A New Beginning

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 ?

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

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

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

 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

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

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 !