ALTHOUGH WE DON’T CROSS THE MEXICAN BORDER, WE DO SPEND A LOT OF OUR TIME…….REAL DARN CLOSE TO IT

OUR SUMACS ARE BEGINNING TO SHOW THEIR AUTUMN COLORS
Kelly busied herself loading the Motor Home for awhile this morning and I was able to successfully repair a loose step runner.  After that major accomplishment I was flushed with success and briefly entertained the thought of applying for an engineering job at Nasa’s Rocket Science center in Florida.  Thought to myself….Nawwww, I wouldn’t be able to take the humidity down there.
Not a real productive day again but Pheebs and I did make two trips around the forest trail.  Took the rig for a short drive this morning because we are having a problem with the ABS brake warning light.  Brakes are fine but the light persists.  It’s not an uncommon problem for the earlier years with that ABS Anti-Lock Brake System.  I did manage to get the light to go out this morning by backing up and applying the brakes.  May have to take it back to the Bayfield Garage Monday morning.  We’ll see.
WILD GRAPE VINE IN THE PINE TREES
The closest Galaxy to our own in this Universe is now visible in the night sky.  You can find the Andromeda Galaxy high in a dark Eastern Sky at the moment.  It's visible to the naked eye assuming your eyesight is 20/20.  Best seen through a pair of steady binoculars though.  TONIGHT'S SKY gives you an idea where to find the Andromeda Galaxy and it is predicted that our own Galaxy will one day collide and merge with the Andromeda Galaxy.  Hope that doesn't happen before we get on the road next month.  Could cause quite a ker-fuffle in our travel plans.
A commenter wondered if the You Tube video in my Wednesday night blog was part of some blog changes.  My short answer to that is 'no.'  That particular video happened to land on my desktop while I was writing the post and was a spur of the moment decision to throw it in.  Any blog changes or whatever in the future will simply be done quietly without me blabbering about it anymore. 
Our Pine needles have begun to fall and soon the ground will be covered in a carpet of gold.  A slight breeze today lazily brought a few leaves to the ground.   Nice to hear my footsteps shuffling through the leaves along the forest path.  Easier for me to keep tabs on Pheebe too because I could hear her rustling in the leaves off to the side of the trail.

I SURE HOPE TO BE GETTING ME SOME GOOD OLD MOUNTAIN AIR SOMEWHERE IN THE WEST ABOUT A MONTH FROM NOW
And a big Bayfield Bunch welcome to Geo for joining us our latest Blog Follower.  Thanks for stopping by Geo and welcome aboard.
A few posts ago I talked about our reluctance to travel in Mexico.  Just as we have decided to avoid any unnecessary problems by doing that I am also aware there are many RV'ers who have the same feeling about the South-western United States border areas near the border itself.  This is the area we frequent quite regularly in our travels and at times we are face to face with the Mexican border itself with only a few feet separating us.  We have spent many months ranch sitting a short 20 miles or so north of the border these past 3 winters and have felt quite comfortable in doing so.  We have taken the time and interest to meet local folks who have been good at orienting us to the do's and don'ts along the way.  There are known problem areas with heavier illegal traffic so we don't go messing around those places, and especially not at night.  Rule of thumb is to use common sense and be aware of your surroundings.  Now, having said that, we did have an uneasy encounter about a year ago just a few days after we arrived in Elfrida, Arizona.

  
THE MEXICAN BORDER JUST WEST OF CORONADO PEAK IN ARIZONA…..WE WERE TEMPORARILY LOST WHILE LOOKING FOR PARKER LAKE…JANUARY 2ND 2011

 
THE MEXICAN BORDER A MILE WEST OF THE TEXAS JOHN SLAUGHTER RANCH NEAR DOUGLAS ARIZONA…YOU CAN SEE KELLY TRYING TO DO A LITTLE CROSS BORDER SCROUNGING THERE AS SHE REACHES INTO MEXICO UNDER THE FENCE…..MARCH 11TH 2009 
At the eastern most end of Elfrida's Jefferson road there is a nice area at the foot of the Swiss Helm Mountains where we had driven up to a few times before in previous years.  Last year having acquired our Jeep Wrangler we knew we could get in closer to the mountains so off we headed.  It was only a couple miles from where we were staying.  Wasn't long when we ran into a couple of, shall we say.....  SUSPICIOUS CHARACTERS!!  Click on ‘Suspicious Characters’ for that brief encounter……….

WE’RE THEY REALLY HUNTERS??  WE’LL NEVER KNOW…….  THE GUY ON THE LEFT DIDN’T SAY MUCH AND JUST STARED AT US AND THE GUY ON THE RIGHT JUST SEEMED WAY TOO FRIENDLY.  WERE WE NERVOUS ABOUT THIS 10 MINUTE ENCOUNTER IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SWISS HELM MOUNTAINS??  DAMM RIGHT WE WERE!!!!
We have spent a fair bit of time in and around Douglas Arizona and there is a heavy Mexican population there because Douglas is a border town on the American side.  A trip to Walmart is like entering Mexico itself because most of the shoppers and staff are Mexican folks.  We feel just as much at home in Douglas as we feel in any of the cities in our area here in southern Ontario.  And, mentioning cities, I'm sure there are a lot of city areas all over North America that are far more scarier than anything we have come across in our travels through the southernmost parts of New Mexico, Arizona and California.  But, like I said, our travels stop at the border. 

GROANER'S CORNER:((   Back in the 1800s the Tates Watch Company of Massachusetts wanted to produce other products and, since they already made the cases for pocket watches, decided to market compasses for the pioneers traveling west. It turned out that although their watches were of finest quality, their compasses were so bad that people often ended up in Canada or Mexico rather than California. This, of course, is the origin of the expression, "He who has a Tates is lost!"
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-Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their soul remains un-awakened.

OUR PICASA PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy

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

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/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/

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.

MELTING INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT:))

SAND HILL CRANES HEADING FOR THEIR FEEDING GROUNDS WITH THIS MORNINGS SNOW COVERED MULE MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND

Tuesday's buffeting winds left quietly sometime during the night. We had gone to bed with our slides pulled in to lessen the noise & around 3 I woke up & all was quiet except for a pinging on the sides & rooftop of the motorhome which I just assumed was rain. Figured that was ok as long as the winds didn't come back so rolled over & headed for dreamland again. 

SNOWING THIS MORNING WHEN WE GOT UP!!

It was still dark when we both arose around 6 & when Kelly opened the door to let the little Motormouse out..........the ground was white!!!! Those pinging sounds I had heard earlier was rain transitioning to sleet & then snow. Needless to say it was quite a surprise to see snow all over the ground. We did see snow once before here back in February of this year & there was more of it at that time. The surrounding mountains were totally beautiful in their new white cloaks. Took a few pics & then hustled down to the corral & opened the pasture gate for the donkey's to come in. Had my favorite Christmas Carol playing in my head while watching the snowflakes falling slowly on the donkeys as they came happily trotting through the gate. Johnny Mathis singing, 'Sleigh Ride.' "Just here those sleigh bells jingle-ing, Ring ting tingle-ing too." I even hum that one in the summer time when I'm feeling happy:)) Fixed the donkey guys up a nice fresh bale of hay for breakfast & there were contented Hee-Haw's all the way around. I'm sure they were glad to get in with a roof over their heads because it was still snowing a bit & they looked pretty bedraggled.

I generally have myself a pre-Christmas bluster every year but as Christmas Eve draws closer the little boy in me comes trotting out of the past & puts this old cursmudgeon right in his place for a couple days. And you know what, I kinda like when that happens every year. But, more about that little boy later.

We needed a few groceries plus I was feeling a little Christmassy when I woke up this morning so we decided to slip over to Wal-Mart in Douglas. Besides, I wanted to see the snow covered mountains on both sides of the valley on the drive south.  I  also felt like a people fix & usually a half hour in Wal-Mart takes care of that for me. Kelly said the store was not busy yesterday so I took a chance that it still wouldn't be busy this morning,  And, it wasn't.  Nice to see the Christmas decorations, hear the Christmas Carols, & tune into the Christmas feeling tingling in the air. Not quite the same here in Arizona though when you have been used to over 60 years of gently falling snow on quiet winter nights. Twinkling colored lights melted into snow banks under evergreen trees & the soft crunch of new fallen snow under warm winter boots. Nope, not quite the same I thought to myself as we walked across a snowless parking lot back to the car in the warming rays of the morning sun.

ON THE WAY TO DOUGLAS ARIZONA THIS MORNING

Resurrected our Star Choice television satellite dish this afternoon & after some finagling with the elevation adjustment we were locked back onto the bird. Of course after the first couple sweeps of the sky when the signal was not found I was convinced the LMB was wrecked & was ready to throw the whole set-up in the garbage but Kelly persevered & with a tweak here & grunt there, all was right in AL's world again.

SLAM DUNKED TRIPOD
TUESDAY & SET UP AGAIN WEDNESDAY

Kelly picked up a nice string of cactus/cowboy boots lights a week ago so we have them hanging in the motorhome. I left them on last night when I went to bed because they cast a warm Christmassy glow inside making everything look so warm & cozy. When I awoke in the night & looked around I was reminded of those festive & fun Christmas times so many years ago when I was just a little feller. My first Christmas memory sometime in the late 40's was of being in an old department store in Woodstock Ontario & there were Christmas Carols playing. Large colorful red bells, wreaths, & decorations were all around me & everything seemed so big & so happy. Remember, I was just a little fellow probably only about 3 feet tall. I was with my Mom & Dad at the time. It's the only pleasant memory I have of them to-gether. They were later bitterly divorced when I was about 6 I think. But, I still have that memory & I kept that in my mind last night as I drifted off back to sleep. Despite all my pre-Christmas blusters, the little Christmas boy is still inside me playing happily with his memories of warm & fun filled Christmas's long ago:))

SNOWY DESERT MORNING

GROANER'S CORNER:(( I have a friend who is a real inventor. He took the fender from a Chevy, a motor from a Ford, & the transmission from a Mercedes Benz. D'ya know what he got for that? -- Three years!!

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/  
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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now....AL.

THE BAYFIELD BUNCH ROLLS INTO THE ARIZONA RANCH:))

 

OUR FIRST OF MANY BEAUTIFUL SUNSETS AT THE RANCH

It was the sound of the Aspen leaves rustling in the early morning breeze that caught my attention when I stepped out of the motorhome in the pre-dawn hours.  This whole area is an Astronomer's paradise & despite the moon high in the west I was still able to stand outside in my pajamas & identify some favorite constellations.  What a beautiful land this is & what a beautiful night sky it is for the few people who take the time to see it.

EARLY MORNING MIST IN THE CANYONS OF THE CHIRICAHUAS

Rusty had told us the previous day there was a group of Astronomy buffs living over near Portal.  What made this unique is that a desert community was created for people interested in Astronomy.  Lots were sold & people built homes with their very own in-house or attached observatories.  Obviously very wealthy people.  A community of stargazers with their very own community.  We took a drive over to the location & I took some photos from the car.  Other observatories could also be seen dotted in the mountains.  Some of the shiny white domes were mere specs in the distance.

View Full Album

 

SAYING GOOD-BYE TO RUSTY THIS MORNING

We said our good-byes to Rusty this morning & rolled out of the Park at 9:50 a.m. heading south for Douglas, Arizona.  As usual there was no traffic & the highway was clear for as far as the eye could see in both directions.  It was another reminder of why the southwest is so attractive to us.  Mountain ranges on both sides with the open road ahead stretching to the horizon.  A smattering of wispy clouds gave the sky it's morning personality & it was a great feeling inside to share that feeling with the rest of the day.  I thought of the long boring summer I just had & was so grateful to now be out here in nature's wonderment with Mother Nature herself pointing out her handiwork ahead, to our right, to our left, to everywhere we looked.

ON THE ROAD TO DOUGLAS, ARIZONA….A QUIET & PEACEFUL LAND

As we approached Douglas I recognized old familiar shapes.  Coronado Peak loomed out of the haze on the far distant horizon & reminded me of the morning we drove up a steep narrow road to a parking lot where we proceeded to hike high atop a hill last March.  A sweeping panoramic view stretched out before us as we easily gazed a hundred miles deep into the heart of Mexico.  Another formation of rocks brought back memories of a drive to the Texas John Slaughter Ranch.  Over another rise & I was looking across the Sulphur Springs valley where the ranch is located.  A glance in the direction of the Mule mountains told me where the little picturesque alpine like town of Bisbee was located & that brought back more pleasant memories for me.  A mine tour, the BBC...Bisbee Breakfast Club, & the park with all the old vintage travel trailers.  It was a great 60 mile drive from Rusty's to Douglas & it just re-affirmed my love & desire for the American southwest.

Topped up our propane tank in Douglas & was surprised that we had only used $11 worth of propane since leaving Ontario.  Our fridge, hot water heater, stove, & furnace all run on propane but luckily we bought a Legacy Blue Flame heater a couple years ago so never had to use the furnace.  RV furnaces are propane gas guzzlers.  We were hungry so parked in a Wally World lot & walked to a Church's Chicken place.  We normally never eat that kind of food but to-day we made an exception.  We hadn't had fried chicken since last March when we were in this very same place.  Luckily the owner had a friend with a front end loader who was able to scoop up Kelly & I with the bucket & haul us over to Wal-Mart afterwards.  He had seen us waddling out the door I guess.  It will probably be a very long time before we load ourselves up with a lot of greasy chicken again!!

 

OOOOOOOOH, I CAN’T BELIEVE WE ATE THE WHOLE THING!!

We were on familiar turf in the Douglas Wally World so it didn't take us long to pick up a bunch of groceries & stuff.  That big chicken dinner weighed me down like an old bag of cement & it wasn't long & Kelly had to tip me over & dump me into the cart with the groceries.  When the clerk tried to run me through the scanner a message flashed up on his screen saying, 'this old sack of potatoes is out of date......reject & apologize to customer for any inconvenience!!'  I hauled myself off the conveyer built & told the clerk, "no apology necessary, I'll look after it!!”

HANGIN OUT AT WALLY WORLD

It was 20 miles to the ranch & for the first time on our trip we had to kick on the A/C to kick out the daytime's 85F temps.  We all had our tongues hanging out including the dogs.  McNeal Arizona looked the same as it did the day we left here last March.  It was good to see the ranch come into view because it marks the end of our journeys first phase for now.  Jeanie & Ray with our two old ranch pal dogs, Gleeson & Mr. Pearce came out to greet us & it was really great to see everyone.  Had some catching up to do & then it was time to set up the rig.  Jeanie & Ray walked over about 5 & we all headed off to do the afternoon chores.  Main gate to be locked, water on cold nights to turn off, 8 chickens & 2 dogs to feed.  And a funny thing happened when I fed Gleeson & Pearce.  Gleeson barreled into his food but Pearce hesitated & stood there looking at me.  I had forgot to give him his smooch.  I was in the habit of giving him a smooch every time I fed him over 7 months ago & he remembered that.  Now how's that for one smart dog.  He remembered but I had forgotten.  So, a big smooch it was:))  I’ll get some pictures of the guys to-morrow.

THE CHIRICAUHUA MOUNTAINS SUNSET PROFILE

J & R are rolling out Friday morning & driving over to California to board a cruise ship for Hawaii.  They will return to the ranch in about 3 weeks for Thanksgiving & are then taking off in their 5th wheel so the Bayfield Bunch will be at the ranch for awhile.  Not as much work this year because the 2 boarded horses from last year have gone home & the 3 donkeys, Sarah, Nellie, & Poncho will spend the majority of their time in the pastures grazing grass.  Only time we have to feed them is if the weather gets bad & we bring them in for shelter.  We're going to have a lot of time on our hands so we'll be busy scouting out new day trips & Kelly has talked me into going with her for free Yoga classes in nearby Elfrida & McNeal.  Well, it should be a bit easier than the 108 moves Tai Chi I was doing a few years ago anyway.

 

Anyway, that was it for our first day at the ranch & we're really glad to finally be here.  And, so are the furry guys because now they have free range to come & go from the motorhome whenever they like.  There is coyote proof fencing for quite a few acres surrounding the ranch house so we're comfortable with letting the guys out to roam.  Plus, they have their 2 Arizona ranch cousins, Gleeson & Pearce to keep an eye on things & show them around too.  Oh, & you may have noticed that we are back in the land of beautiful sunsets again......:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Evidence has been found that William Tell and his family were avid bowlers. However, all the league records were unfortunately destroyed in a fire. Thus we'll never know for whom the Tells bowled.

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