MADE IT TO THE ELFRIDA PHOTO GROUP TODAY:))

OUR PRESENT DIGS (house is empty)

Grand Bend Ontario is a 20 minute drive south of our place in Bayfield.  The Grand Bend Yacht Club has a webcam mounted in a replica light house that looks back over the river leading to Lake Huron.  We often click on this cam to see what the weather is like back home.  The river generally freezes over & in the Spring when we see the river is free of ice again we know it is safe to head home.  Below is what our area back home was looking like this morning.

It was one month ago today we left home for the Southwest.  We were remarking just yesterday how it seems like so much longer since we left.  No idea where we will be a month from now.  Maybe we will still be in the same spot as we are now east of Elfrida, Arizona……who knows.   It is all part of the RVing lifestyle we both so much love.  We just kinda move on whenever the spirit moves us to go have a look over the next hill & around the next corner.  No schedules, no events to attend, no reservations, no hard & fast rules & no stuffy boring routines.  Just a more pleasurable way for us to do things.

I explained in yesterday’s post why we prefer the Southwest States of New Mexico, Arizona & California for our RV winter travels.   I should have included southwest Texas in there too because of the Fort Davis & Big Bend areas.   My favorite scenic State is probably Utah but it’s generally too cold up in them parts for us in the winter.  I have also traveled through the western States of Nebraska, Idaho, the Dakotas, Wyoming, Nevada, Washington, Colorado & Montana.  All beautiful places but just not accessible to us during the winter months.  If we were full timers you can bet your bananas we would be up into those States in the summer months for sure including Oregon.  I have also traveled in British Columbia & western Alberta & they are second to none when it comes to rugged mountain beauty.  In fact, I lived in BC’s Okanagan Valley for nearly 3 years.  Anyway, just wanted to clear that up about the northwestern States.

Our trusty propane driver & truck rolled in this morning about 10:30 & refilled our nearly empty 23 gallon tank with 21 gallons of propane to the tune of $53.40.  We also had him rig us up an adaptor that we can hook up to a smaller & portable type tank typically used on back yard BBQ’s.  Been going to do that for a couple years so am glad that is done & we can now carry a smaller propane tank for emergencies.  Good thing to have when boon docking but boy oh boy was that brass adapter & hose ever expensive.

One o’clock found me at the Monday afternoon, soon to be renamed, Elfrida photo group.  Always nice to see some old friends & always nice to meet some new ones.  And we did pretty good at sticking to photo topics today too:))

 

ELFRIDA PHOTO GROUP

Each year before leaving Canada I gripe quite a bit about past border crossing woes & being detained & hauled out of the rig for agricultural checks.  Well, that kind of pales to Rene’s experience recently when he was detained at the border for stealing his own truck.  Check out, BORDER INCIDENT.

BAGGED ME A TUMBLEWEED TODAY SO I PUT IT ON THE ROOF & BROUGHT IT HOME FOR SUPPER:))

Just want to mention that my thoughts in yesterday’s & today’s blog about RV lifestyle preferences are just my thoughts & opinions & in no way suggest our preferences are in any way better or worse than anyone else’s.  Just wanted to make that perfectly clear…..10-4:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Four Catholic ladies are having coffee together, discussing how important their children are.

The first one tells her friends, "My son is a priest. When he walks into a room, everyone calls him 'Father'."

The second Catholic woman chirps, "Well, my son is a bishop. Whenever he walks into a room, people say, ', 'Your Grace'."

The third Catholic woman says smugly, "Well, not to put you down, but my son is a cardinal. Whenever he walks into a room, people say 'Your Eminence'.

The fourth Catholic woman sips her coffee in silence. The first three women give her this subtle "Well...?" She replies, "My son is a gorgeous, 6' 2" hard-bodied, male stripper. Whenever he walks into a room, people say, "My God...."

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

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

NICE DAY & SOME MEXICAN BORDER MEMORIES

POOR MAMA GOOSE....NO BABY GOOSES THIS YEAR:((

Another cooker today but when you don't have to be outside working in the heat it's not too bad.  Nice mobility van run to London & back this morning in air conditioned comfort.  A big plus from the days many years ago when I might have been out in the back of some new housing sub division on my hands & knees in the dirt laying new sod for hours & hours in the heat.  Yep, did that for awhile in Kitchener Ontario back in the late 60's.

OUR LITTLE 'MOUSE'

I have read in the RV NET FORUMS from time to time about RV'ers having their rigs towing assemblies tampered with by kids while they have been away from their rigs or even around the other side gassing up.  I always make it a point to especially check our tow pins whenever we have made a stop somewhere.  Kids have been known to pull them out &  bicycles have been stolen right off the back of some rigs at fuel stops.  Came across a blog last night that ran into what could have been a very dangerous situation when they stopped at a Flying J for diesel fuel.   Check out R SANITY RV ADVENTURES

ALONG THE FOREST FLOOR

While ranch sitting near McNeal Arizona last winter I noticed they had a small photo group meeting every Monday afternoon over in the little town of Elfrida so I threw my cameras in the car & wandered on over.  Met some great folks over the next couple of months before departing the area & heading further west.  Ray, (RAY'S QCC BLOG) from the group still sends me updates & keeps me in the loop as to what the group is up to & what photo shoots they are out on.   He has just put a BLOG SITE together for the group & you can find photos of their last shoot in the rough & tumbly down town of Naco Arizona on the Mexican border.   Kelly & I were in Naco this past January & here is my BLOG & PHOTOS from that day....complete with a bullet hole in a downtown window!!

 

MAIN STREET NACO ARIZONA....THE MEXICAN BORDER IS DEAD AHEAD!!

We are sometimes asked if we feel threatened at any time while near the border in the Southwest & my answer to that is...no!!  I would feel much safer there by the Mexican border than I would in most large cities I have been too in Canada or the States.  We only had one incident & that was when we crossed into Mexico one time south of Why, Arizona at Lukeville.  You can read about our little scrape here...SONOYTA 

LOOKING DEEP INTO THE HEART OF MEXICO FROM ATOP CORONADO PEAK SOUTH OF SIERRA VISTA, ARIZONA

For the most part it is life as usual just as it is here.  It's when something happens along the border & the media gets a hold of it that makes things seem much worse than they sometimes really are.  We have met many locals in the last couple of years & they all seem less concerned with the problems than people living far to the north.  We have seen people in the desert & we have found pieces of clothing, back packs, etc.  We have heard the ambulances wailing by in the cold nights heading out into the desert to pick up people in distress & we have been buzzed by border patrol helicopters. 

WHENEVER WE HEAR A BORDER PATROL CHOPPER COMING OVER THE RIDGE WE  JUST STAND VERY STILL & PRETEND WE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF SAGUARO CACTUS SHADOWS IN THE DESERT

We have seen the bright yellow flares floating out of the night sky lighting the ground below & one morning we came across about a dozen Mexican folks sitting in single file along a ditch with 2 border patrol guys standing over them.  The group looked to be handcuffed, weary, & worn.  Unfortunately it is the way of life along the border & would we ever consider not going there because of those problems.  No, not a chance.  The American southwest is too special a place not to go & besides, it is just another great chapter in the exciting saga of the daily liveliness & charm of the old wild west..................................:))

    

(click to enlarge)

THERE'S KELLY CRAWLING UNDER THE BORDER WIRE INTO MEXICO EAST OF DOUGLAS ARIZONA - 'ADIOS KELLY'- OH OH SHE'S HEADING BACK TO THE CAR....DIDN'T FIND ANY BARGOOOONS IN THE DESERT I GUESS!!

 

MORNING PHLOX

GROANER'S CORNER:((  I don't know why I consider myself over the hill when I don't even remember ever getting to the top.

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

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

GOT MYSELF A NEW LID TODAY & MY LAST PHOTO GROUP

OLD BUILDINGS ARE ALWAYS GREAT FOR PHOTOS

Another sun filled day & the ground is drying up nicely.  I am over my bout of temporary insanity in wanting a concrete pad, acres of pavement, & a postage stamp swatch of manicured grass.  Very close call there.  I could have been hauled away & locked up for those terrible thoughts:((  Fortunately we'll be back boondocking next week again & I know that will instantly erase any nasty thoughts of concrete & pavement.....10-4:))

 

Kelly headed off for her exercise this morning & I headed off down to the corral to do some clean up after the donkeys were in the pen for a few days during our recent spate of rainy weather.  I suppose that stuff in the corral is normally left to dry up & blow away in the wind but the landscape gardener in me took over & hauled me down to the pen with a shovel & rake to clean things up. 

KELLY AT JIMMY’S HOT DOG COMPANY IN SAN JOSE-BISBEE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO

Headed off about 12:45 for my Elfrida photo group in the little towns library.  The usual gang, Mary Beth from Douglas, Jim from Sunizona, plus Jean & Ray from Gleason were all there & it was decided to drive a half mile up the road to an old tumble down building & do some photography.  Each went their separate way crawling around with cameras clicking amidst the brambles & rubble of the building.   Different ideas & different perspectives.  I knew it was my last Photo group but didn't have the heart to tell anybody.  I'm just not very good at saying goodbye to people so we all parted with the old familiar, "Ok, see ya next week."  I'm kind of like that about not going to funerals as well........."Ok, see ya later."

MONDAY AFTERNOON PHOTO GROUP

Happy to report the little Motormouse woke up totally fine this morning.  No stiffness or soreness that we could see.  It is possible the donkey accidentally or intentionally missed Cora & stomped the ground around her.  In the fraction of a second it took I thought I saw her stomped but maybe not.  Anyway, all is well & I was over at the fence today rubbing some donkey noses & scruffling some donkey ears telling them everything was A-OK & not to worry:))

  

PIGEON PALS

On the way back from Photo Group today I stopped into Elfrida’s High Lonesome store.  They have a bit of everything in this well stocked western store from hay bales stacked outside to western belts, jeans, shirts, jackets & cowboy hats.  It was a cowboy hat I was after.  Wanted a lighter one than I have & something I can wear on hot days.  Wanted a wider brim as well.  Saw hats ranging from $32 to $155 so it was a no brainer for me as I found a size 7 & a half $32 lid made in Mexico.    It’s called a SUN BODY HAT.

NEW LID TODAY

Test fired the rigs engine this morning & it started right up & ran as smooth as a Swiss watch.  Brought it up to temperature & did not leave the area in case I forgot to shut it off like I did one time this past summer.  Also fired up the generator & all was well there too.  All systems are go so far but already today I could feel a bit of sadness creeping in about our departure.  As much as I'm ready for new horizons I am definitely going to miss the old ones here at the ranch.  Don't know if we'll ever be back this way but as we pull out of the driveway & head down the road soon I'll look out the window back at the ranch to Gleason & Pearce thinking......Ok, see ya later.

PEARCE, MAX, GLEASON, CHECKERS & CORA (MOTORMOUSE)

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Sign seen hanging on a divorce lawyer's wall:  "Satisfaction guaranteed or
your honey back."

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