Geronimo / Douglas Arizona

Yesterday I decided on a trip to Douglas , Arizona . Had to scratch that itch  to move a bit , down highway 80 , a few miles and enter AZ , afew miles further and I spy an historical marker sign , almost passed when I see Geronimo Surrenders , I'll catch this on the way back ! Down the highway the road streches for miles ahead of me with long slow curves and a steady rise towards the mountains , up across the pass and down to Douglas a nice little border town with some very cool stores and a real grocery store and even a Walmart ! Shopping done I headed back to Rodeo by way of getting turned around on  something called the PanAmerican Highway and spent a delighful hour getting turned around on the goat track that passes for a frontage road between Mexico and the U.S. The border guards didn't laugh too loudly and were actually pretty cool . NOTE :a PASSPORT is a good idea when dicking around in this part of the country ! Back on the highway I decided to fuel up , the only time you have too much fuel in the desert is when you are on fire ! Sipping on a fresh cup of coffee and tooling down the highway I see a sign that says Bisbee 22 miles , Oh shit ! Daydreaming again ! Turn around head back the other way soon a sign that says Lordsburg 74 miles , that's better , at least it's the direction I need . Back over the pass and soon here's the sign . I pull over and sure enough , here is where Geronimo surrendered  , it's hard to imagine what it must have been like back then , ther ain't shit here now ! Wild country to be sure , the explanation lays to the other side of the road , the road bed of the Southern Pacific RR is still visible running straight as an arrow from Douglas to El Paso . Yes sir arrest those red devils , stick them on a train to Florida ! The actual surrender was in Skeleton canyon across the way , and I did drive back up in for a ways , it IS NOT where you want to take a motor home , but interesting all the same . From what I see now there is plenty of room for everybody here now , but those pesky fences and mines do make it hard to live off the land . At any rate I snapped a few pictures and then returned to Rusty's and made a dinner of pork and sauerkraut a southwestern specialty I have mastered, today I believe a trip to either Portal or over to the Animas Mercantile is in order ....

 

Sunrise over the Peloncillo Mtns / Settled in again

Leaving Deming more or less on schedule , a leisurely drive across I-10 to exit 5 just beyond Lordsburg , onto rt. 80 for 26 miles and you are at Rusty's RV Ranch . The last few miles are all down hill or as Rusty's Dad tells me coming through the pass , weather was at it's best and with some Waylon coming out of the speakers the ride was too smooth . Arrival at the ranch and made to feel more than  welcome by Rusty and her Dad . I plan on doing a whole story on this family later , but I can say this is a really class operation , the nicest and best maintained the whole trip , huge pull through lots and sweet water with good pressure , lots of desert landscaping , fire pits for each spot and lots of little extras too many to name . Let's just say an awful lot of planning and work went into this place !
Sun is coming up over the Peloncillo mtns now and the Chiricahua mtns. are getting the full treatment behind me , the color changes on the mountain sides vary each minute , the Ranch is surrounded by these two mountain ranges and is well protected from most of the adverse weather , so maintains steady temps and breezes . I did a little walking around yesterday and I believe I need a book on plants ! Too many to figure out and they are all interesting , saw some quail and partridge on the grounds , Bob tells me there is a lot of wildlife that comes up close to the ranch , no hunting here either as there is an equestrian place right next door , lots of good looking horses and again looks like a class act .
Going to Animas sometime today , only about 14 miles , want a ride and maybe get to the post office .
Some pictures from the campground .....

In the Wind Again

Getting ready to break camp and do the shopping for all the little stuff I couldn't get in Terlingua , plus restock some groceries for the stay out at Rodeo . 
With any luck should be out there and set up shortly after noon and be able to give an update later today , just 8:oo o'clock here , so plenty of time to get all the chores done .While Deming seems to be a nice town , the place I picked to overnight leaves a lot to be desired , next trip here I'll find another spot , hopefully one that doesn't remind me of an industrial  complex or prison yard  Just isn't my idea of good living , and these people stay here for months at a time! Beside the Stalag13 lights their biggest feature is how great their cable TV is ! Oh Yeah I am outta here !
Stay tuned .....

Short n Sweet

Departed Terlingua at 8:45 , wind was blowing about 30 to 40 mph , I mean it was howling ! I made it through the mountains and to Alpine okay ,hooked onto the road [90] to Marfa , Valentine , and Van Horn . Keerist what a long stretch of Texas ! On top of the wind howling I don't think the temps got up to more than 60 or so , couldn't even roll the window down . I  got to Van Horn a little after noon and took on fuel and some truck stop coffee , then got on I-10 west to try and get the wind at my back . I'd planned on stopping overnite at Van Horn but couldn't see the point , was just too much weather to do anything . Nice ride over to El Paso and it reminded me why I hate cities so much , beside the traffic it's just another city with all the clutter and crap you would expect , after that the ride into NM was uneventful other than the stop at the border patrol station and all the guys came out and admired the big "A" , the old fella is older than most of the agents and they were impressed with my journey and the fact that the old motor home was doing so well . I also have to say that this trip today I passed through two checkpoints and the they were staffed by polite ,civil and respectful young men who did their best not to hold up traffic, just doing their job . Arrived Deming a little after 4 and did a drive through town then got a spot for tonight , it's only 7:30 here but I'm two time zones away from what I'm used to , and a little over 400 miles today . Time to stop and regroup .
One picture today , I looked at this mountain for the better part of three hours today on the way to Van Horn I mean this gives a whole new meaning to the song "miles and miles of Texas !"

Updates / Directions / Desert Disguises

Time for an update on my next direction , finding I had misplaced a week , I had decided to stay put here in Terlingua for another couple of days , the chili cook off not being till next weekend , I sort of settled back for somemore exploration . Cruising the area , finding interesting people and structures is better entertainment than anything that is offered on the idiot box . So trusty laptop fired up I started to look at the trip across the rest of Texas to probably end in Deming NM . First a stop in Alpine to pick up some supplies and a few parts for "A" if they can be found , it's amazing how much stuff you can break on these desert roads ! Plus the thirty year old bones of "A" are tired like me and what to other vehicles is a small jolt , for us is kind of like riding a bike full tilt into a plowed field! No matter how well I pack and tie stuff down I can find at least one bump that sends things flying around in the back like I was driving through a cat 5 hurricane ! But I am geting better at finding the smaller ruts and bumps , which is like saying I only broke a few bones the last time ! 
The first leg of westward travel after Alpineis across Texas 90 to Marfa and Valentine to end up over to Van Horn and lay up there for a night , if all goes well that far , head up the road to bypass El Paso and trek to Deming and Columbus NM . If you really wanted to, the drive to Deming can be made in a day , but I have no reason to hurry and I'm sure I can find a few mud puddles to play in between here and there !
Last night , I thought about the directions this trip has taken me . I started out to visit friends and maybe find some relief from pain my broken bones and arthritis were causing me . I've found all that and more , the desert can give you peace and  relief from all the everyday stress we have come to expect  from our lives . I haven't seen a TV in over a month , the news I have gathered is from the internet news services and most of it I just delete , the political scene seems even more of a farce than ever before and is generally not discussed much around here , might be if you could get more folks to ignore these pathetic weasles , they would actually have to perform their duties ! I find it obscene that so much money has been spent on a presidential election and the best I can do is have a vote of no confidence for the lesser of two evils . Fortunatately being out here the whole process has a lot less effect on the residents than in some other places , I think the attitude of self sufficience and taking care of things on their own is what makes me feel so good about this place , not to mention the beautiful weather and being so close to nature. 
In conversation last night I was talking to a young student from Dallas and the subject of the local people was being tossed around , he was surprised at the amount of history this area has and the people he had met on his first day in Terlingua , I had just finished giving him a run down on some places to go to and people to talk to and the bar tender interjected that the desert was a good place for disguises . Not only to the creatures that live and utilize camoflage for survival , but als o the people . You may be talking to someone that has an extensive formal education , a song writer or a bandido on the run , you can be almost anything you want , but be careful and don't burn the locals , there is a price to be paid for deviousness and lack of honesty . You want to leave the rat race ? Fine ,don't bring all your problems and insecurities with you , just live and do what's necassary to get along . You are not likely to impress these folks with any kind of story you can manufacture , I've met writers , witches , cowboys , pilots , a CEO of a major corporation , two different artists that have work in major galleries , an internet dot commer that reportedly has made millions , some Mexicans whose residency and entrance tothe U.S. was questionable , another felow was an engineer for BMW motorcycles and now lives out in the desert , you name it they are here . We all share the same shady spots and speak the same language , "leave me alone "friendly and a great bunch of folks just wearing their camoflage , you couldn't guess their occupation or identity by just looking at them . 

I like it like that ....

A Quiet Day

A very quiet day in Terlingua , the excitement of the weekend is gone , got the oil changed in "A" yesterday , so no big plans for today other than going to look at a house later on . I did zip over to The Trading Post to get a RAGZ roll up blanket . Made from recycled rags and is pretty cool way to make something out of what others would call scrap , while I'm not a green freak it's nice to use what we already have instead of destroying something else . Stopped on my way back on top of a small hill and took a few shots of the area , they give you an idea of how vast this area is , also unrolled the blanket so you can see it too .....

Random Bits of Wit and Wisdom

The weekend finally grinding to an end yesterday with the gospel sing at the Kowgirl's a fitting final curtain for most of the citizens that had to return to reality on Monday . Not your average Gospel show though , musicians from all venues showing their best pieces and of course some actual gospel songs were performed . A gathering by the side of the road for around a hundred plus folkies , bikers , hillbillies , hippies , drifters , druggies , dimwits , bona fide music lovers , retired executives , and a couple of cowboys . There were a lot of Adult beverages present and a healing process was being performed , it appears that Saturday was a bit harder on some than others . No harsh words , no arguments , just a bunch of good folks having fun and enjoying the day . I couldn't help but wonder if our two erstwhile presidential candidates would have been able to get in touch [ as they are so fond of saying ] with this crowd ? I don't think so! This bunch would have shredded them like so much confetti and left them babbling even worse than they already are . 
To steal a line from Bob Dylan , " Later on as the crowd thinned out , and I was about to do the same", the leftover regular hangers on of Kathy's were sitting and surmising their condition , I gleaned a few bits of wit and wisdom I'd like to share , I won't attempt to assign responsibility to who these pearls belong to , just enjoy and make what you will of them ;
"you know , you can train burros and horses to play soccer "
" if your hanging fence in West Texas or partying down in Key West it's best to start slow and then ease up " 
"hedge funds are on the verge of collapse , any day we are gonna see the market collapse "
" darlin , I'd rather share a warm Lone Star with you than have a hundred cold martinis in Houston "
" ya think he really got that drunk ?"
" I lost my oars on the Mexican side "
" purple mushrooms don't grow near the purple rocks at the creek " 
" he drive his truck down the side of that thirty foot arroyo and the only thing that got hurt was the goat in the back and the new tires on the front "
" there are some unfriendly sons of bitches at that border crossing "
" if you get tased at a club in Austin , don't resist . It just encourages the bastards"
" Bryan Duckworth and Vassar are the two best fiddle players ever " 
" I got some two bys we can jam under that "
" I think gravity is stronger over here , I cain't hardly get up no more "
" rodeo bulls are a lot bigger in the field than they are on TV "
" He roped a mountain lion off his horse , course he had a good horse and he had his pistol out "
" I ain't going back to that Boquillas , damn Sotol liked to kill me last time"
That's just a small portion I recall but the best one I saved for last . For those of you in the know as I teetered off to take my siesta I heard someone call out ;
"Anybody got a set of jumper cables ?!"
Gotta go ....

Drunken Flies/ Mean women / They Would Arrest Me / Desparate People

They would arrest me if I lived anywhere else ! This was my introduction to the conversation at Kathy's yesterday , one of the local "characters" holding forth on why he lives here . After a bit I had to agree with him , I had bumped into him on various occasions in my travels here and never without his trusty beer in hand , an old constuction hand , he's worked all over the place and has been in Terlingua for some time . The evidence of living a hard life very visible on his weathered face and snow white hair and beard , he continued on to explain about why the flies were so bad this year and that they were only looking for salt , he also told of his many experiments adding a little beer to their diet and watching them try to fly when they were drunk . I believe it's an ongoing study for him . He also felt put upon that so many bartenders were refusing to serve him , "used to be a man could go in any bar and get drunk! Now they have all these rules about drinking and driving and being responsible for getting me drunk . I get drunk not them ! They're just mean ! ". The meaness extended to the fact none of the ladies sitting at the table wouldn't get up and go get him a beer from his truck about ten steps away from where we were , after a short period Kathy came out of her kitchen and got him a beer just to try and keep him quiet , he was miffed she didn't open it for him ! Before you get the idea that this is some sloppy old drunk , he's not . His appearance is neat and clean as anyone else and he lives by himself in a small place and lives off the grid with solar power and water catch system . Other than the periodic blackouts and lost memories of the night before he seems to be functioning pretty well , and the ladies all look after him ! While condeming one of the ladies at the table for being mean and not serving him at some point in time she did inform him she knew when he was over served , he indignatly asked how she could know and she replied  "that when he came in speaking in tounges it was a pretty good indication !" he replied"why , because I'm just speaking intelligently ? "  , " no because no one on this planet can understand what the hell you are saying " was the reply . "You're just being mean " , you can see where this conversation was going ? While I wouldn't ride five feet in his truck with him , he really is a good sort of guy and does no harm other than transforming his truck into a deadly missle after about 10:30 in the morning . Just another day at the Kafe .
The park has started to clear out and the bikers and wannabes have headed up the road to whatever they go to besides trying to be something else for the weekend . It occured to me last night that they are really desparate group , what they try so hard to achieve and show their indivduality becomes just the opposite and they really are just another victim of corporate America using a cookie cutter to turn out the same old thing ! I can't stay to pissed at them for long , I've driven almost two thousand miles this trip and everywhere you look the interstate blight is spreading . We have come to accept bland , sameness as consistency , the day of striving to be noticed as being a cut above in service , quality and value has been replaced with , this'll do , it ain't great but it will get me by . Bikers aren't the only ones to fall prey to this either , I see the RV's and cars on the road and they all look the same , [exceot for the "A" which loks like a leper colony with bits and pieces dangling off it ! ] I can say West Texas has got a tight grip on me . The terrain is always changing , the people are extraordinary , and the weather is so nice it's hard to think about the humid smothering days of last summer
This week I think I'll be back on the road again , head up to Van Horn and maybe over to Deming . This last weekend proves to me I need to avoid the crowds , much as I'd like to report on the Chili cook off , I can't subject myself to that kind of crushing insanity and the crowds that accompany it . You will have to make do with tales of  West Texas and New Mexico and the people I meet on the road less traveled . Fear not , I think a return to Terlingua is in the mix ! The desert and the people here are conducive to living well ....   

Motorcycles / Music / Quiet Desert

I never thought I'd say this , I'm sick of the sound of motorcycles ! Bike rally in town this weekend , probably some of the most disrespectful , obnoxious dipsticks I've ever run across . The majority were trailered in and immediatly had to fire them up and make sure their straight pipes weren't clogged , since then a constant barrage of people who don't know how to ride , seldom ride [except on weekends or some event ] , couldn't do a long distance ride if they had to , a lot of them being over served or self medicated and thinking they are now ready for the Baja 1000 . It's no wonder people in general have a bad attitude about motorcycles , the display that I've witnessed so far is pretty poor advertising for bikes and bikers. Do they spend money ? Yes. Is it worth it ? The jury is still out on that ! I do have one bit of wisdom for these yahoo's : LOUD PIPES DON"T SAVE LIVES . Nor do they improve the performance by much , particularly on Harley's , good riding habits and proper maintainence will do far more for overall performance and reliability than a set of straight pipes .One thought I had was to make a recording of an engine with straight pipes running up and down through the gears and put it on one of those small recorders you could stick in your ear and have all the noise you want ! Keep the stock pipes on the bike and have your distraction too ! Just a thought . As my old Master Chief in the Navy used to say " Those amatuers will kill you ." Enough on that.

The other happening is the music festival , an ongoing event that draws a whole different group of people . As much talent as you can imagine with all different types and styles represented , from campfire songs to blues and blue grass and  some rock and roll. I've listened to several different gatherings and was impressed by them all . Good musicians and song writers , with some great stories to tell . As an added feature they tend to be Very laid back and really enjoy what they are doing .
A great thing about hanging out in Terlingua is you don't have to sit and put up with anything I've mentioned above , you want quiet ? Just get up and drive a few miles out of town towards Alpine ,  pick a road or head out to Terlingua ranch and presto-chango you are in such quiet , you can hear your heart beat ! The last couple of nights I watched the full moon come up over the mountains , with the air so crystal clear you feel like you could reach out and touch that big old moon ! Last night after the yahoo's quieted down about 3AM I went out and laid on the picnic table to look at the stars and observe that moon for awhile. The magnitude of space really closes in with little or no ambient light , it makes for quite a display . The only other times I've seen or felt like this were when I was far out to sea  away from any land mass and the only sound was the ocean slipping by . At the risk of sounding metaphysical it chases away a lot of demons and worries about everyday life . It has certainly made me feel a lot better ....

Lost Days / Cool Weather

It seems I lost a day yesterday ? Got up , did the coffee thing , went out and sat at the table and was joined by a couple other folks and the time just drifted away ! Suddenly it was after noon and any kind of rapid movement , was out of the question . The discussion broke up and every one sort of went another direction , while I had no great plans , seems the day just escaped me . Still waiting on a package from the homefront , it was sent snail mail and has been enroute for over a week now ! Gotta love that USPS ! My neighbor from Texarkana is thinking of taking off to do some business elsewhere and then returning for the chili cookoff , although the park is still not confirming they will have a space for us , I offered to pay in advance but they only will give me a week at a time . It's not real crowded now and they do have 165 spaces , but I reckon the cookoff takes precedence as it's their biggest deal of the year . Whatever , that's the nice thing about being able to pack up in ten or twenty minutes and hit the bricks ! Lots of places to go see yet and I still have the itchy feet .
Weather has been extraordinary , yesterday stayed a bit cloudy and last night had a few showers , has knocked down the dust and the air is so clean it hurts . Temps today are in the 60's and still overcast , but very comfortable . Actually put on a long sleeve shirt and pants and wore socks ! 
The little bit of rain has also changed the way the mountains look , lots of color changes and can see a few blooms of different plants , things happen fast in the desert when it gets a drink !
No news on the property hunt , just looking at all the options and learning more about the area , the people and basic services are great as is the cost of living here well within my range . One drawback is the medical thing , closest DR. is Alpine 80 miles away or regular medical for me via the VA is a two day affair as I would have to travel one day , stay overnight try and get through a day of Dr.'s and then drive back . At least a 250 to 300 mile trip one way . Seems a bit extreme ?
For now I'll just wait and see .  

 

Working up a Sweat / Invaded !

While I make it a point to conserve my energy , yesterday I actually got busy while doing laundry and gave the inside of the camper a good going over restowing and cleaning things up .Not that it's all that big a deal , I managed to work up a sweat , guess I should have waited till I got back to my spot and at least had a fan running or something ! As it was I was runnig late as I had stopped for brunch at Kathy's . Had a great pork quesadilla and some sun tea , relaxed in the shade and told tall tales with my neighbor and listened to a few from the local tale tellers , it's surprising how much time you can burn up doing that ! With clean clothes and a clean camper I can face a new week with renewed vigor and enrgy to get out and accomplish great things ! Yeah, Right ! More than likely I'll make it over to the spot I usually occupy at Kathy's and settle in again . Ther are plans afoot to go and peruse more property sometime this week but not a lot of pressure there either . My stress factor is at an all time low !
The surprise came , when I reurned to the park and found we had been invaded ! Little silver bullets all lined up . Yep ! Airstreams , about a baker's dozen , evidently a club and they converged here to explore the Big Bend National Park . The licence plates show they are from all over , and I have to admit they do look kind of cool all lined up . I can't tell one from another , but one Airstream enthusiast told me they each have certain characteristics that any one who appreciates them would know the difference . OK , fine , they still look very similar to me . The folks towing them seem to be a nice bunch of people and are sure enough having a good time . I love motorcycles but can hardly tell one model from another anymore . I can tell you that the "A" certainly stands out ! Must be his vibrant color !
A few pictures looking north on highway 118 out towards the Ghost  town , I'm still not real sure of all the names of the peaks etc . But you get the drift.....

Musings / Manners / Mornings in the Campground

Looks to be another beautiful Texas day . What a way to start the day with mountains in the background , a gentle breeze blowing and temps in the low 70's .Makes you feel like getting out and doing something ! Today may turn out to be another Laundry day and do a little tidying up inside , it's surprising how fast something 21ft long gets cluttered up . I work at keeping things put away , but still seem to accumulate an amazing amount of stuff I don't need or even know why I picked it up ?!
Yesterday was a kind of ride around and just look at different homes afternoon , a large variety of building types and materials are in use here and while I'm sure there are some kind of code and regulations , it's apparent that you can get away with a lot as compared to some of the other places I've visited . Homes range from ruins being rebuilt to campers , manufactured homes , adobe , RV's , busses , a log cabin , rock , and some site built homes that remind me of some I saw being built in Fl. There are some that peak out at close to a million and some that are probably on the down side of ten thousand . None the less they are home to someone , people here seem extremely satisfied with what they have . Many moons ago I lived in the Fl. Keys in a beat up old 18ft Scottie Craft camper , I cut some palm fronds and laid them acroos a set of driftwood rafters and put a couple of old lawn chairs I had rescued from  the "Sally "  underneath and thought Iwas living large !Even more so when I was given an old refrigerator for some work I did on some guys boat .As a result  I had the entire ocean for my front yard , lots of shade and everything I needed to survive and be comfortable It was what I could afford too, twelve years later that old refigerator was still sitting outside keeping beer cold and food from spoiling ! It didn't look like much but it worked ! So it doesn't surprise me at some the ingenious and crafty ways these folks make things work .
A word on manners and etiquette here . Recently another blogger made reference to some of the very places I've written about , however they made reference to the personal lives of some of these people , bad form bucko ! While I love to share these places with all of you I make it a point to NOT mention anyones personal life ! It's strictly business , if they provide or perform well I think it should be recognized , I make it a point to try and take pictures of places not people unless I have their permission . I really like these folks out here and they deserve a measure of respect , Their personal lives are none of my business and should they choose to share something with me that should be the end of it ! I highly recommend this course of action to others . Remeber what goes around , comes around !
Watching the campground come to life is a process that is always entertaining , usually one or the other of the team of campers [hardly any single folks ] walks to the diner and picks up coffe or breaskfast and does a slow walk back to their space looking around at this great vista , sits with their partner and share the beginning of a new day , might sound common place , but I think it's slicker than melted butter ! Sure beats screaming down a four lane highway to a job that sucks !Only two pics , one at just after sunset and the other is about ten thirty , can't wait for that full moon , it alredy is amazing !

Silly Saturday / Weather / Lookig at Dirt

Today was Silly Saturday flea market at the Kowgirl's . The attendees dressed appropriatly , silly was in the air !
Must be the approaching full moon , I dutifully showed up , but without the silly outer wear . Didn't find any treasures but was entertained none the less , trundled back to the site to regroup on my plan to drive to La Jitas today . Seems another storm pushing in on Mexico's west coast is set to bring heavy rains in the mountains and with the reservoirs already overflowing more floods are expected on the road from Terlingua to La Jitas , also up towards Presidio . May not happen today , but as a measure of caution decided to wait till next week .

I've made several forays out to look at various pieces of dirt for sale in the area , and while I'm intrigued by the prospect of having a homestead  , the right one hasn't popped up . Land prices vary widely and I've looked at property from $4000 for a 10 acre plot to $79000 for a 15 acre piece with a cover for an RV ,electric hookups , water catchment system and a fairly decent road . there are several small homes available for under $80000 and some nice places in the 10k to 20k range that with a little work would make a nice place to park for a few months and regroup , while getting ready to travel again . I don't feel any pressure anyway and who knows , the prices may come down a bit more if the economy stays down like it is . For now the desert and mountains aren't going anywhere and neither am I.
Earlier this week I received a notice to call my Dr. back at the homefront and in doing so found it may be late Dec. or even Jan. before they can get me an appointment ! Gotta love that VA ! I'm not surprised though , the government in all it's wisdom has given the returning troops from Iraq and Afghanistan five years to get whatever medical attention they need and then ??? Many of my problems didn't surface until I had been out for quite some time after that period of time , I'm thankful for what I have received and expect this will work itself out too. But these young men and women deserve better ! I hope they get it !
I got lazy on the pictures yesterday and here are a couple from the area around the park ...