As expected, there is frost on the ground again this morning. I am glad that we bought those other infrared heaters as they work great. I moved one into the bus and it has kept the chill at bay.
Ray has been busy again today looking for the ever elusive septic tank and has now finally found it so hopefully that issue will soon be resolved. One less worry for Ray which I am sure he will be grateful for.
After last nights shenanigans in the trailer, there is some tidying up that needed to be done. There were a few dirty dishes left around from a previous evening of cards so once they were done and the counter cleaned up, the place started looking a lot more loved!!
With that done, I decided to make a pot of soup and a fruit salad. This way, one can eat whenever they so choose.
The sun has finally broken through the clouds and is now shining through the windows. Now, if only the wind would go away, it would be rather pleasant outside.
Our new neighbours have finally got most of the renovations done to the inside of that trailer and have started to move some of their belonging in. They have been very busy for the last few weeks and will probably be living in there by the first of the month. Ray said that he though they had three kids so we will have some munchkins beside us. It is always nice to see happy kids at play.
The septic tank was found and found to be pretty full. Unfortunately, the park owner did not want to spend a lot of money on getting it pumped out. He wants to try the enzyme route first. Hopefully that does the trick and there are no more issues with it but I highly doubt it. Oh well, it is not my problem. Our trailer does not empty into that tank so we are good for now although it makes me wonder just what the condition of our 9000 gallon tank is. Apparently six or seven of the park's trailers empty into that one. It will be interesting to sit back and just watch "The Saga of the Septic Tank".
Kay and I headed into town today and stopped at an antique store (looked more like a thrift store to me) on the way to Safeway. I found a cute little stool that could be used for a plant stand or in the man cave either here or back home. The price was right and Kay and I spent some time checking out all the different stuff they had.
Once back at the park, I grabbed some dirty clothes and we walked up to Mitch's so that I could throw a load into his wash machine. While there, we played a game of horseshoes and to no one's surprise, Kay kicked my ass. She then kicked both Mitch's and Ray's asses although they did give her a much better game than I did!!
The sun had gone down by the time we were finished playing and it was getting chilly so I decided to leave the clothes drying and have Mitch deliver them to me later if he chose to come down for a visit. If he didn't, I would retrieve them tomorrow. As it turned out, he delivered them a few hours later and I had them folded and put back into the basket so that they could be put away tomorrow.
We spent a quiet evening watching TV and then it was time for my bath. Hogan kept looking at me again while I was in the tub and I wondered if he thought it was time for him to have another bath as well. Not going to happen tonight!!
All in all, it was another good day. Kay and I spent some time scrounging around in the stores today, then wondered what we were going to do tomorrow. Hmmmmm.......let me think on that one. Maybe, if it is nice enough out, I will take her to the River Preserve and we can walk some of the trails. She has never been there.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Tuesday, January 29/2013
I woke up to frost this morning!! Man, I thought we were done with that nonsense. I guess there are going to be a few more chilly nights and mornings but looks like we will be in the upper teens by the weekend. Just in time for the neighbour's Superbowl party. Woo Hoo!!
I got the coffee perking then creeped Facebook, read the emails and got the blog caught up and found that I was out of Internet so was forced to clean the kitchen and get the bus tidied up. Man, event the damn computer is against me!!
With that being done, I read some of my book then headed outside for a bit. The sun had finally broken through and was doing its best to shine. There was a bit of an ugly wind blowing so that was making the day even more nasty.
We noticed the plumber's truck parked at the neighbours and wondered what was up with that. We found out that they had sewer issues and are now wondering if the septic tank is full and that is the reason for all their issues.
We apparently have three septic tanks servicing most of the trailers here in the park. There are a few who have their own tanks as well. It sounds like the maintenance on the "community" tanks was rather sketchy so now there are "issues". Ray has been busy most of the afternoon dealing with this "shit". LOL - Oh, I just crack myself up sometimes!!
Unfortunately, the "shit"uation was not able to be resolved today (they could not find the tank - apparently it is not where they thought it was) so Ray has more work ahead of him tomorrow. Hopefully, for his sake, the tank is located and all that is required is for the pump truck to come and empty it. I will keep my fingers crossed as I am sure this is the last thing that Ray needed to be dealing with.
With the septic tank issues on hold for the night, the four of us sat in the trailer for a few refreshments until it was time for some food. Both Ray and I left to eat then he had to do some paper work and I returned to find John and Kay playing cards. Kay was on the loosing end of the cards and the dice tonight and since I was determined to get my greenbacks back to my wallet where they belonged!! As it turned out, I got all of them back and MORE!! Woo Hoo. Come home to Mama!! Kay was not impressed but I assured her she still had a few months to get them back!! Like THAT is going to happen!!
It was soon time for me to hit the bathtub and once that was done, it was time for bed. It was lights out for everyone shortly after that.
It is chilly out tonight and I expect to see frost on the ground in the morning. Time will tell......
I got the coffee perking then creeped Facebook, read the emails and got the blog caught up and found that I was out of Internet so was forced to clean the kitchen and get the bus tidied up. Man, event the damn computer is against me!!
With that being done, I read some of my book then headed outside for a bit. The sun had finally broken through and was doing its best to shine. There was a bit of an ugly wind blowing so that was making the day even more nasty.
We noticed the plumber's truck parked at the neighbours and wondered what was up with that. We found out that they had sewer issues and are now wondering if the septic tank is full and that is the reason for all their issues.
We apparently have three septic tanks servicing most of the trailers here in the park. There are a few who have their own tanks as well. It sounds like the maintenance on the "community" tanks was rather sketchy so now there are "issues". Ray has been busy most of the afternoon dealing with this "shit". LOL - Oh, I just crack myself up sometimes!!
Unfortunately, the "shit"uation was not able to be resolved today (they could not find the tank - apparently it is not where they thought it was) so Ray has more work ahead of him tomorrow. Hopefully, for his sake, the tank is located and all that is required is for the pump truck to come and empty it. I will keep my fingers crossed as I am sure this is the last thing that Ray needed to be dealing with.
With the septic tank issues on hold for the night, the four of us sat in the trailer for a few refreshments until it was time for some food. Both Ray and I left to eat then he had to do some paper work and I returned to find John and Kay playing cards. Kay was on the loosing end of the cards and the dice tonight and since I was determined to get my greenbacks back to my wallet where they belonged!! As it turned out, I got all of them back and MORE!! Woo Hoo. Come home to Mama!! Kay was not impressed but I assured her she still had a few months to get them back!! Like THAT is going to happen!!
It was soon time for me to hit the bathtub and once that was done, it was time for bed. It was lights out for everyone shortly after that.
It is chilly out tonight and I expect to see frost on the ground in the morning. Time will tell......
Monday, January 28/2013
The sun is shining this morning and I can actually see blue sky. Woo Hoo!! Hopefully the rain has run its course and there is nothing but blue sky and sunshine in our future.
It will be nice to get out and spend the day outside.
Kay and I headed out to the grocery store today and stopped at Mitch's to see if his agave were doing OK. We were pleased to see that they are all looking pretty good although the tracks of the javelina were around the plants but there was only a few fronds disturbed. Now that is a good thing.
We headed off to town and noticed that the Hassayampa River was flowing. Now this is normally a very dry wash but with the recent rains, it is now running. It was awesome to see.
We headed up to Rincon Road where we were able to actually get out of the truck and walk to the water's edge and get some pics. I was surprised at the amount of water that was running and Kay mentioned that there are times that the whole river runs. At one point, a few years ago, it was running so much that it actually eroded the river bank so much that a whole house went crashing down into it and was swept under the bridge. Ray was lucky enough to witness the spectacle and said one minute the house was floating down the river and the next it hit the bridge and came out the other side as nothing but toothpicks!! Now that would certainly be something to see. Needless to say, the bridge sustained some damage as well.
Today, the river was not running anywhere near that capacity but it was still pretty awesome to see.
After we did all our running around, we came back to the park and unloaded then, decide to take a drive up to Box Canyon via Scenic Loop Road. We both wanted to see how much water was "in the box". We asked John to join us but he was not so inclined so once again, it was just Kay and I. Ray had gone to visit his sister.
We headed out and got to the box without incident. We stopped a few times along the way to take some pics of a pretty unique looking saguaro cactus and Kay spotted a pack rat's nest that was pretty awesome as well.
Once at the top of the box, we parked the truck and walked down into the wash/canyon. We could hear the rushing water before we saw it and once we did, it was pretty cool. Although we have seen this canyon much fuller, it was still a great sight to see. There was a lot of erosion evident on the walk down and even that was pretty awesome to see. Man, it must have been flowing big time in the middle of all that steady rain that came down.
We then hiked back up to the truck and headed back to town stopping every now and then to collect garbage along the road.
Once back in the Park, Marybeth came by so that Kay could help her with some computer stuff (Kay is our park techno geek).
It was time to feed the birds so I threw some seed out there while it was starting to spit rain again. I guess I won't be sitting outside today to watch them.
The javalina came by - actually it was only Scarface, so I grabbed some food and chatted to him while I threw it to him. I was actually standing fairly close to him. He is not really afraid of me anymore and since it was only just him out there I was feeling a bit braver. He took his time eating and while I was standing there, I heard Marybeth and Kay in the garage so I went over and joined them for a beverage.
Ray came home shortly thereafter and Marybeth and I both took our leave.
Supper was simple fair again tonight. John had already eaten so it was just myself I had to worry about and vegetable soup and fruit salad was what was on the menu!
After that, it was relaxing in front of the TV until bedtime. Another great day spent with some added adventure today.
It will be nice to get out and spend the day outside.
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| Water running over the road. This road passes through the Hassayamppa River which is usually dry - except when it rains for several days in a row. |
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| The river is running! |
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| Sun on the water of the Hassayamppa |
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| One funky looking saguaro cactus - seen along Scenic Loop Road, on the way to Box Canyon |
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| Lots of water in Box Canyon |
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| Pak Rat house |
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| More water running in "the box" |
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| Erosion - water emptied into the Box |
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| Looking down into Box Canyon |
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| Vulture Peak in the distance |
We headed off to town and noticed that the Hassayampa River was flowing. Now this is normally a very dry wash but with the recent rains, it is now running. It was awesome to see.
We headed up to Rincon Road where we were able to actually get out of the truck and walk to the water's edge and get some pics. I was surprised at the amount of water that was running and Kay mentioned that there are times that the whole river runs. At one point, a few years ago, it was running so much that it actually eroded the river bank so much that a whole house went crashing down into it and was swept under the bridge. Ray was lucky enough to witness the spectacle and said one minute the house was floating down the river and the next it hit the bridge and came out the other side as nothing but toothpicks!! Now that would certainly be something to see. Needless to say, the bridge sustained some damage as well.
Today, the river was not running anywhere near that capacity but it was still pretty awesome to see.
After we did all our running around, we came back to the park and unloaded then, decide to take a drive up to Box Canyon via Scenic Loop Road. We both wanted to see how much water was "in the box". We asked John to join us but he was not so inclined so once again, it was just Kay and I. Ray had gone to visit his sister.
We headed out and got to the box without incident. We stopped a few times along the way to take some pics of a pretty unique looking saguaro cactus and Kay spotted a pack rat's nest that was pretty awesome as well.
Once at the top of the box, we parked the truck and walked down into the wash/canyon. We could hear the rushing water before we saw it and once we did, it was pretty cool. Although we have seen this canyon much fuller, it was still a great sight to see. There was a lot of erosion evident on the walk down and even that was pretty awesome to see. Man, it must have been flowing big time in the middle of all that steady rain that came down.
We then hiked back up to the truck and headed back to town stopping every now and then to collect garbage along the road.
Once back in the Park, Marybeth came by so that Kay could help her with some computer stuff (Kay is our park techno geek).
It was time to feed the birds so I threw some seed out there while it was starting to spit rain again. I guess I won't be sitting outside today to watch them.
The javalina came by - actually it was only Scarface, so I grabbed some food and chatted to him while I threw it to him. I was actually standing fairly close to him. He is not really afraid of me anymore and since it was only just him out there I was feeling a bit braver. He took his time eating and while I was standing there, I heard Marybeth and Kay in the garage so I went over and joined them for a beverage.
Ray came home shortly thereafter and Marybeth and I both took our leave.
Supper was simple fair again tonight. John had already eaten so it was just myself I had to worry about and vegetable soup and fruit salad was what was on the menu!
After that, it was relaxing in front of the TV until bedtime. Another great day spent with some added adventure today.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Sunday, January 27/2013
It rained off and on throughout the night and this morning it remains very overcast. The rain has stopped for the moment but I am sure we have not yet seen the last of it.
I was chatting with my sister back home and she basically told me to suck it up with all the rain talk as they were currently in another very cold snap. When I mentioned something about having to go outside in my bare feet because I had forgot my rubber boots, she mentioned that if she had gone outside in her bare feet, they would have frozen, turned black and would have had to have been amputated and then everyone would call her "Stumpy"!! God, she can be so dramatic at times!!
This morning, I looked outside and saw that Hogan and one of the javalina were practically nose to nose at the fence. Now, isn't that something. I think the pigs are finally realizing that Hogan can not get at them from this side of the fence. He certainly was using his "big boy" growl though!! It was cute but the javalina did not stick around for long when Hogan rattled the gate.
Kay and Ray were headed into Surprise today and asked if I wanted to go with them. I decided to stay home and do some house cleaning. It is getting messy in this bus again. I just can't keep the dust our and with the recent rains, Hogan does not really care that his feet are dirty when he comes in.
We got an email from Keith and Charlotte a few days ago that said they had sold their truck and had bought a jeep. Man, things are really working out well for those two. I am so glad for them. Their jeep sounds awesome and I am sure they will enjoy all the places it will take them. Congrats you two!!
I finally decided that I had been inside long enough and took a walk outside. There was a nasty little wind blowing today but the sun managed to shine through some of the rain clouds for a few minutes. It sure felt nice on the face. I went over to check on the agave plants that Kay and I had planted an few days ago and discovered that out of the five that we planted in the open acres, three had been attacked by those rotten little javelina. Two are pretty much gone and the third is looking pretty unhappy. They did however leave two alone. Now, wasn't that nice of them? I guess Kay and I will have to go and get a few more plants and do some replanting. That will be a job for later on in the week I think.
I made some homemade vegetable soup earlier today so had lots of veggie peels to give to the javelina so, took that out and spread it around for them. I really shouldn't even feed the little agave eating creatures after the way they went after three of the plants but they are kind of cute and I love to sit and watch them.
I threw some bird seed out as well then sat down in one of the many lawn chairs and did some birdwatching. The quail and all their silliness make me smile and I love to watch them. It is indeed nature's entertainment at its finest.
Kay joined me as usual and eventually we had to head into the trailer seeking warmth as the wind continued to blow and the little bit of sun we had left. We ended up watching the birds from the kitchen window. The bunnies came by a short time later and enjoyed a lot of the veggie peels and some of the seed as well. The javalina did not show up until after dark and the only reason I know they were around is that Hogan was growling and carrying on and of course, they carry that musky "skunky" smell with them.
It wasn't long before John joined us in the trailer and the cards came out. Kay is determined to get some of her quarters back. Hopefully, that does not happen. She still has some "greenbacks" in her stash that belong to me so I don't feel sorry for her yet!!
Mitch came over for a while tonight and joined the card game but did not stay long. He lost his $1.50 (we play for high stakes around here) and went home. He looked tired tonight as he too is battling this cold thing although his voice did sound better so hopefully, he is getting on top of it.
I fired up the deep fryer and cooked a bunch of chicken legs and that is what we ate for supper. Finger food is always good when you are sitting around playing cards.
It was soon time to call it a day and that is what I did. I had a headache (winning all those quarters is a tough thing to do) so decided my bed was calling to me. Kay was determined to continue playing cards and getting some of her quarters back but with only her and John playing, it would take a while since the pot was only giving you .75 cents at a time!! Good luck with that!!
All in all, it was another good day. Hopefully tomorrow, we get to see more sunshine and no rain.
I was chatting with my sister back home and she basically told me to suck it up with all the rain talk as they were currently in another very cold snap. When I mentioned something about having to go outside in my bare feet because I had forgot my rubber boots, she mentioned that if she had gone outside in her bare feet, they would have frozen, turned black and would have had to have been amputated and then everyone would call her "Stumpy"!! God, she can be so dramatic at times!!
This morning, I looked outside and saw that Hogan and one of the javalina were practically nose to nose at the fence. Now, isn't that something. I think the pigs are finally realizing that Hogan can not get at them from this side of the fence. He certainly was using his "big boy" growl though!! It was cute but the javalina did not stick around for long when Hogan rattled the gate.
Kay and Ray were headed into Surprise today and asked if I wanted to go with them. I decided to stay home and do some house cleaning. It is getting messy in this bus again. I just can't keep the dust our and with the recent rains, Hogan does not really care that his feet are dirty when he comes in.
We got an email from Keith and Charlotte a few days ago that said they had sold their truck and had bought a jeep. Man, things are really working out well for those two. I am so glad for them. Their jeep sounds awesome and I am sure they will enjoy all the places it will take them. Congrats you two!!
I finally decided that I had been inside long enough and took a walk outside. There was a nasty little wind blowing today but the sun managed to shine through some of the rain clouds for a few minutes. It sure felt nice on the face. I went over to check on the agave plants that Kay and I had planted an few days ago and discovered that out of the five that we planted in the open acres, three had been attacked by those rotten little javelina. Two are pretty much gone and the third is looking pretty unhappy. They did however leave two alone. Now, wasn't that nice of them? I guess Kay and I will have to go and get a few more plants and do some replanting. That will be a job for later on in the week I think.
I made some homemade vegetable soup earlier today so had lots of veggie peels to give to the javelina so, took that out and spread it around for them. I really shouldn't even feed the little agave eating creatures after the way they went after three of the plants but they are kind of cute and I love to sit and watch them.
I threw some bird seed out as well then sat down in one of the many lawn chairs and did some birdwatching. The quail and all their silliness make me smile and I love to watch them. It is indeed nature's entertainment at its finest.
Kay joined me as usual and eventually we had to head into the trailer seeking warmth as the wind continued to blow and the little bit of sun we had left. We ended up watching the birds from the kitchen window. The bunnies came by a short time later and enjoyed a lot of the veggie peels and some of the seed as well. The javalina did not show up until after dark and the only reason I know they were around is that Hogan was growling and carrying on and of course, they carry that musky "skunky" smell with them.
It wasn't long before John joined us in the trailer and the cards came out. Kay is determined to get some of her quarters back. Hopefully, that does not happen. She still has some "greenbacks" in her stash that belong to me so I don't feel sorry for her yet!!
Mitch came over for a while tonight and joined the card game but did not stay long. He lost his $1.50 (we play for high stakes around here) and went home. He looked tired tonight as he too is battling this cold thing although his voice did sound better so hopefully, he is getting on top of it.
I fired up the deep fryer and cooked a bunch of chicken legs and that is what we ate for supper. Finger food is always good when you are sitting around playing cards.
It was soon time to call it a day and that is what I did. I had a headache (winning all those quarters is a tough thing to do) so decided my bed was calling to me. Kay was determined to continue playing cards and getting some of her quarters back but with only her and John playing, it would take a while since the pot was only giving you .75 cents at a time!! Good luck with that!!
All in all, it was another good day. Hopefully tomorrow, we get to see more sunshine and no rain.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Saturday, January 26/2013
I awoke this morning to the sound of rain on the roof. It has rained throughout the night and there is a huge water puddle in the yard. It is warm out and still smells awesome.
It will be a good day to just sit back and relax. I have had a few of those in the last few weeks and that is a nice thing.
The birds are busy at the seed that is still on the ground from when the feeder I sat on the fence fell over and spilled its contents out. I am not sure how that happened but it was full!!
It rained all day - a steady ground soaking rain. Kay texted and wondered if the river would be flowing and her and Ray took a drive over there to see if it was. As it turned out, it wasn't.
I spent a quiet day watching "chick flicks" on TV, catching up on the blog and reading. John threw a steak on the bbq for supper and it was great. Steak, baked potato and caesar salad......awesome.
After that it was more TV - John watching hockey (sure didn't miss that) and me watching another movie. Perhaps tomorrow will be more productive......
It will be a good day to just sit back and relax. I have had a few of those in the last few weeks and that is a nice thing.
The birds are busy at the seed that is still on the ground from when the feeder I sat on the fence fell over and spilled its contents out. I am not sure how that happened but it was full!!
It rained all day - a steady ground soaking rain. Kay texted and wondered if the river would be flowing and her and Ray took a drive over there to see if it was. As it turned out, it wasn't.
I spent a quiet day watching "chick flicks" on TV, catching up on the blog and reading. John threw a steak on the bbq for supper and it was great. Steak, baked potato and caesar salad......awesome.
After that it was more TV - John watching hockey (sure didn't miss that) and me watching another movie. Perhaps tomorrow will be more productive......
Friday, January 25/2013
It is gloomy again this morning but warm out. I see several doves sitting in the trees waiting to be fed and since I did not bother to feed the birds yesterday, I feel bad this morning so took some seed out and threw it on the ground for them.
While I was out there, Kay yelled out exclaiming the wonders of my pyjamas (for all the park to hear). "Nice PJs" she yells. I had my Saskatchewan Roughrider green/white fleece pants on along with my pink nightie all covered by a blue plaid jack shirt. Personally I think I looked rather stunning but obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder!! I wandered over and chatted with her for a while then Ray came out and he too mentioned what a lovely outfit I had on. What is with these people and my outfits?
Mitch was over for a cup of coffee and since we were all standing there chatting I decided to get a cup of coffee and join the breakfast gathering - pjs and all!! At least I had combed my hair!!
The javalina had wandered in and when I brought my cup of coffee over so I also brought a bowl of food for them too as they were quickly scooping up the birdseed I had just thrown out for the birds. Gosh, they are like little vacuum cleaners when it comes to birdseed.
"The beggar" now has a new name. Scarface - although not a pretty name, it is very appropriate considering the huge scar that is now running down the left side of his face. I don't think it will ever heal properly. He shall forever have an ugly gaping skin flap showing his huge white tooth.
Kay and I have decide to go and pick some more agave plants from the Aztec Trailer Park. They have tons and the manager is more than happy for us to come and thin some of them. We have several that need to be replace up at Mitch's and there are even a few that need to be replaced at Ray and Kay's. I will have to remember to take the thick glove this time as last year, I had several pokes and scratches to deal with. They are very unforgiving!!
There is rain headed our way and we are scheduled for about three days of it so today would be a great day to plant. With that in mind, and buckets and shovels in the back of the truck, we headed out. It took exactly 3 minutes for me to get so wrapped up in the hunt for agave that I stuck my hand out to lean on a nearby tree and immediately felt the very sharp thorns piercing my leather gloves and sticking into my hand. The "tree" turned out to be a saguaro cactus - DO NOT LEAN ON THESE!! Jesus, Mary and Joseph....never let your guard down!! Kay was too busy laughing and asking me what the hell I thought I was doing? Just checking the sharpness of all those thorns, that is what I was doing - what a loser I am!!
We soon had several agave plants in the buckets and headed back to the park to start our planting. We ended up planting six plants at Mitch's and 5 plants out in the empty acres outside our two fences. Being that they were outside the fence, they are vulnerable to the scrounging antics of the javalina so Kay and I had to haul several large stones and laid them around each plant. Whew, now, that was work and when we were done we sat in our chairs and enjoyed a beverage.
Once we recovered, we jumped in the truck (John in tow) and went to show him a shed that could be easily converted into a man cave - if the price was right. We would have to move it on a roll off truck and that would create a few issues but first, we have to see if it is possible to get it.
We then headed to the grocery store and picked up a few things then stopped at Wickenburg's newest bar and restaurant - The Wickenburg Feed Company. It was nice and John ordered an burger and fries and Kay and I shared a "sampler" plate. John's burger was huge and our sampler had a variety of stuff that satisfied both Kay and I.
We then headed back to the park and we stopped at Mitch's once again so that I could pick up a load of clothes that I had in his dryer. It started to rain while we were there so I am afraid that the three days of rain are upon us. This will be so good for our newly planted agave.
We all headed back to our place to get the cards out and get into several games of "31". As it turned out, I was the big winner of the night, crushing the pathetic attempts of the others to succeed. Take that you bozos!!
With my winnings safely squirrelled away, and the others with their hands in their empty pockets, it
was time for all to call it a night.
The rain was still falling and it smelled wonderful. I fell asleep with the rhythmic sound of the rain on the roof of the bus. Life is good!!
While I was out there, Kay yelled out exclaiming the wonders of my pyjamas (for all the park to hear). "Nice PJs" she yells. I had my Saskatchewan Roughrider green/white fleece pants on along with my pink nightie all covered by a blue plaid jack shirt. Personally I think I looked rather stunning but obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder!! I wandered over and chatted with her for a while then Ray came out and he too mentioned what a lovely outfit I had on. What is with these people and my outfits?
Mitch was over for a cup of coffee and since we were all standing there chatting I decided to get a cup of coffee and join the breakfast gathering - pjs and all!! At least I had combed my hair!!
The javalina had wandered in and when I brought my cup of coffee over so I also brought a bowl of food for them too as they were quickly scooping up the birdseed I had just thrown out for the birds. Gosh, they are like little vacuum cleaners when it comes to birdseed.
"The beggar" now has a new name. Scarface - although not a pretty name, it is very appropriate considering the huge scar that is now running down the left side of his face. I don't think it will ever heal properly. He shall forever have an ugly gaping skin flap showing his huge white tooth.
Kay and I have decide to go and pick some more agave plants from the Aztec Trailer Park. They have tons and the manager is more than happy for us to come and thin some of them. We have several that need to be replace up at Mitch's and there are even a few that need to be replaced at Ray and Kay's. I will have to remember to take the thick glove this time as last year, I had several pokes and scratches to deal with. They are very unforgiving!!
There is rain headed our way and we are scheduled for about three days of it so today would be a great day to plant. With that in mind, and buckets and shovels in the back of the truck, we headed out. It took exactly 3 minutes for me to get so wrapped up in the hunt for agave that I stuck my hand out to lean on a nearby tree and immediately felt the very sharp thorns piercing my leather gloves and sticking into my hand. The "tree" turned out to be a saguaro cactus - DO NOT LEAN ON THESE!! Jesus, Mary and Joseph....never let your guard down!! Kay was too busy laughing and asking me what the hell I thought I was doing? Just checking the sharpness of all those thorns, that is what I was doing - what a loser I am!!
We soon had several agave plants in the buckets and headed back to the park to start our planting. We ended up planting six plants at Mitch's and 5 plants out in the empty acres outside our two fences. Being that they were outside the fence, they are vulnerable to the scrounging antics of the javalina so Kay and I had to haul several large stones and laid them around each plant. Whew, now, that was work and when we were done we sat in our chairs and enjoyed a beverage.
Once we recovered, we jumped in the truck (John in tow) and went to show him a shed that could be easily converted into a man cave - if the price was right. We would have to move it on a roll off truck and that would create a few issues but first, we have to see if it is possible to get it.
We then headed to the grocery store and picked up a few things then stopped at Wickenburg's newest bar and restaurant - The Wickenburg Feed Company. It was nice and John ordered an burger and fries and Kay and I shared a "sampler" plate. John's burger was huge and our sampler had a variety of stuff that satisfied both Kay and I.
We then headed back to the park and we stopped at Mitch's once again so that I could pick up a load of clothes that I had in his dryer. It started to rain while we were there so I am afraid that the three days of rain are upon us. This will be so good for our newly planted agave.
We all headed back to our place to get the cards out and get into several games of "31". As it turned out, I was the big winner of the night, crushing the pathetic attempts of the others to succeed. Take that you bozos!!
With my winnings safely squirrelled away, and the others with their hands in their empty pockets, it
was time for all to call it a night.
The rain was still falling and it smelled wonderful. I fell asleep with the rhythmic sound of the rain on the roof of the bus. Life is good!!
Thursday, January 24/2013
I awoke to rain today. It is a warm, gentle rain. There are a few things that probably should be moved inside and I had better get busy with that.
Back inside and I must say, it smells wonderful outside. Fresh and clean and awesome.
Once again they are experiencing a snowstorm and continued cold weather back home so I shall not carry on about our great weather here. That would be rude!!
I looked outside and saw the javalina out and about and noted that the original baby was out there with his Mom. I wondered what the heck he was doing and then realized that he was trying to suckle her which was totally optimistic on his part as they are weened at 6 weeks. Mom was very patient with him and stood still for quite a while so I wonder if he actually was having some success.
It rained off and on all day and I busied myself here in the bus. The dishes got done and the kitchen cleaned up. I started to cut up some raw vegetables and noted that the broccoli had already turned yellow so that ended up being set aside for the pigs. By the time I was done, I had a large ziploc bag full. They would certainly appreciate that a bit later in the day.
With the kitchen cleaned up, I decided that it was time to clean the shower stall. I really hate that job and since we have not been using it I thought that now would be a good time for a good cleaning and perhaps it will stay clean a bit longer than normally. There is a lot of dust down here and it seems to get everywhere.
With my work all done, I settled into my book and read for the rest of the day. John wanted only soup for supper so made that for himself which actually gave me the opportunity to cook a lamb chop for myself. John does not like lamb so whenever I decide to cook one for myself, I have to cook something else for him - which really is not a problem as I just throw something else on the other side of the bbq. Tonight, I settled for pan fried and it was quite good.
TV and more reading made up the rest of the evening then, it was time to shut the lights out and get some sleep. Tomorrow is another day and I have no real plans for it so will see what happens.
Back inside and I must say, it smells wonderful outside. Fresh and clean and awesome.
Once again they are experiencing a snowstorm and continued cold weather back home so I shall not carry on about our great weather here. That would be rude!!
I looked outside and saw the javalina out and about and noted that the original baby was out there with his Mom. I wondered what the heck he was doing and then realized that he was trying to suckle her which was totally optimistic on his part as they are weened at 6 weeks. Mom was very patient with him and stood still for quite a while so I wonder if he actually was having some success.
It rained off and on all day and I busied myself here in the bus. The dishes got done and the kitchen cleaned up. I started to cut up some raw vegetables and noted that the broccoli had already turned yellow so that ended up being set aside for the pigs. By the time I was done, I had a large ziploc bag full. They would certainly appreciate that a bit later in the day.
With the kitchen cleaned up, I decided that it was time to clean the shower stall. I really hate that job and since we have not been using it I thought that now would be a good time for a good cleaning and perhaps it will stay clean a bit longer than normally. There is a lot of dust down here and it seems to get everywhere.
With my work all done, I settled into my book and read for the rest of the day. John wanted only soup for supper so made that for himself which actually gave me the opportunity to cook a lamb chop for myself. John does not like lamb so whenever I decide to cook one for myself, I have to cook something else for him - which really is not a problem as I just throw something else on the other side of the bbq. Tonight, I settled for pan fried and it was quite good.
TV and more reading made up the rest of the evening then, it was time to shut the lights out and get some sleep. Tomorrow is another day and I have no real plans for it so will see what happens.
Wednesday, January 23/2013
Another beautiful, sunny day is upon us. The javalina were out early this morning and I was able to catch a glimpse of one of the original babies this morning. My how he has grown. He has lost all his brown and is now the same salt and pepper colour of his Mom.
Kay mentioned yesterday, that there are some paving stones available for John and I at one of the many properties that her and Ray tend while they are here and wondered if we were interested in them. Of course we are as there is still a lot of yard work that is needed around here and every little bit helps. They are free and so the price is right!! All that it will take to get them is to go pick them up.
With that being said, Kay and I headed out today to do just that. Loaded with the wheeler and some good old fashioned muscle, we got to the site and started loading. There were about six or seven that were real thick (at least 2") and HEAVY. I think we nearly strained our ovaries getting them into the truck!! Of course we were not going to be denied and we soon had several in the truck. They will look awesome in the yard once we decide where they will be going.
We headed back to the park and there John helped us unload them. With the truck unloaded, we decided to rest for a bit before heading back over for the final load.
Kay had a hair appointment so we decided to wait until after that. That way, it would give us both a chance to recover!!
The second load did not take us long as we had only two of the real heavy ones to deal with. The rest of the load was much lighter, smaller pavers that will look good as well. There were some big chunks of wooden blocks there and we threw those into the truck too. Hell, if they can't be used for something, they can always be burned in the fire pit.
John helped unload the second load and then it was time to throw the birdseed out and sit and relax. John joined Kay and I today for the show. Usually it is only the two of us enjoying the antics of the birds.
The javelina came by along with "the beggar". Today was the first time John got to see the wound on his face. It is still gaping and I think that it probably always will. Like I said before, it won't be hard to recognize him now.
At one point, there were 9 javelina outside the fence enjoying the food that we had thrown out to them. Even the one remaining original baby returned for snacks tonight. I took some pics of him and must say I am thrilled to see how he is growing. Despite his size, he displayed some aggressive attitude towards a few of the other javelina but I guess you can do that when your Mom is standing beside you and has your back!!
Once they wandered off, John started a fire and Kay, John and I sat around it until it was time for me to think about making something for supper. I decided to make a couple of quick pizzas. I find that I am obsessed by the spinach, artichoke, chicken one that I tasted a few weeks ago. I bought the fixing for it so made one of those tonight and I must say it turned out rather well. The sauce was a cheesy, garlic parmesan so was white - so different than what we are used to. I had never even really thought of a white pizza sauce before. It must have been good because there was only one piece left by the end of the evening. I also made a regular pepperoni pizza (added some spinach to that one too) and it too disappeared!!
It was an awesome evening and the fire was great. It was a perfect end to a good day. Life is Good!!
Kay mentioned yesterday, that there are some paving stones available for John and I at one of the many properties that her and Ray tend while they are here and wondered if we were interested in them. Of course we are as there is still a lot of yard work that is needed around here and every little bit helps. They are free and so the price is right!! All that it will take to get them is to go pick them up.
With that being said, Kay and I headed out today to do just that. Loaded with the wheeler and some good old fashioned muscle, we got to the site and started loading. There were about six or seven that were real thick (at least 2") and HEAVY. I think we nearly strained our ovaries getting them into the truck!! Of course we were not going to be denied and we soon had several in the truck. They will look awesome in the yard once we decide where they will be going.
We headed back to the park and there John helped us unload them. With the truck unloaded, we decided to rest for a bit before heading back over for the final load.
Kay had a hair appointment so we decided to wait until after that. That way, it would give us both a chance to recover!!
The second load did not take us long as we had only two of the real heavy ones to deal with. The rest of the load was much lighter, smaller pavers that will look good as well. There were some big chunks of wooden blocks there and we threw those into the truck too. Hell, if they can't be used for something, they can always be burned in the fire pit.
John helped unload the second load and then it was time to throw the birdseed out and sit and relax. John joined Kay and I today for the show. Usually it is only the two of us enjoying the antics of the birds.
The javelina came by along with "the beggar". Today was the first time John got to see the wound on his face. It is still gaping and I think that it probably always will. Like I said before, it won't be hard to recognize him now.
At one point, there were 9 javelina outside the fence enjoying the food that we had thrown out to them. Even the one remaining original baby returned for snacks tonight. I took some pics of him and must say I am thrilled to see how he is growing. Despite his size, he displayed some aggressive attitude towards a few of the other javelina but I guess you can do that when your Mom is standing beside you and has your back!!
Once they wandered off, John started a fire and Kay, John and I sat around it until it was time for me to think about making something for supper. I decided to make a couple of quick pizzas. I find that I am obsessed by the spinach, artichoke, chicken one that I tasted a few weeks ago. I bought the fixing for it so made one of those tonight and I must say it turned out rather well. The sauce was a cheesy, garlic parmesan so was white - so different than what we are used to. I had never even really thought of a white pizza sauce before. It must have been good because there was only one piece left by the end of the evening. I also made a regular pepperoni pizza (added some spinach to that one too) and it too disappeared!!
It was an awesome evening and the fire was great. It was a perfect end to a good day. Life is Good!!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Tuesday, January22/2013
Well, I am up early and incredibly, I find that I am not all that stiff and sore considering my adventures from yesterday.
The sun is shining and it looks like it will be another warm day today.
I really have nothing on my agenda for today so think I will just relax and regroup after yesterday.
Kay called and asked if I needed to go into town since she had to go in and of course I joined her. There is always a grocery list in progress around here.
Once back from our trip to town, we found that the deep fryer that I had ordered had been delivered so Kay and I had to open it and see what it was like. It looked OK and I am sure that it won't be too long before John is going to want to try some french fries in it.
I threw some seed out to the birds and then Kay and I sat back and waited for the show to begin. Before the birds arrived, the javelina came by and provided some entertainment for us. At one point, one of them actually decided to lay down and have a bit of a rest while the others foraged for the raw potatoes and dog food that I had thrown out for them. Once they wandered off, the birds came and they too provided a show. Everyday is different.
It was soon time to think about supper and when Kay went in to eat hers, John decided that we needed to try out the new fryer. Of course I did not have enough oil for it so had to borrow some from Ray.
The fries were pretty good!!
The evening was spent relaxing and watching TV. All in all, it was a quiet day.
The sun is shining and it looks like it will be another warm day today.
I really have nothing on my agenda for today so think I will just relax and regroup after yesterday.
Kay called and asked if I needed to go into town since she had to go in and of course I joined her. There is always a grocery list in progress around here.
Once back from our trip to town, we found that the deep fryer that I had ordered had been delivered so Kay and I had to open it and see what it was like. It looked OK and I am sure that it won't be too long before John is going to want to try some french fries in it.
I threw some seed out to the birds and then Kay and I sat back and waited for the show to begin. Before the birds arrived, the javelina came by and provided some entertainment for us. At one point, one of them actually decided to lay down and have a bit of a rest while the others foraged for the raw potatoes and dog food that I had thrown out for them. Once they wandered off, the birds came and they too provided a show. Everyday is different.
It was soon time to think about supper and when Kay went in to eat hers, John decided that we needed to try out the new fryer. Of course I did not have enough oil for it so had to borrow some from Ray.
The fries were pretty good!!
The evening was spent relaxing and watching TV. All in all, it was a quiet day.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Monday, January 21/2013
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| Headed towards the Bradshaw Mountains |
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| Dusty trails |
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| The trail ahead |
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| Awesome views |
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| Still functioning wind mill |
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| There are people living way out here |
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| Tailing's from a near by mine |
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| Locked and chained closed - DO NOT ENTER |
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| The cool air coming from this mine was incredible |
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| A very rare "crowned" saguaro cactus. This growth occurs in approximately one in 50,000 cacti......amazing |
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| A better shot of the "crown" |
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| Saguaro forest cover the hills |
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| Bradshaw Mountains - 40 miles long and 25 miles wide - mined for gold, silver and copper Named after mining pioneers Isaac and William Bradshaw |
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| Isaac Bradshaw's grave. An early gold miner - although not very successful, managed to keep himself in "bacon and beans". |
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| Isaac Bradshaw - born 1819 and died Christmas Day 1886 at his mining claim on Whipsaw Gulch, near Castle Creek where he is now buried. |
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| Remnants of past mining activity |
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| Incredible views of the area |
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| Awesome trails |
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| Rocky spires along Castle Wash |
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| Someone took the time to paint Charley Brown and Snoopy on the rocks along the wash. |
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| Incredible spires here in the Sonoran Desert...... who would have thought? |
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| Spires and Saguaros |
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| One of the fellows (who Geo Caches) left a buccaneer in one of the many holes in the cliffs of the wash. This was left close to the Charley Brown painting |
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| Oh, Oh......Mitch is in trouble!! |
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| Mitch managed to set the quad on its rear end - no harm, no foul - but it took three to get it back on its wheels |
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| Back on all four tires and good to go |
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| More awesome trail - the day was full of awesome trail |
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| Cactus pointing us in the right direction |
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| A rock grinder (similar to a mortar and passel) Used to grind the rock and extract the gold |
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| Probably a ventilation shaft for a nearby mine |
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| Part of the incredible Bradshaw Mountain Range |
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| Moon coming up |
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| Sun going down |
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| Awesome |
Once we arrived at Buckhorn Road, we hung a right and headed up and into the hills of the Bradshaw Mountains - named after William and Isaac Bradshaw. Both were early mining pioneers and although they never really "struck it big", it is said they were able to keep themselves in "bacon and beans".
We travelled through some incredible back country, through an incredible variety of desert flora and wonderful colour. The vista views of the mountains were plentiful. I just never get tired of looking at the variety this Sonoran Desert offers.
We passed several abandoned mining sites. As you can see from the pics, some were locked and chained closed. It was incredible to stand in front of the gate at one mine site reading the Keep Out signs and feeling the chilly air that was coming from the entrance. One would definitely require a jacket in order to enter these dark and foreboding pathways.
As we travelled deeper into the back country, we were lucky enough to see one of the vary rare Crown Saguaros. This is a phenomenon that occurs once in every 50.000 cacti. It was truly something to see and actually was one of the highlights of my day. Oh how blessed I am to see yet another of God's wondrous creations.
As we continued along the trail, it became less and less maintained which made it that much more interesting. There were several areas that were simply rock and reminded me of many of the trails in the Moab, Utah area. It was awesome.
We eventually made it to the grave site of Isaac Bradshaw and I was very pleased to see that it is well maintained. It was situated not far from his mine site on Whipsaw Gulch and just a stones throw from Castle Creek. In fact, we had to cross the now dry creek bed in order to get to the grave site.
We stopped here at the grave, built a bit of a fire and roasted hotdogs, smokies and brats over the open flames. It was awesome and an hour or so later, the fire was doused and we were back on the trail heading to the Snoopy Rock.
We made one stop along the way were one could find a lot of raw turquoise. Kay and I scoured the area and I had a pocket full before it was time to leave. Kay and I had a chuckle as I said I would write on the blog that I was hunting turquoise with a Navajo!! The Navajo People are renowned for their incredible turquoise jewellery.
We travelled over more incredible trail and eventually dropped down into a wash with high rock cliffs on both sides of us. One could see where the water had been running and at one time it must have been at least 20 feet deep as the debris was clinging to rocks and tree branches that high. Definitely, NOT the time to be in the wash!!
As we travelled along this wash, I was in awe of the scenery. It offered stunning views of spires mixed in amongst the many saguaro cactus. At one point I saw a rock that reminded me of the many "balanced" rock formations in Utah. Incredible scenery......for a desert!!
We arrived at the Snoopy Rock. This is a painting on the rock that someone took the time to do. It was of Charley Brown and Snoopy. I wonder what possesses someone to create art here in the back country knowing that only a blessed few will get to see and appreciate it. It was awesome and appreciated by all in our group.
One of the fellows we were traveling with today is an avid Geo Cache enthusiast and carries with him various little articles to put into what ever cache he finds. Today. we left one of his "buccaneers" at this site. It was placed in one of the many holes in the side of the rock wall near the Snoopy painting. It will be interesting to see if it is still there the next time we head out there and, since it was one of the best trails we have been on, I am sure we will do it again.
It was soon time to climb out of the wash and access yet another trail that would eventually take us back to Buckhorn Road. The climb out meant we had to travel a rather steep incline that offered a few challenging sections. In one of theses sections, Mitch managed to set his quad up on its rear end. With the steep incline, both John and Kay (who were riding behind him, Ray and I were ahead of him) yelled at him to stay perfectly still hoping that the quad would stay upright and not flip over backwards.
They both ran to his assistance and stabilized the machine until Ray was able to get back and help them. John, Kay and Ray managed to right the quad while Mitch and I rescued the beverages that had tumbled out of his cooler onto the ground. Unbelievably, there was only a few scratches on the rear bumper. The tail light didn't even break!!
With the quad back on all four wheels Ray rode it up to more friendly ground where Mitch took over.
Seeing the trouble Mitch had along this stretch of trail, Kay had John ride hers past it then John stayed back to make sure Bill (who has only one leg) made it as well. Soon, we were all at the top and happy that bit of nastiness was behind us. What an awesome trail!!
There were a few more nasty spots along the trail but we all managed to traverse and conquer. We traveled past several more abandoned mine sites and at one site, saw a rock grinder. This was apparently used to grind the gold out of the rocks. It worked like a huge mortar and pessel and was powered by either mules or horses.
There was an incredible amount of mica in the rocks around here so the ground just seemed to glisten. At one point, it looked like we were travelling along a wet rocky creek as the glistening looked like water. Wow - now that was totally awesome.
We eventually made it to a huge sandy wash. We travelled this for a few miles and Ray (who I was riding with in the side by side) was able to hammer down and drive with some speed. The wind was whipping through my hair as we "drifted" around some of the curves. We stopped and waited for the rest of the riders to catch up to us as I am sure we made enough dust to choke an army.
Once we were all bunched together and had a refreshment break, we were on our way again. It was getting late and it is always better to be home before the sun sets and the cool air settles in.
Ray and I were in the lead and as we were headed into the curves of the trail, Ray stepped on the gas and one minute I was sitting in the seat and the next minute I was flying through the air. Not sure how that happened but I remember thinking the quad was going to tip and I had to get out of the way. The quad righted itself and I found myself lying flat on my back in the middle of the trail with my beverage (I had not finished it at the last stop) lying not too far away, emptying itself of its contents. Now THAT is a huge party foul!! I quickly got up, grabbed my beverage and climbed back into the side by side all the time laughing my fool head off. I kept thinking....."and that is why you are supposed to wear your seat belt - dumb ass" !! I think I will end up with a bruise on my ass for this little faux paus!!
Because the quad had almost tipped, there was a huge cloud of smoke coming from the engine as it tried to clear itself but despite this, we continued on down the trail....me, laughing like a fool and Ray apologizing left, right and centre for dumping me out!! He felt bad about that but we were both happy that I was not injured!! Once again, no harm no foul.
John, Kay and Mitch were about to come to our rescue as they had seen me do the Flying Zambini out of the quad but heard me laughing so knew I was not injured. They said it took several minutes for the smoke to clear though!!
We waited at Constellation Road for them to catch up and they were most eager to hear the story of how I flew out of the quad. We had several laughs about it - all at my expense of course and Ray tried to explain. Somethings are best left unexplained!! Suffice it to say, I should have had the seat belt on and both of us are old enough not to be driving like idiots!! And we complain about the stupidity of the kids!!
The sun was going down and it was time to get home. We were not too far from town and got back to the park before dark. We stopped at Mitch's for a beer and Marybeth came over for a drink. We then headed to the bus as Hogan had been inside all day and I am sure he was ready to get out and enjoy the evening with us.
John started a campfire where all of us sat around and retold stories of the day. It was an awesome day. Everyone wandered off at intervals to grab a shower and clean the day's dust off. Me, I headed for the bathtub knowing that I had to soak away some of the aches and pains of my own adventures. Thank heavens for tylenol as I am sure I will be taking some tonight.
John cooked supper and then it was time to call it a night. What a day. We had a great ride through some of the prettiest desert back county, over some incredible trails that offered a variety of terrain, sat around an awesome campfire with some wonderful friends and ended it all with some great BBQ. Can life get any better?
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