DO WE HAVE ANY 'RANCH SITTERS' OUT HERE IN RV BLOG LAND:))

FULL MOON RISING OVER THE SWISS HELM MOUNTAINS AT THE RANCH IN DEC. 09 (700mm telescope lens)

Anyone following our blog knows that we have spent the last 4 winters traveling around the American Southwest.  You will also know that we have spent some time 'ranch sitting' the past couple years as well.  When we leave Bayfield in late October we will once again head straight for the ranch which is located in Arizona's southeast corner near McNeal, Douglas & Bisbee.  Unlike last winter, we have decided to spend less time at the ranch this year & more time traveling.  We will be there from the beginning of November until mid December.

STORM CLOUDS OVER THE RANCH HOUSE

The owners of the ranch, J & R are also RV folks & again this year would like to spend the winter months doing some traveling of their own .  Another RV couple is going to take over the ranch sitting job from us from mid December to mid January.  A third RV couple & friends of ours will take over sometime in January & will stay for awhile but not sure how long yet.  That will leave part of February & all of March available.

OUR FULL HOOK-UP SITE AT THE RANCH

Workampers will probably not be interested in this because it is not a paying job. You do have full hook-ups & the security of a locked gate & a very large area with coyote proof fencing so it's a great safety factor if you have pets.  The ranch is an excellent home base for day trips in this historical southeast corner of Arizona.  Thousands of Sand Hill Cranes fly directly over the ranch every single day.  Their roosting area is only one mile south of the ranch at the, WHITEWATER DRAW WILDLIFE AREA

SUNSET ON THE PORCH

It is imperative that you understand, care for & love animals.  The ranch has about a dozen frisky chickens, 3 clever donkeys, 2 new cows, two lovable dogs (Pearce & Gleason) & Charlie the cat to look after.  The gang has to be fed twice a day & the 3 or 4 chicken eggs have to be gathered daily.  And, you will be required to milk the chickens every Saturday morning before breakfast:))

DRAGOON MOUNTAINS NORTHWEST OF THE RANCH

Douglas & Bisbee are only about a 20-25 minute drive away.  Tombstone is about a 40 minute drive & Sierra Vista is just another 15 minutes on the other side of Tombstone.  The ranch is located in the Sulphur Springs Valley & surrounded by the Dragoon, Chiricahua, Swiss Helm & Mule mountains.  And, if you haven't been to Bisbee Arizona yet, you are in for an alpine treat in an old mountain mining town.  For many photos of the ranch & surrounding area attractions just check our archives for Feb-March 2009 & again from November 09 to just about the end of January 2010.  Or, check our PICASA PHOTO ALBUMS for those same dates.

3 OF THE RANCH'S DESPERADOS'....SARAH, NELLIE & PONCHO

So, if anyone is interested in 'ranch sitting' for a spell in February & March, just let us know & we'll forward your interest to the folks at the ranch.  Preference will probably be given to anyone on our blog list that we know or have been in email contact with for awhile.  Just a little something for you Buckaroo RV'ers to think about:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED...................
1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats..
2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food..
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair..
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandma's lap.

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an Animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened.

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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It is not the concept of God I have a problem with.....it's his fan club that causes me grievous concern:((

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

THE BAYFIELD BUNCH ROLLS INTO RUSTY’S RV RANCH NEAR PORTAL, ARIZONA

 

 

OUR SITE AT RUSTY’S RV RANCH WITH THE CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND

I must begin this blog by referring back to last night's blog & retracting my comments regarding my impression of the 'Columbus Best RV Park.  I had driven through that park 3 years ago & it was pretty shabby so had carelessly based my impression of the park in part on my memory without paying a lot of attention to our surroundings last night.  That all changed this morning when we took the dogs for a walk.  I began seeing a lot of improvements to the park & it was obvious the owners or maybe even new owners have been putting a lot of time & effort into making improvements.  I immediately came back to the rig, brought up last night's blog on Live Writer & re-wrote my opinions of the Park.  I then grabbed my camera & went out & took some photos.

 

COLUMBUS BEST RV PARK IN COLUMBUS, NEW MEXICO

A FEW PHOTOS AROUND THE ‘COLUMBUS BEST RV PARK’

That little walk around this morning reminded me that I did not yet have my southwest head on & I was still looking at things through Ontario eyes.  I have made that mistake every year we come here but at least this time I became aware of my error a lot sooner than in the past.  It's difficult to explain but where & how we live in Ontario is much different than our lifestyle while in the southwest.  Almost like 2 different planets because of the environmental changes alone.   And, to some extent, different cultures.  Foods are different, laws are different, people dress differently, attitudes are noticeably different, the coffee is even different  etc.  And, because of these differences a person has to be willing to adapt & go with their changed environment.  In other words we put away our Ontario hats & put on our southwest hats & we see clearly with our southwest eyes:))

LOTS OF BIG RIG ROOM HERE IN THIS COLUMBUS RV PARK

We were packed up & on the road by 8:20.  Said our good-byes to Columbus thanking her for our great memories 3 years ago & swung onto highway 9 & heading west.  This road runs parallel to the Mexican border just a few miles to the south & we had driven it once before on our western trek in 2006.  It's a nice quiet road & 7 of the 10 oncoming vehicles we met in the 80 mile drive were border control vehicles.  Looking across the barren scrubland to the distant mountains in Mexico one can't help but think of the days when Pancho Villa & his men rode these lands.  The only time the United States has ever been invaded was back in the little town of Columbus, New Mexico we had just left.  It was 1916 & it was Pancho Villa who led that invasion.  Yes, a lot of history in this area.

FIRST SIGHT OF THE CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS STRETCHED ACROSS THE HORIZON ABOVE THE HIGHWAY

Just west of a little town called Animas I finally caught sight of the mighty Chiricahua mountain range dead ahead.  What a great sight that was because it marked our first destination on this years trek.  We had decided last March while on a day trip to this area that we would like to come back & spend more time exploring around here.  It's right on the way to our ranch destination near Douglas Arizona in a few days so it fit perfectly into our travel plans.  We weren't sure about boondocking in these parts so a couple of months ago on the internet I came across an RV Park near the tiny town of Portal Arizona.  I'm not big on RV parks but it seemed the only likely spot around, so this morning about 11:35 the Bayfield Bunch rolled through the gates of RUSTY'S RV RANCH  Right off the bat we could see it was a nice looking place & I was bolstered by the fact there were only a few other rigs here.  It had been the same last night at Columbus Best & the night before at Boot Hill in Tularosa.  My biggest bug-a-boo about RV Parks is the way people are crammed in like sardines with little regard to privacy, quiet, or people comforts.  I could see right off the bat we were not going to have problems like that here.  So, with those thoughts in mind we checked in to the office & met Rusty her very self.  Now here is a gal with personality plus:))

IN RUSTY’S GARDEN

Rusty led the way in a golf cart & put us in a spot just across from the dogging walking area which of course if very handy for us.  And the first order of the day was to get the doggies over there for some much needed walking of course.  The lots are 200 feet long with room on either side.  No Verizon or antennae television signals here but the park has a well working WiFi system & we were on-line immediately.  Re-organized the car, grabbed a shower & headed off to the office to do a load of laundry while Kelly took the car & headed for the new desert museum nearby that has just opened.  We'll go again to-morrow.  While the laundry was in the machines I took myself for a walk around the park taking pictures.  I will have those photos in Monday's blog.  Just too darned tired to-night to get at them.  Soaked up some sun in the late afternoon & decided around 5 to have a crack at setting up our new Star Choice satellite dish.  Well, needless to say that sure took us some doing.  I had to figure out the dish mechanics & co-ordinates while Kelly was inside figuring out the receiver & television configuration stuff.  With a flurry of Azimuth's, longitudes, latitudes, crazy horse dudes, elevations, & skews I finally had the dish pointed correctly in the vicinity of the unseen satellite somewhere up there in that big blue sky.  We finally locked onto the bird but Kelly was having trouble getting anything on the screen resembling programming.  Wasn't until our teamwork finally came to-gether & I remembered to switch the cable at the back of the TV to satellite cable from antennae that things started to make sense.  Kelly then remembered to set the remote for cable instead of TV & that really got things moving for us.  Last step was to call Star Choice & have the system activated which Kelly did.........& after about 2 hours of frustrated strugglings we were finally up & running with our new cable TV system.  Geeeezzzz, will wonders ever cease.

JUST GOT OUR STAR CHOICE DISH UP & RUNNING TO-NIGHT BEFORE SUNDOWN

That Star Choice set up put me a couple hours behind to-night so I'm going to wrap this & head for bed.  Both Max & the Motormouse are on there right now keeping the covers warm for me.  Oh the perks of having a furry family:))

P.S. It is a totally beautiful desert night with a full moon bathing the desert floor & nearby mountains in pastel moonlight.  And I caught my first glimpse of winter’s best known constellation too………Orion.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  It's hard to make a comeback when you haven't been anywhere.

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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now....AL.

RUCKER CANYON & THE CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS

HEADING UP RUCKER CANYON ROAD

Cooler this morning with a high light cloud cover. We knew the day was not going to be another cooker & that was a big relief. Weatherman is calling for temps to drop into the low 80's & mid 70's. I would say those mid 70's are just about totally perfect. A LOT OF FREE RANGING CATTLE IN THIS AREA

Been a month now since we settled into the ranch here & our propane level was down about the empty mark. Pretty good considering we didn't roll in here with a full tank to begin with. Packed things up, secured the coach about 9:30 & headed over to the Double Adobe Road RV Park near Bisbee to re-fill our propane tank. Came to about $55 dollars so we were pretty low. A word about the Park to other RV'ers. The park only accepts cheques or cash for propane. No credit cards. Also, if your thinking of staying there it would be good for you to know that they have a shotgun shooting range right beside the park. If you have pets that are scared of guns this would not be a good campground for you. While we were getting propane, shotguns were going off & poor Checkers & the little Motormouse were totally traumatized. We couldn't get out of there fast enough. Other than that, it looks like an OK campground.....if you like that campground thing that is.

WE SAW SOME DEER BUT NO BEARS

We were back to the ranch & re-settled into our spot in less than an hour. Did some more tree watering & then loaded the cameras in the car & we were off for another day trip. On our drive through Leslie Canyon last week we noticed another road leading into the Chiricahua mountains so to-day we returned to that point & headed on up Rucker Canyon road. http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/forest/recreation/scenic_drives/rucker_tex.shtml As soon as you start gaining altitude the environment begins to change from desert brown to jungle green. The cottonwood trees are beginning to leaf out now so the splotches of early spring green in the treetops is refreshing. Pine, & Ironwoods, mixed with Agaves & Prickly Pear Cactus make for roadside beauty. Valleys of yellow grasses appear between the mountains & forests of Mesquite trees dot the hillsides. Overhead, patches of blue sky between billowing clouds let through enough sunlight to highlight the high cliff faces of colored rock on the mountain sides. We are so fortunate to be here & to be a part of this beautiful American southwest. KELLY'S LOADING ROCKS IN THE CAR

A fork in the road led us on a 6 mile trip up to Rucker campground. No one there but the wind in the trees & the babbling of a mountain stream running down through the empty campground. Note to RV'ers...I wouldn't bring anything bigger than a small Class C, truck camper, or B class van up here. Not sure if I would feel comfortable tenting either because of the Bear population. The road ends at the campground. We noticed a lot of free ranging cattle in this area as well & had to stop & let a small herd cross the road on our way back down the road to the junction. A QUIET MOUNTAIN STREAM

When we reached the road junction we had to decide whether to return the way we had come & go back through Leslie Canyon or head east over the mountains on Tex Canyon Road & see if we could find highway 80 in the San Bernardino Valley. That highway would take us back down to Douglas. We needed some groceries anyway so headed east. Surprisingly, the road through the mountains was very good with only a few slow downs to cross some minor washes. The scenery was beautiful & around every corner was another panoramic view. We were wishing we had a portable GPS unit though because we had no idea how far the highway or Douglas was. We have one on our wish list because with the amount of hiking, car trips, & RVing we do on back roads it would certainly be a useful & safe thing for us. We have been looking at some Garmin Vista models with built in altimeter & compass. RUCKER CANYON

From atop a hill I finally spotted what looked like the San Bernardino Valley ahead, far off on the horizon. The dirt road was steadily leading down hill so I knew we had crested the mountains & were on our way down the east side of them. Seemed like a long time but we finally reached highway 80. Just a few words here about dirt roads. After to-day we probably have enough dust in the car to make up a whole 50 pound bag of topsoil. If you don't like dust & dirt the American southwest is probably not going to be your cup of tea unless you stay on the pavement & only move between them there fancy RV Parks. If you want to experience the mountains & the deserts you have to get off the Interstates, get off the pavement, & get yourself out onto the dust & the dirt of the back roads. The wild west for the most part is still the wild west & as far as I am concerned that's exactly what makes it one of the most interesting & best places in the whole country. LOOKING EAST TO THE SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY

Ok, getting back on track......... Once on highway 80 it was about a 40 mile scenic mountain vista drive through the Perilla mountains to Douglas. In that 40 or so miles we might have past 3 or 4 vehicles coming the other way. Just another thing I love about the southwest, endless miles of open roads & big wide open spaces. GREAT CLOUD PATTERNS TO-DAY

Popped into a little Mexican restaurant called Jaliscos for a bite to eat before grocery shopping. Kelly had something called a Chimi Changa or something. I learned a long time ago not to eat anything I couldn't spell or pronounce right so I had a hamburger & fries. Kelly did say her Chimi Jange thingy was very good though. Only about 5 blocks to Wally-World so we stocked up on some groceries & headed back to the ranch. Really nice overcast sky with eerie gray cloud patterns all the way back. Yep, ya just gotta love it out here alright....................................... ALIEN SPACE SHIP CLOUDS OVER THE MULE MOUNTAINS

To-morrow we are headed for the ghost town of Pearce........and beyond!!

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