THE BAYFIELD BUNCH MEETS TIOGA GEORGE:))

When I stepped out of the rig this morning with Pheebs and Motor I could see stars from horizon to horizon and that could only mean one thing.  Our previous day’s heavy cloud cover had dissipated.  With sunrise only an hour or so away I knew we were going to be in for a sunny start to the day.  The weather people had been calling for clouds and rain.

WE FIND TIOGA AND GEORGE TUCKED QUIETLY AWAY NEAR DOWNTOWN AJO
We were on a mission this morning because Kelly had noticed someone well known and well respected to the RV Blogging community had rolled quietly into Ajo the night before on his way to Mexico.

I BORROWED THIS PHOTO FROM GEORGE’S BLOG
I think Kelly’s words in Facebook today sum up our meeting with TIOGA GEORGE.  She said, “He is just what I expected. A quiet, gentle, genuine nice person.”  I couldn’t agree more with Kelly as we sat in Miss Tioga chatting with George for about half an hour this morning.  A very personable fellow indeed and if you look carefully he is one of those fellas with a quiet twinkle in his eye and a warming smile to make you feel welcome:))

A REAL GENUINE PERSONABLE FELLOW
With over 6 million hits on his Sitemeter you can see George has been around for awhile and a very popular RV Blogger.  We probably started following his site as far back as 2005.  Tioga George is a true pioneer here in Blog Land and has been the inspiration for countless Bloggers who have followed in his footsteps.  George was blogging about his RVing adventures when many of us were still wondering what RV meant.  We considered it a true honor this morning to meet the fellow who may well be considered the Granddaddy of the RV Blog world.

I WAS SO BUSY TAKING PICTURES I FORGOT TO HAVE MY OWN PICTURE TAKEN WITH GEORGE
Better get to my almost daily now, ‘corrections segment’.  In Thursday’s post I said the A-10 Thunderbolt (Warthogs) pilots were based out of Yuma but Emjay quickly corrected me saying no, those Warthogs are based at the Davis Monthan Air Base in Tucson.  I have been to the Museum section of that air base.  Second correction comes when I said Kelly was on Skype talking to Verizon.  Yes, it was Skype she was using but it was the TV satellite people at Shaw Direct she was talking too.  I have since corrected those two things.

There is a bit of confusion about my posts publishing dates.  I normally publish my blogs on the day I write them but due to our weak Verizon connection my posts can sometimes take hours to publish and that puts them into the next day.  So a post I write on the 12th may take a couple hours and publish and show up as the 13th.  I do not type in the dates….they go in automatically.

OUR RIG SITS COZILY AMONG THE TALL GREEN OCOTILLOS
Had some questions about Coyotes and Snakes while boondocking.  Coyotes are always a main concern and we are ever vigilante for them.  When choosing a boondocking spot we try to have an area of clearance and unrestrictive viewing around us so it is harder for something to sneak up close without being seen.  We never let the dogs out by themselves and if they have to go out in the night I go right out with them carrying a powerful flashlight.  While they are doing their business I am scanning the area with the light looking for any sign of two bright green eyes staring back.  We have never encountered an active snake in the 5 years here in the Southwest.  Most of them are underground in a hibernation state at this time of year but they are never far from my mind while hiking.

AFTERNOON WALK ON ONE OF THE JEEP ROADS
Wandering Willy sent us a link for a device called a Wilson Sleek.  This antennae oriented device is used for boosting a Verizon Mifi signal.  We will look into that.

PHEEBS ASLEEP ON KELLY’S LAP BESIDE THE CAMPFIRE THIS AFTERNOON
Had a comment question last night about the Border Patrol and security in this area.  Anywhere in the Southwestern States of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona or California there are a lot of Border Patrol personnel and vehicles and seeing them is commonplace.  The Border Patrol is everywhere.  You may encounter them at checkpoints on the highway, at the local grocery store, parked along lonely stretches of desert highway, having lunch at a popular restaurant or heading out into the desert on horseback, ATV, or pickup trucks.  We have been buzzed by Border Patrol helicopters while walking out in the desert near Hickiwan Trails.  The Border Patrol is a part of the community with a job to do and in many cases an integral part of a communities economy.

PARKING LOT OF OLSEN’S IGA IN AJO, ARIZONA
As far as safety goes we have never felt or been threatened at any time in our travels by any illegals moving through the area.  The last thing people coming up from Mexico want, is attention.  They will go out of their way to avoid you spotting them.  Likewise, the drug smugglers do not want to draw attention to themselves either.  I feel much safer out here in the seemingly middle of nowhere than I would in the downtown of any large city.

IT’S A SLEEPY CREW WE HAVE HERE SOME DAYS
The American Air Force was busy this morning and we had many unseen fighter jets in the sky high overhead all morning.  At 10:25 a.m. I was outside and Kelly was at the computer.  Suddenly, without warning 2 of the loudest simultaneous explosions occurred somewhere over our heads.  Those explosions were followed milliseconds later by the sounds of the original explosions echoing back from all directions as the sound waves rebounded back into the valley off the surrounding mountains.  I could hear the roar continue down the valley to the south.

OUR SIDE YARD…JUST ONE OF THE MANY GREAT PLEASURABLE ADVANTAGES OF BOONDOCKING
I’ve heard the loud crack of exploding fireworks and this was like that but a whole lot louder.  I immediately looked to the sky expecting to see a couple puffs of smoke but there was nothing.  I then scanned all around us expecting to see some smoke or dust somewhere but nothing.  I was convinced the double bang was explosives but then it occurred to me…could one of those jets high above have broken the sound barrier and what we heard was a double sonic boom.  The sound we heard was more of a crack than a boom though. 

Hearing the distant ‘pa-rump’ of heavy explosives over in the Barry M. Goldwater Range about 10 or 15 north of us is commonplace here but whatever this was, occurred much, much closer than that.  Seemed to be right overhead.  Anyway, I don’t suppose we’ll ever know but 20 minutes later a second loud bang occurred somewhere in the sky nearby.  And then the planes were gone from the sky and all was quiet once again until mid afternoon when 7 A-10 Thunderbolts (Warthogs) flew overhead heading for the Goldwater range.  Oh, and then there was the low and fast flying white helicopter that flew directly over us. 

THAT’S OUR RIG HIDING OUT ON THE LEFT AS THE CHOPPER FLY’S LOW OVERHEAD
Two new Blog Followers to day.  Welcome aboard to BSG and STEVE KEITHLEY.  Thanks for stopping by folks.

MANY SMALL WESTERN TOWNS HAVE A WHITE CROSS ON A NEARBY MOUNTAIN TOP, JUST LIKE AJO
Our black tank is ready to be dumped so we’ll be rolling out of Darby Wells in the morning.  Our intention was to head on down to the Patagonia area south of Tucson….until we checked the weather report.  That area of Tucson is known as the high desert and is over the 4000 foot elevation level.  They are getting rain and SNOW there right now so that put the ky-bosh on our plans real quick!!  We will dump our tanks at Coyote Howls in Why tomorrow & then probably slide a couple miles down the road to the 2 mile marker BLM land for a few days until the weather straightens out in Patagonia.  Well, that’s the plan for now anyway.

IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU CAN SEE THE HALF MOON IN TODAY’S LATE AFTERNOON SKY
Our morning was spent packing up the rig, putting outside mats and tables away, etc.  Turned out to be a quiet afternoon with a couple leisurely walks in the desert.  Soaked up some warming Arizona sunshine and relaxed to the haunting guitar sounds of my favorite guitarist of all time, WILLIAM ACKERMAN. 

And, would you believe we had 1,124 hits on our Sitemeter today.  And why so many?  Tioga George, that’s why:))  Just goes to show what a popular and wide read fellow he is.  A good percentage of those hits on our site are a direct result of George mentioning us in his blog this morning.  Thanks for the boost George….you’re a neat-o guy:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((
A self-righteous man went to the doctor for a check-up. He said, "I feel terrible. Please examine me and tell me what is wrong."
"Let's begin with a few questions," said the doctor, "Do you drink much?"
"Alcohol?" said the man. "I'm a teetotaler. Never touch a drop."
"How about smoking?" asked the doctor. "Never," replied the man. "Tobacco is bad, and I have strong principles against it."
"Well, uh." asked the doctor, "do you have much of a sex life?"
"Oh, no," said the man. "Sex is sin. I'm in bed by 10:30 every night and I always have been."
The doctor paused, looked at the man hard, and asked, "Well, do you have pains in your head?"
"Yes," said the man. "I have terrible pains in my head."
"O.K.," said the doctor. "That's your trouble. Your halo is on too tight!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

JEEPIN WITH THE PHEEBS TODAY

IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE, NO….IT’S SUPER PHEEBS:))
It was a hat, winter jacket and hands in your pockets kind of morning walk with a slight breeze bringing cooler temperatures to the area.  Could be in for some cold and cloudy days now until next week sometime.

OUR THURSDAY MORNING SUNRISE
Wind gusts always sound way worse than they really are when your in an RV. Seems every little nook and cranny on the outside of the rig sets up it’s own howling and whooshing. The winds weren’t that bad in the night but of course they had me up at 1 a.m. sitting in my chair with the computer on my lap. Yep, still having my usual sleeping problems:((

IT WAS A COLD ‘HANDS IN YOUR POCKETS’ KIND OF MORNING
The Pheebs has taken to this desert living like a fish to water and loves racing up and down the washes through the Mesquite trees and Saguaros.  Only one pesky sticker so far and she seems to have learned quickly to avoid them.  With the rocky surface here her paws are toughening up right quick.  She is just the happiest little girl bounding over hill and dale.

PHEEBS LOOKS BACK IN THE DIRECTION OF OUR MOTOR HOME TOP LEFT
The skies were alive with roaring thunder this morning as the A-10 Warthog fly boys out of the Davis Monthan Air Base in Tuscon criss crossed our area in low level passes.  They had their deadly air to ground twin turbine jets just a whining.  I love watching these guys in their aerial ballets.  Unseen and much higher in the sky were the F-16’s, F-18’s and probably the new F-22 Raptor fighter jets.  They could be heard pulling their roaring and erratic high speed G turns in mock combat with each other.  Rare for them to ever come down to the deck where they can be seen but I did see one pulling a high speed low level turn near Hickiwan Trails a few years ago.  Got a picture of him too.  This whole southern end of Arizona is a huge aerial training ground for the American Air Force.  Being an airplane kind of guy I don’t mind the roaring thunder in the skies and I especially like watching their aerial combat maneuvers at night as their blinking lights dart among the stars. 

SOMETIMES THE LITTLE MOTORMOUSE RUNS OUT OF GAS ON OUR MORNING WALKS
Our Verizon signal has been better since putting the modem on the roof and we are not having the problems we first did when arriving here. Our speeds are a bit better.  I would say for anyone new to boondocking, this Darby Wells area is a great place to get your feet wet because it’s a short drive into Ajo for supplies and you will be hard pressed to find a more scenic example of the Sonoran desert in a natural peace and quiet setting.  Nearest major shopping centers are either Casa Grande or Buckeye with Casa Grande being 103 miles and Buckeye being 77 miles.  Buckeye is the easier drive straight north up through Gila Bend.  Ajo to Gila Bend is 43 miles with another 118 miles to Yuma.  And, that’s our little geography lesson for today:))

LOTS OF NICE JEEP ROADS IN THE DARBY WELLS AREA
We did fight with the satellite stuff again this morning and re-instituted our new receiver.  Kelly spent a lot of time on Skype again talking to the Shaw Direct satellite TV people.  Ever since beginning our RV days back in 06 I wished we had a dollar for every minute we have spent on this satellite stuff because for sure we could probably go out and buy us a brand spanking new snappity-doo 40’ Diesel banger:))  We did manage to finally achieve TV satellite success around noon today.  About time too because I was about ready to just load the whole thing up, drive it into Ajo and throw the whole kitnkabootle into a dumpster!!

THIS IS NOT MY IDEA OF A SECURE OR EASY TO USE SATELLITE DISH SET-UP
Mike from MIKE AND PAT'S TRAVELS  sent us a link to the place where he bought a logical leg adjusting tripod a few years back and after checking the tri-pod out on line we are going to order the medium heavy duty pod.  Don, from Manitoba also sent us the same site so that confirms the quality of the adjustable leg tripod.  Our previous tri-pod was leg adjusting and if your out boon docking in places like we are where the ground can be very un-level or rocky it is important to be able to adjust the legs.  Flat based tripods are fine for flat ground in RV Parks but not so good out here in the boonies.

By 11 a.m. the cloud cover overhead was solid and the temps had dropped to 59F.  At 1:25 it began to rain.  Not nice!! Couldn’t get myself warm no how for the whole day.  Due to a small problem I’m having with my left leg I stayed in my Poang chair most of the day under a warm blanket.

STAYED INSIDE TODAY KEEPING WARM
The Bayfield Bunch welcomes new blog follower Johnna today.  Don’t know where you are Johnna but could you send us a little warm air over here to southern Arizona.  Thanks for dropping by.

Close call for our Verizon modem this afternoon.  We had put it on the roof of the rig a few days ago in an attempt to improve our weak signal.  Remember me mentioning earlier about it raining today…..yep we forgot the modem was up on the roof.  About 6 tonight we were rather suddenly and totally ‘off line’.  Kelly remembered the modem and I scrambled up on the roof, unplugged it and brought it in.  The two lights on it appeared normal so Kelly plugged it in and we were once again back on line…..barely.  Climbed back up on the roof, flashlight in hand this time, plugged the modem back in and put a plastic container over the modem.  And a rock on the container to keep it from blowing away.   Kelly hollered up that we were on line again so it looks like we dodged a nasty modem melt down.  Oh these forgetful Senior moments.

OUR INDOOR VERIZON MODEM…..OUTSIDE ON THE ROOF
I have been taking the Pheebs out for a walk before supper most nights but with today’s rainy drizzle Kelly suggested Pheebs and I go Jeeping instead.  Great idea. 

HI-HO HI-HO IT’S OFF A JEEPIN WE GO
There are some great Jeep roads running through the Darby Wells area so Pheebs and I headed out in full four wheel drive mode to see what trouble we could get ourselves into.  Pretty hard to get into trouble with the sure footedness of a Jeep though.  We had a great time, mainly in first gear, making our way slowly over the ruts, boulders, dry washes and rugged ridges.  Picked up some cool new desert pin striping as well. 

PHEEBS HELD HER PAW ON THE BRAKE WHILE I HOPPED OUT TO TAKE THIS PHOTO
 
We were bouncing around so much inside the Jeep that sometimes Pheebs was in the driver’s seat and I was upside down in the back.  But, we made it and had ourselves a great time covering maybe 5 miles way back in the middle of nowhere. 
 
Pheebs loved the ride but by the time we got back I think Pheebs was a little ‘green’ from all the rocking and rolling. 
PHEEBS WAS FEELING A LITTLE ‘GREEN’ BY THE TIME WE GOT BACK TO THE RIG
I did just delete a comment from Mr. Anonymous again regarding my Wednesday post.  Somebody obviously still has a very big chip on their shoulder.  Thank you Rick and Elaine for your response to Mr. Anonymous before I deleted it.

SUNSET AT OUR HOUSE
GROANER’S CORNER:((  A police officer stops a woman for speeding and asks her very nicely if he could see her license.
She replied in a huff, "I wish you guys would get your act together. Just yesterday you take away my license and then today you expect me to show it to you."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

A LOOK AT HICKIWAN TRAILS RV PARK

MONDAY FEBRUARY 4/08
We awoke to the sound of rain on the roof around 5 in the morning & that meant a pajama scramble outside to fold up the wood tables, get a big bag of dog food inside, fold up the lawn chairs, & get the bicycles covered up. And all done on cold wet cement in bare feet......Aw yes, the joys of the RV lifestyle.

The rain continued until about 10 so we missed our early morning daily desert doggy walk. Big puddles, threatening skies, & brisk cold winds seemed the order of the day. While Kelly was working on Ray's computer I took Max for a walk in the desert. The other two furry heads were snoozing so I didn't bother them. We had only gone about a quarter mile when I heard a little "pop" on my hat. Then a few more pop, pop, pops. Small white things were bouncing off the ground....hail!! Didn't last long & there wasn't much of it, but for about 10 seconds we had hail in the desert.

Both Kelly & I worked on computer problems this afternoon but finally had to give up because of some kind of connection problem on Ray's computer regarding the Hughesnet modem, netgear router, & a USB wireless network adaptor. That stuff is just a bit beyond us & he will have to get someone in who knows about connection problems. However, we did get lot of other stuff successfully completed & the little website I put to-gether should be on the world wide web within a day or two. Kelly got the site registered with it's own domain name & I just have to link the site to the Picasa Web Album site & we're done. And done means moving back out to the BLM lands for us...yay. However, I won't be done with the Hickiwan website because I can continue to access & work on it from our computer no matter where we are. It's been quite a little learning experience for us, but a bit stressful...................................

A herd of donkeys came in close to the park earlier to-night but we just missed them. By the time I got my camera into gear the donkeys had moved off into the desert & darkness was setting in. I had been out by the road trying to catch a few photos of the sunset & by the time Kelly got my attention about the donkeys, it was too late. Maybe to-morrow night we'll put our donkey suits on & go stand next to a cactus & wait for the donkey gang to ride into camp again:))))

Hickiwan Trails Park RV website....
http://hickiwantrailsrvpark.com/












This is Hickiwan Ray....he manages the park

A HIKE TO THE LITTLE CAVE

THURSDAY JANUARY 31/08
Didn't seem quite as cold this morning & we didn't notice frost on things like the morning before. We walked for about half & hour before Checkers & Cora decided they would rather be home snoozing on the couch so Kelly headed back to the rig with them. Max & I continued on because I wanted to climb up & have a look at a shallow little cave we had come across last year. As we approached the large rock outcropping, the desert flora became more abundant as is generally the case in the desert where there is water run off from mountains or large rock formations. Nice to see the organ pipe cactus around the base of the big rock. It's a relatively easy climb over the rocks to reach the little cave opening & Max the mountain goat dog was up there long before I was. Nothing had changed from last year. The old folded up & deteriorated lawn chair was still in the same spot. http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy The Saguaro ribs that someone had put there a long time ago were still leaned against the rocky opening. An old rusty salmon can lay a few feet in front of the entrance. Max & I sat there for awhile taking in the panoramic view of the valley floor laid out before us. No human sounds here, just the winds playing in the rock formations. Set the camera up & took a few self timer pictures of myself. Tried to get Max to pose with me but he was far more interested in exploring & clambering around the rocks looking for those elusive jack-a-lopes:)) Paused beside a large Saguaro on the way back to the rig & listened to the wind whispering through it's large arms. http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy The morning desert is such a beautiful place & the serenity here is like nowhere else.

We continued with our work on the Hickiwan computer to-day & I took a bunch of photos around the park to begin a stock of photographs for the new Hickiwan RV Park photo files. Downloaded the Picasa photo program for Ray because it's an easy program to use & it's the same program I use for my photos. It's a free download on the internet & is connected with Google. Kelly registered the Hickiwan Trails webname to-day & to-morrow I'll start setting up a beginning website for Ray. Will use Blogger for now & at some point they can set up a more professional webpage as they progress along. Kelly is also working with Ray on some advertising, signage, & business card ideas. Ray has to get the router set-up yet to make Wifi possible, so hopefully sometime next week Hickiwan Trails will be offering wireless internet service. Until then, we are letting people use our signal & we were able to help a few more folks to-day with laptops & by answering some computer questions. Nice to feel useful:)) Also noticed the park is filling up fast as quite a few rigs came in to-day again. There are a total of 94 sites here & I would say the park is about 80% filled up.

Hickiwan Trails has full hook-ups, a spacious laundry room, well maintained washrooms & cement pads. There is a Casino here but it doesn't interfere with the campground & it's close enough to walk to. There is also a convenience store in the Casino building so it's handy for the RV people. Gas & diesel pumps as well. Why, is just up the road about a mile with gas stations, some groceries, & a little restaurant. Ajo is 10 miles north & has a supermarket, radio shack, etc. Organ Pipe Cactus National Park is a scenic 28 miles south of here & another 6 miles beyond that puts you into Lukeville at the Mexican border. There is a beautiful drive through the Ajo mountain range in Organ Pipe. Check out my pictures on December 8th & 13th in our Picasa Web Albums....http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy This is where we will do some hiking shortly.

We were going to go hiking to-morrow in Organ Pipe but we've decided to do that Saturday now. To-morrow will be kind of a repeat of to-day again. Still a few things to do with Ray's Hickiwan Trails computer & we'd like to get that finished up & get Ray on-line with his website..................................................

In the meantime........ we are just sooooooo happy to be here in the American southwest:)))))))

THE GREENING OF THE SONORAN DESERT

TUESDAY JANUARY 29/08
We just kept walking & walking & walking. It was such a beautiful morning & the desert just seemed to become greener with every step. The recent rains have really made a difference to the plant life. Little plants are springing up out of the desert floor, ocotillos are sprouting emerald green leaves, the creosote shrubs are filling in & the mesquite trees are taking on a fresh hue of green. Woodpeckers flitted between the Saguaros & I even saw a jack-a-lope springing along under a copse of green trunked Palo Verde trees. We hiked over to a rocky ridge & clambered up along a stony burrow path to a place on the other side we call, Saguaro Valley. It's my favorite place here at Hickiwan Trails.http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy You can sit atop the rocks & see for miles around. The majestic & mighty Ajo mountain range lies on the distant horizon to the south as the desert floor spreads out to the west. A very special place & I hope to return here many times before we leave.

The rest of the day was spent in much the same way as yesterday. I helped Ray with the computer setting up a third email account, adding the Picasa Photo program, continuing with Microsoft updates, removing unnecessary data, etc. etc. Kelly did a bunch of cleaning plus doing some research on the computer. We were also able to help a lady with a connection problem on her laptop. Always feels good to be able to help with things like that.

Took a bicycle ride out into the desert in the late afternoon. What a perfect place for a bicycle. Easy to ride on the desert floor & it's fun weaving around the Saguaros, dodging the creosote bushes, scrambling over the creek beds, & just racing around like a crazy kid again. To-morrow I will take my camera with me:))

Someone mentioned awhile back about the a desert being all sand. I always thought of a desert as being endless miles of big sand dunes as well. I think we've all seen, Lawrence of Arabia & to many of us, that is what a desert is. However, that is only one kind of a desert & here in Southern Arizona & southeast California is another kind of desert. Also in California is the Mojave desert as well. I once heard a park ranger describe the Sonoran desert as the tropical desert. I've included a link plus a brief description of the Sonoran......................................





The Sonoran Desert is an arid region covering 120,000 square miles in southwestern Arizon and southeastern California, as well as most of Baja California and the western half of the state of Sonora, Mexico. Subdivisions of this hot, dry region include the Colorado and Yuma deserts. Irrigation has produced many fertile agricultural areas, including the Coachella and Imperial valleys of California. Warm winters attract tourists to Sonora Desert resorts in Palm Springs, California, and Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona.
This is the hottest of our North American deserts, but a distinctly bimodal rainfall pattern produces a high biological diversity. Winter storms from the Pacific nourish many West Coast annuals such as poppies and lupines, while well-developed summer monsoons host both annuals and woody plants originating from the south. Freezing conditions can be expected for a few nights in winter.
Sonora Desert is rich in animal life as well, with many species in all groups derived from tropical and subtropical regions.
The western part of the Sonora Desert (sometimes called the "Colorado Desert") is closer to the source of Pacific storms and is noted for spectacular spring flowering of ephemerals when there is winter-spring rainfall. (This phenomenon is not limited to here.) However, the western portion is relatively depauperate, lacking many of the species such as the Saguaro that depend on good summer rainfall.

HICKIWAN TRAILS......OUR FAVORITE PLACE:))

SATURDAY JANUARY 26/08
As nice & neat as the Buena Tierra RV campground is, there is one annoying problem. Noise!! The campground is located in the V of Interstates 8 & 10. But that's not what kept waking me up about every 40 minutes these past few nights. It was the trains!! There is a main line railroad running about a quarter mile north of the campground & there seems to be a never ending stream of thundering freight trains stampeding through there 24 hours a day & they have to blow their whistles everytime when approaching the road leading into the campground. This is definitely not conducive to a good night's sleep!!

Turned out to be a busy morning. Regardless of whether our Ikea mattress was going to arrive at the Tempe/Phoenix store or not we had decided not to spend another night in the campground so I began packing things up. At 10 Kelly phoned the Ikea store & they said yes, the shipment had come in this morning, so that meant Kelly had to head north to Phoenix with the car while I continued packing up the motorhome for a noon departure out of the campground. Somewhere in the mix I found time to actually put a first coat of paint on a small wall in the motorhome too. (it's supposed to look like adobe)http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy Because Kelly needed room in the car for the mattress we had to take a bunch of stuff out & I had to find room in the motorhome to put everything. Satellite dish equipment, lawn chairs, tables, etc. By the time I had everything loaded in there was standing room only. Even the doggy guys had trouble finding enough room to lie down. I headed out about 12:20, dumped the tanks & headed the short distance to a retail mall where we had agreed to meet if Kelly wasn't back from Phoenix by the time I had to leave the campground. Luckily there was a Wendy's in the parking lot so I was able to slip in & Wendyize myself with a burg & fries.

Kelly rolled in about an hour later so we didn't bother hooking on the car & just headed off in a southwest direction looking for Why, Arizona. Wasn't exactly sure of the right road but I had a reasonably good idea of which way to go. Hey, I've got 3 compasses don't you know. Nice paved road, no traffic, beautiful cloud patterns, majestic mountains, thousands of stately Saguaro cactus & a greening desert floor. No wonder this is one of our all time favorite southwest areas. It's about a hundred miles from Casa Grande to Why, Arizona & we made it to the Hickiwan Trails campground around 4 in the afternoon. Coming to Hickiwan is like coming to our second home & I always feel good to see the familiar Ajo mountain tops rising slowly out of the distant desert floor.

We know the fellow who looks after the RV park & it was good to see Ray again. We're going to help him get a computer set up & running & maybe try to put to-gether some kind of website for him. I'll take some nice photos around the park to put on the site too. We've got a nice quiet site so will stay here for a few days until we get Ray up & running & then we'll head back out to the desert & boondock about 2 short miles from here.

Looking pretty cloudy out at the moment & we may be in for some rain to-morrow but that's ok because it would be a good day to spend inside doing computer stuff. We've also got a lot of re-organizing to do in the coach too, plus some more painting. It sure will be nice once we get over this big upside down renovation process & I think it will be the doggy guys who will be the happiest of all:))))) They sure have been brave little soldiers with all the confusion going on.

Note to our neighbors at Buena Tierra........ Nice to have met you folks & sorry we didn't have more time to socialize a bit. We didn't even get your name:(( Safe trip back to Michigan regarding the house deal:)) Take care.