TRAVEL WITH THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

SUNSHINE, WARM BREEZES, & A QUIET DESERT DAY

COULD THIS BE A DESERT SUNFLOWER??

Y'know, this Quartzite place isn't so bad after all now that the desert is cleansing itself of all the multi tired RV rigs. Two more of our distant neighbors left this morning & I would say compared to a couple weeks ago when there would have been close to a thousand rigs out here, the desert has cleared itself of 95% of it's noisy & sometimes messy inhabitants. Sun is shining, the mesquite trees & creosote bushes are showing their greenery & more Saguaro cactus are visible with each big rig departure. Clear views across the desert floor to surrounding mountains is quickly becoming uncluttered of big boxy looking road vehicles. This place is now not so bad, not bad at all. Why oh why we ever came here at the peak of festivities in previous years is beyond me. Just took us awhile to get smartened up I guess. This Sunday is the last day for a bunch of vendors in the Tyson Wells area in Quartzite as they pack up their wares & fan out across the country heading for other special events, galas, & festivities. Bye guys & have a good year.

CARRYING FIREWOOD IN HER LEFT HAND, CELL PHONE IN THE RIGHT…..THIS GAL IS TRULY A MULTI-TASKER

Nice desert walk this morning & we dragged some firewood back for a campfire. Kelly had a few more things to see in Quartzite plus pick up a vent cover for our refrigerator vent. The original cover had deteriorated from the elements & was basically in shards up there. I had one of my favorite kinds of mornings listening to a favorite CD of mine 'Sons of the Pioneers. Caught up a bunch of wayward emails & sat outside in the quiet desert soaking up some warming rays of sunshine. Just me & the furry guys doing a whole bunch of nothing:))

Our Delorme GPS tells me we are at an altitude of 1,162 feet here south of Quartzite & that's quite a drop from the high desert at the ranch we just came from where the altitude was over 4000 feet. Definitely warmer here in these parts for sure. I can see where this GPS thingy is going to be a real challenge for me. Did some more reading today but am having trouble understanding the overall concept. And what is this Geocaching all about & how does all that stuff work!! Has it got something to do with paying cash for a General Motors 1989 Geo?? That might not be a good thing!! Geo Schmeo, I'm still having trouble turning the darn GPS thing on!!

HEY, WATCH OUT FOR THAT MOUNTAIN PEAK!!

Is it just me or are the days already getting longer:)) Kelly was back with the generic vent cover about 2 & the cover was obviously longer than the previous one which put into question whether it was going to fit between the solar panels. So, up the rigs ladder I went with the vent balanced on my head. Amazingly enough the vent fit into place perfectly. Thought that kinda odd but then was really surprised when the screw holes of the new cover even lined up with the holes in the vent. Now, what is the chance of that!!!! I even managed to remember the correct type of screw driver for the job instead of having to climb back down again. The fact I even remembered the screw driver in the first place was somewhat of an accomplishment in itself. Wow, was I on a roll or what!! Another amazing thing happened when I was actually able to screw the vent cover down securely without breaking something or dropping one of the screws off the roof. Yep, some days just seem to somehow be better than others alright & I considered that little job today to be a major accomplishment in this ever mechanically challenged world of mine. Yay Al, you go guy:))

NEW REFRIGERATOR VENT COVER TODAY

Two nights ago about 6:10 p.m. Arizona time someone sent an email to our Aboss emai account. At that precise time Verizon dropped our connection & that email never made it in. It was lost ,so if anyone sent an email Monday night about that time can you resend it.

And welcome to our latest followers, Sam & Donna. Appreciate you taking the time join in on the adventures of, The Bayfield Bunch:))

GROANER'S CORNER:(( An older gentleman was on the operating table awaiting surgery and he insisted that his son, a renowned surgeon, perform the operation. As he was about to get the anesthesia he asked to speak to his son.
"Yes, Dad, what is it?" "Don't be nervous, son, do your best and just remember, if it doesn't go well & something happens to me, your mother is going to come and live with you and your wife for the rest of your lives!!"

FACEBOOK READERS GO HERE TO SEE OUR ACTUAL WEBSITE COMPLETE WITH PHOTOS & MORE INFO.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

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

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

MIXING IT UP WITH THE VENDORS IN QUARTZITE

THIS VENDOR (orange shirt) HAD ALL HIS GRANDKIDS PICTURES IN THE ADS ON THE BOOTH

We sure are liking these warmer night time temperatures over here closer to the California State line. Sure cuts down on the propane heating bill. With the recent rains there is a fair amount of desert greenery around especially along the edges & down in the washes. (creek beds) Nice to see some new scenery on our morning walk this morning too.

WALKING ALONG A DRY WASH AS THE DESERT BEGINS TO GREEN

Had a better night's sleep & didn't feel quite so cranky this morning so figured I might be able to put up with myself OK if I went with Kelly into Quartzite this morning. Main objective was a new wind sock pole & told Kelly on the way in we had 12.7 minutes to get in, get the pole, & get out. She didn't think that was funny so took me to McDonalds to humor me. It worked:)) Some groceries after that & then into the shopping melee we went. Crowds weren't nearly as bad as other years though & it wasn't like 'bumper cars' jostling around banging into people all the time. We missed all that manic mayhem by about a week!! Only had one little bluster when I couldn't immediately find a convenient parking spot like I thought I should.

OUR LITTLE HOME IN THE DESERT

Meandered around a bit until we reached the flags & poles vendor that we have been to for the past 3 years in a row. The nice old fellow, Sam, & his staff were still there & he thought he might have remembered us. Well, he might have remembered Kelly:)) I've never really been too memorable you know. Picked ourselves out a new pole & told Sam we'd be back next year for another one after I step on & break my third pole in a row probably. Said he'd put us in the book as reliable 'repeat customers!!'

IT’S SAM, OUR YEARLY WIND SOCK POLE MAN:))

About 40 minutes of browsing was about enough for me so Kelly left me sitting on a chair near the road like a good little boy. Well, after about 10 minutes that plastic chair got kinda hard so I headed back to the car & tried to squeeze myself in the door after some inconsiderate & obviously skinny jerk parked so close to my door it was nearly impossible. But, I sucked it up & did it.

SOME COLORFUL SIGHTS ALONG VENDORS ROW (click on pics to enlarge)

Kelly was back in half an hour & we drove over to the other side of vendors row on Tyson Wells & had a look at few more things. Popped into a nice little eatery called Bad Boy & I would recommend this one. This is where a lot of the vendors & working people come. It's nice & clean with good food. It's across the road from 'The Gambler' & just east a bit.

WAITING FOR SOME ‘EATS’ AT BAD BOY………….

We were back to the rig by 2 & found a note in our door from a fellow we had met a year ago when we were here. He's been following our blog & when I said last night we were in the same spot as last year Peter & his wife Patty knew exactly where we were. We'll give them a buzz later.

At precisely 2:37 this afternoon our onboard visual EB (eyeball) radar detected 2 bogeys fast approaching our RV space from 11 o'clock high. I was up on the roof working on a vent cover & heard them coming. Kelly was down below on the computer & immediately sounded the alarm. Looked to be a big fifth wheel followed closely by a small Class C. Within seconds she scrambled our first line of defense. 3 F-16 furry dog fighters roared out of the motorhome in full afterburner mode & turned to attack the approaching bogeys head on. Squadron leader Max led the charge with his 2 wingmen (wingdogs) Checkers & Max on either side. They all opened fire simultaneously at long range instantly scoring direct barking hits on both bogeys because I saw a drivers side window going up. Both vehicles immediately banked to the right breaking off their approach as our F16 furry fighting dogs delivered a full broadside of barks to the vehicles as they skimmed by on our port side & kept on going. Thought I saw the Class C trailing some smoke. Our first line of defense had saved us again. We welcomed the tired crews as they came trotting back to the motorhome & congratulated them all on another job well done. They were soon back in their favorite spots & sound asleep. Bravo guys, you saved our peace & serenity once again:))

Later in the afternoon a couple of ultra lites flew over & that reminded me of a post I wrote while we were boondocked here back on January 4th of 2008. I called that post, AN AVIATOR WAVES FROM THE SKY. It was also the time we took out & sold all our Motorhome furniture too. But, that's another story.

CAN YOU SEE THE GREMLINS FACE IN THIS PIECE OF KNARLED DESERT WOOD & AN AVIATOR FLYS OVER IN THE MORNING SKY

And a big welcome to Ken & Nanette, our latest followers. Welcome aboard folks & thanks for traveling along with, The Bayfield Bunch:))

No idea how long we'll stay here but Kelly's headed back into the Q tomorrow morning for some more of that there browsing stuff. Not me, I'm staying put right here in the quiet desert & plan to get caught up on a stack of emails that have piled up. I always feel bad when I don't get right back to people with answers to questions or comments on things. I have even slipped a bit on my blog reading & am still only half way through my National Geographic Astronomy book that I started a very long time ago. By the time I get to the end I'll not have remembered the beginning!!

SUNSET OVER THE DOME ROCK MOUNTAINS

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A blonde said, 'I was worried that my Mechanic might try to rip me off. I was relieved when he told me all I needed was turn signal fluid.'

FACEBOOK READERS GO HERE TO SEE OUR ACTUAL WEBSITE COMPLETE WITH PHOTOS & MORE INFO.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

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

Monday, February 01, 2010

QUARTZITE ARIZONA……..WE’RE BACK!!

Awake & up at 4 a.m. again so it has turned out to be another long & kinda grumpy day. Despite the traffic noise from nearby I-8 during the night I had slept fine until Max let me know he wanted out. Unlike the ranch, there is no secure coyote proof fencing here so when it's dark outside & one of the guys have to go out, I go out with them. It was an RV Park just a few miles east of where we were that I saw 2 coyotes cruise past the rig early one morning a couple of years ago. Had litte Motormouse been outside by herself they would have got her. One has to be soooooo careful out here about that sort of thing.

PHOTO BY KELLY

First order of day before heading out was to fix an annoying problem that had totally bugged us Sunday all the way from the ranch to the campground west of Casa Grande. Awhile back Kelly had picked up a couple deer whistle alert things that people put on the bumpers of their cars to supposedly alert deer with it's high frequency. Last week I decided to put these 2 things on the motorhome but of course we don't have a bumper or flat level spot on the front of the rig. Had me a look around & decided to put them near the side view mirror arms where they joined the coach. Minutes after leaving the ranch Sunday morning I heard a whistling sound & immediately thought it was coming from the engine compartment. Didn't take me long to imagine all kinds of worse case scenarios so when I reached a stop sign I put the transmission in neutral & revved the engine expecting the whistle to increase with the engine revs. But, there wasn't even a whistling sound until after I had started down the road again. Most annoying. And then it dawned on me.....it was the deer alert whistles sitting near the mirror arms close to the open windows. I knew that the sticky stuff they were attached with was a 'forever' thing so figured when we reached our destination later in the day I would have to dynamite them off. Well, here's what I didn't know!! Kelly found that the whistles simply pivoted in their base & they could be effortlessly turned around out of the wind. Time taken for Kelly to reposition the two alert whistles.....30 seconds. Time taken for those whistles to totally drive us nuts all the way from the ranch to the campground..... 5 & a half hours!!!!

High cloud cover with a haze in the air made for a lackluster morning drive west to Gila Bend. The normally beautiful mountains were distant frumpy looking hulks lacking their usual picturesque detail. At times the haze took on a brown hue suggesting big city pollution but there are no big cities around here. Phoenix was too far behind us to affect the weather way out here. No wind to carry any pollution either so don't know where it came from. Their is a nuclear power plant near Tonopah but the only thing I saw coming out of it's stacks was what appeared to be clouds of white steam.

KELLY’S BUSY WORKING AT HER DEERPARK LODGE JOB FAR FROM HOME

Stopped at a Shell station on the north side of Gila Bend for propane, water, & a 6" tuna sub from Subway. There are 2 Shell stations in Gila Bend & both of them are well known to RV'ers for their water, dump stations, gas, diesel, propane, & eats, etc. Yep, there's a McDonalds in town too. Both Shell stations have big paved parking lots for large rigs now & there are RV Parks close at hand. Gila Bend is like an oasis for travelers on their long journeys to & from the west coast & points east like Phoenix, Tucson, Memphis, & New York city, etc. A very popular & convenient stop for RV folks.

Decided on the Buckeye route so headed north from Gila Bend on highway 85 up to I-10 & made a left for Quartzite. The cloud cover thickened & almost threatened rain a few times making it kind of a gloomy day. However, we were heartened by the traffic heading east over on the other side of the median because it seemed like about 4 of every 10 vehicles going by were RV's. That brightened our day immensely because we knew they were all pouring out of Quartzite. And the more rigs leaving the Q meant more room for us when we got there. D'ya think word got around that the Bayfield Bunch was headed for town!! Having been in Quartzite the past 3 years in a row we knew only too well what awaited us there but this year we were going in after the big 'dust up in the desert' & were hoping for much quieter times. When we came over the ridge east of the Q & looked ahead out over the valley we knew we were right. Instead of a massive sea of white dots we could immediately see there was more Mother Earth visible than white dots.

CASTLE DOME MOUNTAINS

Took the first exit into Q & rolled downtown to quiet streets with little traffic & no congestion. What a pleasant treat that was for us. Left at the main intersection & headed south on 95 for about 5 miles to a familiar road, turned right & turned right again into the hard packed shale like stone desert. How nice to see only a couple dozen rigs scattered about over a large area compared to the hundreds & hundreds & hundreds that are usually jammed in here. Headed for the farthest corner of the area about a mile in & coincidentally found the exact same spot we were in last year while here. Nearest rig is about a quarter mile away so I think maybe we'll be able to handle that. Anything closer than that is absolutely not acceptable!!!!

OUR SITE FOR A FEW DAYS SOUTH OF QUARTZITE

On the afternoon of February 4th, 2009 while boondocked near Sierra Vista Arizona I climbed up on the rig's roof & put the solar panels down before our departure the following morning to our new ranch sitting job near McNeal Arizona. Little did I know that it would be nearly one year to the day before I would be back up on that roof putting those solar panels up again. And today was that day. After setting up the Star Choice dish & setting out some tables & chairs I scooted up the ladder (ok, so I hauled myself up the ladder) took a few pics, & then set about putting the two panels up, which reminds me I have an email to send to someone who had inquired about our solar installation.

PANELS DOWN FEB 4/09 PANELS UP FEB 1/10

Been awhile since we've had our full blown boondocking heads on so we are slowly transitioning once again from shore based electricity & water to what is called, 'dry camping.' Water conservation now becomes more important as does the use of lights etc. Although with our solar set-up we see little difference from plugged in electricity to solar produced electric. We do everything pretty much the same except we run the generator for a few minutes in the morning while the coffee perks. Helps give the 4 solar batteries a little boost after the sunless night.

NEAREST NEIGHBORS PANELS UP

Had a bit of a'dust up' with our Star Choice reception today which took the better part of 2 hours to resolve including a phone call to Star Choice. Not their fault but we do suspect either a faulty cable or television. Of course I was ready to junk the whole system & throw it out the door but Kelly stuck with it & all of a sudden for some unknown reason the signal appeared & we were tuned in. Very, very, close call though because there could have been injuries if that signal had not come in when it did. Kelly very narrowly missed her Oprah show & I later realized that was the inspiration for her dogged determination in sticking with the problem.