WHOPPERED IN WICKENBURG

MAYBE ON OUR NEXT OUTING WE'LL EXPLORE THE ROADS AROUND VULTURE PEAK

I at first decided to wait out the ‘Windows Live Writer’ problem hoping it would be a quick fix but after reading a few things here & there I doubt now it will be.  So I had a choice.  Either suck it up & try the Blogger format again or simply just disappear from Blogland once & for all.  Well I’m not quite ready to disappear just yet so here I go back to Blogger again & this is my Saturday catch up post.  I also knew that if I got too many days behind in my annual postings I would soon become discouraged & that would have likely lead to me simply quitting altogether.  I will post my Sunday post Monday at noon & that should get me caught up & back on track for Monday;s post Monday night.

JUST A NICE MORNING FOR A JEEP DRIVE IN THE DESERT

Stepping out our back door into an icy North wind Saturday morning reminded me instantly of a winter's day back home in Canada.  Spilling some water on my hands while filling our bird bath I had to quickly thrust them into my pockets for warmth.  Been a long while since my hands felt cold like that.  Our day was a mix of Sun & cloud & what little sunshine made it's way to Earth didn't seem to bring along much warmth with it.

WE HAD JUST THE NICEST SKIES TODAY

It's funny how Blog breaks don't seem to work so swell for me.  For whatever the reason leading to a Blog break I just can't seem to stay away from writing or taking photos.  Even with the current Live Writer/Google/Blogger problems going on I still could not leave my keyboard & cameras alone.  Even with not knowing when I might be able to publish a blog again there I was Saturday morning first thing writing the opening paragraph of this post.  A couple hours later with camera in hand Pheebs & I were out cruising through the desert looking for a few photos which again I wasn't sure I'd ever publish.  Strange how this blogging thing just gets into one's blood but then again for me it has always been in my blood even as a kid.  I have always been a writer of something or other but it’s just that I had some very long periods in my life between writings.  Had it not been for computers, the internet & this whole blogging thing I guess I would still be a frustrated writer guy stuck in my own closet…………………..

ALWAYS NICE COMING ACROSS WATER IN THE DESERT  & THIS BODY OF WATER CALLED A TANK IS FOR CATTLE

I do have my reasons why I do not like using Blogger to publish my posts but rather than me going through those reasons I'd like to direct you to Sherry's post over at In The Direction Of Our Dreams & let her tell you why she, I, & many others much prefer to use Live Writer rather than Blogger.  If push comes to shove I may consider Word Press but I’d rather not if I didn’t have to.  Oh & for many of us who started out years ago with Blogger then switched to Live Writer the reason we do not want to go back to Blogger is plain & simple, we know the difference.  Live Writer has simply a better designed platform which is easy to use with it’s many creative options to boot.

PHEEBS & I MADE OUR WAY BACK THROUGH THAT CANYON

Really didn't have any good idea as to where Pheebs & I were headed this morning when we rolled out our gate.  With an icy wind blowing I didn't think a walk in the desert was going to feel very nice so we just headed on down Ghost Town Road to the stop sign & hung a left over the RR tracks to the next stop sign & cranked a right. 

Heading in the direction of Wickenburg I figured we'd roll East out into the desert on Scenic Loop just south of the big spurs round-about on 93 so that's what we did.  Kelly, Pheebs, & I had done this road one time about 3 years ago but I couldn't remember where it lead to.  No matter, it was just a nice scenic morning for a drive with all the big blustery looking clouds in the sky. 

THERE'S A COUPLE RIGS BOONDOCKING TOP CENTER

Travelled ourselves slowly about 5 miles in a southwesterly direction before coming to the Boyd Ranch & a couple 'No Trespassing' signs.  Had been hoping to come across a road heading West in the direction of Wickenburg because by now I had me a destination in mind.  I didn't tell Pheebs though or she would have been flying around inside the Jeep upside down.


Turning around at the 'No Trespassing' sign we retraced our steps back along Scenic Loop Road to where I knew I could make a left turn onto Rincon Road.   I was on familiar turf now having just come this way from the opposite direction a few days ago.  Turning left again off Rincon Road into a dry wash I knew I was on Blue Tank Road which would eventually lead to Constellation Road which in turn would take us to our destination on highway 93 in the town of Wickenburg. 

THERE'S NO LETTING PHEEBS OUT HERE WITH ALL THE THAT NASTY TEDDY BEAR CHOLLA AROUND

HAD TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHERE I STEPPED AMONG ALL THES TEDDY BEAR CHOLLA.....ONE INATTENTIVE MOMENT & IT WOULD BE PAIN CITY!!

THE LONG WINDING DOWNHILL JEEP ROAD LEADING TO WICKENBURG

How nice again this morning to simply lolly-gag along at our own pace with windows down &  heater going just watching cloud shadows of all shapes lazily drifting along the mountain sides.  That's something one never gets to see in flat country.  Not another vehicle did we encounter on our Jeep road journey until we descended out of Wickenburg's surrounding hills down into the town.  But oh my how the traffic on highway 93 was so fierce as we traveled the short distance to our destination...........& Pheebs didn't suspect a thing.

MOTORING  THROUGH A DRY SANDY RIVER BED

It was Burger King's drive-thru that gave it away.  Pheebs is attuned to any kind of a drive-thru place & soon as I rolled up to the voice box the jig was up & she was all excited.  Got ourselves a Whopper with small fries & slid around to an end parking lot.  It was 11:45 a.m. & no Pheebs does not ever get any fries or parts of the bun.  Just a few small chunks of the meat paddy.

THIS LARGE PALM TREE OASIS STANDS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE ROAD FROM BURGER KING ON THE BANKS OF THE HASSAYAMPA RIVER

Half an hour later we rolled back through our gates & we were once again home after another enjoyable exploratory Jeep ride.  I'm thinking maybe next time we'll head ourselves on over to the Vulture Mountain Range & see if we can pick us up a few Jeep roads around Vulture Peak.  I hear there are some nice roads over that-a-way. 

WICKENBURG IS DEFINITELY CATTLE & HORSE COUNTRY

BIG SPURS CENTERPIECE FOR WICKENBURG'S NORTHERNMOST ROUND-A-BOUT ON HIGHWAY 93

Kelly's new Lenova laptop arrived on the UPS truck Friday afternoon so she was a busy Gal today getting it all set up.  Of course there were the usual bugs & glitches but she just kept at it dealing with each new set-up problem as it cropped up.  Oh what I wouldn't give to have just a tenth of her patience.  And of course all of her smarts too.................
 

GROANER'S CORNER:(( I met a guy who’s a walking economy.   The front of his hair is in recession, his stomach is a terrible victim of inflation, and the combination together are putting him into a deep depression!! 

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Harry walked over to the Priest after services, “You know Father, I am really stuck in a quandary I would like to attend church next week but I just can’t miss the big game next Sunday, it’s just out of the question.” “Oh Harry Harry” said the Priest putting his arm around Harry, “don’t you know? that’s what recorders are for.” Harry’s face lit up “you mean I could record your sermon?”---------------
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Two guys were playing golf, one of them was about to swing the golf club when he noticed a funeral procession going by on the street. The man stopped in mid-swing and closed his eyes and said a short prayer. The other man truly inspired, remarked, clearing his throat, “wow that was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.” “Well”, the other man said “I was married to her for 35 years.”