A HOT DOG AT THE HOG TROUGH

A TOUCH OF SNOW VISIBLE IN THE WEAVER MOUNTAINS…(center)

I did hear the soft pitter patter of rain in the night but don’t think it lasted long & by morning light the winds had packed up & gone home as well.  A heavy cloud cover sat atop the Weaver Mountains to our northeast & temps were down to 39F.  Nice light dusting of snow on the mountain tops when the clouds later lifted giving way to deep blue Arizona skies…..and warmer temps.  Ya just gotta love winters here in this ever beautiful scenic southwest:))

 

SURE HAVE SOME LARGE ANT HILLS OUT HERE IN THE DESERT

Didn’t have any photos from the Wickenburg Cowboy Museum last week because photos are not allowed. However, on the basement level there are displays of artifacts depicting the life & times of a bygone era. Photos were allowed there so I have included them in today’s blog.

Headed into Wickenburg & bombed around for a bit today.  Located the County Park we had heard was great for boon docking at $2 a night.  Nice spot because it is located on a hill overlooking the town & it would be pretty at night.  I liked it here because it isn’t just another flat old boring parking lot with a bunch of RV’s jammed together.  Sites are randomly scattered about on various levels of the hill with lots of space between most of them.  No problem for bigger rigs.  Roads & sites are hard packed sand so if you don’t like a little dust on your shoes or tires you might want to go looking for a flat cement pad somewhere.

GUNSMITH SHOP

Wickenburg streets are a little willy nilly & kinda hilly.  They have a couple traffic circles that will grab your attention but other than that it’s pretty easy to get around.  No high rise buildings & I like all the southwest colors they use in their construction.  Even a movie theater downtown right across from the Hog Trough.

 

The Hog Trough Smoke House is where we grabbed a bite to eat just before noon.  They are known for their BBQ stuff.  Kelly had something called brisket & ribs which she really liked.  Say, did I ever tell you I’m not crazy about that ‘smoked meat’ taste or anything dunked in or slathered heavy with BBQ sauce.  Yep, I played it safe again & stuck with a hot dog & ketchup:))  You can easily see why I never offer any food opinions in my blog.  How can a person be credible when they think a hot dog & ketchup is about as good as it gets.  Yep, that’s what I had alright:))

OOOOPS, CAMERA MISFIRE IN A MIRROR

From the Hog Trough it was on to a western store called Double D.  Kelly was wanting to have a look around so figured I’d do the same.  I wasn’t in there but 3 minutes when I had myself a look at a belt.  Price tag said $59!!!!  Without further ado I immediately wheeled around & exited the store, hurried to the Jeep, jumped in & locked the doors.  That belt price really scared me!!

Safeway was next on our list so I went along & hung myself off the end of a shopping cart for half an hour.  Grocery shopping is not really my favorite thing but after the Hog Trough bill & subsequent scare in the Double D store I figured shopping for a few groceries would be a good place to hide out for awhile until I got myself back together again.  From there it was a quick stop at the Bank Of America.  Kelly went in & I stayed in the Jeep.  I don’t do Banks anymore.  Too many people in suits walking around mumbling to themselves in those kinds of places.

 

A LOOK BACK INTO AN OLD COUNTRY STORE

We were back out into the refreshingly quiet desert sometime after 1 p.m.   Nice to touch base with the cows & horses again after an hour or two in town.  But, don’t get me wrong…..I do like this Wickenburg place:))

 

AN OLD WATCH MAKER’S TOOLS  

After reading a fellow RV’ing friends account of being stuck in sand with their Motor Home I am reminded of decisions we have to make whenever we are out Jeeping in the back country. Roads can turn into mere trails or pathways pretty quick & over every rise & around every corner awaits new surprises. Can we make it over those rocks ahead safely & without damaging the Jeep? What about that steep up or downhill embankment or through that narrow space between a couple Mesquite trees? Is the sand too soft in a wash ahead & are those sharp protruding rocks ahead going to shred our tires? The young guy who still lives within me says, 'ya, no problem just go for it' but the older guy who lives here now as well says, 'no, this is not a good thing.' Luckily, most of the time I listen to the the older wiser guy instead of giving in to that younger smart aleck kid who was always full of beans & gunpowder. But, you know what, I still get the urge once & while to smoke those rear tires up & do a few doughnuts in local parking lots. Oh ya & run the Jeep right over those huge boulders ahead too….no problem!!

 

 

SAW THESE SIGHS ON A FENCE NEAR THE WICKENBURG  COUNTY PARK

GROANER’S CORNER:((   Two sisters, one blonde and one brunette, inherit the family ranch.
Unfortunately, after just a few years, they are in financial trouble. In
order to keep the bank from repossessing the ranch, they need to purchase a
bull so that they can breed their own stock. They hear about a bull for sale
in Abilene and decide the brunette sister will drive out to check
out the animal. Upon leaving, she tells her sister, "When I get there, if I
decide to buy the bull, I'll contact you to drive out after me and haul it
home."
The brunette arrives at the man's ranch, inspects the bull, and decides she
wants to buy it. The man tells her that he will sell it for $599, no less.
After paying him, she drives to the nearest town to send her sister a
telegram to tell her the news. She walks into the telegraph office, and
says, "I want to send a telegram telling my sister that I've bought a bull
and I need her to hitch the trailer to our pickup truck and drive out here
so we can haul it home." The telegraph operator explains that he'll be glad
to help her, then adds, "It's just $.99 a word." Well, after paying for the
bull, the brunette only has $1 left.
She realizes that she'll only be able to send her sister one word. After
thinking for a few minutes, she says, "I want you to send her the word
'comfortable'." The telegraph operator shakes his head. "How is she ever
going to know that you want her to hitch the trailer to your pickup truck
and drive out here to haul that bull back to your ranch if you send her the
word, 'comfortable'?"
The brunette explains, "My sister's blonde. The word's big. She'll read it
slowly: com - for - da - bul."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
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.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

A SECOND LOOK AT SOMETHING, & 3 RVING BLOGGERS IN ONE DAY:))

MORNING FLOWER STOCKS
We had battened down the hatches Sunday night in anticipation of a predicted storm rolling into the area during the night.  Never happened & we had another beautiful morning on the go.  Wind did pick up & blow my hat off a few times but we didn’t get any of the predicted rain.  But, we’re battening them down again tonight.

Sometimes on our morning walks Kelly has to carry the little Motormouse, not because the ground is covered with sharp rocks which hurt her paws, but because every time Kelly puts her down she attempts to eat every cow plop & pile of horse buns she can find!!

I’M SEEING THESE HOLES IN THE GROUND WITH A WISPY SPIDER LIKE WEB OVER THE TOP…COULD THIS BE A TARANTULA’S LAIR??
Stopped on the way over to see RV SUE & HER CANINE CREW this morning & had us another look at the house for sale we had looked at last week that I tagged as not having the WOW factor.  We’re pouring a little more serious thought into that & know we could WOW it up ourselves.  Going to have a look at the inside Wednesday.

 
TAKING A SECOND LOOK AT A HOUSE WE SAW FOR SALE LAST WEEK
Took us a wee bit of looking through the cactus & mesquite but we did manage to finally locate Sue & the Crew tucked snugly away under a shady Mesquite tree.   Fellow RV Blogger Gaelyn from GEOGYPSY was already there so we met another Blogger too.  So nice to see Sue again & Pheebs was happy to be kibitzing with Spike & Bridget.  Wind was howling pretty good so we all barreled inside Sue’s Casita.  The Casita may be small compared to a big 40 foot diesel banger but we all had lots of room inside, including the 3 furry critters.  We poured over a map discussing roads & routes in the area.

GAELYN, PHEEBS, SUE & SPIKE
It was a complete coincidence that Sue ended up camped only about 3 miles from where we are.  Guess that just means great boon docking minds think alike sometimes.  She’s got herself a nice cozy little spot & we’ll probably have us another chin wag before we depart the Valley sometime in March.  Gaelyn spends her winters in Yarnell & summers at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon as an interpretive Ranger leading educational hikes & talks about the area. 
DAAAAAD,..... BRIDGET WON’T LET ME PAST
We left Sue’s site about 11:45 & headed back to our rig to drop off the Pheebs & grab us some lunch.  An hour later we were on the road again heading for NORTH RANCH.

What a pleasure it was to meet Mike & Pat from MIKE & PAT'S TRAVELS.  Mike & I have been reading & commenting on each other’s blogs for the past 3 or 4 years.  Pat has been reading our blog regularly as well.  Two truly nice people who Kelly & I felt very comfortable with.  It was so nice to see their great southwest home in person after seeing Mike’s photos over the years.  Pat invited us over for supper next week so I’m hoping she’s planning on a big mess of peanut butter sandwiches:))

 
Our winter travels are rapidly winding down for another year & I couldn’t help thinking today that a month from now we will probably be well on our way home or maybe even be there by now. Always a mixed bag of feelings for me every year. But, not to get ahead of myself. We have a month of travels left to look forward to so no point in projecting myself that far ahead……..

 
Some new Blog Followers to welcome tonight.  DAYTON C, KATHY DETWEILER, LOU'S LIFELINES, & Gaelyn  from GEOGYPSY.  Thanks for dropping by folks.  Always nice to have new people aboard:))    
 
MIKE & PAT’S MS MEGABYTE 2

CRESCENT MOON AT TOP WITH PLANET JUPITER BELOW & PLANET VENUS LOWER RIGHT SIDE
GROANER’S CORNER:((  A pastor went over to an elderly member's house to see how she was
doing. Seated on the sofa and very hungry, he spotted on the coffee
table a bowl of almonds. A little timid, he asked, "Do you mind if I
have one?" The woman was quite reluctant but said, "No, go ahead."
An hour later, he was in disbelief that he had finished off the whole bowl!
"Oh I'm so sorry about all the almonds!" he said as he stood to leave.
"Oh, don't worry about it. All I can do is suck the chocolate off since
I lost all of my teeth."
--------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
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.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

SAGUARO PARK…BLOG READERS…MOUNTAIN DRIVE…AND A SHRINE

SAGUARO PARK AT NORTH RANCH

Wasn’t long after arriving in the Wickenburg area we received an email from fellow RV’er Bev who has been reading our blog for awhile.  Bev & husband Jim live at the NORTH RANCH Escapee Park just south of Congress Arizona.  They are knowledgeable folks about this area & Bev sent us ideas for some things to see & do.  We emailed back & forth for a few days & this morning Bev & Jim invited us over to North Ranch for a visit.

 

MARY & HER HUSBAND IN THE RIGHT PHOTO WITH THE HATS ARE TWO OF THE VOLUNTEERS WHO MAKE THIS PARK SUCH A TREASURE

They are full timers who have been alternating their time between winters at North Ranch & summers managing a Cherry Orchard up in Oregon.  (hope I got that Oregon part right)  Jim has a great hobby here during the winter prospecting for gold.  He has actually done very well with this.

 

RIGHT PHOTO…BEV & KELLY

We were at Bev & Jim’s about 10 & as with all RV’ers there is always lots in common to talk about.  And, always lots of new info to digest.  Too much for a short term memory I’m afraid.  Jim pointed out some points of interest on a map & Kelly made notes.

 

Bev suggested we take a walk over to the Park’s ‘Saguaro Garden’ where they have the largest Saguaro Cactus we have ever seen.  It has been named Methuselah & it has been determined this Saguaro dates back as far as the 1600’s.

   

 

METHUSELAH DATES BACK TO THE 1600’S

This beautifully landscaped desert Park area is second to none & the Volunteers who have created & look after it are to be commended for their efforts.  It is a continuing work in progress & we liked how they have added the names of all the cacti, shrubs, trees & flowers.  A great place to familiarize & educate oneself with so much of the desert’s marvelous wonders.  Well done all you North Ranch volunteers.

 

 

And a special thanks for Bev & Jim’s warm hospitality today.  Just two more great RV people to include in our slow but ever growing list of traveling friends.

 

 

BEV & JIM’S DIGS AT NORTH RANCH…SAY, THAT’S QUITE A SATELLITE DISH ON THEIR RIG’S ROOF 

From North Ranch we headed north up highway 89 into the  Weaver Mountains.  Wow, what a great little scenic mountain drive this turned out to be.  Lots of great twists & turns with scary drop offs & great scenery to boot…..and this will be our Motor Home route once we leave the Congress area.  Gonna be a bit of a climb.

        

Upon reaching the outskirts of Yarnell we decided to pull over & get our bearings.  Just so happened the parking lot contained a restaurant we had heard about.  We hadn’t been hungry but the great smells coming out of that place had us inside & seated within seconds.  We found the ‘Ranch House’ a great little spot & boy did they ever load up our plates with food.  I like these kinds of places with nothing fancy on the menu I can’t pronounce.  That big pile of food on my plate (below) is an open face roast beef sandwich with bread, mashed potatoes & a big smash of gravy on top.  Got through half of it & brought the rest home to put under my pillow for a midnight snack:))

 

From there it was only another couple of miles up the highway to a left hand turn which took us to the SHRINE OF ST. JOSEPH OF THE MOUNTAINS AND WAY OF THE CROSS.  We had no idea what this Shrine was or what to expect when we got there but we did find it interesting & a lot of work has gone into creating this.

 

  

 

From the Shrine it was time to get ourselves back down Weaver Mountain to the warmer valley floor below.  Nice drive down complete with a stop at a lookout point.  Yep, getting to like this whole area more & more every day:))

Tomorrow morning we are off to find our new wayfaring Darby Well friend, RV SUE & HER CANINE CREW.  And, tomorrow at long last, we will be dropping in to see long time blogging friend Mike & his wife Pat from, MIKE & PAT'S TRAVELS.  Mike & Pat are also happy residents of North Ranch.  Yep, we got ourselves a bit of visiting lined up for tomorrow alright so I’d better get myself off to bed for a good night’s sleep……….10-4:))

THE WEE TOWN OF CONGRESS IS AT TOP RIGHT  

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A man escaped jail by digging a hole from his jail cell to the outside world. When finally his work was done, he emerged in the middle of a preschool playground.
"I'm free, I'm free!" he shouted.
"So what," said a little girl. "I'm four."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
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.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com