AS OF THIS DAY I HAVE BEEN ON THIS PLANET 25,977 DAYS & NO IT IS NOT MY BIRTHDAY

A CRESTED SAGUARO RE-VISITED TODAY

A touch cooler this morning which for me & made our desert walk nicer than the hotter walk a couple days ago.  Pheebs did give chase to a bunny but that is about all the wildlife we saw. Followed us a dry-wash for a bit just soaking up the still desert air.  Returning to the Jeep we made our way along a dusty road to the gate & headed out of the desert & back into Congress.

OUR DESERT WALK FOLLOWED THESE ATV TRACKS IN A SANDY WASH FOR AWHILE

CHRISTMAS CACTUS IN THE DESERT

Unlike our Bayfield area with with it’s many multiple country roads leading every which a-way it’s a bit of a challenge here around Congress deciding where to go.  Your either on a highway, a street, or a bouncing desert road.  No Tim Hortons muffin & coffee drive-thrus & no McDonalds.  We did head out highway 89 towards the Yarnell Hill but deaked left on what I knew would probably be a terrible wash-boardy road.  And I was right.  The road was as bad if not worse than the last time we drove on it a couple years ago all the way to a town called Hillside.  We only went half a mile this morning before turning around & heading back into Congress.

LIBBY CAN BARELY BE SEEN TO THE RIGHT BETWEEN 2 SAGUAROS

Turned right on highway 71 & just on the other side of the railroad tracks we headed back into the desert on what I knew was going to be a very challenging Jeep road for Libby.  We had come through this section of desert with the Wrangler a couple winters ago after finding a Crested Saguaro out there.  Figured on looking for that same Saguaro again if Libby could handle the rough & tumble trail.  Good thing Pheebs & I were by ourselves or Kelly would have made me turn around & go back.

THIS WAS ONE OF THE EASIER ROUGH & TUMBLE CHALLENGES FOR LIBBY THIS MORNING

THIS IS A 300mm TELEPHOTO SHOT FROM THE CRESTED SAGUARO SITE & OUR HOUSE IS UNSEEN JUST ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THAT HOUSE TOP RIGHT

THIS CRESTED SAGUARO ABOVE IS HARD TO FIND UNLESS YOU SEE IT FROM THE RIGHT ANGLE BELOW

Libby did just fine as we eeeked & squeaked our way carefully through the wash-outs & drop-offs.  Not once did she balk at the terrain & her 4-wheel drive never faltered.  This Liberator seems to be every bit as good as our Wrangler was at handling the desert roughness.

HOUSES ALONG GHOST TOWN ROAD CAN BE SEEN IN THE BACKGROUND & I FIGURE IT’S ABOUT A MILE OR MILE & HALF AS THE CROW FLIES STRAIGHT ACROSS THERE TO OUR HOUSE

YEP, IT’S A SELFIE ALRIGHT:))

Had I not known exactly where the Crested Saguaro was I would probably not have seen it.  Luckily Kelly spotted it 2 winters ago by accident as we were making our way along the desert road from a different direction.  Pheebs & stopped here for a leg stretch & some photos.

CRESTED SAGUAROS ARE AMAZING IN THEIR COMPLEX PATTERNS

THANKS FOR REMINDING ME OF THIS CRESTED SAGUARO BEV WAY OUT THERE IN THAT IDAHO PLACE

Crested Saguaros are always amazing to see & I don’t think it’s really known why they mutate themselves the way they do.  They definitely are a rarity & it’s always nice to find one.

We continued following the rough road north winding our way through the Creosote bushes.  I knew we had already made our way through the roughest section & the further we went the slightly better the trail became.  Soon we were into familiar territory as we entered an area at the end of Ghost Town Road where RV’ers come to boondock.  Only saw 2 rigs tucked in amongst the Mesquite trees & shrubs.  This is the area where the original old mining town of Congress once stood.  Two Pioneer cemeteries can be found as well as shards of pottery, broken glass & pieces of metal here & there where once a bustling little town had once stood.  Minutes later Pheebs & were back in our driveway.

Spent my Saturday afternoon much like my Friday afternoon just sitting on the front porch reading.  Am thoroughly enjoying my latest read as the author struggles with his life following his return from Viet Nam. 

CONGRESS LIBRARY ABOVE & MEDICAL CENTER BESIDE IT BELOW

CONGRESS FIRE DEPARTMENT

And a correction to my Saturday post.  When talking of Winkler Manitoba I wrongly stated it was mainly Amish folks who worked in the Triple E (Leisure Travel Vans) plant.  That should have read Mennonite folks.  I do sometimes get the 2 mixed up.  In our Bayfield area we have many Mennonite people but also some of the old order Amish people as well.  Here is a link explaining the difference….. What Is The Difference Between Amish & Mennonites.  Thanks to Jake in our Shout Box for pointing this out to me & I do believe this is the same fellow & his wife Anne who bought us breakfast at McDonald’s in Winkler.   That was the same day we did the Leisure Van Plant Tour.

A COUPLE CHURCHES IN CONGRESS

Here’s 2 interesting links for we older folks.  Ever wonder how many days, weeks, or months you have been on this Planet?  Check out this site & it will tell you….YOUR AGE IN DAYS.  And how would you like to have access to a 39 year old 45 RPM record collection featuring the top 10 hits for each month of those 39 years.  Well here it is……THE TOP 10 ARCHIVE.  Thanks to Bayfield neighbors Don & Bruce for these:))

THE ORIGINAL CONGRESS TOWN & MINE SITE AT THE END OF GHOST TOWN ROAD (CIRCA 1914)

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A family of three tomatoes were walking downtown one day when the little baby tomato started lagging behind. The big father tomato walks back to the baby tomato, stomps on her, squashing her into a red paste, and says, "Ketchup!"

Did You Know: 

-The snack bar next door to an atom smasher was called "The Fission Chips."
- On April Fools Day, a mother put a fire cracker under the pancakes. She blew her stack.
- A couple of kids tried using pickles for a Ping-Pong game. They had the Volley Of The Dills.
- A friend got some vinegar in his ear, now he suffers from pickled hearing.
- Overweight is something that just sort of snacks up on you.
- Sign in restaurant window: "Eat now - Pay waiter."
- I thought you were trying to get into shape?
I am. The shape I've selected is a triangle.