THROWING SNOWBALLS IN THE EMORY PASS

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 28/08

Nights are cold in the high 30's but as soon as the sun gets up the day warms nicely into the mid 70's & the sun's rays are really warm. Thought we would take a drive west into the mountains & have a look at Emory Pass & the Gila National Forest. Nice smooth road drive across flat plains & then into some gentle twisting & turning foothills. Gotta figure out a way to bring the motorcycle next time. The little town of Hillsboro finally appeared ahead of us. Some RVing friends had suggested we stop into the Barber Shop cafe for a great hamburger but it wasn't open yet so we walked across the road to the General Store Cafe. Great little place with lots of antiques & nice ambience. OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/ I had a big mess of bacon & eggs while Kelly had Pinto beans with an egg on top, plus red chile sauce with cheese. From Hillsboro we headed west through a little place called Kingston & on into the Gila National Forest. Wow, we finally saw green trees that were actually taller than us. We immediately fell in love with the area as we climbed higher & higher up the pine forested mountainside on a road that kept me on the ball shifting gears in the tight corners. I like when that happens:)) Beautiful towering Ponderosa pines & junipers hugged the side of the road. And what a treat it was to see soooooooo much green!! We hadn't realized we missed our trees from back home so much until we drove into this overwhelmly beautiful forest. We caught glimpses of snow ahead high on the mountain & it wasn't long & we were there. We had reached our destination of the Emory Pass summit. Had to pull over & get some pics of that snow for sure. Kelly whooped up a snowball & let it fly over my head. The view from the Vista viewpoint over the valley floor below showed us the winding road we had just come up. We had considered going on to Silver City but we don't like to leave the dogs alone in the motorhome for too long a period so we turned around at the summit & headed back down the mountain. By the time we reached Hillsboro again, the Barber Shop cafe was open so we popped in for a loaf of fresh bread that had just come out of the oven. Really liked the interior of this store & I like how so many people here in the west are so artsy in their decorating.
OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/ The still warm loaf of bread smelled so good in the car on the way home that we couldn't leave it alone & by the time we got back to the rig it looked like a big mouse had been nibbling at it. Still warm as I sliced off a piece & smothered it in real butter. You were right Herb, it was grrrrreat:))

All & all it was a great day. Just love getting out & seeing new things, driving new roads, walking new paths, & just being a part of Mother Nature's wonderful grandeur.....................

A RELAXING DAY FOR AL & THE FURRY GUYS

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 27/08

The photo shows the Rio Grande River behind our rig running alongside the road. 22,000 gallons a second running downriver right now.

Our RV site alongside the Rio Grande was so quiet last night that we slept right through until morning. I like when that happens.
Easier walking for Max this morning because of the smoother pavement instead of the usual rocky desert terrain but he's still having trouble with that left leg.

Kelly headed off over to Becky & Norm's place for more downtown shopping this afternoon while I stayed home with the furry guys. I'm really not a good person to take shopping. I whine a lot, check my watch frequently, go find a bench to sit on, become more irritable by the minute & am usually exiting the 5th store while everybody else is still mulling around in the first store. I am not a fun shopper person to have around!! Of course, I always feel guilty then when Kelly comes home with stuff she bought for me..... You know, us guys just can't win sometimes:((

Becky & Norm came out to our rig for a BBQ to-night & brought their laptop with them. Kelly helped Becky understand her Yahoo email program a bit better & how to send pictures, etc. After they left, our screen door handle broke off locking us in the rig. Had to get a Phillips screw driver, reach outside the door through the screen & unscrew a couple of screws to finally get the door to open. Always something huh....................................

NO PHOTOS UPLOADED TO THE WEB ALBUM TO-DAY

I KNOW WHERE ALL THE HIPPIES WENT

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 26/08
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Higher is lower & when your talking about temperatures it sure applies here in the southwest. The higher you go, the lower the temperature gets. We were just getting used to waking up to highs in the low 50's or high 40's, & now we're back into the high 30's, but all we have to do is think about the freezing temperatures back home in Canada right now & we soon button ourselves up!!

Our campsite by the river was a little on the rough side. A fellow stopped by yesterday & suggested we might want to find a different site before the week-end because this area is a favorite hang-out for the local teens with all their drugs & booze. We had pretty much surmised that by all the usual litter on the ground.
We jumped in the car & headed off with some suggested directions to RV sites in the area from some RV friends we had met back in Quartzsite. Found a nice area out around the Elephant Butte Lake Dam. OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/ Had noticed a nice spot with some interesting looking adobe shelters that is part of Elephant Butte State Park. No electricity or water but it's right on the banks of the Rio Grande river & only $8 a night & the best part...........nobody here but us:)) Paseo Del Rio Campground is a clean, well maintained area with hot showers, flush toilets, an interpretive walking path, paved road & high hills all around. We can see the dam & there is a fish hatchery here. The adobe shelters are really nice & we would recommend this place to other RV dry campers. T & C is only a few miles to the west & I think they are in the process of building a Wal-Mart there. Hey RV'ers, what more can ya ask for!!

If you ever wondered what became of all those millions of hippies from back in the 60's, I have the answer for you. They are all right here in Truth or Consequences. The hair is whiter, the beards are longer, clothes are about the same, & they are all still artsy kinds of folks with plenty of strange ways. Yep, all them same characters are right here alright:))

Becky, Norm, (Kelly's sister & brother-in-law) & Kelly went into T & C this afternoon to do some shopping. I do not do shopping thank-you very much!!!! Spent the afternoon getting caught up on computer stuff, checking tire pressures, fluid levels on the vehicles, re-shuffling bins, etc. Anytime soon we will be launching ourselves northeast on the long journey home so I just wanted to have everything ready to rumble. Good productive day followed by a supper with Becky & Norm at a quaint little Mexican restaurant called La Panita. I had my standard burg & fries & they all had some soupy looking weird Mexican stuff or something. I got super sick years ago while in Puerto Vallarta one time eating some of that stuff so if da joint don't got no burgs & fries, I don't go!!!!

Hot sun to-day but the air was cool. Reminded me of a late April day back home in Bayfield, Ontario Canada.............

THE GANG ROLLS INTO TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NM

MONDAY FEBRUARY 25/08

PHOTOALBUMShttp://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

We hadn't planned on heading out too early this morning but after checking the weather report & finding out they had high wind warnings for the area we figured we'd better get on our way. Didn't want to get stuck at that KOA all day & we didn't want to get caught out on the interstate in high gusting winds later so we were eastbound by 8 a.m. We had originally thought of going up through Silver City but after talking to some people & reading some info on the mountain passes we decided it wasn't an area we would be comfortable taking the motorhome. Thought we might make it as far as Deming though & then swing down to the Pink Store in Mexico, but by the time we reached Deming the winds weren't a big threat yet so we made a last minute decision to roll right on through to Truth or Consequences. Made a quick Wal-Mart/McDonald's stop about 10 a.m. in Las Cruces. The winds were blowing hard from the west so we had a tough cross wind heading north up to T&C from Las Cruces (and it's uphill all the way) but we made it ok. Kelly's sister Becky & husband Norm are there doing a 3 month work camper stint at River Bends Hot Springs. We stopped for gas in Williamsburg, phoned them, & they come a short couple of miles to meet us. They then led us to a quiet little spot right on the banks of the Rio Grande river nearby where we parked & set up the motorhome. Had a big super 3 hour chin wag & then they drove us the 3.8 miles over to where they have their rig parked at the hot springs place. Becky & Norm are full timers & Becky just completed a 3 month traveling nurse assignment in Clearwater, Florida. Their rig is parked right across the road from the hot springs so they showed us around the facilities. Really nice with lots of color & a real southwestern flavor. http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/ The owner's son is in the process of major improvements & renovations & things are really taking shape. Becky & Norm work 3 days on & then have 4 days off. Becky looks after the office, reservations, etc & Norm does the light maintenance. Becky had whooped up a big pot of yummy stew so Kelly & I ate as much as humanly possible before they drove us back to our campsite & dumped us out on the ground:))))

To-morrow we will have us a look around in the colorful & artsy little town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. (Geeeeezzzzz, can't they do something about that name!!!!)


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GOOD-BYE ARIZONA - HELLO NEW MEXICO

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 24/08
A fiery Hickiwan sunrise got me right out of bed & outside in my pj's this morning. I like when that happens....the fiery sunrise I mean!!

Said good-bye to Ray, hooked up the car, & rolled out of Hickiwan Trails heading east on highway 86 at 9:20. Managed a few last looks back at some old memories & then it was all speed ahead. Nice quiet road all the way to Tucson. Very little traffic & nice scenery. A nice remember when as we passed the observatories on Kitt Peak. I drove up there last year, walked all around the telescopes & had a great couple of hours. We rolled through Tucson with no problems & easily slipped onto Interstate 10 heading for Benson. Had considered stopping there for the night but just popped into a Wal-Mart & a coffee diner for a quick bite & kept on going. It was a good driving day with light traffic. We had a slight tail wind helping with gas so we went on as far as Lordsburg before pulling into a KOA for the night. KOA's are always neat & tidy but they are also always sooooo expensive. We were too tired to search out a BLM site anyway so we'll swallow the cost to-night.
Seems so strange sitting here looking out the window at lights, neon signs, & traffic motoring by on I-10. Sure don't see this kind of civilization in the desert. We much prefer the desert, thank-you very much!!

We might slide down to one of our other favorite places to-morrow with the car after we reach Demming. The Pink Store in Palomas Mexico is a place like no other. No, we won't be taking the car over the border but we'll park it & walk across. The Pink Store is only a block......

NO PHOTOS ADDED TO THE WEB ALBUM TO-DAY

OUR LAST NIGHT AT HICKIWAN TRAILS:((

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 23/08

The big wind gusts finally subsided about 10 o'clock last night & when I took Max out this morning about 5 a.m. I was happy to see the great summer Scorpion riding high in the sky. In other words, the clouds were gone & the sky was once again full of stars & constellations. Scorpios being one of those summer constellations. The full moon which had been shrouded in clouds the night before had already lost it's perfectly round shape as it slipped over the mountain range to the west.

Our doggy walk was short again because Max still has a bit of a limp. I was sure glad the winds were gone as I climbed atop the rig to put the solar panels down for traveling. As the morning sun cast it's warming rays over the desert & mountains around me I couldn't help but think back over the past 5 years & whisper a quiet.............thank-you.

We had the big wheels rolling by 9:30 & as I wheeled the motorhome slowly out across the narrow & bumpy desert road I was saddened to be leaving a spot that had added so many pleasant memories to the lives of The Bayfield Bunch. I am always melancholy whenever we leave a favorite site because I know we may never pass that way again.
We stopped about a quarter mile down the road to say good-bye to our Canadian friends, Maureen, Mike, & their dog Molly. They are staying on in the area until the first week of March before moving on to Borrego Springs in California. Hope to meet you guys again out here sometime, somewhere. Take care M&M&M:))

When we reached the highway from Darby Wells road I turned right heading for Hickiwan Trails while Kelly, driving the car, turned left into Ajo for groceries, etc. I stopped for gas & propane in Why. Gas came to $185 & that's the first gas stop since leaving Quartzsite one month ago to-day. That tank should take us well over to the other side of New Mexico. Loaded up some propane then went into the little Cafe where the waiter wears a 6 shooter & loaded myself up on a big mess of bacon & eggs.

Rolled into Hickiwan Trails about 11:20 & pulled into the same spot we had been about 3 weeks ago. I had forgot that they were having their 8th anniversary of the park's opening. Ray had things swinging with a live Indian band set up right in front of the office. The Indian ladies were cooking up a storm in the wooden Palapha & RV people were lined up for tamales, burritos, tacos & Indian fry bread. The weather was perfect for a gathering & I'm sure lots of new RV friendships were made to-day. Luckily, I was able to get a bunch of pictures of the festive event for the Hickiwan computer files.......OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

We caught up on our laundry, vacuumed, filled the fresh water tank, etc. Always nice to have electricity & shore water hooked up after being out in the desert for awhile. I didn't bother to set up our satellite dish to-day because I figured we would just use the Wifi here. But, until Ray gets a final part for the bigger antennae, the speeds are slow & the distance is short. I may not get the blog or web album pictures uploaded for a day or two. Depends where & when we stop to-morrow night.

It will be a sad morning when we leave our little Hickiwan Trails for the last time Sunday but with a bit of luck we hope to pass this way again next November. There is no place like the beautiful & majestic American southwest & we'll miss our morning desert walks here:))

(I'll try uploading this now without pictures. The pictures I can add later when we have a better connection speed)

OUR LAST DAYS AT DARBY WELLS

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22/08

The clouds slunk in during the night making our last day at Darby Wells a rather gloomy affair. High winds rocked the motorhome as temperatures dropped throughout the day keeping us mainly indoors. We did retaliate with a campfire but even that had to be abandoned in the face of ash driven winds.
Cleaned some windows & straightened up the cab area of the rig in preparation for the mornings departure. Too windy to put the solar panels down so hopefully it will quiet down overnight.

Kelly had picked up a second book in Borrego Springs called, "Desert Solitaire, A Season in the Wilderness" by Edward Abbey. To-day I started reading that book & within the first 8 pages I knew I was going to like it because of the author's down to earth straight ahead approach & non conformist attitude. It's the true story of a man's 3 seasons as a Park Ranger in southeastern Utah. Mainly, the Arches State Park near Moab. We were at the Arches back on November 6,7,8,9, & 10th of last year & our photos can be found on those dates in our web album.... http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/
The New York Times described Edward Abbey as a rebel & an eloquent loner. Yep, I'm a gonna like this book alright!!

Both Kelly & I have been feeling sluggish & under the weather the past few days so we're hoping that we haven't picked up a flu bug or something. Water sources are always a concern while on the road.

And now................ time to vent a little!!!!
In our RV travels over the past few years we have repeatedly come across a problem in North America that totally infuriates me every time I see it at almost every campsite we've ever been too, including this one........BROKEN GLASS!!!!!!!!! The sides of many highways are littered with miles & miles & miles of broken glass & most of it comes from beer & liquor bottles. Tells you something doesn't it!! Nobody ever cleans this mess up & each year the broken glass just keeps piling up. One thing is for sure, wherever there are young males, there will be broken glass. Even on our hikes out into the seemly pristine desert, we always come across broken beer bottles. Every campsite has shards of broken glass somewhere & it's usually in the fire pits. It's an easy equation....Young males + alcohol = broken glass. No rocket science here, just plain immature male stupidity. I speak with knowledge on this subject because I was once one of those immature stupid young males, so I know all to well what goes on in that world of booze.
Next year on our travels I will bring my garden & fan rakes plus a shovel & take it upon myself to clean up each & every campsite we come too. I will make it my project to become part of the clean up solution. And, what about all the glass & trash along the roadsides?? How about getting all those thousands of people charged with alcohol offences every day, out along the highways to pick up there own inconsiderate & immature mess!!!!!!!
There, now I feel better:))))))))))