The ranch we are on is located a short 20 miles or so from the Mexican border running through Douglas, Arizona. I blogged earlier this year about finding backpacks loaded with clothing & food along the roadsides in the area. That is common. I still wear a nice fleece lined blue jean jacket we retrieved from one of two back packs we picked up one day. No idea whatever happened to the owners but the packs were probably carried for many miles through the desert nights before being hastily abandoned on a road near Bisbee. The U.S. Mexican border running east west through the desert near here is quite visible for miles & miles. In March of this year Kelly & I drove down to visit the Texas John Slaughter ranch right on the border. PHOTOS FOR THAT DAY This is the area where, 'GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY' was written.' We could see the actual border fencing stretching from horizon to horizon. After we left the ranch we took a short half mile dirt road that headed right for the border itself. Below are the photos of what the actual physical border looks like in this region.
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 BETWEEN MEXICO & THE U.S. |  STICKING MY FOOT INTO MEXICO |  | |
 LOOKING EAST |  FACING WEST |  WE SAW SIGNS OF ENTRY |
CLICK ON THE ABOVE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM
THIS IS THE AREA THAT INSPIRED STAN JONES TO WRITE THAT GREAT WESTERN SONG ‘GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY’ ON JUNE 5TH, 1948
From time to time we get a question we don't have an answer for. I was reminded of that when another reader inquired, 'how come you guys aren't on the HITCH ITCH site. It's a good question & we have no idea why they won’t put us on. I've sent them our Bayfield Bunch site 5 times over the past 3 years but we have never made their RV list. We did finally receive an email last summer after my 5th attempt that said to contact them again when we're traveling. I did that a couple weeks ago but we still didn't make the site. We have many friends on Hitch Itch & some of them are not traveling at all right now but they made it on so the only thing I can figure is that for whatever reason the folks at Hitch Itch took a dislike to the Bayfield Bunch & that was that!! I'm sure they are fine people over there but I won't be bothering them folks again.
Isn't it amazing how the weather holds us captive. In Canada during the winter there isn't much you can do outside unless you happen to be a winter sports type person. We did like cross country & down hill skiing for a few years but that was a long time ago & interests change. Long days are spent inside where it's warm & comfy. To go outside for any extended period of time is to risk various cold related illnesses, frost bite, & in some cases even death. It is the main reason RV'ers in colder climates head south for the winter. But, we can be held captive in the south as well. To-day is a good example of that as we stay indoors out of the hot sun. If we were in Canada right now we would be trapped in our house staying warm but instead right now we are trapped in our RV trying to stay cool. D'ya suppose it's ever possible to please a human being!! Rarely do we run the A/C but this is the third time this week we've had it on. Am I complaining?? No, not at all........just stating some facts:))
IN THE RANCH’S CACTUS GARDEN
There was a rabies clinic this morning in the little town of Elfrida nearby & we were to take the 2 ranch dogs Gleeson & Pearce in for their shots. Pearce jumped into the car no problem but try as we might we could not get Gleeson in. She's a very skitterish girl & knew something was up right off the bat so headed off down by the hay barn despite being enticed with yummy treats. We ended up just taking Pearce & the nice Vet guy shot him up in the back of the car with no problems at all. Next Saturday we'll try again to see if we can get Gleeson to come along with us over to the small town of Hereford near Bisbee where another rabies clinic is being held.
SITTING WITH PEARCE BEFORE HIS RABIES SHOT TO-DAY
We are so fortunate to have real water here at the ranch. It is pumped straight out of the ground right to the tap. No poisonous chemicals added to destroy people's health. Back home we used to have real water as well until the Government decided about 8 years ago to start dumping tons of chlorine into it. I'm sure the Government has to be in bed with the major chlorine producing industry. Every time we turn on a tap we are met with a wafting chlorine smell. We don't like it, our house plants & outdoor gardens don't like & we won't even let our dogs drink it. I don't wash any vehicles at home because the chlorine residue leaves white spots & streaks on everything. I was reminded of all this when I washed the car here this morning & it dried perfectly spotless. No poisonous chemical residues!! Thanks Arizona:))
WE HAVE A CUTE LITTLE DUTCH GIRL ON THE RANCH WHO LIKES TO TAKE THE GANG FOR MORNING WALKS:))
Spent some time down around the hay bales this afternoon looking for a snake. Ray said he saw a Gopher snake there a couple of days ago but I couldn't find anything. I've never seen a Gopher snake so wasted about 5 minutes taking some tele-photo shots of an old twisted piece of rope the wind was moving around a bit. The Gopher snake was probably standing behind me all the time making faces at the dumb Gringo from Canada!! From there I moved on & took a few photos of some old farm machinery.
OLD FARM PARTS & MACHINERY
Have once again received some really nice emails from people this past week. Some from home & some from other RV folks we've never met. I try to email everyone back but sometimes my memory plays hardball with my head & I forget about responding to everyone. Now that the dust has settled a bit from our shotgun trip to the ranch I'm working on getting re-organized & hope to get back to folks shortly. I always feel bad when I forget to answer someone. Despite my blustery cursmudgeony side I do care a great deal for the folks who have taken time out of their day to email or leave comments for the Bayfield Bunch. As all my fellow bloggers well know, if it wasn't for the positive feedback from caring people out there reading our blogs, none of us would probably be doing this anymore. So, from the Bayfield Bunch & on behalf of all our friendly fellow blogsters..........thanks folks for giving us closet writers something to think & blog about each & every day:))
And welcome to Randall Carrier for climbing aboard as another Bayfield Bunch follower:))
THIS MORNING’S SUNRISE
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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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now....AL.
THE ARTESIAN SPRING WAS DAMED TO MAKE THIS POND
BUILDING WAS ORIGINALLY THE GRAINERY BUT IS NOW A MUSEUM
From the house we walked out around the big pond, under the large cottonwoods to a series of steps leading up to Mesa de la Avanzada. This was the site of the old cavalry encampment just east of the ranch where soldiers watched as Pancho Villa's army made camp before turning to attack Agua Prieta south of Douglas Arizona. This army camp was strategically positioned on this mesa with a clear view to the south for many miles into Mexico. Not much left of the fort anymore except piles of old stone walls. Geronimo, years earlier had used this same valley to travel from the Sierra Madre mountains up into the United States on his raiding parties. 
THE LAST OLD ORIGINAL BORDER MARKER BETWEEN MEXICO & THE UNITED STATES
LOOKING EAST ALONG THE THE BORDER BARRIER
AL IS IN NO MAN'S LAND BETWEEN MEXICO ON THE LEFT & AMERICA ON THE RIGHT
ANOTHER FINE END TO ANOTHER FINE DAY