THE LAST TRAVEL BLOG.....BUT NOT THE LAST BLOG:))

WORKING ON THE YARD CLEAN UP TO-DAY

They say machines don't have feelings or emotions but every time I walked by the motorhhome to-day I couldn't help but sense it's loneliness. For four & a half months we were all one big happy family traveling about, boondocking, living & playing to-gether. The rig held up it's side of the bargain by giving us trustworthy & reliable service while on the road & during our whole stay in the southwest. It gave us heat when we needed it & cool air when it was hot. The plumbing system worked fine & despite a noisy water pump it always gave us plenty of hot water to scrub our little faces. It gave us electricity & light to read by, music on the radio, internet, & television. The solar system worked perfect & it carried our bicycles & towed the Santa Fe for us. Kept us safe while on the road & gave us protection at nights. The doggy guys were kept cool by it's fans while Kelly & I were away on day trips & it provided sanctuary the few times we were in congested RV parks. I am reminded of the time in Oliver Lee State Park, New Mexico when it decided to throw me a little curve by not retracting one of it's leveling jacks. Memories of windy nights when it rocked us to sleep & cold nights with warm heaters going. Open windows with big Arizona breezes blowing through & California nights with campfires under the stars. Doggies trundling up the steps & doggies trundling down the steps. It let me know it was unhappy about the hard climb over the mountains east of Las Cruces coming home & it also let me know how happy it felt when I gave it it's head & let it run clear & free on the Interstates. Memories of the people we met who came inside to have a look at our adobe paint job & southwest decorating. Memories of Fillmore bounding inside & up on Max's bed. Max never forgave Fillmore for that!! Yes, many great memories of our best traveling season ever. Best weather of ever as well. We met more people this year than in previous trips, saw more places, did more hikes, & traveled more miles on day trips. Some of our technology changed along the way for the better too. When the modem broke down on our Hughes-Net satellite system at City of Rocks State Park in New Mexico we were forced to make some decisions. Not knowing what caused the modem to malfunction we decided not to sink money into another one & instead went the way of a different technology. Purchased a Verizon Air Card in Silver City & from then on we never looked back. (anyone want a Hughes-Net dish) WHEELBARROWING A BIG LOAD OF SPRING AIR

From egg pockets in Borrego Springs to a ka-zillion egg salad sandwich's on the way home, it was a trip full of memories that will last us many years. Some memories were a bit embarrassing like the time I had a shower & left the drain valve open which resulted in all the shower water pouring out into the parking lot of an RV dealership in Las Cruces New Mexico. And yes, there were people out walking around in the parking lot too. I think the longest & warmest memories we have are of our days at Jeannie & Rays ranch near McNeal, Arizona. That was a great learning experience for us & a memory that will be with us always. Many, many, memories & those are but a few.

But now the rig sits alone & empty in it's parking space. The radio is silent, cozy warm air is replaced by cool damp temperatures inside. The warm dial lights of appliances & night lights have gone out. The CB radio isn't crackling with truckers & the quiet whirring of fans isn't moving air in or out anymore. It rests in it's spot with a big sad face waiting for the hustle & bustle of little paws & big clumpy boots & shoes. It's waiting for the return of the Bayfield Bunch to give it life, to give it purpose, & to give it meaning once again. So, with all that in mind, I walked over to the rig this afternoon, patted her on the rump, thanked her for making all the memories possible this past winter & told her to rest up for the summer because in the fall it will once again be time to load up the whole gang & get out there on the highways & byways in search of new roads, mountains, canyons, old & new friends, & a whole great big pile of new memories. And you know what........I think I put a smile on her face:)) And a special thanks to all the nice comments, emails, & notes, from people welcoming us home. And once again thanks to absolutely everyone for being a part of our journey. It was you folks who inspired me to write the blog each day & take the photos. Thanks for being a part of my hobby........................ AL:))

OUR HOUSE & LITTLE VILLAGE OF BAYFIELD ONTARIO, CANADA http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/ I hope to upload the last album sometime in the next couple of days.