TODAY WE MET JOHN SCHROEDER FROM ‘JUST FINDING OUR WAY’

THIS LITTLE HOUSE SPARROW HAS IT’S HOME INSIDE ONE OF OUR FRONT YARD SAGUAROS

When Pheebs & I slipped out Monday night to have us a look at the stars I could  hear thunder & see flashes of lightning way off in the distance towards Wickenburg & Phoenix.  Sky overhead was cloudy so put the Jeep windows all the way up.  When I awoke around 5 I could see lots of bright stars outside my bedroom window & knew the storm had missed us & we were in for another sunny day:))

 

PHEEBS HAS A FUN PLAY TIME WITH HER BEST ARIZONA PAL DALLY THIS MORNING

Took the Jeep & slipped out around the 2 old Congress Pioneer cemeteries this morning checking the availability of boondocking sites.  Been over 6 months since we’ve had to use our 4 wheel drive so it was nice getting re-acquainted again with some good old rough & tumble Jeep roads.  Even managed to pick up some nice new Mesquite desert pin striping.  Groovy. 

Also checked out a nice 4 acre property for sale near by with a nice view.  No services or dwellings & the price was a bit hefty but oh how nice to stand still and hear absolutely nothing but a gentle breeze whispering through nearby Mesquite trees & towering Saguaros.

 

GREAT VIEW FROM THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY  

These old wooden houses have so many unknown smells wafting through them it took me awhile to track down another dead mouse Monday night.  I think all the weathered wood with it’s many paints. varnishes, & floor oils over the years contribute to grab one’s nostrils from time to time depending on the indoor air currents.  I generally like to leave all the windows & doors open to let the fresh desert breezes blow through this dusty old western mining town house & take those nefarious odd odors with them.

THIS IS ONE OF THE EARLY MORNING ‘WAKE ME UP’ DUDES ACROSS THE ROAD

 

SPOTTED OUR BACK YARD PREDATOR ABOUT 50’ FROM OUR BIRD FEEDERS THIS MORNING

By 5 a.m. Pheebs & were out in the Cactus garden with a flashlight checking for any more nibbles on my newly planted cactus plants.  Hasn’t been any further chewing since the first night I planted them.  I have my fingers crossed the furry little critters didn’t end up caring too much for their new found green succulent delicacies.  Maybe a few tummy aches the next morning.

MY CAMERAS & HATS HANG JUST INSIDE OUR FRONT DOOR READY TO GO

A Facebook message from Russ this morning saying he hoped I found the Cisco Kid DVD in my surprise package Monday.  I had not so it was out to the shed this morning to retrieve the box, dump out all the Styrofoam chips & retrieve the DVD.  Good thing you messaged us about that DVD Russ or we might have missed it.  A big thank you for the Cisco Kid DVD & your kind words:))  And for readers let me give you this update history on that Hoppy picture.  In Russ’s own words he wrote…….”The picture was a poster of Hop Along Cassidy that I sent away for when I was a kid.  Had this hanging in my bedroom for many years when I was much younger.  Found it up in the attic awhile back, and thought of you, the minute I found it.   I can’t think of a better place for it than on your wall there in your Arizona home”………Well, I think that personal note from Russ makes that Hoppy picture mighty darn special:))

Getting back to our scouting out boondocking sites we had a reason for doing that.  Readers may remember me spotting what I considered the smallest fifth wheel I had ever seen a couple of weeks ago on our travels south.  We had an email from a reader in Mesa Az saying he had that same type of ‘Scamp’ Casita like fifth wheel & would be happy to drop by & show it to us.  Today was that day & we met John Schroeder & his adorable little dog Turk from JUST FINDING OUR WAY.  John’s wife had a previous commitment for the week so John took the opportunity to head on up our way to say Hello & get himself a little quiet relaxing boondocking in.  John rolled through our gates about 1:20 this afternoon.

John has been following RV SUE & HER CANINE CREW  from before RV Sue even got herself on the road & it was through Sue’s blog that he came across the Bayfield Bunch.  John is one of those highly talented innovator type of fellows having done 30+ modifications to their Scamp & you can find those mods on his blogsite.  He gave us a royal tour of the rig & we were very impressed.  Really liked the raised fifth wheel style bedroom in the front of the rig.  And especially liked his Toyota Tacoma pick-up truck for pulling their Scamp.  Just a very excellent combination of vehicles.  They had it on a 4 month trip to Alaska recently.

With Pheebs & I in the Jeep leading the way John & Turk followed in their Tacoma/Scamp as I led them just a short mile down Ghost Town Road to a boondocking area near the old cemeteries.  John & Turk jumped in the Jeep with Pheebs & I as I drove them around the immediate area showing them a choice of boondocking sites.  Only 2 other rigs in the whole place.  Showed John where to find the old Pioneer Cemetery & drove through RV Sue’s spot when she stayed there for a short bit a couple years ago.  John spotted a site that looked good to him so dropped him & Turk off back at the Scamp & headed home.  John’s in the area for 3 or 4 days & we’ll see him & Turk again at some point.  Forgot to get pictures of cute little Turk so will do that next time we see them.

JOHN HEADS OFF A SHORT DISTANCE TO A SPOT HE NOTICED ON OUR DRIVE-THRU

While we were scouting out that area this morning I saw some plants by the road a Road Grader had ripped out with it’s blade sometime in the past few days.  Pheebs & I went back this afternoon & retrieved those plants.  Some kind of Yucca I’m thinking.  Having them soaking in some water at the moment because they were pretty dried out.  Will find a spot to plant them in the morning.

RETIRED ROD got himself some new wheels.  And just the kind of wheels that go well out here in this rugged western Cowboy country.  Could we see Retired Rod out here doing a little boondocking & running a few Jeep roads one day soon……………I think so:))

IN A NEIGHBOR’S YARD

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A very homely looking person made an appointment with a psychiatrist. The homely person walked into the doctor's office and said, "Doctor, I'm so depressed and lonely. I don't have any friends, no one will come near me, and everybody laughs at me. Can you help me accept my ugliness?"
"I'm sure I can." the psychiatrist replied. "Just go over and lie face down on that couch."

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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.