QUIET DAY & A NOTE FROM BELLE:))

 

DOS CABEZAS PIONEER CEMETERY…..DOS CABEZAS MOUNTAIN TOP RIGHT

Quiet day around the ranch.  No donkey shenanigans & all is well.  Corky boy was here for the day so we had 6 dogs flying around upside down & a couple 'a' good grass scrambles.  Yes Jerry, we have about two thirds grass here but we just happen to be parked on gravel & that makes for really some neat-o mud pies outside the rig on rainy days.  Not many rainy days in Arizona though:))

QUIET SATURDAY MORNING DRIVE IN THE SULPHUR SPRINGS VALLEY, ARIZONA

Clicked on 2 blogsites yesterday that started with a video & music playing.  Had to click them off right away again.  For air card users like ourselves we really can't afford to lose precious megabytes.  Those darn bites are like bits of gold.   You Tube videos, music, animated & audio advertising, animated jokes, greeting cards, etc are all taboo for us.  The 2 blogs I clicked on may have had some very interesting content put to-gether by some very interesting people but I'll never know.  I have read that music on blogs/websites is one of the number one reasons for people not returning to the site.  I think if a person wants their favorite song or Christmas Carol on their site then make it optional like Joe does on, SOMEWHERE IN TIME.  He has a 'music optional' button on the top left side of his blog.  I also think videos should have an 'options button' as well.  Recent comments have suggested music on our blogsite & I may consider the ‘music optional’ feature.  Of course I could be taken to task for making my photos too big on our site as well but I really don't think that's as bad as forced music or videos.  Geeezzz, seems like I've always got something to grumble about huh.  Well, gotta keep my Cursmudgeon status intact.  Can't relax for a second or someone will snatch that away on me!!

Ever wonder how your computer lets you know when it's hard drive decides to totally crash forever.  Check out RAY'S QCC blog & he'll tell ya first hand!! 

FORT BOWIE IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF BOWIE PEAK IN THE BACKGROUND

We've made a bit of a start on Belle Starr's blogsite so I'll include the address here.  Kelly will make some phone calls to-morrow & try to find out if it will be possible for Belle to retrieve her actual website from the server who dropped it a couple of months ago, but there are some complications.  In the meantime we'll try to get Belle up & running with her own blog.  BELLE STARR'S SILVERADO RANCH  Coincidentally, as I was typing this paragraph an email came in from Belle.  I am going to include that email here.  She is such a great lady & has such a caring heart of gold.  This is from Belle:

"COME ON OVER ANYTIME IF IT IS CONVENIENT." 
Hey---what do you think about having a New Years Eve Party here on the ranch?------You can get on your Blog and I will fill in on mine-----inviting all these Boondockers and others to come out and enjoy a get together around a camp fire-----listening to all those old western tunes and cowboy music of Yesterday.  I have lots and lots of music,
Even Square dance music and the calls.  They were my mothers.  She used to call square dances  when all the neighbors would
get together at each others house.  Everyone would bring sandwiches,cake and pie .  The hostess would serve the drinks.  What fun it was.  Bring Kelly----she is so cute.
Belle-----Thanks for all you are doing for me.  The Boondockers can stay a night or two if they want.

Belle Starr
Silverado RancH

ABANDOED OLD RANCH HOUSE IN THE VALLEY

Saturday's day trip took us north from Johnny Ringo's gravesite along highway 181 to-ward the double peaked Dos Cabezas mountain.  We gained some altitude through rolling hills & drove into the east end of what first appeared a ghost town.  This was Dos Cabezas.  Not too much left here & the few old tumbledown buildings matched the number of places that looked livable.  Once again, we have to look at things with our southwest eyes & not our southern Ontario eyes.  Rolling out the west end town we came upon the Dos Cabezas Pioneer Cemetery on a hillside to the left of the highway.

 

WHITE BUILDING CENTER LEFT IS THE OLD DOS CABEZAS U.S. POST OFFICE ACCORDING TO FADED SIGN ABOVE THE DOOR

(click on photos to enlarge)

 We find old cemeteries interesting & generally stop & spend time looking around in them.  The markers tell many sad tales....if there are any markers.  Some cemeteries we see are not much more than a few piles of scattered stones & a few pieces of weathered wood lying about.  Sometimes an old iron gate hanging on rusted hinges from a once proud hand crafted iron fence encircles a family plot.  In this old Pioneer cemetery we saw one stone with the inscription. 'Unknown.'  Another one says 'Just Restin' while another newly laid cement foundation in the newer part of the cemetery has a plastic sign on it saying. 'Reserved Parking for D.K.'  A cement block with the name Dot painted on it marks the spot of another lifetime of lost memories.  Some of the crosses are made of iron & have stood the test of time while others of wood have been parched black by a century of Arizona sun.  So many stories left untold.  So many memories gently picked up & whispered away in the wind.

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We slipped around Dos Cabezas mountain & began our decent back into the Sulphur Springs Valley & the not too distant little historical town of Wilcox.  Interstate 10 runs across the north end of Wilcox & we have probably travelled through here half a dozen times over the last 3 years but never into the town.  Saturday's drive brought us into the south end of what is commonly called, old Wilcox. Crossed a double set of main line railroad tracks & immediately spotted a long red dining car called, The Dining Car - Big Tex Bar-B-Que.  About a dozen schnazzy looking Harley-Davidson's parked outside so inside we went.  We hadn't eaten since early morning so it was time to strap on the feedbag.  Got my usual burg & fries & thoroughly enjoyed it.  Nice old lighting & ambience inside the diner & it wasn't tooooooo fancy schmancy so I felt comfortable there:))

 

Had us a little walk down the street afterwards past both the Rex Allen & Marty Robbins museums.  Kelly popped into a few gift shops but I have a natural aversion to those places so had to cross the street & give them a wide birth in case a big wooden hook came out the door & snagged me by the arm.  Had that happened I would not have been surprised to see Kelly on the other end of that long hooked stick!!  The street was totally deserted & we couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the merchants.  We did agree that we may return there again sometime but it was getting a bit late & we figured it was time to head back to the ranch.  Hopped I-10 west to 191 & headed south for McNeal.  Another fine Saturday into the record books of, The Bayfield Bunch:))

WINDMILL SHADOW IS CAST UPON THE WEST WALL OF THE REX ALLEN MUSEUM

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Did you know that attitude of life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it!!

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