MAJOR BLOG PUBLISHING PROBLEMS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am having major problems again tonight trying to publish the blog so I am going to try taking out all the photos & links & just publish the text.  Keeps coming up with an error 400 message.  Very frustrated to say the least!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From time to time we receive emails from folks who read our blog & it's always nice to hear if, when, & how our blog has had something to do with events in people's lives.  This week we received an email from a couple who first contacted us two years ago when we were boondocked along the San Pedro river east of Sierra Vista, Arizona.  A question, & our blog helped set up a series of events which culminated in the folks buying a piece of property near Sierra Vista Arizona just a few weeks ago.

We had traveled from Borrego Springs California to the southeast corner of Arizona in preparation for taking on a ranch sitting job near McNeal in early 2008.  We rolled into Sierra Vista with no idea where to stay because we were a week early for the ranch job.  Kelly got on the RV NET FORUM with a question asking if anyone knew of any boondocking sites in the area.  Several people answered that post & one fellow was a retired military fellow currently working at Fort Huachuca.  He was from Elfrida & we later met him & his wife Jackie.  We nicknamed him Sarge & I have blogged about his Hudson Hornet car hobby before.  The other fellow we heard from was in Colorado & also retired military who had been stationed at Fort Huachuca years ago.  He knew the exact spot where we were & shared some memories of his military days in that region.

We found a spot along the Charleston Road & San Pedro river for a couple nights until a border patrol officer & a State trooper came along & told us we would have to move from that location.  They told us of a BLM location about 3 or 4 miles from where we were that might be OK for us so we packed up & moved.  The spot turned out to be totally excellent & I blogged about our nearly week long stay there before heading to the ranch.  And I blogged about the charming farm couple we met at that spot too. Jack & Gwen came through twice a day watering & feeding their free ranging cattle  It was not unusual for us to have cows feeding nearby.  A nice farm touch I thought.

Awhile after that the retired military fellow & his wife from Colorado were traveling in the Tombstone area & emailed us again wondering where that spot was we had boondocked at.  I emailed back the directions & they headed for the spot to camp for awhile.  While there they of course met Jack & Gwen on their cattle rounds. 

Then, just a month ago they returned to that boondocking site near Tombstone a second time to escape the spring snow storms in Colorado. While talking with Jack & Gwen again one day they expressed an interest in having a look at some real estate in the area.  Turns out Jack & Gwen's daughter in law happened to be a real estate agent in Sierra Vista.  To make a long story short, a phone call was made, a meeting was arranged, several properties were looked at near Tombstone & one near Sierra Vista.  The couple from Colorado, who have periodically been following our blog bought the 10 acre parcel near Sierra Vista & emailed us to say how the whole series of events had led them there.  Now, doesn't that just give ya kind of a warm fuzzy:))

Sure makes me feel good inside to think that we actually had something to do with some other folks happiness.  And all because of a simple question posted in the RV Net Forum way back in early 2008.  Yep, you just never know who's reading these darn blogs alright.

A LITTLE BIT OF ENVY & A LITTLE BIT OF JEEP

HAPPY JEEPERS.....We rode with this couple on the Borrego Badlands tour

Today's blog photos are of 2 Jeep tours we were on while in Borrego Springs California the last couple of years.  Check out 4 WHEELING IN GRAPEVINE CANYON & the PALO VERDE & BORREGO BADLANDS Jeep tour.  On both those rides we were totally squished into the tiny back seats of Jeeps.  Figured the only way to overcome this was to someday get our own Jeep!!!!  That day just might be close at hand:))

ENDLESS MILES OF OFF ROADING IN THE DESERTS, MOUNTAINS, & CANYONS NEAR BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

I am finding it increasingly hard to read blogs lately & especially in the mornings.  The past few weeks I have reverted to using the magnifying glass because my reading vision is becoming increasingly blurry & it seems mornings are the most difficult.  Last October my Optometrist guy told me I had the start of cataracts in both eyes but not to the point where any medical procedures were required yet.  Said to come back in a year.  Noticed my long range vision is not up to par anymore either but not nearly as bad as the shorter vision. Am beginning to wonder if maybe I will have to go back to the eye guy sooner than that. 

 

NOT MUCH ROOM IN THE BACK OF A JEEP FOR SURE

I have a second reason for finding it hard reading some blogs as well & it doesn't have anything to do with vision.  I guess it has more to do with envy.  As much as I enjoy seeing where fellow RVers are & what they are doing it also brings home the fact they are out there enjoying & experiencing the physically & mentally active RV lifestyle traveling from one interesting destination to another..... and we are not!!    FROGGI DONNA & STU are wandering around up in Oregon while both MOTTY & PATTI and BRUCE & MARGIE are in Moab Utah.  I am really envious of JUDY &  EMMA heading out on their maiden voyage to Custer South Dakota with their newer rig.  The LITTLE HOUSE ON WHEELS ladies  are enjoying themselves driving through Nebraska while LAURIE & ODEL continue their long sweep into Ohio on a great circle tour of the United States.

 

THE JEEP TOUR GROUP CHECKS OUT THE BORREGO BADLANDS IN CALIFORNIA (our desert friend Butch is second from right)

Yes, I know I shouldn't be envious & all that stuff, & yes, I know I should be more grateful to even have the opportunity to travel in the winter.  And yes, I know I shouldn't complain about all this but it is quite simply, the reality of how I feel......period!!  And that's enough out of old Grumble Guts for today so let's get on with some positive stuff!!

Some of you might remember the caption I had under the picture of that red Jeep in last night's blog.  It read, 'Awwww nuts, here we go looking at Jeeps again!!'  I was informed first thing this morning by the CEO here that the caption would make people think it was just Kelly's idea to get a Jeep & not mine!!  Well, for heaven's sakes we wouldn't want people thinking that now would we, so I quickly went in & changed the caption.  Whewwww, close call for Al there.  But yes, it is a joint decision & all major decisions we make are always done together.  Always!!

         

THE BORREGO BADLANDS ARE A REALLY ROUGH PLACE

Now, about the Jeep.  I went up to Goderich this morning & took that red Jeep for a run.  Very nice & I liked how it shifted & handled.  Found me a bumpy gravel road & some train track crossings & there were no rattles.  It is a 4 cylinder engine with a 6 speed transmission & was bought new by a lady in Goderich back in 2005.  She traded it in for a bigger pick-up standard shift truck.  The Jeep has not been abused or driven off any cliffs or over any mountains.  Has a trailer hitch plus both soft & hard tops.

                      

THIS IS THE 2005 JEEP TJ WE ARE NEGOTIATING ABOUT

The young sales fellow made me an offer on our 99 Dodge Caravan which of course was low so we will have to talk a little more about that.  But, I have decided to trade something else in on the Jeep as well.  Something I actually tried to sell last summer for a short period of time & something I have not been using a lot this past couple of years.  The Motorcycle.  It just does not make any practical sense for me to hang on to something I am not using.  I really enjoyed my early motorcycling days years ago but the excitement has gone out of it for me & it's not something we can take south with us anyway.   It just makes sense to take this opportunity & trade it in on the Jeep.  I will be taking the bike to Goderich Wednesday afternoon for the fellow to have a look at & we will see how we make out from there.

Had a great working & driving day with the mobility van through the countryside this afternoon & tomorrow morning I am off early again.  I am a happy guy these days being kept so busy......"jeep jeep:))"

THE GROUP IS OUT OF THEIR JEEPS & ON THE MOVE...Kelly is the third one from the end & I think she just stepped in some Coyote poop!!

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Did you know Tom Sawyer was the first novel to ever be written on a typewriter & it is impossible to lick your elbow.  And by the way, despite what you first may think, you will actually be able to read the following..........."I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?"  See, told ya so, & stop trying to lick your elbow!!!!:))

------------------------------------------------------------------

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

                                 and

"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED"

OUR 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.

BUSY DAY & A NASTY HAIL STORM!!

WE HAVE BUSY LITTLE BIRDS IN OUR FRONT YARD GARDENS (I may have posted this pic before but can't remember)

Turned out to be a busy  Monday as I filled in for a driver this morning & used the company's mini-van to move a fellow from one town to another for a short medical appointment.  This afternoon I was back in the mobility van & off to London with a young disabled fellow & his Mother on board. 

         

PARKED AT LONDON ONTARIO'S WELL KNOWN & RESPECTED UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL LAST WEEK

We were almost at our destination when the sky's opened up & we got hit with a short & savage rain storm with beating hail & nearly zero visibility.  Sounded like the hailstones were coming right through the windshield.  Fortunately the heavy deluge of ice & rain only lasted about 10 minutes but it was enough to spawn immediate flood warnings on the local radio station & it was amazing how much water was cascading down the streets.

HAIL ON THE GROUND BESIDE A HOUSE & SHREDDED LEAVES ON CAR OUT FRONT

Someone asked again what camera equipment I use & because I didn't get on it right away I have forgotten who it was so I'll include a link to a post I had done about that on September 19th of 2008 just in case that same person happens to be reading this tonight.  Just read the camera part & disregard all my other blusterings that day in long ago September.  The country was in full blown financial meltdown at the time & so was AL's attitude.......again:((  Click on..... NIKON CAMERAS

 

COUPLE OF NIKONS & A CANON.....NIKON D50 ON THE LEFT WITH THE D40 ON THE RIGHT & CANON BOTTOM RIGHT (Am hoping to trade that longer 55-200mm zoom lens in for a 70-300mm zoomer shortly) Photo was 'colored popped & sharpened' in Live Writer:))

Whenever I see we have a new follower I generally click on their profile to see who they are & if they happen to have a blog site.  That is how I have come across other folks interesting RV blogs & have sometimes included their links in my posts.  In the last little while I have generally liked to try & give new bloggers or new followers a bit of a jump start by including a point of interest from their post into my blog.  Latest follower Terry K's profile shows most of his categories as 'classified' so I am not too sure what that is all about.  My experience has been that most folks are very free, honest,  & open, with their RV lifestyle & blog sites, etc.  So, TK if you are a legitimate follower, I say welcome.  If not................??

WAITING PATIENTLY FOR A HUMMINGBIRD TO SLOW DOWN!!

My external hard drive seems to be acting up tonight again & is not letting me access my file photos.  I have a lot of photos stored on there.......or did!!

HAVING A LOOK AT ANOTHER JEEP.....2005

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter.  "What are you doing?" She asked.  "Hunting flies" He responded.  "Oh, killing any?" She asked.  "Yep, 3 males, 2 females," he replied. Intrigued, she asked "How can you tell?"  He responded "3 were on a beer can, 2 were on the phone."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

                                 and

"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED"

OUR 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.