Saturday, December 03, 2011

THE BAYFIELD BUNCH MEETS TIOGA GEORGE:))

DSC_0005-1
When I stepped out of the rig this morning with Pheebs and Motor I could see stars from horizon to horizon and that could only mean one thing.  Our previous day’s heavy cloud cover had dissipated.  With sunrise only an hour or so away I knew we were going to be in for a sunny start to the day.  The weather people had been calling for clouds and rain.
DSC_0011-1
WE FIND TIOGA AND GEORGE TUCKED QUIETLY AWAY NEAR DOWNTOWN AJO
We were on a mission this morning because Kelly had noticed someone well known and well respected to the RV Blogging community had rolled quietly into Ajo the night before on his way to Mexico.
12-02-2011A_Copy
I BORROWED THIS PHOTO FROM GEORGE’S BLOG
I think Kelly’s words in Facebook today sum up our meeting with TIOGA GEORGE.  She said, “He is just what I expected. A quiet, gentle, genuine nice person.”  I couldn’t agree more with Kelly as we sat in Miss Tioga chatting with George for about half an hour this morning.  A very personable fellow indeed and if you look carefully he is one of those fellas with a quiet twinkle in his eye and a warming smile to make you feel welcome:))
DSC_0003-1
A REAL GENUINE PERSONABLE FELLOW
With over 6 million hits on his Sitemeter you can see George has been around for awhile and a very popular RV Blogger.  We probably started following his site as far back as 2005.  Tioga George is a true pioneer here in Blog Land and has been the inspiration for countless Bloggers who have followed in his footsteps.  George was blogging about his RVing adventures when many of us were still wondering what RV meant.  We considered it a true honor this morning to meet the fellow who may well be considered the Granddaddy of the RV Blog world.
DSC_0008
I WAS SO BUSY TAKING PICTURES I FORGOT TO HAVE MY OWN PICTURE TAKEN WITH GEORGE
Better get to my almost daily now, ‘corrections segment’.  In Thursday’s post I said the A-10 Thunderbolt (Warthogs) pilots were based out of Yuma but Emjay quickly corrected me saying no, those Warthogs are based at the Davis Monthan Air Base in Tucson.  I have been to the Museum section of that air base.  Second correction comes when I said Kelly was on Skype talking to Verizon.  Yes, it was Skype she was using but it was the TV satellite people at Shaw Direct she was talking too.  I have since corrected those two things.
DSC_0033
There is a bit of confusion about my posts publishing dates.  I normally publish my blogs on the day I write them but due to our weak Verizon connection my posts can sometimes take hours to publish and that puts them into the next day.  So a post I write on the 12th may take a couple hours and publish and show up as the 13th.  I do not type in the dates….they go in automatically.
DSC_0039
OUR RIG SITS COZILY AMONG THE TALL GREEN OCOTILLOS
Had some questions about Coyotes and Snakes while boondocking.  Coyotes are always a main concern and we are ever vigilante for them.  When choosing a boondocking spot we try to have an area of clearance and unrestrictive viewing around us so it is harder for something to sneak up close without being seen.  We never let the dogs out by themselves and if they have to go out in the night I go right out with them carrying a powerful flashlight.  While they are doing their business I am scanning the area with the light looking for any sign of two bright green eyes staring back.  We have never encountered an active snake in the 5 years here in the Southwest.  Most of them are underground in a hibernation state at this time of year but they are never far from my mind while hiking.
DSC_0034-1
AFTERNOON WALK ON ONE OF THE JEEP ROADS
Wandering Willy sent us a link for a device called a Wilson Sleek.  This antennae oriented device is used for boosting a Verizon Mifi signal.  We will look into that.
DSC_0066
PHEEBS ASLEEP ON KELLY’S LAP BESIDE THE CAMPFIRE THIS AFTERNOON
Had a comment question last night about the Border Patrol and security in this area.  Anywhere in the Southwestern States of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona or California there are a lot of Border Patrol personnel and vehicles and seeing them is commonplace.  The Border Patrol is everywhere.  You may encounter them at checkpoints on the highway, at the local grocery store, parked along lonely stretches of desert highway, having lunch at a popular restaurant or heading out into the desert on horseback, ATV, or pickup trucks.  We have been buzzed by Border Patrol helicopters while walking out in the desert near Hickiwan Trails.  The Border Patrol is a part of the community with a job to do and in many cases an integral part of a communities economy.
DSC_0014-1
PARKING LOT OF OLSEN’S IGA IN AJO, ARIZONA
As far as safety goes we have never felt or been threatened at any time in our travels by any illegals moving through the area.  The last thing people coming up from Mexico want, is attention.  They will go out of their way to avoid you spotting them.  Likewise, the drug smugglers do not want to draw attention to themselves either.  I feel much safer out here in the seemingly middle of nowhere than I would in the downtown of any large city.
DSC_4928
IT’S A SLEEPY CREW WE HAVE HERE SOME DAYS
The American Air Force was busy this morning and we had many unseen fighter jets in the sky high overhead all morning.  At 10:25 a.m. I was outside and Kelly was at the computer.  Suddenly, without warning 2 of the loudest simultaneous explosions occurred somewhere over our heads.  Those explosions were followed milliseconds later by the sounds of the original explosions echoing back from all directions as the sound waves rebounded back into the valley off the surrounding mountains.  I could hear the roar continue down the valley to the south.
DSC_0079-1
OUR SIDE YARD…JUST ONE OF THE MANY GREAT PLEASURABLE ADVANTAGES OF BOONDOCKING
I’ve heard the loud crack of exploding fireworks and this was like that but a whole lot louder.  I immediately looked to the sky expecting to see a couple puffs of smoke but there was nothing.  I then scanned all around us expecting to see some smoke or dust somewhere but nothing.  I was convinced the double bang was explosives but then it occurred to me…could one of those jets high above have broken the sound barrier and what we heard was a double sonic boom.  The sound we heard was more of a crack than a boom though. 
DSC_4978-1
Hearing the distant ‘pa-rump’ of heavy explosives over in the Barry M. Goldwater Range about 10 or 15 north of us is commonplace here but whatever this was, occurred much, much closer than that.  Seemed to be right overhead.  Anyway, I don’t suppose we’ll ever know but 20 minutes later a second loud bang occurred somewhere in the sky nearby.  And then the planes were gone from the sky and all was quiet once again until mid afternoon when 7 A-10 Thunderbolts (Warthogs) flew overhead heading for the Goldwater range.  Oh, and then there was the low and fast flying white helicopter that flew directly over us. 
DSC_0095-1
THAT’S OUR RIG HIDING OUT ON THE LEFT AS THE CHOPPER FLY’S LOW OVERHEAD
Two new Blog Followers to day.  Welcome aboard to BSG and STEVE KEITHLEY.  Thanks for stopping by folks.
DSC_4980-1
MANY SMALL WESTERN TOWNS HAVE A WHITE CROSS ON A NEARBY MOUNTAIN TOP, JUST LIKE AJO
Our black tank is ready to be dumped so we’ll be rolling out of Darby Wells in the morning.  Our intention was to head on down to the Patagonia area south of Tucson….until we checked the weather report.  That area of Tucson is known as the high desert and is over the 4000 foot elevation level.  They are getting rain and SNOW there right now so that put the ky-bosh on our plans real quick!!  We will dump our tanks at Coyote Howls in Why tomorrow & then probably slide a couple miles down the road to the 2 mile marker BLM land for a few days until the weather straightens out in Patagonia.  Well, that’s the plan for now anyway.
DSC_0092
IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU CAN SEE THE HALF MOON IN TODAY’S LATE AFTERNOON SKY
Our morning was spent packing up the rig, putting outside mats and tables away, etc.  Turned out to be a quiet afternoon with a couple leisurely walks in the desert.  Soaked up some warming Arizona sunshine and relaxed to the haunting guitar sounds of my favorite guitarist of all time, WILLIAM ACKERMAN
DSC_0026
And, would you believe we had 1,124 hits on our Sitemeter today.  And why so many?  Tioga George, that’s why:))  Just goes to show what a popular and wide read fellow he is.  A good percentage of those hits on our site are a direct result of George mentioning us in his blog this morning.  Thanks for the boost George….you’re a neat-o guy:))
DSC_0077-1
GROANER’S CORNER:((
A self-righteous man went to the doctor for a check-up. He said, "I feel terrible. Please examine me and tell me what is wrong."
"Let's begin with a few questions," said the doctor, "Do you drink much?"
"Alcohol?" said the man. "I'm a teetotaler. Never touch a drop."
"How about smoking?" asked the doctor. "Never," replied the man. "Tobacco is bad, and I have strong principles against it."
"Well, uh." asked the doctor, "do you have much of a sex life?"
"Oh, no," said the man. "Sex is sin. I'm in bed by 10:30 every night and I always have been."
The doctor paused, looked at the man hard, and asked, "Well, do you have pains in your head?"
"Yes," said the man. "I have terrible pains in my head."
"O.K.," said the doctor. "That's your trouble. Your halo is on too tight!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

21 comments:

  1. George certainly does have a following, and I would love to meet him also. You and Kelly took advantage of a very good opportunity to visit with Tioga George.

    I like the groaner this evening.

    Even the most active dogs love to sleep and most miss a chance.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi there,
    Reading your blog has almost become a nightly ritual for me and my husband. We would like to know if you have a link to Tioga George. sounds like a blog I'd like to add to my ever growing list.
    We smiled (until we read about the weather there) when you mentioned Patagonia. We loved visiting there and I luvvvv just saying the name. :)
    Happy and Safe Travels,
    Betty and Joe
    joeandbetty.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Saw that pic of you guys over on George's blog last night (the time difference makes it kinda screwy, were half a world away, sort of) and figured you would have had a nice visit.
    I too am one who has been following him (before I knew what a "follower" was) going way back to 03 or 04 maybe? Memory's dim.
    It's almost like meeting Tioga George for an Rver is just one of those things you 'have to do'. It's nice that you got your chance.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great you got a chance to meet with George, I had the same first impression about the twinkle in his eye and the way he just looks like a quiet country gentleman.I tend to agree with you on the sonic boom theory, although the warthogs's are subsonic aircraft. Fighter jets up high are most likely the source. I remember my Navy days when we would have a firepower demo on a carrier and two fighters would cross from left to right in front of the ship, they would cross the sound barrier just as they approached the bow of the ship,a puff of condensed water vapor could be seen around the nose of the planes, and then after they had passed, WHAM the sonic boom hit and then the sound of jet engines in the fourth stage of augmentation .By the time you heard the engine noise they were to the horizon on the right. What a heart and show stopper.Be safe out there. Sam & Donna..

    ReplyDelete
  5. Al and Kelly, your blog is always wonderful - almost like being there. I loved that you met up with Tioga George. What a great RV family this is!
    All the photos are wonderful - but the one of Motor was just the sweetest thing ever. Hugs to her and Pheebs.
    And Al, the day you mentioned my blog I just watched the sitemeter go crazy on my blog - Thanks so much, it meant a lot to me!
    --Jool

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes, Tioga George has inspired countless of us to the RV life and continues to do so today. I very much still enjoy his archives. I am glad you visited him.

    ReplyDelete
  7. How nice that you got to meet George we have been following George for many years..you describe him as I pictured him..soft spoken with a twinkle in his eye..he was the start of our being 'followers' I believe...I believe you and Kelly were another one of our very early "followings"....what a world this has opened up for us..have a super weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sooo good to see two of my favorite blogs meet and mingle!!!! What a small world we live in. and yup, Will Ackerman is one of my faves too. Yuor motormouse pic is just toooo cute!

    ReplyDelete
  9. It's nice to see a picture of Tioga George. I wondered what he looked like.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Glad you got to meet Tioga George and visit for a while. Sounds as if you guys are having so much fun--we are jealous sitting here with our five inches of snow but our time is approaching rapidly!

    We too have never seen a snake in this time of year. We did run across a rattlesnake near Tombstone but it was late March/early April. Gina, Rollie, Mike and Pat have seen rattlesnakes both in Bouse and Congress in late March, early April. Coyotes yes, but like you guys we keep a tight rein on Miss Emmi--she would just be a light snack for a coyote!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. great meet up with Tioga George!!..he does sounds like the 'gentleman of blogville'..a pioneer of blogging and Rving before all of us joined the bandwagon!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I sure don't like that four letter word. Another one I don't like is cold and in my opinion we've had too much of it already. Love the pictures of the fur kids. I have one with an ear flopped on the keyboard right at the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  13. We met a blogger couple yesterday -- Joe and Nancy of Streamin' With Buddy. Their blog is at http://buddytravels.blogspot.com/

    Yup, Tioga George is the leader of the pack for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Aileen and I met George four or five years ago when he made his swing through southern British Columbia. He did laundry in our town of Salmon Arm but we were away for the afternoon so we caught up to him in Sicamous where he was spending the night at a truck stop. We had a neat visit but no pictures were taken. George lamented the fact in his post the next day. He has been an inspiration to many of us and probably the main reason I decided to do a blog. I've been following him since his early days having been told of his blog by my uncle. John

    ReplyDelete
  15. I saw you on George's site. I had no idea what rv blogging and full-timing was all about until Russ found Tioga George several years ago. He really got us thinking about RVing again. So glad you got to meet him. What a treat for all of you as I am sure he was honored to meet you as well.

    Love those pictures of the sleepy furkids.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Al, you sure have a couple sweet looking dog pals there! Great meeting up with George...we've been following his blog for several years, too. He was the first RV blogger that we knew. He's been a real inspiration for sure. (You take better pictures, though!):)) We're glad you have nice warm sunshine...it's 29 degrees here in Medford, Oregon this morning as we had on home to Eugene. Sure miss that sunshine!

    ReplyDelete
  17. George is a real pioneer in the RV lifestyle, not many haven't heard of him.
    He is definitely a gentle soul.

    I love his blog!

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Tioga George was the first RV blog I started to follow many years ago. George is an icon and inspiration to the whole RV full time lifestyle. You are sooo lucky to meet him.

    We didn't blow away or get snowed on here in Whetstone, elev. 4200 feet, though it was pretty darn gusty.

    Terry

    ReplyDelete
  19. My poor little Bennie would have been so scared with the sound of those loud explosives ! He's a lot like his old mudder - very noise sensitive.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Yup..Tioga George is like the Gene Autry of blogland....love him!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hey Al, You had your newest followers BOLDED but not linked. Would love to look at their blogs. Hope you and Kelly are doing well. Hugs to Motor and Pheebs.

    ReplyDelete