Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Friends, new, old and new old.....




Our Location: Empire Ranch, Vail, AZ


Today's post is a bit different, I hope you enjoy it. The photos do NOT match the paragraphs. I am simply telling you what I see when I look out one particular window. The photos are posted at random taken in about a 180 degree of view. I haven't taken any toward the road way that leads us to our spot. 

You know I'm going to tell you about the wind, right? Okay, I've told you. 


 Sorry for the reflection of the kitchen faucet. This is the mountains I describe later in this post.

This is the view when I look southwest out my window. 


Yesterday was a great day for us, we enjoyed a quiet morning and the views outside the window. Let me tell you about the views as I sit in my chair looking out. 


You can see the road beside us, it doesn't look nearly as orange when up close.  Way off in the distance is the mounds I can never reach. To the right is a stump, one of the many that dot the landscape making you think it's something other than a stump.


Those buildings are off in the distance as you can see from one of the above photos. This is just a closer view. The Empire Ranch lands do not reach that far or at least we cannot reach those buildings by the road we travelled.


The grass is a colour that would be hard to duplicate on a painters palette. It's yellowish/brown, but with dark highlights. As it waves in the wind it is quite literally a sea of grass as the long stalks wave in the wind much like a wave rolls on the ocean changing colours as it rolls. In the grasslands it starts off as a yellow/brown roll and as it moves the darker hues of dying stalks show in the wave, when it passes, the yellow/brown once again is dominant. Ripples I guess you could call them in a very light wind, but definite waves as the wind climbs. Stumps and bare somewhat stunted trees (compared to the trees I'm used to back in Ontario) dot the landscape, breaking up the sea of grass. 


 Not welcoming in the least, cold, stark, black with patches of white near the peak to the left of middle. 

The black dot under that tree is a cow. It is near the water tanks which are in the area to the left of the fence.



Here and there you can see black dots of cattle as they forage among the grass, looking for the green tender shoots that appear here and there. Under it all the dirt road ways when seen from a distance look almost orangish, or a very unusual shade of brown maybe,  not the bright orange of Alabama clay but a relative for sure. Upon getting closer it is less orange and more brown. An oddity for sure. 


 You can see that really is a stump. I doubt you believed me when I told you it was. See those mounds way off, I can never seem to reach them. 


This is the view outside our door. I took a series of photos of this view to show you just how different it can look.


It appears to be gently rolling hills but those of us that have visited know it isn't always the case. The washes that run through here present a different colour off in the distance. A patch or line of trees, that looks greenish in hue but you know they aren't. It's a trick of the eye. A dark line of brown or maybe grey seems to hover in these areas and you realize it's the top of the grass along the wash. The colour seems to be darker but it isn't, it just appears to be in the slanted view or maybe it's another trick of the eye. Beyond that is the lower hills or maybe mounds, are far off, I seem never to get close to them, they are always 'over there'. They are a darker brown than the grass but we would still consider them a light brown in colour. They are dotted with dark shapes which of course are more of those bare, stunted trees and stumps. Behind those mounds are bigger mounds, again they are 'over there'. Behind those are mountains. 


A closer view. I believe that tree may be in a small wash, but I haven't yet checked it out. 


The mountains have a look that changes as the light changes. Black, craggy, ominous looking hill sides that end in many peaks. Some with what looks to be snow at their top, but maybe it's simply lighter coloured rocks that appear like snow against the backdrop of such foreboding but majestic formations.  The sun's light changes the views with each passing hour, as the morning turns to afternoon and then on into evening the mountains while remaining dark looks less craggy, less cold, but still not welcoming. There is no colour on these mountains except the contrasting white at the top and black on the sides. 


 Closer still.


The wind is a fact of life here I think. Like a rock in the middle of the water, it just depends on the moment as to what kind of wind you  have. Due to the elevation here, the wind is cool, brisk, some might even deem it to be cold, and I think they would right today as the outside temps hover around 47F/ 8 C at 11 AM. Overall the area is beautiful, breath taking in many ways. I find it some how more lonely than the flat desert floors we've enjoyed for most of the winter. Inviting in a way unlike the desert, but stand offish as well. This is a place that would be easy to have a love/hate relationship with, I have no doubt. I suppose one must decide whether the love side out weighs the hate side, wouldn't you think? 


Can you see the darker grasses over there. A wash runs along that line I'm certain and one day I'll walk over there and check it out.


Yesterday also found us texting with our friends Deb & Tom (Celebrating the Dance) who are currently tethered to full hook ups at Quail Ridge RV just down the way. Riley and I headed into Sierra Vista for a couple of things before stopping at the Stinger Bee for a visit. It is always fun to spend time with this wonderful couple and we hope to see them again before they head out on the next leg of their journey. Thanks for sharing the warmth of the Stinger Bee and the wonders of friendship as well. 

Those are mounds way over there and they always seem to stay 'way over there'.

After a few years of near misses we finally managed to meet new old friends Ken & Shirley ( Seeing America with Ken & Shirley ). We have followed their blog for a few years but have never been able to be in the same place at the same time. Yesterday was the day it all connected as we all met at the Stinger Bee for a visit. They are a delightful couple, lots of smiles and hugs as we settled in to chatter. Seemed like we already knew them even though it was our first meeting. With a full house we didn't get to visit with Ken much but we've all agreed to fix that in the future. We did manage to chatter with Shirley some and of course truly enjoyed her company, she's a sweetheart! We look forward to spending more time with them in the future and getting to know them better.  Shirley of course brought a buffet with her. Thanks for the goodies Shirley. 


Ken on the left, Tom on the right, enjoying a nice cold brew after a hard day of touring and lunch. 

Another couple also came along to join the fun, Doug & Michelle.  Nice folks and they added to the lively mix of conversations. Perhaps our paths will cross again in the future and we will get to know this couple better as well.

Shirley, Deb & Riley.


It was 7:30 pm before we left to head home to the Igloo. Of course we didn't arrive at the Stinger Bee until 4 so I guess we didn't overstay our welcome too much. Riley and I talked on the ride home about how much better she seems at being able to meet new people and how much more comfortable she was with THIS large crowd. She is usually full of anxiety and dreads this kind of gathering. I think because we already know and enjoy the time we spend with Deb & Tom, that helped a great deal as she is very at ease with them. Since we follow Ken & Shirley's blog it's almost like she knows them a little and so the anxiety of meeting new folks didn't really apply to them. The only unknown new folks were Doug & Michelle and as it worked out, we didn't really chat with Doug much, only Michelle. So it was a much easier visit for Riley than it would have been even two years ago. Of course we knew Doug & Michelle would be a nice couple, after all they are hanging out with our friends both old and new old.  How could they not be nice?


Doug and Michelle, and in the right side mirror, Deb & Shirley.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your day even half as much as I enjoyed mine. 

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

Deb

15 comments:

  1. Love the way you described the "sea of grass". It reminded me of the wheat fields of North Dakota that seem to have a life of their own and dance in the wind.

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    1. Thank you. I always enjoy the views, and while a picture is worth a great deal, sometimes the camera can't capture what the eye sees.

      Take care, be safe,
      Deb

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  2. Thanks for the pictures of the area. I'm one that just loves the wavy grasses and surrounding mountains. So glad you were able to meet Ken and Shirley. I know they were hoping to meet you and Riley. Wish I could have been there. You did great getting the picture of Doug and Michelle with Deb and Shirley in the mirror. They look like a happy couple. Glad you didn't hit any deer on the way home in the dark.

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    1. I've been thinking about you and I'm not sure the White Lion would be comfortable on some of these roads here. You'd have to take the jeep and check it out first.
      We had a great time with the bunch, although we were kind of divided into two bunches and so didn't get to visit everyone. We've been close a few times with Ken & Shirley, and now we've managed to do so. Hopefully we can cross paths again in the future. It would be a wonderful time.

      Take care, be safe,
      Deb

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  3. Beautiful area where you are, wonderful description of it! We so enjoyed meeting you and Riley finally! We are looking forward to getting together with you next year and catching up for a few days! Riley is a doll, I really enjoyed chatting with her!

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    1. Thanks Shirley. We truly enjoyed meeting you folks and look forward to crossing paths in the future and spending some time together. Riley was very comfortable chatting with you and I'm sure when we get a chance to chatter more with Ken, she will be just as comfortable. Safe travels.

      Take care, be safe,
      Deb

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    2. Deb, she will love Ken..he is a very easy get to know kind of guy! looking forward to next year for sure! :)

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    3. I have no doubt Shirley. She gets good 'vibes' from him, is how she put it. We too are looking forward to future meetings.

      Take care, be safe,
      Deb

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  4. That's cow country! How we would have loved to have that much grass on rolling hills to feed the herds. Happy Riley did well with so many people ... it makes you smile!!

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    1. Yes Ma'am, it is definitely cow country and there are definitely cattle here. Our summer location is on the farm, which runs to pasture. So we are used to cattle around us and always enjoy watching them out the windows. Riley did extremely well and it was indeed a very good day!!

      Take care, be safe,
      Deb

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  5. I'm glad you had the opportunity to visit Tom and Deb again but especially to meet fellow bloggers Ken and Shirley. They are such a lovely couple, full of good humour and warm personalities.
    A full house is fun even though it does make individual conversing a bit more challenging. :) There's always the next time for one on ones. Take care!

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    1. We have truly enjoyed spending time with Deb & Tom this year. It has been a wonderful experience. We have been looking forward to meeting up with Ken & Shirley for some time and it just worked out that this was the time. Truly a couple that we feel we would enjoy spending more time with and plan on doing so in the future.
      For reasons of comfort we usually avoid big groups but things are getting easier and while I doubt we would do it often, it is becoming more possible on occasion.

      Take care, be safe,
      Deb

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  6. Loved the beautiful blue color of the sky than the grasses!! That looks so serene and calming. The mountains shaded perfectly by the sun add to the beauty of whole scenery. Glad that you both had an awesome meeting with your friends. Well spent day, dear!!!

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    1. Thank you very much. Welcome to On a long and lonesome highway. It is very peaceful here but for the wind which causes a sighing of sorts as it runs through the stalks but also causes awning toppers to flip and flap and on occasion our home to rock with the wind. However when one has a day without the wind, it is indeed an wonderful place to be.

      Take care, be safe,
      Deb

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  7. I could visualize the scenes as you describe them in your post. It is always a happy time with good old friends and music. A great way to enjoy. It looks seemingly different and hard to get through the daily grind.

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