DECIDED TO TAKE MY LEGS FOR A WALK IN THE DESERT THIS MORNING

TONIGHT’S PHOTOS ARE FROM A DESERT WALK PHEEBS & I TOOK THIS MORNING

Started my day off by doing a load of laundry & hanging it out to dry.  Pretty exciting so far eh.  Fired up the Big EEE & headed off a short distance to the Congress garage.  Kelly followed in the Jeep.  Said it might take them a couple days to get that flasher unit changed but no problem, we’re in no hurry.  Said they would read the codes as well to see what brought on our engine light north of Flagstaff a few weeks back as well.  A couple readers have sent in some excellent info on what the problem probably is but I think we’ll see if we can wait until we have the rig back to Bayfield & have the Bayfield Garage check it out there.  They’re a good bunch at that garage & we’ll hand them a couple printed copies of reader assessments regarding our occasional steep grade power loss problem.

LIBBY’S FIRST TIME OUT ON SOME DESERT JEEP ROADS & SHE DID JUST FINE

CHIEF SCOUT PHEEBS LEADS THE WAY ON OUR MORNING DESERT WALK

EASY TO SEE WHY I LOVE THE SOUTH-WEST SO MUCH

THE HARD PACKED DESERT FLOOR ALWAYS MAKES FOR EASY WALKING

Pheebs & I were into the Jeep about 10 again but this time rather than a long scenic drive I put the emphasis on getting some exercise for my legs & we headed the short distance into the desert behind our house.  I stopped doing our morning walks last winter when I just got tired of walking around the neighborhood with cars going by, barking dogs, & having to stop & chit chat with neighbors.  We have nice neighbors by the way but I prefer my morning walks to be people free.  I see morning as the finest time of day & like to spend it walking quietly in nature rather than noisy neighborhoods.  Kelly prefers the neighborhood walks & still takes Pheebs every morning while I just spend that time doing things around the yard.  But, there’s a problem with that & the problem is my legs…….I’m just not using my legs enough!!

ALWAYS LOVE HOW ONE CAN SEE FOR MILES & MILES IN ANY DIRECTION

FOR ME THIS DESERT SOLITUDE SURE BEATS WALKING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD

AND OF COURSE ONE NEVER KNOWS WHEN ONE MAY STUMBLE ACROSS GOLD IN THESE HERE HILLS

I NEVER TIRE OF THE EVER CHANGING LANDSCAPE…..THE SHAPES & THE SHADOWS

I’ve been curious to see how Libby would handle the rougher Jeep roads in the desert with their dry washes, rocks & deep water carved ruts.  Didn’t take us long to ease ourselves into some gulley washes & again I was pleased how Libby took them in stride without the rear end bottoming out.  I’m thinking the Liberator may have a tad more ground clearance than the Wrangler because of it’s bigger tires.  Libby also seems a bit narrower than the Wrangler as well & I was able to avoid some nasty desert pin stripping……but not all of course.

CAN YOU SEE THE BIG BOULDER DOG’S HEAD

ROCK SCRAMBLES ARE JUST THE BEST THING FOR MY LEGS

THE LONG GREEN SPINDLY OCOTILLOS ARE REALLY GREEN THIS YEAR

WANDERING OUR WAY THROUGH THE ROCKS & CACTUS

We drove ourselves a couple miles out to an old familiar & favorite scenic spot called House Rock.  Nice walking there so parked Libby & hit the trail with paws & feet just a goin.  Walked back along the dusty road we had just come then headed west for awhile on another rutted road before cutting back north through the cactus & boulders for a wee bit of rock scrambling.  I figure this is just what my legs need & I’m hoping I can discipline myself enough to make these kinds of walks my new morning routine.  Besides, walking in the Sonoran Desert surrounded by giant Saguaro Cactus, boulders the size of houses, vistas stretching for endless miles to blue & purple mountain ranges & being a part of natures absolute stillness wrapped in a cloak of silence just works for me better than walking where the humanoids live………………..

THAT BIG BOULDER IS KNOWN AS HOUSE OR INDIAN ROCK & HAS PETROGLYPHS ON IT….JEAN & SKIP, PETER & LESLIE, ALONG WITH AUNT JEAN ALL KNOW THIS PLACE:))

LEAVING LIBBY BEHIND PHEEBS & I HEADED OFF FOR A WALK…HARD TO SEE LIBBY IS TO THE RIGHT

ONE HAS TO ALWAYS BE WARY OF FALLING INTO OLD MINING DIGS IN THE DESERT & THEY ARE EVERYWHERE IN THE WILDS OF THE SOUTH-WEST

 

ANOTHER MINING DIG ON THE LEFT & A YOUNG ARMLESS SAGUARO ON THE RIGHT

Well if I didn’t know any better I’d say we are beginning to lean towards not selling our Arizona house just yet.  I have a feeling we may just hang onto to it a bit longer.  I’m not saying we are not going to sell it I’m just saying we are leaning in that direction for now.  This has turned out to be a very difficult decision for us with equal pros & cons lined up on both sides of the page.  We have agreed to give ourselves to the end of the month to reach a decision so we’ll just see how these next 2 weeks shake out & how we are feeling about things.   Right now of course we are feeling pretty darn good about being just right where we are………………

WICKENBURG MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND EARLIER THIS MORNING

GROANER’S CORNER:(( This fellow is looking to buy a saw to cut down some trees in his back yard. He goes to a chainsaw shop and asks about various chainsaws. The dealer tells him, "Look, I have a lot of models, but why don't you save yourself a lot of time and aggravation and get the top-of-the-line model. This chainsaw will cut a hundred cords of wood for you in one day."
So, the man takes the chainsaw home and begins working on the trees. After cutting for several hours and only cutting two cords, he decides to quit. He thinks there is something wrong with the chainsaw. "How can I cut for hours and only cut two cords?" the man asks himself. "I will begin first thing in the morning and cut all day," the man tells himself. So, the next morning the man gets up at 4 am in the morning and cuts and cuts, and cuts till nightfall, and still he only manages to cut five cords.
The man is convinced this is a bad saw. "The dealer told me it would cut one hundred cords of wood in a day, no problem. I will take this saw back to the dealer," the man says to himself.
The very next day the man brings the saw back to the dealer and explains the problem. The dealer, baffled by the man's claim, removes the chainsaw from the case. The dealer says, "Hmm, it looks fine."
Then the dealer starts the chainsaw, to which the man responds, "What's that noise?