SCHMOOZING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS…..RICK, LADY, WRANGLER AND THE SCAMP

Got ourselves a little smarter this morning and stayed inside until the sun had time to warm things up a bit.  As I carefully peered out I was encouraged by the stillness of the air.  No Palo Verde branches moving and no tall spindly Ocotillo arms wiggling in the wind.  The morning looked like it just might be survivable…… even for me:))
  
WEDNESDAY WE STOPPED AT THE OLD CAMPSITE WE STAYED AT IN FEBRUARY 2008….IT’S STILL MY FAVORITE SPOT OUT HERE BUT THE ROADS A BIT ROUGH FOR GETTING THE MOTORHOME IN NOW
After the last few days of rumbling around in the desert we figured a quiet day at the rig was in order.  Time to catch up on a few things and just take a day for a little homespun rest and relaxation.

THIS SITE NEAR OURS IN 08 WAS OCCUPIED BY OUR FRIENDS MIKE AND MAUREEN FROM LONDON ONTARIO
By 10 a.m. I was into a short sleeve shirt and found myself stretched out comfortably in a lounge chair.  So great to feel that warmer air on the skin.  Fired up our iPod/Bose music center and soon had a bunch of the boys gathered around the campfire.  Hank Williams, Willy Nelson, Marty Robbins, Frankie Laine, Jim Reeves, Dwight Yoakum, Johnny Horton, Hank Snow, Wilf Carter and Merle Haggard were just a few of the fellers who dropped in this morning along with Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers.  Oh, those great harmonies.

Neighbor Rick had invited us to drop by and see his little Scamp trailer so we walked on over and up the hill. Pheebs was sure happy to see her best Pal Lady again and for the next hour the two of them were practically inseparable as they bounded and played together.

PHEEBS AND HER BEST PAL, LADY:))
I have always liked things on the smaller cozy side and Rick’s Scamp had that cozy feeling in Spades. Reminded me of a Volkswagen pop up camper I once had. Rick and his dog Lady live in the Scamp full time and alternate their travels during seasons between Colorado and Arizona. A law enforcement officer for 20 years and in the carpentry trade for 40 years it’s always a pleasure talking to our soft spoken easy going and well traveled neighbor. Always interesting to see how people adapt to their surroundings and Rick has adapted well to his Scamp, making renovations where applicable for him and Lady. 

I especially liked Rick’s hat but it’s not a hat you find in a store.  His hat was a gift from his children and was made specially for Rick by an old hat maker in Colorado.

THIS IS OUR NEIGHBOR RICK
   
 
 
LADY HAS HER OWN QUARTERS RIGHT UNDER RICK’S BED
 
 
 
SOME MAY THINK RICK’S SCAMP A BIT SMALL, BUT TO AN ORGANIZED MAN IT IS WORKABLE PERFECTION:))
It is rare for Kelly to use the oven in the rig, but today, use the oven she did.  No, fortunately for my weight problem, not baking!!  Turkey:))  And, mashed potatoes with gravy too.  Like I always tell Kelly…we sure do eat good for poor folks.

THIS IS WHAT OUR HOUSE LOOKS LIKE FROM RICK’S HOUSE
Friday I think we’ll slip into Ajo and have us a look at the huge mining operation here that once put the town of Ajo on the map.  Ajo’s town center has a very architecturally pleasing Spanish flavor and I did take a bunch of photos in Ajo back in 08 and 09 but maybe tomorrow I will take a few more:)) 

When I opened Live Writer first thing this morning my Blog Followers list was complete and I was able to see our newest Blog Followers.  Let me start by welcoming Susan and Bob from JUST BS!  Susan, all the best to your husband after just being admitted to hospital yesterday.  How unfortunate that was.  TERRY FOX comes in as Blog Follower number 378 followed by RICHARD iLES from Comox BC. (thanks for the ‘Shouts’ a couple days ago) VICKI and CASITA ADVENTURES round out our growing list.  A big welcome and thanks to all of you who have taken the time to drop in on our blog.  I especially like Casita Adventures tag line…"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." — Mark Twain

Some folks have been wondering about GPS co-ordinates to locations we have been in our area.  I think the Mica Mine location may be on this link.  I have to get busy with Google Earth and fly myself out and locate some of those desert areas.  We do have a Delorme P40 GPS but I’ll be darned if we can ever remember to take it with us.  Don’t like leaving it in the Jeep on these freezing cold nights and we always head out the door without it.  Maybe an orange ribbon on my finger.  Of course I would always be looking at the calendar to see when Halloween is.  Why else the orange ribbon on my finger, right!!

And a question about changing the header photo on posts.  I forget to change ours all the time so whenever I go to do it it’s like learning how to do it all over again.  I did just try to explain it but got myself all ka-farbled.  If someone out there has an easy explanation of how to do this I would be happy to post it. 

BARREL CACTUS BARBS
Ever wonder what would happen if the Government was convinced you had died…and you hadn’t.  Check out the problems the not so deceased Mike is having right now because they think he is dead.  MEANDERINGS OF WANDERWOLF

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Brain cells come and brain cells go, but...fat cells live forever.
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-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.

MY HEAD JUST KINDA WORKS LIKE THAT SOMETIMES

We took advantage of another great weather day and moved a fair few things to the Motor Home.  Kitchen items and clothes being the biggies.  Well, Kelly's clothes anyway.  Checked all the solar batteries and tires.  Double checked the oil level again as well and fired up the generator for 20 minutes.  Water pump checked out OK as did a test firing of our Legacy Blue Flame heater.  We are traveling with a new Shaw/Star Choice TV receiver this year as well as a new tech savvy dish and LMB.  Of course I am leery about the new equipment but Kelly feels confident we will be alright with everything.  I just remember too many frustrations and 'tearing out of hair' with all that satellite type stuff from a few years ago. 

Kelly's patience and computer skills never cease to amaze me.  She just keeps working away at a problem and goes that extra mile until she figures it out and wrestles it to the ground.  If it wasn't for Kelly's computer smarts I would probably still be in pencil and paper mode.  Our neighbour Monica, who recently went to Florida for the winter found that once she got there she could not access the Bayfield Bunch blog with her different service provider, Comcast.  Kelly had Monica download a program called LOG ME IN which enabled Kelly to gain permitted access to Monica's computer in Florida from our computer here in Bayfield.  Kelly then determined Monica’s problem and changed the DNS servers on Monica's computer.  As soon as she did that Monica once again had access to our blog.  Kelly first set this up for her Mother's computer as well over in Spencerport New York about a year ago.  At any time if her Mother has a problem with her computer Kelly can just log in from wherever we are and have a look at her Mother's computer.  We have that 'Log Me In' program on all three of our computers so theoretically if our desktop was on here at home all winter we could access it any time if we had to from anywhere we are.  And, this ‘Log Me In’ is a free program too:))  

HERE’S KELLY TAKING THE RIG FOR A RUN BACK IN HER LONG HAIR DAYS:))

Oh, and Kelly just straightened out my iPod as well.  She was able to figure out how to stop it from shuffling between playlists.  Right now she is tracking down a problem on her work cell phone.  Incoming text messages have stopped leaving an audible alert.  I'm sure she will have that all straightened out right quick.  She has been trying to get me straightened out for over 18 years now but of course that's proving to be a bit of a bigger challenge for her.   But, with a bit of patience……………………:))   

Weather is not looking good for our Saturday departure at the end of the week.  Rain predicted for Thursday, Friday and Saturday with daytime temps dropping to the mid 30's.  Big change from today’s 60F.  We will definitely want to have the rig completely ready for travel by the end of Wednesday.  Don't want to have to be loading things in freezing cold rain.  Oh well, at least it's not snowing.  And at least we are not stuck sitting here for the entire winter.  Despite all my complaining sometimes, we are truly fortunate people:))
 

Occasionally there are times when I sit down here at the keyboard and am totally void of any inspiration to write anything. There are always interesting things to write about of course, but it is just sometimes I question what it is I write about every day. Are my posts too personal at times, too repetitive perhaps, too predictable. The topics are interesting to me of course but are they really of that much interest to others as well. It seems I sometimes hit the nail on the head and as often as not I feel like I have missed the mark by a country mile. Anyway, just wanted to get that off my chest simply because it was on my mind today.  My head just kinda works like that sometimes…………………………..10-4

GROANER'S CORNER:((

 

NO, DESPITE OUR BAYFIELD BUNCH NAME BEING ON THIS CARTOON I DID NOT DRAW IT

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-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.

SITTING IN DARKNESS LISTENING TO ‘THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE’

A PEACEFUL DRIVE THROUGH OUR RURAL COUNTRYSIDE THIS MORNING
We don’t always miss everyday sounds……..until the sounds cannot be heard anymore. Could be a television in the background, furnace coming on, a whirring fridge motor or the recycling of a water heater. At 6:59 this morning we had all those sounds. At 7 a.m. we did not. It was all part of a 4 hour pre-planned electricity shut down by our power company. Everyone affected received a telephone call a few days ago by the company informing them of the power interruption while they worked on some area maintenance issues.
I skittered about this morning filling jugs of water and lining up some candles. Brewed my cup of coffee, fed the furry guys, grabbed a shower and whirled up my routine breakfast shake. Just made it into my chair with laptop in place as the lights blinked out right on time at 7.  Now it was just candlelight and the glow from my laptop computer screen.  I was enveloped in silence, and silence has never been my friend.  Took me a few minutes to think of my music library on the laptop.  Then, I remembered Simon and Garfunkel and quickly accessed my library and sure enough, there it was, the ‘Sounds Of Silence.’ It was a great song in the mid 60’s and it was a great song this morning again as I sat quietly in my chair:))  ♪♫ Hello darkness my old friend, I've come to talk with you again. ♫♪

A RELAXING STROLL THROUGH A COUNTRY CEMETERY It was 7:45 before the morning sunrise cast enough light through our darkened windows allowing me to blow out the 5 candles I had set around. But, now what to do with the remaining 3 hours. Pheebs was raring to go for a morning walk so off we went.  We couldn't coax Motor to go though, she doesn't like the cold mornings.
On our return I could see it was going to be a nice day so threw the cameras in the Jeep and headed off out into the countryside.  I don’t take Pheebs along when I have camera gear in the Jeep.  Fired up my iPod, plugged it into the Jeeps sound system and spent a couple relaxing hours cruising along with the, 'Sons Of The Pioneers:))  Still a fair few coloured leaves left on many trees so it made for a scenic drive.
<<< MANY LEAVES ARE DOWN NOW BUT THERE ARE STILL BURSTS OF AUTUMN COLOURS TO BE FOUND
343 is a memory number for me.  All the years driving for the Stratford Airporter years ago my driver's number was 343. Many times my words, "343 to 687" meant I was calling my home base in Stratford or "343 to 352" meant I was calling another driver with my vans two way radio. "343 to 510" meant I was radioing a dispatcher in Kitchener Ontario and “343 to 99" put me in touch with a dispatcher at the transportation desk in terminal 2 of Pearson International Airport in Toronto Ontario. Whenever I see that number now whether it be on a digital clock or as in today's case, my Blog Followers list I am always reminded of my 13 years transporting people to and from the Toronto Airport.  With that thought in mind we welcome JOOL as our 343rd Blog Follower.  Noticed some of Jool's interests include, RV Living, Full Time RV, Casita Travel Trailers, Women and Single RVers.  Welcome aboard Jool, nice to have you along:)) 

From time to time I receive questions about photography and am I professional photographer.  Jool wondered this and inquired about my camera equipment in a comment on Saturday's blog.  First, no I am not a professional photographer.  Just a guy with some camera equipment who enjoys photography as a hobby.  I have 4 cameras.  My two main cameras are a Nikon D90 and and a Nikon D40.  The D90 carries a Nikkor 18-55mm lens and the D40 carries a Nikkor 70-300mm lens. Both lenses are interchangeable with either camera.   The camera I carry with me on my belt every day is a point and shoot Canon Powershot SX210is and my fourth camera which generally resides on a table beside my chair is a point and shoot Canon Powershot A730.  All fine cameras that do add to the final photographic image but if you are not aware of your surroundings, a camera can be of little use.  Some folks might be interested in my SEEING WITH A PHOTOGRAPHER'S EYE post which I wrote back in July. 

EVEN THE HULLET MARSH WAS QUIET THIS MORNING
GROANER'S CORNER:(( 
A Russian, an American, and a Blonde were talking one day.
The Russian said, "We were the first in space!"
The American said, "We were the first on the moon!"
The Blonde said, "So what? We're going to be the first on the sun!"
The Russian and the American looked at each other and shook their heads.
"You can't land on the sun, you idiot! You'll burn up!" said the Russian.
To which the Blonde replied, "We're not stupid, you know. We're going at night!"
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-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.