TWO DIFFERENT SETS OF SURPRISE RV VISITORS FROM YEARS GONE BY ARRIVE WITHIN MINUTES OF EACH OTHER

REMEMBER ME TELLING YOU LAST WEEK I WANTED TO GIVE A SAGUARO CACTUS A BIG HUG….YEP, TODAY WAS THE DAY I HAD A CHANCE TO DO JUST THAT:))

After a brief fiery sunrise we slid into a cloudy morning with an east wind ruffling up the Creosote shrubs.  Kelly took Pheebs for a walk while I waited for Old Sol to make an appearance which he did about mid morning as skies slowly began to partially clear.

IT WAS A BRIEF BUT FIERY SUNRISE

Soon as I saw sunshine on the desert floor later Pheebs and I were out the door and making our way towards a tall Saguaro cactus I had noticed about half a mile away.  I really like walking in the desert in this area.  Ground is an easy walking flat hard packed mixture of sand, clay, and fine gravel mixed with plant like grass and a number of green ground cover plants .  It is the only time I ever wish I had my bicycle.  Biking on a hard packed desert floor dodging along among the Creosote shrubs Palo Verde trees, Saguaro, Prickly Pear and Barrel Cactus is a fun and exciting thing for me and I really enjoyed doing that over at the Hickiwan Trails RV Park years ago.

A DESERT CHOLLA PLANT

IN THE CACTUS WORLD THIS IS WHAT DEAD CHOLLO BRANCHES LOOK LIKE

THE DESERT FLOOR IS COVERED IN A VARIETY OF HARDY LITTLE GREEN PLANTS

THERE ARE LOTS OF PRICKLY THINGS IN THE DESERT JUST WAITING TO SNAG THE UNWARY

We had seen a white pick-up truck with a camper on the back cruising around slowly through Gunsight Wash where we are.  Pretty soon it headed our way and pulled in.  Didn’t recognize the folks right away but soon realized it was long time readers and friends Cathie and Bob who we first met while we were in Elfrida Arizona during the 2010/11 season.  You can read of our first meeting here at, From The Cochise Stronghold To The Dragoon Springs....Jeeping All The Way.  We met Cathy and Bob at the end of this Jeeping day and it’s interesting how Bob tracked us down using Google Earth and backgrounds from my photos.  Hadn’t seen or heard from them since that time (over 8 years ago) I had wondered a few times over the years whatever became of them.  And then this morning there they were with their two terriers, Foxy and Susie Q.  Really glad they stopped by and we really enjoyed seeing and talking with them again.  A very laid back couple easy to get along with.

SOME DESERT CHATTING GOING ON HERE

 

BOB AND CATHY

SUSIE Q AND FOXY

SITTING PRETTY FOR A SNACK

PHEEBS TRYS OUT FOXY AND SUSIE Q’S TRUCK RIDING SEAT MUCH TO THE CONCERN OF THE TERRIERS

Shortly after Cathie and Bob pulled in a truck and travel trailer stopped on the road and out popped Ann and Bill whom we had first met on Darby Well Road years ago then again in the Kofa Mountains at Christmas time a few years ago where they were Park hosts.  Ann quickly pointed out something in the nearby mountains I hadn’t noticed.  The ‘Sleeping Indian Princess’ and the ‘Wagon Train’.  They were on their way to California’s Mojave National Preserve so didn’t stay long because they had a long drive ahead of them.

DO YOU SEE THE RECLINING INDIAN PRINCESS….HER HEAD IS AT THE LEFT

AND THOSE THREE NUBS ARE CALLED ‘THE WAGON TRAIN’

BILL, ANN, AND MR. GRUMBLES

ANN AND BILL’S RIG

OFF THEY GO THROUGH THE CREOSOTES HEADING FOR CALIFORNIA

Cathie and Bob stayed awhile longer and we were able to get caught up on things.  Truly nice folks and Bobs one of those fellas I could easily hang out with. 

BYE FOLKS AND THANKS FOR DROPPING BY

HOPE OUR TRAILS CROSS AGAIN

Our afternoon turned into a nice mixture of sun and cloud so Pheebs and I took off on another desert walk.  So nice to simply step out the door and head off out into the open desert.  Sixty eight degrees today with a nice breeze bringing it down into the lower 60’s.  El Perfecto:))

YES ,THOSE SAGUARO SPIINES ARE AS SHARP AS NEEDLES 

SAGUAROS

 

Reader Karen in a comment asks, “We are not long distance RV people so I'm not familiar with how things work there. Do you pay a fee to camp there in the desert? What do you do about dumping your tanks?”….. We are on BLM (Bureau Of Land Management) lands where some times fees and 14 day limits apply.  Neither one of those things are strongly enforced and in our 13 Snow Bird years we have never had to pay anything anywhere nor move within a 14 day limit.  Here in the great Southwest rules and regulations are not what they might be in the eastern States and it’s one of the things we enjoy so much out here where large chunks of freedom still remain.  No dump facilities in the desert  of course but a few miles away is the Coyote Howls East campground where tanks can be dumped and water taken on.  As a rule wherever you are camped there is an RV Park, community dump station, or a gas station somewhere in the area with dumping facilities.   Gas stations (3 gas stations with two of them being Shell) in Gila Bend) are often free as well as community dumps but RV Parks generally charge about ten dollars to dump your tanks.

HAVE ALWAYS LIKED THESE GREEN BARKED PALO VERDE TREES

THIS IS A 300mm VIEW OF OUR RIG FROM MY HUGGABLE SAGUARO AND BELOW IS A 55mm PHOTO WHICH SHOWS THE TRUE DISTANCE WE WALKED TO OUR SAGUARO

 

DESSERT OCOTILLOS WILL SOON BE TURNING GREEN AND BURST FORTH WITH BRIGHTLY RED FLOWERS

A commenter asked if Kelly takes the photos while we’re driving.  No, I take the photos and I know this causes some concerns with a few readers.  I have written about this before and will do so again here.  Never do I ever look through a viewfinder or at the back of the camera’s live view to compose a photo.  Let me emphasize the word ‘never’ and if anyone ever does that they are in grave danger of an accident.  My camera is pre-set on ‘Auto Focus’ and my lens is set to take18mm wide angle photos.  I use the full automatic setting so that I do not ever have to fiddle with any camera settings.  Also, my eyes never come off the road even for photos taken out the side window.  The camera can never be the focus of attention while driving like attention grabbers such as a radio or heater dials, GPS, smart phones, or indash computer screens.  Because I use a quality camera (Nikon D7200) I am able to later crop my photos into a usable photo.  Horizons always have to straightened and color corrected for the tinted windshield.  My 18mm lens takes a wide picture and in the editing process I am able to crop in close to the actual subject matter I had originally seen.  The photo you see may be only a small part of the overall wide angle photo I see in my editing program.  When you see a nice mountain scene for example I first have to straighten out the most often very tilted horizon and go from there to pull a reasonable photo out of a very wide angled shot.  When I see something of interest coming up I simply point my camera in the general subject direction then quickly fire off a single wide angle shot.  The time it takes to take the photo is no different than the time it takes to pick up a cup of coffee for a sip.   In a nutshell, my eyes never have to come off the road, and my attention never has to be diverted to my camera.  Let me also add something else, there is definitely a knack to doing this that takes practice and I have been doing it for years.  To sum up I will again say, never do I ever look through a viewfinder or at the back of the camera’s live view to compose a photo.  if anyone ever does that they are in very grave danger of an accident just the same as texting while driving’ where one’s attention is taken off the road ahead and totally centered onto their texting device both mentally and physically.  

GROANER’S CORNER:((  "Do you think I shall live until I'm ninety, doctor?"  "How old are you now?"  "Forty."  "Do you drink, gamble, smoke, or have you any vices of any kind?"  "No. I don't drink, I never gamble, I loathe smoking; in fact, I don't have any vices."  "Well, good heavens, what do you want to live another fifty years for?"

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- “How would you characterize really awful chicken rhymes? Paltry poultry poetry.”

- Computers are like air conditioners. They work fine until you start opening windows.

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Q: What do you call a blonde with 90% of her intelligence gone?  A: Divorced.

Q: How did the blonde try to kill the bird?  A: She threw it off a cliff.

Q: How did the blonde break her leg raking leaves?  A: She fell out of the tree.

Q: How did the blonde die drinking milk?  A: The cow fell on her.

Q: How did the blonde burn her nose?  A: Bobbing for french fries.

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WELL YOU PROBABLY KNEW WE WOULD MOVE AGAIN, RIGHT??

WAY OFF ON THE DISTANT HORIZON ARE THE GROWLER MOUNTAINS WHERE THE BODY OF AUTHOR EDWARD ABBEY LIES BURIED SOMEWHERE IN AN UNMARKED GRAVE

It wasn’t my eyes bringing me the usual visual desert delights this morning, it was my nose.  Anyone who has ever been in the desert after a rain knows that delightfully distinct pungent sweet smell given off by the many Creosote bushes growing profusely on the desert floor.  It’s a smell one recognizes instantly and will always remember.

MEXICO’S AGUA DULCE MOUNTAINS AND NOTICE THE GROUND MIST HANGING HEAVY IN GROWLER VALLEY

A FINE MORNING FOR A WALK

 

THIS IS A CREOSOTE BUSH WHICH GIVES OFF THAT MEMORABLE AROMA AFTER A DESERT RAIN

THE TOP OF A BARREL CACTUS

A NICE DESERT BLOOM  BUT I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS NOR THE PLANT BELOW

It may not come as a surprise we have already changed locations.  It’s one of those things we sometimes kinda do.  This morning was a good example of why that is.  When driving into a boondocking area we generally un-hook the Jeep then scout around for a good spot.  We did that Friday and of course found us a good spot right off and set up.  As sometimes happens on our morning walk around the area we found an even more gooder site not too far from where we were.  So, we just up and moved ourselves.  We have a better unobstructed view of the desert and mountains now with no other RV’s visible to the south.  I like that.  But, it may not be our last move because we have our eye on an even more gooder than goodest site nearby with a Lazydays Class C sitting on it.  If that Lazydays moves we’ll probably snag it. 

OUR NEW SPOT

THERE ARE A LOT OF COYOTES ABOUT SO WE LIKE TO HAVE A SPOT WHERE WE HAVE A GOOD UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF THE LANDSCAPE ALL AROUND US

THIS IS THE ‘LAZYDAYS’ SITE WE ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON

Getting a little low on a few things we decided to head for Olsens in Ajo.  Any good RV’er in the area worth his salt has been to Olsens.  Olsens is a combination IGA, Supermarket & Ace Hardware Store.  There’s just something I’ve always liked about this store.  Always nice driving through Ajo and we took the loop drive back along Darby Well Road.  Must have been recent rains in the area because we found the road a bit choppy in spots and especially the back road to Ajo.  Darby Well Road has always been a favorite boondocking spot for us but with the local Mine fencing off most of the prime sites it’s just not the same there now.  What few sites are left usually have somone at them.  Didn’t stop anywhere and just rolled right on through and headed back to Why.  Determined to keep my picture taking down to a bare minimum today I took only a few photos on our drive to Ajo and back.  But then Pheebs and I headed out for a desert walk and all that determination went right out the window.

LAST YEAR ON DARBY WELL ROAD WE CAMPED RIGHT IN THERE AMONGST THOSE SAGUAROS

IT’S REALLY TOO BAD SO MANY GREAT SITES HAVE BEEN LOST HERE

SOUTH END OF DARBY WELL ROAD ALONGSIDE MANY MANY TONS OF MINE TAILINGS

A sunnier and warmer day today and how nice to just sit outside and watch the big white fluffy clouds floating by.  For Kelly and I the temperatures here is perfect.  Not being hot or cold people we love the 60 to 70F range with one condition, as long as there is no wind to drive those temperatures down.  Today was 62F with no wind, no humidity,  no sweating, and no freezing.  And best of all….’no bugs!!’

I SEE A YOUNG LAMB FLOATING OVER THAT TALL HILLTOP

JUST KICKING BACK WITH MY FEET UP

ENCHANTING CLOUDS TODAY

I’ve said many times before how much healthier it is here in Arizona during the winter and I was reminded of that again this afternoon on a desert walk with Pheebs.  If we were home in Bayfield we would be sitting in the house every day with freezing cold temperatures outside along with snowy slippery walking conditions.  Here in the desert we can step out our already open door and walk or drive in scenic splendor for miles and miles in a totally natural setting.  No cars, no sidewalks, no street lights, no noise, no traffic lights, and very, very, few people.  The only sound Pheebs and I heard on our afternoon walk was a few cactus wrens.  And to think we had actually decided to not come south this year.  Despite ourselves getting in our own way at times we are so fortunate to have been able to make it down here to the Southwest at least one more year.

SEEMS NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO OR WHERE YOU WALK ALONG THE DESERT FLOOR YOU WILL MOST ALWAYS FIND A FIRE RING

PHEEBS AND I FOLLOWED THIS DRY WASH FOR QUITE AWHILE

THE MIGHTY AJO MOUNTAIN RANGE

THAT DISTANT MOUNTAIN  RANGE IS SOUTH OF US IN MEXICO

BOTH AJO AND CARDIGAN PEAKS BRING BACK MANY DARBY WELL ROAD MEMORIES

PHEEBS WAS PRETTY TIRED AFTER OUR WALK THIS AFTERNOON

It was nice getting my tripods and binoculars out again.  Always love setting things up to have a closer look at mountain ranges far off.  Brought my telescope along this year again so hope to do a little looking around at the night sky.  When one lives under a canopy of pine trees like we do back home in Bayfield one of the highlights of our winters in the southwest for me is being out under the night sky

I ALWAYS SEE THINGS IN THE CLOUDS, DO YOU??

I SEE MAMA POO BEAR ON THE LEFT WATCHING HER TWO BABY POO BEAR CUBS AT PLAY ON THE RIGHT

HERE’S THE WHOLE POO BEAR FAMILY TOGETHER WITH MAMA ON THE LEFT, TWO CUBS IN THE MIDDLE AND A BIG HAPPY PAPA POO BEAR WITH HEAD TIPPED BACK LAUGHING

BAUSH AND LOMB 8X50 BINOCUARS ON LEFT AND CELESTRON 15X70’S ON RIGHT

A big thanks to all my readers again tonight for all your kind words, encouragement, and support….………..

TONIGHT’S DESERT MOON

GROANER’S CORNER:(( TOP TEN SIGNS THAT YOU ARE OLD BEFORE YOUR TIME::

10)You refer to people your own age as 'kids today'

9)Your high school grad sweater no longer fits your gut

8)You have more hair on your back than on your head

7)You begin stories with the expression 'in my day ...'

6)You have to take naps

5)You don't think that the Rolling Stones are that old ...

4)You have to take so much medication that you're on a first-name basis with all the pharmacy clerks in town

3)You think that Bob Saget is funny

2)Your joints crack so loudly when you get out of bed that France surrendered

1)People your own age call you 'sir' and give you their seat on the bus.

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I work in a busy office, and when a computer goes down it causes quite an inconvenience. Recently one of our computers not only crashed, it made a noise that sounded like a heart monitor. "This computer has flat-lined," a co-worker called out with mock horror. "Does anyone here know how to do mouse-to-mouse?"

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