On the side of a mountain

Adjustments & Observations

2011-07-31T13:48:00.000-04:00

There have been a couple of slow moving days this week, between the high humidity and general malaise associated with high humidity using me for a fence post, haven't felt like purging my mind on this particular endeavor.
However, the wheels of life grind on and a couple of trips were necessary to assist my friends at the Portal Store and Cafe'. Living on the side of a mountain sounds romantic and perhaps rustic, and it is, but when you are in need of most anything be prepared to travel a bit to get it. the closest gas station is 30 miles away, personal services such as dentists, dr's, etc. a good deal farther than that. Groceries and whatnot require at least a trip to Douglas, AZ and that's close to 70 miles in one direction. You try not to run out of anything if you can help it. Having said that, we ran short of several items and using that as a reason for going(I had run short of a few myself) I saddled up and went in search of needed items. Recently the preferred grocery store in Douglas closed it's doors, primarily due to it's proximity to Walmart. I really liked that store, it had a real butcher shop, a great produce section, friendly staff and was easy to get around in. Since they had no option but to close, I won't belabor that point. Going to Walmart is like having surgery with no anesthetic for me, I won't go so far as to say I hate them, just would rather crawl through broken glass to avoid going in to one.
Adjustment time. I began a search to find the items I needed and what the Store/Cafe' needed in other parts of town. In old Douglas there is a small butcher shop (A REAL butcher shop) I'd been in there a few times and had never given it much thought, that day I introduced myself and found that one of the butchers knew me from my forays into the store that had closed, soon introductions were made all around and I was surrounded by new friends! Learning that I was in search of items for the Portal gang the owner produced his license to insure me anything I bought was in compliance for resale in a restaurant, wasn't really necessary but went a long way in customer relations. They cut and wrapped the items I requested in front of me and then upon learning I needed ice for my cooler for the drive back to Portal, double bagged several large scoops of ice and helped me get everything out to the truck and get it packed. Try getting THAT kind of service at you know where! The next adjustment began at the next grocery store commonly referred to as the Mexican store, due to the fact it is across town and is patronized primarily by the Mexican population across the border and the families living in Douglas. It is in fact a large chain store and is very well run, the patrons do speak mostly Spanish , but then every body speaks Spanish out here! the store is very well stocked has a fabulous produce department and has all kinds of exotic and wonderful spices you can't find elsewhere, a Mexican radio station plays over their store speaker system and is unobtrusive and kind of fun to listen to. Need assistance? Ask one of their employees and they scurry off to find the answer or get someone to help you, no blaring announcement over the speakers, just go find the answer! I found myself talking to the assistant manager, about food, business. bbq, produce and the state of affairs in general and during our conversation at intervals he called over a couple employees and introduced me as "El Chef de barbacoa asado de Portal. A title of respect to a near stranger and brought the understanding of just what I was looking for a lot closer.
Shopping in this store is a bit different , the pace is slower and folks stop to chat and visit all the while casually moving up and down the aisles , the deli counter is a homing place for quite a few of the patrons, fathers and grandfathers and grandmothers sitting quietly talking, entertaining the ninos. That's right , very few children running amok through the store! What a novel concept! A family unit that takes care of each other.
A parting observation, what you need is out there, you just have to go look for it.
Stay tuned,

Desert road

It can always get worse

2011-07-27T21:59:00.000-04:00

Gathering up over the Chiricahuas and Cave Creek Canyon

I've said many times "it can always get worse", yesterday was one of those times.
A gathering of storm clouds early in the morning over the watershed for Portal and a drenching rain brought a flash flood down the canyon. While there were no casualties, the power unleashed got everyone's attention!
I made a trip out on the valley floor for some photos of the other side and found the video of the flood on line. With the tropical storm sitting out in the Gulf and the monsoons in full swing, things could get very interesting depending which way the tropical storm decides to travel. while I know my Texas friends don't want a hurricane , sure would be nice to see that storm weaken and bring some rain to those 3 million acres that burned not long ago. Might be we'll all get lucky! Stay tuned,

Peloncillo's in the lee of the storm

Sun has to be out somewhere, Peloncillo's just past Apache.

Flood at Foothills crossing Jul 13 2011

2011-07-26T11:57:00.000-04:00

The rains keep coming, & a small flood

2011-07-26T11:54:00.000-04:00

It's finally what the South-westerners call the monsoon season. rain nearly every afternoon with some of the clouds doing their impressive buildup towering over the mountain tops loading up with moisture and then dropping back to the ridge lines and peaks, then bursting open to drop cascades of precipitation on the parched earth and rock .
Soot and debris sloughing off the mountain into the canyons and creek beds in a torrent of blackened muck, raging along until it finds escape onto the desert floor , water disappearing, leaving a trail of new boulders, rocks and dead wood . Not a pretty sight although impressive to see, natures way of cleansing the burnt areas after the fire. Even now there is evidence of new growth with patches of green showing , mesquite and conifers showing signs of new life. The chinaberry tree in the neighbor's yard so green it looks like St. Patty's day on steroids, some blades of grass peeking up and all is set off nicely by the brilliant yellow of sand bags piled hither and yon to keep the whole thing from washing down to the Mexican border! A nice bit of feng-shui to balance the chaotic event. Other than the high humidity making my personal life miserable I kind of like to watch it all happen.
I did get out and about and took a few pictures the other day just before one of these cloud bursts and also have a video taken by our neighbor Helen Schneider a local real estate agent. Not as bad as some places but it will give you an idea of the suddenness and violence these thing are capable of. Strangely enough there are signs everywhere warning you not to drive in these dips and arroyos and low spots, there are always a few that don't believe and have to touch the aint to see if it's really wet! sometimes they escape harm, sometimes they get scraped up with a putty knife.
Stay tuned,

I stand accused! Worry not.

2011-07-23T12:48:00.000-04:00

A polite conversation with an outsider (one who lives in an urban area) managed to bring my gentle sensitivities to a near boil. This person had the audacity to declare and accuse ME of abject cynicism!
I do try and be objective and fair and was frightfully hurt as I informed this person that, I have lived long enough and studied enough history and read more than the average to feel my position and views were correct. This may have been more effective had I not been sitting on their chest at the time. Not really just kidding! Although the thought did cross my mind. I always find it amusing to find someone who feels like all will be right with the world if we can just get the government to throw more of our money at the problem. When queried "what do I think?", I replied, I want to see some people in charge with callouses on their hands, not some product of a political science degree in know nothing other than what was in a book. It's time the folks in charge actually had some practical experience in living and making a living and actually WORKING. I realize that's a foreign concept for any politician but it's a thought.
Wouldn't it be fun to take some of these dipsticks out of their ivory tower and stick them in a classroom full of kids and say "here you go , you teach'em" or out on a construction site swinging a framing hammer. Perhaps out on a farm humping bales of hay around in the summer heat, or in a fast food place flipping burgers or frying chicken . All of this of course at minimum wage or more appropriately for room and board! Oh and by the way don't forget to pay your taxes and SS !
We can dream can't we?
On a lighter side here on the mountain we are getting a bit of rain, the music is playing and life is pretty damn good. I've been trimming back a pomegranate tree and last night while grilling some sausage added a few bits of the wood to the charcoal. The result was wonderful , a nice taste, kind of different and tangy . A nice change from the hickory I usually use. If you don't happen to have a pomegranate to chop down , come see me and I can fix you up with a bagful. I have a bunch of it.
I related my trip to Douglas and some of the things we were cooking for the weekend , here are a few pics of the results,

Berry Salad

Green Chile Cheeseburger

Homemade mushroom filled ravioli with creamy sun dried tomato sauce


Portal Pulled Pork with Spanish rice and Caribbean Black beans


Very Berry Grilled Chicken Salad

A nice job by the "Portal Crew". As for the accusation and slight rise in my blood pressure worry not , this is how I got to end my day, stay tuned,

a Real good day!

Black beans, Smoked Pork and an answer

2011-07-20T11:42:00.000-04:00

Getting ready to fire up the Trooper and make a grocery run to Douglas. That time again a little money in the bank and time to re-provision for a couple weeks. black beans are on the top of the shopping list, by popular request a pot of black beans a la' Jim on the menu for this weekend, along with pulled pork and some homemade Spanish rice. Other specials include homemade raviolis stuffed with mushrooms and ricotta cheese with a creamy sun dried tomato sauce, and the Sterling rib eye steak(hand cut of course). hopefully , if my computer skills are up to it, there will be a new web page just for the Portal Store and Cafe' in the near future. I have it started and will be able to give a blow by blow account of menus, recipes, and the general goings on here.
An answer for one of my friends who asked why they didn't get a link to the blog after I had sent the first round out. If you want to see what craziness I'm up to there is a place you can subscribe to the blog on the sidebar and it will send the blog to you when I up date it, or just add it to your favorites list on whatever browser you happen to be using. You may notice there are no ads on this thing, I tried it when I first started and found I had no control over the content, the little bit of money that came from the ads surely didn't make up for the aggravation of seeing something pushed on my small group of friends and followers that I personally found offensive. so now if you see a link or recommendation here it's because I used it or have found the people involved are trustworthy. I don't receive any compensation from these folks, wouldn't put it in if I didn't like them or find the products/services reliable.
On the bizzaro front today, I read the news this morning and the Casey Anthony thing is slowly fading from the front page. Now the Elvis-like sightings are spotting her all over the map. My word on this nutcake and to those who have nothing better to do Patience/Karma/Darkness. Somebody always pays, now or later. Nuff said.
The local news is we are still in the monsoon season and are getting the much needed rain to cleanse the fire areas, so far no floods but the temps are reduced and unfortunately for me the humidity is up. Hit 35% the other day and thought my hips had frozen up! You get used to that moisture being down in the teens all the time, any little change is noticeable. The Park Service has re-opened the lower canyon at Cave Creek, and while there is still no camping allowed, you can go quite a ways up and some trails are open. Birds seem abundant, lots of small animals moving about and looks like eventually things will return to normal. The other side and the road over the mountain is still closed and is in bad shape. a lot of work needed before that area is available again. I'm not sure but I believe Masai point is open, will check with our friend Ron at the visitors center and let everyone know.
The road is calling, need to get across that desert before it gets too hot. Stay tuned.

Some pics of cooking large in the Caja China Box, 70lbs of prime rib, 80 lbs of 1/2 chickens, Mitch Webster(owner of the Portal store) and Chef Jeff handling the food.

A little music from Sue Burkhart with some of my photos.

Early start

2011-07-18T10:32:00.000-04:00

Waking up to pain always sucks! You can either lay in and wallow in it or get up and manage it. Today I got my carcass out of bed and managed it. A pot of coffee, get the door and windows open get some of that clean mountain air moving through the place and click on the computer.
One glance at the news on the net and I started feeling better, seems the rest of the world is a whole lot worse off than I am. Mornings like this I'm grateful for no television, the printed news is bad enough! I subscribe to several newspapers online from East coast to West and none of them had anything resembling good news or at the very least something positive. Just a casual observation, sex and tragedy sells newspapers and advertising. On the positive side, after perusing this collection of catastrophes, disasters, and mishaps, I was able to manage the pain factor down quite a bit and face the day with a better attitude!
By the by , what the hell is misspoke ? I saw that at least a half dozen times in scanning the political news and can't seem to remember that word in spelling class in school ! I do remember lie, liar, prevarication, don't know what I'm talking about, and bullshit artist (I learned that last one at recess). I tremble with anticipation should a politician come out and tell the truth or at least say I don't know , let me find out.
At least this was the view from my front door and window this morning,

It's not at all bad having this greet you in the morning. The sky shot through the branches of the tree happens to be a pomegranate, got nailed in the bad freeze last winter and hasn't recovered, green at the bottom but needs trimming back. Some nice wood in there, wonder how it would do in my smoker? Anybody know , send me a message.
Another positive note the much needed rains have been gentle and no floods so far, hopefully we will continue to get a bit more to help the area recover and regrow.
Sometimes my brain seizes up or perhaps it's just that getting older syndrome of CRS , but one of the things coming up in Portal is Irish music week, around Columbus day in October. It's not my gig, I'll only be helping with the food for the Portal Cafe', but here's a link, http://portalmusicweek.com/ should be some great music as the people running the show plan on having evening jam sessions and some of the instructors are scheduled to perform.
Going to get moving and sprint over to the kitchen to see if I can create some havoc over there.

Creeping along at a blistering pace.

2011-07-17T10:33:00.001-04:00

A brilliant Sunday morning, the sun popping up over the Peloncillo mountains bringing light to the valley and our mountainside on the Chiricahua's. By 6a.m. birds already busy outside the window, their early morning start up gets me rolling towards the coffee pot. I am known for responding to people when they ask me how I'm doing.
"above ground , walking around, doing what I do best, aggravating people". Birds seem to have the same attitude. They just get on with their business and let the day get going.
I have to tell you it's pretty hard to have a bad start to your day when this is what you see when you first wake up,

Sunrise over the Peloncillo's at Antelope pass. Admittedly the beginning of a hot, dry day but sure is nice to see.
Today's agenda , besides getting an hour or two of practice in, need to work on the coming weekend's menu for the cafe', and get the small smoker going and do some chicken leg quarters for some weekly specials. I had planned on doing some reach out and touch someone calling but got that out of the way yesterday.
My last post I mentioned my great friend Ed Vadas, he is a legendary musician from MA. For ten years his band played at Key Colony Inn at Key Colony Beach on St. Patrick;s day , (also happens to be my birthday) some very serious partying was done and Ed renamed the event "the St. Patty's day massacree" , an entire day full of music by some of the best musicians in all of the Florida Keys , topped of with Ed Vadas's Fabulous Heavyweights band.
Ed is still making great music along with a new band and my other great friend Sue Burkhart (that I mentioned in my last post) , wanted to include his website too , if you're in need of a truly original and deep down need of performance of great music go here, http://edvadasblues.com/ or go to their page for their other collaboration Ameri-MF-Cana at http://www.myspace.com/amerimfcana they are also on Facebook if you go that way. It's hard to say enough good things about these two, besides phenomenal musicians , they are great friends and all around nice people. I used several of their tunes in my video compositions and couldn't find any music to compare for the depth of feeling their music conveys. Here's one featuring Ed,

There ain't enough o's in smooth for Ed Vadas!
Besides goofing with this blog and distributing nonsense to the viewing public, still getting out and about taking some pics of the area, here's a couple from the other day,

Headed over to finish smoking the chickens for dinner , then plug the guitar in for an hour or two,
stay tuned !

2011-07-16T11:35:00.001-04:00

No excuses , just got lazy and didn't feel like writing. I know it's been a year or so and much has changed. I've decided to resurrect this blog and fill your eyes and minds with my blather and some photos of what has been going on.
I've changed the look and the name but same old , same old as far as I go. Feel free to pass the location around to your friends and enemies, as I have a lot of links and photos coming from the last year or so.
I now live in Portal AZ. moved here a few months ago from the valley , only about 9 miles as the crow flies , but 15 or so by the road . a change in altitude of 1200 ft and a relief from the desert wind. A new castle also a 33' Alpenlite fifth wheel (another long story for later) a lot more space and easier for me to maneuver my creaky old body around.
I still consult and assist around the Portal Store and Cafe' as much as I am able and try to stay out of the way when I can't, also play a little music on occasion or when there are a few people around http://www.portalpeaklodge.com/
The recent fire in the Coronado National forest and the Chiricahua mountains is a story all it's own and will relate that to you very soon. Just wanted to let folks know to check this site now and then to see what's going on.

Ive been doing a little video composing with my photos and some freinds music , here's one of my favorites featuring the incredible Sue Burkhart and on of her origanal tunes and here's a link to her music http://www.myspace.com/sueburkhart
I'm late for my coffee break , stay tuned !

Starting to get crazy / Down a road I've been on Before

2009-11-14T13:44:00.000-05:00

What is wrong with this picture ? A week ago I was perambulating around down near the Arizona / Mexico border , getting a couple of lifes neccessities (groceries , soap etc. )and what comes creeping into my range of hearing ? Christmas Music ! I have to admit there are some sounds that really set me off , Helicopters flying close at night , Babies screeching for no reason , the sound of a 50 calibre rolling off a chain of rounds , the howl of a semi truck from behind when I'm on a bike on the highway , the misery of hearing a TV personality[talking head ] droning on about what I should buy or what we all need or how to fix the world . But , nothing gets my blood pressure skyrocketing like the sound of Christmas music the first week of November while some dipwad extolls the next big sale or telling me to beat the rush and buy , buy , buy ! I have been in touch with several friends in the outside world {like outside of the valley where I live }, times are not good for a lot of folks right now , economy is still in the tank , no end to the recession regardless of what the talking heads say , a good number of folks are teetering on the brink of foreclosure and the credit highway is crumbling or at the very least filled with potholes you can lose a good sized car in ! I reccomend to all who are within hearing or reading range to stop listening and reading and start to pay attention to your family and friends . Stock up on some quality groceries , perhaps a beverage or two , get close together and take care of each other , eat well , see what you can do to weather this insanity . My view on this comes from living in a community that folks are doing just that . Not to say that the celebration of Christmas should be ignored or made light of , rather start celebrating it every day that you can , giving someone your time or being there when they are troubled , sitting with friends or family or both at a table of good food and sharing ways to cope with the problems at hand .Replace the bad music with the sound of laughter and good conversation
.Stay away from as much of the commercialism as you can , I repeat what I have put here before , from Thoreau :
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler."
I'l stop the rant for now , just give it some thought .
Lately been cruising the back roads of my mind and searching out memories to taste and savor again , I've been aided in this with the aid of the internet and that bit of goofiness called Facebook .Surprisingly I have found a lot of old friends / acquaintenences there . Dredging up good thoughts and some regret that I failed to stay in touch , it wouldn't have taken much on my part to do so , while said friends and acquaintences were building families , making a living and generally contributing to society , I was out ramrodding around the planet finding stuff that was interesting to me having some good times and more than a few that I don't care to repeat . So it goes ...
Another Veteran's day come and gone , while I sat out in the mountains communing with old friends , I recalled a toast that my great friends , J.C. , Mickey and Mickey's Dad , Doug used to make on occasion usually when the conversation turned to folks we knew that had passed or wished to honor for whatever reason . It goes like this " To those who have went before us !" a time for a private thought whether it was a close friend in the military or a personal hero , perhaps someone who made a difference in your life , or did an unexpected kindness. I'll leave it to you , I have so many to think of it would take me till forever to list them . At any rate it doesn't cost anything and it will make you feel pretty good .
Been out in the desert looking for trails for earlier in the next year , folks are looking for trails to get to the mountains from Rusty's without going on the main roads . It has been interesting to say the least . What looks like perfectly flat desert turns into dry washes , arroyos , large rocks and mesquite so tough you need a pack of high explosives to get it out of the way ! But for all it's savagery it's quiet and so beautiful it hard to take it all in . The Border Patrol even knows my truck, they have told me sometimes all they can see is the top of the old trooper as it bangs along the desert floor , they think I'm a little off the bubble too . But it's nice to know they're watching .
Made a short run up past Portal and got a few photos of the trees changing , brilliant colors , and some new aromas with the coming of fall/winter .
Stay tuned ..

Looking back / Catching up and the Skunk

2009-11-11T12:28:00.002-05:00

I see I've gained a couple of followers , welcome and thanks for reading this thing.
Not a whole lot of new insanity happening , it seems I have been doing a lot of looking back , reflecting on what I've seen and done the last few years . I think of the time I spent in service to this wonderful country and I'm glad I did it . Even with all the nutso stuff happening now with the economy and the latest batch of thieves and liars supposedly running the show in Washington .
So to all the whiners , criers and entitlement liberal moochers , freeloaders and folks with the general malaise of not being happy , GO AHEAD , I have to remind myself that's why my friends and brothers in arms wore the uniform , We did it so you have a place to do so . Enjoy it , it's a gift from a lot of good men and women to you It's called FREEDOM .
Local news , I had a visitor the other night . Sitting at my table playing my guitar , just finishing up dinner with the door wide open to watch the stars come out . I hear a rattling on the metal step to the trailer and look down and there comes waddling in a SKUNK ! This is not good ! I sat quietly at first thinking "whats wrong with this dumb ass skunk ?" I expected this thing to show either fear or aggression . If it was fear figured i could make some noise and it would run off , if it were aggression I'm in trouble and better make plans to grab trusty pistol and do away with this problem . For whatever reason it was neither . The skunk ignored me , did a little sniffing around , settled back by the bed and just eyeballed me . Next step I made noise , threw fire crackers , a stick , banged on the sides of the trailer , turned the amp on the guitar WAY up , Nada , zip .
To make a long story short , I outwaited the little shit ! At 3:15 in the morning it finally got up and waddled out the door !
That is my wild animal story for this year , The cow chase through the desert in the dark of the night doesn't count . They were domestic animals and a I was a little over served on th wine thing even though I was doing the serving , I do love this 4 wheel drive should have seen those bovines boogalooin in the moon light . But that's another story .
It's Veteran's Day , I be headin out to the mountains , need to talk to some old friends ....
Stay tuned .....

Best laid plans , ETC > ETC >

2009-10-19T12:13:00.001-04:00

Just when you think you've got it all figured out , old mother nature comes along and changes the rules! I've written before about desert storms and how they rage in and down from the mountains . Yesterday a trip was mounted to go up past the research station and sit to recharge and reflect . All went well and a slow ride across the valley to Animas , get a little fuel for the truck and pick up some tortillas was completed with only a smattering of rain showers and a brief relief giving coolness that was all welcome . An afternoon chat session on the front porch of the office and return to a pot of black beans and rice that I had simmering all day were all i looked forward to . Things started to change after about 7:00 o'clock , I was watching a thunderstorm up on the peaks , not really paying too much attention when the wind started to pick up . This is never a good sign with thunderstorms , but they were quite a ways off so I didn't get overly excited . As the lightning started crashing closer andcloser , thunder rocked the valley like a batallion of howitzers . Deeming it time to shut the place up , I reached for the door and had barely got it closed and it was GONE , skewing across the desert like meth addled frisbee , decision time ! I finished closing windows moving stuff that wasn't already swirling around insude the trailer , capturing pieces of the detrius of my belongings that were awash on the floor . Making a dive for the laptop and accessories , grabbing the guitar , trying to stow them somewhere that wasn't wet or becoming wet . It was raining so hard I could barely make out the edge of the deck and what I could see was tool boxes and chairs , and cooking equipment slowly skidding towards the driveway . I figure it must have blown like that for a good thirty minutes , rain screaming down , battering it's way into every little nookand cranny . Not the gentle hiss you associate with a nice rain , but a screech like fingernails on a blackboard . No fatalities other than the door , which I'm going to go piece together now . Mother Nature doesn't take shit from anybody ! Kind of a reminder hoe fragile our existence is , I believe I'll add some reinforcement to the door .
Stay tuned .....

The Country Store is Alive and Well in Rodeo , New Mexico

2009-10-18T13:57:00.000-04:00

Another page in the art of surviving in the high desert . This is about our local Country store , I won't demean it by calling it a convenience store , those atrocities of city living are for folks too lazy or too simple to go to a store to get what they need . This is our lifeline to make it thriugh the days without driving a hundred miles or so to get basics or suddenly needed items . The owner Jim Villa a native born westerner , [ his family the Noriega's were among the first of the ten pioneer families around Scottsdale Arizona ] in other words his roots in the west run deep and his knowledge of the lifestyle and what's needed are extensive . In fact his business card pretty much tells the story about his place ...

Looks like you can get just about anything ! In fact you can , a polite request generally gets a polite response , if there is something you need in particular , Jim will more than likely be able to get it for you , most likely not in the next few minutes but , soon enough to get the job done . His position behind the counter [and everywhere else on the property ] gives him access to just about everyone in the town and the valley to some extent . His store is much like the country stores of our parent's day , people stop , talk , get some necessary item , give out some information , perhaps leave a message or post a note on the bulletin board .

With the huge parking lot available it's not surprising to find a flea market there on weekends , sometimes during the week .

Besides , the incredible setting between the Chiricahuas and the Peloncillo's , the front of the building with it's veranda like shade the length of the building make for a good spot to sit and take a break , tell a few stories and catch up on the local news . Kind of a customs clearing if you happen to stop , like some of us do nearly every day .

To get to the business stuff , Jim has the store open 7 days a week Mon through Fri. it's 7 to 7 , weekends Sat. is 8 to 6 and Sun is 10 to 5 . Alot of hours , and a lot of work to keep it all together and operating , somehow it all clicks together and like I've said about a few other places "you might not find everthing you want , but you'll find everything you need " , got a hunger on you they'll fix you up a sandwich or pizza , does breakfast too , and we aren't talking some cardboard crap from some distributor a hundred miles away ! They fix them in front of you and everything I've had there is good ! Fresh made , good size portions , and the price is definetly right ! To give you an idea of the selection of what's available , take a look at this ...

Like I said a real country store ! As we used to say in hillbilly land ,everything from hand grenades to horse shoes ! An added attraction is there are even a few RV spots with full hook ups available , whether you need a night or a month a good spot to park and rest . The gas and diesel available in this long lonely stretch of road between I-10 and Douglas is welcome too .

All in all , here's a spot in the middle of the valley where western roots and tradition have settled in . Jim manages to support local business , community events , provide services , fuel , and a spot to sit in the shade , while keeping a smile on his face , and make a living at the same time . It's not likely most folks would even want to invest the hours of labor let alone the money to make a place like this happen , so if nothing else , from one traveler , many thanks !

I stopped on the way back from the mail box and had to get this picture too , the front of the store , I think it sums it up nicely , may go there now and see if the coffee pot is still on and sit in the shade for a bit ....

Stay tuned ......

Surprises in the Mail / Listening to the Blues / My Cleanest Dirty Shirt

2009-10-14T13:37:00.000-04:00

.I had a surprise in the mail yesterday . An old friend sent me a package containing a set of Robert Johnson CD's I had loaned him nearly twenty years ago ! To make things even sweeter he included some others that were very welcome , music is hard to come by when you live in the middle of the desert ! So here I sit , working on the second pot of coffee , listening to some ice-cold Buddy Guy , looking out at the Chiricahuas , watching the park come alive as new residents arrive . I'm very happy for Rusty , they work hard to make this a special place to visit . While I get to call it home , others come for a day perhaps a week , and as we get closer to winter a few who make this their winter home . The downside of this is , I have to start behaving like a I have a modicum of civilization about me ! No more sitting outside late at night , half naked with a bottle of Shiner , guitar on my lap playing and singing to the mountains , I suppose I'll need to break out the headphones too , with the windows wide open sound carries for miles out here . Imagine some of these folks aren't quite as big afficianados of the loud blues riffs I love at midnight !
Speaking of blues and music , I need to dial everyone up on one of my current favorites. Mean Gene Kelton , from Baytown Texas . A home grown Texan , he has a style that will get you moving and laughing all at once! He makes no bones about it he plays and writes primarily for beer drinkers and hell raisers , so take a listen to his little juke box on his website before you turn it up for junior and missy , and you will be turning it up , makes you feel GOOD ! He is on Facebook also and has a newsletter about where he's playing . Has a few CDs out and they are worth the money . Take time to slide over to his site and see what's going on !Here it is Mean Gene Kelton and the Diehards . I guaranty you won't be disappointed , Mean Gene Rocks !

Other than slowly easing into the day , remember you need to start slow then ease up . Perhaps a bit of launderising is in order as I'm down to my cleanest dirty shirt , and I'm not talking about Sunday Morning comin' down either . Just have neglected the everyday chores for the pleasure of going out and crashing around the desert . On the other hand I may take my old red guitar and sit out in the shade for awhile and see if i can work out some new licks ...

I suppose there are worse ways to spend the day , hell I could be locked up in some city or traffic jam somewhere contemplating some acts of extreme violence to escape the craziness of being around that many people all doing the same thing , or then again I could be sitting here looking at this ...

I reckon you'l figure it out .
Stay tuned ....

Pure Laziness and a New TRail

2009-10-14T01:22:00.000-04:00

I put up the last post out of sheer laziness and because I am all for reusing some of our existing structures for new use in any way possible . I mean don't we have just about enough roads and buildings already ? I've always thought that there should be someway to reuse some of the buildings that fall derelict instead of becoming centers for crime and disease . Lots of homes already around too , why not refurbish and get some of these so called craftsmen back to work instead of little boxes on the hillside all made out of tick-tacky and all looking just the same ?
Finally found the trail I've been searching for back to the foothills of the Chiricahuas , not a trail for your brand new hot looking SUV , but the old Trooper handled it well . A rough bit of desert travel ,but should prove to be handy if we get some folks that want to see what traveling out here was like 50 years ago . It was fun for me and expect I'll be out there again tomorrow , can't get enough of the wild country .
Not a lot to relate but took a couple of pictures in the evening , sun is moving more towards the southwest as winter / fall is coming , the colors and light is a lot different than summer and the air is cooler and clear as far as you can see. Makes for some good pictures .
Stay tuned .......

Recycled Architecture: 15 Creatively Converted Homes | WebUrbanist

2009-10-12T22:37:00.000-04:00

Recycled Architecture: 15 Creatively Converted Homes | WebUrbanist

Suffering from too much to say overload

2009-10-12T03:06:00.003-04:00

Almost forgot , wanted to share this with anyone who stumbles ,seeks or otherwise sees this little blog : from our old friend Hank Thoreau ;
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler."

PAX ,
Jim

Starting Over

2009-10-12T03:04:00.000-04:00

Well , I had a little vacation from writing this thing , ready to start telling the tales again of my mysterious and eventful journey around this planet . I think I got a little fed up with myself for awhile , wouldn't call it depression just generally pissed at the human condition , so withdrew to the mountains and my own little world . The good news is as I surface and begin reading the news via the net , I see I haven't missed much ! Politicians still suck , cities have the same problems , the economy is still in the tank , the liberal yahoos are still calling the conservative yahoos names and the bottom line is .... wait for it .... none of the above means dick in the real world ! My friends are still my friends , the mountains have changed little if any , I feel pretty good health wise , my mental health [ which has always been an area for speculation ] I feel is fairly good . So as Willie says in that famous song " after taking several readings , I'm surprised to find my mind still fairly sound " I guess we can leap right into what's been going on :
We had a pie day to raise money for the Portal Rescue Sevice , a good bunch of folks and no whiners here , they needed some $ to get new equipment so started out and raised the money , sort of a down home stimulus or taking responsibility for themselves , great food , a fun day and some nice people this was back in Sept , here are some photos:

The impressive part is , there are about 500 people in the valley , these guys raised almost $5000 in a two hour period ! Not bad for a little place like this !

Next up is the running around I've been doing , lots of places and lots of history . Much of what I've been looking at has some historical significance , whether it is the old west or how some of these little towns have survived , the impact of the railroad , some of the things I've been scoping out are new , the building of quite a few observatories , homes that are predominately built for alternative energy , , the advent of modern farming and ranching . There are still a goodly number of cowboys still working stock by the tried and true methods , but with modern vet medicine and assistance from mechanical means also . The agricultural side of this area has went from cotton to hay and alfalfa , and of course the chile . Modern irrigation , new ways of prepping the soil and less dependence on chemicals and hormones , back to basic growing techniques .

The seasons are starting to make themselves felt with a nice change in temps , down to very cool at night , and a more moderate temp during the day . I'm still waiting for the blistering summer that the locals predicted , I guess all those years in Fl jaded me pretty good , I don't think these folks here have ever experienced a North Fl summer where the temp goes up , stays up and the humidity is high enough to wash cars with without a hose or bucket!

Anyhoo here are some photos of some of the places I been tooling around to .

Still as beautiful as ever ! Don't have the words to express the beauty of everything , nor the space to show all the photos , I'm back in the groove now so till the next time .

Stay tuned .......

Doing a Sunday / Backing up a Bit to a Recent TRip

2009-08-16T14:16:00.000-04:00

Sitting down on Sunday morning , most of the chores done , yesterday was a cooking day , so I have plenty fixed to eat . Starting the second cup of coffee , watching the day flow by the open door , a road runner or two , some Gambel's quail , the usual rabbits (Rufus & Doofus ) , a few cactus wrens and the ever popular lizards that seem to think I'm particularly amusing . It appears it's going to be a typical New Mexico day , clear blue sky a slight breeze and probably going to be hot this afternoon . I may have to retreat to the front porch of the office with a large glass of ice tea and kick back .
To all who read this , I figured to back up a week or two and recount a trip I did down to Cloverdale NM . There isn't much there now just a couple of old buildings from way back when . However the ride there and the history of the area is worth recounting . Back in the 1870's and 1890's the area was a hotbed of activity , with all the thing you would associate with the wild west . Rustlers , smugglers , mining and huge ranches . The Cloverdale road happens to coincide with Geronimo's trail , needless to say it has been there a while ! It runs all the way from the Sierra Madres in old Mexico to Lordsburg now , and more than likely went a lot further , but civilization and modern roads have more or less erased any sign . But from Texas John Slaughter's ranch on the Mexican border in Douglas AZ to Cloverdale NM is nothing but wild country , from Cloverdale ruins to Animas is a two lane track that no one but the border patrol, a few ranchers and crazies like me use . I started the ride to see if I could find the outlaw cemetery down by Cloverdale , that's supposedly where Ike Clanton's daddie is buried along with several other notorious outlaws from the Tombstone / Wyatt Earp days .The infamous feud of the Earps and Clantons spread across southern Arizona and the bootheel of New Mexico for several years after the OK corral fiasco . If you read some of the history of this era it's not surprising that politics and quite a bit of what was then the media played a big part in making the bad / good guys of this time into larger than life characters . None the less they were surely some hearty folks and just living in this part of the country was a challenge .

My ride down this road of history started on a bright hot day , with considerble more comforts than were available to these old outlaws , . The road is rough and winds down into the canyons of the Pelloncillo's past a few ranches and border patrol outposts .

The sun beats down with the intensity that is hard to believe , the old adage of being hot enough to fry an egg on isn't far from being true . You don't lay hands on exposed metal , If you don't have some kind of covering for your head , you'll be lightheaded in minutes and anything more than that and you are on your way to some serious problems with sunstroke .

High desert landscape is sometimes odd , for all the deep browns and grays , green is abundant , see some cottonwoods and there likely is some water or at least some moisture near the surface .

While I never found the cemetery , I found a landscape that if you aren't careful lulls you into a state of not quite paying attention , your mind wanders , the vast empty spaces , drain your mind till you snap back to attention as your wheels go grinding over rough sided roads.

Cattle and horses wander freely , this is open range , dirt tracks lead left and right off the main track , might be a ranch or water tank , no telling . Some ranch houses appear now and then usually several miles apart . Occasionally a vehicle is seen , they always wave a desert tradition , they aren't your buddy , just acknowledging your existence . These folks live out here by choice , if they wanted company , they would live in some crowded rabbit warren of a city , not likely though , privacy is treasured to them , they like it the way it is.

For me it was a journey down an historic highway , for the rancher another day at work , the border patrol while always respectful and civil , wary eyes on the move always watching , there are still bad guys out here .

Stay tuned ....

Trippin the Light Fantastic and Assorted Stories

2009-08-14T00:21:00.000-04:00

Yeah , Yeah, I know I'm a little tardy in doing the post thing ! I've been busy ! It's not like this is a JOB , and I sure as hell ain't on the clock ! Lots of things going on , making and smoking sausage , pickling peppers , (harvest just started ) running around Arizona and New Mexico looking for cemeteries , and generally trying to keep my head on straight . So many damn distractions , I discovered Facebook and lo andf behold here are a mess of my old friends ! Chit chatting and emailing each other and sending photos to be admired etc. etc. I guess this new technology isn't all bad , just wears thin after 30 or 40 hours continuosly ... So today was a grocery day and the trip to Douglas . A trip I always enjoy right up to the city limits of Douglas and then the traffic starts ! Now Douglas isn't exactly what you would call a metropolitan area , but anything more than two or three cars starts to piss me off and then add the school buses , I get pretty testy ! Thankfully I hit the stores at a slack time and even got through Walmart without thoughts of murder and mayhem , a quick dodge across the street to see Oscar the butcher at Safeway brought me a real score of 3 very large chuck roasts at 99 cents a pound . Yes , we will eat very well for the next few days ! A pot roast and one for the smoker and see how the third one goes for canning or sausage . Back on the road to Carl's JR and a 49 cent cup of coffee , across to the border gas station an some cheap (by Arizona standards ) fuel .
I should say at this point I left Rodeo under the first completely overcast / cloudy sky I've experienced since last November . While in Safeway the heavans opened up and blessed us with a real frog strangler, the parking lot quickly disappeared and there was standing water deep enough to wet your ankles . This was not the exciting part of the day .
Leaving Douglas and heading towards Rodeo via the valley and prairie lowlands you must drive though a fairly serious set of mountain passes , where I received a lesson in sex . You DO NOT screw with mother nature ! A summer thunderstorm doesn't arrive on cats paws . It RAGES , lightning crashes from peak to peak with a violence that shakes any kind of vehicle you are in . The thunder is like howitzers going off inches from your ears and visibility if any is about 3 feet in front of the hood of your car . But wait , that perfectly smooth and level road you had driven over just a short time ago is now running in torrents of water , stong enough to lift the tires from the pavement and give you the feeling you just joined the Ice Capades ! Well , just pull over and wait it out , the question is where ? Where there was a beautiful hard packed caliche desert just a short time ago is now something that resembles a beer soaked horse shoe pit on a drunken Sunday afternoon ! A short exploration onto the side of the road to check it out ... NO NO NO , the heavy desert tires sink like the goddamn Titanic and if you are lucky you skid back up on the pavement and continue on at a GREATLY reduced speed ! Hold ON ! We are not done with the excitement yet , lets throw in a few animals to make the day complete ! Oh hell yes , a few stray head of livestock , steers as big as pickup trucks some snakes and rabbits , maybe a gila monster or two , turtles , road runners all escaping the flood of water that blasts down into their homes . An education in driving the desert in a thunderstorm !The bonus ... cresting a hill and looking out over fifty or sixty miles of the valley , a light mist changing the landscape into an Alice in Wonderland vista of changing colors and shapes with rays of light highlighting the same view you've seen twenty times before , now it's all different , small dips and canyons , peaks and hillsides that have a new character and the clean smell of the desert washed devoid of dust . I suppose there are worse ways to spend a Thursday afternoon , hell I could have been in a city choking on smog and fighting the rat race ...yeah right ..
Some photos from the porch ..
Stay tuned ...

Daily updated fun stories, amazing pictures, bizarre texts, extreme videos and a lot of great stories on Smoont.com � The Deepest Step Well in the World

2009-08-07T09:50:00.000-04:00

Daily updated fun stories, amazing pictures, bizarre texts, extreme videos and a lot of great stories on Smoont.com � The Deepest Step Well in the World

Lazy Friday / A Good Deal at Ghostrider's Grill

2009-07-25T13:11:00.000-04:00

"What a day for a day dream " the words to that song were buzzing in my brain yesterday from the moment I woke up to another sunrise that washed across the desert floor like a golden tide ! Sunlight bringing shifting shapes and illuminating the Chiricahuas with a wash of color to the canyons and peaks . Another day to celebrate just being alive . No plans , no great expectations just the begining of a nice day . Getting moving to get my lazy bones out and about , having a second cup of coffee , suddenly the sun let me know it was appraoching midday . Amble to the office and pick up the key for the mailbox , trundle down to Rodeo , check the mail , nothing special . Let's take a slow ride to Portal and see what's up with the folks at the Lodge , an excuse for a cup of their excellent coffee and check on the progress of the wall .

The turn has been made and it's nearing completion ! Mitch , has plans to create an outdoor dining , relaxation area and is nearing his goal . After some interesting conversation and a cup or two of their wonderful brew , I made the move to head back to the Ranch and decide what's for dinner . As I stepped outside this is what was appearing over Portal Peak ,

another example of the awesome power of thunderstorms in and among the mountains .

The trip back to the ranch was uneventful with a quick stop at the Natural Foods Store for some sugar free salt water taffy . The thunderheads had me thinking and as I wheeled into the ranch watching the rain and wind dance around the valley , I decided to head to Animas for dinner at one of my favorite spots

Ghost Rider's Grille behind the Bootheel Grocery .

http://www.ghostridersgrille.com/index.html
http://www.bootheelgrocery.com/index.html
I ordered the Chili Relleno's this time and as expected they were excellent ! This is the fourth or fifth time I've went there and it's always first rate , the owner Thomas Estrada has owned the grocery and restaurant for a little over a year , his philosophy is keep it simple and good with reasonable [more than reasonable ] prices and give folks an alternative place to go on Friday and Saturday evenings . Ghost Rider's is open only on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5pm to 9pm with the bar open to 11pm . Thomas moved his family here from Albequerqe , his wife is a local and has strong ties to the community , their main reason for returning to this area was for their children and the education thereof . That seems to be a recurring theme among the folks I've talked to out here . They are proud of their school system and after talking to them and some of the young people here it's evident why , it is truly a good one ! Thomas's mom [Vera ] handles the kitchen , a retired police dispatcher , Vera's skills in the kitchen are self evident , it's spotlessly clean as is the entire
store/ restaurant .Linen table cloths and napkins grace the comfortable tables , seating is well placed and you never feel crowded . The staff is friendly and courteous , there is a well stocked bar with wine , beer and liquor . Prices for alcoholic beverages are moderately priced and affordable , to everyone , they also have plenty of soft drinks , tea and coffee. On another trip there I had one of their specials , Chicken fried steak with REAL mashed potatoes and cream gravy , again it was right up near the best I've had in awhile! Cost ?
About $8 ! A good deal anytime . While some would say Animas is out of the way Thomas and his crew seem to stay busy every weekend and folks like me drive twenty miles or more to get there , they must be doing something right !
The grocery store is a treasure also , with the closest large grocery 40 to 50 miles away the Boot Heel , has just about everything you need to get by on and they do Package sales of alcohol , Beer ,Wine and spirits .An added plus is the very friendly and knowledgeable staff at both places , they live here and can direct you to just about anywhere you need to go or where to find things . The grocery also provides fuel , both gas and diesel with prices within 5 or 6 cents of what you'd pay in the big city .
All in all a great place to come on the weekends for dinner and some relaxation and during the week for groceries and fuel . A nice place with some very nice people !

Sorry about the poor quality of photos , but then again in my previous life I was a chef not a photographer ! I'm still learning . ! Just for informational purposes , the front parking lot of the grocery is my great phone booth in the sky , I spent a lot of time there last year watching and learning about the area from some of these incredible people !
Stay tuned ....

Just A Quickie

2009-07-23T11:30:00.001-04:00

just picked this up on my reader and wanted to share , a young woman , name of Tyler Risk had a bad go-down on a bike , this link is to a webpage for folks to sign a guest book to give her encouragment .
No donations are needed , but there is a place to donate to help keep the web pages going for folks in need . It explains itself . For all you motor heads she was a Triumph rider ! Check it out and give her some kind words , believe me "been there , done that '" she needs all the help she can get !
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tylerrisk

Random Thoughts and Crashing About the Desert

2009-07-22T12:32:00.000-04:00

Just some random thoughts and ideas today . A trip to Lordsburg yesterday to get a dose of civilization and go to a rock shop resulted in an unplanned stop at Road Forks on the flyover leading back to Rodeo . The van which is known to be tempermental decided to pause and using all my desert Zen , I used the time to get a few shots across the valley looking towards Cotton city . While it was hot , there was a nice breeze , so settled in and thought about some ideas that have been scurrying around my brain . Taxes on alcohol and tobacco are astronomical , supposedly this is for our own good . If the powers that be can get everyone to stop smoking / using tobacco and drinking that devils brew alcohol we will be infinitely healthier and all is right with the world . However the taxes on these items are used for education , etc . If we all quit , then where does the money come from to pay for al these etceteras ? I see Colorado has opened their laws to more gambling ! There you go ! I remember when the state lotteries were all the rage and how they were going to alleviate the burdens of paying for education and the etceteras , let's see how that's working out . Hmmmm , Nearly all the higher [?] learning institutions have raised their tuition to the point of getting a degree is only possible by going into debt for the next twenty years or so , hmmmm , they do have championship sports teams , coached by a staff that has a budget that could run an aircraft carrier , and they still manage to host some interesting speakers [ mostly ex-politicians ] at hundreds of thousands of dollars a pop . Yep , gambling should do it !
A good friend of mine recently won a contest for one of his recipes and gets to appear on TV , that's a good thought . He's worked like a dog all his life , now has his own restaurant and is living his dream , good for him and his family !

Looks like the Global warming is really hitting us hard also , with several states reporting the coolest summer temperatures ever recorded ! Not saying we shouldn't take care of the planet , But let's not pull a chicken little and start passing all these bills to make more rules for our own good ! By the by Gore's state is one of those reporting , you know , the one where he got strip mining going again ! More political dipsticks hungering for a stage to promote their [$] agenda . Meanwhile in places like Terlingua and spots in New Mexico and a lot of other places there are dozens of people quietly turning to alternate energy sources and recycling making do without a tax break one . Eventually somebody will get the attention of the foggy bottom dwellers and show them what can be done without all the extemporaneous legislation that is being promoted .
AHha the van has decided breaks over and back on the road , coming of of Granite Gap the view of this valley never fails to grab at me . The other day as I was crashing about the desert taking pictures of some property for a friend , I realized how great it is to still be able to find a spot that is smog and noise free !

Driving over a road that has been layed out in a seemingly random manner , not maintained by anyone other than the folks who live out here , I find that it's not as bad as you might think. Rough ? Yes , but still drivable and with a little effort to move some rocks into the washes and build up a berm , it would be as functional as needed . Amazingly enough there are some very nice homes way out here , some are manufactured [modular ] and some are traditional adobe , a scattering of mobile homes and even an RV or two with either a shed or roof built over them to afford some shade . The main thing is still the water , it's there if you can afford a well , down about 150 feet and is as good as any I've ever had . I realize it's not for everyone though , the solitude and quiet are the plus side . The drive for major supplies such as groceries and everyday neccesities just drives some folks crazy . While I don't miss TV , movie rentals , fast food chains , traffic , and all the other things that go with urban society , some need these to keep their little motors running . Almost daily I make discoveries about my lifestyle I can change . I don't buy near as much food as I used to when I do go to a store , my closet has clothes I haven't used in months . My personal entertainment has shifted more to outdoor activities , and a night sitting out under the stars listening to the desert has become my TV . I can't say it's for everyone , just works for me , I still love to read and the internet keeeps me up to date with friends and family . I wouldn't like to sacrifice that , but I seem to remember getting along without it not so long ago . I wrote a letter a few days ago , actually took a pen and wrote a letter . My teachers would shudder at my hand writing but I got it done . It was kind of satisfying too,
hadn't written in so long I had to actually concentrate on what I was doing ! May have to get back in the habit and write someone once in awhile .
Time to start the days entertainment , laundry first then it's back out in the desert to explore another road .
Stay tuned ....

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An Experiment / How Tough Were They ?

2009-07-18T13:10:00.000-04:00

A recent venture out to Rucker Canyon and down to Douglas and old Mexico got me to thinking about my most recent experiment in how the early settlers got by . I started the experiment after thinking about water and how hard it is to come by in the desert . I decided to try and use an approximate amount that someone would carry or have available , say a hundred years ago ! The amount I carry on trips now is seldom less than a couple of gallons , just for drinking . Starting with that I allowed that half of that would go to the horse or mule that would be carrying me . Took off and made a trip forty miles at a slow pace , drove as slow as traffic would allow and kept the windows down , no air conditioning . I wore a long sleeve shirt , jeans and boots and a hat , also carried a neckerchief for the sake of appearance . I left the water jugs on the seat next to me with water from out of the tap at the park . When I left the ranch at 8:30 in the morning it was right at 86 degrees and not a breath of wind . Driving slowly south I was planning on the first stop just past the Mora siding site along the old railbed , a distance of about 12 miles . I was feeling pretty full of myself and proud as could be , so opened the water jug and had a long drink . Since I had no horse I figured another one for it too , inspecting the gallon jug I figured I had drank about a quart of water . Not bad , the temperature was rising steadily ,but not too uncomfortable yet . Onwards towards Apache and slightly further down to a high spot of the road with a turnout to an old mine road the next stop . I passed through Apache at 10:30 and had a quick drink on the fly , at the rise of the road and the turnout about 6 miles further on I stopped , got my water jug out and took a deep swallow . It was liking drinking water out of the hot water tap in the house ! Dammitt! I'd left the jug sit on the seat in the direct sunlight ! It couldn't have been much different in a canteen on a saddle horn or waterbag hanging off a horse or wagon . About this time I realized I was sweating like someone had cut a fire hose ! Standing in the sun with no shade was a bad idea ! I kept moving towards the canyon , I should mention I was driving at about twenty miles an hour and had'nt seen a vehicle since I left Rodeo ! Rucker canyon was a few miles ahead , I checked the water and was surprised that there wasn't much left in the first jug ! If I break a water hose or whatever now I'm screwed ! The horse is dead ! I finally arrived at the canyon road and stopped off the highway far enough to get in the shade of a small cottonwood . It's now almost noon and by the little thermometer I had was upwards of 95 plus ! I had only traveled about 35 miles and was wringing wet from sweat and to say it was getting uncomfortable was a vast understatement I had planned on making some coffee on the little sterno stove but gave that up , drank some more water and chewed on some beef jerky , which only made me thirstier . There you have it ! I'm halfway to Douglas , I still have to cross the other mountain range through the pass and across a desert floor and then back up to 5000 ft over the pass and I've got less than a gallon of water to drink ! Which brings up the other part of the experiment . How about the everyday things we do like washing our hands and face or taking a shower everyday ? I kept the experiment going for six days , washing my hands on occasion and at night wetting a small towel and washing my face and arms to keep from feeling too nasty .On the seventh day I couldn't stand my own odor any more and called the experiment ot an end . I itched and smelled bad , my beard was driving me crazy and I was sure a colony of some kind of large ants had taken up residence in my hair ! I spent some quality time in the shower with some of the nicest smelling soap and shampoo ever ! I even wore the same clothes that I had worn on the water trip , they actually made a crackling sound when I forced them into the washer ! Another thought of just how tough those settlers were , washing clothes , your body , drinking , cooking , taking care of the animals , and doing all this without knowing where the next water would be !
How tough were they ? Try it for yourself ! I have a whole new outlook on those folks , they were stronger than I can imagine !
By the by the trip to Rucker canyon is on hold till I get someone to go with me it's even wilder than I expected and is not a place for an old crippled up guy like me to venture into alone .

Stay tuned .............

One Day patriots / News From Back East / New Explorations

2009-07-06T10:58:00.000-04:00

I know I tend to get all balled up over the way some folks treat this great Country we all live in . Not to belabor a point , I noticed over the fourth of July , a good many one day patriots . Not so much locally but in the news I gleaned from the internet agencies . There are a good many so called leaders or persons in the office of authority I would dearly love to stick on the front lines with the young Heroes we have serving throughout the world and see what kind of platitudes they come up with ! Having said this , wait till our erstwhile head of state gets a load of the Russians ! I had that opportunity years back and can personally attest they are not the oafs and imbeciles the media and our politicians would have you regard them as . They were warriors with some damn good and some exotic equipment , and a desire to survive as strong as ours . If you have never seen a Russian "Bear " aircraft or one of there naval cruisers , I suggest you Google up an image or two and think about it !
Yesterday a good friend reported the rise of crime in Tallahassee FL. Today I checked out the figures on the internet and sure enough , things are even worse than I had read about when living back there , then again back in the home town the news was/is the same . Folks seem to be getting desperate and bolder . Urban areas are seeing a sharp increase in crime . I guess the pundits who claim the economy is on the upswing or at least leveling off aren't in the trenches with these folks who are increasingly going over the brink to commit these crimes ?
New explorations on my part include finding hand built , native stone and rock houses . They require a little effort getting to . The reward is craftsmanship of the first order . So far two have been explored , one a long way up in the Chiricahuas , and the other is at a lower elevation but just as remarkable . Clever use of native materials and alternative energy sources are evident in both constructions . While I don't share in the so called American dream of owning a house , these places are something to see and appreciate. A few photos of the houses and the views are included today , may return for an internal view .
Stay tuned ....

Listening / Cooking for Friends / Night Thoughts

2009-07-04T02:49:00.000-04:00

Late at night in New Mexico , a long way from what I used to call home . Annie Lennox on the Jango station ,shifting to Joanie Mitchell . Whats next ? Sitting on the front porch of the office with the family
[ Farthings and Ahles ] talking smart , shooting off fire works with their grandson , talking business , talking about kids , talking about the way we have lived . Oh Hell ! Here comes Robert Cray , Ice Cold Stratocaster , deep bass with Shemikiah Copeland talking about how they pity the fool , a little Keb Moe , with his killer acoustic bringing memories of stages and benefits , sitting with musicians long gone , burning the air with hot licks and round table discussions of everything under the sun. Sun coming up outside the Driftwood , Baby by my side , her husband all pisssed off because we played music all night
little brother and I laughing our asses off because , all we did was make music ! Brown whiskey , Nassau Hammers , Miller Lite , Budweiser and lots of crazy people combining to make for stories no one even believes ! Playing for $35 a night and a bar tab , playing so hard I fell off the stage into the bushes , damn Turk was always getting me into the shit ! OKey Dokey bringing the whole stage down !
Ronnie so pissed he couldn't see , then his girl friend beating him up with a flash light !! His other girl friend showing up and struttting her stuff and getting naked on stage ! Mikey stomping the bass pedals , showing mr the changes . How many times can you play La Bamba or Gloria in one night ? Could you ever say NO to Billy Lee ? Sweet Jesus how I love these people !
Fast forward to New Mexico , a distant reality with old music , Martin Denny playing "Harlem Nocturne" did I get Mike to play Desifinada the last time I was there ? I don't remember , probably .I ask him every time , the same as Freddie , I love to here him doing Elvin Bishop "Stealin Watermelons " I do miss my friends .
My acoustic across my lap , same old strings , bend them a little harder , reach out , you've been worse than this , send them a message , Billy had it right , it's all about the music .

Stay tuned ....

New Wheels / A View on The Reverse Discrimination Thing / Over Educated

2009-06-30T12:25:00.000-04:00

I took the plunge yesterday and went with my mechanic friend Buddy to Douglas and closed the deal on my new canyon runner . It became increasingly obvious I was going to get into some serious trouble with the van if I kept going deeper into these wild places with it .These little mini-vans do a great job for what they were designed for , however they don't have a lot of ground clearance and generally speaking aren't made for the rough use and what passes for roads and trails out here . So , I bought a 91 Isuzu Trooper , bigger tires , lock-out hubs for the 4 wheel drive , a basic m1 a1 little vehicle with hardly any options , the less technology involved the less there is to break theory always works for me . While it's not the prettiest vehicle on the road , it should get me to the places I want to go , if not in total comfort at least in relative safety and most importantly get me the hell out again ! The Sulphur canyon trip pushed me over the edge , after nearly getting stuck a couple of times and then backing up for almost a mile , I had enough of that particular exercise ! I wasn't crazy about spending the money on another vehicle , and had big plans for the cash to pursue other projects , common sense told me I couldn't do anything if I was stuck in some canyon or mountain trail dessicated like a long dead coyote and I'm not about to give up my exploring !
A quick view on this reverse discrimination deal . What is wrong with the old system of the most qualified being promoted ? Firefighters in general are a tough bunch , having had to fight a few fires on board ship and the experience of teaching firefighting and damage control in the Navy gives me an insight on their lives . There are a good many women firefighters and EMT's and they go through the same training and qualifications as the rest of the personnel , seems they are doing fine ! The tests I have had to take in different aspects of my life [ including firefighting in the Navy ] have no little box on them to define the color of your skin or what your ancestor's origins were . You can either do the job or not ! Promoting someone on the basis of their ethnicity makes as much sense as going down to the temporary help place to get someone to fine tune the space shuttle ! Get the busybody government fools out of this mess before they have the opportunity to kill someone . As far as the woman who is being nominated for the supreme court , her record speaks for itself . I always admired Sandra Day O'connor , she had class and common sense , Ginsberg is a whack job liberal who bends with the popular notions at every turn . Now this woman who at every opportunity has shown bias and lack of empathy for the common worker . I have some serious doubts about her .
My take on some of these ding-dongs in the seat of our government , they are over educated and under qualified in the experience department . Perhaps get them out in the real world for a minimum of ten years before they are allowed to take office or a stint in the military , let's just say get a few callouses prior to making decisions about everday life . The dumbest street cop has a better understanding of human nature than these so called judges . Just by the fact they deal with the dregs of humanity everday get some of the real people who have had to deal with low lifes and treacherous SOB's for a few years and the justice system would see a dramatic change ! Get some ER doctors to be the surgeon general , find some of the folks who did all the little jobs in the military like cooking , cleaning , taking care of the equipment , to get into the department of labor . You know , the people who know how to work and do a thankless job and still do it well , perhaps they can show the way to rebuild our work force , have a good work ethic , take pride in what you do , take care of yourself and don't expect the people you work for to do it for you . In other words take responsibility for your self . Yeah Right !
Congratulations to the folks in Fl you now have another tax hike on tobacco products ! While all the non-users are singing and dancing , guess what ! The legislature also raised the fees [tax] on drivers licence and tags too , the tax on tobacco has already driven one business out [500 plus employees ] next on the block is petroleum products , just a little more tax on gas and nobody will notice . It's only a few cents right ? If you know somone who is in the aviation industry ask them about some of the little presents this last session has passed on to them . If your ears are getting warm , it's all that sand where you have your head buried , Those fat cats in Tallahassee aren't going to stop till they have a tax on the air you breathe !
Anyway , all is calm and Rodeo is ready for another day .
Stay tuned ...

Company Departs / Canyon Running / What It must Have Been Like

2009-06-28T20:15:00.000-04:00

All good things must end . My sister departed to go back to Fl , my other friends have went to Deming to deal with the challenge of getting their house built . Back to the daily routine of discovery and exploration of the high desert . I did get the chance to show my sis the incredible beauty and different plant and life forms on the high desert . Bob , Sis and I loaded up one day for the trip to Sierra Vista AZ. by way of Douglas and Bisbee , the trip narrated by Bob , with his volumes of knowledge of the area was nice for me too . It was a good ride , particularly as I didn't have to drive , the local fauna cooperated with antelope coming within a few yards of the highway to show off their summer colors , through the pass to Douglas some white tail deer leaping through the thickets made for a pleasant surprise . Traffic , thankfully was light and with no one to pressure us we had a leisurely trip over and back . Bisbee is all that you would expect from an old mining town built onto the side of a mountain , with the great open pit mines with their gaping maw there to remind you of what mining is all about . It ain't pretty but it is an awesome sight , especially if you think about the technology that was available when these monsters were in full swing .

Sierra Vista is not all that old and bears a striking resemblance to every other bedroom community in America , lots of big box stores , lots of franchise eateries , lots of traffic , I was a wreck by the time came to return home . I realize these places are necessary for people to exist , but I don't have to like it ! At any rate a safe return to Rusty's was accomplished and after an application of Shiner Bock , my jangled nerves were settled and we spent a pleasant evening sitting on the deck and let the desert whisper it's secrets to us .

Yesterday I undertook a little canyon running . I started up at the far end of cave creek and slowly worked my way back to Portal , a quick stop for a coffee , and I went down State Line Road , I wanted to get some more photos of the old Pullman car that sits abandoned out in the desert just south of Rodeo
as I was cruising the stretch of road leading to the old car , I spied the Sulphur Canyon Road and having met a couple of folks who lived back in there , I went to explore . There are a good many trails back up in the canyon but I decided not to beat the van up anymore and parked and with the aid of my walking stick made it in quite a ways to get a few shots ;

While I didn't set out to be gone the entire day I found that canyon running on my messed up legs makes for some slow going . What would have been a short trip some years ago , turned into a two and a half hour journey and just about beat me up . It was worth it !

My next stop was down on Stateline Road . This old Pullman car really intrigues me , no telling how long it has been sitting out in this field . No one seems to know , it is quite a distance from where the tracks were and still has it's trucks underneath it . What kind of stories this old car could tell , cattle barons ? Perhaps some native Americans riding it to their imprisonment to Fl ? Families coming west to settle ? Tired cowboys , making the trek back to the ranch after a hooraw in El Paso ? Miners going to Douglas or Bisbee ? I may have to write a story on this one .

And of course the end of a great day .
Stay tuned ....

Badmen / A trip around the block

2009-06-23T11:26:00.000-04:00

While one part of my company made the trek to Tombstone for a dose of bright lights and some tourist attractions , and possibly a chance to ride their bikes , my sis and I undertook a trip out onto the back roads of the area . part of my favorite rides is over to Animas through Antelope pass , A gentle ascent up over the Peloncillos leading into Antelope valley vwith it's wide plains and rolling fields of browse grass and planted fields of alfalfa . Occasionally I stop where there is nothing in sight and ponder ,what would make a person stop here? Nothing visible that jumps out and says this is it ! Stop here ! Build a ranch , form a small community , build a few places to do business . Sometime in the next hundred years or so there will be roads leading in and out and a rail road to take your cattle to market . No one has that much fore sight . There is water if you know where to look , Cottonwood trees are a sure sign , just how far down it is , is another question . One major reason for Animas existence is this ...

Tht's right this little spot in the trail was part of the owlhoot trail , or smugglers trail . Starting down in the Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico and following an ancient Native American path up through Arizona and New Mexico , part of which is now known as Geronimo's trail , the bad guys and outlaws/ smugglers found refuge and water in the area while waiting for their next victim , or for their next raid on other bad guys [ there is no honor among thieves !] . The most well known of these latter day gang bangers were the Clantons of Tombstone / OK corral / Wyatt Earp fame . The old man of the gang met his end near Skeleton canyon not far from Rodeo . Later known as one of Geronimo's hide outs and supposed surrender site , it's still a wild place with smugglers still using it's far reaches , only now it's drugs or human contraband

My sis and I continued our journey after a pit stop at the Bootheel Grocery , better known as my phone booth in the sky and armed with a cold drink and a full gas tank we motored up rt 338 towards Cotton City rt 338 is a nice road with light traffic and long sweeping vista of hay fields , chili fields and still some cotton being grown . Working ranches tucked back off the road with some stock grazing out in the fields give evidence of civilization , derelict buildings , abandoned or just plain old , along the road give sign of hard times , just used up or changing times .

We got on I-10 west to Steins , a ghost town on the Arizona border but it was closed , while not a great attraction hopefully they will still try and preserve whats left for historical sake . Back to Road Forks and a stop at Phantom Fireworks to satisfy the little kid in me , and back down rt 80 to Granite gap for some photos . A nice trip around the block ! Less than 200 miles and a beautiful day without too much commercialism jacked into it .

Stay tuned .....

Granite Gap and the valley ;

Company / Trip up Cave Creek Canyon / Food

2009-06-20T11:53:00.000-04:00

At last the company has shown up , Friends from back in Fl. and then my sister also from the same area . After catching up on all the news and getting everyone settled , we undertook a trip yesterday to do some sightseeing and get some lunch . Earlier I had taken my sis on the grand tour of Rodeo and a ride up State Line Rd. to get a feel for the area . While not exactly vintage old west , the views of the valley floor and various artifacts from bygone eras combine to bring images of vast cattle herds , stock pens , rail sidings and cowboys on horse back watching the steam powered trains creaking and crashing their way across the high desert to load their cargo of beef for the ride to processing centers to be prepared to feed the world . Old buildings begging to tell their stories of ranchers , cowboys and ladies of the night . Blacksmiths toiling in the evening air after it cools off repairing and manufacturing tools and equipment , trips out to the stables bringing in one horse after another to be shod , bending rims onto wagon wheels making ready for the return trip to the ranch house , loaded with supplies from the mercantile and general store . Perhaps a chance to sit and savor food someone else has cooked and have a drink or two . Seeing folks you haven't talked to in a while , getting some news about the rest of the world . In the cool of the evening locomotives getting steam up , whistles sounding , the chains and couplers banging out a song as they tighten and groan with the pressure of massive wheels starting to turn getting the momentum for the trip up over Antelope Pass to head for Playas then El Paso . Early in the morning the loading of the wagons , saddling the horses , maybe holding their heads from the celebrartion of the night before , cowboys and ranch hands start another day . For some folks it's something from a movie , livng here I can still feel it and hear it , go back up in some of these canyons and the prescence of the Apache is still just around the next turn . Spirits abound throughout the South West , all you have to do is stop and listen and feel .
The trip up to Cave Creek Canyon was a short one , but my sis an my friend Marti did make the trek up to Vista point while the old cripples stayed with the van , I think they were suitably impressed and brought back some great photos , on the trip back out did see a couple of mule deer and then back down in the valley we rolled . A stop was made at the Chiricahua art gallery andas always the works presented were wonderful , a couple pair of ear rings were found and purchased . Back towards the Ranch and a stop at the Natural Foods Store , buy a few items and home we went .
I prepared some teriyaki country ribs , rice and beans to feed everyone supper and after we all sat on the front porch and told traveling stories . The lights went out pretty early as the guys from back east are still fighting the time zone change . Here are some Cave Creek photos ,

Stay tuned.....

Friends / Aliens / Regards to the Real World

2009-06-17T02:04:00.000-04:00

Here I sit hammer down thinking of the great friends I have , taking Marti and Leo down through the desert to Douglas Arizona . Sitting with Bob telling stories of our travels and military service . Planning the various trips for my guests around this area that is so rich in history . A stop at Geronimo's surrender monument today , a stop tomorrow or the next day at Johnny Ringo's grave site . Up to Masai point , over to the Rex Allen museum , go to Texas John Slaughter's ranch and home , ride up Geronimo's trail to feel the power of the mountains and the feeling of spirits long gone . Push the ride to include a couple of ghost towns . A phone call from a friend back in Florida letting me know all is well with my friends back in the Keys , things are as normal as they ever get there . A call to my sister this morning , she's going to be here Thursday ! More plans, a gift / blessing get me to get up and do something ! Read the mail my friends in Texas / Kentucky are all doing well , Robert Earl is singing "wish you were here " , music , playing , heart rate , slowing , crack another Shiner Bock , the right place at the right time , stars shining , desert is alive with sights sounds , and the scent of sage . Values , teach your children well , there ain't no such thing as a free lunch ! Ignore the talking heads on TV they only piss you off .. Bottle of Black Velvet , take a bite , smooth as a touch of a large breasted , round bellied bed thrasher ! Waylon singing , telling me stories , all the bars and flatbed trailers I've played on , doing benefits , "Billiy Lee" hovering in the background , my little brother kicking bass pedals , , cueing me on changes , playing till dawn in the Driftwood . No money , but free beer as long as you played , musicians getting off work coming in jamming , good music , Friends , cutting heads playing , as hard as you can , might be two or there might be a hundred people listening , doesn't matter . Desert is the only one listening , play on !
Why the solar powered lights out there in among the sage brush ? A landing for aliens if they decide to come here ! Sometimes I think a trip back to Terlingua is in order , go and see Kathy , Roger ,and the rest . Have a drink at the cave , dinner at the Starlight , sit a t Kathy's Kowgirl Kafe , howl at the moon with the gang at the Boathouse . Hell ! Go to flour Bluff , get the Cowboy , do some show off cooking , hang out at the Black Hawk , give Jen a hug , drag the guitar out , Bend the strings and play some blues . Or may be not !
Meanwhile as the craziness surrounds me , give my regards to the real world While the Feds slowly eat your freedom watch out for the guy in the big hat having way too much fun , and ignoring the rules .

Stay tuned ......
Friends ..there's more , just a taste of the rare good fortune I have .....

The Sign Sums It Up Nicely

2009-06-11T19:41:00.000-04:00

I've looked at this signpost every week since last October , today after a conversation with some of the guys down at Buddy's garage , I thought it appropriate to write this .
If you move here or anywhere else for that matter to escape the everyday stress and get away from your old life then welcome and please be advised that you left that existence for a reason . If you want a super Walmart at the corner and twenty different fast food chains , go back there ! If you just can't live without cable tv , bars , traffic , crime and all the other trappings of civilization , go back there ! For some unfathomable reason people move to the country or in our case the desert and immediatly want what they loosly call progress , or civilization . They want more rules and regulations about how everyone else should live . It's been said the worst tyranny that can be practiced is to keep making laws and regulations that always for someone else's own good ! The people who are living here are doing fine , they are self reliant , accept responsibility for their actions and generally take care of themselves and each other ! Do you just have to have that 3800 square foot adobe house with the Mexican tile courtyard with the half a million dollar price tag ? Fine , don't expect everyone else to fall down and worship mammon with you though ! I can tell you the mountains certainly don't care and if you need all those services to keep that monstrosity up and running ? I'm not going to pay the freight for you ! I watched the Florida Keys go down the tubes because of the pinheads that couldn't live without that golden calf to do their ego trip with . The end result was the really good people and the really fun people moved out ! Thnks to the fat cats and their overpriced edifices the taxes sky rocketed , the basic services became a burden for all but the very well to do and the guy that just wanted to get by and live a good life was history ! The real estate brokers and agents that perpatrated this are now suffering greatly , GOOD . Some went down with the average guy , some got caught with all that high priced real estate when the bottom fell out . Sorry about that !
For all the politicians , carpet baggers , real estate agents and various other nefarious characters this signs for you .....

Lurking Around Rodeo / Luck of the Draw

2009-06-11T13:11:00.000-04:00

This is Rodeo . Taken , looking to the North east . Credit for this can be seen on Google Earth , there are quite a few really good photos to be viewed of the surrounding area . Many are way back up in the Chiricahuas where my beat up old legs won't take me , thanks to the folks who took the photos and posted them to the Google Earth site .

I expect to some folks Rodeo doesn't look like much . On the other hand it reminds me of Terlingua . It may not have everything you want , but it sure has everything you need . I brag to folks that Rodeo has all the stuff you require to exist , we have a gas station/general store / an art gallery / a post office / a church / a good mechanic / a tavern / a cafe , a couple of rental cottages an art gallery and a good road running through it to take you where ever you may need to go .

U.S. 80 runs from Douglas AZ. up to Road Forks now and intermittently all the way to Savanah GA. . Originally it was a main thoroughfare for the country , Interstates have since taken over that job and like many other highways has fell into disuse or disappeared altogether .

Some of the history of Rodeo remains as is evidenced by this historical marker , at times a train station , stage coach stop , hub for local ranches and mining interests and one of the many little places in the American Southwest that served as a rest stop for travelers . Most small towns were situated a days ride apart by horse back or wagon and offered at least a place to replenish water or some food . Some offered overnight places to stay , and depending on the distance left to travel services to help you on your way . At one time Rodeo had a blacksmith , stables , two motels , more than four dining establishments , A motel and even a house of ill repute !

Much of the original structures remain but obviously serving other purposes now . They still serve as living and working space for that iconoclastic soul that likes to go their own way . The residents may not move as fast as folks in other places , but the job still gets done .While they move through life leaving a much smaller footprint on the landscape and hearing the beat of a different drummer , most are content and at peace with life . To say this is a low stress lack of conflict existence is a vast understatement . Somehow the sixty mile drive down to Douglas doesn't seem like such a big deal when you get to travel through some of the most beautiful country in the southwest .

Then again accommodations run from this to adobe houses and haciendas running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars . A strange mix of functionality and new age high tech , with solar , water cachement , green living that should be a blue print for other communities . Fans of Tony Hillerman's novels would find "Jim Chee's " Airstream with it's cat door on some isolated ranch road and around the next rise in the road a fully furnished spectacle from Architects Digest .

Lately we've been treated to some early thunder storms and a bit of rain , the sight of lightning crashing from peak to peak in the mountains defies description , gusts of wind coming off the mountains bring 20 degree drops in temperatures , awakening to a full moon breaking through the cloud cover lighting the desert like a beam from the ancient indian gods while those lightning flashes dance around at the higher elevations are something people would pay big money to see ! The night air has it's own texture , like a soft blanket with the scent of sage and cactus blossoms drifting through the open windows . Sounds of the night are different from the staccato bark of a coyote looking for it's pups , to the clatter of jack rabbitts across the open areas between the sage to the sound of the owls in their screaming dive to descend on their prey . Some nights there may be the growl of a stock truck's diesel out on highway 80 , the drivers moving cattle through the night to take advantage of the evenings cool air . All in all a nice place to be , right now .

How am I doing ?

I'm doing just fine .

Stay tuned ....

Coffee Pot Plot / Van Repair

2009-06-04T13:05:00.000-04:00

A serious matter has come to my attention . There is a plot among the manufactureres of coffee pots ! It could be Communist , Muslim , Union organized , or perhaps just a case of those evil bastards who don't like left handed people ! I came to this realization after numerous small spillage from a perfectly good coffe pot , the little coffee pot I use now is a well known brand , it is relatively new having been purchased just before this trip . However , those insidious criminals at the coffee pot factories of the world have obviously united and are intent on making life hell for left handed people ! I REALLY like my coffee . I take care to buy good quality coffee , I keep my coffe making equipment clean and well maintained . So whats the deal with when I pour a cup of coffee with my left hand I get dribbles on the counter , down the side of the cup or on the floor ? There are a bunch of things that are engineered to make life hard for left handers , like twist ties , the machinery that puts them on stuff was engineered for a right hander to take them off , while it's not fair I can deal with that , the redesign would add $2 to a loaf of bread ! But the damn coffee pot ? It's a spout , virtually a small opening to allow fluid to run out of . How much time and effort was expended to figure out the exact proportions of drift , area of opening , angle of attack , height to distance from the cup and the fact it's impossible to correct ? Believe me , since discovering this anomaly , I have spent quite a while disecting the various factors and see no resolution , short of major surgery . Even then , I don't think the problem will be corrected , it's an intentional design flaw . But be aware manufacturers , I KNOW what you're doing and I will spread the word !
On a different page , I had to have the van worked on . Two days of poking , prodding and praying by our local mechanic "Buddy" resulted in replacing a couple of sensors , oil change , a new distributor and a few other parts . It was fun writing the check to pay for it , and of course the coffee pot thing was heavy on my mind , so it wasn't that painful . The thought did cross my mind there was an awful lot of superflous parts on this little six cylinder motor , maybe GM will straighten this out now that they are bankrupt from building this silly crap . I'm sure that now the Government has it's hands on the wheel everything will be just fine . They will probably introduce a line of coffe pots!

Stay tuned ......

Deep Fried Turkey / An Afternoon Surprise

2009-05-31T12:57:00.000-04:00

As I expected , the gathering for the birthday party turned out very well . Great conversation among friendly people , with a wide loop thrown over the topics . Everything from the weather to cooking to horses , pets , recent travel , future travel , the recent interest in local real estate [?] , we couldn't get a grip on that one ! A lot of time spent eating the various food that everyone contributed to , I'm proud to say there were hardly any left overs !
The big excitement of the day was Mr. Coyote making an appearance to raid the duck pond ! Bold as brass in broad daylight . Recently the duck population has been diminishing , it was attributed to owls at night as no coyotes had been observed , then in the space of two days a couple of them show up and ba-da-bing three ducks missing . We were sitting in the tent talking quietly and Bob stood up and walked over to his golf cart , picked up a pistol and started a slow walk towards the duck pond , for a big old guy he moves pretty quiet ! Using the trees and brush for cover he was within 20 yards of the pond when he stepped to the side and up comes the pistol , a sharp crack and Mr. coyote was seen running down the road , a second sharp crack and Mr. Coyote developed some serious problems ! Bob dropped that coyote on a dead run with a pistol at least 40 yards . A great shot by any standards , a really GREAT shot by a 79 year old man shooting in bright sunlight ! Me? I didn't even know the coyote was there ! Bob confided to me later , he heard the critter go in the water . Remember I said we were in the tent talking ? Bob was sitting with his back to the pond , and he heard the coyote in the water with people talking around him , I was facing the pond and I didn't hear zip ! I believe I'll stick to the cooking and trash dumping chores and leave the gunslinging to Bob ! Tim told me later he's seen Bob hit jack rabbits at 35 to 40 yards with the little 22 auto he carries on his belt , not once but several times ! What a Guy !
The party began dispersing around 6 or so as nearly everyone had some driving to do to get home . Clean up was swift and everyone helped , . Upon returning to the hacienda and putting away the cooking gear , Had a large glass of tea and watched the sorms play around the mountain peaks , the light show from lightning is always surprising . I sit 20 miles away and feel safe and can hardly hear the thunder as it rackets from peak to peak . Just before sunset I watched a storm line come in from the east off the Pelloncillos . A pressure change and the push of air gave me time to reach the windows and get them closed before the wall of dust came . Someday I'll have a chance to capture this sight with the camera , visibility went from a crsytal clear afternoon to a brown , blank wall in seconds ! This lasted for most of 2 minutes and then , it was gone , but it was an exciting 2 minutes ! Trailer was rocking and the wind varied from a low sub sonic hum to a wail of a jet engine in seconds , then silence . The aftermath was evident as the sun dropped further behind the mountains , I hope all of you aren't getting tired of sunsets , this one really got my attention !

Computers / Birthday / A Great Day

2009-05-30T12:48:00.000-04:00

A fresh start today , Bob's Birthday with the accompanying food and good friends to hang with . The computer is all cleaned up and all the little annoying tasks associated with it are done . After an entire day of all the computer geekiness I could stand , I settled down on the deck and treated myself to a Shiner , watched the day end with it's usual magnificence , the sun slipped slowly behind the Chiricahuas and the light playing on the clouds became a light show a rock star would have been proud of . A quick review of the computer clean up , the geeky stuff was a pain in itself , I don't like doing it and have only learned to do the various tasks because I refuse to pay someone to do it for me . Hence , quite a few detours were made taking up time and for all I know setting a new precedent in computer maintainence . I'm sure there are system administrators out there just trembling at my skill ! The biggest item , believe it or not was dust ! Yep , plain old dust , we do have an abundance of said dust in New Mexico ! It gets into everything , keyboards , usb's , hard drives , any peripheral you may have and needless to say everything else in the trailer . A lot of time was spent just getting the fore mentioned items free of the dust . Then on to the drive clean up and straightening out the registry , running the spyware programs , etc. etc.I think it should run properly now , I sure hope so , the resulting head ache received from doing this small bit of insanity was a real winner !
Onward and upward so the saying goes , today plans on some tall tales , good friends and lots of food . Another beautiful New Mexico day in the making , temps in the 80s , humidity in the teens and 20s a slight breeze , HOO YAH

Stay tuned ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB !!!!

A Different View / Damn Hippies !

2009-05-27T14:06:00.000-04:00

A ride around the area yesterday , in pursuit of a cup of coffee and of course the possibilty of meeting some unique people led me to the drift between Arizona and New Mexico . The drift of course is a slight rise of land between the two states on the road to Portal . Going to Portal , the road rises soome 600 ft in elevation and when returning to Rodeo gives a view of an expanse of the valley that will open your eyes . The wide open vista rolls and tumbles for miles in either direction . Looking across the valley the Peloncillo mountains rise and stretch like a jungle cat flexing it's power , small canyons , deep clefts with shadows dancing in the falling light like a crazed Lambada dancer . Greens , browns , tans , yellows , with a scattering of primary colors make a back drop for the many small buildings and structures that from a distance appear toy like to the eye . Mountain peaks 30 miles off look like a tiny bump in the landscape , closer , the sage , mesquite and cacti , defend the territory of the desert dwellers sharing the available water and nourishment with the cattle and horses . Some would find it stark and empty , then again there a lot of us who look and just don't see! I ride this stretch of highway several times a week and generally stop at one spot or another , and I always see something different . I took a shot , and once again , an inexpensive camera / lack of skill on my part resuts in a photo that certainly doesn't do justice to this area , anyway ....

Kind of takes your breath away !

A stop at the Portal Lodge/ Store for coffee resulted in a conversation with the local artist in residence Robert Wordmire , his drawings and work are found throughout the valley and is famous as Mr.Route 66 . His pen and ink drawings are fabulous and his lifestyle is unique , to put it mildly . The conversation ran as expected on the usual things , I had recently bought one of his drawings to send to my sister and the story of how he did it and the amount of time involved was an awakening to how hard his spirit drives him to create these pieces of art .

The rest of the afternoon coffee crowd consisted of a couple of cowboys , a stone mason , a bird watcher or two , the owner of the lodge , and myself . The tone of the conversation shifted and twisted to a multitude of topics from the weather , the Border Patrol , and as with most people who have a little age on them our health and the various maladies that make life interesting . The point of Nationalized health care was bandied about , with most agreeing that it was an absolute must have and soon . I questioned who should pay for all this care and I was surprised that one cowboy proposed the use tax! Anyone that has been paying attention to the news knows that this idea has been around for quite awhile . The idea of a national tax to pay for anything seemed abhorrent to some , and I was surprised again when Robert came out against the very thought of it . He lives off the grid , uses very little if any of services for day to day living , when the old story of freedom and being able to do what you want , the subject of the aging / new agers / hippies was set upon .

My thoughts kind of tumbled a bit as I listened to these free thinkers and maybe it's my age or experience , I held my opinion to myself , after listening to these folks for a while , I was jarred back to reality when I was asked " what do you think? " I replied " I guess I'm glad I wore the uniform so you have the freedom to talk and think as you wish " . I can't say I liked all their ideas and opinions , the bottom line is I [and a whole lot of others ] took the oath and did the service in order for them to have that freedom . No one had a snappy comeback . So it goes . Some folks just don't get it , maybe I've been one of those damn hippies all my life !

I think for right now , I'm right where I'm supposed to be , and thankful for what I have .

Stay tuned ....

Yucca / Bob / Wild Sunset

2009-05-26T14:43:00.000-04:00

It seems once again I let my alligator mouth override my hummingbird ass ! I should have been a tad more educated about Yucca ! A few conversations , a half dozen e-mails had me convinced of that , so after a bit of study here is pretty much all I know about Yucca .

There are over forty species of the Yucca plant from the Joshua tree to the aloe , they vary in size from a nice little houseplant to some the size of a small oak tree. They are found nearly in every part of the world primarily in arid climates , although they will survive in a colder climate they seldom reproduce enough to harvest for their various uses . Useful properties include , can be used as a soap , dandruff control some extracts are used as a healing agent for burns , cuts , rheumatoid arthritis , osteoporosis , blood purifier , poulticed root in a steam bath for sprains and pulled muscles , neuritis , gout , leaves crushed and boiled to make a tonic , as a general anti inflammatory . Other uses for the plant include , drying the stems and use for fire starter , walking sticks , buiding materials , leaves were dried and used for shingles , fibers from the dried stems used for lacings , sewing etc. Some tribes near water would decoct the root and spread it on the water to stun the fish and then scoop them up , roots are sold in most markets and can be prepared in much of the recipes you would use a potato . Seems like a handy little plant to have around ? Be advised harvesting these suckers is WORK ! I'll probably take a shot at it anyway , I've cooked Yucca a few times and it is good , after slicing and boiling the root , I just fried it like a potato chip or french fry . I include a few pictures of our local Yucca , some topped and drying and a couple we left to bloom , also here's Bob with a dried stick , looks the part of a westerner doesn't he ? He's going to be 79 this coming Saturday , think I'll bake him a Yucca Cake ! Not really , deep fried turkey is on the menu .As an afterthought ,saponin , the key extract is a naturally occurring steroid .

Another Wild sunset !

Stay tuned....

2009-05-26T01:06:00.002-04:00

Feeling the Pressure / Storms / Little Kids

2009-05-25T11:49:00.000-04:00

Yesterday , I started feeling the pressure building for another Memorial Day . Time to deal with the ghosts , demons and memories of friends gone , some forever , some just a long way from here . The pressure doesn't give me the blues , rather reenforces what we all did and that the price was worth it . This is a small tribute to my personal ghosts . To : J.C. , Mickey , Colenel Doug , Paulie , Iron Dave , Denny "The Lizard " , Colenel Joe Kittinger , MCPO Barrett , Banks Street Bernie , Mustang Joe , " Bingo " , Hans , "Guns" Galley . The rest of the cast of shipmates , desparadoes and true Americans are still maintaining gravtational forces and are above ground , probably poking around the soft underbelly of society and stirring things up where ever they happen to be , my thoughts are with you guys . A special thought for the two young ones serving today that hit close to home , Joey and Amanda . Watch your 6 o'clock and keep your head down !
The other day I wrote about the rain sorms that came across the vally , I did manage to get a couple of pictures and while they aren't particularly good , I thought I'd include them today , remember these squalls were probably a good 20 to 25 miles off , so you can imagine just how big they are !

    Yesterday evening after a hamburger dinner prepared by June , we sat and solved some world problems then retreated to our respective haciendas to contemplate sunset and watch night come creeping across the desert . Sitting on the deck I watched a large class A motorhome pull in and as Bob directed it into it's dockage , I kept a watchful eye on it , [you can never tell what kind of entertainment will emerge] . After the engine shut down and it appeared everything was OK , the door flew open and three little ones burst from it ! They scurried about taking in the immediate surroundings under the watchful eye of their mom who was right behind them . While I am not a fan of small children , the energy these little guys were expending was impressive . First off a straight shot to the duck pond , brother in the lead [about 8 I guess ] , one little sister [maybe 6 ] , and the littlest girl [about 4 or 5 ] , mom right behind them . Aquick exploration of the pond and then back to their rig to get dad , . Over to the office and see the fish ponds ! All this in the space of about 15 minutes ! It wore me out , I'm glad I was just doing the observing , not he following . Back to the rig and not much later the lights were out . This morning along about 8:30 or so the door reopened and out they came and all three lined up outside the rig and I'm supposing in all the excitement and falling darkness last night they didn't really see where they were . But today , THERE THEY WERE ! Mountains , big ones to those of us who see them everyday . How big must they be to these little guys ? Imagine if your perspective were lowered to two maybe two and a half feet off the ground ! Add to that it must have been a surprise for them . They stood there in a line and just stared . Mom and Dad showed a considerable amount of smarts and just stood in the door way and watched , not saying a thing .
May be they get it ?
Stay tuned .....

The Cost of Freedom / Moving Around / Harvesting Happiness

2009-05-23T12:43:00.000-04:00

Memorial day is always a tough one for me , Veterans day , not too bad , all the other holidays , whatever works . For some reason Memorial day always brings home the cost of freedom so many people have paid and did so with pride and dedication . I look about and see the way the media and corporate America have cheapened and degraded this occasion , and it gets me all balled up and ready to blow my top ! I seriously doubt that the long line of warriors , teachers and families of these Heroes think they need a special sale or some talking head on the tube to remember their sacrifice . Memorial services are all well and good , leave them to the folks who really matter , those who paid the price . I now have a number of friends whose children are serving in Iraq / Afghanistan , the sacrifice continues . For those young Heroes and their families I offer thanks and a prayer to what I believe in . Every year I offer the same toast , and to all who read this , I invite you to join me :
" To those who have gone before us " it covers all of my fallen comrades and shipmates , friends , acquaintenences and families thereof . For those of us still kicking around "may you find peace " . Enough said
Moving around , had a conversation with my sister about moving around the other day . I don't have a problem about packing a bag , getting in or on whatever conveyance and getting in the wind to see whats over the hill or the next corner . The desire or need to keep moving around is as much a part of my life as anything else I can think of . I reckon it comes from the fact I never got too involved in gathering possessions , for me it's the friends and the people I meet and the places I go to . I can always get more stuff ! Then again I don't care for the disposable society that has evolved . I like quality and things that stay with you or as Guy Clark says "stuff that works , stuff that don't wear out " perhaps the most important line from that song " I got a good friend that's seen me at my worst " and they are still there . On that I don't feel the need to mention any names , you know who you are .
Big plan for today , we are going to harvest the tops of Yucca plants ! Reason , so the center dries out and I can make walking sticks . It's not a big deal , but something Bob and I can do together and stay out of everyone's way , plus it sounds good on paper . This could be interesting ! The point is I'm doing something that makes me happy . Yesterday I sat in front of the Valley Mercantile with a few of the ranchers and watched a thunderstorm march across the valley over to Animas , just being with them talking about the weather and the beauty of this awesome sight harvested some happiness , last evening I took a ride to Portal turned around and did a slow drive back down into the valley just before sunset . The sun just dropping to the tops of the mountains scattered across the valley floor and splashed on the mountainsides across the valley like a cresting wave of gold . Shadows , colors and scents were running wild for several minutes , revealing secrets , telling new stories about the landscape , a whole new perspective about where I live . Harvested a little happiness . Darkness creeping in back at the ranch a rolling , tumbling bank of purple and cobalt blue with tiny specks of light peeking out , the desert breeze off the mountains freshening to a soft sigh , gentle as a newborn breath . Harvested some happiness. Woke up this morning , sun peeking over the Peloncillo's , blue sky and white puffy clouds . I'm Alive , and I'm not in pain . Harvested a little happiness .
Stay tuned .....

Down Time / Dust Storms / Pro Bloggers

2009-05-19T12:26:00.000-04:00

So it's been a couple of days since I wrote anything , had an epiphany of sorts . Way too much time scurrying about with all the little projects , too much time expended on devising different ways of making life more complicated , even read some news ! TIME OUT ! Slowed the pace a little , picked up one of the many books I've been meaning to read , stretched out on the couch , tuned in some real old songs and just let it flow [ to coin a phrase from Elvin Bishop ] . Spent some time on the deck watching the mountains breathe and listening to the desert sounds . Brought my mental batteries back to full charge . I let the theater of my mind develop it's own scenarios while dredging up images of past highways and experiences . Meanwhile my new gadget from Skype kept me in touch with friends and firmly anchored in the current time zone .
I had my second go around with a dust storm Saturday night , this one came out of the East , much like the first one I experienced . It was more than a little distubing at times as I hadn't taken too many precautions against just such an event . After picking up my few possesions that seemed to be attempting a journey from here to Nogales on their own and helping Bob retrieve the parks various and sundry fixtures , then getting the majority of the dust out of the trailer , decided it would behoove me to anchor some of this stuff . A couple of hours and some diligent hammering and tricky sailors knots left me feeling a bit more confident when the next one comes .How hard did it blow ? Well , I had to reset the stabilizer jacks on the trailer and re-level the damn thing ! Some fierce winds !
I'd like to write a few words about some of these Pro Bloggers . I don't want or need your advice , but thanks anyway . If you feel the need to expose your every feeling and action to the public , have at it ! Personally I couldn't care less about your financials , the brand of tooth paste , your rig or your internet connection with the mega bucks sat dish . If you are suffering from the" look at me syndrome " we more than likely wouldn't get along anyway , but have a good life ! In deference to the guy who wrote and told me about including a fiancials statement in the blog , here you go : Income for this year to date : I'm not sure ?
Expenditures for this month : Let's see... I paid the lot rent , bought some otter pops , and had a couple of cups of coffee at the Portal Lodge , Gas for Van ? Yes , price per gallon ? Needed it didn't check . Food ?
Trip to Douglas a couple of weeks ago , I think I spent about $80 , still have plenty , might go later this week to get a turkey to fry for Memorial day .Entertainment ? You've got to be kidding.?!
Point being I got rid of all the crap that you are spending megabucks to drag with you ! I don't have a lot of non essential possesions , can't say that's the way for everyone , just works for me . Keeps the stress level down to about a 1/2 percent on the scale of one to ten .
Last night started to fool around with the camera as there were some bodacious clouds , as there are so seldom a lot to be seen out here , was interesting to watch them boil up over the mountain tops and slip across the valley . Here are the results at sunset , almost always is remarkable , last night after I reviewed the pictures it was awesome ! Enjoy...
Stay tuned ....

Finishing projects / Enjoying the Deck / Desert Survival

2009-05-15T12:53:00.000-04:00

The last couple of days have been spent trying to finish all the little projects i've had laying about cluttering up my life . Hot water leak fixed , sewer line raised and drained , door sill reattached , window seals cleaned and lubed air conditioner filters cleaned , latch on the bathroom door fixed , cleaned the inside of the van , made new station on Jango [ easy listening with Julie London , Tony Bennett , Martin Denny , John Coltrane and Billie Holliday aloong others ] cleaned inside of the traler after the mess I made fixing the other stuff. So you can see I haven't been a complete sluggard ! Today an attempt will be made on the laundry and a trip to the Mercantile to get re-bar and 2x4s [more projects !] . Expect to finish trimming out the deck this evening , figured to wait as my neighbors work nights . They are from some govmnt agency , out tagging bats , so even though I don't see the point in tagging bats , at least they have a job and if they can catch and tag a bat , I can refrain from hamering at 8 o'clock in the morning . Hell , I'd rather sit on the deck and look at the mountains anyway !

Speaking of the deck I attempted a self portrait of me enjoying the sunset out on the deck . What do you think ? Am I having a good time or what ! About 5 o'clock the evening breeze is just right for relaxing , and enjoying the view around here . I can sit facing any direction and see the vistas , I can do a 360 degree if I sit at one end or another .

Sometimes I wonder how I got here ?

Then again , why did it take me so long to find this place?

Reminds me of the song "Don't fence me in "

You get to see the sunset twice !

Looking at the pictures reminds me to share with those of you that haven't traveled out west or in the desert a few survival actions that may save you a lot of grief :
A full gas tank is a happy gas tank.
A small can of gas carried with you is not a bad idea .
A five gallon collapsible container of water is nice to have . For those of you who are weight concious it's less than 30 lbs.
A few tools in a small kit or box
Plenty of drinking water , whether it's bottled or whatever .
Some snacks or dried fruit , something to munch on , it's a long way between towns .
Make sure of the spare tire , road service is pretty ifffy , if at all / or carry some fix a flat or one of those things
A hat with a brim and crown , ball caps don't help much . Why do you think cowboys wear those hats ?
Road service plans are great . If they can find you !
A full gas tank is a happy gas tank ! Yes I know I repeated it ! Twice , since I've been here this time I've had to stop on the way to Douglas to give some gas to somebody on the side of the road ! Reason , they heard gas is cheaper down by the border ! It is by a few cents , but you have to get there to enjoy that few cents savings . Add to the problem , there is no cell phone signal down in the valley . Once you get over the pass at either end or travel east 20 or 30 miles you can pick one up , maybe ! Going west is a long trek over the Chiricahuas , about 40 miles then there are still no gas stations and possibly a cell phone signal as you get closer to Wilcox , Arizona .
Sounds simple ? It is most people have the common sense to figure it out , doesn't hurt to remind folks though .

.
   Just couldn't resist , I'm really having a good time !!
Stay tuned ...

Progress / A small rant / observation

2009-05-12T12:20:00.000-04:00

Another incredible New Mexico morning ! A gentle breeze slipping across the desert floor , stirring the early morning aromas and waking the desert creatures . Out the front door this morning , a small covey of quail , several of the birds I have yet to know their names , the usual bunch of cotton tails feasting along the fence line , over by the edge a large jack rabbit lumbers about seeking the perfect foliage to devour for breakfast . A far better scene to start my day than watching the talking heads on some TV show , their plastic faces and artificial hair defying gravity and practicing their verbosity on the millions of unsuspecting viewers that think that they are telling the truth or possibly giving them some bit of information that matters . Not to sound bitter , just happened to come across a couple of blogs last night that set me off . Supposed travelers seeking a better way of life , much like I. Their first action upon arriving at an RV park or camp ground set up the satelite dish , don't want to miss the latest goings on in whatever inane show is the flavor of the moment . On the other side of the coin there are some younger members of the RV set out there discovering America and finding out how to be self sufficient , raising their families , making a living , and still find time to enjoy life . The blog that got me started on this rant is http://tumblewagon.com/2009/05/11/the-rv-community/ , these young folks get it ! At least they are doing what appears to make more sense than sitting in an urban quagmire moaning about how bad things are and how hard life is . They aren't the only ones , just happen to folow them , I like to see how they view some of the same things I've seen and their reactions .
Rant over !
Progress on the deck is good , yesterday was kind of a lay day , pretty windy with quite a few dust devils . Made for a poor work day . Since this isn't a contract job we sat on the porch and drank ice tea . Worked on it some this morning and will probably finish the majority of work today . Still in the throes of picking out the covering , may need a trip to Safford to Home Depot for that .
Just a casual observation , folks seem to be fairly upset with all the bone heads making jokes about various known figures in the news . They need to read or re-read Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land , most all comedy is painful to someone , start censoring one be ready to censor them all and do it fairly . In most cases thumb screws work well !
Some pictures of the deck in progress .
Stay tiuned .....

Running the loop / Doing a Lazy Sunday

2009-05-04T12:10:00.000-04:00

An unwelcome early morning wake up yesterday , old friend pain showed up and just wouldn't leave ! No telling what set it off , maybe the way I slept or could be just too much activity , at any rate along about 5:30AM I was wide awake and though I'm not saying I was bright eyed and bushy tailed , I was AWAKE . No chance of sleep now , get up , do the coffee thing , sit down answer a couple of E-mails , wait for the sun and listen to the birds start their routine , finally figured out why they like the roof of the trailer so much . Water ! Moisture condenses on the roof top at night and the little fellers get up there in the morning to have a drink . Wish I could train them to hit the button on the coffee machine , would save me all of two steps ! Anyway , after the sun started it's ascent , I once again decided to avoid the inernet news and load the van for a road trip . No particular destination , but , I am known for having a loop to ride to clear my head and do a little therapy thinking . Checking the list for a trip ; extra water , gas can , some snacks , cell phone , yeah , a beautiful day and a full gas tank . I'm good to go ! Out on highway 80 , up through Granite Gap and take the road to Cotton City that runs across the valley . Cruising slow and easy checking out the ranches , here's the road to Lords burg or over to Animas . Left or right ? Take the left to Lordsburg , I can stop and get an ice tea and have a bathroom break , even if it means a few miles on the interstate . AHHHHH! the traffic , the noise , the damn trucks traveling at light speed , and the smell ! I had to roll the window up ! An exit was spyed promising a way to Silver City / Deming , works for me . I'd rather crawl through broken glass than drive on the interstate ! Here we go , ice tea firmly gripped onto a road I can deal with back to a normal speed , a signpost directs me towards Deming , rail road tracks to my right and wide open desert on my left this back road takes me all the way over to Rt 11 and down to Deming . As I perambulate around town I don't see much activity . It's Sunday morning and not many businesses are open , a few restaurants getting started . A few more empty buildings since I was here last , the big grocery finally has closed it's doors , guess Wally world was too much for them , back to RT11 and down towards Columbus ,traffic is light except for State Police and Border Patrol . Outside of town the fields are greening up a couple of machines out baling the first cutting of hay , a couple of fields ready for planting , a pecan grove being groomed for the summer . A real wake up is the many empty houses along the road , I mean nice places , what's up with that ? Have to ask Cissy when I see her on Tues . Down in Columbus even less activity than Deming , this drug / border thing is really hurting them , stopped at the gas station at the intersection of RT 11 and RT 9 to gas up and practice my bad spanish . Remember in the desert a full gas tank is a happy gas tank !
Taking a right onto Rt9 {Pancho Villa's was closed for brakfast / lunch ?] and the journey homewards was started . once you leave Columbus there is wide open desert all the way to Hatchita , on your left you are looking into Mexico and the wasteland that comprises the natural border that separates us from that country .

I'm sure everyone is aware of the illegals thing , here is what they have to come through to get here ..

I'm not making any judgments or saying who is right or wrong , this is what an illegal will endure to get into this country , miles and miles of it !

Traveling onwards towards Hatchita and finding it even more desolate than I remembered , continued towards Animas . The only surprise was at the Playa training station , it looks like an interstate exchange out in the middle of the desert ! Not a thing for miles in any direction , it just sits there awaiting the hoards of people it was designed to accommodate . More on this later . Just outside of Animas there is this little turnout with a marker and some stock pens ,

Doesn't look like much does it ?

Here's the surounding countryside ,

Like I said , pretty much wide open spaces , imagine coming through here 80 to 100 years ago the only sign of civilization would be those stock pens and the rail road tracks , I expect they would be a welcome sight! Perhaps even water ! I trundled over through Animas and started the ride down the pass to rodeo . Rusty's was a welcome sight from the hilltop and as I turned into the Ranch , Bob and June sitting on the porch taking the afternoon breeze was picture perfect . A quick stop to regale them of my trip and over to my comfort spot to hold the couch hostage with a fan on me !!
Stay tuned ...

Dateline Rodeo , New Mexico

2009-05-02T22:13:00.000-04:00

Bob , June and I had grilled hot dogs with fresh green chilis , potato salad and deviled eggs for supper , sat around talked smart , watched the birds and bunnies .
Here's a complimentary New mexico sunset for those of you that didn't have as great a day as we did . Be well and be happy !

just in case

2009-05-02T11:40:00.003-04:00

If you didn't already know , click on any of the photos for a full view , I shrunk'em to fit

Trip to Safford / Supplies and wide open country

2009-05-02T11:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday a trip to Safford AZ to go to the Home Depot to find what little I couldn't find at the Mercantile in Animas . Essentially I'm sitting here with a fresh cup of coffee thinking , now what would interest others in my trip yesterday ? To start with it's always interesting to go up Rt 80 through Granite Gap and on towards Road Forks the subdued colors of the high desert give way to a clash of colors in the rocks , boulders and cliffsides of the mountains. Ranging from a dirty brown , slow moving creek color to a higher shade tan the ground cover includes mesquite , snake bush , cats claw , sage and wild rosemary . The minerals of the smaller rock and split boulders glisten in the sunlight like shards of broken glass , as you climb upwards through the pass different strata of rock glow with mauve to a deep maroon . Various lichen growing almost in a carpet show colors ranging from a key lime green to a verdant yellow mixed with a chartreuse shading , depending on where the sun is at right then . You don't get bored driving this route . Rocks and boulders the size of your vehicle rest on the sides of the road waiting just waiting . There is one spot a boulder rests that is roughly the size of a small house , all alone it sits there , no evidence of where it broke off from or even a clue as to what part of the cliff face it may rolled away from , just is there .
Through the gap and the rolling plain of the basin we call home extends towards I -10 and Road Forks , hop on 10 over to 90 and the journey north resumes with wide open grass lands and more rolling terrain . Still climbing in altitude but it is gradual , so no ear popping , rising to Safford , running slow at 50 - 55 mph watching the terrain change more hills creeping up to become mountains , almost a hundred miles of driving without signs of civilization , total vehicles seen on this stretch 4 . A very good day , so far .
Supplies in the van , even did the monthly grocery at the Safeway , it's back on the road and the descent back to the Ranch .The summer sun moves slowly across the distances of eastern Arizona / western New Mexico , as usual I wonder how the ones who came before us dealt with these distances , carrying everything they owned with them walking , on horse back , in wagons . It's still a rough country , break down out here and oh well , you get the picture .
Made it back to the Ranch with no mishaps and only one detour , just had to go down that road , it may or may not have been shorter but I avoided a few miles of interstate . Arriving home , I put the supplies away , fired up the Cobb cooker and readied a burger with green chilis , a silo size glass of ice tea and sit my butt down to watch the mountains and wild life till dark . Life ain't bad if you let it just be ..
A few pictures of the blooms around the fish pond by the office .
Stay tuned ...

Fiddlin and piddlin

2009-04-30T11:37:00.000-04:00

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

2009-04-28T12:46:00.000-04:00

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

2009-04-26T01:09:00.000-04:00

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

2009-04-25T11:32:00.000-04:00

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

2009-04-24T12:13:00.000-04:00

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

2009-04-24T11:22:00.001-04:00

A way to listen without changing those pesky records !

www.Jango.com - Internet Radio

Trip to Douglas / Hats off to Texas

2009-04-15T12:08:00.000-04:00

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

2009-04-13T12:12:00.000-04:00

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

2009-04-11T23:53:00.000-04:00

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

2009-04-10T10:53:00.000-04:00

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

2009-04-07T22:08:00.000-04:00

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

2009-04-07T08:45:00.000-04:00

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 ,

A New Beginning

2009-03-01T10:51:00.000-05:00

No , I didn't fall off the face of the earth ! Just back to the round robin of Dr.s and trying to get everything in order to return out west . Coming soon some pictures and layout of the new rig , and future plans . Yes , it was time to retire Azad , he is tired and the new plans call for a little more space and mobility . I'm going to find him a good home and some well earned rest , he served me very well and it was a unique adventure to say the least , also a great learning experience ! If you plan on going RVing full time start small and see just how much you don't know ! As we used to say in the restaurant business " I can show you how to get out of this business with a small fortune , you just start with a big one ! ". Lots of mistakes some expensive monetary wise , some physical , some just damn embarassing ! But what a ride !
Stay tuned !

Packing up / Where Did All This Come From ?

2009-01-04T10:54:00.000-05:00

Seems every time I go to pack , I find stuff that I don't remember collecting ! This time of course after sitting at Rusty's for over 2 months the pile of stuff is even larger , mostly packaging material that I saved from other stuff I had shipped to me ! I know I had a reason to save it , but what that reason was is a mystery right now . I'll pawn it off to Bob , he turns scraps of things into working models of frugality run wild ! I have enough green chilis to last till I get back here if I stay away for 2 months or so , perhaps 2# of sea salt is excessive ? Four jars of peanut butter is probably over the top too , and the assorted crackers to match is a bit much . The extra pie plates and aluminum roasting pans are going to be donated to the RV ranch too , along with the plastic bags and extra canvas totes I picked up to save from using the plastic bags . See all these things are good stuff! I should remind myself that I am no longer cooking for a restaurant , after taking a quick inventory last night I found I had enough food stock that should there come some kind of nuclear holocaust or , a total breakdown of American roadways I could sit here , assuming of course I could drum up the ambition to cook , for at least a month or more ! I'm pretty sure that even though I've been out of the mainstream of society for a while that there are still various stores open across America that sell these items . Time also, to jettison the paperbacks and magazines , and a bag of hardcover books I thought I couldn't part with , got to be fifty pounds of books I've been dragging around , even after I've read all of them , some twice ! If I can get this done this morning then air up the tires and check all the fluids in the big "A" possibly will be able to launch tomorrow and get a good day behind us , however the weather report is calling for winter weather , if in fact tomorrow brings rain , wind or snow , sitting for another day isn't going to make much difference to me . I'm a little itchy to get back on the road , but not real crazy about going , this place has been a great experience and no doubt will see me again , very soon .

Last Day OF The Year

2008-12-31T12:50:00.000-05:00

I thought I would slip in a few last minute thoughts for 2008 , as I look back to hitting the road in August , several lessons learned have become everday to me :
You really don't need all those clothes you packed
I can get by on a lot less food than I planned on
The little things you didn't think you need , You will [stamps , envelopes , tape , tweezers , band aids , etc]
A good chair to sit in at the end of the day is a requirement
Just when you think drivers can't get worse , they will
Cities still suck
Good tools can make you very happy when you REALLY need them
Thirty year old plastics on sewer systems is an invitation todisaster
Reading the news everday does NOT make you feel better
The internet is a very cool invention , but it's still a tool not a replacement for friends
Sunrise is as much fun as sunset
Meeting new friends is as much fun as keeping the old ones
Reading other travel Blogs helps you avoid the crush of the next big thing
Terlingua is full of people who could have lived in the Keys back when , New Mexico is where you graduate
Most people don't care who you used to be
Hot Tea taken appropriately will smooth out your day
Politicians are like leopards , you can't change their spots
These are just a few thoughts as I get ready to hit hte road back east in a couple of days , do the Dr. thing and visit a bit then back out on the highway , more than likely back to Rodeo and Rusty's , it's a good spot and nice people with lots of space . Still a lot of exploring to do around here and spring and summer just around the corner .
Have a happy and safe new year , hope to see you on the road .

What I've Seen & What I See

2008-12-24T10:32:00.000-05:00

Here it is Christmas Eve and I'm getting ready to load up and drive to Animas to make a few phone calls and stop at the little store for some last minute groceries for the dinner tomorrow. It's 8:30 here and the sun is just up over the mountains bringing it's warmth and light to another stunning New Mexico day , clear blue sky , temp is about 60 degrees and thankfully no wind .
While browsing the news off the internet and having a cup of hot green tea , I started thinking about some of the holidays from the past , triggered I suppose by some of the craziness I gleaned from the news this morning .I've seen Christmas where things were pretty lean for my family , a long way back I remember getting bundled up with burlap sacks wrapped around my legs and whatever else to insulate from a bitter Ohio cold to crawl onto a spring wagon , pulled by old Buster the steadiest Shetland we had to make a trek across frozen farms to get enough coal from the local tipple to get us through till after the cold snap broke . This was back in the fifties and I guess we looked at things differently then , there were no sand or salt trucks coming out to the country where we were to bail us out . You did what was needed , and carried on with ther rest of your chores too , the animals had to be taken care of , they depended on us to get them feed and water , they provided us with food and the ability to survive and we did the same for them .
I've seen a Christmas when my family was spread across not only the United States but across continents ,[Europe , Southeast Asia , Spain and the U.S. ] it didn't matter when we got together it was still Christmas because we all were safe and together , the date was kind of secondary . I've seen Christmas when I was so dog tired from working 18 hour days prior to Christmas , I stayed in bed and hardly moved through Christmas day , wound up going to a Denny's and grabbing a couple of cheese bugers for supper and back to bed . The following day was right back to the grind and feeding the tourists and locals and another 18 hour day . I've seen Christmas when I was broke , when I had a lot of money , on foreign soil , from the deck of a U.S. Navy ship at sea and some sitting with my family and extended family[ You know who You are!] it was all good to experience .
Today I see people whining about the various carriers of transportation and why can't they do this , why can't they do that , we deserve to be taken care of , help me , help me , help me ! I have news for these folks these different forms of transportation whether it's air , rail or bus , have about as much control over the weather as we do over the thieves and weasles in Washington . Get over it! Be thankful for wht you have make the best of a bad situation , whenever you do get with family and loved ones , MAKE that Christmas , even if it's in another month ! I'll be heading back across the country soon for a Dr. appointment and stopping along the way to visit my extended family and then to Florida . Guess what ? Whenever I get there it will be Christmas and we share the good feeling of being together and being able to sit down to a good meal and just BE.
I could go on remembering and pointing out some of the falsehoods that have been put upon us by the media and retailers and some of the so called true believers but that would just be another form of whining. So to all of my friends and family , I will see you soon and be well and happy .
For all those who read this and worry about being politically correct , MERRY CHRISTMAS

10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy | Health and Wellness | AlterNet

2008-12-16T11:54:00.002-05:00

While the wind was blowing hard again this morning , I was surfing along and ran across this article and thought I'd share it . Thinking about my lifestyle changes and the contentment it has given me , this piece brings home what I've been experiencing on this trip . Sometimes less is more .
10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy
http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/111138/10_things_science_says_will_make_you_happy/
While reading and contemplating this whole fruit and nut basket that this Madoff character has delivered [ Carl Hiassen couldn't come up with a better story !] I was thinking about my recent lifestyle change and the feelings of contentment that have been my reward. Perhaps this latest episode of weasles and investment goings on could be a good thing , people might take a second look at what it is that makes all that money so atractive . After reading several different articles about this sack of snakes , one thing came to the forefront , many of the charities that took a hit from this lying bozo predominately benefitted interests outside of the United States ! Well now , it is their money , and they can do what they please with it . However if more were to stay in country and be used constuctively to educate and train the folks we already have that need skills and a better education ? Sort of like a tax break ? Better yet invest in small business , not as a gift but a low interest loan and make more jobs ? I suppose that would happen about the same time political candidates , take all that money they raise and put it to good use . The other disturbing point was that there were banks investing with old Slippery Sam ! What possessed those ding dongs to take trusted funds from everyday people and invest it with this guy ? Meanwhile back at the ranch the SEC is asleep at the wheel [with apologies to Ray Benson] , Oh well , they have missed everything else too !
Hope the wind dies down soon , I can't take too much more news . But for now the New Mexico sky is blue the temp is hovering in the mid 60s and looks as though the wind is laying down . Time to get out and about , perhaps a trip to the post office and over to the Chiricahua Gallery and see what's new ...

Deep Thoughts / Radical Thinking

2008-12-13T12:14:00.000-05:00

Ah yes ! I am still here ! Some have accused me of being lazy and not pushing my drivel out to the populace , not so , I have been storing information and analyzing it to present it properly . How's that for a line ? Sounds like a politician or one of the WEASLES on Wall St. I won't dwell on the current state of affairs concerning the economy other than to relate to you that about two months ago a young guy down in Terlingua told me that Hedge funds were on the brink of disaster and would soon implode ! At the time , I wrote it off as another SWAG by a semi-infomed wannabe sort who read into news what they wanted to see or hear . Surprise ! Read the headlines , now even the rich and famous are getiing bent over the barrel and finding out what it feels like to be put open by thieves and highway men . What a surprise , there are some bad guys out there ! Welcome to our world , Mr. look at how much money I have . While all of us have been paying your exorbitant interests , bank fees , credit card fees , silly little fee for services that are basic to our existence , You have been systematically raped by one of your own ! Plus by the laws and forgiveness loopholes you have created , HE's going to get away with it ! So sad Too bad. That doesn't sound very caring does it ?
Tough !
My life in the high deset has been rather nice lately , got to experience the first snow , didn't stay on the ground long but was on the peaks of the mountains for most of the day . Like standing in the center of a 360 degree post card . Went to a couple of community functions , kind of like a local craft fair . Met some really nice people , and at Animas was sitting with a couple of old ranchers , while eating a homemade burrito , learned that they were fourth generation ranchers in this area . We were at one table and their children and grand children were at the next table . It appears they are going to stay here for a while ! I had lunch at the Panther Tracks Cafe the other day and fell into conversation with a table of hunters and farmers from the area , I received an education about growing chilis and tried to assimalate all the hunting information in case I come down with the burning desire to grab a gun and go forthwith to slay small animals and such . The interesting facts of chili growing were , most of the red chilis grown were destined to go to the processor to be turned into red dye #2 , it's the only place it comes from ! Jalapenos , while an easy crop to harvest only bring the farmer 15 cents a pound ! Green chilis are the best money crop , but must be harvested solely by hand , while the best red chilis are havested for human consumption , they too must be harvested by hand . Chili farming is a year long deal , plant them inFeb. hope they grow enough to take root , hope the wind doesn't come up and blow them all the way to Wyoming , irrigate , weed , trim the browse grass , pray for some rain , hope that there is a market when they're ready to harvest , hope you can find enough workers to harvest them , then along about October start harvesting and go like crazy through January and start all over again ! Think about that the next time you reach for that $1.59 can of chili powder !
Today looks to be a slow day at the ranch so I volunteered to cook some Cuban style pork with black beans and rice for Rusty , Bob and Tim , I got the pork the last time I went to Douglas to witness the desparation exercise in the big stores down there and of course for the ride through this awesome country . The looks I see on peoples faces in those big stores reminds me of the pictures you see after a disaster .Sort of shell shocked and stunned by a sensory overload of too much stuff , badly done , piped in Christmas carols and too close a proximity with other people who are just as warped into the insane consumer frenzy trying to buy stuff they don't need or want , or buying it for someone that's in the same boat ! I wish I had some empathy for them but I don't , to coin a phrase "just say NO ".
. Side trips this week include a run to Poratal to see some paintings on display and a trip to the rodeo grounds to see some bulls , I'll let you know how that goes ! [in case you didn't know SWAG is a scientific wild ass guess ]
Snow pics...

Playing Catch Up / Manana Disease / Company

2008-11-30T12:21:00.000-05:00

It seems it's been a while since I did this , I make no excuses . Time really flys at times , but somehow Idug my spurs in the ground and managed to slow everything to a crawl . My travels form the high desert into the mountains resulted in a near terminal case of the dreaded Manana disease . I'm at a loss to describe the things I've seen and experienced . At the risk of sounding mystical or spiritual , this has to be one of the most fantastic places on earth , the Apaches had some better understanding of the power of nature and whatever resides in this magical place .
The arrival of my friend Gary just before Thanksgiving was a great motivator , after catching up on all the outside world news and the folks we know in common , we had a great Thanksgiving meal here at the park . Food beyond expectations and people , literally from all over the world ! One couple from Germany, a couple from Canada , and the rest from all over the U.S. Most of the residents here are travelers so stories flew fast furious about all the places we had all been , the most astonishing thing was the lack of talk about politics or celebrities ! Truly a Thanksgiving ! The crowd thinned out and we all trundled to our own places of rest .
Friday Gary and I got an early start and we went to Portal first , luckily the little store was open and we could grab a snack , little did we know these would be the last people we would see for the next five or six hours ! Up over the small hill to the entrance of Coronado National Forest and then we started UP , the gradual incline and paved road gave way to an dirt mountain road ! Now to be fair there was a sign that said that the road was not well maintained , and it was very narrow , and could be impassable in the winter . Well , it is the end of November but no signs of winter as yet ! Fortunately for us , Gary is an excellent driver and has experience on mountain roads , plus He has a new pick up with lots of ground clearance ! Friends and neighbors , I mean that road went UP ! Switchbacks , sharp blind turns and some very slippery and soft spots made for a very interesting ride ! Of course the scenery is breathtkaing and if you don't feel whatever you believe in hand on you , you are seriously bent in your thinking .We made it over the top[elv 6800ft] to turn off at the other Dirt road leading down and in the direction of Chiricahua National monument . This also was an entertaining ride as the swichbacks , etc, were now going the other direction ! Rough is a vast understatment for this road I would still reccomend this trip to anytone if you are a good driver and have no problems with heights ! Some drop offs were as much as 800 to 1500 ft sraight down , and there are no guard rails ! This is a mountain road , at the begining there is a sign that warns you NO VEHICLES OVER 29 FEET , yet at least once or twice a month some dipstick truck driver trying to avoid the scales or whatever attempts it and they close the road until they can retrieve all the pieces ! The roadto the National Monument is somewhat better and inside the park the roads are paved and well maintained . However our destination was the Masai point that overlooks the Apache stronghold , and again it was UP ! The arrival at the top , again left me virtually dumbstruck ! How did these people exist in this place ? ANYONE who could find a way rto live in this should be left alone ! I'll let the pictures do the explaining , I was shaking my head in wonder all the waty back home . Leaving the Monument we decided to go to Willcox AR. to get a bite to eat and then head back to Rodeo . Distance to Willcox , about 40 miles , back to Rodeo about a hundred miles . We traveled this in less time then it took us to go over the mountains to the monument ! Distance from Rusty's to Portal , 7 miles , over the montain to the monment , about 45 or 50 miles ! But what a ride !!!
Gary had to leave to take care of business today [Sunday ] but He'll be back ! This area infects you worse than any disease , you can't get enough of it ! Here are a few of the hundred and some pictures I took on Friday ... By the by Masai Elev 8000 ft plus it was right nippy ...34 degrees !

Vapours / A Language Barrier

2008-11-15T11:48:00.000-05:00

After contacting the home front yesterday , I mounted a trip to Douglas partly for supplies for the weekend and partly for the ride . I don't get tired of driving the roads around here , always a new view with a different perspective depending on the time of day . Dipping down off the pass into Douglas , a quick stop at the gas station to fill up and check the air in the tires , and then down to 5th st and the land of big stores . Foregoing the Safeway and a couple of others I trundled into Wally World to find a parking spot within trekking distance to the door! As soon as I stepped through the door the first indication I had that they had released the vapour that day were evident , several women clustered around a display of eerily ornamented paper plates and cups vaguley reminiscint of a scene from Macbeth , except with Christmas overtones , turning sharply away from this disturbing scene and down to the area I hoped would bring relief and a new blanket , I did a controlled crash into what was considered the Holiday area ! A good 1/4 acre dedicated to ... yes Christmas ! More evidence of whatever vapour the fiends had released on their customers , women drifting slowly about like leaves in the wind with that deer in the headlights look so often seen on heavily over served bar patrons late at night , the men leaning over the shopping carts offering mute supplication to whatever gods there be to deliver them from this torture . I had to flee! . Back to the one place there would be none of this cruel assault on my visual and audial senses , the Automotive department ! Huddled beneath the cans of oil and STP I caught my breath with the sweet scent of floor mats and hydraulic oil . Peeking from this sanctuary I saw that I could make it to the camping dept. without encountering elves or reindeer , [there were enough Rudolphs to power the Space Staion in that store ] , I snagged the little cooking pot I wanted and sped towards home furnishings to grab the spare blanket I wanted . Steady Jim , Steady , almost done , a dash across to the food section , grab some Gatorade , a couple packs of hot dogs , a loaf of fresh bread , some apples and down through the gauntlet that passes for a check out line ! A stroke of luck and I caught the prettiest little cashier in the place , with a smile and and quiet Hola Senor she rapidly got me out of there !
I was at my parking spot when I heard the voice drifting across to me on the wind , a woman on a cell phone two rows over , obviously wound up about something , whatever , I loaded up and was walking arund the cab and had nearly gotten inside when a nice looking truck pulled in beside me . Not new just nice looking and well taken care of , turning in my seat the cell phone harriden was just launching her cart across the row and still screeching getting into her SUV , the cart of course took dead aim on my row and with nothing to impede it was drawing a bead on the unsuspecting truck next to me ! I heaved myself back out and caught the cart prior to any damage being done . Standing there I felt a hand on my arm , I turned to see a well dressed Latin man and smiling and saying Gracias Senor , he then unleashed an invective towards the cell phone woman's genral vicinity and I can assure you that even with my faulty and limited command of Spanish it was colorful ! I told him as best I could I just was trying to stop the cart from hitting the truck and he replied " Si , Yo entiende , con permiso Senor , and he held the door for me while I crawled back into "A" , Buenos Dias Senor , Adios . I fired up the Dodge and was backing out , I looked at the plates on the truck SONORA old Mexico ! A language barrier ? Don't think so .. The vapours went away .....

Colors / Music / Ridin Around

2008-11-11T11:09:00.000-05:00

I can't get over the array of colors in the desert ! Watching the sun come up this morning the differences between the higher elevations and down on the desert floor , at the tops of the peaks the background cobalt sky faded down the slopes to a verdant green and at the foothills were a light green and tan , the desert floor at first light was an entire spectrum of greens and blending with the lower brushes and grasses of anything from a dark brown to a khaki color . Closer up where I could actually see the ground a blend of dark granite to reddish agate rocks and stones , so unlike the Texas hard pan caliche that was almost alkali white .
Yesterday took a ride over to the phone booth to catch up on staying in contact with the rest of the world and seek an appoiuntment with the VA doctors , successful in one a complete bust on the doctor thing ! Afterwards I turned the nose towards rt 338 to Lordsburg , driving through ranch and farm country , fields of chili peppers being harvested and on towards Cotton City I came upon a haying operation . Stopping to watch for a bit The smell of that alfalfa abouut knocked me out , the hay was so green it had bluish tinges to it and seemed to roll on for a mile or more . I had the Robert Earl Keen cd cranked up and listened and watched the bales appear for a half hour or so then up the road to see what was next . I cruised into Lordsburg not really looking for anything in particular , the place is a typical sleepy New Mexico town , even though it's on the interstate there isn't much to give it a tourist flavor . One block away from the exit and it returns to small town America ,I stopped at Saucedo's grocery to grab a few supplies and then headed back to Mickey D's for a cup of coffee . One more phone call and on the road back to Rusty's via route 80 and down through the pass to regroup after a day out on the road . I didn't take any pictures , I'll leave that to the theatre of your mind ! It was a beautiful ride ...

News / Defining Relaxed

2008-11-10T09:39:00.000-05:00

The weekend sort of did a sneaky Pete on me , while adjusting my attitude to fit into the slow time drift that defines southern New Mexico, I must have over compensated and suddenly it's Monday ! Clear blue skies , moderate temperatures , surrounded by extraordinairily nice people , good food , an abundance of scenery that takes your breath away no matter what direction you turn , hmmm... Wonder how that happened ? Saturday did prove to be special as I finally got my act together to do some outdoor cooking . Got my trusty dutch oven out and built a fire early in the afternoon . After the coals were down to where I could manage them put on a pot of pinto beans with ham hocks , sausage , chilis , and onions . Let that slow cook all afternoon while I played a little guitar , watched the mountains and listened to some tunes . Bob came over about 5:30 and we swapped lies for a while and had a bowl of beans together . The conversation turned to growing up and how different things are now as opposed to several years ago . He proceeded to tell me about growing up during the Depression in Wyoming , and what his father and mother had to do to keep the family fed and under shelter . If I could I would have the stories published and made required reading for every person under thirty in America ! Not that they would learn anything , but at least to know how little it takes to get by . As the hours slipped by I considered how lucky I am to have had the upbringing that I did . To be able to sustain myself with what I have and to be content and comfortable is more than a lot of folks get to realize in their life . The media keeps pounding on theAmerican dream and buy this , buy that , buy it on credit , buy it even if you don't need it , you have to have a house , you have to have the newest car , doesn't matter they are poorly built pieces of crap . One thing the media has got right , if you continue to be satisfied with the crap and continue to go in debt and feel you are entitled to more , you deseve it ! The dumbest coyote in New Mexico doesn't go back to where it was shot at the first time ! Keep on America , but quit whining about how bad things are , if you don't like the way you are living then do something about it .
In the rest of my adjustment over the weekend I guess you could say I have reached a level of contenment that defines relaxed , a lot of stuff that used to bother me to no end , now seems pretty trivial . The bozo's in Washington can't be helped , the weasles on Wall St. can't be helped , the folks who keep electing or retaining corrupt officials can't be helped . I can , however, be happy with my situation and what I do .
Here are a couple of pictures of the beans while cooking , they were and are REAL good .

Geting What You Need/ Not Neccassarily What You Want

2008-11-05T17:49:00.002-05:00

Well now ! Here we are after the farce that passes for electing a leader for our country , the old saying comes to mind "be careful what you wish for " comes to mind . My buddy Bob and I were discusssing the goofiness of the last few months and he mentioned that we had just elected a president that had the ability to borrow or cajole money out of people who could least afford it ! Doesn't matter that neither candidate has a good grasp of what is actually going on in this country or how business or taxes work . Bob is 78 and has been around the block a time or two , another point we discussed was that the last time this much hoorah was made over an election was back at the beginning of the Kennedy era and before that was FDR back in the thirties , both precluded some really tumultous times for this country . One thing is for sure SOMEONE always has to pay the fiddler ! Myself I still think there are going to be an awfully large number of young and disenfranchised followers of our new Pres.
For now I'm on the mend from whatever this bug was , feel better and this morning loaded up and made the trip to Rodeo to the little store there . Now, this little place doesn't have a whole lot of stuff ,but they did have a bottle of antacid and I didn't care what it cost ! It seems to have done the trick and I spent the rest of the day shooting the breeze with Bob and watching old Gunsmoke on the big TV in the office . The wind has once again come up pretty strong and while I did have places to go , there was nothing that important . So , returned to camp do a little clean up , a short power nap and figure out what to do about something light to eat .
Tomorrow if the winds prevail my take a ride to see what kind of trouble I can stir up , again may not have been the day I wanted but I got what I needed .

A Slight Setback / Recovered ?

2008-11-04T10:32:00.000-05:00

To explain my abscence for a couple of days , some kind of bug or virus or maybe Aztec voodoo laid me low ! Just plain wiped me out , didn't even fire up the coffee pot and that's something for me! Don't have a clue whay caused it , couldn't eat , stomach ache , weak and couldn't get enough water . Spent yesterday in bed and really didn't move until last night , then made some chicken broth and finally today I feel almost human again . A strange experience to say the least . So , today looks to be a trip to Lordsburg to look around and get some new reading material , hopefully I can avoid all the election madness , I foresee some troubled times for us , no matter who wins ! One side expects the arrival of free bubble up and rainbow stew , a chicken in every pot and no one has to work any more ! While the other side believes we are doomed and taxes are going to be so high to bail out the fat cats and take care of more loans from foreign countries we won't be able to maintain . Then you have the true crazies who promise armed insurrection no matter who wins ! Fortunately the desert doesn't pay much attention to all this and people seem to concentrate on survival and doing what needs to be done to get by . Seems like a good spot to be for a while .
Here are a couple of pictures from the front of the park , it's a nice place to hang out , and relax , neat little koi pond , waterfall and front porch with shade ......

The Mercantile / A large Phone Booth

2008-11-01T10:26:00.001-04:00

My travels yesterdy took me to Animas again , I needed to investigate the store I saw before called The Animas Mercantile .It's an easy trip across the basin and up over the pass , a slight rise of 700 to 1000 feet involved , with a gently rising road and open curves with good visibility . The store itself is in a large metal building and while I expected some building materials and whatnot , I found a complete hardware store with just about anything you need to make stuff work ! In true mercantile tradition they also had a rack of goodies such as candy bars snacks etc . I asked the lady if they had a problem keeping the treats fresh and she said "just watch " , I was there while 5 or 6 customers went through and every one of them grabbed something , no problem with freshness ! In the course of our conversation she informed me most of the guys drive 30 to 40 miles just to get there , needless to say they need a snack to get them home . I found an extension cord , a pair of ranch gloves and some fly strips and traps , before I contained myself and quit making up projects that I probably would never do ! Bob later told me the local ranchers own the place , so what you see is pretty much what you need .
A quick trip around the corner to the little store and gas station for a cold drink and a popsicle . What ? You didn't think I was going to go without my popsicles did you ? The store was full as Humberto's bus was there a legal importer of Mexican labor , these guys ride that old school bus 120 miles each day for work around here on the ranches , Friday is payday and they stop to get their cold drinks and snacks to get them home , usually they go from work directly to the border and that's it , whatever it takes to make a living .
The other reason for going to the store was I can get a great cell phone signal there , sort of like a very large phone booth ! The view from the parking lot streches for miles in every direction , so well worth the trip if I just sit in the parking lot and have a popsicle ! The ride back was once again a slow easy drift down to the basin , 15 miles pretty much coasting and didn't see one car !
the pictures are from just sitting around my campsite trying to learn the camera better , taken from about 5 in the afternoon till just after sunset , they show the light on the mountains as evening comes on us . The one of the bird on the ground is a Glover's quail , can't get over the size of them . Remember ,to see the pictures full size , just click on them ,I shrunk them as much as possible to get them all in .

Geronimo / Douglas Arizona

2008-10-31T12:00:00.000-04:00

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

2008-10-29T09:34:00.000-04:00

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

2008-10-28T09:57:00.000-04:00

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

2008-10-27T20:17:00.000-04:00

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

2008-10-25T11:01:00.000-04:00

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

2008-10-21T15:34:00.000-04:00

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

2008-10-20T10:53:00.000-04:00

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 ....