SHAKING UP THE WATER PUDDLES:))

Tonight I am typing this in Live Writer instead of in Outlook Express  as an email before copying & pasting it here.  And why have I decided to change??  Because I just lost my whole !!%**(#!^%** Thursday night's post when the computer seized up & I had forgotten to save the email into draft as I was going along.  Ok, lesson learned & I don't want to talk about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    

MULTIPLE CRESCENT MOONS THIS MORNING & DEW DROPS IN THE DESERT  (click pics to enlarge)

Our only neighbors about a quarter mile east of us packed up & moved on this morning leaving us alone here in the desert.  Of course as soon as we saw them loading up we immediately felt guilty in that we may have intruded on their purpose for being here.  Kelly & I are always extremely sensitive about bothering other people & especially fellow boondockers.   When you see a lone rig in the desert or quiet forest setting you know those people or person is there for the express purpose of being at one with nature.  If they wanted to do the people socializing thing they would be in an RV Park with other like minded people.  We always give folks a lot of space & never bother them.  It's just the way it is when your priorities have to do with respect, not bothering people,  peace of mind, & a oneness with the earth & it's animal cracker critters.

 

A MORNING GAME OF STICKS

The map showed us the road we are boondocked near runs about 20 miles back in behind the Kofa mountains.  We have always seen the Kofa's from the Western side so figured we'd head out & have a look at them from the eastern side.  Set off about 10:20 heading northeast across the valley floor between the Castle Dome & Kofa mountains.

 

'DON'T TOUCH THAT!!' - CLEANING SOLAR PANELS BEFORE PUTTING THEM UP & A JACKALOPE:))

Despite yesterday's rain the road was in really good shape & looked recently graded.  There were still large puddles so we had to keep an eye out especially in the hidden gulley's or coming around dipping curves.  We had also seen on the map there was a place called King of Arizona Mines near the end of the road so figured we'd head up that way for a look see.  The road twisted & turned leading us ever closer in behind the Kofas.

If you are an Interstate RV'er & only see the mountains out your window on distant horizons while motoring from point A to point B you probably only give them a few glancing thoughts & look sees.  Mountains from a distance look big, barren, & nothing much more than a big pile of solid rock.  Couldn't be further from the truth!!  It's the Interstate that is the boring part.  Mountains are home to unending green forests, streams, waterfalls, abundant wildlife, meadows of flowers, valleys, & canyons.  The closer you come to a mountain the closer you come to a whole different world than you are probably driving through on your journey from.......point A to point B!!!!

  

As we closed in on the eastern side of the Kofa's this morning there were noticeably more Saguaro cactus, Ocotillo, Mesquite & Palo Verde trees, plus countless other shrubs & trees we couldn't identify.  It only takes a slight rise in elevation to start the cooler growing temperatures in the mountains.  The Kofa's began to shed their long distance blue haze for personal colors of greens, oranges, black & grays,  plus yellows & whites as the mineral compounds in the ancient rock stepped forth putting on their best show.  You don't see that from the big highways.  Gonna have to get some dust on your tires if you want to get up close & personal with the great outdoors.

LET ME SEE NOW.....ABOUT 80MPH SHOULD HYDROPLANE US RIGHT ACROSS THERE:))

What a treat it always is for me as my eyes dart about from mountain top to mountain top trying to figure out exact locations, geographical features as well as the names of the peaks.  Geography & History were always two of my favorite subjects in school & out here in the southwest I am surrounded by those two interests at all times.  Even out on the Interstates the geography computer in my head is always running.  I probably see more of the landscape in one day than I do of the highway ahead of me.  I'm one of those guys who always has a compass near by & understands the meaning of 'keeping the sun on your shoulder.'

I thought it was a ranch house ahead to the right on a hillside at first as we came up out of a wash & around a puddled curve.  Another mile or so & I saw some other buildings scattered about.  Looked like a few old RV's & trailers of sorts.  Road signs said, 'Stay on Designated Road!!'  Other signs hung from fences saying, 'Private Property,'  This then was, King of Arizona Mine.  It is one of many other mines in the area such as Copper Cup, North Star,  & Big Eye Mine.  It was the mining towns back in the 1800's that gave the American southwest it's wild west reputation.  It was the miners who first trekked into the hills in search of gold & silver that led to legendary towns like Tombstone.   It was the mines that brought in the gunfighters, the city slickers, the gamblers, and the  saloon girls!! 

But, this was no legendary town we drove to this morning.  Just kind of ramshackle collection of things that people generally ramshackley collect.  Didn't see any electricity lines, there was no cell phone signal on our phone, one of two old windmills might have worked, & we did see some piping along the ground that might have had something to do with water.  Didn't see any people except 2 gals in a shiny red pickup truck bumping along a dusty road that wasn't much more than a rocky cow path.  Maybe they were the Saloon Girls:))  It was about at this point we figured we couldn't go any further unless we switched over to a couple of mules.  After a brief consultation on the hood of the car with our road map it was determined the road ahead was an eventual dead end.

 

KING OF ARIZONA MINES AT THE END OF THE ROAD & THAT'S CASTLE DOME MOUNTAIN IN THE DISTANT BACKGROUND

It had taken us an hour & half to come the 21 miles to King of Arizona Mines & as I wiggled the car around on the rocky narrow rocky road I thought to myself, 'it sure isn't going to take that long to get back to the rig.  So, with that thought in mind, off we went back down the dusty winding dirt road like a herd of turtles in a big cloud of heifer dust heading southwest.  Kelly spent a big part of her time reading the Delorme GPS book on the way back & I spent a big part of my time gleefully racing into & plowing through the big mud puddles on the road like a kid heading home from school on a rainy Friday afternoon with his bicycle. 

   

HAD TO PULL OVER & SHAKE THE WATER OUT OF MY EARS!!

Made it back to the rig in 40 minutes with a big satisfied smile on my face.  Kelly made it to the back of the second chapter in the Delorme PN-40 manual with a big frustrated look in her eye.

Spent the rest of the day doing relaxing stuff like soaking up some sun in the lawn chairs.  Checkers & I went for a big photo hike into the nearby hils & Kelly worked on her increasing Deerpark Lodge workload.

  

No idea what we are up to tomorrow but that's what is so great about this lifestyle.  No rules, no regulations, no schedules, no agendas, no people stress, & no going where ya don't want to go.   Ya just gotta love it:)))))

There, I have now written to full blogs tonight & before I forget we would like to welcome new blog followers, Palms RV & Freely Living Life.  Thanks for the nice compliment Freely Living.......muchly appreciated:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Sign at a tire shop....."We skid you not!"

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