TO-DAY WE FOUND THE FINAL RESTING PLACE OF TOMBSTONE’S INFAMOUS……JOHNNY RINGO

 

I knew the 3 donkey guys were up to something again this morning when I saw them clustered around the gate with what appeared to be a couple long green tubular things.  I slipped down the north fence line, around behind some clumps of tall 12 foot grass, crossed over behind a couple tractors & slipped past the end of the hay bale barn.  They were so engrossed in their little project they never saw me coming.  Yep, they were up to something alright.  Somehow they had gotten into Ray's driving shed & were able to drag back a set of welding tanks along with the lines & a welding nozzle.  Nellie had the oxygen & acetylene tanks propped up against the fence & Sarah had the rubber lines stretched up over her back & sure enough, there was Poncho, welding goggles & all, trying to burn a hole through the chain securing the gate.  

Well, I let out a holler & Poncho dropped the welding nozzle & Sarah turned & quickly looked the other way as if she didn't know what was going on.  They were 3 pretty sheepish looking donkeys as I climbed the pen fence & walked across the corral towards them.  It was me & 3 donkeys in a stare down over the top of the gate.  Well, I assume Poncho was staring at me but it was hard to tell with those goofy looking welding goggles he had on.  I wasn't mad at the guys & I don't think they were mad at me for catching them but there were a few moments of indecision between all of us.  Who was going to make the first move & what was that move going to be!!  The thought occurred to me then that I had better get myself smartened up right quick & with that thought fresh in my mind I undid the chain & pushed the gate open making way for the rascally donkey gang to come into the corral.  And come in they did!!  The gang headed straightaway for the piles of hay.  Well, Sarah & Nellie did that is.  Poncho couldn't see where he was going with those whacky welding goggles still on his head so I had to run over to him & pull them off.  He shook himself, got his bearings, turned around twice & headed for the hay.  I closed the gate to the pasture & resigned myself to the fact those donkeys were just one heck of a whole lot smarter than me & they deserved to be in the corral with all that hay.  Donkeys-3....Al-0!!

We had heard that Tombstone's infamous Johnny Ringo from the old Wyatt Erp & OK Corral days was buried somewhere over near the base of the Chiricahua mountains east of Sunizona.  Somewhere along Turkey Creek road they said.  Charlene at the Elfrida library had told Kelly this morning that it was a few miles down that road, over a creek, & around a couple of curves.  We knew there was a stone cairn marking the spot because we had seen a picture of it.  So, that was our objective to-day.......find Johnny Ringo!!

It was another beautiful Saturday morning in the Sulphur Springs Valley as we headed north on highway 191 out of Elfrida. At Sunizona we turned right onto highway 181 & headed east.  As usual, very little traffic on these great Arizona roads as we passed by the Paws & Hooves ranch where Carol & Rosanna live.  We had just had supper with them last night in Bisbee.  The highway heads straight east for a few miles before making a sharp swing to the north.  We did not follow that curve.  We went straight through on a washboardy & dusty Turkey Creek Road heading directly for the mighty Chiricahua mountains.  Around the first mile marker we slowed down & began scanning for anything looking like a stone marker.  Passed over the dry creek, around a couple curves but still didn't see anything.  This is a beautiful part of the valley with gently rolling hills leading to the mountains.  Fields of soft yellow grass, large prickly pear cactus, agave, yucca, Mesquite, & other large spreading trees.  Just the kind of setting we would love to have house in.  Passed the Sunglo ranch & came upon another very old looking ranch on the left.  We felt we had gone to far so turned around & immediately spotted a white sign on the north side of the road.  Pulled off to the side into a small dirt track along a fence & stopped.  Couldn't make out what the sign said so while Kelly slipped through a gate to have a closer look I pulled on my photo vest & grabbed the cameras.  Kelly called back, "this is it." 

      

(click pics to enlarge & hover mouse for captions)

A narrow path led through some scrub trees & yellow grass.  We were able to make out the marker a couple hundred yards ahead.  We had found the final resting place of Johnny Ringo alright.   It is not known for sure if he took his own life at this spot or was murdered here but while looking at the pile of stones I couldn't help but think, well if ya gotta die this is probably as good a place to die as any.  It was peaceful here in the shadow of the Chiricahuas.  Only the wind in the trees rustling along a quiet & dry creek bed nearby the grave.  Gently sloping grass covered hills with rocks & boulders surrounded the spot. Yep, I thought, a mighty fine place for a feller to be buried alright.

 JOHNNY RINGO’S HISTORY

JOHNNY RINGO……Wikipedia

AN OLD RANCH SITS NEAR THE JOHNNY RINGO BURIAL SITE

It was exactly 7.8 kilometers back to the pavement of highway 181.  We turned right & headed the car for the town of Wilcox somewhere on the other side of the looming Dos Cabezas Mountains which we can see all the way from the ranch.  I will continue that journey in to-morrow's blog.  The little tumbledown town of Dos Cabezas, their Pioneer Cemetery, & on to the town of Wilcox, home of the last silver screen singer & cowboy, Rex Allen.  Also a familiar town in the growing up life of country western singer, Marty Robbins.

BOWIE PEAK IN THE BACKGROUND WITH FORT BOWIE JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THOSE MOUNTAINS

I couldn't help but think again as we were heading north on the beautiful winding highway between the surrounding mountain ranges how I wished we could be doing this all the time.  The thought of returning home & sitting in one boring spot again for 6 months until we can travel again is almost too much for me to even think about.  Last summer was bad enough so I'm sure not looking forward to this coming summer.  There is just too much in this land to see & do & the time for seeing & doing it is getting shorter all the time.  Traveling & RVing is something that gets into a person's blood & once you have it there is no getting rid of it.  I just couldn't help but feel sadness this Saturday morning as those thoughts came rumbling through my head .  Oh dear, oh dear, whatever am I going to do..............:((

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Ever notice that what people call congestion on a train is atmosphere in a nightclub!!

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS  http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now....AL.

QUIET DAY HERE SO LET'S GO CHECK OUT AN OLD AUTHENTIC GHOST TOWN SALOON

AN EARLY WINTER'S MORN

Well here we are on day one of 2020 with already less than three hundred and sixty five days to 2021.  My oh my how time flies when it bogs down.  Onward and upward I say so let's get on with the New Year shall we.

ANOTHER PLEASANT EARLY MORNING JEEP RIDE THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE

Another bleak looking day but Pheebs and I saddled up Libby anyway and rode ourselves to the Bannockburn Conservation Area about four or five miles east of us.  No cars in the parking lot so nobody there, bonus.  Protected in the forest from cold winter winds we had us a nice walk despite 28F temps.  Kept my hands in my pockets while walking.

BANNOCKBURN CONSERVATION AREA

IT'S WHEEL CHAIR AND SCOOTER ACCESSIBLE IN HERE FURRY BUT YOUR GONNA HAVE TO PUT SOME SNOW TIRES ON YOUR RIG

My peanut butter of choice is Kraft's 'ONLY Peanuts' and yes the word only is capitalized on the jar.  It's an all natural peanut butter with peanuts only and that's why I like it.  No salt or sugar or other ingredients added.  Anytime I eat any other kind of popular peanut butter the very first thing I taste when I put it in my mouth is 'salt'.  Kraft now has out the same peanut butter with honey added so at the moment I am trying it out.  No complaints:))

Skies began to brighten by late morning and shortly after noon sunlight finally broke through the cloud cover.  Skies continued to clear and we ended up with a sunny afternoon.  Didn't take Pheebs and I long to get ourselves out for a walk in the sunshine.  Made my day.  By the way everybody.....Happy New Year to Y'all:))

AFTERNOON'S WALK AROUND OUR PARK'S POND

OH HOW I LOVE TO SEE THOSE BIG BLUE SKIES

SLIPPING CLOSER TO EARTH'S HORIZON THE LATE AFTERNOON SUN CASTS SHADOWS ACROSS CLUMPS OF SNOW ON THE GROUND

::An Archive Post::  For those of you who found Johnny Ringo's gravesite in my Tuesday night post you might like to see where it is rumored Johnny Ringo was last seen before his death.  And it was in a Saloon.  What's left of that Saloon is (or was) in the ghost town of Gleeson Arizona east of Tombstone and west of where Johnny Ringo's body was found.  Wyatt Erp was heard to say he was the one who shot Johnny Ringo but it's all still a big mystery as to what really happened.  We've been in Gleeson a few times and this particular day was February 14th 2009.  Here is my post for the day I stuck my camera up against a dust coated broken window and managed to get a few shots of inside the old tumble down derelict Saloon.  Today We Rambled Around In The Old Ghost Town Of Gleeson Arizona.  Be sure to check my photo album for that day to see more photos of Gleeson and that Saloon.  Gleeson - An Old Western Ghost Town.

AND BY GOLLY THERE'S THE SHADOW COWBOY HIMSELF

AND HIS SHADOW DOG TOO

::Al's Musical Favs:: Oh Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie by The Son's Of The Pioneers.  In keeping with Tuesday nights and tonight's 'An Archive Post' I give you my all time favorite version of this song.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A husband and wife are getting ready for bed. The wife is standing in front of a full length mirror taking a hard look at herself. "You know," she says, "I look in the mirror and I see an old woman. My face is all wrinkled, my boobs are barely above my waist, my butt is hanging out a mile. I've got fat legs and my arms are all flabby". She turns to her husband and says, "Tell me something positive to make me feel better about myself".  He thinks about it for a bit and then says, "Well... there's nothing wrong with your eyesight".
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A man went to apply for a job. After filling out all of his applications, he waited anxiously for the outcome.  The employer read all his applications and said, "We have an opening for people like you."  "Oh, great," he said, "What is it?"  "It's called the door!"
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