CAMPED AMID THE SAGUARO CACTUS

 

LOTS OF WAGGING TAILS THIS MORNING AS WE SAY GOODBYE  (photo taken by Jeanie)

The sandman worked overtime last night weaving his nocturnal magic on two fronts.  First he put me gently to sleep & then he removed my lingering last day sadness.  I woke up this morning looking forward to the day instead of looking back on my previous melancholy 24 hours.

   

SUNDAY’S MORNING MOON

I was up at 4 & Kelly was up at 5:30.  Big game of toys with all the dogs & then it was out the door into the frigid 34F morning to feed the critters.  No more thoughts of 'lasts' this morning, it was just get on with the job & get things done.  Took the satellite dish down & put in the slides just as Jeanie & Ray rolled through the front gate in their jeep.  They had left their rig up in the Wilcox area & were planning on taking Gleason & Pearce back up that way to do some hiking in the Dragoon mountains.  Nice to see them & we all had us big chin wag.  Ingrid & Tom rolled in to drop off Corky so it was like a last minute circus before we left.  Jeanie & Ray asked us to come back next winter & we told them to pencil us in:))  And, they brought me 2 jars of 'natural peanut butter.'  My favorite kind......Yaaaaaa:))  Thanks guys.

  

A FEW OF THIS MORNING’S MEMORIES

In a flurry of wagging tails, laughter, hand shakes, hugs, & see ya later's, we had the big wheels rolling out the gate by 9:25 a.m.  A last look back, a wave, & we were gone on down the road.  It was the beginning of a new journey. 

JEANIE & RAY………..SEE YA LATER GUYS & THANKS FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER:))

Beautiful blue morning in the Sulphur Springs Valley as we headed north through Elfrida, Sunsites, & Sunizona on our way to I-10.  Mountain ranges on all horizons as we swung the rigs nose west on I-10 heading for Tucson.  Fired up Garmin Gertie, our on board GPS system, & programmed her to take us through Tucson north to Casa Grande.  Motoring through Tucson the past 2 years has been a nightmare for us because of  major construction going on & we were twice funneled off the interstate into the backwater of secondary roads.  But, not today.  The I-10 construction has been completed & we sailed right through Tucson with no problem at all in the light Sunday traffic.  A bit of construction in the north end but nothing to worry about. 

 

BORDER PATROL CHECKPOINT AHEAD, COCHISE COUNTY ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLY & DOWNTOWN TUCSON

Spotted a 'Cracker Barrel' sign & immediately went into 'lunch mode' wheeling off I-10 & tracking down the Barrel.  It was a snap decision & we failed to consider the time of day & what day it actually was.  Sunday at noon means herds of people flocking out of all the local churches & heading, where else.......Cracker Barrel!!  Waited half an hour before even getting in the door & seated.  I was very impressed with myself as I sat quietly on a bench outside without uttering a single bluster.  Food was great but slow because of the crowd.  Finally rolled back up onto I-10 at 1:20 p.m.  That little lunch break had taken about an hour & a half.  Yep, I was real proud of myself alright, not one bluster.

PATIENTLY WAITING IN THE CRACKER BARREL LINE UP

Shortly before reaching Tucson earlier in the morning we were still discussing where we were going & with the turn off for Why, Arizona less than a mile ahead we finally decided to go straight north through Tucson & head for a boondocking campground we had stopped at a year ago while heading east.  It was west of Casa Grande on I-8.  We knew if we went this way we could let the dogs out to run around without all the stress of having them on leashes in an RV Park.  HICKIWAN TRAILS in Why Arizona will always be one of our favorite little places & we were thinking of going there but by the sounds of it they are pretty full so we decided to maybe roll through there on our return in late March sometime if we go that way.

JIM KORTSEN PINAL PARK……& WE’RE CLOSE TO THE INTERSTATE!!

Currently we are in the Jim Kortsen West Pinal Park alongside I-8 about 20 minutes west of Casa Grande.  Strictly boondocking here & a bit of traffic noise from I-8 but we have mountains on 3 sides & lots of stately Saguaro Cactus.  Great Verizon signal & lots of TV channels with just the antennae up.  Sites are large & we have no visible neighbors.  Now, how nice is that......and it's all free.  I will never understand why most people insist on jamming themselves into overpriced crowded RV Parks!!

     

JIM KORTSEN  PINAL PARK…..WEST OF CASA GRANDE ON I-8

Gassed up ($150-2.84 a gal) at a nearby gas bar on I-8 & that is the first gas fill up since Deming New Mexico in late October of last year.  In the morning we'll head west to Gila Bend where we'll pick up some propane & water before heading either north to Buckeye on our way west to Quartzite or southwest to Yuma & then up to Quartzite.  We'll probably head into the desert about 6 miles south of Quartzite because we are familiar with that area & there is a much better chance of fewer people.  I would rather have skipped Quartzite but Kelly convinced me we needed a new flag pole & afterall, that is the best place to get one.  Whether I'll go into town remains to be seen.  I think me & the furry guys might just hang out in the quiet desert while Kelly goes into town to do battle with the people hordes.   She's got a lot more patience for that sort of madness than I do.  Besides, 'shopping' is an 8 letter word that nearly gags me every time I think of it!!

So, that's if for tonight in the shadow of Antelope Peak here alongside I-8 in the greening Sonoran desert.  Tomorrow we head west for the big Q.........& a quiet time in the desert for Al:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  What is the highest 'noise' frequency a human can make......Mariah Carey!!

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