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Tuesday, February 08, 2011

DODGING TUMBLEWEEDS & MORE WORK ON THE BROKEN WATER PIPE

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR THE SWISS HELM MOUNTAINS

Had us a wind roll in about 5 a.m. & it stayed with us all day with some pretty hefty gusts. Wind warnings on the radio & at times parts of the horizon were obscured by dust clouds. Luckily our temps went into the low 70’s so it was a warm wind.

WE DO HAVE SOME STRANGE CRITTERS IN OUR EVENING SKY SOMETIMES:))

We headed for Bisbee this morning & had to dodge rolling Tumbleweeds all the way there & back. Needed to get stocked up with some groceries before hitting the road so we headed for my favorite Safeway store in the old San Jose section of town. I will miss my nice Safeway store with it’s soft lighting in the produce department.

WE HAVE GAMBLE’S QUAIL IN OUR YARD EVERY DAY…I CALL THEM ‘SKITTER SCATTER’ BIRDS BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY SKITTERISH

We knew this would be our last time in Bisbee today until maybe next November if we happen to roll down this way again. With the price of gas going the way it is there may be a lot of RV’ers not rolling anywhere. We drove up Bisbee’s groovy winding main street to the High Desert Café. Kelly’s favorite eating place but not mine. They don’t have mashed potatoes & gravy!! Bumped into our friend Paula & another lady. They were just leaving for a hike in the Huachuca Mountains. Had us a small pizza & split a Blueberry Cheese Pie & we were off for home. Slipped out the north end of Bisbee & then hooked back passing Bisbee on our left heading south on highway 80. Waved a big farewell to our favorite little town with a silent thought, “We’ll be back:))” And, maybe to stay one day….who knows.

A BISBEE FAREWELL

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By the time we got back to the rig Jeanie & Ray were here with the ‘compression valve’ needed for the broken water line. Took them about half an hour to glue & attach the piece into the line. Waited about 25 minutes for the glue to dry & then it was time for the big water test. Jeanie switched on the pump, Ray slowly opened the water valve, Kelly & Al held their breath and………..’SUCCESS!!’ The pipe & all it’s fittings held. I quickly filled up the bird’s water dishes & our fresh water tank in the rig……just in case. Filled up the old plastic cooler with water for the Wiggly Piggly gang & saw a Coyote there about an hour later.

THREE SMALLER BROKEN IRRIGATION PIPES WERE ALSO REPAIRED

With the house water back on we now have laundry access plus hot showers again for the few remaining days we will be here. All is well once more in Paradise thanks to the hard work & determination of Jeanie & Ray to fix that broken water line. Thanks guys:))

<<< HERE’S RAY FIXING A FENCE LAST YEAR

At dusk tonight Kelly spotted close to a dozen Javelina’s (Wiggly Piggly’s) coming up the lane browsing on scrub. We watched them for about 10 minutes as they slowly passed by the rear of the Motor Home. There were 4 very small babies in the troop. I should add that we are totally enclosed here by a recently installed Coyote proof fence so there was no danger of a confrontation with the Javelinas. If threatened they can be very aggressive & extremely dangerous with their razor sharp tusks. They can easily kill a dog if challenged. They should never be approached but it has been nice for us here to see them up close from a safe environment. We have put water out for them ever since we’ve been here & we do not find them offensive animals. However, if it were not for the fence I’m sure it would be a whole different story.

THE WIGGLY PIGGLY GANG……PHOTOS ARE NOT THE BEST BECAUSE OF LOW LIGHTING

Haven’t decided on a departure date yet but it could be any day now. We may head directly for Borrego Springs or we may stop for a couple days near Ajo Arizona. We never really know where we’re going until after we have got there sometimes. We like traveling like that. No agenda, no rush & no check-in times anywhere. Not most RV’ers way to travel but it works for us. As many of you know, we are not exactly your average RV’ers. I will write about that some time & tell you why:))

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Did you hear about the guy who stole a calendar & got 12 months. How about the fellow who signed up to be an organ donor……he really put his heart into it. Anyone who’s nose runs and has smelly feet is probably built upside down. Friend of mine just went to Cuba so I hope he’s Havana good time. And how about the Gal who married a TV repair tech. The reception was great………..

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The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward

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

Technorati Tags: Bisbee,Hige Desert Cafe,Safeway

Monday, February 07, 2011

IS IT JUST ME OR ARE THE DAYS GETTING LONGER:))

STAYING WARM ON A COLD ARIZONA NIGHT

I guess it sometimes takes those bad weather days to make us really appreciate the good weather days. And, we sure are appreciating some great weather days at the moment. We hit 65F under warm sunny skies again today. Perfect:))

MOST PHOTOS TONIGHT ARE PULLED FROM MY FILES

Jeanie & Ray came over from the Ranch this morning & tackled the broken water pipe in the properties pump house again. There are no plumbing supplies to be had in the whole Valley but Ray was able to scrounge enough bits & pieces to attempt a fix. Jeanie thought out, designed & engineered the project & Ray did most of the assembly & construction. I was there for moral support & comic relief. For the best part of 3 hours a lot of PVC pipe measuring, gluing, cutting, fitting, re-measuring & some grunting took place until all was in place & ready to be tested.

THE SECTION OF TODAY’S FIX THAT HELD >>

Jeanie hit the pump switch as Ray slowly opened the main water valve in the pump house. I was standing about 40 feet away at the time when I heard a Ka-splooooooosh & saw a spray of water arcing through the afternoon air. Too late, Ray jumped back from the wall of flying water as Jeanie hit the kill switch on the water pump about 20 feet away. The pipe had separated at a ground level connection & that was that, nothing more to be done. Game over for today until another major part is found.

KINDA FLUBBED THE FOCUS ON THIS ONE BUT IT SHOWS WHERE THE WATER PIPE FIX SEPARATED TODAY

A GOOD DAY FOR CLEANING MOTOR HOME WINDOWS

One of the Hardware stores in a neighboring town said they have a plumbing shipment coming in Tuesday so Jeanie & Ray plan to get the piece they need & be back for round two. There are still many people without water in the area. We are lucky to be in our Motor Home with water & washroom facilities.

Missed my photo group today but felt it was more important to be here in case help was needed with the water line fix. Hey, I was able to hand Ray the saw once….

We have re-thought our drive up to Maricopa to look at some real estate & will return that simmering pot of ideas to a rear burner until next time we try to get a handle on our future. If we didn’t have to return to Canada in March we could stay busy & live free right here where we are for a long time. There are other opportunities open to us at the moment so we do have some thinking to do regarding our future & where we want to spend it. And, enduring winters in a freezing cold snow oriented environment is not an option!!!!

Is it just me or does it seem like the days are getting longer. 6:30 here & still light out. Reminds me of a late April Spring evening in Ontario.

Looks like Joe & Nancy from RVing BEACH BUMS have been on a mission to see Missions over there on the west side of the mountains in southern California. And a nice drive to boot along the Pacific Coast Highway.

We’re not sports fans here at the Bunch so we didn’t watch the Super Bowl game but we did switch it on to catch the half time show. Didn’t take us long to switch that right off again. What a poor excuse for talent that was. Just another example of how music has declined over the years & will continue to do so. It’s all about money & marketing. Absolutely no talent needed. Same can be said for the chunky blonde singing the national anthem. Again, no talent required, just a voice akin to fingernails on a chalkboard & all the boppers go bonkers. Sad state of affairs in the music industry these days compared to years ago. Nuff said!!

Welcome to a couple new Blog Followers to day. I have seen MERIKAY'S name out here in Blogland for awhile & it’s nice to have her drop by. DnD 2015 comes in as our 225th Blog Follower & I see these folks are Harley drivers. Welcome aboard everyone:))

And what music do I have in my headphones tonight……early 60’s:))

MOONRISE OVER THE SWISS HELM MOUNTAINS

GROANER’S CORNER:(( And a few thoughts on aging……………

-I'm not aging, I just need re-potting.
-By the time you find greener pastures, you can't climb the fence!
-You know you're getting old when you stop to think and forget to start again.
-I have a million dollar figure -- but it' all loose change!
-My idea of cleaning the house is sweeping the floor with a glance.

-Take my advice, I'm not using it!

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Sunday, February 06, 2011

MOTORMOUSE TURNS THE TV ON….IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!!

WITHOUT IRRIGATION IN THE SULPHUR SPRINGS VALLEY THERE WOULD BE NO CROPS

When I go to bed at night I always leave the TV remote on the chair beside my bed. Motormouse always sleeps on the other chair but last night about 1:30 she decided to switch chairs. When she jumped up on my chair she flopped down on top of the remote turning the television on & of course I was immediately awakened by Vince & his dam ram jam Sham-wow commercial. Geeeeez, I hate that commercial!!!! It was 3 a.m. before getting back to sleep again & I don’t even think the little Mouse knew she had turned the TV on.

THE LATE NIGHT TV REMOTE BOSS

Already I am sad about leaving our great spot here in the Sulphur Springs Valley….& we haven’t even left yet. Happens to me all the time no matter where we go. I always get attached to places & yet with my restless nature I don’t like to stay in any one place too long. Can you just imagine the inner turmoil that causes a person. I can’t either but it’s a part of my life every single day. Always that urge to move on to new things & always that urge to just set a spell awhile longer. Awwwww, what a life. Aren’t you glad your not me:))

WITHOUT IRRIGATION THE SULPHUR SPRINGS VALLEY IS A VERY DRY PLACE

Another beautiful weather day as I cranked up an IPod Bose load of Cowboy tunes this morning. We had a semi busy time bustling about the rig getting things ready for travel soon. Soooooo nice to have our showers this morning. First showers in the rig since getting here last November. Boy were we dirty!! Ok, that was a joke:)) Up until the water line break a couple of days ago we had been using the nice big spacious shower in the house. I’ve heard of people taking military showers in their rigs to conserve water. Not me!! I’m like an Elephant in a broom closet with a trunk full of hot water flying everywhere.

SAND HILL CRANES FEEDING IN A HARVESTED CORNFIELD

This recent cold snap had the lowest temperatures in Arizona’s history & people are still without water in many areas. Here’s a couple excerpts from emails we have received from friends here in the Valley. (despite our Hermit like ways, we do have some friends you know) A friend from near Gleeson writes….”So we still have no water. Haven't done dishes in 5 days. Took a shower at a friends yesterday finally. Can't get the parts we need since everyone is in the same boat and stores out of stock. At least no more 1* degree weather. I am finally starting to get depressed. Southern AZ is in shock.” Another friend from Bisbee writes…."No water? Tell me about it! Today is Sunday, and our water just came back on this morning! The water in the tub/shower isn't back yet (wow, would I like a shower) but hopefully there is no problem there.....or
is there? We were scrounging water everywhere we could, and it wasn't
easy, since the whole town of Bisbee was out.”

ED from the THE PEREGRINATING GRAYBEARD over in Huachuca City says in his blog…."The first thing I needed to do was dump my holding tanks. When I opened the bay door to where all my pipes are I could see a lot more water than what I saw yesterday. This was not good!
After dumping I connected my water intake to the Park's water, which now had good pressure, and immediately had a VERY bad leak(s) at the MANABLOC®.” After that, Ed writes…''I got some good news about my frozen pipes. I tried the fresh water tank pump again this afternoon and it worked; it has taken two days with high temperatures of over 60° to finally thaw all my pipes.” Yep, it sure was darn cold in these here parts alright:(( Jeanie & Ray had broken water lines at the ranch as well.

When we leave our favorite area of Arizona shortly we will make our way over to our favorite area in California. We first discovered BORREGO SPRINGS in January of 2007 & have returned there every year since.

ANZA BORREGO STATE PARK is the largest state park in California. 600,000 acres, five hundred miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and many miles of hiking trails wandering through the wonders of the California Desert. The little town of Borrego Springs lies in the heart of Anza Borrego & is completely independent of the Park. This quiet & quaint place is a true gem in the rough. With stretches of desert to the east & the towering San Ysidro mountains towering over the west end of main street, this greening oasis in the desert has become one of our favorite places. Lots to do here with programs put on by the Anza Borrego State Park Visitor’s Center & the Desert Nature Center downtown.

EAST OF McNEIL ARIZONA

I particularly like the Astronomy & Photography programs. For instance, on Feb 16th there is a Sunset/Moonlight Hike. (‘Description says to join Volunteer Naturalists Ted Caragozian and Paul Larson for a desert hike to enjoy the sunset over the mountains and return under the nearly full moon to get a different perspective of the desert at a surprise location. Bring warm clothes and a flashlight.’) I like these kinds of outdoor learning experiences & field trips. Mentally challenging to the mind & physically challenging for the body. But, not toooooo challenging:))

SWISS HELM MOUNTAINS IN OUR BACK YARD

If you type Borrego Springs into our search bar at the top of our right hand column you can access my many posts on Borrego Springs. Here’s one I picked at random that had me out early one morning on a photography outing with a bunch of like minded people. BORREGO SPRINGS PHOTO HIKE. Coincidentally, it turns out to be the same day we met, WANDERING WILLY:))

It is the Desert Nature Store downtown that organizes the free desert Jeep tours on Saturday mornings so we’re looking forward to that as well. Yes indeed Borrego Springs, we will soon be on our way to see you yet again for another year:))

DRAGOON MOUNTAINS AS SEEN FROM NEAR McNEIL ARIZONA

GROANER’S CORNER:((

Q: What's the purpose of an airplane propeller?
A: To keep the pilot cool. If you don't think so, just stop it and watch him sweat!

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Technorati Tags: .Borrego Springs,San Ysidro Mountains,Perigrinating Graybeard,Anza-Borrego State Park,Anza Borrego Visitor's Center,Desert Nature Store,Sulphur Springs Valley,Bisbee,IPod,Bose

Saturday, February 05, 2011

IT’S BEEN A GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS KINDA DAY

FILLING OUR WATER JUGS UP AT THE GAS STATION IN ELFRIDA TODAY

The good news of course is how the weather has miraculously turned itself around. I think we had one of the best weather days since arriving in Arizona back in November. We hit 65F today & there was warmth in the air. Amazing how we can go from bone crushing cold just a couple nights ago to a sunny warm breezy T-Shirt kind of day today. And, even warmer tomorrow:))

NO MORE COLD WEATHER PLEASE………

OK, here’s the bad news. Still no showers. Ray slipped over this afternoon & was able to remove the broken water pipe in the pump house but realized a second end piece fitting would be needed & he didn’t have that piece. Ray & neighbor Charles headed off to a nearby store that sold plumbing supplies but there isn’t a piece of PVC pipe or related couplings to be had in the whole Valley. These past two nights of record breaking cold have broke water lines for miles & miles around & all the stores are totally sold out of pipes & fittings. Bottom line…..we still have no water. We are on a backlogged list for a plumber now but it could be sometime next week before he can ever get around this way. Even his answering service was maxed out. So, what to do.

Boon docking is our natural & preferred way of traveling so we always have a bunch of water jugs handy for refilling & it’s old hat for us to scare up a water source somewhere. This afternoon it was a water hose behind a small gas station in Elfrida. Kelly slipped into the station & asked if we could get some water & the owner said, “sure go ahead.”

FILLING OUR WATER JUGS TODAY

With 8 full jugs of fresh water we slipped back out to the rig & dumped them into our main water tank. Do we have a water pump to transfer water from those jugs to the main tank? Yes we do but sometimes it’s easier to just use a little elbow grease. We have enough water on board now for showers in the morning & how do we decide who get’s the first shower? Easy, we used our tried & true method for making decisions like that. We arm wrestled. Kelly will be having her shower first in the morning!!

HEYYYYY……..JUST FILL THE JUGS WILL YA!!

Because of this recent broken water pipe development we may change our travel plans slightly by moving our departure day up a bit so Sunday we will begin organizing & packing things for travel. Not exactly sure of a destination yet but we may roll up around the Marana area northwest of Tucson & Maricopa just southwest of Phoenix.

GETTING THE SMALL JUGS OF WATER INTO THE BIG TANK

In our travels these past number of years we always keep an eye on real estate prices in different areas. Sometimes we drive out to look at different locations & properties. It has always been in the back of our minds to someday find a secondary winter property somewhere in the Southwest. We noticed Fellow Bloggers JOHN & BRENDA from Alberta Canada recently settled on a place near Maricopa Arizona. A quick check on the internet this morning showed us it was an area we have been through before. It is centrally located to all areas of the Southwest we like so much & the prices for 3 & 4 acre lots with homes on them are unbelievably low. In fact, we were totally shocked at how much prices have dropped since we last looked at properties southwest of Tucson a short two months ago. It is definitely a buyer’s market out there. Anyway, we just might drive ourselves over that way & have us a look around before heading further west. We’ll see how it goes.

Joe & Nancy, over at RVING BEACH BUMS have just switched over to the Blogger format & Live Writer. We met them in Sunizona Arizona a week ago on their way to Pebble Beach, California. They are volunteering at the upcoming big Pebble Beach golf tournament shortly. Joe & Nancy are new to Blog Land but not RVing. These folks have done a lot of traveling & volunteering across the country. Their home base is Virginia Beach. Might want to drop in & say, Howdy:))