Adjustments & Observations

 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

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

The rains keep coming, & a small flood

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.

 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

 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

 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.

 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 !

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

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

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 >

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

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 ......