RANCH OWNERS JEANIE & RAY HIT THE ROAD THIS MORNING….WE’RE ON OUR OWN:))

HEAVY CLOUDS SURROUND CASTLE DOME PEAK TO OUR SOUTHEAST THIS MORNING

Wind picked up a bit in the night and I could hear the occasional drumming of rain drops on the roof.  No matter, just happy to be away from the snow and intense cold of the North.

A SKIFF OF SNOW IN THE MULE MOUNTAINS TO THE WEST

Last year in this area we had record breaking cold and this year temps have been below average so we are keeping ourselves in our winter clothes these days.  Fingers crossed for warmer days ahead.

Big patches of blue sky this morning as Jeanie & Ray fired up the big diesel, hooked up their Jeep and happily had their Meridian Motor Home wheels rolling by 8:53 a.m.  Hugs all around and farewell waves saw them disappear down the road.  An hour or so later the clouds rolled back in, and with gusting winds, dropped the temperatures to cold, cold, cold.

JEANIE MOTORS THE JEEP INTO POSITION FOR HOOKING UP

 

A FEW FINAL GOOD-BYES

AND, THEY’RE OFF

 

A BIG TOOT ON THE AIR HORN STARTLES THE PHEEBS

Because I had not been feeling well earlier this week a few things needed catching up on today.  Straightened out a slow water leak, Kelly got a bunch of laundry done, vacuuming, water jugs filled, Shaw satellite dish set up. (took about 10 seconds to find the satellite:)) Loaded up some large Adobe bricks on the ATV to weight the tripod legs down, etc.

RANCH DOGS PEARCE AND GLEESON SADLY WATCH MOM & DAD DISAPPEAR OUT THE DRIVEWAY…PEARCE AND GLEESON WERE NAMED FOR TWO AREA GHOST TOWNS

Despite Ray’s cautioning words a few days ago I was roundly attacked by the Bandy Rooster this morning when I entered the chicken enclosure.  Ray said, ‘don’t turn your back on him’….. and I did.  The feisty little bugger just kept attacking me until I ducked back out through the gate again. 

How can such a little Bandy Rooster have such a big bad temper.  I’m sure he will attack me again, so at risk to my very own life and limb I will try to get some action photos of my leg being ruthlessly roughed up again.  Oh, what a feller won’t do to get himself an action Jackson blog photo.

KELLY FIELDS A WORK RELATED DEER PARK LODGE CALL

Again, if you think you are being contacted or chatting with me on Facebook…you are not!!!!  It is not me!!  It is the person who has hacked my account, and the accounts of countless thousands of other Facebook users.  I am never, never, never on any kind of a chat program and I do not send out Friend Requests’ on Facebook.  It is safe for you to comment, like or message me on Facebook but as I said a few posts ago, I will not confirm any more ‘Friend Requests’ because that is how the hacker gets in and takes advantage of people’s Facebook accounts and then takes advantage of other people’s accounts.

PONCHO AND SARAH….THE RANCH MULES

During the long summer months at home our rig sits for long periods of time not being used.  Once a month I take it out for a spin and a couple times a month I fire the generator up.  If we had to stay home during the winter we would do the same thing.  Wisconsin winters are notoriously cold as well so check out how Karen and Steve deal with their Motor Home sitting out the cold winter months.  MOTORHOME EXERCISE.

 

HAD A ROADRUNNER DROP BY AND PAY US A VISIT THIS AFTERNOON

I have put my remaining 800mg Ibuprofen’s in the Jeep just in case we are out and about somewhere and this Kidney Stone decides to do a little more traveling again.  I am continuing with Kelly’s treatment but I sure wish she could somehow make those lemon and olive concoctions taste more like butterscotch milkshakes.  I have managed to make the oceans of Cranberry Juice drinkable by adding Ginger Ale.  Makes for a nice drink actually.

  

Recent Blog Followers, OREGON WANDERERS have just changed their URL and can now be found at this new link I have marked in blue.  These people are Casita folks and probably found our site through RV SUE AND HER CANINE CREW.

PHEEBS AND HER TWO BIGGEST BEST PALS

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Dog looks at human and thinks:
"My hero, my friend, my buddy."
Cat looks at human and thinks:
"My can-opener."

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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
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.

KIDNEY STONE: SOMETHING STRANGE HAS HAPPENED………..

We had the greatest looking skies today as a storm front made it’s way through the area.  Took the above photo on our way to Douglas this morning.  It is this area of Arizona for which Douglas native, Stan Jones wrote the song, ‘GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY.’  All the way to Douglas, and especially with the moody skies from mountain top to mountain top, I had Ghost Riders playing over and over in my head. 

SAND HILL CRANES WING THEIR WAY HOME AFTER A LONG DAY OF FEEDING FAR UP THE VALLEY

I first became aware of something different about 8 p.m. Saturday night.  I had taken my last 800mg Ibuprofen about 1 o’clock in the afternoon.  With the way things were going I should begin to feel the pain returning around 7 or 8 o’clock.  Nothing.  9 p.m. rolled around and still no pain.  Decided to take my chances and go to bed without taking another Ibuprofen.  Figured the pain would wake me up and I would take one then.  Woke up at 1 a.m.  Still no pain.  This was going against everything routinely associated with Kidney Stones.  Could something else be at work here?  Dare I think Doc Kelly’s remedies are working?  Dare I even think………

Must admit, both Kelly and I were a bit skeptical about everything we had read and the solutions people had used to deal with their stone and their pain.  She had based her treatment on the advice of many people who have already gone through this.  Could all this lemon and olive juice, cranberry juice, stone buster liquid and pills have really done something?  I’m still a bit skeptical but for sure something has happened to that stone.  Don’t know if it has moved, disintegrated or what.  All’s I know is that right now at 8:30 Sunday night I am still pain free without medication and it has been well over 24 hours now.

CURVED BILL THRASHER WITH HIS BACK TO THE WIND >>>

I do not believe I could have passed the stone or even parts of it without knowing but if I didn’t pass it……where is it!!  If I remain pain free for the next 24 or 48 hours we will have to phone the Urologist’s office in Tucson for an opinion.  I have a feeling we will still keep the Tucson appointment because we want to obtain a copy of the Cat Scan X-Ray taken at the Tucson hospital earlier this week.  If this stone holds off until we can get back to Ontario in the Spring maybe another Cat Scan will reveal what has happened to this large stone.

SOUTH END OF THE DRAGOON MOUNTAINS APPEAR FAR ACROSS THE SULPHUR SPRINGS VALLEY

Should also mention that our Manulife insurance company in Canada called Saturday to verify the kidney stone information.  Kelly said it was a good call but had to fax them some additional information like the Doctor’s report, etc.  At least no talk of trying to drag me back to Canada.  If I still do have this procedure I would much prefer to recuperate here in the healthy sunny climate of Arizona than the damp dark cold and snow back home in southern Ontario.

I think the last time Kelly and I were ever at a DENNYS was in Page Arizona back in late 2007.  Stopped in as we were making our way from the Grand Canyon’s north rim to the Grand Canyon’s south rim.  This morning on a spur of the moment decision we popped into Denny’s in Douglas Arizona.  Our timing could not have been worse.  It was Sunday morning and is habit, the local Church’s dump their faithful flock right into Denny’s for breakfast.  A 45 minute wait had Kelly and I beat that waiting line by offering to sit at the counter.  Don’t know what I was thinking by ordering myself a Lumberjack Slam but I did manage to get through most of it.  Kelly had a steaming hot Ultimate Skillet which looked really good even if it did have a lot of green and red stuff in it.  Between the 2 of us we managed to save enough of our breakfast for tonight’s supper.

Aside from the Walmart in Goderich back home I would say the Walmart in Douglas Arizona is where I have made most of my Walmart trips over the years.  Both stores look the same….but the people don’t.  With the town sitting right on the Mexican border it is mainly Mexican and Spanish looking and speaking people here.  I actually don’t mind that and accept that as a welcome change from the same old, same old back home all the time.

1939 JOHN DEERE TRACTOR…..AND IT STILL RUNS

Temperatures dropped in the early afternoon with some rain showers passing through.  Jeanie and Ray were busy loading their Motor Home as they plan on leaving in the morning.  Not normal for me to lay down for a snooze in the afternoon but that is exactly what I did about 2 p.m..  I was having a big snuggle with Pheebs and Motor on my bed and the next thing I knew it was 4:45 and I awoke to nobody around.  Kelly, Pheebs, and Motor were already out and had all the chores done around the property.  Gate closed, property water valves turned off, night light on for the chickens, chickens fed and eggs gathered.  Ranch dogs Pearce and Gleeson fed as well as Charlie the Cat.  Perimeter walk around the fence line to make sure the Donkeys had hay and water and that was about it.  All that was left for me to do was take some more photos of the moody sky.  Pretty easy day I’d say:))

Part time Snow Birders TnT has joined the Bunch on our southwestern travels as well as CASITA MCSITA.  We welcome you folks and thanks for reading our blog.  MARIBETH has rounded out our numbers by coming in as Blog Follower 400:)) Thanks everybody for the continued support and encouragement.

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Matt went into Doc Steven's office for his annual checkup, and the Doc asked if there was anything unusual he should know about.
He told the Doc that he found it real strange how his suit must've shrunk just sittin' in his closet, because it didn't fit when he went to get ready for a wedding recently.
The Doc said, "Suits don't shrink just sittin' there. You probably just put on a few pounds, Matt."
"That's just it, Doc, I know I haven't gained a single pound since the last time I wore it."
"Well, then," said Doc, "You must have a case of Furniture Disease."
"What in the world is Furniture Disease?" Matt asked.
"Furniture Disease, Matt, is when you reach that stage in life when your chest starts slidin' down into your drawers."

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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
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.

‘GYPSY LIFE JOURNAL’ DROPS INTO THE RANCH

THE SATURDAY BOYS….RAY, AL AND TERRY

The Ranch we are at is 80 acres with nearly 4 acres totally fenced in with Coyote proof fencing. Pretty nice for us to just open our door and let the furry guys out to run and explore wherever they want.  Even little Motor is out and all over the place.  So great to see the dogs just being able to be dogs.  Again, we are so fortunate to be where we are.

 

Doc Kelly is really socking the liquids to me.  Oceans and oceans of Cranberry juice for starters.  Fresh lemons mixed with Olive Oil.  Hydrangea Root pills plus something called Super Colon Cleanse.  WOW, is that stuff ever a rush and at 2 a.m. this morning I was finally clear of a rapidly worsening 3 day problem.  She mixes up a few drops of a Stone Breaker compound and down the hatch that goes.  That one tastes pretty yucky.  Celery juice or something.  Intersperse all that with some Milk of Magnesia and I am a walking time bomb.

 

MY KIDNEY STONE BUSTING ARMY AND KELLY SQUEEZING A LEMON

I have stopped using the Oxycodone pain pills because I think it is those pills that are giving me the overall sick feeling which in turn is killing my appetite.  The 800mg Ibuprofens are not lasting the hoped for 8 hours so I’m taking them every 6 to 7 hours.  If I run out of those guys I will be in some trouble for sure.  Hope to re-new that prescription in Tucson Wednesday if Doc Kelly can’t blast that stone out of me.

Terry and Martha from GYPSY LIFE JOURNAL dropped into the Ranch this morning around 10:30.  Although we had never met them we have been following their blog for awhile now and we knew they were in the area.  Jeanie & Ray had wondered if we knew any folks who might be interested in staying at the Ranch for a bit after we leave in mid January.  Terry and Martha came to mind because of their outdoor interests, love of animals, and familiarity with farms and ranches.

JEANIE EXPLAINS HOW SHE DESIGNED THE HOUSE AND HOW HER AND RAY BUILT IT

  

AN ORIENTATION WALK AROUND THE RANCH AND RAY EXPLAINS TO TERRY HOW THE HOUSE IS BUILT OUT OF STRAW BALES

Always nice to meet fellow travelers and especially fellow bloggers.  They have a Beagle named Charlie so Jeanie introduced all the dogs and away we all went for walk around the 3.6 acres of fenced in property getting to know each other.  I took a pass on the house tour because I was feeling a little sick so hung out in the rig till all the folks came outside again.  Ray showed Terry and I a few procedures he generally does with the ATV while the ladies walked all the way around the property again.

SAY, YOU DON’T SUPPOSE AL IS…..NAWWWW, HE WOULDN’T DO THAT

As with almost all people we have met in our travels Terry and Martha are your very typical easy to get to know RV folks.  We are so fortunate to have such a helping and tight knit little Blogging community out here where trust has already been established well before meeting anyone.  Like Martha said to me when I met her, “I feel I already know you.’  And yes, in the Blog World that is often the case as we all follow each other’s blogs almost daily.

Nancy over at the OREGON WANDERERS has just become our 394TH Blog Follower.  Welcome aboard.  Nancy is new to the blogging world and has just dipped her toe into the vast ocean of Blog Land.  Might want to drop by with a, “come on in, the water’s fine”:))  GRETCHENDM & KAREN FISCHER also climbed aboard bringing us ever closer to the 400 Blog Followers mark.  Thanks folks and the Bayfield Bunch welcomes you all aboard.

While in the Tucson LAZY DAYS service yard a few days ago a fellow RV Blogger drove by and took a picture of our rig.  I was probably home but Kelly must have been out with the Jeep somewhere.  I like the old tumble down house LARRY has for his header picture.  Looks like something Kelly and I would like:))

PHEEBS WAS TOTALLY KNOCKED OUT AFTER HER BIG DAY OF VISITING

A little confusion about SALVATION MOUNTAIN'S LEONARD KNIGHT.  It was his care giver Kevin Eubanks who suddenly died recently.  Far as we know, Leonard is still alive, but in a care facility.  Hope I got that right.

It’s not everyone who gets right into that old Christmas spirit including Kelly and I but for you folks who do I suggest you slip over to KAREN AND STEVE'S where they cut down their own real Christmas tree each year, decorate it, light a warm cozy fire in the fireplace and listen to Christmas carols.  Oh how that brings back many old pleasant memories for me when I was a wee kid growing up in the small village of Tavistock Ontario, Canada.

RANCH DOG GLEASON CHECKS OUT HIS MOM & DAD’S MOTOR HOME 

My appetite slowly returned late this afternoon after the sick feeling went away and I was able to eat half a baked potato and a small BBQ’d steak.  Washed that down with a cold glass of milk and a peanut butter & honey sandwich.  Now, if we can just get this darned stone out of me.

RANCHER RAY

GROANER’S CORNER  George had invited the pastor and his wife for dinner, and it was little Joey's job to set the table. But when it came time to eat, Joey's mother said with surprise, "Why didn't you give Mrs. Brown a knife and fork dear?".
"I didn't think I needed to," Joey explained, "I heard Daddy say she always eats like a horse."

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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
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.

NOT ONE OF MY BETTER DAYS

QUIET DAYS IN THE OLD CORRAL

The pain had me awake at 4 a.m. so it was a quick scramble to get a couple pills down.  Twenty minutes later I was OK…..for awhile.  Can’t imagine how awful it must have been for people years ago before all the pain killing meds were invented and available.

Twinkling stars from horizon to horizon last night and oh how I love to see that.

THERE WAS A LOT OF DONKEY DOG SMOOCHING GOING ON TODAY AGAIN

Leonard Knight was recently hospitalized and diagnosed as incapable of managing his life.  Leonard will be spending his remaining days at a nursing home in El Cajon, California.  And, just who is Leonard Knight.  Anyone who has ever been to Slab City has seen SALVATION MOUNTAIN.  Kelly and I toured through Leonard’s creation back on December 18th of 2007.  Leonard had gone into town that morning so we did not get to meet him.  Fortunately, another old timer and friend of his showed us all around.  You can see my photos of that day here at, SALVATION MOUNTAIN AND SLAB CITY.  My post for that day can be found here at, SLAB CITY...WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY.  

MOTOR DIDN’T COME FOR A WALK WITH PHEEBS AND I BUT DID KEEP AN EYE ON US FROM ATOP HER LITTLE PERCH

Looks like some low life scumball has hacked my Facebook account.  For anyone who has me on their Facebook, do not confirm any ‘Friends’ requests from me.  I suggest you block my hacked account.  It is not me sending out those phony money schemes.  I may dump my Facebook account anyway because I don’t use it for anything other than posting my daily blogs.  Somebody said something about changing the Password  but we’ll see.  I’m not big on those social media sites to begin with whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Dinosaur Dung, or Floppy Jaws a Flappin!!  Update…. Kelly has changed my Facebook password so we’ll see if that has fixed the problem.  Despite all the Gobblygook stuff on Facebook I guess it is still best to have at least one alternate communication site at one’s disposal.

Sure don’t know how I would get along without Kelly.  She spent hours on the computer this morning researching this Kidney Stone thing.  The general consensus among many kidney stone sufferers is that there are alternate ways to try and get rid of the stone oneself.  I have nothing to lose by trying some methods that many have had success with.  It basically involves lots of lemon juice and olive oil.  Right now as I type this at 11:30 a.m. Kelly is off to a favorite health food store in Douglas to acquire ingredients.  I also started on Milk of Magnesia this morning because those pain killing pills have a miserable little side effect.  Let’s just say my eyes are just about bulging out of my head right about now.

Nice sunny day with milder temps but the wind sure has begun to kick up.  Bad weather west of here has caused Jeanie and Ray to delay their departure time until Monday.  They have one mountain pass to go through and don’t want to be doing that in bad weather.

<<< THESE TWO WILL JUST NOT GIVE IT UP

Want to say thanks to everyone for your thoughts, ideas and willingness to help in any way shape or form.  We sure have a lot of best friends out here in the RVing community who we have never met.  We do have another RV Blogging couple rolling in Saturday to say Hello and meet Jeanie and Ray plus ourselves as well.  They are the folks who will be looking after things here at the Ranch when we roll out heading further west next month. 

By the way, I have no intentions whatsoever of returning to Ontario to have this Kidney Stone problem dealt with.  Don’t know what is going to happen but I will fight that option every inch of the way.  I know the insurance company is only looking out for their bottom line and not my health condition so we may have a nasty bit of business coming up!!  As in the words of RETIRED ROD,  “As far as returning to Canada for the procedure, that's just nuts! What did you buy US insurance for?”  Well Rod, those are our feelings exactly!!

Sun is going down so gonna wrap this day up early.  Just not feeling the best and I suspect it’s those pain pills.  Pheebs and I did manage to slip out around the Ranch to snap us a few pics for tonight’s post.  Kelly returned with a whole pile of Kidney Stone busting stuff plus a bag of fresh lemons.  Maybe tomorrow I will explain what kind of a treatment plan she has me on.  Sure got a lot of ingredients here that would not be my first choice for yumminess in the old taste test department…….  Not one of my better days, but we always have tomorrow, eh:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  With the help of a fertility specialist, a 65 year old woman has a baby. All her relatives come to visit and meet the newest member of their family.  When they ask to see the baby, the 65 year old mother says "not yet."
Finally they say, "When can we see the baby?"  And the mother says, "When the baby cries."  They all ask, "Why do we have to wait until the baby cries?"
The new mother says, "because I forgot where I put 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.