JANNA AND MIKE, A 100 MILE DETOUR AND THE VERY MUCH MOST WORSEST TRAFFIC JAM OF EVER

Despite Monday evenings fast moving dark ominous clouds we did not get any rain but winds in the night had us both awake early.  My day started at 2:30 a.m.

MORNING CLOUDS WERE DARK, FORBODING, AND FAST MOVING

We decided Monday afternoon it was time to move ourselves on down the road a bit so packed up and said good-bye to the sweeping grasslands of Arizona's Las Cienegas Conservation area.  Jell-O plans are to return again maybe sometime late October or early November.

We had the big wheels rolling by 8 a.m. under a heavy overcast of dark clouds and gusting winds.  A few on again off again lite rain splatters intermittently exercised our wipers a few times.

FOLLOWING KELLY OUT OF THE LAS CIENEGAS AREA

FOUND US A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF ROAD TO PULL OVER AND HOOK UP THE JEEP

Took highway 83 the short distance to Sonoita then turned left o 82 and made our way to Whetstone where we picked up highway 90 heading north.

HEADING NORTH ON 191 TOWARDS BENSON ARIZONA

IT IS RARE TO SEE A BORDER PATROL CHECK POINT CLOSED

Landed ourselves at the junction of I-10 whereupon we picked us up some gas for the rig and a couple McDonald's coffee for ourselves.  We were soon eastbound on I-10 heading for Sunsites Arizona.  Winds were really belting us in the rear as we made our way to the highway 191 turn off heading south.  We had a couple property owning RV Blogger/House Renovator friends to find.

ALL GASED AND COFFEED UP READY TO RUMBLE

We have known Montana ranch owners and fellow RV'ers Janna and Mike for about 8 years now and have become good friends over the years.  Mike and I, both only children born just 1 day and 1 year apart have a lot in common regarding our need and desire not to spend our time in the main stream of society and social functions.  We both feel the need to spend much of our time in quiet environments far from the noise and hustle and bustle of today's world. 

WE HAVE REACHED OUR MORNING DESTINATION

Rolled into Janna and Mikes somewhere around 10 and they were outside to meet us.  A tour of their recently purchased home renovation project was in order for their very first visitors….us:))  Lots of work ahead of them but I could right away see the great potential both inside and out of the house they just bought.  I was envious knowing what this house is going to look like when Janna and Mike are finished with it.  Major renovations are maybe not everybody’s cup of tea but for people like Mike and Janna and Kelly and I we can see beyond the obvious and envision what can be done with a bit of elbow grease and a headful of creative ideas.  Had us a great visit and we’ll be anxious to see how they have progressed by the time we roll through the Sunsites/Pearce Arizona area maybe in the Fall.  You can follow their house renos on Janna’s blog…..RESTORATION COWBOY STYLE

BYE GUYS AND WE MAY SEE YOU IN THE FALL

THAT’S THE COCHISE STRONGHOLD STRAIGHT AHEAD AND IT’S BASICALLY IN MIKE AND JANNA’S BACK YARD

We left Janna and Mike’s place shortly after 12 and made our way north back to I-10.  All familiar territory for us but we hadn’t been down in this particular neck of the woods for along time.  Always nice to touch base with so many memorable sites and favorite places for us.

PASSING THROUGH ‘TEXAS CANYON’ ON I-10

Arizona’s westerly winds were particularly fierce today which was fine with it pushing us briskly along……and then east of Wilcox we saw a large overhead sign flashing a warning!!  I-10 ahead was closed due to high winds and blowing sand and dust.  Traffic was being re-routed off Interstate 10 north 33 miles up highway 191 to Safford Arizona and then onto highway 70 back down to I-10 and this was just the beginning of the longest detour and traffic jam we have ever encountered in all our RV travels.  Wilcox to Lordsburg on I-10 is about 75 miles and normally takes maybe an hour and 20 minutes or so.  Our upcoming 100+ mile detour was about to take us 5 hours.    Heading north now meant the huge winds were hitting us broadside so needless to say it was a very interesting and sometimes exciting drive.  Traffic was heavy with probably 70% of it being trucks.  Safford was the bottleneck where everything came to a halting bumper to bumper stop and go nightmare and it took forever making our way through Safford to pick up highway 70 heading southeast.

LITTLE DID I KNOW WHEN I TOOK THIS PHOTO THAT JUST AHEAD I-10 WAS CLOSED

DETOURING OFF I-10 ONTO HIGHWAY 191 NORTH TO SAFFORD

WE SAW A LOT OF ROAD PERSONELL DIRECTING TRAFFC ON THE LONG DETOUR TODAY

YEP I-10 IS CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS ALRIGHT

WE SAW THIS TOWERING DUST DEVILS TRAVELING ALONG THE VALLEY FLOOR WHERE INTERSTATE 10 WAS CLOSED

JUST ONE OF THE HALF DOZEN AGGRAVATING TRAFFIC JAMS WE WERE CAUGHT UP IN TODAY

It’s about 65 miles from Safford back down to Lordsburg on I-10 and we experienced half a dozen slow downs and several complete stops with drivers getting out of their vehicles to stretch their legs.  Some of them were needing to use Natures facilities and did so.  Luckily for us we travel with our own bathroom.  A lot of these desert and mountain highways are narrow and very curvy so with streams of heavy traffic coming at us constantly on the long detour along with gusting winds a feller sure had to keep his hat on tight with both hands firmly on the steering well.  There was no putting the rig on cruise control then walking back to the kitchen to whup of a peanut butter and honey sandwich.  No Sireeeeeeeee not today………...

WE SURE DID GET TO SEE US SOME MIGHTY FINE NEW SCENERY TODAY

BYE-BYE ARIZONA AND HELLOOOOO NEW MEXICO

WHILE STOPPED IN ONE OF THE TRAFFIC JAMS KELLY TAKES PHEEBS FOR A WALK…..CAN YOU FIND HER??

it was somewhere around 5 p.m. before we had the big wheels back on Interstate 10 heading east.  That long wind infested hundred mile plus detour sure knocked the stuffings out of us.  We were sure glad to reach a familiar Rest Area 35 miles west of Demming New Mexico that we had overnighted at once before.

THIS IS OUR OVERNIGHT SPOT WEST OF DEMMING NEW MEXICO

Sorry I didn’t get my February 10th post posted this afternoon like I said I would.  We tried several times but it wouldn’t go.  Nothing to do with the 501 error but I’m convinced now that particular post is jinxed.  Kelly’s going to see if she can figure out what’s going and I’ll keep trying to get that darn post posted!!  I am so tired right now I’m not even sure what my name is…….

GROANER’S CORNER:((  During an ecumenical assembly, a secretary rushed in shouting, “The building is on fire!”The Methodists prayed in a corner.The Baptists wondered where they could find water.The Quakers quietly praised God for the blessings that fire brings.The Lutherans posted a notice on the door announcing the fire was evil.The Roman Catholics passed the plate to cover the cost of the damage.The Jews posted symbols on the door in hopes the fire would pass.The Congregationalists shouted, “Every man for himself!”The Fundamentalists proclaimed, “It’s the vengeance of God!”The Episcopalians formed a procession and protested.The Christian Scientists denied that there was a fire. The Presbyterians appointed a chairperson to form a committee to look into the matter and submit a written report.The secretary grabbed the fire extinguisher and put the fire out.

‘YAHOUIE LOUIE’ THIS POST IS COMING TO YOU VIA OPEN LIVE WRITER……FINALLY!!

For all intents and purposes we think we finally have our Open Live Writer/Picasa problem solved.  Kelly did a test post today and it published and I used Open Live Writer for tonight’s post.  Thanks to several readers for sending in suggestions on how to fix the problem and when we saw Sherry from In The Direction Of Our Dreams this morning had tried the fix and it worked for her Kelly immediately set to work on the 'fix' which only took her maybe 5 minutes.  Don’t ask me why we didn’t do it last week.  Here is the fix as we understand it..... ‘Open up Google Photos and select Albums on the left and click on Create.  Place a photo in the album.  Name the album Open Live Writer and that’s it.  Now go and try an Open Live Writer test post with a few photos in it and see if it works. Good Luck. Keep in mind this fix is for Open Live Writer and Picasa users only and not OLW and Word Press for example.


Happy to see a star filled sky first thing this morning knowing the Sun's rays would soon be bringing the temperature back up.  Cold night's here in these higher elevations of southeastern Arizona.

It was 8 a.m. when we all piled into the Jeep and drove the short three quarter mile distance over to the historic Empire Ranch.  We went early in the hopes we would be the only ones there and we were.  We had 2 great uninterrupted hours with the ranch all to ourselves.  What a fine place this is for several opposite reasons.  First, the ranch house, out buildings and corrals have not been totally restored which means most everything is still original and second, the ranch is not in such disrepair that it cannot be seen.  Walls in some sections have been stabilized and we think the ranch overall is being slowly restored possibly by a group of volunteers.  Just before we left a group of people came in looking more like workers than volunteers. and it looked like some improvements to the parking area were underway as well.

 





IN ONE ROOM I SAW THIS CRATE FROM TRANSYLVANIA WHICH SAID ‘COUNT DRACULA  IS AT REST DO NOT OPEN UNTIL NEXT FULL MOON’


There is no fee for touring the ranch and most ranch house doors had no workable locks on them so we wandered from room to room freely and for us that made our visit special.  No roped off areas, no rules or regulations like 'don't touch this or no pictures of that.'  Walking around the silent empty vacant rooms felt like the former owners had just moved out maybe a week ago.  And how lucky we were there were no groups of chattering tourists.  Each room, barn, or corral I walked through had only the whispers of long ago Pioneers and Cowboys.






I took a total of 182 photos at and around the ranch but not to worry I am not going to try and jam them all in my post.  While taking the photos this morning I had it in mind of maybe putting a photo album together in the not too distant future.  The Empire Ranch does deserve it's own album.  May work on that after we arrive back home to Bayfield.  Maybe before, we'll see.  Tonight's ranch photos are a smattering of what we saw this morning.

TOOK US FOR A WALK AROUND THE DISCOVERY TRAIL

THEY SURE GROW BIG COTTONWOOD TREES IN THESE HERE PARTS
 
MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK HARD TO FIND KELLY IN THESE BIG TREE PHOTOS
 
It was 10 a.m. when we left the Empire Ranch and spent the next 45 minutes checking out a couple Jeep roads either of which really led anywhere before petering out after a couple miles in the wandering grasslands.  We were back at the rig before 11 and spent the rest of the day in relax mode. 
 

Weather’s getting a little wonky out here in the grasslands with storm clouds and wind gusts moving in.  Calling for rain Tuesday but not sure when it’s coming but it just might not find us here anyway…….

So happy to have Open Live Writer working again.  Sure makes things easier and far less frustrating for me not having to use the Blogger format.  It comes in handy for a back-up and if it hadn’t been for Blogger I would have been dead in the water with my blog.  I can now finally publish my February 10th post and I will do that Tuesday in the early afternoon between tonight’s post and tomorrow night’s post.  Well that’s the plan anyway.  That post deals with Temecula California and the Escapee Jojoba Hills Park.

GROANER’S CORNER:((  One day in philosophy class they spent a great deal of time debating whether the glass was half full or half empty. After the class, one student was feeling pretty good about himself and what he was learning at university, so when he went home he tried to continue the discussion with his family.
With maximum drama, he took a 12 ounce glass from the cupboard and poured in 6 ounces of water. Then took it into the dining room and placed it in the middle of the table. He proudly asked his family, "can anyone tell me whether this glass is half full or half empty?"
Without missing a beat, his grandmother replied, "Depends if you're drinking or pouring."
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HUSBAND: When I get mad at you, you never fight back. How do you control your anger?
WIFE: I clean the toilet.
HUSBAND: How does that help?
WIFE: I use your toothbrush.
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John Smith lived in Staten Island, New York and worked in Manhattan. He had to take the ferryboat home every night. One evening, he got down to the ferry and found there was a wait for the next boat, so John decided to stop at a nearby tavern. Before long he was feeling no pain.  When he got back to the ferry slip, the ferryboat was just eight feet from the dock. Smith, afraid of missing this one and being late for dinner, took a running leap and landed right on the deck of the boat.  "How did you like that jump, buddy?" said a proud John to a deck hand.
"It was great," said the sailor. "But why didn't you wait? We were just pulling in!"

OLW PHOTO TEST

GOOBLE GOOBLE GOOBLE