STAGE COACH ROAD, A SHRINE, & A DESERT WALK TO THE PETROGLYPHS

GERRY EXPLAINS ABOUT WHERE GOLD IS FOUND
Didn’t seem quite as cold Tuesday night so our warm up has finally begun.  For a pleasant change, our night time temps are now higher than Bayfield Ontario’s.  About time I’d say!!

PHEEBS HOPS ABOARD A NEIGHBOR’S GOLF CART THIS MORNING
Our morning temperatures came up with the sun & by 9:30 we were all piled in the Jeep rumbling our way over a very washboardy road to the mining town of Stanton.  We just kinda cruised around looking at the old buildings & multitudes of RV’s clustered together forming an active gold mining community.  Not many people around, they were all out & up in the surrounding hills working their mining claims. 

Picked up the southern end of Stage Coach Road in Stanton & began our ascent up the Weaver mountains heading for Yarnell.  We transitioned from the floor of the Sonoran desert up a scenic winding twisty & narrow road to the elevated height of the Colorado Plain.  Didn’t meet any vehicles coming the other way on any of the tight turns so I didn’t have to put my back-up license to use.   Didn’t take us long to reach Yarnell & our first stop was the hardware store.

ON THE STAGECOACH ROAD TO YARNELL
With a slowly leaking broken water pipe outside we needed a new 3/4 inch pipe fitting.  At least that’s what a neighbor told us we needed so hope that is right.  Believe it or not but I am going to attempt this fix myself.  Ya, didn’t think you would  believe it.

PHEEBS DIDN’T KNOW THE BIG HUGE DANGER SHE WAS IN HERE:))
From the hardware store we figured Peter & Leslie might like to see Yarnell’s  SHRINE OF ST. JOSEPH OF THE MOUNTAINS.  Short drive from the hardware store to the Shrine & I was happy to see we were the only one’s there.  We did a walk around stations but both Kelly & I noticed something different from the last time we were there last March.  Some of the large sculptures appeared to be missing.  No idea why, but they are just not there anymore.  In their places are large wooden crosses.  Has to be a reason the sculptures were removed but we don’t know why.

 
From the Shrine it was a drive up through Peeples Valley to an area we had never noticed before.  A whole community built in some very steep, hilly, & very scenic country.  Reminded all of us of Colorado.  A totally different topography from the Sonoran desert & our place in Congress Arizona just a few short miles to the south.

 
A LITTLE COMMUNITY IN PEEPLES VALLEY
The time was about noonish so we all figured it was about time to strap on the old feed bag.  Heading back through Yarnell we stopped at the Roadhouse restaurant before descending the Yarnell hill.  It was the third stop at the Roadhouse for Kelly & I.  Breakfast all day so that is what I Leslie & I had.  Chile Con Carne for Kelly & Peter had some sort of a burger Mossmagator.  Everyone enjoyed the lunch & it was off down the Yarnell Hill we went.  One stop at a scenic lookout & minutes later we were in downtown Congress for a short tour before ending up back at Ghost Town Road.

WITH A GOOD PAIR OF BINOCULARS WE COULD SEE OUR HOUSE FROM HERE IN THE TOP RIGHT OF THE PHOTO
 
SCENIC LOOK-OUT POINT COMING DOWN THE YARNELL HILL
Peter & I spent a little time basking in the backyard sun watching the many birds at our feeders.  At 3:30 we piled into both vehicles for a short drive to the end of our road & stopped at Gerry’s place.  Took 2 vehicles because we wanted to take the Pheebs. We were headed out on a desert walk & knew Pheebs would be broken hearted if we left her home ‘again’.

HEADING OFF IN SEARCH OF THE PETROGLYPHS
 
ONE OF SEVERAL MINE SHAFTS WE SAW TODAY
Gerry & Carol have a little hobby ranch & Gerry said he knew where there some Petroglyphs within walking distance of their place.  So, after introductions, Peter Leslie, Kelly, Pheebs & I followed Gerry out into the desert for a 20 minute walk in & around Saguaro, Prickly Pear, Beaver Tail, & Hedgehog cactus, mining digs, Elkhorn Chollas, Mesquite & Palo Verde trees, creosote bushes & probably another dozen unidentifiable plants.  Mule deer, horses, cow & donkey tracks everywhere.  With the sun slowly beginning to cast long shadows on the desert floor it was a beautiful time of day to be in the desert.

A COUPLE STRAGGLERS OUT THERE
Gerry stopped & showed us some steep, deep, & dark mining shafts dug back in the late 1800’s.  Explained some of the areas history, some of his own history, & some of his theories about how things came to be out there in the desert.  Lead us right to a to cluster of rocks where the Petroglyphs were.  He estimated these Petro’s may be dated as far back as the 1300’s.

KELLY POINTS OUT SOME PETROGLYPHS
 
  
 
MANY PETROGLYPHS & A FEW INDIAN GRINDING HOLES IN THE ROCK
Because it was not a well known area, these Petroglyphs have not been de-faced or harmed in anyway.  Only thing that has ever really touched them over the years is Mother Nature herself so it was nice to see nothing has been altered.  Peter & Leslie really enjoyed the walk & it was a great opportunity for them to meet a real live Arizona cowboy.  And a great opportunity to spend some quality time walking in the Sonoran desert.  Back at Gerry’s house Gerry introduced us to some of his critters which Kelly & I had met a few weeks ago.  Got to meet Caryl just before we left.  She had just returned from a ‘quilting’ outing.  We were back home about 5:30.  All & all, another fine day for our guests & ourselves.

HEADS DOWN & HEADED BACK
 
PHEEBS PICKS UP A STICKER
 
RANCHER GERRY

Sooooooooo much nicer now that our weather has finally warmed up too.  Makes one very happy about being outside again in these great wild & wide open spaces of central Arizona.  We sure are a lucky Bunch:))

 
  
THE NO DELAY CAFÉ is fellow RVing Blogger, Chinle Miller’s latest book.  I won’t give anything away here but if you slip on over to Chinle’s site she will tell you about the book & how to find it on Amazon.com.  And, did you know Amazon has free Kindle apps for your computer now.

OUR 2 OFFICIAL BACK SEAT DRIVERS:))
GROANER’S CORNER:))  Did you know there is a scam going around which prays on older men!!  Well, it’s true…………     
Women often receive warnings about protecting themselves at the mall and in dark parking lots, etc. This is the first  warning I have seen for men.  I wanted to pass it on in case you haven't heard about it.  A 'heads up' for those men who may be regular customers at Sam’s, Lowe's, Home Depot, Costco, or even Wal-Mart. This one caught me totally by surprise.  Over the last month I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping.  Simply going out to get supplies has turned out to be quite traumatic.  Don't be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends.  Here's how the scam works:
Two nice-looking, college-aged girls will come over to your car or truck as you are packing your purchases into your vehicle. They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windex, with their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. (It's impossible not to look). When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say 'No' but instead ask for a ride to McDonald's.  You agree and they climb into the vehicle. On the way, they start undressing. Then one of them starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet……….
I had my wallet stolen May 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, 20th, 24th, & 29th. Also June 1st & 4th, twice on the 8th, 16th, 23rd, 26th & 27th, and very likely again this upcoming weekend.  So tell your friends to be careful. What a horrible way to take advantage of us older men.
Wal-Mart has wallets on sale for $2.99 each. I found even cheaper ones for $.99 at the dollar store and bought them out in three of their stores.  Also, you never get to eat at McDonald's. I've already lost 
11 pounds just running back and forth from Lowe's, to Home Depot, to Costco, Etc.  So please, send this on to all the older men that you know and warn them to be on the lookout for this scam. (The best
times are just before lunch and around 4:30 in the afternoon.)
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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.