one short pit stop for the pooches in Las Cruces. It was just one of those great days when I felt like driving forever & ever. When you have a good tailwind in an RV you want to take full advantage of it because it adds up to substantial gas savings. And, with a motorhome you can do that because it's many, many, miles between gas fill-ups. And you don't have to pull in anywhere for food or washroom breaks because everything is on board just a few steps away. Having lunch & coffee handed to you while on the move is pretty nice. Yessir, no more of that trailer pulling stuff for us guys!!!!

MY PAL GLEASON

Back in December of 08 while on our way out here from Ontario we had stopped in Brownsfield Texas for the night. A fellow there told us of a good spot to park in Alamogordo when we got there so we followed his directions to the large Alamogordo fairgrounds. Lots of room & nobody was around except there was a problem. The whole parking lot had been oiled just hours before we got there & was totally unusable. We then headed south for Oliver Lee State Park where we stayed for a night. Well, we remembered where that fairground was & that is where we are right now, minus the fresh oil of course. A couple of other Class A's pulled in shortly after we did. It's a good free spot for RV's & it's all paved. Oh, & there's a mall right across the road.

TRYING TO GET THE FURRY GUYS TO-GETHER FOR A PICTURE

To-morrow morning we'll head off through the Apache Pass & over the gentle Sierra Blanca mountains. Roswell NM lies on the other side & marks the end of the wild wooly west's many mountain ranges. We'll roll along for miles across flat grassy plains heading ever eastwards. On & on we'll go but where we stop, we don't know.................................:)) ALAMOGORDO FAIRGROUNDS

No photos for the web album to-day.

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