A PROBLEM WITH OUR FRIDGE BRINGS US HOME A DAY EARLY

CIBOLA SUNRISE OVER ARIZONA’S TRIGO MOUNTAINS
Walking in from the road to check out our new Boondocking site here at the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge Monday afternoon we noticed a lot of tracks in the hard packed sandy gravel.  We knew the owners of those tracks would probably return in the night.  And return they did………waking us up several times.  We didn’t see them but we sure could hear them close by & it is a gut rattling scary sound if you have never heard it before.  Kind of like an old ‘A-Oooooga’ 1920’s rusty car horn or better yet it reminded me of a once popular TV show years ago starring Buck Owens & Roy Clark.  I’m talking about Hee-Haw & the sound belonging to those tracks in the ground belonged to none other than wild Burros of course.  And lots of them.  Sounded like a bunch of old cars surrounding us in the night rattling around blowing their raspy old ‘A-Ooooga’ horns!!
SEE HOW WELL THESE WILD BURROS BLEND WITH THEIR BACKGROUND
  
HAD KELLY NOT SPOTTED THIS GROUP OF BURROS THIS MORNING I WOULD HAVE DROVE RIGHT BY THEM
Again we were up very early & out the door into our Jeep.  Wanted to have us a good look around this whole Cibola National Wildlife area so started off at the Visitor’s Center on an auto driving loop tour of ponds, marshes, & open fields of grass.  It was shortly before 8 a.m. & we were the only one’s up so again had the whole place to ourselves.  Just gotta love when that happens.



 
NOW THIS FLOCK OF BIRDS I KNOW FOR SURE…..CANADA GEESE
 
 
CIBOLA VISITOR CENTER
I was just happy to see so many different trees on the Refuge.  Forests of trees in such a hot arid desert setting is kind of hard to comprehend but there they were in all their green leafy glory. 

 
Spotted a walking trail leading into a large area of trees so we parked the Jeep & headed in.  How nice to sense that aroma only found in a heavily forested areas of marshes & wetlands.  First time my nostrils picked that up anywhere this season.  The dry desert normally has no smell to it unless it rains. 

 
THIS NATURE WALK REMINDED ME SO MUCH OF A WALK IN THE AUTUMN WOODS BACK HOME IN SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO CANADA

I could only imagine how nice this must be when all these trees are in season with their towering canopies of leaves.  We heard birds but couldn’t see them.  The path we walked on was actually a raised berm & we could easily see how see this treed area floods.

 
A  BIRD VIEWING PLATFORM

  

THERE WERE NO SIGNS POST ABOUT DOGS HAVING TO BE ON A LEASH
After our nature trail walk it was back into the Jeep for a slow drive through irrigated fields of grass & corn.  Ranger said corn is grown here in plots to attract birds.

STILL A FEW SAND HILL CRANES LEFT ON THE REFUGE

From the auto drive loop drive we headed back to Cibola Road & drove down to the southern section of the Refuge along a levee road following along the same direction as the Colorado River.  Nice marsh areas & we could see Pelicans off in the distance.



The Refuge is definitely a place we will return to in future travels to this area.  Now unless I missed a larger boondocking area somewhere I wouldn’t say there are a lot of spots here.  Certainly not like Borrego Springs, Quartzsite, Bouse, or Ogilbe Road west of Yuma.  There are 2 nice spots south of the Visitor Center a few miles down where the pavement ends.  A road crosses here & we had the spot on the left south east corner.  Lots of greenery around.

Maybe not a fan of hot days but I sure do like the warm nights hot days bring.  I think Monday was maybe one of the hottest days we have experienced here in the southwest & I sat outside until well after dark working on my post.  So nice standing under a starry sky without having to be bundled up against the cold desert nights.  We even had Mosquitoes bugging us & I can’t even recall the last time sleeping with windows open in an RV.   But………. there is a fly in the ointment!!

I AM GUESSING THIS FELLOW AS AN OSPREY (FISH HAWK)
 
We are having a problem with our rig’s less that 2 year old new Dometic fridge.  Noticed for awhile now it has not been keeping things cold.  Turning it off & then back on again has been helping but now that doesn’t seem to be working anymore either.  About half of everything in our freezer thawed out overnight.  One small carton of half & half cream went bad a few days ago.  So this fridge problem changed our plans & a decision was made this morning to head on home.  We did stop in Quartzsite & talk to the folks at RV Lifestyles about the problem & they gave us a few suggestions to try.  Kelly also did some trouble shooting on the internet.


SNOW GEESE

Coffee & crispy chicken wraps to go at McDonalds & a fuel stop before leaving the Q for what is probably the last time this season.  Nice relaxing drive home & we drove in our gate just before 3 p.m.  Didn’t waste any time transferring everything from the rig’s fridge & freezer into our house fridge.  Spent about an hour getting everything put away & that was about it for us.  Home a couple days earlier than expected but  that’s OK.  Had ourselves a great week & that is all that mattered.  We’ll deal with our fridge problem in the next few days & hopefully it is something simple.  Always nice to go away but sure is nice to have a home to come home too…………….:))

 
THERE IS MUCH MORE HERE AT CIBOLA THAN JUST DRY DESERT & CACTUS
Long time blog readers Karen & Steve have finally slipped the surly bonds of another Wisconsin winter & have their Class A Sahara Motorhome headed quickly for much warmer southwestern weather.  Oh what a great feeling that always is.  First day on the road did not get them out of the snow region but with each mile traveled old man winter is left further & further behind.

At the very southern edge of the Refuge sits Cibola Cabin beyond which is Cibola Lake.  The lake however is mostly marsh now.  The above photo is a canal in the refuge & not Cibola Lake.

CIBOLA CABIN
 
 
 

And how are Jo & Fred Wishnie doing now since recently settling into their Tucson sticks & bricks after nearly 9 years of full timing.  Well they are still in the process of settling but Jo did find time to write a post on how it’s going………….  Life After RV'ing

GROANER’S CORNER:(( An American visiting in England asked at the hotel for the elevator.  The portiere (doorman) looked a bit confused but smiled when he realized what the man wanted.
"You must mean the lift," he said.  "No," the American responded. "If I ask for the elevator I mean the elevator."
"Well," the portiere answered, "over here we call them lifts".  "Now you listen", the American said rather irritated, "someone in America invented the elevator."
"Oh, right you are sir," the portiere said in a polite tone, "but someone here in England invented the language".