THIS MORNING I SMOOCHED A HORSE.....AND THEN WE WENT TO BISBEE

COFFEE & PIZZA AT THE HIGH DESERT CAFE IN BISBEE


Frost covered everything this morning but it was better than the day before when we woke up to the ground all covered with snow. Had forgot to un-hook the water hose so it was froze up real darn good but we had lots of onboard water in our freshwater tank so no problem.

We generally head out to do the chores shortly after 8 in the morning & by that time the sun is over the mountains & the warming process has begun. The chickens were happy to see us as were Gleeson & Pearce, the two rootin tootin ranch dogs. Weatherman said we were in for some good weather over the next bunch of days so decided to open the corral gate & let the horses & donkeys out to pasture. As I walked across the corral, the two horses, Sporty & Banshi closed right up behind me, one on either side. They were pretty happy because they knew they are heading out to the fields. As I reached down to undo the chain at the gate, Banshi put her dead down right over my shoulder beside my face. I turned my head & put a little smooch on her nose. First time I ever smooched a horse. Swung the gate open & away went the donkeys & horses went kicking up their heels in jubilation to be out of the corral at last.
BISBEE MINING MUSEUM

Jeanie had recommended a really great hot dog place in the San Jose area of Bisbee so this morning we figured we'd head on over there & check it out. Nice drive on Frontier & Double Adobe roads to catch highway 80 into Bisbee. We found Jimmy's Hot Dog Company without any problem. Pretty hard to miss because it's painted bright yellow & trimmed in red. This is a really nice clean little diner done up in the old Chicago style diners of yesteryear. Friendly staff with great hot dogs & home cut fries. Loved the music they were playing on a quality sound system. You don't often find that in eating places. Jimmy himself came over to talk to us. Nice fellow. We'll definitely be back there sometime in the next few weeks. From Jimmy's we slipped across the street to a Safeway grocery store for a few groceries. This was probably the nicest grocery store I've been in simply because of the way they have used creative lighting to highlight their products. Makes for a nice homey feeling. Not just that usual bland fluorescent lighting glare from above like in other stores. From there we headed over to the main part of Bisbee. We had been there once before but it was a brief encounter. We passed through this area 2 years ago with our truck & fifth wheel one day. Bisbee is a mile high in the mountains & by the time we got there it was snowing. We got lost in the town somehow & without ever even stopping we somehow got spit back up onto the highway heading west. We were tired & confused so just kept on going but I do remember thinking at the time, this looks like a really neat place, hope we can come back here some day. Well, to-day was that day. A TOWN BUILT ON MANY HILLS

Bisbee is a town like no other. http://www.discoverbisbee.com/ It is in an alpine like setting high up in the Mule mountain range of southeastern Arizona. It's multi-colored buildings, fascinating old west architecture, narrow streets, & collection of artsy type shops & characters make it a totally unique experience. We spent a couple of hours walking the town & taking photos. Bisbee is a real mosh of narrow streets, alleys, & hidden stairways. We only saw part of it so will be returning there again sometime over the next few weeks for sure. From the ranch to Bisbee is only about a 25 minute drive. Lots of local characters in Bisbee & it's plain to see where all the aging hippies vanished to years ago. They are all in Bisbee with their folk art, music, trendy little shoppes, cafe's & eateries. Bisbee is much like another little Arizona town we came across last year....Jerome, over on Mingus mountain near Cottonwood, but I think Bisbee is even trendier than Jerome. This is a place you have to see for yourself. My photos just don't do it justice I'm afraid. THE OLD ARCHITECTURE IN BISBEE IS TOTALLY AWESOME

Just one of the fascinating places we came across to-day was, The Shady Dell. Jeanie had said not to miss this.
Nine lovely fully restored vintage aluminum travel trailers are here in a cozy park like setting & are available for overnight or weekly rental. Their brochure says, "For once, experience the 1950's in full Technicolor. Met a friendly lady there who showed us inside one of the trailers. The old television was black & white & the 50's radio plays only that genre of music. It is truly like stepping back in time to the 1950's. There is even an old wooden yacht that can be rented for a stay. This is really a neat-0 place & I did take a bunch of photos here. http://www.theshadydell.com/ Also on the property is Dot's Diner. This little diner originally sat on the corners of Ventura & Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. It was closed to-day but we are definitely going to go back for some eats at Dots. http://offbeateats.blogspot.com/2008/01/dot-diner-bisbee-arizona.html VINTAGE TRAILERS OR THIS OLD BUS ARE AVAILABLE FOR OVERNIGHT OR WEEKLY RENTALS THE ORIGINAL DOT'S DINER FROM LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA

We were back to the ranch by 3:45. Jeanie & Ray were just putting the final touches on their upcoming travel plans. Their fifth wheel is all loaded up & they're just about ready to hit the road for a long overdo little holiday somewhere. While we were standing outside talking, Ray spotted an illegal alien walking across one of the fields about a half a mile away. He said that's not unusual in this area. JIMMY'S HOT DOG COMPANY....GREAT EATS

Nice moonrise over the Swisshelm mountains to-night........................

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WE GOT SNOWED ON!!!!

YES, WE KNOW WE'RE CUTE

Wished they could pass some kind of legislation to make Arizona turn off it's big wind machine at night. We have been punched & buffeted by heavy wind gusts for 4 nights in a row now making for some very poor sleeping on my part. Kelly could probably sleep through a double hurricane. People living in stick houses are probably not aware of the wind but for RV folks it can make for some real nail biting nights. Especially if you have awnings over your slides, satellite dishes set up outside, or solar panels up. Wind in the air conditioning vents can set up howls & vibrations. The wind catches every little square corner imaginable & sets up a racket which telescopes the sound inside. And then there's the rocking & swaying. And then there's Al's hollering & swearing at the wind!! NOT OFTEN JEANIE & RAY SEE THEIR HOUSE IN THIS KIND OF SETTING

We opened the door this morning & our world outside had turned white. Snow!! There was about an inch of snow covering the ground for as far as we could see. The mountains all around were hidden in a pall of gray clouds. Jeanie & Ray were already up walking around having a look at everything. It's extremely rare for this to happen in these here parts. We didn't tell them about our reputation for bringing snow to places we travel to. We all walked around to-gether & did the chickens, dogs, horses, & donkeys. Came back, grabbed my cameras & took some photos. EVEN THE BIRDS ARE A BIT CONFUSED BY ALL THE WHITE STUFF

The clouds began to lift around 9 revealing snow on the mountains. Patches of blue began appearing in the sky around 10 & by noon most of the snow was gone. But of course the wind wasn't gone!! Oh no, not the wind!! It just kept right on howling for the rest of the day driving down the wind chill factor from our 45F high. We basically stayed in & caught up on some computer stuff & I of course had about a half dozen siestas trying to catch up on my sleep. I did help Ray later move 16 bales of straw over to where 2 large above ground water tanks stood. We packed the bales around the tanks & pump because the weatherman says it's going to get so cold to-night that even the brass monkey isn't taking any chances. He flew out of Tucson late this afternoon heading for the warm beaches of Hawaii. EVEN THE BAYFIELD BUNCH IS A BIT CONFUSED BY ALL THE WHITE STUFF

To-night's DVD movie was, Little Miss Sunshine. No, it's not a Shirley Temple movie. Nice light hearted comedy & one of my favorite actors from years ago was in it......Alan Arkin. This movie even got a few chuckles out of me:)) SUNSET OVER THE MULE MOUNTAINS

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A GREAT CHATTERING FROM THE SKY

FULL MOON SETTING THIS MORNING

The frost encrusted car told us we had a cold morning going on outside so right from the get go we jumped into our warm winter Canadian clothes. No snow on the mountains this morning but it felt like we were parked right next to a big iceberg somewhere.

We didn't waste anytime getting our rounds down stopping only briefly to talk to Jeanie & Ray who were likewise dressed in warm clothes. The chickens had their toques on & the big four legged guys were wearing heavy woolen scarves, furry ear muffs, & matching hooves mittens. All the dogs refused to suit up saying they thought the donkeys looked ridiculous in their matching attire.

THE RANCH

Jeanie & Ray headed off to Sierra Vista later to find some extra parts for a new water heater they were putting in. We hung around the rig mainly staying in out of the cold wind. It was around noon when I noticed there was a steady sound in the air outside. This sound continued steadily until around 3 in the afternoon & never let up. It was the thousands & thousands of Sand Hill Cranes returning from their morning feeding grounds. There must have been a lot of gossip going on to-day because there was an awful lot of chatter coming out of the sky. Noticed that they were flying much higher than in previous days & the flocks seemed a lot larger. They seemed like mere specks against the blue sky. Sat in one of the lounge chairs for awhile with my binoculars watching wave after wave go over. I could tell there were many small groups within the larger groups. Sometimes only 3 or 4 birds in a single group. Sometimes single birds moving around in the flock. And the flocks weren't always going in the same direction. Sometimes they would circle around & merge with another flock. Sometimes small groups would break away going in the opposite direction. And all the time was the constant chatter. It's more of a weeble than a honk. HIGH FLYING CRANES TO-DAY

In the coming weeks we hope to check out some very interesting places in the area. The Texas John Slaughter Ranch east of Douglas, the alpine like village of Bisbee in the Mule mountains. Cochise's stronghold in the Dragoon mountains, Geronimo's surrender point in Skeleton Canyon, ghost towns Gleeson & Pearce, just to mention a few. Was feeling a little under the weather to-day so hope I'm not coming down with a nasty case of chickenpecks!! YEP, WE'RE ON A RANCH ALRIGHT

To-night's DVD was, Amazing Grace. Based on the true story of Wiliam Wilberforce & his quest to end the British slave trade. An inspiring movie & well done. Liked this one:))

No photos for the web album to-day. OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

STORM CLOUDS & SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS

THE SWISSHELM MOUNTAINS EAST OF THE RANCH


The rooster started up about 4 & the rain started about 5. The wind never got started because it never got stopped from the night before & yes, I know it's not proper English to use the word got but I'm tired so I gets to say what I wants:)) SAND HILL CRANES FLYING BY THE MULE MOUNTAINS WEST OF THE RANCH


By the time the doggy guys rumbled in & out for their morning constitutional we had about half an acre of yukky mud in the rig........everywhere.

We donned our seldom used raincoats & headed for the chicken pen about 8:15. Jeanie met us half way & walked around with us as we fed the chickens & dogs. She checked the rain gauge & noticed we had a quarter inch of rain this morning. Ray came out & we all walked down to the corral being careful to steer clear of the muddy patches. Luckily the rain quit & we were able to shed the cumbersome raincoats. Because the donkeys & horses stayed in the corral & pen areas overnight they had to be fed this morning. Normally they are out on the range feeding but because of the inclement weather they are staying under cover for a few days.

PORCH CORNER WITH MULE MOUNTAINS IN THE DISTANCE

The dark rain clouds had dropped snow in the mountains & as they slowly lifted off the mountain tops I made a bee-line for the rig to grab my camera. It's not every day we get to see scenes like this. Flocks of Sand Hill Cranes were making their way north to their feeding grounds & the snowy Mule mountains to the west gave them a picturesque backdrop. My hands were freezing because of the wind-chill factor but I did manage to get a couple of nice photos. The cloud shrouded Dragoon & Gleeson mountains to the northwest caught my attention next & as I turned to the east, the snow covered Swisshelm mountains presented another photo opportunity. What a splendid morning it turned out to be despite the cold temperatures. The rest of the day evolved into a mixture of sun & clouds so we decided to take a drive down to Douglas this morning around 10. The cloud shadows playing across the Swisshelm, Perilla, & Pedregosa mountains on the way to Douglas made for a beautifully scenic drive. In the mixture of sky & earth it is the clouds that add character & to-day what a moody & mysterious character the clouds presented themselves to be. Downtown Douglas was very quiet as we drove along the main street admiring the old buildings. We reached the south end of town & had to swing round to the west because we were right at the Mexican border. Found a spacious mall with a good selection of stores including a Wal-Mart. We weren't long in getting a grocery cart rolling & spent half an hour picking up a few groceries. CLOUD SHROUDED DRAGOON MOUNTAINS TO THE NORTHWEST

We were back to the ranch by noon & spent the rest of the afternoon shoveling all of the morning's mud out of the rig. Mats to be shakin out, steps to be swept, doggy paws & shoes to be cleaned, etc. The winds outside made for a cold day so we stayed inside & watched a DVD about the San Pedro River. Very informative & we learned more about the plants & animals in the area. To-night's DVD movie was called, Run The Wild Fields. I liked this quiet heartwarming tale which takes place during the mid 1940's in rural & small town America. Just kind of a feeling good kind of movie with the producing, directing, & acting, all done well.

We've got another storm front rolling in to-night so we'll see what to-morrow brings.

TACK HOUSE, PENS, & CORRAL

Afternoon chores went off without a hitch so all the critters will go to bed to-night with full tummies. I've always known that animals are a heck of a lot smarter than us people folks & now I'm seeing it in the actions of the horses & donkeys here. Just little things so far but it's nice to know I've been right about my theory all along....................:)) THE FARMYARD

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BIG WINDS TO-DAY & OUR FIRST SOLO CHORES

THE DONKEYS BEAT THE HORSES TO THE HAY IN THE TIRE

It was apparent right from the get go this morning that we had a big weather front coming in. The winds started early & continued to really build through the morning.

Kelly & I were out the door at 8 with our chores list in hand & got the chickens & dogs fed. Remembered to turn the farmyard water on as well. Jeanie & Ray came out later to confirm that we had done things right & no chickens lives were lost.

BUT LOOKOUT......HERE COME THE HORSES!!

We were low on milk so figured we'd drive over to Elfrida about 7 miles away & have ourselves a look around for a grocery store. Passed through McNeal on the way but not too much there. Heard about a good bake shop in Elfrida so that was our first stop. Big sign said "Breakfast" so that was good enough for me. Hadn't had myself a big old mess of bacon & eggs for a very long time so this morning was the morning. Next was the Library (went right by your house Sarge but looked like you had company:)) where Kelly got a library card so we could pick up some DVD movies. Stopped at the High Lonesome Trading Company for a browse.

By the time we got back to the rig the winds were so bad we just got ourselves inside & closed the door tight. Couldn't let the doggy guys out for fear of them getting their fur blowed right off. The dust blowing across the roads & fields made me think of those blowing & drifting snow storms in Canada.

AL PREVIOUSLY PUTTING HAY IN ONE OF TWO TIRES

Kelly had picked up 5 DVD's at the Elfrida library so figured we might as well have us a Saturday afternoon matinee. Because we are in the Tombstone area we decided to watch the movie "Tombstone" with Kurt Russell & Val Kilmer. This is a very, very, bad movie. It would be on my top 10 list of the worst movies that I've ever seen. It's waaaaay over the top, poor acting, & not factual. In other words, a typical Hollywood shoot-em-up western movie. I think the movie actually did a dis-service to the town of Tombstone. It's so bad I don't think it should have ever been released. Just my opinion!! HEY, HOW'S ABOUT SOME HAY IN THIS BLUE BIN FOR ME!!

Jeanie & Ray had to leave for a Birthday party up in Sunizona so we were totally on our own for the afternoon chores which included feeding the horses & donkeys. We got off to a good start when Kelly lost her glasses which she later found in the chicken pen under a pile of chicken dust. Gleeson & Pearce, the 2 dogs were totally confused about these two aliens putting food in their dish & I think the two yard cats left town. We did gather 3 eggs though & not one single chicken was harmed in the writing of this blog.

Next, it was time to feed the donkeys & horses. Kelly whooped up a predetermined formula of mash & away we went. She headed over to the horses feeding station & I went & loaded up some hay in a small cart. Headed for the corral & made sure Kelly locked the gate behind me as I divided the hay between two large tractor tires in the corral then walked (pictures in album) over to open a second gate to let in the 3 donkeys & 2 horses. Donkeys weren't sure about the look of me so hung back a bit until I moved away from the gate. Figured they'd just as soon give me a slap upside the head going by anyway. As soon as I was far enough away the stampede was on as the donkeys & horses came roaring round the corner & through the gate about 300 miles an hour. Donkeys got to the tire first & managed to wolf down some hay before the horses roared in & turfed them out. Donkeys went to the second big hay laden tire & wolfed down a few more mouthfuls of hay once again before one of the horses took over that feeding station as well. Oh no, now what to do. The donkeys were standing there looking at us with long, sad, & hungry faces. I went back & got a big forkful of hay & headed back for the corral. Carrying all that hay on a big hay fork in a big wind acted like a sail & I nearly ended up on the other side of the property. The wind had taken half the hay by the time I got back to the corral but we did manage to get some into a blue plastic bin for them. They did get some but I think the guys are gonna go to bed to-night with a little less in their tummies than they did last night.

AL EARLIER OPENS THE GATE FOR THE DONKEYS & HORSES

We fought our way into the wind & headed back to the rig. Remembered to turn off the barnyard water too. I really felt sorry for the Sand Hill Cranes & Snowgeese as the large flocks fought their way directly into the big headwinds overhead on their way back from their feeding grounds. I stood & watched as large flocks were at times motionless in the air from the big wind gusts. They struggled as best they could, keeping lower to the ground than usual. We thought of maybe hooking up one of Ray's trailers & driving up to the feeding grounds to see how many cranes & geese we could get on the trailer & fit into the car to drive them back to their roosting area.....poor guys. WELL, I KNOW IT ISN'T MUCH....BUT HERE'S SOME MORE ANYWAY

Weatherman says the next few days are going to be windy, wet, & colder, so we may not be moving too far. Good thing we got some DVD's.....................10-4 I wonder what rooster soup tastes like!!

P.S. All the great photos at the corral to-day were taken by Kelly:))

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THOUSANDS & THOUSANDS OF SAND HILL CRANES

ONE OF MANY SAND HILL CRANE FLOCKS OVER THE RANCH EVERY DAY

Jeanie & Ray's ranch sits right next door to a recreation area called the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area here in southeastern Arizona.
http://www.wildlifeviewingareas.com/wv-app/ParkDetail.aspx?ParkID=162
http://www.azgfd.gov/outdoor_recreation/wildlife_area_whitewater.shtml
Thousands upon thousands of sand hill cranes & snow geese fly right over their ranch every day. The birds spend the night south of the ranch & lift off in the early morning flying north to feed in fields about 50 miles away. About mid day they begin returning to their water habitat in large groups & we can hear their calls high overhead practically all day long. Huge formations, one right after the other winging their way across the skies.

MASSIVE FLOCKS OF CRANES

Our morning chores are shorter than the afternoon ones. First thing is to feed the 9 chickens & one noisy rooster. That rooster starts crowing about 4 in the morning & just keeps going, & going, & going. I call him the Energizer Rooster!! The two outside cats & 2 dogs are fed next & that's about it for the morning's chores. Pretty easy so far huh. Oh by the way, the two horses names are Banshi & Sporty & they are owned by a lady living in Tombstone. Both mares are expecting foles in March so the owner will be picking them up before that occurs. (I hope)SNOW GEESE ON THE WATER

We saw the huge flocks of Sand Hill cranes going over heading north this morning so later on we took a drive down the road to the shallow lake where they would be returning to later. Bird watching people were already there with spotting scopes & cameras waiting for the massive flocks. We walked around on top of the berms & saw a lot of various ducks & small birds. My small telephoto lens only goes up to 200mm so I'm limited as to what I can photograph well. Birds are small objects & unless they are sitting at a birdfeeder in your backyard it's pretty hard to get close enough to them to take any kind of quality shots. However, I did manage to shoot well over 150 photos of which only a small amount will make it to the photo album. http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/
We did get a tip about a Great Horned Owl in one of the Wildlife's buildings so I did manage a picture of that fellow as well.

VERMILLION FLYCATCHER ON THE WING

We were back to the ranch around noon & spent the early part of the afternoon relaxing. Ray had earlier roto-tilled up some ground close to the porch & I had raked it so this afternoon Ray helped Kelly plant some onions, radish, & spinach. I then helped Ray cut down some large reed grass to use the stems for making poles in another fencing project around a second border vegetable garden. By then it was nearly 4:30 & time for the afternoon chores which were the same as this morning but with the added duties of feeding the donkeys & horses. It's a good thing Jeanie printed out all the instructions or we would be feeding the hay to the dogs, the chicken scratch to the cats, & the dog food to the turkeys. Turkeys???A GREAT HORNED OWL KEEPS A WARY EYE ON ME

Sat on the wrap around house porch before supper talking with Jeanie & Ray. Truly nice people. They almost have their 5th wheel ready to head out for some holidays soon. Well, as soon as they can teach us two knuckleheads how to give the right food to the right animals that is. And no, Toto, horses do not have feathers.................................... THE RANCH

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THE BAYFIELD BUNCH ARRIVES AT THE ARIZONA RANCH

THE RANCH

I generally like to get things squared away the afternoon before the next mornings departure. Sometimes in the mornings the roof of the RV is very wet from the night's dew so unless I want to end up with wet pants, I'd better get those panels down before nightfall. Also, some mornings can be windy or cold so I'd rather secure the panels on a previous sunny warm afternoon. In my impatient world it just wards off getting myself into a big snit first thing in the morning & wrecking up the day for myself. The more I'm able to do the day before, the less I have to do in the morning because......once I'm ready to go.......I'M READY TO GO!!

As usual, I was sad about leaving a memorable spot but excited by the unknown adventures ahead. Did a final walk-around of the rig, said good-bye to our site in the Tombstone Hills, climbed into the rig & headed out. It wasn't far to the ranch so we didn't hitch up the car. Kelly & the Motormouse drove up to the gate by the road & opened it. Max, Checkers, & I rolled through the gate & headed northeast for Tombstone with Kelly & the mouse bringing up the rear. The car was needing some gas so after a quick stop for fuel we were southbound out of Tombstone on our way to the Ranch. We knew we were plenty early so we took our time heading southeast on Davis road & just enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the way. Large prairie like grasslands surrounded by distant mountains on all sides. Another big Arizona morning.

We rolled into Jeanie & Ray's ranch around 10:30 which was about half an hour ahead of schedule. I'm one of those guys who always gets to where he's going to.....early!! I am almost paranoid if I'm ever late for anything. Years ago, my best friend Jim & I used to meet at a local coffee shop back in Stratford Ontario a couple times a week. We did this for about 5 years. Our meeting time was always the same...7 p.m. My arrival time was always the same as well...6:55 p.m. Jim's arrival time never changed either & he always showed up at precisely 7:05. Nothing was ever said in all those years about being early or late. We used to talk about every imaginable thing under the sun except, why was I always early & why was he always late. Sometimes, there are just some things grown men don't talk about!!

Jeanie & Ray really have a nice ranch here & they pretty well have built it from scratch all by themselves over the years. Ray helped guide the rig as I backed it into a pre-determined spot. For the first time in over 50 days we are actually going to have electricity, a water hook-up, & asewer connection. Gonna take us awhile to get used to all that 10-4. I had to even think for a minute which bin door to open for the electrical cord. It's amazing how these aging brains forget things if it's not repetitive. OUR NEW DIGS AT THE RANCH

There are 3 donkeys, 2 horses, about a dozen chickens complete with a rooster, 2 outside cats, 1 inside cat, 2 resident dogs, & one part time dog. With our 3 dogs we knew it could be quite a circus once we got here but Jeanie said not to worry about it. Jeanie is a dog whisperer & knew how to introduce all the critters to each other. Everything went off without a hitch except when little Cora thought she could just waltz right into the donkey corral & straighten those guys right out. Well, it was a close call for the little Motormouse when the donkey's turned the tables on her & chased her around the pen. Jeanie had to swiftly intervene & quell the troubled waters by quickly hoisting the shaking little motordog over the fence to me. We won't have to worry about her bothering the donkeys again!!

I'm not very good at remembering names but here goes....The donkeys are Poncho, Sarah, & Nellie. The 2 resident dogs are Gleeson & Pearce. Indoor cat is Mattie while the 2 outdoor cats are Charlie & Bob. Corky is a neighbor's dog that comes for the day a couple times a week. I have forgotten the 2 horses names & don't even ask me about the chickens names. Cluck, Cackle, & Peck, comes to mind for 3 of them though. I'll ask the 2 horses to write their names down for me to-morrow. Can probably do that after we get the chickens milked & the donkey eggs picked up.

Once Jeanie & Ray leave for some well deserved holidays in their RV next week it will be our job to feed all the critters every day & attend to some watering issues. Because of the cold temps at night here the outside irrigation & barn water has to be turned off at night & back on in the morning so we will be responsible for doing that as well. Our presence here will also be security. The entire property is fenced in with a locked gate at night. The Mexican border is 20 miles to the south.

I didn't take many pictures to-day because our time was spent with Jeanie & Ray learning the ranch chores but as we go along in the next little while I'm sure I'll get some nice portraits of Cluck, Cackle, & Peck. Also looking forward to the thousands of sand hill cranes who make this area their winter home. Lots of wintering birds on the property too. It's a beautiful part of the country down here in southeastern Arizona so we're looking forward to getting out & seeing as much of it as we can over the next number of weeks or so. I'm sure the camera's will be working overtime again so stay tuned as The Bayfield Bunch turns another page in their endless book of everyday adventures..............................

OUR FIRST LOOK AT SOME SAND HILL CRANES

No photos for the web album to-day.

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OUR LAST DAY IN THE TOMBSTONE HILLS

CAN YOU IMAGINE DRIVING THIS ROAD THROUGH THE DESERT TWICE A DAY, EVERY DAY...... GWEN & JACK DO!!

Spent some time this morning with my binoculars watching military planes practice touch & go landings way over at Fort Huachuca's northwest end. There is a large airfield there which I heard is on the list for a possible alternative landing site if there is ever a problem with the space shuttle. I watched a couple of A-10 Warthogs coming in low over the field plus an F-16 Jet fighter. (I think) A large 4 engine jet tanker plane made 3 or 4 wheels down approaches, each time lifting back up into the sky again. It's many miles to the airfield & I couldn't actually see the runway but I did see one 2 engine plane land & taxi to a stop so I knew where the runway was. ENJOYING THE ARIZONA SUN

Rest of the morning was spent getting organized for to-morrow's move to the ranch over near Douglas. Did all the vehicle oil checks, etc. Nice breeze this morning & I think the temps might head up into the high 70's but looks like we have some unsettled weather rolling in by the week-end. PUTTING DOWN THE SOLAR PANELS FOR TRAVELING TO-MORROW

Saw Gwen & Jack's truck (the couple who lease this land to graze their cattle) way down by the lower corral late this afternoon & followed them with the binoculars as they bounced & jolted up the old desert road leading towards us & their 2nd of three cattle watering stops. We hiked down that road this morning on our walk & I took some pictures of the road these folks drive everyday, twice a day, 365 days a year. http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/ And this was only one small section of rocky desert road in the many miles they travel up & over the hills & dales each day.
After they topped up the water trough they headed over our way & stopped for a visit. Apparently a couple of the mining guys who have staked claims nearby are feuding over the property lines of their claims & Gwen & Jack were telling us about it. Guess nothings changed since the 1800's. Maybe we'll hear some gunfire to-night!! We told Gwen & Jack we're leaving in the morning & they said for us to come back here anytime we like. I think they were kind of sad to see us go & I felt sad saying good-bye to them. It's funny how some people just seem to affect you more than others. I had meant to take a picture of them but by the time I thought of it they were nearly back to their truck so I only managed to get one long telephoto shot. If we ever make it back to this spot some day we will definitely be watching for that blue truck to be making it's way through desert once again.

JACK & GWEN HEADING FOR THEIR TRUCK AFTER WE SAID OUR GOOD-BYES

Hope the wind doesn't kick up to-night. Last night it got so bad I had to get up & put the larger living room slide in because of the racket & risk of having the slide awning damaged. Was not a good night's sleep!!......................................

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FORT HUACHUCA.....A VERY LARGE ACTIVE ARMY BASE

While watching the tail end of the Superbowl game last Sunday we heard that Denny's was having a nationwide free breakfast to-day. We were on Denny's doorstep by 9 a.m. with appetites in hand!! So were a lot of other people & by the time we got in, had our yummy free breakfast & exited the building we had used up a whole hour. But that was ok because it was free. Thanks Denny's:))

There is a very large active Army base here in Sierra Vista called, Fort Huachuca.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Huachuca
http://www.nps.gov/nr//travel/amsw/sw3.htm
We were told at the Visitor's Center over a week ago that we would not be able to tour the base because we were Canadians. All non-Americans have to be accompanied by an American escort. Well, we had an Ace up our sleeves. Kelly has dual citizenship because she was born in the State of New York. But, her driver's license is Canadian so we knew that could pose a problem. Before entering the Fort we switched driver's positions figuring it might look better if the American is driving & the Canadian is the passenger. As expected, the security fellow wanted to see Kelly's driver's license & said because it was Canadian we could not go in. Another security person walked over & Kelly asked if a Passport would be acceptable. The 2nd security person took the Passport & checked with her supervisor. Yes, that is acceptable she said & away we went onto the base. This is one very, very, large Army base & it didn't take us long to get lost looking for the museum buildings. We had a map but that confused us too. I was based on 3 different naval military bases back in the mid 60's in Canada & none of them even remotely looked like this one. Fort Huachuca is a city unto itself. We could just as easily have been in any large town somewhere. With an unusual piece of good luck we actually blundered right into the museum complex parking lot before asking someone where it was. "Your in it" was the reply. IN THE MUSEUM

The first building we entered was mainly dedicated to the Buffalo Soldiers who called Fort Huachuca home. It's an old original base building & is packed full of artifacts & memorabilia from the Fort's beginnings. Just about every square foot of this older structure has been used. Many historical exhibits & much to see including Pancho Villa's spurs. (web album)
http://www.geocities.com/maureenjim/blacksoldier.htm
http://www.discoverseaz.com/History/BufSold.html

THE BASE SITS IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS

Second building contained many more paintings & exhibits. Guns, swords, saddles, etc.
Third building housed past U.S. Army Intelligence exhibits. The enigma code machine, spy cameras, test drones, many communications devices of all kinds dating back to the late 1800's. Lots to see in this 3 part museum complex. The buildings are original & stand on the site of the fort's early beginnings. Parade grounds & officers quarters are all there. (check to-day's web album)

SITE OF EARLY FORT HUACHUCA

From the museums we drove over to the Fort's cemetery. I like cemetery's because they are always very peaceful & special places with their own histories. Took a few photos there & then we headed off up a gravel road within the base called, Huachuca Canyon Road. A bit rough & we weren't sure where it led so only went a couple of miles before turning around. Many deer in the woods & I was able to get a few photos of them. Drove up to an observation & picnic area called Reservoir Point & took some pics overlooking the base. From there we headed back across the base to the east gate we had come in, & exited the base onto the streets of Sierra Vista. We had been on the base for 3 hours. FORT HUACHUCA'S CEMETERY

Sierra Vista is a large spread out city with every imaginable store you can imagine. Nice looking newer type of place with lots of hustle & bustle & traffic. I was glad to finally get to the other side of town & back out into the countryside again.

Spent the rest of the day relaxing & just before supper I took myself for a long walk out into the hills to have look at some more pit mines I had spotted with the binoculars. It's just unbelievable how those men years ago could have dug such large holes through solid rock with just picks & shovels. Even the walking is not easy as the ground is covered in rocks & prickly shrubs. It's a hostile, but beautiful land & we wouldn't even remotely think of going anywhere other than the American southwest.................................

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