Fiddlin and piddlin

I had an extremely productive day ! Started out to do nothing and got most of it accomplished ! Actually I got motivated about 9:30 or so and started cleaning out the van and setting up my workbench , I suppose that could be an oxymoron " workbench ?" , none the less , got all the tool boxes out , set up the rock rascal , vise ,and air compressor . Took all the tools out and cleaned and WD40d them , set up the small bench grinder/polisher and tested everything out . Found the rock rascal to need some spacers to be aligned properly so I took a trip over to Animas Mercantile to get some and use the phone booth  to reach out and touch a couple of friends . Had good luck and got to talk to those I had in mind , all for one, and will go over later in the week to catch them .
Cell phone reception is iffy even at the phone booth ,but did get a couple of e-mail addresses I had been lacking .While I avoid TV like the plague , the internet still gives me more news and info than I really want , talking to folks outside the valley just confirms my thinking that I'm extremely fortunate to have found this oasis in the bootheel of New Mexico . I need to make a grocery run sometime soon but other than that I can survive quite nicely without the trials and tribulations associated with more populated areas . If I don't look at the news service for two or three days , when I check back in the same thing greets me , politicians are still jackasses , the celebrities are still ding-dongs doing their asinine posturing , the pundits , experts all , are still flogging the populace with their spoutings of doom and destruction . In other words , not much changes . I don't miss it !
Returning to the ranch , I found the whole crew over at the duck pond observing Bob's handiwork on the new cage for the baby geese .The little fellers need protection for a few weeks to protect them from the owls which reach reach fairly large proportions here . A pleasant hour or two was spent just watching the goslings and seeing how the other ducks reacted to the new cage . After this exhausting experience , we adjourned to the porch and sat in the shade to solve the worlds problems . Don't you feel better ? We got as much done as the UN , and got to eat ice cream bars and popsciles while doing it !
I trundled back to my spot , armed with a new bag of ice , got a big glass of ice tea going and plopped my old body in a chair to contemplate the mountains . Sat and relaxed after my busy day , along about sunset got the camera and took a few shots . Had some kind of crazy bluish gray haze going on , don't know if it was dust , smoke or what . Hell it could be leftover gases wafting about from the Hindenburg , What am I . a meteorologist ?
A couple of pictures ...
Stay tuned ......

Avoiding the plague / doing chores and a small rant

Da Flu boss , Da Flu !!! What lunatic stepped on the panic button this time ? For those of you who are remotely interested in my well being , NO FLU in Rodeo , there are no reports of any along the border , seems to be concentrated in urban areas . This is probably too wide open an area for the little bugs to congregate , if someone coughs on me I'll let you know , yesterday I saw all of about 8 people , all of them far healthier than me
A trip to Animas Mercantile yesterday netted me the spikes , washers and screws to assemble the outdoor table and secure the carpet outside the door step . While I was over there , took the opportunity to take a picture of the " phone booth " or where I can get a cell phone signal . A couple of other shots to show the country around Animas . Included in my gallery are a couple of business cards of local business that I frequent , they are not an endorsment , they work for me and are nice folks . The natural foods store saves me a lot of trips to points further away , they have a good selection of soft drinks , juices and even various coffee and tea . Need a pack of buffalo burger ? They have it , along with a bunch of other items to keep your tummy
happy !
The Rodeo grocery falls in the same category , a little bit of everything , gas , groceries , advice and a sandwich if you don't want to drive to Portal for something to eat . They also have a big parking lot where you can see some of the biggest loads you can imagine on a semi ! Just waiting for the right time to move on across the country . The Ice Raod Truckers have nothing on these guys , monster loads moving on public highways , they follow a strict set of regulations but are still VERY impressive to see !
Today , I believe more camp chores are in order , I need to lay out an area to make a small deck for the outdoor kitchen , set up a wind break for a grass growing experiment and then go check on the garden to see if the rabbits / gophers have left me anything to work with . That should do it !
Now for the small rant : Yesterday while visiting Bob in the office [ where the TV is ] I happened to catch this Glenn Beck on his program . While in the past I have watched this guy , I caution all of you Things are not what they seem ! If you go and do a little research on this fear monger / carpet bagger , you may change your estimation of him . Remember he, like all the other pundits on that evil instrument of ballyhooism are there for one thing ! TO MAKE MONEY ! Nothing wrong with making money either , just don't play on people's fears and naivete to do it . In other words tell the truth as it is , not as how you can sell it . I make no secret of the fact I detest most of TV's fear mongers whether they be Liberal or Conservative , if you play on other people and exploit their weakness , shame on you ! Much the same way as I feel about those who abuse children or animals , someday , somewhere you have to pay the price for being what you are !
Not that, this  will do much good , but I feel better . Go ahead and check it out for yourself , don't take my word for it !
Now for the pictures ...The phone booth

 Animas               

Catching up on pictures / changing stuff

Finally got the item I needed for my camera so went out today and took a few . Here are the results , plus shuffling the layout of the blog around a little to make it look better . { I hope !}
 Looking out towards the Chiracahuas

 Along Rt9 to Animas





Nearly sunset 






The results of a turkey on the Cobb cooker , whole breast wrapped in apple cured bacon .







     High desert alon Rt 9







                                                               

Old stock pens along Rt 9

                                                                           Rt 9 towards Rodeo








Just some views that are interesting , was so windy today it wasn't much fun to try and stand around to take pictures . The stock pens hold a fascination for me , they are a combination of old west and new . Built out of creosote wood , yet are as weathered as untreated wood would be . Colors range from a deep chocolate to a blondish nearly white on the edges . They may or may not be still usable , there are cattle ranging about , water tanks and dip troughs sitting there , evidence of salt licks and signs that humans have been there in the recent past . I obeyed the no trespassing signs , besides some very large creatures on the range , I was wearing light clothing and lightweight boots , there are enough Mesquite and Catsclaw to pierce a set of jeans let alone a pair of Khaki pants . Everything in the high desert demands respect , most everything will either bite , sting  or stick you purely out of self defense . The cattle wander through this mass of stinging , sticking , biting , burning botanical house of horrors without batting an eye . Which brings up the point , Leave these bovines alone ! When they swing their head to look at you those aren't the soulful eyes of old Bessie from the farm back in Ohio , rather it's the flash of a laser sight taking a bead on you . I suppose if you are on horseback or in a vehicle the situation would be different . However when you are on foot it's best to give them a lot of space , irregardless of how good of shape you're in , that 1000 lb range cow can lay a whipping on you that would have you in intensive care in a New York minute [which is only 32 seconds !] I did the only honorable thing , came home had a glass of ice tea and took a nap !
Stay tuned ...

Trip to Portal / Sunset and Serious Memories

A trip over to Portal was made to procure an espresso , just can't seem to get that coffee jones off my back !
While I was enjoying the pleasure of a excellent cup of espresso , I happened to meet Mitch , one of the owners of the Portal Lodge and Store . He and his two brothers have owned it for about five years , yesterday he was having the enjoyment of owning his own business by cleaning A/c filters , fixing a broken sewer line , dealing with fussy , unreasonable customers and wondering just what the hell the economy was going to throw at him next !
Ah , to own your own business ! Despite this he's a pleasant guy to talk to and in the course of our conversation I found out they had never had deep fried turkey ! Well now , I happen to be a turkey frying fool ! To make a long story short , I believe some deep fried turkeys are in the offing , besides that , perhaps some show off cooking and giving him some new ideas for his menu ! Might even get in the kitchen to do a little instruction , I guess I'm not as retired as I thought .
Meanwhile , back at the ranch , My propane tank showed up , I turned the corner just as Roger the gas man was finishing . I'm good to go for along time now ! As much as I cook inside I have enough propane to send me to the moon ! Or Lordsburg , whichever comes first !
The afternoon wore on and I decided to cook a turkey breast on the Cobb cooker . Seasoned with some Don's from Lafayette LA. a handful of hickory chips on the coals , tunes on and a cold beverage I settled in to watch the mountains and soak up some  New Mexico sun . Memories washed over me like a high tide on a full moon , places and people visited with the clarity of a piece of Baccarat crystal right off the shelf . It ocoured to me just how fortunate I have been to have experienced all of this and still be here to recall and enjoy it . When the sun dipped below the Chiracahuas I was cruising along with my good friends on roads not often traveled . While the last of the suns rays burned into the few clouds in the sky and the first of the nights display of twinklers appeared , tune after tune took me to a new destination of my life travels . countries , customs , people , and adventures unfolded on the panorama of the evening sky . A lot of good things , some bad , some sadness and some rejoicing , I admit there are more than a few of my old compadres I would like to have here now to see and feel this , however freedom ain't cheap , and some of the roads we travel are rough ones . I'll remember them and move on .
Hope you all enjoy the Jango jukebox , I have several staions I made and generally let them play most of the day . No radio staions here in Rodeo . So that's the majority of my listening , needless to say I wouldn't/won't pay for sat TV , that's one thing I don't miss at all ! I skipped the news yesterday on th internet and will do the same today , in fact since tomorrows Sunday I believe I'll skip tomorrow too ! Try it , it's better than drugs for making you feel better !
Stay tuned ...

Moving around / setting up / doing chores

Yesterday it was needed to move across the park . A new spot was available for me and will help me out in the long run , being semi-permanent I want toset things outside and get my outdoor kitchen in place and be able to plant a few things. needless to say Rusty was all about the planting , even got out the seed catalogs and made some suggestions , seems she would like to try some different plants and shrubs to beautify the landscape and is willing to pay for the plants if I take care of them ! Sounds like a plan to me ! The move itself proved to be about all I could handle in one day , the hooking up / packing up and unhooking unpacking just about kicked my ass .
The up and down / in and out of the van and trailer beat me up . I guess there are folks full timimg that do this every day or so , my hats off to them ! With the Azad , I just unhooked the water , sewer , and unplugged the electric and took off , with the trailer it's load everything up tie it down , make sure everything won't move too much and then hook to the van which by myself is a challenge . Although , I like the part where I can take off and go once I'm setup , the idea of hooking and unhooking is not what I had in mind for a relaxing way to live
I think I'll just stay here for awhile , say a year or two , see if I like it .
Just looked out the door and a couple of the big class A forty footers with toweds are leaving , while I'm sure they are luxurious living quarters , the idea of owing that much money terrifies me ! I doubt they are any happier or content than me , quite possibly I'm doing better , to paraphrase the Beach Boys from their song 409 " and there's one more thing I GOT THE PINK SLPS BABY " . It feels pretty good to have almost everthing you own paid for , part of my simplifying my life project . I may not have much money , but I damn sure got it made ! Now that the move and setting up is done I can relax again , will return to important things like listening to the mountains breathe , watch the dust devils play across the valley and wait for sundown , maybe have a Shiner Bock to celebrate making it through a beautiful New Mexico day .
Stay tuned ....

Good tunes

A way to listen without changing those pesky records !

www.Jango.com - Internet Radio

Trip to Douglas / Hats off to Texas

A spectacular day for a drive to Douglas to get some groceries and supplies for the trailer . The desert has changed a lot since I was here last . The colors are more vibrant hues of green and gold appearing , wildflowers blooming and even some of the cacti showing blooms . Douglas shows little sign of change , but didn't expect much either . I went to Wallyworld and as usual the Walmart zombies were out in full force , the vapors must have been particularly strong yesterday , haven't seen that many people zoned out since a birthday party in the Keys 20 years ago , but that's another story . The herd yesterday seemed to be focused on grazing the sales / two for one deals or just stood gazing vacantly about waiting for the walmart herders to push them in a different direction , I have a suggestion for that erstwhile little company , they could hire me ! My plan is to set up a chute just like at the stock yards and funnel potential shoppers through it , I could stand on the gate and cull the herd as they arrive , cut the slow /small/weak out and shift the young little ones into a special area for training or muzzeling whichever is required . Of course the mothers would bawl a little at first , but when the vapors hit them they would quiet down and quietly graze for would be bargains .I know that sounds a bit extreme but I didn't say anything about whips / cattle prods or stun guns , all of which crossed my mind yesterday.At any rate got my stuff and boogalood out of there , a quick trip through Safeway for groceries and back to Rodeo . Things had been pretty hectic for Rusty as some kind of Land Yacht Rally had pulled in and of course they [ rich or wannabe rich rv'rs with their monster rigs that aren't paid for ] had worn her to a frazzle I offered to cook dinner , cooked a turkey breast on the Cobb Cooker and made up some pearled barley with fresh roasted Hatch chilis . A couple of adult beverages and a plate or two of that and all was right with the world .
Hats off to Texas , I hope that those folks in Austin continue their quest to wake up the Federal Govmnt. If Texas keeps making headlines with this sovereignty thing , maybe those little pumpkin heads in D.C. will start paying attention to what the states really want ! Unfortunately I think there are too many states who will lay down at the government teat and plead for more freebies [ read more taxpayer supported programs ] believe it or not there are still people that think that all that money comes from somewhere other than taxpayers !
But for now You Go Texas !!! The eyes of America are upon you .Remember The Alamo , Remember Goliad !!!
Today is getting some chores done around the house day and helping Bob a little , just listening to some tunes while cleaning up and making a turkey chowder for later . The wind's kicking around pretty good , but the sky is blue , temps in the high 70s , and life as I know it is good !
Stay tuned....

Cruisin the gap / one by one / new horizons

A new  week , Monday blahs ? No way ! Arising at dawn to get that old sun coming up over the Peloncillo mountains I felt the energy returning that I had burnt the last few months dealing with Drs , travel , getting the new rig together , and generally feeling out of sorts. I lounged about for a while sipping a coffee and taking in the view and deep breathing the air that is so clean you wish you could bottle it for later . So far this morning I watched a covey of quail , couple of rabbits , and a fox at the edge of the park . Ah ,  yes I have a different space this time Rusty put me in one of the primo spots at the corner of the park . Looking out the door I can see both mountain ranges and the office area so I can keep up with all the coming and goings at the front gate , also is closer to where I plan to try and grow a small garden [with Bob's help! ]  , sitting on the couch in the trailer I can see the sunsets if I get too lazy to step outside . Actually I could do this three ways , sittin down , laying down or propped up ! Nice work if you can get it !
Today is a replenishment day will need to cruise the gap to get a few supplies to keep me going food wise , also needa couple of parts , somewhere between Rodeo and Lake City Fl.is a sewer hose that fits a 1985 Fan travel trailer , if you find it you can keep it , I am not going to go looking for it . I need a couple of fittings to redirect the water lines for better pressure and sonme small screws and nails , plans are being made to set up a workbench for all my projects and will stop at the mercantile to see whats available materials .
Last night friends Gary and Linda took me to the Portal store for dinner , I had one of their incredible green chili and beef burrittos and even managed an adult beverage or two ! They were getting in the wind this morning to head back to Fl , fair winds and a following sea , can't wait till they get back
The weather is gettng dramatically better , clear sky ,wind is laying down and the temps are just right ! You can take your pick what to wear , shorts , jeans , long sleeve or short sleeve , they are all comfortable .
Changes since I left , the desert is much greener , lots of work done around the park , looks real good , lots of desert plants in bloom , some new faces in the park / more new freinds   .
Glancing at the news this morning the usual insanity was observed , like I have said before , I know there is a lot of turmoil and trouble outside of this valley , it needs to stay out there ! Should the doofus people decide to come this way be very careful , first , you may have to cross Texas and they don't suffer fools either ! Then there is the high desert and it doesn't take kindly to people who don't pay attention to what's going on !  Just a heads up to those in the news that think you might be something special .
I'm looking forward to the new horizons for this summer , company coming in June and lots of projects to work on , some road trips to see some neat places and oh yeah , some professional kicking back !
Stay tuned ...

surprises and miscaculations

Well, the first surprise is this post is from Rodeo N.M. instead of Midland TX . After getting on the  road at noon at Rusk , the wind was still howling , blowing the rig all over the road . Sensing impending doom , I struggled on towards west Texas with all the zeal I could muster on such a day full of natural disasters surrounding my little cosmoclasm . Wildfires , tornadoes , floods and  drivers obviously just released from some unknown perdition they were sentenced to for wreckless endangerment with a motor vehicle ! There must be a college or some type of higher learning these people attend ? Why would anyone  attempt to drive a car , let alone a 60,000 lb behemoth at 80mph plus in a screaming crosswind of gusts over 30 mph ? Logic defies this action , but until I reached Big Spring TX that is what was going on .
Taking a short break from the crazies on the road , wonder of wonders , the wind layed down ! It was already late , so I decided to press on a way to perhaps avoid the full moon fever that had overtaken  America's highways , by shear miscalculation on my part , I wound up just east of El Paso , drifted into a rest area and took a power nap . At 7:00 am back on the road and blew through El Paso like quaker puffed rice . I can recommend this action to those who must travel through this city , early in the morning is much less painful than any other time of day .
However on the other side it was back head on into the wind ! A  big plus here was a little rain was added into the mix just to entertain our old fiends [SC] the truckers and wide open balls to the wall ding dongs who believe speed limits are merely a suggestion and these cars were made to be driven FAST . I was so relieved to be out of that nightmare , when I turned onto route 80 to head towards Rodeo I nearly succumbed to the emotion. A great reunion with all my friends and extended family at Rusty's followed by a great pot luck meal convinced me to attend to the business of catching up on my rest . In other words I finally folded ! A two day trip , yesterday over 950 miles then the trip across the corridor to Rodeo and I was Toast !
For now I am returning to the bunk and do what I have found I am really good at ! I have that mattress surrounded and I am going to hold it hostage until tomorrow morning !
Stay tuned ... 

laying up in Rusk Texas / should be in the wind today

As with all great plans , sometimes things have a tendency to go awry . The computer on the van died a slow death just outside of Rusk wednasday night , a search for a repair shop thurs. was successful , but had to wait on parts . I should be back on the road this afternoon and can carve a few more miles out of Texas  today, the weather is good the direction I'm heading , so barring further mechanical problems , the next report should come from around Midland Tx .Can't complain about Rusk , nice people and they really tried to help me on my way . I also missed some severe weather by laying up for a day , sometimes things happen for the right reason .
Stay tuned...

A long day / much progress / never been to Mississippi

I hit the trail at 10 o'clock this morning and drove till 7:30 EST . A long day but good progress made, sitting in a parking lot of a motel in MS using their wireless , plan  to drive on tomorrow and make a large dent in the miles across Texas . New rig handles well and I feel good about towing instead of driving the old Azad .
Later this afternoon I stopped in Coffeyville Al. and talked to a young woman of thirty or so who had never been out of Coffeyville let alone Alabama! Imagine Mississippi only 17 miles away and she had never been there ?!
In a later post I'll tell the strange tale of Sliam Narvoo the traveling New Zelander who's biggest desire is to be a  logger !
Stay tuned....

Getting back on the road

Almost ready to leave out of Fl. , expect I can make it across Alabama today and will try to make it into Texas tomorrow .
Although there is no rush , my itchy feet want to get going , that will probably subside after 600 miles or so , New Mexico is calling and I need to get back to the high desert again .
Stay Tuned ,