Catch up post....

Our Location: Empire Ranch, Vail, AZ

 

 

Yes, we've moved. We had a few glitches but we have finally settled in for a while now. However I wanted to share some photos of our rainy day back at Saddle Mountain BLM and so this post will be filled with those photos.  Some how I missed counted the photos and paragraphs, and I have no patience today to fix that issue. Lots of photos in the first half and few in the second.

 

 It was so foggy we could barely see the mountains, and at times they disappeared. 

 Then it rained, and rained and rained some more. 

 You can see it pouring off the roof of the Igloo. I took this through a rain soaked window but you can see the stream off the roof. 

 

We left Saddle Mountain BLM yesterday, Monday, Feb 24, stopping at Saddle Vista Ranch to dump our tanks and Wintersburg to top off the Big Dog's drinking bowl. By 10 AM we were on our way because we only had a couple of hours to drive, around the 100 mile mark. The plan was to stay at Why, AZ for a couple of weeks but those plans didn't work out. No cell service from Bell Canada which teams with AT&T. So after a quick stop at the Why Not store, we continued our journey. 

 

 What appears to be a river is actually only a minor dip in the ground, it's just that everything is slanted in this area, a very slow gradual slant but it collects water easily 

 It tricked us a few times, looking brighter and starting to clear only to have more clouds move back in with more rain drops falling as well. 

 It's starting to break up now as you can see.

 

We haven't been to Why since our first year travelling to the southwest and one of the reasons is cell service.  We changed to Bell Canada last fall as it seemed to have better coverage of the southwest but I have to say, I'm not sure it's any better than our previous carrier. We parked near friends that year who had service with Bell Canada and could use their phone. Now being fair to Bell, we didn't try T-Mobile connections until we were a few miles out of Why, but I'm pretty certain it would not have worked anyway. So we've written Why, AZ off as a place to visit in the future. 

 

 The sun finally came out.

 

 

 

I love the drive between Why and Tucson. There are so many varieties of cacti to see. Prickly pear, teddy bear cholla, buckhorn/pencil, barrel cactus, saguaros and a lot more that I'm sure I missed while driving at 55 mph. They are just haphazard along the road side, very abundant in places. The Teddy Bear Cholla looking almost like a small forest it's so thick in some areas. The saguaros looking like matchsticks as they are so plentiful. I would love to stop and explore but yesterday wasn't the day for that. 

 

 One would think I could remember the name of this town as they are so few on that drive, but the truth is, I can't recall. 

 Riley liked the metal sculptures. 

A bug splattered window makes its self visible in some of these photos. 

 

 

A few places with slow downs as construction season is in full swing. Nothing too much, nothing too rough, and nothing too drastic. Tucson was a bit of a nuisance for a minute or two. The exit we wanted was closed and we missed the detour sign to catch it a bit further along. However we managed to go in a straight line for another mile or so and fix the problem. Yeah, we like easy fixes. 

 

 

 We stopped to check cell service, and had none. The Why Not store in Why, AZ.

The scenic route to Sonoita, AZ is a lovely drive but I didn't like hauling the Igloo along however it was much shorter than going all the way around to come in a less twisty, windy road. We found Empire Ranch easily as it was in the same place it was when we visited before.  However cell service was spotty on the way into the ranch house, so we dropped the Igloo there and with the Dogsled we ventured to a location where we have parked before. No service, no stay. We tried to go to a different area where the horse events are located but with a flooded road we decided to forget it. We called Dad from the area of the ranch house as there is cell service there, just to let him know we have arrived safely and will figure out the parking issue after the call. 

 

 

Saguaros, Teddy Bear Cholla, Prickly Pear, and on and on. 

 

We had planned to park just one night between the ranch house and the road where cell service is good but with a spot for group camping and a kiosk. A flatish area near the kiosk would do for one night, but I decided I'd walk down to the group site to check it for a night. There are two other spots not connected to the group site, and so we parked in one of those, we have cell service and are close to the hard top road. Bonus!! At this point we are planning on two weeks here but we'll see how we do with the wind.

 

 

Chatted with a nice young fella for a few minutes. He had the strangest tent. His mode of transportation was a bicycle and the tent was excellent for his purposes. It was about 6 1/2 feet long and about 3feet or so wide. It fit him perfectly with no extra space. It was high enough for him to sit up with no issues.  Pretty cool but I didn't get a photo and he left before I opened the curtains this morning.

 

 Kitt Peak ahead of us.

 

So we have now changed plans from staying in Why for two weeks to staying here for two weeks before moving on. We aren't certain where we will move on at this point but we will slowly continue our way east. 

 

Yep, that is Tucson, AZ ahead. 

  

Thanks for stopping by, we hope you are all having a wonderful time, doing whatever it is you are doing and being where it is you are. 

 

Until next time... take care, be safe, 

 

Deb

 

 

Change of plans, Sonoran Desert National Monument.........

Our Location: Sonoran Desert National Monument

We left Quail Ridge this morning shortly after 8 AM but not before we offered some assistance to 3 gentlemen that were trying to cut a limb from a tree on a spot not far from our spot. They were using an axe that was not making the job easy. I offered them my sawsall to use. They were like three little boys in a candy store, happy as all get out. By the time we’d finished packing up they had finished with the limb and returned my saw. 

 

The mountain views before we left Quail Ridge RV Resort, Huachuca City.

We changed our minds about our destination this morning and so instead of heading for Why, Arizona we came to the Sonoran Desert National Monument. We still have no cell service but I think we will enjoy this spot better or so we think so far. 

 

Views on our drive today.

 

We turned left on AZ 90 toward Benson, climbed onto I-10 West and travelled to Exit 199 which lead us to I-8 West. From there it was a straight shot to Exit 140, a left turn on to Freeman Road and then straight across the roadway, over the cattle guard and onto BLM 8009. We followed this until the T in the road, turned right and parked on the left just before the brow of the hill. A nice spot for sure. 

 

Tucson City Limits.

 The drive was uneventful, the kind we like. We had no issues getting into our spot and have a very wonderful view. We think we’ll be here for about a week but that is subject to change at any time for any reason. There are a few places I think we can walk while we are here and I think we will take advantage of it while we can.
 

A rest area on I-8.

 

We set up everything, and had to put the awning out to keep some of the sun off the fridge side of the Igloo. The sun was warm and we opened the windows, the big door and a vent or two. However before long we were closing them up again as the sky clouded over and things cooled off. 

 

Mileage signs along the way.

 

We started the generator tonight as the batteries do not seem to be holding a full charge. After all the checking I’ve been doing I think the MPPT control charger is faulty and will be having it tested when we reach Quartzite at some point, or maybe we’ll head to see Slab City to Solar Mike. We’ll see how it goes.
 

Sights along the way.

 

So again, no cell service but we do have internet and we’ll be keeping in touch that way. 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit.

Until next time… take care, be safe,

Deb

A little exploring today.....

Our Location: Coyote Howls Campground, Why, Arizona

A wonderful night for sleeping with the windows open. A full or nearly full moon kept the desert floor looking pretty bright.The coyotes yapping off in the distance gave the night a rather amusing bit of entertainment.

Looks fuzzy and soft, doesn't it?

Awake shortly after 3:30 am I spent some time reading blogs, writing emails, etc. I think today we will head out exploring in the area, checking out a few more boon docking locations. Iput in time on the computer until about 6:30 am and then started puttering around in my part of the Igloo, quietly of course. Finally around 8 am  Riley staggered out of her room. 

Wouldn't catch me setting a dish up in there.

I made pancakes for breakfast this morning as we were heading out for a few hours and didn't want to be overly hungry when we got back. A quick clean up and we were on our way out the door around 9:30 am. We headed north toward Ajo finding our way to Darby Well Road. We'd heard there was AT&T service there but we couldn't find it. We scouted out a number of boon docking spots but truly without cell service nothing in there was of interest to us. It's too far away from people if something should happen.

No idea what this is but I think Rick would like it for his collection.

We did chat with a few fellows, one a fellow Canucky from Flin Flon, Manitoba. They assured us that parking was fine as long as it was on an established road. We drove for over an hour, winding our way here and there, enjoying the sights and discussing the 'what if' there was cell service.  Riley didn't like it, didn't feel comfortable and so after that we just enjoyed the scenery. If we both aren't comfortable we don't stay anywhere. 

Pretty pink Cactus

The road we followed swept around and into the back side of Ajo. We kind of tumbled down into the little town, seeing numerous residential areas with a great deal of southwestern flavour. Many had cacti gardens, curved arches, wrought iron here and there, many rounded corners, and bright colours. Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures as we were busy looking for Olsen's Grocery on the GPS. 

Arizona Snowman....er cowboy man....er....cowboy mud man...

We found it, and I'm surprised to say we also found Olsen's Ace Hardware. It was part of the grocery store, with about 4 or so aisles of hardware between the groceries and a row of freezers along a wall. It was very odd. They even had shopping carts for each, small ones with Ace Hardware, and bigger ones like a regular grocery cart. Truly it was different. 

Heading toward Darby Well Road and the town of Ajo, Arizona

We noted a number of homes with Christmas balls atop of the cacti in the gardens. It was very cute and I'm sure when the sun catches them, quite a sight to see. 

Looks like he's confused on which way is up

A couple of beautiful churches along our drive in the little town of Ajo, we managed to snap a couple of pics but didn't stop. We had freezer items in the back and even though they were in a 'freezer' insulated bag, I didn't want to have them sitting out in the heat. 

Interesting as the middle two are touching in some places  but not growing together.

We didn't find Gunsight Wash today but we'll catch it tomorrow. Just to say we've had a look around and take a few pics as well. 

Just lovely to look at.

Home around 1 pm or so, we read for a bit before BBQ'ing lunch. Today was a green salad, mixed veggies with a squeeze of orange juice and a nice ham steak. It was pretty good if I do say so. 

The road we followed into the back side of Ajo

Tidied up, headed out for a walk. We didn't walk the entire perimeter but we probably dud a little more than half, so I'm thinking probably we've put in about a 1 1/2 miles today. We enjoyed some of the many sights here in the park. Each individual has a unique style for decorating their spots, we even found one themed for the beach complete with sea gulls, a pelican and mooring posts. 

Coming in the back door at Ajo....

We are enjoying the various types of cacti, and the interesting uses to which they are put. We've seen a few places that have placed empty glass bottles upside down on some bushes, I'm wondering if they are some kind wind chime to deter something from eating the garden. I'm not sure and I didn't see anyone to ask. 

Interesting looking, don't ya think?

On our walk around the park we checked out the laundry room, very clean, the machines are nice, $2 to wash (top loads only), very reasonable. Big drums so they will hold a good sized load. I didn't see the price for dryers but I have seen a few clothes lines around the park. The showers and washrooms are old and need some serious refurbishing as the hard water is playing havoc with the ability to clean anything. The rusty build up in the shower bottoms indicates more than just a hard water problem. Riley and I won't be using them, we both came to that conclusion at the same time and a look between us was all that was necessary. 

A very pretty church.

On our walk we passed George and Suzie, as they were sitting outside reading their e-readers and enjoying the nice weather. We stopped for a few minutes, George giving us good instructions to get to Gunsight Wash tomorrow and Suzie filling us in with regards to the Event Calendar we were given upon entrance to the park. Thanks again guys. 

Sunset starting tonight....

We trekked onward to the clubhouse and were amazed at the number of books they have there. We will be going through our own collection and perhaps offering up an exchange before we leave. They had no movies that interested us though. Their collection wasn't too big. A nice puzzle that Patsy would like I'm sure. Plenty of room to work on it. Doesn't look to me that anyone has done anything since George posted his picture the other day.

Then it went to this pretty sky...

Back home we slipped inside for a bit. I edited pics and then came outside to catch the sunset and it was amazing tonight. The sky was on fire!!! The coyotes were yapping off and on as it went down. Truly a nice night. 

The read increased and got darker....

I'm still outside at 6 pm with short pants and a sweatshirt typing my blog. I'll have to go in soon to upload some more pics and edit them as I used my phone for tonight's sun set pics. The door is still open, the vents and windows too. The temp reads 70F/ 21 C. A truly wonderful evening. 

And this was the end.....

So there you have it. Our day of getting out and looking around. Nothing earth shattering or life altering but fun for us and we enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by, feel free to leave a comment, or send money. Which ever suits you.

Until next time...take care, be safe....

Deb

Settled in City of Rocks State Park....

Our Location: City of Rocks State Park, Faywood, NM

Up this morning around 5:30 am MST (mountain standard time), read some blogs, made a few comments and enjoyed the quiet morning. No coyotes this morning, no birds shrilling and no dogs barking. The silent dogs was of course the best part. 

Along I-25 South between Elephant Butte and Hatch, NM

Cool this morning but the day promises to warm up according to the weather folks. Since today is moving day we won't be lazing around much when Riley starts making noise in her end of the Igloo. We have a few things to pack up outside, utilities to unhook, hook up, journey to the dump station and we'll be on our way. 

The Rio Grande River passing under I-25 South bound.

We noticed Patricia was gone when we went outside, I didn't hear her pack up so she must have left very early!

The wind farm between Hatch and Deming, NM

We were on the road about 9 am this morning after waiting at the dump station for about 10 minutes before we could dump. It wasn’t the waiting that bothered me IF the guy had of being using the dump station, but he was finished if he had even used it.  He was taking boxes from the back of his truck, walking them to a dumpster across the parking lot. Back and forth he must went at least 4 or 5 times. Honestly couldn’t he have just pulled out of the way up beside the dumpster? I finally asked him if there were two spots to dump. He said, no just two places to park. At that point he climbed back in his truck and left. I truly don’t mind waiting but to me waiting for him to walk his garbage to the dumpster wasn’t part of the dump station use. Sometimes people just amaze me at how unaware they can be. 

Those are chile peppers hanging there...

Anyway, enough of my venting. We were on the road after about 20 minutes once we managed to get to the pump out and rolled along to the edge of T or C in order to catch I-25 South. Since we had taken a jaunt down this way a few days ago we were familiar with the few things we were seeing. It was still nice with the mountains off in the distance. We weren’t on the Interstate very long, just about 30 - 40 minutes before we took the exit to Hatch, NM. What an interesting little place. It’s obviously known for it’s peppers.They were hanging in very, very long strings, almost thick enough to make a curtain. We stopped and went into one little place on what I think is the main street. There were some amazing items in this place, wooden benches (very fancy wooden benches), pottery, squash like things (the fella said they are used to make pumpkin pie but they didn’t look anything like a pumpkin to me). He had some gourds that are used as rattles or cleaned out and used to keep drinks cool. The peppers were mostly dark red with some lighter reds and yellows as well. There were peppers in the shape of a cross, a wreath, etc. It was amazing to see what can be done with some imagination. 

The fella said they use these for pumpkin pie.

Back on the road we continued along on this very interesting shortcut. We found ourselves driving past what must be a solar/wind  farm of some fashion. The solar panels went on and on in various fields, rows upon rows upon rows. Wind turbines were also present, turning very lazily in the almost non existent breeze. The backdrop of a mountain behind was truly a nice picture. I’m not sure Riley got a good one though, and I haven’t edited today’s pic just yet. In some places the drive was like being on a roller coaster, up and down, up and down, like bobbing on a boat. In other places it was flat for a very long way. The speed limit is much faster than my 55 mph. However we didn’t hold anyone up too long. 

We're heading that way. 

As I write this post tonight we still have not seen the little town of Deming but plan on heading in tomorrow. We have a number of things to do there. Pheobe our RV GPS has been very good to us lately, not taking us out of our way or anything, maybe when I threaten to back over top of her if she pulled any more crap might have scared her. ~laugh~ We can only hope so. 

A sentry plant at City of Rocks State Park. 

We reached our destination City of Rocks State Park in Faywood, NM (north of Deming) around the noon hour. It’s quite a site when you pop over the top of the hill and see these rocks below. Truly made my eyes pop wide open and maybe my mouth drop open too. It was unexpected to see it just there, even though we knew it was coming. For those that have been here you know what I mean, for those that haven’t, you have to come see it for yourself. It’s a beautiful park, with amazing rock formations that allow campers to park in among them, with picnic tables in among the rocks to shelter them and fire pits as well. Truly a very nice place to be. 

Interesting things made from chile peppers.

We pulled into the Ranger Station but were told to find our spot and they’d be around to see us. So we found our spot and chatted with the camp host, Bob,  who is behind us and the second camp host is beside them.  We got set up inside and outside. It was a bit busy for both of us and by the time we were finished I can tell you were both ready for some lunch. I made a green salad, added some fresh ingredients to some spaghetti sauce in a jar,  and made some cheese garlic bread. Then while the sauce was simmering and the pasta was cooking we enjoyed our salads. After which we enjoyed our Rotini with sauce, some freshly ground Parmesan cheese to top it off, and of course the cheesy garlic bread. I can tell you it was a good meal. I enjoyed it greatly. 

A small circle of rock formations near the top of observation point. 

After dishes and a quick tidy up we grabbed our walking sticks and headed out. First to the Ranger Station where we were told not to worry that we had no paper work on our vehicles. Since we reserved on line apparently we don’t need any. I found that odd but oh well, it’s their park. Then we were off along one of the hiking paths. It took us about 2 miles in a circle from the Visitor’s Center to Pegasus North Campground, and back to the Igloo. A very nice walk.

The view out our living room window. 

There are numerous boon docking sites here and the next time we come we will take advantage of them. Some great sites that we located on our short walk today and more up around the corner for us to explore another day. Riley seen a white board in the ranger's office that said the snakes are out so be careful. We were careful, tapping our walking sticks often during our walk. We will not be hiking without them while in this area. 

One of the boon docking spots here in C of R SP.

There is no cell service here in the park. We’ll have to drive toward the main road to get some or apparently spot 45 -46 has AT& T service. There is no park user internet either. Our Jet Pack Mifi plan is almost to the top but resets tomorrow so we’re good to go then. 

Our first sunset here in the park. 

The sunset was spectacular to see, the bright red looked like the sky was on fire. Truly wondrous. 

Pretty amazing isn't it?

Anyway, there you have it, our travel day. It was a great day, we enjoyed it immensely. While we are aware that the temps overnight will hover around the freezing mark, we’re fine with that as long as the days are warm. We have our heater, our furnace and I have no doubt we can stay warm. ~laugh~ In a few days time, Saturday in fact, we will be heading further south toward Benson, Arizona. However first we want to look around this area, see a few things, check out a few boon docking sites in the Gila National Forest (pronounced He - la) and the cliff dwellings as well. So we already have two of our 5 days here booked. ~laugh~ Doesn’t take long, does it? 

The sunset reflecting off the hood of the Dogsled as I make my way back to the Igloo after unsuccessfully trying to find a cell signal.

On that note, I’m going to be off. I want to hop in the Dogsled and find a cell signal to talk to my dad. Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoyed your visit.


Until next time…be safe, take care…

P.S. No AT& T cell signal that I can find here in the park nor on the road out of the park. I”ll have to try further along tomorrow on our way into Deming.