MEETING SOME OLD FRIENDS…..MEETING SOME NEW FRIENDS:))

JOANN, DOUG, KELLY, AL, JO, FRED, BOOBOO:))

Just another great warm & sunny day here in southeastern Arizona.  Our hometown of Bayfield is being totally pummeled again today as a heavy winter storm blasts through the area.  Road closures, zero visibility in spots as the snow squalls come blasting in off Lake Huron.  I know someday our warm sunny RVing days will end & we will once again be faced with the horribly miserable existence of winters in Canada.  There, I just went & ruined my whole day!!!!

MOTHER NATURE’S VERSION OF A CHRISTMAS TREE BALL

Back in December of 09 we met fellow RV’ers Doug & JoAnn from, LIVING OUR DREAM over in Yuma.  They have covered a lot of miles across the country since then, spending last winter in Florida.  This year they are happily back in the southwest staying at the Benson SKP Park which is not too far from where we are at.  JoAnn emailed this past week suggesting a get together & today was it:))  Another long time RV couple who we have been in email contact with occasionally was coming with them so we were looking forward to finally meeting Fred & Jo Wishnie from, THE WANDERING WISHNIES.

NOW, HERE’S A COUPLE OF PROUD DADS:))  (The furry kids are Fillmore & Booboo)

Margies Corner Diner in Sunsights was selected for the meeting place at 12:30 today & we pulled in about 30 seconds after they did.  Lots of greetings all the way around & a few surprises.  Jo & Fred didn’t think I would be as short as I am & we didn’t know Jo was tall enough to look down on basket ball players.  I could tell Fred was an easy going jokester kind of guy right from the start so that took a little of the edge off for me.  I’m always a bit nervous meeting new people.  After reading my blog I never know if someone is going to be friend or foe.  Nice to see Doug & JoAnn again.  I think Doug & I could be great Pals if we got to know each other better.  And JoAnn was just her absolute usual pleasant self:))

  

 

Our lunch & chin wag lasted nearly 2 hours & I must admit, I enjoyed their company & was glad JoAnn had made the effort to set up the get together.  All & all it was a good day.  We didn’t get into any arm wrestling or name calling & nobody got hurt or started a food fight.  Food reviews were mixed by the way.  Had ourselves a flurry of photos, hand shakes & hugs.  Some quick jokes & quips & then it was into our vehicles with the Benson gang heading up the valley & the Bayfield Bunch heading down the valley.  Thanks again for the cookies guys & we’ll see ya all down the road one day again.  All the best with that medical problem Doug.

   

After extolling the virtues of Bisbee in Saturday’s post I had to chuckle a bit this morning about something I had forgot.  Our very first visit to Bisbee Arizona in the winter of 06/07 ‘was not a pleasant experience!!!!’

I think it was late December of 06 or early January 07 when we rolled out of Pancho Villa State Park in Columbus New Mexico heading west for Tombstone, Arizona.  It was one of those cold windy days with the winds ripping right through our clothes.  We were driving a truck & 5th wheel that year as we made our way along highway 9 just north of the Mexican border. Beautiful scenery but too cold to stop for photos.  We eventually swung from a westerly direction to a southerly track & headed over the Arizona State line on target for Douglas, AZ.   Big mountains loomed on our right.  Years later we would come to know this range as the Chiricahuas.  Stopped at a stone cairn monument to the great Indian chief Geronimo alongside the highway & were nearly frozen to the spot by the Arctic winds.  Heavy dark clouds were rapidly moving into the area ahead.

  

PIT STOP AT THE GERONIMO MONUMENT (note the ramp we used for getting the doggy guys in & out of the truck)

Douglas Arizona looked very drab to us as we rolled up to the Visitor’s Center in a cold rain.  I was heartened to see some actual green grass growing along the sidewalk.  Visions of home flickered in my mind as I looked around at the dreary weather now upon us.  Picked up a few brochures & continued west into what appeared to be another mountain range ahead.  The name Bisbee didn’t mean a thing to us.  Just another name on a map.  We were very hungry, tired & discouraged with the weather by this point & had been driving a lot of seemingly endless miles. 

OUR FIRST COLD CONTACT WITH BISBEE…..THE LAVENDER PIT MINE!!

The east side outskirts of Bisbee looked cold & bleak with all it’s massive slag heaps & cold rain soaked houses as we entered the town.  Caught site of a large parking lot & an even larger hole in the ground just as it began snowing.  Made a quick left turn into the lot & got out to have a look at the massive Lavender Pit open mine.  Minutes later we were back in the warm cab with the windshield wipers going.   Headed up the road looking for the RV Park…..which we never did find!! 

A FRUSTRATED GLIMPSE OF BISBEE

Frustration levels dramatically increased two fold as we angled off the highway & made the mistake of hauling the fifth wheel down into the little town of Bisbee.  Right from the start we were in trouble.  Confusing road signs, narrow streets, cars parked willy nilly here & there.  I was tired & hungry with my nerves working overtime.   My patience & endurance levels were at the max.  Managed to wiggle around some tight corners, wedge ourselves past numerous cars & get ourselves turned around in some fashion that led us back to the confusing area we had just picked our way through.  Saw a sign that said Benson & somehow nosed the truck onto that ramp which took us under a low bridge that I thought for sure was going to rip off our air conditioner.  We got flipped around a tight curve to the left & somehow found ourselves back up on the highway with Bisbee on our right hand side.  It was snowing even heavier now as we made our way up a snow & rain slicked slippery grade.  What hell hole must this place be!!!!  Wasn’t long before we drove out of the high mountain snow line & began to descend into welcome snow free desert surroundings.  We were so glad to be out that nasty & confusing little place on the map called Bisbee!!

Despite our snowy mountain dilemma we had both seen something upon leaving Bisbee that remained in our memories.  It was all the little houses scattered across the steep hillsides in a snowy Christmas looking Alpine village like setting that etched itself into our minds.   We both thought it would be nice to come back some day when the weather was nicer.  And, once again, little did we know how Bisbee & the entire Sulphur Springs Valley was about to play such an important & wonderful part in our lives just a few short years later:))

Now, to shift gears……..Kelly came across an interesting blog a few days ago where an American RVing boon docker fellow had some insightful thoughts about traveling in Canada a few years ago.  Read Bob’s take on Canada at THEIR COUNTRY, TIS OF THEM.  You can catch Bob’s current blog here at, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.

 

Remember those days of yesteryear before plastic Christmas trees.  The days of heading out with saw in hand, trudging through crunchy snow with Jack Frost nipping at your nose & making for purple toes.  Well, for most people those days are only a distant memory, but for the folks at, RVING: SMALL HOUSE...BIG BACK YARD those Christmas spirit days are still alive & well.

    

GROANER’S CORNER:((   Some of the old favorite singers and bands have re-released their great hits with new lyrics to accommodate their aging audience. Some examples:

• Herman's Hermits: "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker"
• Credence Clearwater Revival: "Bad Prune Rising"
• Marvin Gaye: "I Heard It Through the Grape Nuts"
• The Who: "Talkin' 'Bout My Medication"
• The Troggs: "Bald Thing"
• Carly Simon: "You're So Varicose Vein"
• The Bee Gees: "How Can You Mend a Broken Hip?"
• Roberta Flack: "The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face"
• Johnny Nash: "I Can't See Clearly Now"
• The Temptations: "Papa Got a Kidney Stone"
• ABBA: "Denture Queen"
• Leo Sayer: "You Make Me Feel Like Napping"
• Commodores: "Once, Twice, Three Trips to the Bathroom"
• Procol Harum: "A Whiter Shade of Hair"
• The Beatles: "I Get By with a Little Help From Depends"

 

--------------------------------------------------------------
EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
stargeezerguy@gmail.com
Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

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.

OFF TO BISBEE & THE BBC:))

The thought crossed my mind this morning to leave the cameras at home.  We were off to Bisbee & I already knew my hard drive was overwhelmed by waaaaaay too many Bisbee photos from the past couple years.  Fortunately I came to my senses just in time & threw the cams into the Jeep anyway.

 

A FEW OUTSIDE CHRISTMAS DECOS IN BISBEE

One can never take enough photos in the picturesque artsy alpine like setting of BISBEE, ARIZONA.  Set in the Mule Mountains this town has a character & personality all it’s own.  If you are a creative person you will understand & enjoy Bisbee for what it really is, & if you aren’t, you just may pass it by without even feeling or seeing a thing.  Always be sure to bring your camera to Bisbee though….regardless.  It is an ever changing kaleidoscope of changing photo opportunities.

 

THIS BISBEE CAR IS BASED ON HILLARY CLINTON

First stop for us this morning was the Thrift Store in the Warren part of Bisbee.  Kelly didn’t find anything but I found a new tail gunner for the back of the Jeep.  ‘Dusty’ our little yellow Shrek guy was needing a break & a bath so for 50 cents I enlisted the services of a cute little Bisbeeite pink & white Monkey whom I shall of course call, Pinky Monkey:))

From Warren it didn’t take us long to get our hungry selves a dozen blocks or so to another old part of Bisbee called Lowell.  It is here on Erie Street where time has stopped.  And it is here on Erie street where there sits one of our favorite eateries.  Just type BBC into our blog site’s search box & you will find out how much we like the, Bisbee Breakfast Club.  This is where we met Laurie & Odell from, SEMI TRUE TALES last winter.  Also met Motty & Patty from TRAVELIVING JOURNEY here as well. 

DOWNTOWN BISBEE

I really must get off my can & put a photo album together of our many times in & around Bisbee.  We just have so many great memories of this town & so many photos of it’s eclectic mixed bag of architectural splendor.

  

INSIDE THE BBC:))

From the BBC we slipped around to the northeast side of the massive LAVENDER PIT MINE where the very heart of Bisbee itself lies.  Kelly had a few stores to browse & I had an opportunity to wander around with my cameras looking for, ‘photos of opportunity:))”  Outdoor cafes, sidewalk musicians, some Christmas decorations & of course lots of Bisbee ‘characters’ wandering about.  This is a great town for people watching……& people photos.

 

THE BBC IS LOCATED ON OLD ERIE STREET

A later drive down to the San Jose section of Bisbee netted us a cart full of groceries at the local Safeway store I always comment about.  Today I decided to take my camera into the store with me & grab a couple pics of their produce department which I like so much.  Minutes later I was politely told, “no photos in the store.”  Ok, but at least I did get a few pics of their nice looking produce:))

PRODUCE DEPT AT THE SAFEWAY STORE

Picked up a small bag of dog food at the Cochise Animal Hospital near Naco & were back to our digs east of Elfrida by 2 in the afternoon.  Ten minutes later I was catching some mighty fine zzzzz’s outside under the big Arizona sun in my comfortable lounge chair.

  

THESE BORDER PATROL HORSES ARE SADDLED & READY TO RIDE

I remarked to Kelly again on our way to Bisbee this morning how lucky we are to rarely ever have any traffic to contend with on the local roads.  Everywhere we go is just a quiet pleasant drive through peaceful valleys & mountain surroundings.  No 8 lane highways, masses of traffic lights, no bumper to bumper madness, malls or massive parking lots.  The western frontier is still alive in many parts of the southwest if you just take the time to get off the interstates & expressways, away from the cities & urban sprawl & take the time to come out & be a part of life the way it used to be:))

   

A FEW BISBEE FOLKS

GROANER’S CORNER:((  An Afghanistan diplomat visiting the US for the first time was being wined and dined by the State Department. The diplomat was not used to the salt in American foods (French fries, cheeses, salami, anchovies, etc.) and was constantly sending his manservant Abdul to fetch him a glass of water. Time and again, Abdul would scamper off and return with a glass of water, but then came the time when he returned empty handed.

"Abdul, you son of an ugly camel, where is my water?" demanded the diplomat.

"A thousand pardons, O Illustrious One," stammered the wretched Abdul, "A man is sitting on the well!"

--------------------------------------------------------------
EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
stargeezerguy@gmail.com
Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

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.

HIGH NOON AT THE ROUNDUP CAFE

It is the mornings I like best here in the old West.  The sun clears the Swisshelm mountains a few miles east of us about 8 & floods our little pre-shadowed RV space with it’s soothing warmth.  By 9 o’clock the valley is steadily warming & I like to recline outside in a lounger facing the mountains.  Only heard are the sounds of Mourning Doves, Silver Cardinals & an assortment of smaller birds scuffling on the ground for seeds & flitting about through the pine trees.  And there is silence.  Just the mountains, the birds & the warming morning sun:))

A big thank you to everyone for all the warm comments regarding yesterday’s blog.  Much appreciated & I feel much better now that I was able to get a few things off my chest that had been slowly piling up.  It is always a struggle for me to keep my confidence levels up to par & I thank everyone for your encouragement.  Onward & upward:)))))))

On our walk this morning Kelly mentioned a blog she had just read where the blogger referred to the west as still having a Frontier.  That rang an immediate bell for me & I hope to blog about my thoughts on that shortly.

We headed off to Elfrida this morning to meet an RV couple for lunch we had first met a little over a year ago while staying at ‘the ranch’ over near McNeal.  Jerry & Suzy from OUR LIFE ON WHEELS have been steadily on our ‘Blogs We Follow’ list for nearly 2 years now.  This would be our 4th get together.

JERRY MAKES A RUN FOR IT WITH A LOAD OF BAKED GOODS

THAT BROWN BOX HOUSES THE LARGEST CINNAMON BUN I HAVE EVER SEEN!!

Elfrida’s Roundup Café was the high noon meeting place & it didn’t take us long to touch base & get us a round of burgers on the table, except for Kelly who had a Taco Special.   When done, Suzy & Jerry’s western hospitality insisted on picking up the bill so I quickly retaliated with some northeastern hospitality & bought Jerry a doughnut from the Roundups home made bake shop.  But, it was not to be my day as they later out did me by presenting us with a healthy portion of Suzy’s refrigerated turkey soup plus a book they knew I would enjoy by the name of ‘The Clipped History Of Pearce 1910.  They picked it up at Pearce Heritage Days a couple weeks ago & it is newspaper clippings of Pearce back in 1910.  Pearce is an old western ghost town & you can see our day there last year by clicking….PEARCE HERITAGE DAYS PART 1 & PEARCE HERITAGE DAYS PART 2

 

NICE FOLKS FOR SURE:))

Jerry & Suzy followed us from Elfrida back out to our digs here at the foothills of the Swisshelm Mountains.  It was another beautiful Arizona day so we sat out under a couple pine trees & had us real darn good chin wag for a couple hours.  Despite the Bayfield Bunch’s solitary ways & my sometimes cantankerous blogs we do enjoy meeting folks & renewing old RV friendships.  And so it was today with Jerry & Suzy.  Thanks for coming out guys.

   

Saturday morning we’re off to the Bisbee area to see & do whatever we figure is seeable & doable.

SEE Y’ALL LATER FOLKS:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((   John decided life would be much easier if he had a clone. So he had one made and sent him to work in his place while he stayed home and relaxed.  Soon this backfired when the clone came home and said he had been fired for making sexual comments to the women in the office.  John decided he had to get rid of the clone before things got worse. John took his clone to the top of a tall building and pushed him off.

Unfortunately, someone saw John and he was arrested and convicted for making an obscene clone fall.

--------------------------------------------------------------
EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
stargeezerguy@gmail.com
Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

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.

JUST SHARING A FEW THOUGHTS TODAY:))

I had originally intended this blog to go with my 1000th blog post last week but at the last minute decided not to post it.  Just got a case of cold feet I guess.   Generally, it is much easier to keep things ‘light & fluffy’ but as we all know, life certainly is not always light & fluffy.  I am a realist & that side of me sometimes bubbles to the surface in my blogs & I feel compelled to share those thoughts from time to time.  I guess this is one of those times. 

A blog can be defined as a ‘frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts’ so with that in mind I will go ahead & talk about some personal blogging thoughts today & let the cards fall where they may.

Right from the beginning, my blogs have always centered around the RV world.    Regardless of what I write about I generally always try to connect the post with RVing in some way.  I have also tried to make it more than just a Point A to Point B Travelogue or a personal diary of every waking hour in a 24 hour period.  Having now written over a thousand posts with our Sitemeter quickly approaching the 200,000 hits mark & with over a quarter million pages read I felt some folks might be interested in my thoughts about some of those posts….not anybody else’s posts this time, just mine:))

Looking back over all my blogs I ask myself some inevitable questions.   Am I happy about every post I have written?  No, of course not.   Would I go back & change anything?  Yes, there are posts I should have approached in a different manner.  My post about ‘blogging do’s & don’ts was a prime example of that.  My intentions were to help but the post stepped on sensitive blogging toes & ruffled a few feathers in our little RV blogging community.  In hindsight, I should probably have used a different approach on that subject or simply not approached the subject at all.   Incidentally, that post has turned out to be the ‘most read post' I have written to date.  I believe in my opinions but I may not always present them well enough & I know that has turned some readers away.  I was recently referred to as having an ‘attitude.’  Well, some days you are just not going to win no matter how hard you try.  Show me a person who does not have some degree of attitude about something & I will show you someone who has not yet risen from their sleep.  

I did not set out to win a popularity contest with this blog nor did I set out to intentionally offend anyone.  I may have some strong & sometimes unpopular opinions on things but I have never made it personal by leaving rude comments or personally belittling, ridiculing or been sarcastic with anyone in my blog.  

I have never been one to shy away from admitting mistakes & the blog sometimes becomes personal as my self doubts & insecurities occasionally make their way to the surface.  At other times it is my humor that takes center stage & other times it is the enjoyment I have for the RV lifestyle that shines through.  I also like to use my blog as a way to help other bloggers & especially  when I come across someone just starting out in the RV blogging world.  I remember very well how hard & discouraging it was for me in the beginning to gain a few readers & how nice it was when a few seasoned bloggers took the time & made the effort to reach back & give me a helping hand.  I have not forgot that & try to pay that forward whenever I can.  I like to think I have been instrumental in helping a number of fellow bloggers gain additional exposure for their blogs.   That is a personal ‘good feeling’ for me.  I also include others in my posts & not just write about Al every day.  And, that brings me to the ‘ego’ word.

Yes, I have been accused by a few people of being egotistical in my writings.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Yes, blogs are generally written on the basis of ‘self’ & that is the very nature of blogging, but it can be a very slippery slope for bloggers writing about their daily thoughts, feelings, opinions & activities & not be seen by some as egotistical.  My only answer to that is for those people who think of my writings as egotistical, to take a long hard look at their own insecurities!!

I have been criticized for ‘getting down on myself’ which is sometimes misinterpreted as negative thinking.  Sometimes this is true but a lot of the time it is intentional because I often use myself as a foil for my humor.  Better for me to make lite of my own mistakes, misgivings & follies rather than someone else’s. 

Referring back to the negative thinking thing.  Yes, at times it can be seen as that but more often than not it is simply realistic thinking, & by the way, those two words, ‘realistic thinking’ is one of the things that ruffles feathers out here whenever I refer to it.  It does not fit well with a lot of popularly held beliefs so I always manage to get myself into some hot water whenever I use those words in my writings.  Realistic thinking travels a very narrow path between the extremes of both positive & negative thinking.  Some will not understand or accept that statement but some folks will find hope in it.

And, by the way, some of us just hang out on different planets……..light years away:))

Since the advent of blogging I have been able to bring together my love of writing, photography & travel in a practical way that I feel benefits others.  I base that statement on the many thousands of favorable comments & countless emails I have received over the years.  I generally see the world as a very visually beautiful place & try to convey that to readers through my photography whether in regards to traveling across the country or wandering through a simple flower garden.   I know that when I do give up the blog someday, the cameras will just go back into the closet again.  I have no interest in printing & hanging my photos on walls, entering contests, or trying to market them in any way shape or form.  I love the challenge of trying to take reasonably good photos for people to enjoy on my blog site & that is good enough for me & quite often the motivation that will carry me through a ‘down day.’   

My Sitemeter numbers tell me I am managing to do a few things right with this blog despite my self doubts from time to time.   On frustrating blog days it is those numbers & all the positive comments & emails I have received the past few years that motivate me to keep the blog going.   And occasionally, Kelly has to sit me down, give me a shake & throw a pep talk into me as well:))

I have no doubt I put a lot of people off & lost some readers when I tried to drop our ‘comments’ section this past summer.  I am not great at spending long hours reading & dropping comments on everybody's blog every single day & that is one area of this blogging thing I have mixed feelings about.

One of my greatest blogging fears has always been of boring people with repetitious material so I always try to write my posts creatively & not repeat myself with the same old stuff day after day after day!!   

I’m sure some people think I post too many photos of myself or Kelly, the dogs, or our Jeep & Motorhome.  But, for lone travelers that we are, we are seldom around groups of people, RV Parks or people events.  To add perspective to some photos, I have to work with what we have, so quite often it is Kelly or I or the dogs who end up in the photos, whether it be along a mountain trail or simply lounging in a chair to convey a relaxing day around the rig.  Nothing to do with ego & everything to do with trying to convey the life & times of the Bayfield Bunch whether traveling or at home.  Not only in written form, but through photos as well. 

All & all, to wrap up this long winded & as some will probably interpret as, ‘self centered’ post, let me just say a big ‘thank you’ to all the readers out there who have taken the time out of their day to read about my thoughts & feelings over the last few years, to understand my ever changing blogging moods, to have a chuckle or two at my silly attempts at humor, to enjoy the photographs I so much love to take, & to maybe pick up a few tips on the RV traveling lifestyle we so much like, in an area of the country we so much love. 

And, while I’m at it talking about readers, let me add my apologies here to the folks who’s emails I have forgotten to answer & to the email address’s I have misplaced in our currently confusing crop of email programs.  Add to that my poor memory which continues to challenge me on a daily basis:(( 

And a special thanks to the readers who have read this far & had the patience to let me explain a little bit about myself & why I write my blogs with the thoughts, feelings & opinions I do……….. 10-4:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: ‘You stay here; I’ll go on a head.’

--------------------------------------------------------------EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
stargeezerguy@gmail.com
 
Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

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.