Looking For A Lull

It's not even been two entire weeks and I miss Chappy.  Since we took him out to the summer campground I've been really wanting to go out there and this long holiday weekend is the perfect time. The site that we were put at is very nice.  It has a deck that was made by the last residents and it works perfectly for us.  We'll be heading out there after I get done with work and I can't wait to sit on the deck and enjoy the fire pit tonight with a cold beer and maybe my pipe.

Our time for this season is coming to a close and we're soon to leave AZ.  I don't want to leave, but I'm also excited to announce that we will be returning again this fall!  Our trip back to the frozen north will take us to a number of stops to visit friends and relatives and hopefully we'll see some new things and meet some new people along the way. I'd like to give special thanks to the folks at the KOA in Benson Arizona.  You guys made us feel welcome, helped us with any issues we had and made our experience a great one.  With all of the hard work you are putting into the campground so far and with your future plans, we look forward to coming back in the fall and seeing how much that work has paid off. We are leaving for Dallas, TX soon and I'll post some updates when we get there. Here is a random selection of photo's.  Goodbye AZ, I'll miss you.

Another beautiful AZ weekend.  We took advantage and made a trip to Chiricahua national monument where we did a 3 mile hike. It was well worth the drive.  Entry into the park is free and I would suggest spending more than one day visiting if you can swing it.  We couldn't but we will definitely be back!   I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. After leaving the park, we drove another 20 miles or so and stopped at a little out of the way spot, the final resting place of Johnny Ringo.  Located on private property it is worth a quick visit if, like me, you are a lover of history and the stories of the old west.  Everyone familiar with the saga of Tombstone, Wyatt Earp, or even the character played by Val Kilmer in the movie of the same name, would enjoy this serene location.  Be sure to leave a donation for upkeep and appreciation for the private owners of this property that so generously allow the general public access to this bit of history....

Our trip to California was great and we had a wonderful time visiting with family, but it is great to be back in AZ.  It's crazy how expensive it is out there.  Food, Gas, Housing you name it and it is noticeably more expensive than 'normal'.  Beautiful state, nice to visit, wouldn't want to live there. Meanwhile, back in AZ we have been enjoying relaxing after our vacation time.  Its funny how being back to work feels like I'm getting more rest than I did when I was off.  One amazing thing about AZ is the spectacular sights you get at sunrise and sunset.  It's truly amazing.  Here are a few shots just to give you an idea. Not exactly "Sunrise", but not long after... ...that is the Moon BTW...

My apologies for not updating recently.  We've spent that last few weeks on the road in locations with very little to no cell phone coverage so my access to internet has been spotty at best and non-existent most of the time. We had a great time visiting our family in California for Xmas and New Years.  It's so good to see everyone and bringing Chappy out there made it much easier for us to enjoy our time.  No major issues on the trip only a stuck pocket door going to my office/bunkroom and I was able to fix that (mostly) when we got back. Here are a few pictures of some of the things.  I wish I could post them all but it would take forever. Of Course Karen and I found a  Brunch place that served a decent bloody Mary. Our Trip to Anza Borrego followed the rains resulting in many plants in bloom early! Walking through a slot canyon.  Notice the tipped column in the top center!  Yikes! Lunch prep.  That is Big Joe's homemade...

We have had no issues with boredom since we came into AZ.  There has been plenty to keep us occupied.  We've looked at trailers, visited nearby cities, tasted the local cuisine, and found all of the shopping nearby.  Here is a taste of some of what we've done! Here is the campsite.  You can see I have the cell tower up. Mi Casa.  Local place for Mexican food.  It tasted even better than it looks if you can imagine that! Tombstone, AZ  This is the court house "Down town" Tombstone The weather is nice enough to sit outside in the sun! The Donk is wore out from walking.

Made it into AZ and spent some time getting familiar with the area.  We found some good food, located the closest shopping, and made a list of places we'd like to visit over the next few months. View from our new "Sunday Brunch" spot Sunrise! Sunday Bloody Mary! Campsite

This has been the rainiest it's been here in Ohio since we arrived from New Jersey in 2007.  The ground is soaked, many roads are closed, and people all over have complained about flooded basements and worse!  Aside from a very muddy yard, we've been pretty fortunate to avoid all of the problems with the water, but I feel for those who haven't. TW even got a bit of water in his kitchen at his new place.  I don't think this will be a normal occurrence for him so after it dries up a bit around here he should be fine.  In the meantime our Grand Kitten is visiting for a few days while he opens the windows and doors and blows the water out (I'll have to take some pictures while she's here). I hate to think about what the Mosquitoes are going to be like when all that water finally stagnates and they start hatching. *Shudder*.  I may have to invest in some plate armour and ankle weights. We will probably spend part of the weekend out at the campground this weeken...

Before the trip we chose a campground near Custer, SD so we were central to all of the places we wanted to go, but not having spent time in the little town I didn't know what we would find. It turns out it was a perfect little place for some shopping, restaurants, and groceries.  We even were able to pick up a replacement stinky slinky from the local hardware store after ours broke. (More on that some other time.) Custer is located just about 10 miles south of the Crazy Horse monument almost right between Custer state park and Jewel cave making it a great place to visit if you are headed to any of those locations.  There is a small grocery store located on the east side of town right off the main drag and their prices are not bad considering they are literally the only place nearby for groceries. We spent time in many of the shops and ate at quite a few restaurants, but our favorite was "Buglin' Bull".  The food was excellent as it was at a number of the other...