A NICE MORNING WALK FOR PHEEBS AND I BEFORE CHRISTMAS

With mid-morning temps at 40F and a slight mist in the calm air, Pheebs and I set off east down Bayfield Road.  We didn't have a destination until I thought of one, so without further ado, we headed ourselves in the direction of the Bannockburn Conservation Area.  I had my fingers crossed that nobody would be there and there wasn't.

 A TOUCH OF MIST IN THE MORNING'S COOL AIR

 STILL A FEW SWATCHES OF SNOW LEFT IN A FEW FARMER'S FIELDS

 WE ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE A GREEN CHRISTMAS

  MIST HANGING LOW IN A ROADSIDE FOREST

 A FAVORITE TREE THAT I HAVE TAKEN MANY PICTURES OF OVER THE YEARS

 AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS ARE FLOWING FREELY

 ENJOYING HER MORNING JEEP RIDE

With recent rains, the river and tributaries through the Conservation area were running strong and we could hear the water rushing along before we came into view of it from the boardwalk.  

 THIS IS THE PARKING LOT TRAIL HEAD

With her nose to the ground, Pheebs thoroughly enjoyed all the new morning smells along the trail.  I thought if only we could get a few bursts of morning sunshine to brighten and cheer things up.  But, it's okay because it was just nice to be out with Pheebs seeing her happily having such a great time.

 LOTS OF WONDERFUL NEW SMELLS ALONG THE WAY

 LOVE THE SOUNDS OF A BABBLING BROOK

Despite the wooden boardwalk being wet and very slippery, neither one of us took a tumble.  We made it back to the Jeep and were home by 11 a.m.

HEADING BACK TO THE JEEP

I would like to thank all my blog readers,  as well as our friends, and family for all the Christmas cards and best wishes this year.  So many of those Christmas cards came from all the good people right here in our very own Park.  This year of 2023 has been a difficult one for us and it looks like 2024 is going to be a very challenging year as well.  Thank you to everyone for your kind words, concern, and support all these years.     

Over our RVing years, we were fortunate enough to spend a number of Christmas Eves and Christmas days in different locations in the Great American Southwest.  Without snow on the ground, it never did seem quite like Christmas to us but that was okay.  We were always so happy to be somewhere warmer surrounded by enchanting desert vistas rimmed by beautiful mountain ranges all around, fiery sunrises, and sunsets on either end of big starry night skies with diamonds shimmering from mountain top to mountain top.  Below are a few Christmas Eve or Christmas Day photos from each year of our travels.

 CHRISTMAS DAY 2007 FOUND US IN BORREGO SPRINGS CALIFORNIA DOING LAUNDRY

 SITTING ON SANTA'S KNEE IN COLUMBAS NEW MEXICO 2006

 CHRISTMAS EVE DESERT CAMPFIRE BETWEEN OGILBY ROAD AND THE MUCHACHO MOUNTAINS WEST OF YUMA ARIZONA IN 2008

 CHRISTMAS DAY 2009 WITH RV BLOGGER FRIENDS JERRY AND SUZY  IN BENSON, ARIZONA

 CHRISTMAS DAY DINNER IN OUR RIG SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ELFRIDA ARIZONA AND THE SWISS HELM MOUNTAINS 2010

CHRISTMAS DAY AT THE RANCH CLEANING CORRALS NEAR MCNEIL ARIZONA 2011.... IT WAS PHEEBS FIRST CHRISTMAS IN THE SOUTHWEST

 CHRISTMAS DAY AT OUR HOUSE IN CONGRESS ARIZONA 2012

 CHRISTMAS DAY 2013 WE WERE BOONDOCKED WEST OF THE KOFA MOUNTAINS SOUTHEAST OF QUARTZSITE ARIZONA AND SPENT THE DAY ON A ROUGH AND TUMBLE JEEP DRIVE INTO THE KOFA'S QUEEN CANYON....BOTH KELLY AND PHEEBS CAN BE SEEN IN THIS PHOTO

ON CHRISTMAS MORNING 2014 WE HIKED UP GHOST MOUNTAIN TO THE OLD MARSHAL SOUTH HOMESTEAD IN THE BLAIR VALLEY SOUTHWEST OF BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

 STRIKING MY MARSHAL SOUTH POSE ATOP GHOST MOUNTAIN AT YAQUITEPEC

 CHRISTMAS DAY 2015 FOUND US IN WENDEN ARIZONA HEADING HOME TO CONGRESS AFTER THE DESERT WINDS BLEW US OUT OF BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

 CHRISTMAS 2016 AGAIN FOUND US BOONDOCKED AT THE CLARK DRY LAKE BED NORTH OF BORREGO SPRINGS AND ON CHRISTMAS DAY WE DID A COUPLE BIG DESERT HIKES....HERE IS KELLY BETWEEN HIKES IN OCOTILLO WELLS ON THE PHONE TO HER MOTHER IN SPENCERPORT, NEW YORK

 CHRISTMAS DAY 2017 FOUND US MAKING OUR WAY TO THE SOUTHWEST THROUGH DALLAS TEXAS

 CHRISTMAS DAY 2018 FOUND US STILL IN BAYFIELD ONLY DAYS AWAY FROM HEADING OFF TO THE SOUTHWEST FOR WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE OUR LAST RV TRAVELING YEAR

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

 Al's Music Box:)) The Old Lamplighter is a popular song written by Nat Simon, with lyrics by Charles Tobias. The song was published in 1946.  The lyrics sentimentalize and memorialize the profession of lamplighters, who walked city streets at dusk turning on the gas-powered streetlamps and turning them off again at dawn.  In 1960, the song was a major country-pop hit for The Browns, released as a single early that year. It went on to become a major top-ten hit. 

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A Few Points To Ponder::

- Tell me what you need, and I'll tell you how to get along without it.

- On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key.

- Never trust an electrician with no eyebrows.

- I want to be 14 again & ruin my life differently. I have new ideas.

- Apparently RSVP'ing to a wedding invitation with "Maybe next time" isn't the correct response.

- You are slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter.

- Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused.

- I'd love to live life in the fast lane, but I'm married to a speed bump.

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On the way to preschool, a doctor had left his stethoscope on the car seat, and his little girl picked it up and began playing with it.  "Be still, my heart," thought the doctor. "My daughter wants to follow in my footsteps!"  Then the child spoke into the instrument, "Welcome to McDonald's. May I take your order?"

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