Sunday, October 27, 2013

ASH FORK TO CONGRESS ARIZONA…YAHOOIE LOUIE WE’RE HOME:))))))

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HOME:))

We were up before 5 a.m. so had us some time to kill before sunrise.  Luckily we have our computer pacifiers to keep us entertained.  I sure have not missed television morning news programs with all their giggling theatrics, continuous doom & gloom repetitive tunnel versioned & narrow focused broadcasts.  We have little idea what is going on in the world at the moment & what a refreshing break that has been this past week.  Getting up in the morning & habitually snapping on television news has been such a bad habit for way too long!!

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SLIPPING SOUTH THROUGH THE CHINO VALLEY EARLY THIS MORNING

Ok, on with the day now that I got that little burr out from under my saddle.  We were on the road about 6:15 just after first light.  As expected it was a quiet peaceful drive south down highway 89.  Watched old Sol climb above the mountain range to our east.  I knew Mingus mountain & Jerome were over there & that brought back memories of a harrowing navigational error we made in our early years.  FROM BEDROCK TO DEAD HORSE ARIZONA.

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A short stop at McDonald’s in Chino for coffee to go & a doggy walk.  Spotted the Shadow Cowboy while there.  Well he’s not really a Cowboy but I think he is a shadow of his former self sometimes:((

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SLIPPIN ALONG ON IRON SPRINGS ROAD, NEW PAVEMENT & ALL

Temporarily misplaced ourselves for a few blocks coming around the bypass in Prescott but we got er figured out & back on track.  Iron Springs Road is a great drive.  Lots of great scenery, rock formations, long sweeping vistas across miles wide valleys, mountain peaks, & just enough sharp curves & steep hills to white knuckle any inexperienced driver.  Last couple of times on this stretch of road we encountered a lot of road construction but not this morning.  All done & lots of new pavement.

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THERE’S THE LITTLE SKULL VALLEY RESTAURANT WE ATE AT JEAN:))

Pulled over in Kirkland to take my jacket & flannel shirt off.  Temperature was already 70F & it was only about 8:45 a.m.  What a beautiful morning’s drive.  I think we later got up well into the 80’s today. 

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ROLLING THROUGH PEEPLES VALLEY

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As we approached Yarnell I thought about the 19 Firefighters who tragically lost their lives there this past summer.  As we came into the north end of town we could see where the fire had come right down into the town & right up behind some of the downtown business’s.  It’s a miracle that whole little town didn’t catch fire.

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COMING INTO YARNELL’S NORTH END

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KELLY CHECKS FOR TRAFFIC BEFORE HEADING ACROSS TO THE BAKERY

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ONE CAN SEE HOW CLOSE THAT YARNELL FIRE CAME TO DESTROYING THESE DOWNTOWN MAIN STREET BUILDINGS

For Kelly there is no driving past the Cornerstone Bakery on Yarnell’s main street.  Aha so that was her motive for not wanting to leave Ash Fork too early.  Wanted to make sure the bakery was open when we got there.  And it was.  A Maple Donut breakfast for me.  Kelly buried herself in some kind of Cinnamon delicacy.  

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HERE SHE COMES WITH THE GOODIES

Didn’t have to go far up the road to begin our decent down the Yarnell Hill into our great Sonoran Desert Valley below.  We were only minutes from home now.  We could see Congress spread out far below.  Winnie handled the sharp curves with ease & geared herself down when needed.  She gained a lot of experience this trip & cut her teeth like a true RV.  I love driving the Yarnell hill.  It’s like a Midway ride, but no room for mistakes.

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THAT’S CONGRESS SPREAD OUT ON THE DESERT FLOOR BELOW

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THINK I CAN SEE MIKE McFALL WAVING AWAY WAY OUT THERE AT NORTH RANCH

Rolled into Congress & turned right over a set of railroad tracks.  Turned right again onto Ghost Town Road.  What a great feeling that was to be coming down the last mile of our long journey.  Everything looked much greener than I had remembered it.  We passed nice houses & we passed junk yard houses.  And then there we were, left blinker on & into the driveway.  It was 9:11 Arizona time.  Kelly jumped out quick to open the gate because our Jeep was still on the road.  And in we came & shut her down.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh:))

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DOWN ON THE VALLEY FLOOR WITH CONGRESS AZ STRAIGHT AHEAD

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TURNING RIGHT ON GHOST TOWN ROAD FOR THE LAST MILE TO OUR HOUSE…AND THERE IT IS AT LAST:))

Jumped out of the rig & the first thing I looked for was all the Cacti I had planted.  They were all gone.  I was so disappointed.  I figured I might loose half of them but to lose all of them………  Gone without a trace as if they had never been there in the first place.  Even my Cactus Man was toppled.  We walked around the property looking at things & I could see right away I had my work cut out for me again.  But thankfully not nearly as bad as last year.  And it’s the kind of yard work I don’t mind doing.  Lots of weeds.   Aside from my Cactus disappointment it was sure great to be back to our Arizona home.  And how great for Pheebs to have lots of room to run around the entirely fenced in property.

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TURNING INTO OUR DRIVEWAY & KELLY OPENS THE GATE

Next we went into the house.  Everything was exactly as we had left it.  But there was a bad smell & it took awhile to track down the source.  Four dead & decaying mice.  When a house has been locked up for 6 months one can expect those kinds of things.  Although we had not expected that.  It was also obvious we Canadian Critters would not be moving in till the Arizona Critters moved out so out came the vacuum cleaner & all kinds of cleaning solvents.  And that set the pace for the day.  Lots of Spider webs to deal with & a ka-zillion million things to do all at once.  We never let up all day until we crumbled into our recliners around 6.  And knowing us, we will be right back at it first thing in the morning.  It’s all part of the overall enjoyment.  Gotta remember water & birdseed out for the birds, etc. etc. etc.

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LOTS OF CLEANING AHEAD OF US

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PHEEBS WATCHES AS WE BEGIN UNLOADING THE RIG

Took us a bit of doing but we set up our satellite dish, found the bird & we now have TV.  Sirius satellite radio hooked up to the Boom Box & my Ipod is tethered to our Bose sound system again.   Oh & then there was my loooooong hot shower this afternoon.  Ya know, I think I am beginning to show a bit of age.  Enjoyed the week of travel but it’s good to be at our southwest base now all comfy & stretched out in my big room here.  Overhead fan going, Jim Reeves & Hank Williams on the Bose. Sitting in my comfy Ikea Poang chair, & Pheebs asleep beside me on my bed.  Lots of room for my cameras & atlas’s.  Even got a cold Cranberry/Raspberry drink on the go.  Nice cozy ambient lamps on & all feel’s well & good.  And a big soft cushy bed to sleep in tonight.  Best part about that will be our morning tussles again when Pheebs comes bounding up on my bed to get me up.  We missed our morning tussles all week when Pheebs was unable to get up into my over the cab tree house bunk.  She’s a pretty tired but happy little doggy tonight.  But then again, we all are:))

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And thanks to Eileen in Phoenix for correcting my spelling of the Chino Valley.  It’s Chino not Chimo.  And I’m surprised nobody caught my mis-spelling of Albuquerque a couple days ago.  I had been putting an extra e in the word Albuquerque making it look like Albuequerque.

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OUR BACK YARD IS LOOKING MIGHTY GREEN

Funny thing happened to us sitting on our loveseat with our laptops a couple night’s ago.  I began to notice some odd things happening on my screen.  It was as if my curser had a mind of it’s own & my screen was scrolling on it’s own.  Oh no, had I picked up a computer virus somewhere.  Had something taken over my lap top.  Well yes, something had indeed taken over my computer.  It was Kelly’s mouse.  Sitting right next to me working on her laptop, her mouse was somehow controlling my screen.  We’re not exactly sure how that happened & it hasn’t happened since but it sure confused & had me worried for a few minutes.

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<<< GOT MY LITTLE COMPUTER STATION SET UP IN MY BEDROOM

Second funny & not so funny thing happened a couple days ago as well.  We had us fly infestation of sorts on our way down from Canada.  Stopped & bought some fly stickers at the Trinidad NM Walmart.  Hung 2 of them from cabinet knobs.  We had just stopped at the KOA office in Raton.  Kelly slipped inside to make the reservation & Pheebs jumped up on her seat but oh oh, something wasn’t right.  There she was standing on the seat with a fly sticker wrapped around her neck just like a necklace.  Was able to get the fly sticker pulled off her fur but oh what a sticky mess it left.  Soap, water, brushing, more soap, more water.  More washing.  Repeat the aforementioned half a dozen times interspersed with a few snips of the scissors to eliminate some impossible to clean matted fur & we were about as good as we were gonna get.  Oh Peebs:)) 

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YEP, GOT A BIT OF YARD WORK AHEAD OF ME ALRIGHT

Ever been rolling down the road & have an axle brake on your trailer?  Well it happened to the HAPPY CAMPERS a few days ago in Arkansas on a 4 lane highway with narrow shoulders.  Couldn’t get a new axle but came up with a different solution.

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KELLY’S BUSY GETTING THINGS SPIFFED UP IN THE KITCHEN

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NICE TO BACK IN OUR COZY LITTLE SOUTHWEST ADOBE HOUSE

That’s it for tonight folks.  We are soooooooo tired but were already discussing our first road trip from our home base today.  Probably going to be Slab City over there in that California place………………………..DSC_0115

AND I HAVE A TIRED LITTLE TRAVELER ON MY BED TONIGHT

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Did you know a crocodile cannot stick out its tongue. Ya, I thought you did.

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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

32 comments:

  1. Welcome Home via the best little bakery around. Down town looks good but Glen Ilah not so much.

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  2. Welcome back to your Casa. Good you were able to do a little cleaning and move in. Quite a fly story, hope Pheebes is not missing her fur.

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  3. Good to see you have made it to your winter home. Pheebes looks like she is enjoying your bed.Be safe out there. Sam & Donna..

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  4. Nice that you are there settled in enjoying the great weather, still too cold here..

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  5. Glad you are safe and happy back in AZ! Love what you have have done with the house, fantastic! Will look forward to your SW winter adventures - RV and otherwise!

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  6. Home Sweet Home! So glad you and Kelly are settled in to enjoy home and the weather! Can't wait for those beautiful bird pictures!

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  7. Peebs? I guess you were just excited to post the blog that you misplaced the h

    glad you made it safely

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  8. Looks like you are getting all settled in. Nice colorful pictures. The weather looks pretty good in Arizona too! Sounds like you are glad to be back!

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  9. Nice to see your home safe and sound!!! You guys have sure fixed up your place to look so neat and cozy and of course very HOMEY!!!

    Welcome!!!

    (yep, that was me waving alright!)

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  10. What a great feeling,back on Ghost Town Road, sorry your Cacti didn't make it. You will be busy for a while, but you are where you want to be.

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  11. I could feel the warm temps as you were driving into the valley. Looks like the house weathered your time away in good shape. Pheebs is one tired pup but looks happy to be back in the SW. I look forward to reading about your winter camping trips. I love that house that you turned into a winter home ... very nice.

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  12. It is sooooo good to feel the excitement in your voice - know the feeling - we go thru that when leaving the mountains for our summer home at the beach. Love the photos - the ones that reflect the scenery in the "bago's mirrors" are neat! Looking good - you two will have things in shape in no time!
    Connie in PA

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  13. In the first paragraph today is find:
    "I sure have not missed television morning news programs with all their giggling theatrics, continuous doom & gloom repetitive tunnel versioned & narrow focused broadcasts."

    Then before the day is done:
    "Took us a bit of doing but we set up our satellite dish, found the bird & we now have TV."

    It is an addiction Al! You can beat it, I know you can.

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  14. Good to see you made it!
    All of you seem so happy.

    I cannot figure how you are able to take a photo while driving.
    It's kind of scary to me.

    So sorry about your cacti. Do you have an idea what happened? Drought, critters?

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  15. What a beautiful place you have there...some day I will make it out west...have a great day
    donna

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  16. Yippie skippie~you are home in AZ! We drove through Oak Creek Canyon yesterday...lots of beautiful colors there! Sorry to hear about the cactus...I wonder what happened?
    Cheryl Ann

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  17. I's been three years since we had TV at the house. Watched Netflix movies, but no news shows.

    Now when we get to a campground we connect the cable if there is one, and I can't find anything I want to watch.

    Craig loves his sports though, so we will eventually get sattelite in the coach so he can get his games.

    No news is good news.

    Welcome back to the States. Hope you get to take some trips other than just for solar installation.

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  18. Must be nice to leave your first home, take your second home, and arrive at your third home! ;-) You have a very good life!

    Spelling? Go back to Canadian spelling and work on those shockingly overused apostrophes!!! ;-P

    Enjoy the SW warmth! We're stuck in Canada this winter.

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  19. Howdy Kelly, Al & Pheebs,

    Glad y'all made it to the big city and Hacienda Bossence !!! Pheebs does look a little bit 'tuckered'...
    Why does ANYONE HAVE TO WATCH THE CRAP THAT IS ON THE DEVIL'S BOX !!!
    We haven't had TV n over 5 years and haven't missed it; well, I haven't !!
    The place looks like it 'summered' rather well.. I didn't think the cactus would make it without being 'tended' to... They are succulents and NEED WATER, even if it kills them...
    Hope y'all enjoy a REST before jumping in and WORKING; gat Mike to bring his 'tools' and some energy to help you...

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  20. Welcome home!

    Don't worry Al, nobody can spell Albuquerque. But, Trinidad is still in Colorado. ;)

    Pat

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  21. Sorry about all your cactus. I'm wondering if you purchased some shade fabric found at Home Depot and Lowes and made little tents around your cactus for the summer months. Do you think that might help?

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  22. It's always good to get a rest and a nice hot shower...My "hitch itch" is spreading to my mouth, and I have trouble keeping it shut when talking to MacGyver about NO MORE COMBINING, I WANT TO TRAVEL!!

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  23. So nice when Al gets his cowboy back on!! Welcome HOME

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  24. Welcome home, Al and Kelly! Glad you made it safe and sound. Stop over when you get a chance and we'll do the same. Hugs................Pat

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  25. What a lovely house to walk into after your long trip! Everything seems so colorful and southwest.

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  26. so glad you made it safe and sound! Poor pheebs- well better than a skunk! For mice problems when you are away - we have been extremely pleased and mouse free by using whole cloves scattered all over. We get a big bag of cloves from ( Bulk Barn in Canada ) the store and just throw all over floor and counter surfaces before we lock up. No problems for a number of years now. have fun "opening up the winter palace" and don't work too hard!

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  27. Glad you arrived safely:) Your saguaro are beautiful! I notice the blooming ocotillo in one of the photos...very pretty!

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  28. Horay, you made it back. Looking forward to the adventures ahead. I am sure your travels will include a bunch of places we will add to our lists... Thanks for taking us along for the ride.

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  29. Welcome home to the desert Southwest! :-)

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  30. Glad you made it home safe and sound. Kelly sure looks happy with her bakery bag of goodies. And Pheebs looks like she is happy to be home in the southwest as well.

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  31. welcome home Bayfield Bunch! welcome home!!

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