THE DATE OF FEBRUARY 23RD 2012 BLEW RIGHT PAST ME……

HEAVY CLOUDS OVER THE DESERT THIS MORNING

It was February 23rd 2012 when Kelly & I first took a drive down Ghost Town Road in Congress Arizona.  Kelly had spotted a few houses for sale in the area so we were out driving around having a look at them.  In our travels over the years we had always been in the habit of checking out local real estate in various areas we travelled.  We missed the house we were looking for, went up to the end of the road & turned around, came back & pulled into the driveway.  Oh Dear what a sad looking neglected place this was.  We had seen so many dumpy places in our real estate search over the years  But not to be intimidated by dumpiness we got out of the Jeep for a closer look see.  This then was the first day we saw what was soon to become our house:))

THIS IS THE VERY FIRST PICTURE OF WHAT WOULD TURN OUT TO BE OUR HOUSE THE FIRST DAY WE SAW IT

OUR HOUSE TODAY

   

Had the price not been so cheap we may not have given it a second look but as we walked around & seen the land that came with it I began to see some potential.  Right off the bat I envisioned the house stuccoed & knew I could do the grounds work myself.  And that lit the fire.

  

It would be another week or so before we had a Real Estate agent from Prescott show us the interior of the house.  Despite some obvious problems we knew we could clean things up & with some paint, hard work, lots of elbow grease & a heaping helping of TLC we could make this old house into something comfy & cozy.  We had done it before with old unlived-in places & by golly we knew we could do it again.  And we did……………………

As I’m typing this tonight I hear a seldom heard sound on our roof.  It is followed shortly thereafter by the sounds of giggling.  No need for me to get up & investigate.  I know the sound of rain on a roof & I also know the sound of happy little plants outside:))

PUT A BIG TOP HAT ON THAT ROUND UPPER ROCK & I SEE A W.C. FIELDS PROFILE

In a comment on Thursday night’s post Mike M over at North Ranch said in part…"Nice Blog Al, and quite interesting. I can imagine the time and work you put in to publishing such a blog!!  It almost gets like a JOB!!!
But as long as you enjoy it keep it up...'cause it pays real well,,,don't it??? :-)”  My answer to Mike is a resounding ‘YES’ it does pay real well but not in a monetary way.  Yes it is like a job alright with a lot of the same ups & downs.  Some days it all comes together amazingly well while other days just connecting a couple seemingly simple thoughts together is a major chore.  Technical problems are the worst for me.  We have a slow internet connection & I about tear my hair out sometimes over the frustrations that brings.  But overall I do enjoy putting a post together each & every day.  The rewards for me are many.  Just thinking of things to write about keeps my brain creatively alive.  Writing a blog gives me purpose & incentive each & every day.  It purposely sends me out the door in search of new photos & new ideas.  My mind is constantly at work on how I am going to intertwine photos with writing ideas & that keeps the cobwebs at bay.   It takes me many hours to put my posts together but for me that is a positive thing otherwise what would a do with that creative time slot.  Waste it watching television?  No, I greatly enjoy doing this because I know that out here in the cyber world a small group of people are enjoying what I am doing.  And that is the greatest reward for me of all.  Just knowing I am creating something interesting, entertaining, & useful for folks makes it all worthwhile for me.  If I was getting paid or making money doing this it would not be the same.  Not that we couldn’t use the money but I would feel an old familiar & unwanted stress factor that I do not care to put on myself again.  Favorable responses from readers is reward enough for me & tells me that what I find enjoyable to write about, readers find enjoyable to read about.  A winning combination & a warm personal reward for me each & every day…………. :))

PHEEBS MEETS SOME NEW PALS ON THE TRAIL THIS MORNING

 

PHEEBS ALSO GOES NOSE TO NOSE WITH A GOAT FOR SOME FREE SNACKS AT TSC’S PETTING ZOO

 

CAMEL RIDES IN THE PARKING LOT

ED, a stickler for keeping things correct (and I’m glad he does) had this to say about our problematic Rabbits, errrr Hares…… “Peter & Beatrix’s comment is partially correct. The 'rabbits' that Al has pictures of are 'hares' as defined for biological classification. But they are NOT Desert Hares, they are either antelope jackrabbits (Lepus alleni) or black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus).
The Desert Hare (Lepus tibetanus) is a species of hare found in Northwestern China and countries adjacent to it”. (and no action on the Critter Cam last night)

NOTICE HOW ALL THE GOATS ARE FOCUSED ON PHEEBS BUT SHE’S PLAYING SHY

Had a strange yet familiar feeling on my face this morning.  Many years since I experienced it & the feeling actually felt good.  Kind of lite & breezy is how I would describe it.  It was shaving cream of course.  Kelly picked me up a can of Barbasol at the Dollar Store Thursday.  All these years with the beard I never used shaving cream.  Just a little soap, hot water to trim here & there.  I had forgot that nice cool face feeling after one lathers up & shaves it off.  And now I get to do it every morning if I want.  Nice:))

  

DOGGY RUNNING FAST ON THE TRAIL AGAIN THIS MORNING

Had an email from Aunt Jean in Sarasota Florida earlier in the week in which she said, “I've worn shorts to the golf course the last three weeks,  Hope to play again on Tuesday. My golfing friends don't want me to quit. They don't mind driving the cart to where I don't have to do a lot of walking.  I still get very tired by the 14th hole, & all my stamina is gone.  However, I manage to finish the game, no quitting here.  Would much rather drop on the golf course than sit in a nursing home looking out the window”.  Yep, that’s my good old Aunt Jean alright & she will be turning 87 in July:))

OUR DESERT WALKING ROAD MOST MORNINGS

{Quote) So, into every life a little rain must fall.  And I guess into every dry camper's life a LOT of dusty sand must fall, too, and I drove right into it”. {Un-quote}  It was with these words Barbara started off her recent ‘STUCK’ post.  Did she get herself un-stuck?  Well……….  While your over there helping to push check out this clever idea on Barbara’s site.  DAD COLORS IN HIS KID'S DRAWINGS

 

MORNING CLOUD PATTERNS

In addition to Thursday’s post about the Wickenburg Massacre Site I was able to pinpoint the exact location on Google Earth this morning.  This is an aerial view from about 2,500 feet up.  The co-ordinates are at the bottom right of the photo which you can click to enlarge.

Knew we had a big unsettled weather front headed our way so spent some time battening down the hatches later today.  Outside things to be put inside, windows & roof vents closed, tools into the garden shed, etc.  Been quite awhile since we have had any rain.  In fact we have not had any rain of consequence since we arrived here back around the end of October.  All the plants have been spitting dust for quite awhile.

NOT A LOT OF SUN TODAY BUT AT 7:20 THIS MORNING WE DID GET A NICE SUN SPLASH THROUGH OUR DINING ROOM WINDOW WHILE I WAS EATING MY CURDS & WHEY

GROANER’S CORNER:((  When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said, Keep off the Grass.

Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, You stay here, I'll go on a head.

A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

 

THIS MORNING WE SEARCHED FOR & FOUND THE WICKENBURG MASSACRE SITE

{Quote)‘At approximately 8:00 a.m. on the morning of November 5th, 1871, a stagecoach carrying seven passengers and driver was ambushed eight miles west of Wickenburg while en-route to Culling’s Well, Ehrenburg and San Bernardino. This event, which led to the death of seven people, quickly became the center of national attention. The driver and five male passengers were either killed instantly or died within minutes of the attack. Two wounded passengers (William Kruger and Mollie Sheppard) made a harrowing escape and were picked up by an eastbound mail wagon approximately five miles west of the ambush site after being pursued by nine members of the ambush party. Mollie Sheppard died from infected wounds some time after January 11, 1872. Of the eight souls involved in the ambush, only William Kruger survived.’{Unquote}

KELLY OPENS A GATE JUST OFF HIGHWAY 60 HEADING INTO THE DESERT

At approximately 8:30 a.m. on the morning of February 27th 2014 a Jeep Wrangler carrying Kelly, Al, & the Pheebs set out from Congress Arizona to find the ambush site of the November 5th 1871 Wickenburg Massacre.   

ROAD IS IN GOOD SHAPE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME RUTS

Armed with GPS co-ordinates & written directions I was able to quickly get us onto the entirely wrong highway right off the bat.  My usual good sense of direction went for a complete flop when I mixed up highway 60 for highway 93.  Getting that one ironed out immediately led me into navigational error # 2 when I was convinced the desert road we were looking for had to be on the left side of 60 & not on the right.  I usually pride myself in knowing where it is I are at all times but I sure misplaced myself this morning….more than once!!   Anyway, after eating a big slice of Humble Pie we did turn off highway 60 onto the correct RIGHT SIDE dirt road leading out into the dessert.  I promptly now followed my 2 navigational errors with a wrong assumption.

Following the winding desert road I assumed we were on the very road the ill-fated stagecoach had taken after leaving Wickenburg.  We had gone maybe 3 or 4 miles when my strong sense of logic began to noticeably argue with my shaky sense of assumption.  Resulting from my logic vs assumption debate with myself doubt was now beginning to reign supreme in my noggin.  Instead of the road heading Northwest for Ehrenburg it was definitely arcing back to the East-Southeast toward Wickenburg.  When the road swung definitely in a Southward direction my logic finally convinced my assumption it was wrong.  We were not on the Stage road, we were just on an ordinary dessert road simply ‘taking us to the ambush site’.

 

WE ARE BEGINNING TO SEE A BIT MORE COLOR IN THE DESERT

This was confirmed when we reached the old tumble down Ranch we had read about in the directions.  Here the road swung entirely in the opposite direction from the stagecoach’s destination of Ehrenburg near the Colorado River west of Quartzsite.  We have been to Ehrenburg so I knew in what direction the stage would have been headed.  We did stop at the old Ranch site for a leg stretch & walk around though.

 

THE OUTHOUSE WASN’T TOO FAR FROM THE HOUSE

The Ranch house has long ago tumbled to the ground but the Outhouse is still standing as well as a large shed.  Pens & corrals although weathered were still in operable condition & a large new water tank appeared to be operational although we did not see any water anywhere.  We did see cattle nearby with several salt blocks on the ground indicating parts of the Ranch are still being used.

  

 

JUST FOLLOW THE ROAD THROUGH THOSE POSTS GOING LEFT & THE MASSACRE SITE IS MAYBE A MILE OR LESS

From the Ranch it was not far to the hard to find ambush site.  Directions said to turn left in a wash which we did.  Said to follow the wash to the site of the massacre.  Well that was partially true.  But let me back up first for anyone looking for this place.  From the Ranch just follow the road between the wooden gate posts left of the water tanks.  You will come to fork in the road not too far along.  Take the left fork & this will lead you more directly to the ambush site than going down the long way through the wash.  This road will take you to the same wash but your driving distance in the wash will be much shorter.  Follow the wash for a few hundred yards to where the road comes back up out of the wash on the right.  The ambush site is only maybe 50 yards along this road.  Watch for the stone graves & wooden cross on the right.

AMBUSH SITE IS JUST LEFT OF THE JEEP…A STONE GRAVE CAN BE SEEN

The desert road coming in from highway 60 is pretty good but 4 wheel drive & high clearance is definitely recommended because the toughest part of the drive is the last quarter mile before the site.  If you reach the sandy wash & do not want to take a chance on getting stuck just park your vehicle.  There’s lots of room.  The ambush site is within a reasonably short walking distance down the wash.  Just watch for the dirt road climbing out of the wash on your right.

THIS MARKS THE SPOT ALONGSIDE THE ROAD WHERE THE KILLING TOOK PLACE

Had we not had our Delorme P40 GPS unit with us we might very well have not found the site.  There are no markers, signs, or indicators to tell or lead one to the site.  When we came up out of the wash our Delorme told us we were there but we still didn’t see anything until Kelly spotted something ahead on our right.  Keep in mind the terrain here is mainly Creosote bushes & shrubbery.  Not easy to spot something which is basically the same color as it’s surroundings.  Despite all that we were finally there & coincidentally it was the exact same time of the morning the attack had happened.  10 a.m.  Rather than me trying to tell you what exactly happened on this spot in 1871 I have included 4 links which cover the theories, the facts, & the conjectures of this incident not only about when, where, why, & how it occurred but everything that occurred after it & is still occurring to this very day.  Myths & legends are born out of these dramatic happenings & there are still people trying to solve the mystery of what really happened here………………..

THE WICKENBURG MASSACRE SITE

 

(CLICK ON ANY OF THESE TO READ)

  

AN ENDURING MYSTERY

  

WICKENBURG MASSACRE

 

BOOKS OF THE SOUTHWEST

Then guess what?   YES IT HAPPENED AGAIN!!!!!!! From the time we left highway 60 & drove the winding 6.5 miles in across the desert floor we had not seen a single person or vehicle.  Within minutes of arriving at this historic secluded & peaceful site I had no more than taken a few photos when I heard that dreaded sound of multiple small gasoline engines approaching from somewhere south of us.  A minute later half a dozen ATV’s & Razor machines all in single file came rumbling up the road & right into the spot we were standing at & stopped.  Probably a dozen or more people began piling off their machines.  I just couldn’t believe our rotten luck AGAIN!!  Well I don’t have to tell you how I felt or what it sounds like when a dozen or more people in a group all begin talking, laughing, cackling, & cajoling all at once together.  The atmosphere & significance of where we were standing was instantly lost.  And keep in mind this had nothing to do with anyone’s right to be there & everything to do with our bad luck timing again. 

 

Well it was either we leave, or wait them out.  We quickly decided on the latter but it was no point in me trying to take any photos with people milling all about.  My only course of action was to get myself as far away from that group of noisy people as fast as I could.  Kelly stayed around the Jeep but Pheebs & I took off across the desert floor & kept going until we were out of earshot.  We just walked around looking at stuff & trying to imagine what happened nearby 142 years ago.  It was probably 20 minutes to half an hour before I heard the faint sounds of ATV’s being fired up.  I could see them leaving so Pheebs & I headed back. 

TELEPHOTO LENS SHOT OF THE ATV GANG GETTING READY TO LEAVE

Pheebs & I walked along the very road the Wickenburg stagecoach would have been traveling on it’s destination with fate.  As I approached the ambush site I looked around trying to imagine what the stagecoach driver & 2 passengers sitting up on the coach were seeing ahead & off to the side of them.  Little did they know what terrible fate waited ahead only a minute away.

THE STAGE WOULD HAVE COME UP FROM WICKENBURG ALONG THIS ROAD

 

THIS IS THE VIEW THE STAGECOACH DRIVER HAD AS THEY APPROACHED THE AMBUSH SITE AT THE TOP OF THE ROAD AT RIGHT

AT THIS POINT THE DRIVER & SEVERAL PASSENGERS ONLY HAD SECONDS TO LIVE AS I THINK THE ATTACK CAME FROM THE SLIGHT HILL AT THE LEFT…OTHER PASSENGERS WERE KILLED WITHIN MINUTES

The attack apparently came from the west side of the road if I read it correctly.  There is a slightly rising hill there & I walked up to have a look.  The shooters could easily fire down upon the unsuspecting stagecoach passing by but I was puzzled by the fact the stagecoach driver had a clear line of site to the flat spot on the hill.  The 15 shooters must have lain flat on the ground motionless behind shrubs not to have been detected. 

THE STAGE CAME IN FROM TOP RIGHT & WAS AMBUSHED MIDDLE LEFT…BOTTOM RIGHT A GRAVE…BODIES IN THOSE DAYS WERE GENERALLY BURIED WHERE THEY FELL

 

STONE GRAVES ALONGSIDE THE ROAD MARK THE SPOTS WHERE PEOPLE WERE SUPPOSEDLY BURIED

KELLY IS STANDING ON THE ROAD WHERE THE PEOPLE WERE KILLED & I AM STANDING UP ON THE SLIGHT HILL WHERE I THINK THE SHOOTERS FIRED FROM

 

PILES OF STONES MARK THE GRAVESITES

    

THIS LONE GRAVE IS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD FROM THE OTHERS…ROAD IS IN BACKGROUND OF LEFT PHOTO

STANDING ON THE ROAD TOP PHOTO SHOWS FROM WHENCE THE STAGECOACH CAME WHILE PHOTO BELOW SHOWS WHERE THE STAGE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED HAD IT NOT BEEN AMBUSHED

It was after 11 before we loaded ourselves back into the Jeep & began our six & a half mile journey back to the highway.  I knew the first part of the road we traveled on heading Northwest was probably the very road the stage would have traveled had it not been ambushed further back.  We were seeing beautifully sweeping desert vistas 6 poor souls never got to see one fine Arizona morning many, many, years ago once upon a time…………………………………….

WE DEPART THE SITE & MAKE OUR WAY THROUGH THE SANDY WASH

 

We headed back into Wickenburg with a quick stop at TSC for some anti-rabbit pellets.  They had a petting zoo going on in the parking lot complete with Camel rides & a Zebra.  A quick stop at the Hog Trough netted us a couple big Hog sandwiches.  Quick stop for gas at a Chevron station & we were back to Congress by 1 p.m.  All & all a good day.  We got to go somewhere we had never been, seen things we had never seen, & learned a little more about this wild, wild, West territory we live for 5 & 6 months of the year & love so much.

QUITE OFTEN WHEN PHEEBS IS IN THE FRONT SEAT SHE WILL PUT HER PAW ON MY ARM SO HERE WE ARE PAW IN HAND WAITING FOR KELLY AT THE HOG TROUGH:))

Had the Critter Cam set up at the front of the house for the night near a hole beside our porch but it didn’t record any activity of anything coming or going from that hole.  I’ll try filling that hole in & see what happens.  We’ll spread some pellets around tonight, set up the cam again & see how the Rabbits react to the fearful pellet smells……………

Now I normally wouldn’t do this but at the request of commenter Barbara on Tuesday night’s post I’m going to take a chance & stick my mug in the post one more time.  Barbara asked, “Last fall you posted a picture of you with the Hopalong Cassidy picture you'd been sent. It was the nicest, mellowest, kindliest picture of you I'd seen up till then. Could you post that one with one of the new ones side by side”?   Okay Barbara, here they are…………………………………:))

  

THE STORY BEHIND MY HOPPY PICTURE CAN BE SEEN AT,  BIG SURPRISE FROM OREGON

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A cannibal went to the witch doctor. "Doc, I have a belly ache". "What have you eaten, lately?" asked the doctor. "Well, I had one of those missionaries who came through here last week." "How did you cook him?" asked the doc. "I boiled him in the big cauldron, like usual" replied the cannibal. "Ah, that's the problem... He was a Friar".