Back to Tucson

FRIDAY

This morning I did one last load of wash then we headed to Tucson.
Filled up with gas in Benson at $3.22/gallon. The current Middle East troubles are bumping up the price of oil.
Stopped by the Pima County Fairground RV park just to take a look for future reference. It's OK but nothing special. Mostly a big patch of dirt with hookups. If someone just needed a place to dump tanks & fill with water it would do just fine. It is very convenient to I-10.
Continued on to the Desert Diamond Casino "campground". We stayed here before. Not bad. A nice central South Tucson location, fairly level, good security. Two of the RV's that are here were here the last time. Looks like this might be their winter home.
We're right in the glide path for the small, private aircraft runway. The bigger stuff is a bit further to the north. Not as noisy as you might think for a campground next to a big airport. Plus it's fun watching the planes.
Tomorrow, John & Marge are going to join us here for lunch. Then we're going to mass at the San Xavier Del Bac Mission. The weather is supposed to turn bad on Sunday so we plan on heading back to Benson first thing Sunday morning.

We decided to eat at The Trough, i.e. buffet, tonight. It was Mexican night. We figured if anyone knows Mexican it's around here. We were right. For $8.95 each, we had a very good meal. The Tres Leches cake was delicious. One of the foods I wanted to try was a Sonoran hot-dog. They had them here. It's a hot-dog wrapped in bacon then covered with a bunch of stuff like chili, cheese, jalapeno peppers, etc. Oink, oink!!

There was a couple in the restaurant tonight. She used a scooter and had some condition that resulted in major spasticity. As I watched her husband help her, I was reminded of the old saying. "I complained because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet".

Another wonderful day.

SATURDAY:
John & Marge weren't due in until 11am. I heard about an Indian swap meet not far from the "campground" so off we went. What a great way to spend a few hours. Swap meets and such things, are a great way to get a sense of the local culture. We were one of the few Anglos. All the signs were in Spanish. The selection of stuff being sold was amazing. A very partial list: goats, dogs,& birds, new & used shoes, tires with no tread left, piles of rusted junk, cheap tools, some broken clocks, movies on VHS tapes(only $.25 each), plastic arrowheads, on & on. At home a lot of this stuff would wind up in the dumpster; not on the Reservation it doesn't. I looked to see if anyone was selling scalps but I didn't see any. To top it all off, there was free live entertainment. A guy on stilts juggling some hoops.
There were a dozen or so food vendors selling the real McCoy, or real McSuarez, whichever. No Taco Belle "Mexican" around here. Wish we hadn't just finished breakfast.
We had a great visit with John & Marge. Had a long lunch in the casino. They're staying in Tucson for the next two weeks. John decided to retire from Hallmark in September. Over 40 years there. His Maxine character, which was his idea, is still going strong. Maxine just turned 25.
We're sitting in the parking lot of the San Xavier Del Bac Mission waiting for the 5:30 mass. Carol really likes this church and wanted to come back so here we are. There are a handful of booths setup in the mission square. Indians selling made-in-Mexico jewelery. "Genuine" Indian rings for only $5 and things like that.
The weather is supposed to get nasty tonight so after church we're heading back to the casino. It's only about 10 minutes from here.

SUNDAY:
The big news was waking up to snow. Not exactly a blizzard, but snow nonetheless. At about 4am a truck with a refrigerated trailer pulled in not far from our campsite. The generator operating the cooling unit ran continuously. Oh well, for free, you can't complain much. Well you can complain if you want, but nothing good will come of it.
Today's forecast is for a high of about 50* with a low tonight of 21*. We decided that was a very good reason to head to a real campground with electricity. We went to the place where the Lazy Daze GTG is being held. There are two other LD's there as well. Didn't meet then. It's just a nice day to stay inside, watch TV, update Blogs,drink warm tea and such.

Benson, AZ

We're staying at the Saguro SKP RV Park in Benson until Friday. We have a large, corner lot with a decent view of the mountains.
One of Carol's brothers & his wife, Johnny & Marge,are due in Tucson on Thursday, tomorrow. We'll then coordinate a visit someplace.
Today I picked up the mail Suzanne had sent and got Carol's meds at WM. Did some grocery shopping at Safeway and caught up on laundry. Finished up our tax return today and filed electronically using Turbo Tax on-line. Talk about convenient! Plus a nice refund coming :-)
Met two other Lazy Daze couples today. They're staying here until Friday then heading to TX. I'm just horrible with names but one couple is from Nashville, TN driving their relatively new-to-them 30' model and the other couple is from Maryland. They're both big ham radio operators heading to another ham radio fest of some sort. The TN couple spent last summer in Alaska, then to the BF in ABQ now they're touring the SW.
The fellow from MD was bragging about his most impressive solar power setup. Six 100 watt panels and six AGM batteries. Very nice but that's a bunch of weight to be hauling around on a 30' LD. He needs all that to power his ham radio gear.
Still cold & windy around here. The blowing dust just never ends. We both like the desert and will be back, but we are really beginning to miss grass & trees.
After the upcoming GTG, we begin the 2,500+- mile trek home. We've allowed ourself three weeks to do it. The general plan is to follow the TX & LA coast to MS then head home from there.
We're already planning our summer trip. Spend April, May & June at home, if we can actually stay put for that long, then travel in the Central/Great Lakes States until early October. The girls have planned a family reunion in PA starting July 9th.
Thursday: Nothing exciting today. One of the groups in the campground held a Food Auction today. First time we've heard about, let alone attended a Food Auction. People prepare food items then auction them off. Mostly baked goods, but a few canned things, semi-prepared meals, etc. The proceeds go to some charitable cause.
We're both trying to keep our calorie consumption under reasonable control, so we passed on the key lime cheesecake and the beautiful pineapple upside down cake; two of our favorites.
We're getting tired hanging around in the Big City. Tomorrow we go to Tucson, then the SW Lazy Daze GTG then back to the rural areas we much prefer.
While we were out walking this morning, a coyote was prancing around just on the other side of the fence. Gopher, of course, was the first to notice. When Gopher is relaxed, her ears lay back flat against her head. If the ears suddenly stand up, she's alert to something. I just watch her ears when we're boondocking or just walking.
During tonight's walk, we ran into a guy with a 10 month old Aussie. Let them both off leash for about 30 minutes.

Tombstone. Tacky tourist but we've seen worse.

At 6:00am this morning, it was 24*. Way too cold. By sunrise the birds were all up & about.
Yesterday, the Volunteer told me about a good breakfast restaurant in Elfrida; the Roundup Cafe. We hadn't gone out for breakfast on this trip so off we went. Very good. Carol had a simple sausage & biscuit. I had a breakfast burrito.
We continued north to Tombstone. Others had told us it was basically a tacky tourist place and they were right. Tombstone, and other "old West" type places are very popular with foreign tourists, Germans in particular. They are fascinated by the American West of the 1800's. It was interesting in it's own way. Mostly a collection of stores & restaurants revolving around the Gunfight at OK Corral.

We ended the day at the Escapee Saguaro SKP Co-Op park in Benson. $17/night for full hookups plus cable TV. Carol doesn't enjoy camping out in the middle of nowhere all by ourselves as much as I, so we we're staying here until we head over to Tucson on Thursday to meet up with John & Marge. Some of this, some of that. It keeps us both happy.

Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area

Said our goodbyes to Belle, Toby & Sue this morning. Toby is heading into Bisbee to get new tires on his motorhome then heading back to Elephant Butte, NM.
All the critters were fed & watered this morning.
We didn't have far to go. It's about a 30 minute drive to the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area near McNeal. It reminds us a lot of the Bosque Del Apache area in NM. There is a flooded area surround by corn fields. It attracts thousands of birds, especially Sand Hill cranes. The cranes are no big deal to us. They stroll through our front yard to home. We're not birders but the area is interesting. We used the iBird Pro app. on Carol's iPad to identify some birds.
Three days of free camping is permitted. Looks like it's just us once again. There has been a steady flow of serious birders all day. The really serious ones are easy to spot. They all wear vests, probably a holdover from the pre-digital camera days when you needed film, lenses, filters, and such. Plus they carry at least 50# of binoculars, spotting scopes, tripods, cameras, water bottles, those little portable stools, etc. Quite a scene to watch. I'm sure the birds get a big chuckle out of the whole thing.
No special plans for tomorrow. Johnny & Marge are getting into Tuscon on Thursday. We plan on meeting up with them this coming weekend. Then we need to pick up our mail and Carol's meds. in Benson before the Lazy Daze GTG begins in Benson next Monday.
We like just drifting here & there. We've come across some of the most interesting things.

Silverado. Friday-Sunday

Friday:
Checked the water supply for all the critters. Four of the horses didn't have access to drinking water. Now they do. Were they ever happy when I put then in a corral with a water tub. They all ran to the tub and were drinking the water faster then the hose could fill the tub. I found a device that automatically fills a tub with water, then shuts off the flow at a certain level. Much like the float device used in a toilet tank. They should be just fine going forward.
We went into Douglas today. Found the free city dump station then went to Safeway & Wal-Mart.
When we got back to the campground, Toby had fed the horses. I went to order Carols meds on-line through WalMart but found all the prescriptions had expired so the local WM would not fill them. Called Dr. Hoods office. They are going to fax new prescriptions today to the WM in Benson, AZ. We'll pick them up there next week. I've learned to always order meds. two weeks before you really need them. That allows for things to get messed up and straightened out.
The clouds are starting to roll in. Tomorrow and Sunday are supposed to be windy and rainy. Rain would be welcomed. Wet down the dust and water the plants. Everything is just so brown around here. The yucca provides about the only hint of green.


SATURDAY:

Carol & I used the Gator to feed the critters this morning. I think I now have a reliable water source for all the animals.
Called WalMart. Carols prescriptions are being processed. We'll pick them up next week when we get the mail in Benson.

It's a blustery day. Steady 25 knot winds with gusts in the 45-50 range. The red dust is blowing everywhere. We keep all the windows shut and the roof vents open for ventilation. Even so, there is a fine layer of dust on everything. That's our major objection to the desert areas of AZ & NM. The lack of vegetation allows the near constant winds to blow dirt everywhere, all the time. We do miss our green grass.

SUNDAY:
Awoke to a cold, cloudy, windy day. Never did improve as the day went on. Toby fed the horses and I repaired the automatic watering system serving two of the corrals. As of now, all corrals have functioning water systems. Belle didn't feed the dogs or chickens/geese, etc., yesterday or today. Sue said that on cold days, Belle doesn't feel very well so sometimes her daily chores, like feeding the animals, just don't get done. It's not always easy being a critter around here. I gave the dogs some of Gophers food & Toby fed the fowl. Once again, I reminded Gopher just how lucky she was to be part of our family. After all, I got her from an ad in the newspaper. Could have been someone else.
It's interesting. There is such a diverse population on the ranch, there are cats, dogs, chickens, pigeons,horses,mules, donkeys, etc., and they all seem to coexist just fine. Shame us humans can't do the same.
A friend of mine in the Escapees, Guy Gibson, is contacting his extensive network and telling them about Belle. Perhaps some will swing by to lend a hand. I posted a note on a Lazy Daze site about the Ranch. Two Lazy Daze friends said they would visit after the upcoming GTG in Benson.
Belle had hopes that a fellow from WA would move his trailer here in early March and take care of the place in return for a free place to live. He showed up yesterday, but needed to be paid in addition to getting free rent. She was disappointed as you might expect.
We've done about all we can do. Things are in better condition then when we showed up plus we are leaving a generous donation towards critter food.
Although we both feel a little guilty, tomorrow we move on. Toby & Sue are staying for one more day. We shared a cup of coffee and a slice of pie with Toby & Sue this afternoon.

Our stay here will, without doubt, be the most memorable experience of this trip.

Silverado. Thursday

Harry & Shoko had to move on this morning. They had a commitment in Mesa. Two very nice people.
The big news was the arrival of 30 bales of hay about 10am. I used the John Deere Gator and fed all the critters. I'm no farmer and had no idea just how heavy a bale of hay is. Each bale is broken down into several sections called wafers. It's a chunk of hay about 2" thick. Each horse gets two wafers. When I approached a corral with the hay, I was swarmed by hungry animals.
There are two overweight burros that got our of their corral last week. We have tried to get them back in but there is no way. They're enjoying their freedom too much. Plus unlimited access to the hay wagon. :-) Smart burros.
Carol & I took a tour of the ranch on the Gator. There is room here for 20 to 30 RV's.
My other chore for today was picking up rocks. Belle got her scooter hung up on a rock a while back so I'm clearing the areas she commonly uses of large rocks.

My back's aching. I'm not used to playing rancher. We're going to hang around a little longer to help out.

Toby & Sue are taking a drive to Sierra Vista today.

Belle gave Carol one of the star pins she wears in her hat. It's now on Carols hat.

Silverado. Wednesday

Both Belle & Carol use mobility scooters or wheelchairs to get around. The fire pit is built into a large concrete patio which is elevated about 4" above the surrounding dirt. Last night when it came time to burn the old chairs, they both had a hard time getting onto the patio which is clearly not built to A.D.A. standards. An ADA compliant ramp was added to the work list.
In the morning, Harry & I kicked around ideas for a ramp. Harry came up with the great idea of building a ramp using bricks from an unused patio. The result was excellent. The brick patio blends well with the area.
There is a building with a "porch" of sorts, on front. Chickens roost on one end, but the other end is just a huge mess from the pigeons. Belle wanted the porch screened to keep the pigeons out, but still allow the chickens to roost at their end. We found some odds & ends of old gates, fencing and such and did a respectable job all things considered.
We all wish there was hay to feed the horses. Hopefully tomorrow.

Silverado Continued

We sat around a campfire last night. At dusk, the chickens and peacocks all roosted in a nearby tree. They know that coyotes can't climb trees.


This morning Toby and I went to the hardware store in Douglas to get more PVC fittings. Stopped by Wal-Mart where I bought two large bags of food for Belle's dogs.
There won't be any hay for the horses, donkeys or burros until the Hay Lady shows up on Thursday. We raked up hay that had been spilled here & there and gave all the critters a little to tide them over. Another couple pulled in today. Harry & Shoko Nishimura from British Columbia. Like us, they belong to the Escapees. Today's projects were to complete the repairs to the water system, fix a door to one of the sheds so Belle could open & close the door from her scooter, and a continued general cleanup. Harry is a good carpenter. He came up with a fix for the door.

Today was very enjoyable. Tonight the fire will be fueled by a collection of junk furniture. :-)

Belle Starr's Silverado Ranch. A most unusual place.

Gopher & I took our morning walk through downtown Bisbee. Looked at the outdoor museum exhibits. It was quite early so it was mostly us, the guys in bright orange jumpsuits (the local jailbirds)cleaning the streets, a few panhandlers (they don't like dogs), and some people on their way to work. About 9:00 we headed east to Belle Starr's Silverado Ranch. Look at this Blog; it tells the story.

http://bellestarraz.blogspot.com/

We've been to a lot of unusual places over the years, but this just might top them all. What an incredible woman. Belle has MS plus broke a hip a year or so ago, so she doesn't get around as well as she did. Mostly she relies on campers and some local friends for help. However, if there is no one to help, she feeds all the animals herself. She was telling us that she got her scooter hung up on a rock the other day and couldn't free it. She finally got out onto the ground and scooted along on her butt until she could get inside to her wheelchair!!
There is one other couple here. Toby & Sue from Minnesota. There were here before and always stop by to help when they're in the area. Today Toby & I fixed some PVC pipes that had been damaged by the recent freeze, fed the horses, donkeys & burros and cleaned out one of the buildings.
Gopher was doing very well with the horses, other dogs, chickens, peacock & ducks, and the burros at first. Then one of the burros started moving away as she got closer. Then gopher got closer and the burro took off. Burros are really fast. Gopher never did catch her. After that, Gopher stayed on her leash. No harassing the natives.

If you're ever in the area, do yourself a huge favor and stop by. You will always remember your visit with Belle.
On AZ 80 between Bisbee & Douglas near MM 353. GPS N 31.39264 W 109.76768

We're going to hang around for a while to help out.