tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67650844429376179862024-03-04T23:26:41.619-07:00Ralph and Laura's Backroad AdventuresJoin us as we Jeep the backroads of Arizona, exploring ghost towns, old mining camps, and anything else that catches our attention on the trails. Arizona is a beautiful state, we're happy to share it with you.
Feel free to email any comments or questions to us at LPleas3333@aol.comRalph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-18442073611644398032012-01-13T08:06:00.004-07:002012-01-13T08:41:31.151-07:00Growlph Update<div align="left">Wow, it's been a little over a year since we posted anything new in our journal....but...heck....since retiring, not much new has happened (knock on wood).</div><br /><br /><div align="left">We've done a bit of Jeeping but most runs have been on previously posted trails, so we didn't want to bore you all with double entries. We've found that one definite advantage to growing older is that we've forgotten the details of trails we've already been on, Jeeping them is like a whole new experience for us.</div><br /><br /><div align="left">We've spent a good bit of our time working with our Schnauzer, Growlph. As you may recall, he came from a Schnauzer rescue group and to say he has issues, is putting it mildly. We've both gotten more than a few bites and nibbles from him as we've attempted grooming. He lets us use the scissors but when it comes to the clippers, he's not a big fan of the whirring sound they make...sure wish they made silent clippers for skittish pooches. Trimming his nails requires the use of gloves and a big blanket to wrap him in. We pull one paw from the blanket at a time and hope his face is covered enough to prevent bites. Those are his worst characteristics...all in all, they're things we can live with. On the plus side. he's turned from a distrusting, standoffish dog into a sweet loving creature who wants to be in our laps and loves being petted. We feel like it's quite an accomplishment for us to have won his trust. He now gives sloppy, slurpy Schnauzer kisses and nudges us for pets...he's come a LONG way!</div><br /><br /><div align="left">We recently found a severe irritation, a large lump, under his tongue and fearing the worst we took him to the Vet, (After an internet search I was convinced it was either cancerous or the bite of a rare, exotic, tropical insect) needless to say, the Vet couldn't get a good look at it in the examining room, so we scheduled a teeth cleaning. </div><br /><br /><div align="left">He had it done yesterday and we're so happy and relieved to report, the irritation under his tongue was just a place where he snagged his tongue on his teeth and it's well on the way to healing. </div><br /><br /><div align="left">Well, that's all that new from our little corner of the world...</div><br /><br /><div align="left">We want to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy, safe and prosperous New Year! </div><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></strong></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">GROWLPH</span></strong></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ayHb9IqhoBpD35bRUjet3EysTSO1rHVpJv3jVexTTas_5B0iwj4kX9gYV-QZgVKD9rYpne9VdOc2n_oe_Z_5L65eixeqxz02yDSIhZkCVZVTp8OLMZrURy6r3IB23qN8u5eFiVh9W98/s1600/Cute+Growlphie+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697133959824513570" style="WIDTH: 229px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ayHb9IqhoBpD35bRUjet3EysTSO1rHVpJv3jVexTTas_5B0iwj4kX9gYV-QZgVKD9rYpne9VdOc2n_oe_Z_5L65eixeqxz02yDSIhZkCVZVTp8OLMZrURy6r3IB23qN8u5eFiVh9W98/s320/Cute+Growlphie+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div align="center"></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-8554231016120645422010-12-06T16:27:00.008-07:002010-12-06T17:03:20.652-07:00Geriatric Jeepin' On Cherry Creek RoadWe headed out this morning with a group of 8 Jeeps for some geriatric Jeepin' on Cherry Creek Road. Our friend Bruce from Casa Grande and his pals hadn't been on this run before and it had been quite some time since we did it last with Larry & Jean. The road had been closed because of flood damage due to the heavier than normal monsoon rains last summer. The forest service had to clear some pretty bad wash-outs and rock slides but now the road is open all the way from Hwy 288 to Board Tree Saddle. It was a bit muddy in places, rocky in others and as usual, there were some very high, on the edge views to be seen along the way. We didn't take any scenic pictures this time, we've posted them before but we focused instead on the Jeepin' group of oldsters (us included.) We stopped along the way to have lunch at PB Cabin. The day was clear and cool and the smell of fallen leaves and pine trees provided a lingering memory...very nice!<br /><div>Here are a couple of links to previous posts regarding PB Cabin and our Cherry Creek trips.</div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center">(click your back button to return to this page)</div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://adensadventures.blogspot.com/2008/12/board-tree-saddle-cherry-creek-to-pb.html">Ralph and Laura's Backroad Adventures: Board Tree Saddle, Cherry Creek to PB Cabin</a></div><br /><div align="center"><br /><a href="http://adensadventures.blogspot.com/2009/01/back-to-pb-cabin.html">Ralph and Laura's Backroad Adventures: Back To PB Cabin</a></div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZR3Mg8Iw4jkdJnllvZQhoLX06lWaw8VycwNFFuTdSrYAPm1_iJv7BdJ8OJyPjnFnsRWyLj0_DH4MAYWGwvwumNvSdxXesMsqsbSSjDtEAJ3OTMsxj9EtfaAQEpQc3QoKbTcKYvPRLrI/s1600/Geriatric+Jeepin+on+Cherry+Creek+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547717238030805890" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZR3Mg8Iw4jkdJnllvZQhoLX06lWaw8VycwNFFuTdSrYAPm1_iJv7BdJ8OJyPjnFnsRWyLj0_DH4MAYWGwvwumNvSdxXesMsqsbSSjDtEAJ3OTMsxj9EtfaAQEpQc3QoKbTcKYvPRLrI/s320/Geriatric+Jeepin+on+Cherry+Creek+014.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkrxzOO0pq66AF61O1ZHUdPA9Cd92510KxM-6CdYmsDbu5UW554WvtRFbdj7DRlNnpAgvkTC4zkBRm1UReFDp6vr0cJSZ1RT6bcqNl0EKFI9auqLJhoxUPpThbbqMzzK5hL1oDJ6WUWw/s1600/Geriatric+Jeepin+on+Cherry+Creek+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547717232681228978" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkrxzOO0pq66AF61O1ZHUdPA9Cd92510KxM-6CdYmsDbu5UW554WvtRFbdj7DRlNnpAgvkTC4zkBRm1UReFDp6vr0cJSZ1RT6bcqNl0EKFI9auqLJhoxUPpThbbqMzzK5hL1oDJ6WUWw/s320/Geriatric+Jeepin+on+Cherry+Creek+009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgfHVDL-TeTzMOSYdOYVDpdkROI0lVd5TlSv0BrU-O3eXjJA2aKjrCKA4Tw-5tpYPsrtPsIoARL-E3QAGzaJimcGXQJ3VJco7VXK_2mhr-3rg8jreq2Qj04-jFtJdtg3L0NZK4TOhg_4/s1600/Geriatric+Jeepin+on+Cherry+Creek+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547717224788243458" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgfHVDL-TeTzMOSYdOYVDpdkROI0lVd5TlSv0BrU-O3eXjJA2aKjrCKA4Tw-5tpYPsrtPsIoARL-E3QAGzaJimcGXQJ3VJco7VXK_2mhr-3rg8jreq2Qj04-jFtJdtg3L0NZK4TOhg_4/s320/Geriatric+Jeepin+on+Cherry+Creek+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3B0ehFJNHajkdM45mWhI2HgeD0KTbVV1cIrFti4xFApAT0_k9gruymhEQyFDv_askMktRAlU-BvcusfEIcO9GeDC_5ICdj-J51UBd6frMq-oTMjy-8bN09YQlJEo7tYnXFd0KqxVFJk/s1600/Geriatric+Jeepin+on+Cherry+Creek+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547717223242515570" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3B0ehFJNHajkdM45mWhI2HgeD0KTbVV1cIrFti4xFApAT0_k9gruymhEQyFDv_askMktRAlU-BvcusfEIcO9GeDC_5ICdj-J51UBd6frMq-oTMjy-8bN09YQlJEo7tYnXFd0KqxVFJk/s320/Geriatric+Jeepin+on+Cherry+Creek+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div align="right"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRWW_-lQwPfs9UywxehzmHnLL4_oR42dHP_H0_3BlTZ1G1q2VpgtUY9fi3mlbFCaDIG6-aSAYKm8vG5H8Hsd8YsRAF8Tjrl1TlrMSkVkefQkDZqDNvKmHkFdI6e9pUkqDJ0Pux2BISIWI/s1600/Geriatric+Jeepin+on+Cherry+Creek+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547717210765371058" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRWW_-lQwPfs9UywxehzmHnLL4_oR42dHP_H0_3BlTZ1G1q2VpgtUY9fi3mlbFCaDIG6-aSAYKm8vG5H8Hsd8YsRAF8Tjrl1TlrMSkVkefQkDZqDNvKmHkFdI6e9pUkqDJ0Pux2BISIWI/s320/Geriatric+Jeepin+on+Cherry+Creek+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="left"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LmEUoxKmBp_twZbyTl-BUcClyA8XKx4hYRiu8gdAk8d-iLUpZ3dMrsKtrRrYcLqUOGMxDsVl3-TVDe4fBK0SSt5jEndsPbxMXIxtOHbt26QaJ2ph15riGvX-ygQbJC4gOoNKun-rIZA/s1600/Geriatric+Jeepin+on+Cherry+Creek+017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547722588806956594" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LmEUoxKmBp_twZbyTl-BUcClyA8XKx4hYRiu8gdAk8d-iLUpZ3dMrsKtrRrYcLqUOGMxDsVl3-TVDe4fBK0SSt5jEndsPbxMXIxtOHbt26QaJ2ph15riGvX-ygQbJC4gOoNKun-rIZA/s320/Geriatric+Jeepin+on+Cherry+Creek+017.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-37439384170397192722010-11-29T17:11:00.005-07:002010-11-29T17:59:57.561-07:00Fantastic SceneryWow! Larry and Jean took us to a nearby spot that we hadn't seen before. We'd driven in the vicinity before but never ventured past the locked gates barring our way. This time, we crawled under the gates and ventured in. It was well worth the walk. The scenery and views were spectacular to say the least.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Evidently, the property is owned by a gold and copper mining company located in the Globe/Miami area. At one time there used to be a small ranch there with a house and cattle operation. We heard that the caretaker skipped out and didn't notify the owners and rumor has it that the house was stripped of plumbing and wiring by some ne'er-do-wells looking to make a fast buck by selling the copper. <em>Harrumph </em>... even in the boondocks we're not immune to these low-life idiots. Anyway, the mining company had the house bulldozed, probably to avoid any liability in the future. </div><div>The area has some of the prettiest scenery we've seen anywhere. Sycamore and Cottonwood trees were showing their Fall colors and the skies were a brilliant blue. We enjoyed our hike through the woods and along the beautiful washes along the way. </div><div><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9RW1oCglkK5cfYtRSbH8zU_DDp4rDhkqdWdFBrwT_DVvRO6FFszGebHl_9j3o7CdYPPCRfLngAskCPMQMBRGWhQu-kILvh18GUjKxhGoaD7pZto9QwLC0Tqn65qn_gUfSccjDoDbpsnA/s1600/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+&+Larry+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545135252434845986" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9RW1oCglkK5cfYtRSbH8zU_DDp4rDhkqdWdFBrwT_DVvRO6FFszGebHl_9j3o7CdYPPCRfLngAskCPMQMBRGWhQu-kILvh18GUjKxhGoaD7pZto9QwLC0Tqn65qn_gUfSccjDoDbpsnA/s320/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+%2526+Larry+003.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxVri8SOHdCqMaLTBN4hz5duJzg_AOrHvmWe8qS7brWUMhi0IkkYUQOiT0GvEPXAVLC0RnDcZRI3yHdIC81gdloshvbRk0zJcVBYK_3pD4wMxLEG9WneN_laMVDKJVqwjB1q3n45ASb4/s1600/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+&+Larry+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545136451023779122" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxVri8SOHdCqMaLTBN4hz5duJzg_AOrHvmWe8qS7brWUMhi0IkkYUQOiT0GvEPXAVLC0RnDcZRI3yHdIC81gdloshvbRk0zJcVBYK_3pD4wMxLEG9WneN_laMVDKJVqwjB1q3n45ASb4/s320/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+%2526+Larry+014.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEWOPHlOUGpAGdErhMAsMq720wjwKF2SoLEBlAv-q0T_ACxYok8562oxid5uuimsY083XV1gbUG2oanVEtkeAnHGU3FWZ-v_XAWts8skVp0ladX0EymhrxXkpE6TElsXrcrOHPlWbxfw/s1600/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+&+Larry+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545136451834925026" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEWOPHlOUGpAGdErhMAsMq720wjwKF2SoLEBlAv-q0T_ACxYok8562oxid5uuimsY083XV1gbUG2oanVEtkeAnHGU3FWZ-v_XAWts8skVp0ladX0EymhrxXkpE6TElsXrcrOHPlWbxfw/s320/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+%2526+Larry+012.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="left"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gZQu7ErkyzNRqTi0prHO5guqlbR9TdgfWY-J8K81tYcnMglBd87z4RCMpPtJQZDxhHMCP8ijCxyEqtaoLw7VM4qBPaPO_KwyAths-OfBVUx6RNMkkHvillg2RJmleE5BURF7RFj5F9M/s1600/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+&+Larry+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545136450486330914" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gZQu7ErkyzNRqTi0prHO5guqlbR9TdgfWY-J8K81tYcnMglBd87z4RCMpPtJQZDxhHMCP8ijCxyEqtaoLw7VM4qBPaPO_KwyAths-OfBVUx6RNMkkHvillg2RJmleE5BURF7RFj5F9M/s320/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+%2526+Larry+011.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="right"><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaC-BpmdgV-kqGT2ZRLxhyphenhyphenpYOZlMvONgjbFddTsTzhY-an4uCAe2_tASoMJ8rO7H2G0ka5CxYf-dznsickrNMMny9tgJINtztvlqQqVrGUVBEuqQCPMYUuFBF6Ff4E4CR2et8NatWzEmA/s1600/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+&+Larry+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545136438143420050" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaC-BpmdgV-kqGT2ZRLxhyphenhyphenpYOZlMvONgjbFddTsTzhY-an4uCAe2_tASoMJ8rO7H2G0ka5CxYf-dznsickrNMMny9tgJINtztvlqQqVrGUVBEuqQCPMYUuFBF6Ff4E4CR2et8NatWzEmA/s320/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+%2526+Larry+009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0TVXiQjCfwsHrYadNju5TWr-leDq0Mx2xmmzDaPXe9vpGAMU6yKzAOdQzB06KRu7bK0tNQiS-Vuig0Eh_bx5Q__z_QIXDOyVQzZ7Ol9YQ5Rkbacsi1SqIQfqVMcY2Y91wliPpO5sQ3Y/s1600/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+&+Larry+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545135257411241906" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0TVXiQjCfwsHrYadNju5TWr-leDq0Mx2xmmzDaPXe9vpGAMU6yKzAOdQzB06KRu7bK0tNQiS-Vuig0Eh_bx5Q__z_QIXDOyVQzZ7Ol9YQ5Rkbacsi1SqIQfqVMcY2Y91wliPpO5sQ3Y/s320/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+%2526+Larry+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbmOp6YsI8gQwpwQRtZWgDrwyIDq1_BbGNY4_uMSpDW3SNsfGoCc_5UTEQPNIgqRjkZnRYT_GM9hWUwzhoXvY5nuHkHHiebM-2GUYCMZlo3allur3kSOWPC3dssCO8YRdv9kiFh93Ehs/s1600/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+&+Larry+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545135253777220066" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbmOp6YsI8gQwpwQRtZWgDrwyIDq1_BbGNY4_uMSpDW3SNsfGoCc_5UTEQPNIgqRjkZnRYT_GM9hWUwzhoXvY5nuHkHHiebM-2GUYCMZlo3allur3kSOWPC3dssCO8YRdv9kiFh93Ehs/s320/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+%2526+Larry+006.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLi3zy-QPlD5bCdfUhsEBqpTAKDb4H7xa0jdy8hQU48Z2Re5TZ2c6O8_7HTpaa2zfG6t19joz7MgiLxrn7aDV4iUaSgmGqx5XtBn-d-VyQe4wxTTiwr_WcB7_RQdlDYy7ezZiQW3ZJE1A/s1600/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+&+Larry+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545135237419046274" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLi3zy-QPlD5bCdfUhsEBqpTAKDb4H7xa0jdy8hQU48Z2Re5TZ2c6O8_7HTpaa2zfG6t19joz7MgiLxrn7aDV4iUaSgmGqx5XtBn-d-VyQe4wxTTiwr_WcB7_RQdlDYy7ezZiQW3ZJE1A/s320/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+%2526+Larry+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGEJ5AAWY-TQJSZCEbkgzfCAVktBFG_9fSd0TuFTFQoLRVDx_HCUB30DEoEBLk9NhHOOriegx3H46cjP4mnU5a1kqlHdnu3xN4ut0eCsrTyUAv1XiR33vpM0L9GCJv8vzLwAf_QDM4o4/s1600/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+&+Larry+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545135232956621826" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGEJ5AAWY-TQJSZCEbkgzfCAVktBFG_9fSd0TuFTFQoLRVDx_HCUB30DEoEBLk9NhHOOriegx3H46cjP4mnU5a1kqlHdnu3xN4ut0eCsrTyUAv1XiR33vpM0L9GCJv8vzLwAf_QDM4o4/s320/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+%2526+Larry+001.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div> </div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshnNe9Ie1AY5h1XSxBmyFcZS3HakxMDxts9C1n5fb2fwxskPmVEJ05RPxeLtz0UKXrzOj-DvI3gNasq-wr06-tfuuoZrj_lTSBD5XROFgo14vtymWxwm1bViiSFqy_b-MG5CrvpYsRbo/s1600/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+%26+Larry+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545138612099894754" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshnNe9Ie1AY5h1XSxBmyFcZS3HakxMDxts9C1n5fb2fwxskPmVEJ05RPxeLtz0UKXrzOj-DvI3gNasq-wr06-tfuuoZrj_lTSBD5XROFgo14vtymWxwm1bViiSFqy_b-MG5CrvpYsRbo/s320/Henderson+Ranch+Jean+%2526+Larry+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-49966117499500310042010-11-24T16:14:00.005-07:002010-11-24T17:23:32.433-07:00Camp RenoIt was a beautiful Fall day here. Our temperatures were in the mid to upper 50's with a freshness in the air that's truly invigorating!<br />We headed out this morning with Larry & Jean to check out the area around Camp Reno. Camp Reno was a short-lived cavalry post established in 1867 and then abandoned in 1870. During that short period of time marauding Apaches were brought under control after several major skirmishes in the surrounding areas. We've been there before so we thought that since it was such a beautiful day, we'd show it to Larry & Jean.<br />Here's a link to a post we did back in January'07 when we went there last and researched a bit of history of the place. <a href="http://adensadventures.blogspot.com/2007/01/camp-reno-and-sutter-store.html">Ralph and Laura's Backroad Adventures: Camp Reno and Sutter's Store</a><br />Nothing much has changed there except the road was a bit rougher than the last time but all in all it wasn't too bad. We hauled our metal detector along with us but after some searching we turned up nothing but some very old rusty cans, barbed wire and a sardine can key....not exactly treasure. Ah well, maybe next time.<br />Below are a few shots of the area, nice scenery and a super way to spend a few hours.<br /><br /><div align="center">Reno Creek with sycamore trees wearing Fall colors</div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbtNqPtW4J-EBhL3slcqKpximf9neraGIup26_uqUBoaZBU4_jgMyB-kxrhkNXI9jXCTdgV9ka30gm7tq606lMS-n2He1Tx8SrkcfBQLYRAsH4B-m5MmVAlPZtk30xk-iTrQiJ5U9ZsI/s1600/Camp+Reno+with+L&J+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543260301686948706" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbtNqPtW4J-EBhL3slcqKpximf9neraGIup26_uqUBoaZBU4_jgMyB-kxrhkNXI9jXCTdgV9ka30gm7tq606lMS-n2He1Tx8SrkcfBQLYRAsH4B-m5MmVAlPZtk30xk-iTrQiJ5U9ZsI/s320/Camp+Reno+with+L%2526J+003.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="center">The old desert rats<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgIsCeI2KWw2smDMPDbrKJNJD-MOENPkhi15EBCAmHErcpoh9P4il_wN8-IblgB-pb2lY5kNQFkPQQvFLvjv1C3vAxmEXIqvtCKfPZfhDKmwNLgp2mApqJiljMj8bbtmExnLJgpNqhiQ/s1600/Camp+Reno+with+L&J+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543260294992721234" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgIsCeI2KWw2smDMPDbrKJNJD-MOENPkhi15EBCAmHErcpoh9P4il_wN8-IblgB-pb2lY5kNQFkPQQvFLvjv1C3vAxmEXIqvtCKfPZfhDKmwNLgp2mApqJiljMj8bbtmExnLJgpNqhiQ/s320/Camp+Reno+with+L%2526J+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Some cowboys were herding cattle in the area</div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCGthBk67JzxGsAtGQQnT_xbSqC0oALh5WjEkq1dTPOJ5qmO9j-0P5zN-kax7H-vWEdQZvjOzPk7tV9wbRtwISPSghq5nMa8XNHvOfPVn2dqMqxvz6mBS6fuEaMAYGhdN-EjgAONmVt8/s1600/Camp+Reno+with+L&J+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543260282370997810" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCGthBk67JzxGsAtGQQnT_xbSqC0oALh5WjEkq1dTPOJ5qmO9j-0P5zN-kax7H-vWEdQZvjOzPk7tV9wbRtwISPSghq5nMa8XNHvOfPVn2dqMqxvz6mBS6fuEaMAYGhdN-EjgAONmVt8/s320/Camp+Reno+with+L%2526J+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="center"></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-12521203304964404352010-11-01T16:36:00.005-07:002010-11-01T17:23:11.032-07:00Horse Shoe Bend JeepingBeautiful Jeep run, beautiful day! We headed out early this morning with Jean and Larry to see Horse Shoe Bend. It's really good to be back on the trail with them again. The trail leading there was pretty good with just a few rocky places, but all in all, pretty smooth sailing without any of the scary places found on so many other trails. Larry and Jean had been there before so while we were in the vicinity, we checked out a lovely little oasis in the desert, a bamboo grove with clear cold water flowing from a natural spring, tall walnut trees added even more shade.<br />After spending a bit of time at the oasis, we headed for the Salt River and Horse Shoe Bend. WOW! What a neat spot, the Salt River meanders through canyons on its way to Roosevelt Lake.<br />It would be a super place to camp, although it's a bit isolated, we'd want another couple or two to spend the night with us as well. On the way down the mountain the views of the Salt River were spectacular, just like something taken from a postcard.<br /><br />The spring<br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRV2CR02kxRZXB-7XoJHGTVoMPSgjlECU3E_Hf8HcQfHNJUmp53l2_pVuqFuzARGC40qMWk3ja85bTWbX5FO_2uizg9VCgtelfH46Xt2j0pE8ad1N5iyVT1ayzCDyxTvOq4bJ4WPzV1U/s1600/Horse+Shoe+Bend+with+Jean+&+Larry+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534732537725578866" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRV2CR02kxRZXB-7XoJHGTVoMPSgjlECU3E_Hf8HcQfHNJUmp53l2_pVuqFuzARGC40qMWk3ja85bTWbX5FO_2uizg9VCgtelfH46Xt2j0pE8ad1N5iyVT1ayzCDyxTvOq4bJ4WPzV1U/s320/Horse+Shoe+Bend+with+Jean+%26+Larry+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center">Spectacular views along the way</div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3NShzJfmHTM1wK8qetYUoz1T7jp0R3FuIcjEqHUwlD3TmzSqjTAU6UEbPeKiy_6HFB9zE7qIWCq_wHEt_W-xrAOkemk7bqVz0O2TdVXDZ0cVDQkdz6j5FoQ3ssFN1SYqTs5s2DELx1M/s1600/Horse+Shoe+Bend+with+Jean+&+Larry+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534733580500986610" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3NShzJfmHTM1wK8qetYUoz1T7jp0R3FuIcjEqHUwlD3TmzSqjTAU6UEbPeKiy_6HFB9zE7qIWCq_wHEt_W-xrAOkemk7bqVz0O2TdVXDZ0cVDQkdz6j5FoQ3ssFN1SYqTs5s2DELx1M/s320/Horse+Shoe+Bend+with+Jean+%26+Larry+004.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"><br /> </div><div align="left">The Salt River on its way to Roosevelt Lake</div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIPj-d1ifITckkLQ7sS0Bued0dsV91e5RPzjrqfcPCFO9A3Hp4B3LNbhr4BNnd8pIDoNGP29K-jNrIbvEIEDYaxuRLel0zxHlGE401QmeUJrHZJQzRTS8TvTLDsOR4fK1p9lWeWIh3Oo/s1600/Horse+Shoe+Bend+with+Jean+&+Larry+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534733590104455026" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIPj-d1ifITckkLQ7sS0Bued0dsV91e5RPzjrqfcPCFO9A3Hp4B3LNbhr4BNnd8pIDoNGP29K-jNrIbvEIEDYaxuRLel0zxHlGE401QmeUJrHZJQzRTS8TvTLDsOR4fK1p9lWeWIh3Oo/s320/Horse+Shoe+Bend+with+Jean+%26+Larry+013.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div align="right">Jean waving hello<br /></div><div align="right"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfF7R3U0v1fc832tFsSw6o9cjAs742rE1Ro7NldY4H1pAnjGb6fWWhpPeTG1dIBw3C6YwO86MYAe96DFl4OWXMoKVzUZyIMo65jfjHVa9FanCIRQFlUA6lYmrxxdBVXw2JLoQbUOVPvk/s1600/Horse+Shoe+Bend+with+Jean+&+Larry+020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534733598868839762" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfF7R3U0v1fc832tFsSw6o9cjAs742rE1Ro7NldY4H1pAnjGb6fWWhpPeTG1dIBw3C6YwO86MYAe96DFl4OWXMoKVzUZyIMo65jfjHVa9FanCIRQFlUA6lYmrxxdBVXw2JLoQbUOVPvk/s320/Horse+Shoe+Bend+with+Jean+%26+Larry+020.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="left"><br />Larry and Ralph playing in the Salt River<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOM6R5SOSO0PqreJbJTyiGQDTRmbsWoQtKWrZjarqGTecuJ7PZBVnCgHwY0efCAUvylNytoP4VweMjex5PN6cPexXo59cay_rH0o33KWH4HC5ky5c9WQISxqsMV6loEvfQ8cNZ49uU6bE/s1600/Horse+Shoe+Bend+with+Jean+&+Larry+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534733597549678050" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOM6R5SOSO0PqreJbJTyiGQDTRmbsWoQtKWrZjarqGTecuJ7PZBVnCgHwY0efCAUvylNytoP4VweMjex5PN6cPexXo59cay_rH0o33KWH4HC5ky5c9WQISxqsMV6loEvfQ8cNZ49uU6bE/s320/Horse+Shoe+Bend+with+Jean+%26+Larry+015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-20087158468144829262010-06-05T07:23:00.005-07:002010-10-05T17:16:12.071-07:00A self-indulgent post<div><span style="color:#000099;">Since our Jeeping has come to a screeching halt now that the summer temps are upon us (100º expected today) I thought we'd post a few pictures of Growlph, our Mini Schnauzer. He just turned 6 a few days ago but in many ways, he's still a puppy. We don't know for sure what his background was before we got him from Arizona Schnauzer Rescue almost a year ago, but he's unique to say the least. He's evidently got some emotional baggage (don't we all?) but we're working with him to overcome his "issues." Trust seems to be one of his main concerns. He trusts Ralph and has become his shadow all day long. It's taken him longer to trust me, but he's progressed to allowing me to rub his belly while laying in my lap....REAL progress...heck...when I met Ralph let me do that almost immediately. *insert wink here* HA!</span><br /><br /><p align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">He's a social little critter and greets people with lots of wags and happiness, then he withdraws and would rather be left alone until he gets to know them. Much of our day is spent catering to his wants and needs...why not?...we're retired and don't have to answer to anyone...</span></p><br /><br /><p align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">Growlph has become quite the little Jeeping buddy, he loves bouncing along the back roads as much as we do, so many new smells, so much to explore and see. </span></p><br /><br /><p align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">Sometimes we wonder who needs who more....he adds so much enjoyment to our everyday lives, there's not a day that goes by that we don't laugh at his odd little antics. </span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQdnhQn1NnRzR-3Wlf1SCciCIWQj1PpkFsONDCSAPc57WYVJbPPod-JFRiJXYLe1sg17lRLG4t98xv8AXcapaC8DPsyDyfu_BI5NChUyYHcTuvwBcBmZfPAUST9ddLzDEoXH_uKRyWq8/s1600/Growlph+Snoozing+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480792708587555794" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQdnhQn1NnRzR-3Wlf1SCciCIWQj1PpkFsONDCSAPc57WYVJbPPod-JFRiJXYLe1sg17lRLG4t98xv8AXcapaC8DPsyDyfu_BI5NChUyYHcTuvwBcBmZfPAUST9ddLzDEoXH_uKRyWq8/s320/Growlph+Snoozing+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p align="left"></p><br /><br /><p align="left"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></p><br /><br /><p align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLkTcYhhf2613SLXuzOKyrrkfyzHZcARwzTIMPvz8PrVuMGff2tP4rRQYnS86Kp6kMNe-bkMC4b7WJe84L3XeVC3Rk7n232avRhu8ssTr2MFlvsneIwS1362_wLaGbiiNCIASEnW8ef4/s1600/Growlph+Update+003.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479296766489590706" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLkTcYhhf2613SLXuzOKyrrkfyzHZcARwzTIMPvz8PrVuMGff2tP4rRQYnS86Kp6kMNe-bkMC4b7WJe84L3XeVC3Rk7n232avRhu8ssTr2MFlvsneIwS1362_wLaGbiiNCIASEnW8ef4/s320/Growlph+Update+003.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></p><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0sNU5ylRVWTLeAunMwRojuOPJ8fD5869soOQ9LENJpkK66Qi3go8zNY8oxBbK8xLCMGDy17of7Cwzvf_Srswq5NHaN6wNhRUq3AgxB1WwqrQmf9pkMVTWYutOpiIRg68J-9BGiInDCQ/s1600/Growlph+Update+004.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479296758932881186" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0sNU5ylRVWTLeAunMwRojuOPJ8fD5869soOQ9LENJpkK66Qi3go8zNY8oxBbK8xLCMGDy17of7Cwzvf_Srswq5NHaN6wNhRUq3AgxB1WwqrQmf9pkMVTWYutOpiIRg68J-9BGiInDCQ/s320/Growlph+Update+004.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtQaBLjG-f1A5FDwJz5-QaJ_P_Gg_zgrdICFSNTJMVRL4G8PxwWmaZRsUHlk5u3gGUAksv9OoDRDSiPbWSasmpgfA-1vOOTP-v2GcKs3bzon-SeVePBEqFYEwe4lbh-GqbskyOyf1n00/s1600/Growlph+Update+007.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479296753723571794" style="WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtQaBLjG-f1A5FDwJz5-QaJ_P_Gg_zgrdICFSNTJMVRL4G8PxwWmaZRsUHlk5u3gGUAksv9OoDRDSiPbWSasmpgfA-1vOOTP-v2GcKs3bzon-SeVePBEqFYEwe4lbh-GqbskyOyf1n00/s320/Growlph+Update+007.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></p><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Tickle me again and I'll bite you!<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5piHZdoDMyGEmPjXQe7LExx6t5RhuzZIBVpj3u2_S6nq9r7R-KC-MK4Zl-UrmEFPkuEFpEGd60YvIb6-Z0N4xMNcuNjlx8azE9HnSKKRmAomceNDq9qk1apvTcQkn5X3ux8d3FgvVMc/s1600/Growling+Growlph+007.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479296748668034514" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5piHZdoDMyGEmPjXQe7LExx6t5RhuzZIBVpj3u2_S6nq9r7R-KC-MK4Zl-UrmEFPkuEFpEGd60YvIb6-Z0N4xMNcuNjlx8azE9HnSKKRmAomceNDq9qk1apvTcQkn5X3ux8d3FgvVMc/s320/Growling+Growlph+007.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><div align="right"><span style="color:#000099;">Who wouldn't love this sweet face?!<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRGaqS4gmVM0PBV18c0GINXMla-a_76t-NFjEapFEpWEIO-66A0llOHqaBujFoc5zyhqIW3vlIIrd4BHAt9YJMp3-SpmrWSpolGy4odGocFIamJlQhW1zsxMamArnMt-UCvTd-xBtE50/s1600/Growlph+camera+test+2+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524719794261477106" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRGaqS4gmVM0PBV18c0GINXMla-a_76t-NFjEapFEpWEIO-66A0llOHqaBujFoc5zyhqIW3vlIIrd4BHAt9YJMp3-SpmrWSpolGy4odGocFIamJlQhW1zsxMamArnMt-UCvTd-xBtE50/s320/Growlph+camera+test+2+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMVBvQwLTc4fqeUBxr6t5CwsSOYzqhgXXMwFyUPm90U2JrodGv19yXIgOs7wAqXk-XW_OUnw8K0YFqIQSXhNg4kfFC01X-5HIaz1ZAw84tOZLDdhl_2b8I5jY9D4Fc4v6fep2EbGuUE8/s1600/Snoozing+Growlph+003.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479296741724963858" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMVBvQwLTc4fqeUBxr6t5CwsSOYzqhgXXMwFyUPm90U2JrodGv19yXIgOs7wAqXk-XW_OUnw8K0YFqIQSXhNg4kfFC01X-5HIaz1ZAw84tOZLDdhl_2b8I5jY9D4Fc4v6fep2EbGuUE8/s320/Snoozing+Growlph+003.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-89013411626244732562010-04-19T13:36:00.008-07:002010-04-19T14:46:51.475-07:00Nugget Wash<span style="color:#000099;">We decided to do a bit of close-to-home Jeeping with Larry & Jean today. The former town of Nugget is located fairly close to home, just outside of Globe. In its glory days it was a small but thriving silver mining town, even having a post office from January 7, 1881 until March 10, 1884. The town, although small, supported a saloon, a few general stores and a house providing feminine entertainment to the rough and tumble old west miners. (it's a wonder they had the energy after hefting a pick and shovel all day long!) As with many old west towns, it soon became a shadow of its former self as the silver ran out and people moved on to a more prosperous area.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Not much remains today of Nugget, just the remains of the old stamp mill</span><span style="color:#000099;"> and a few unidentifiable foundations scattered here and there over the rocky terrain. </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">It was an enjoyable run, it was especially nice to come home without feeling like we'd been put through the mill ourselves!</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><span style="color:#ff0000;">To read more about stamp mills click here:</span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><a href="http://digital-desert.com/gold-mining/stamp-mill.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Stamp Mill</span></a><span style="color:#ff0000;"> (use your "back" button to return to this page)<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Welcome to Nugget</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxaWKlLDpF2aPDAqlF-iNrw412Mx3ei7ZeCtsolAraURUzHWS0hf2ljzh-9S1ilIEHO0Ae0o9bnWSYHwN3o1PoOj_DlkcaNrwP3dpqeqcocrdYwPprj_ySOZmeqkDQNzVfnGYMY4jVgs/s1600/Nugget+Wash+012.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461953120192165474" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxaWKlLDpF2aPDAqlF-iNrw412Mx3ei7ZeCtsolAraURUzHWS0hf2ljzh-9S1ilIEHO0Ae0o9bnWSYHwN3o1PoOj_DlkcaNrwP3dpqeqcocrdYwPprj_ySOZmeqkDQNzVfnGYMY4jVgs/s320/Nugget+Wash+012.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;">Wildflowers were abundant</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dfxo0-NahSLk5vMmPCYunais39Ed_DVoFrW57guIUj8cfNNUWIAPN9ql_FHwUwwdJmtXZJzu5NyRifPhxLkKSxEwloQq5LaSrdYFXQLUwCYOwxRgZcFd_Ky8vJYXGco59psu_pWLUhU/s1600/Nugget+Wash+001.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461951638876273634" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dfxo0-NahSLk5vMmPCYunais39Ed_DVoFrW57guIUj8cfNNUWIAPN9ql_FHwUwwdJmtXZJzu5NyRifPhxLkKSxEwloQq5LaSrdYFXQLUwCYOwxRgZcFd_Ky8vJYXGco59psu_pWLUhU/s320/Nugget+Wash+001.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><br /><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">Pretty flowers growing up through the rocky soil</span></div><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtf4XXxxDad51j98Lc5LRHya5KOzaMf158gzXKXsVewLU-mWmbRi792sXVJlO_dW9M7cbiDfjss_TEPcOqhOAtmg_9Ht-o9qiyIKh1YKKTKm1QRuznXx8fv_i0bosVbF97y_gL3kKPAq8/s1600/Nugget+Wash+002.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461951643972616562" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtf4XXxxDad51j98Lc5LRHya5KOzaMf158gzXKXsVewLU-mWmbRi792sXVJlO_dW9M7cbiDfjss_TEPcOqhOAtmg_9Ht-o9qiyIKh1YKKTKm1QRuznXx8fv_i0bosVbF97y_gL3kKPAq8/s320/Nugget+Wash+002.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Let's park here, the trail gets a bit rough<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XMhp_4ej1AFWR_GWgJ95XqBzZO6ZRenJQpxjupACdrX1GpaMROXRLif4C8el6phmm8lheRIYQu4LbUbordNXvung1L9JL8vJ5KI4CssMC_FvIt5iHyIa-jerYFPLFxE0yK7l8rX0Fl8/s1600/Nugget+Wash+010.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461953100761059666" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XMhp_4ej1AFWR_GWgJ95XqBzZO6ZRenJQpxjupACdrX1GpaMROXRLif4C8el6phmm8lheRIYQu4LbUbordNXvung1L9JL8vJ5KI4CssMC_FvIt5iHyIa-jerYFPLFxE0yK7l8rX0Fl8/s320/Nugget+Wash+010.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /></span></div><br /><br /><div align="right"><span style="color:#000099;">Uh sure... it looks like a road to me!<br /></span></div><br /><br /><div align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNYiwT0QPqAhBZX1VqgqMWO8CYHcPdOA2fAheUJIW0su9kEquTBMAxBhPrykDacPMvBUWreSxS4NsmAGiyb2gBsumdv0FlUdMoXH2lEP0b-SogWFTxzWJ0RK8AxWAtM5QJ8LLiVRuyM0/s1600/Nugget+Wash+009.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461953093582795314" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNYiwT0QPqAhBZX1VqgqMWO8CYHcPdOA2fAheUJIW0su9kEquTBMAxBhPrykDacPMvBUWreSxS4NsmAGiyb2gBsumdv0FlUdMoXH2lEP0b-SogWFTxzWJ0RK8AxWAtM5QJ8LLiVRuyM0/s320/Nugget+Wash+009.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"> </span></div><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><div align="left"><br /><br /><br /></span></div><span style="color:#000099;">Yep, there's the road... follow that blue Jeep!</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0POPM_h8TvgdvQ2jB1zOsdMxQO88yHVnTevEw2_wl4pINz0zX4QDA38zGny4yexl-kQKDEAGRRWPd8oKCivP4vLFsxa41VMphv2HTOh6n92utBZifV4ywsdlr2jMhDJjg-tLVorcALHU/s1600/Nugget+Wash+008.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461953081403653618" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0POPM_h8TvgdvQ2jB1zOsdMxQO88yHVnTevEw2_wl4pINz0zX4QDA38zGny4yexl-kQKDEAGRRWPd8oKCivP4vLFsxa41VMphv2HTOh6n92utBZifV4ywsdlr2jMhDJjg-tLVorcALHU/s320/Nugget+Wash+008.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"> </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /><span style="color:#000099;">The remains of the old silver stamp mill<br /></span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAK4kbgoqGmPZQqadpt5-hlHc13OSu1H_I2eA2LRziMOnWe8GSPiUtAIfiBqtp_ta2NjBgq-i-HbnX6c3OzQ-Sfl8TFo6XQXHCdigMiAMeNB1I7eViNc_66s5l-mYIrzWl6iLwOxdtHE/s1600/Nugget+Wash+006.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461951654750268482" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAK4kbgoqGmPZQqadpt5-hlHc13OSu1H_I2eA2LRziMOnWe8GSPiUtAIfiBqtp_ta2NjBgq-i-HbnX6c3OzQ-Sfl8TFo6XQXHCdigMiAMeNB1I7eViNc_66s5l-mYIrzWl6iLwOxdtHE/s320/Nugget+Wash+006.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /></span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yG24SSPlGNbHX7Z7ISzQLnvcqgohwqPc1rHNw_ibW_DuPmLDAx4TnupB24JzTPNpn5ybi821OoAi-VYYyXUoYM_KVJMEDe2yenw8JfLlx3r8E158r3oqT-V5NpJCL_rBRmT4hGSjaNM/s1600/Nugget+Wash+005.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461951649070020754" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yG24SSPlGNbHX7Z7ISzQLnvcqgohwqPc1rHNw_ibW_DuPmLDAx4TnupB24JzTPNpn5ybi821OoAi-VYYyXUoYM_KVJMEDe2yenw8JfLlx3r8E158r3oqT-V5NpJCL_rBRmT4hGSjaNM/s320/Nugget+Wash+005.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /></span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANMDU_lVorUm8oBo6vZCFB10RS2HdYN-3O8IPp1w0dmjCXAEM6rCYxRmMg0erA-Wp5Ylb6SquLcygfKRzobSUwtJX23pbImgxJ4f9-gYk_YQS9UyUp5QZiUyEtCZY2j9wHNJo7SYY-Cw/s1600/Nugget+Wash+004.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461951647281114850" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANMDU_lVorUm8oBo6vZCFB10RS2HdYN-3O8IPp1w0dmjCXAEM6rCYxRmMg0erA-Wp5Ylb6SquLcygfKRzobSUwtJX23pbImgxJ4f9-gYk_YQS9UyUp5QZiUyEtCZY2j9wHNJo7SYY-Cw/s320/Nugget+Wash+004.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"> </span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;">A capped off spring marked the end of the trail for us<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA00036qLWwQyd5SzUfJ2dWtv1VyFAYlFR5YtyhQ6h5wiECRd_8VOEZ5j3OP6uwWnJty52L7fS3pzanZDiukFwnr99JKAAL_671QQ0FMIhkMQFyF64vsAiMyyIhKosUoSSMsmZzc1_FAs/s1600/Nugget+Wash+011.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461953108769754466" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA00036qLWwQyd5SzUfJ2dWtv1VyFAYlFR5YtyhQ6h5wiECRd_8VOEZ5j3OP6uwWnJty52L7fS3pzanZDiukFwnr99JKAAL_671QQ0FMIhkMQFyF64vsAiMyyIhKosUoSSMsmZzc1_FAs/s320/Nugget+Wash+011.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-25570583992054368892010-04-18T06:00:00.007-07:002010-04-20T05:31:53.584-07:00FR 609, Exploring The Cave With Bruce and Judy<span style="color:#000099;">Nice run! Yesterday we Jeeped FR 609 with our friends from Casa Grande, Bruce and Judy. It was a perfect day, the weather cooperated by giving us light breezes and moderate temperatures. Wild flowers and cacti were blooming, adding nice color to the already pretty trail. </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">It's always fun to show people places they haven't seen before so we thoroughly enjoy showing Bruce and Judy the cave and the trail leading from SR 288 all the way through and coming out at Punkin Center on the west side of Roosevelt Lake. </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">We don't ordinarily go out on weekends because some of the trails can get a bit crowded with loads of people coming up from Phoenix to enjoy the better temperatures in the mountains. Yesterday was no exception, the cave on FR 609 resembled a blue light special at K-Mart, with lots of city people crawling around the cave, oohing and aahing in the damp, spooky interior. It was fun hearing them talk about snakes...no self-respecting snake would ever be found in such an uninviting, cold interior but we didn't tell them, instead we agreed that caution should be used, yep, ya never know when a rattler might be lurking under the rocks deep inside the cave....</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">The cave had been living quarters for ancient Indians at one time, you can still see some evidence of their presence. Few cave drawings remain, but looking closely, you can still find a few faint images. The fire pit still holds a few charred bits of wood and the ceiling above it still shows the smokey stains left behind by generations of cooking. The remains of stone walls are still present, making it easy to imagine what life was like for the cave dwellers. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">The next time we go back to the cave, we'll be sure to go during the week to avoid the crowds of city weekenders. </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Hedgehog cactus in full bloom<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuziRohlPGYHKwW_X9U_6O5_d0vHcELojMM0a0bmbLZ0T4_EaxtUwqMfgJFPyVVxTv4pbI4j2NiTdVVvF7kkSIiKmOdrybv2y8eLa2qAX3D_9P29Gv2kXHQ_lrOgtRil5sPdf2vtmi_vE/s1600/Cactus+Garden+2008+004.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461467797512835074" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuziRohlPGYHKwW_X9U_6O5_d0vHcELojMM0a0bmbLZ0T4_EaxtUwqMfgJFPyVVxTv4pbI4j2NiTdVVvF7kkSIiKmOdrybv2y8eLa2qAX3D_9P29Gv2kXHQ_lrOgtRil5sPdf2vtmi_vE/s320/Cactus+Garden+2008+004.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Our two red Jeeps</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7f1eLCK99z-NCR6s6tKnQaN8ZVv_q2FXe2Q5CDprf1s3jRVO8Khew1C7IFWfv4HmSN19EPoPPqhVtVbtGLcY9BCUlQybUDwESpXhub8qDtmDPwgUbmV3HNkXCj9hEf1otx0d4wuSaWM/s1600/609+Bruce+&+Judy+011.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461467788745516402" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7f1eLCK99z-NCR6s6tKnQaN8ZVv_q2FXe2Q5CDprf1s3jRVO8Khew1C7IFWfv4HmSN19EPoPPqhVtVbtGLcY9BCUlQybUDwESpXhub8qDtmDPwgUbmV3HNkXCj9hEf1otx0d4wuSaWM/s320/609+Bruce+%26+Judy+011.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br />The cave entrance<br /></span><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBFAio1vZ3U3Ao_5ht8i_RZ6qri6xBnhVGP2RYYoYPcdNrcpa8x0rT1LxsCZfi6CAg0NopRhv4WgpWNR2mwYuEmxFe9Vc7kKEXVNqS9dhyphenhyphenfoS0S0W8xfJPyRHiBNKydjOWx7I_cFRZ1s/s1600/609+Bruce+&+Judy+009.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461467784624072226" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBFAio1vZ3U3Ao_5ht8i_RZ6qri6xBnhVGP2RYYoYPcdNrcpa8x0rT1LxsCZfi6CAg0NopRhv4WgpWNR2mwYuEmxFe9Vc7kKEXVNqS9dhyphenhyphenfoS0S0W8xfJPyRHiBNKydjOWx7I_cFRZ1s/s320/609+Bruce+%26+Judy+009.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;">Me, Growlph, Judy and Bruce</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVjeZ6aIaF4wHT0-pD6X9Xz8d09FBQY32w555ZRFX6z_GNtba2EIcJ4CpjD_yaVszyT7SMkXqaKc-oqbfVsSFD4RpPxc1hoEilxAo3CuUS-s5UfSAggAxmifowcbahCCQmWORX9K1f4Y/s1600/609+Bruce+&+Judy+008.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461464918720947778" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVjeZ6aIaF4wHT0-pD6X9Xz8d09FBQY32w555ZRFX6z_GNtba2EIcJ4CpjD_yaVszyT7SMkXqaKc-oqbfVsSFD4RpPxc1hoEilxAo3CuUS-s5UfSAggAxmifowcbahCCQmWORX9K1f4Y/s320/609+Bruce+%26+Judy+008.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"> </span></div><div align="right"><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Ralph, Judy, Growlph and Bruce</span></div><div align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbTVE4pZ_wFsBlWw3N0ejjO6PfETYkh_R0bJTBolWNXocnQ6HYKiShnYg7mT4t0Gn97hnf98YzIR39pKVR_w5kBa7CfUg-v1J1u_igLg1Ebnq1sF-rSvarNZjIFJooJdV7atkoIYbyIg/s1600/609+Bruce+&+Judy+005.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461464916879440978" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbTVE4pZ_wFsBlWw3N0ejjO6PfETYkh_R0bJTBolWNXocnQ6HYKiShnYg7mT4t0Gn97hnf98YzIR39pKVR_w5kBa7CfUg-v1J1u_igLg1Ebnq1sF-rSvarNZjIFJooJdV7atkoIYbyIg/s320/609+Bruce+%26+Judy+005.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A city feller stepping carefully to avoid stepping on snakes<br /></span></div><div align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqh7luW3wPyvGstkb5UOPpGmU_KozM5OE0u792c5TVfgRI8dPuWkghMSDvamiYhACL0guSNDNWV4XDzVr-u0WQE50MfdE3Wh8Dq6lzF2k4iWFHEQAxs8QAT-jXoD3wGgldfrZJ6vR0yU/s1600/609+Bruce+&+Judy+004.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461464909933493442" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqh7luW3wPyvGstkb5UOPpGmU_KozM5OE0u792c5TVfgRI8dPuWkghMSDvamiYhACL0guSNDNWV4XDzVr-u0WQE50MfdE3Wh8Dq6lzF2k4iWFHEQAxs8QAT-jXoD3wGgldfrZJ6vR0yU/s320/609+Bruce+%26+Judy+004.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">Stacked stone walls left by the ancients tell a story of what life was like </span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">for the early cave dwellers<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qKGkJsY8I9DMNfX_qnPUhS6-ic8Fvn3Hx2Ae4UxIMNNMhLeyLJK-foLnSpEq8uttxmUV_3i7YbGtvQUybIgTH9u-pkNal3MpbmnBmFJDoQVyYS3tUvcegzoLJRg-_5iYREiYF1hNnCQ/s1600/2nd+Visit+Cave+on+609+016.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461473172513393330" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qKGkJsY8I9DMNfX_qnPUhS6-ic8Fvn3Hx2Ae4UxIMNNMhLeyLJK-foLnSpEq8uttxmUV_3i7YbGtvQUybIgTH9u-pkNal3MpbmnBmFJDoQVyYS3tUvcegzoLJRg-_5iYREiYF1hNnCQ/s320/2nd+Visit+Cave+on+609+016.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div><div align="left"><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Judy and Bruce inside the cave</span></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydozvsryXAWQu4btSH_Uz3C3sktNpOI2ZFGskRnGEA0n55CKjaJ8xblhDB-gTRyn2jlwL4EzvJdEQmjAq6JD2upFnMRbfmrXP-S59iIbFMhJtUQ8-Ue6ztJmtKmHJNumGkJWlevFMt9k/s1600/609+Bruce+&+Judy+001.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461464908591042242" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydozvsryXAWQu4btSH_Uz3C3sktNpOI2ZFGskRnGEA0n55CKjaJ8xblhDB-gTRyn2jlwL4EzvJdEQmjAq6JD2upFnMRbfmrXP-S59iIbFMhJtUQ8-Ue6ztJmtKmHJNumGkJWlevFMt9k/s320/609+Bruce+%26+Judy+001.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;">The smokey ceiling above an ancient fire pit</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqhvipTeE4wU0eUriPjNJ0VIgCab0ZpM0bfAn4vWlAqvtyGh2NyWOTvoQWjzl8omVwB_wUGnPCeHAecOOXw8V5zP9vkDPFt2kL6jCJ7IyW__t-SAsjp_PTgynZtfDKBAEs4Hb8KtRb8U/s1600/2nd+Visit+Cave+on+609+015.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461464896589544802" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqhvipTeE4wU0eUriPjNJ0VIgCab0ZpM0bfAn4vWlAqvtyGh2NyWOTvoQWjzl8omVwB_wUGnPCeHAecOOXw8V5zP9vkDPFt2kL6jCJ7IyW__t-SAsjp_PTgynZtfDKBAEs4Hb8KtRb8U/s320/2nd+Visit+Cave+on+609+015.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-86179465224714242742010-03-14T06:59:00.007-07:002010-03-14T09:18:33.462-07:00Ajax and Beyond<span style="color:#000066;">Yesterday we headed out with a group of 4-Wheelers from the Casa Grande Club. Bruce & Judy, Bill & Maureen, Sue, Russ, Tom, Larry & Jean, Ralph & I, and of course, Growlph. </span><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Although some of the Jeepers had been to the area outside of Superior, running through to Florence Junction, Ralph & I hadn't been there before so it was a new experience for us. Bruce headed the run since he was familiar with the trail but he wasn't expecting the changes that had occurred during the heavy rains we've had this winter. The trail was bumpy to say the least. Off camber and tippy in quite a few places, we found some of the dry washes with running water but none of the water presented a problem during the crossings. Our destination was the old Ajax Mine, a silver mine active on and off from 1915 to 1948. A minimal amount of gold and copper were also mined there. The mines are still there, along with the large concrete ore loader, an impressive structure. We could only imagine what it must have been like there when miners hauled truckloads of ore over the narrow, dangerous roads. </span><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Since this is one of the first weekends we've had without rain, lots of people were on the trails, ATV's, dirt bikes and all kinds of four wheel drive vehicles shared the trails with us, making it interesting when we met someone going in the opposite direction on a narrow, high, one lane trail. Lots of careful maneuvering was required but the skilled Jeepers made it through with no carnage to report. </span><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Bruce also took us to see the ancient petroglyphs carved in rock by the Hohokam Indians some as old as 2000 years ago. Archaeologists are still working to interpret their meanings. </span><br /><span style="color:#000066;">To read more about the ancient Hohokam Indians, check this out: </span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><a href="https://www.tempe.gov/museum/Tempe_history/basics/hohokam.htm">History - Hohokam</a></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;">(use your "back" button to return to this page)</span><br /><span style="color:#000066;">It was a good run, a beautiful day spent with fellow Jeepers, good people and good friends, nice!</span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"></span><br /><br />The mountains outside of Superior<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4i0wpHVLOaHmG_LIkUrh0YaB3P6bXtcyrnNS22kvLEBLCgkqSDnsu_ZnnQPFOx9SIioC8iil2RfbHf81PTUt8F_7Gkcc2wS6xgSm3W5GvbtroYFITaxnJUOc4tq1FF66PV6BxSho6fy8/s1600-h/Ajax+&+Woodpecker+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448491180708672978" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4i0wpHVLOaHmG_LIkUrh0YaB3P6bXtcyrnNS22kvLEBLCgkqSDnsu_ZnnQPFOx9SIioC8iil2RfbHf81PTUt8F_7Gkcc2wS6xgSm3W5GvbtroYFITaxnJUOc4tq1FF66PV6BxSho6fy8/s320/Ajax+%26+Woodpecker+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />more views of the mountains<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0N2RA11NMCgTbFnRhyyipdZ-zvKTezdq9Vt0x755J6uQyGICpQZ3iZu4Ju-qLGDYSwZ5qqCxfTprkIR-7767Kax8U6EHDx1PXD3PeoeywCdNYUU2u-3uuNQGnX2aYCg7z0l56jPQHcg/s1600-h/Ajax+&+Woodpecker+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448491170816938834" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0N2RA11NMCgTbFnRhyyipdZ-zvKTezdq9Vt0x755J6uQyGICpQZ3iZu4Ju-qLGDYSwZ5qqCxfTprkIR-7767Kax8U6EHDx1PXD3PeoeywCdNYUU2u-3uuNQGnX2aYCg7z0l56jPQHcg/s320/Ajax+%26+Woodpecker+006.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />all six Jeeps taking a break<br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKRyxYZelTlX7erEr6WVAbBHCEj_kM9Jt7-jkh_TWEBI7fXF2v0u94oZLsrpR8iaK1tvsvm1rR2nT7JLwiDQRwfOtDQDjf1Ryq9r_wH-Ntbo2MUOfoC4pNB1-FQyoBaRp8SA0zCqeUpI/s1600-h/Ajax+&+Woodpecker+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448491186886102114" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKRyxYZelTlX7erEr6WVAbBHCEj_kM9Jt7-jkh_TWEBI7fXF2v0u94oZLsrpR8iaK1tvsvm1rR2nT7JLwiDQRwfOtDQDjf1Ryq9r_wH-Ntbo2MUOfoC4pNB1-FQyoBaRp8SA0zCqeUpI/s320/Ajax+%26+Woodpecker+014.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center">Stretching our legs and taking a break from the bumps</div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5OWH_qQIyP-1tnuEcM2lRy2gTlv8-I71QACrySsFGd9SWg1dyEGX0gzz0u3un2OT1YimOI2fUtLytfez-vdI4qD5tzXP66JlA0xivKaZttUkgiXf5xvvolb_y9fS6StyucicBrSehhw/s1600-h/Ajax+&+Woodpecker+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448504336352179314" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5OWH_qQIyP-1tnuEcM2lRy2gTlv8-I71QACrySsFGd9SWg1dyEGX0gzz0u3un2OT1YimOI2fUtLytfez-vdI4qD5tzXP66JlA0xivKaZttUkgiXf5xvvolb_y9fS6StyucicBrSehhw/s320/Ajax+%26+Woodpecker+010.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center"><br /></div> the impressive ore loader at Ajax Mine<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_R7MwTik8YzDSVhwnxOahonNdZ7vj52ivacBkXxQS8lrMwQU1Pe8ZJ5bLIV5fvbRC1dq6H9-bzp8JxTTuGxua5YTLs5a8of5LmEJt7LN2ZNzOj7sk9GRFv47f32VpGJB-b__HyIjrFQ/s1600-h/Ajax+&+Woodpecker+021.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448491190141962962" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_R7MwTik8YzDSVhwnxOahonNdZ7vj52ivacBkXxQS8lrMwQU1Pe8ZJ5bLIV5fvbRC1dq6H9-bzp8JxTTuGxua5YTLs5a8of5LmEJt7LN2ZNzOj7sk9GRFv47f32VpGJB-b__HyIjrFQ/s320/Ajax+%26+Woodpecker+021.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />a dangerous open vertical mine shaft at Ajax Mine<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywZQVki0Az4k_3QtIJgrS-hdFTPTCuNv0FxT8yC1VxJWRTnoJJf_-IDpdiSHswj_3mbZY68NFVu4Wz8qFw2C6fDmeQtpeGrSwsqiyjxfUt3XUuYQrKu_1M561I5cK1-E7rvlbOQBzG_4/s1600-h/Ajax+&+Woodpecker+022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448502769554432706" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywZQVki0Az4k_3QtIJgrS-hdFTPTCuNv0FxT8yC1VxJWRTnoJJf_-IDpdiSHswj_3mbZY68NFVu4Wz8qFw2C6fDmeQtpeGrSwsqiyjxfUt3XUuYQrKu_1M561I5cK1-E7rvlbOQBzG_4/s320/Ajax+%26+Woodpecker+022.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><br />Growlph cooling his paws in the creek<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJT7wZmWlWUC3J2pvLXnWAXerP_m8y44ud2IXXRJnISlzmKerxe99cIh7PvLKRK3qiTxkPe51NsmB_CDdaBuADj_OeZs4Xn_IZjm_amra5TT83617bgV3qog4EqkiYa3lZKVZMNJ0Twk/s1600-h/Ajax+&+Woodpecker+028.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448502751778354434" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJT7wZmWlWUC3J2pvLXnWAXerP_m8y44ud2IXXRJnISlzmKerxe99cIh7PvLKRK3qiTxkPe51NsmB_CDdaBuADj_OeZs4Xn_IZjm_amra5TT83617bgV3qog4EqkiYa3lZKVZMNJ0Twk/s320/Ajax+%26+Woodpecker+028.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="left"> The Ralph & The Growlph<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuv9MDZOQnMTqQxfQo0FtzLYumOVO2Itm0JxHDZFtmpm2WuvUUfLOUaHj1sv67gOPriVpJUpjSXg7CyJr_TyVbyStqTbDL3JGFlDtAXel_hyphenhyphenAiA49CauvONv_7hmbkVsXpKyF5v9JMuDo/s1600-h/Ajax+&+Woodpecker+027.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448491195097949794" style="WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuv9MDZOQnMTqQxfQo0FtzLYumOVO2Itm0JxHDZFtmpm2WuvUUfLOUaHj1sv67gOPriVpJUpjSXg7CyJr_TyVbyStqTbDL3JGFlDtAXel_hyphenhyphenAiA49CauvONv_7hmbkVsXpKyF5v9JMuDo/s320/Ajax+%26+Woodpecker+027.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div align="center">Taking a break for lunch<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyK0dPV3fJVJ-7bnjQrbxGs942oVJa_wuxyWL_iTV_hV3gNRvAzBEL0hEG5mVFHflwPeAtCrRdboxRAQ6XmUzYaMdjNXvxCtyeH6sQcPccNFB5EqQgaBxYCo_RzkvLdK36j2ej_A1JbH8/s1600-h/Ajax+&+Woodpecker+031.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448499668910676530" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyK0dPV3fJVJ-7bnjQrbxGs942oVJa_wuxyWL_iTV_hV3gNRvAzBEL0hEG5mVFHflwPeAtCrRdboxRAQ6XmUzYaMdjNXvxCtyeH6sQcPccNFB5EqQgaBxYCo_RzkvLdK36j2ej_A1JbH8/s320/Ajax+%26+Woodpecker+031.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /><br /> </div><div><div><br />Ancient Hohokam petroglyphs<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIOKLh2vbiWXORV3CUi459bjYwWtnwRDsAyJv64pfr2XHyTb0yVRH2BAKxo3LQ0DaAyjclU5ehe4aGXXl9OfXqVqIBkyML3zQP8XXdVy99QHj7J504xD5HnsuggVsMRAaYPz291kAUWU/s1600-h/Ajax+&+Woodpecker+038.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448505979874242802" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIOKLh2vbiWXORV3CUi459bjYwWtnwRDsAyJv64pfr2XHyTb0yVRH2BAKxo3LQ0DaAyjclU5ehe4aGXXl9OfXqVqIBkyML3zQP8XXdVy99QHj7J504xD5HnsuggVsMRAaYPz291kAUWU/s320/Ajax+%26+Woodpecker+038.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />...more petroglyphs<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AiWLqsZ4Y8nA4wsiM6MVhEQkHYec_Pv0MQasdOtdtbPiB2ZYxgtMjdmFf6ai3mV3i5riJoK8zHF4xxQ4DOQSSm_XxEWYsQCQb_u3xYM4X7QHYozuRO5iUzIksShXqRyytZjgsGEEgUQ/s1600-h/Ajax+&+Woodpecker+035.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448502757900778754" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AiWLqsZ4Y8nA4wsiM6MVhEQkHYec_Pv0MQasdOtdtbPiB2ZYxgtMjdmFf6ai3mV3i5riJoK8zHF4xxQ4DOQSSm_XxEWYsQCQb_u3xYM4X7QHYozuRO5iUzIksShXqRyytZjgsGEEgUQ/s320/Ajax+%26+Woodpecker+035.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div> </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-31817551984893287612010-03-06T06:19:00.003-07:002010-03-06T07:28:11.538-07:00Then And Now...We took a ride down the Apache Trail before the rains come again tomorrow. The trail was in unusually good condition having been recently bladed after the last rain storm closed the trail for a few days. Perhaps people from Phoenix and snowbirds had the same idea we did because the traffic on the trail was exceptionally heavy. There have been times we've had the entire route completely to ourselves but this time it appeared everyone from Canada, Michigan or Minnesota decided to enjoy the beautiful weather as well. It's entertaining to see people's expressions of terror as they descend Fish Creek Canyon with its sheer 900 foot drop offs just outside their car windows.<br />Back in the early 1900s until it burned in 1929, Fish Creek Lodge offered a resting place for road weary travelers. In his book <em>"Images of America,"</em> (great little book, we highly recommend it) <em>Richard L. Powers</em> offers many old photographs of the lodge as it appeared through the years, fist with mule teams and horses parked outside, then in later years, automobiles and tour buses. There isn't much left to see at the old lodge site, just a few old crumbling foundations and lots of broken glass bottles. We speculated that it must have been a tradition for travelers to break bottles after they were finished with whatever contents the bottles held, at any rate, old glass littered the ground.<br />A few wild poppies were beginning to bloom giving us a glimpse of what should be one of the best wildflower seasons ever. Now, I guess we'll hunker down and wait until the next storm passes. Dry desert, yeah, right...<br /><br />You can read more about the Apache Trail here:<br />(use your "back" button to return to this page)<br /><a href="http://www.apachetrail.net/">Apache Trail Arizona Map Attraction Guide AZ Tours</a><br /><br />Tour buses lined up outside Fish Creek Lodge<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhkeg8Ea9lwIAR8UfU2XheowKX7Z2Bkkf9bqRJGWTEdoamJ5oN5m_UamzodWSAIJIYQdIO4K_Sh-Awq4NVu0fm52GbIkowfOhn5QpTq5ysWPM1-O9Z3E1RxJHtCDnJ0B6aZD8ewxN72s/s1600-h/fish-creek-inn.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445512333690535746" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 217px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhkeg8Ea9lwIAR8UfU2XheowKX7Z2Bkkf9bqRJGWTEdoamJ5oN5m_UamzodWSAIJIYQdIO4K_Sh-Awq4NVu0fm52GbIkowfOhn5QpTq5ysWPM1-O9Z3E1RxJHtCDnJ0B6aZD8ewxN72s/s320/fish-creek-inn.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Superstition Mountains looming high above<br />with a wet weather waterfall running down the side of<br />the mountain.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnTc7dAlYA8o8HPP5ilidhS_epe8dNo2g2nP3FtWJkOHDzq_tN8ywS8s2JZE65g7TXv277NCGziam3RzXb2nj8igmwRHf-mS_-GNHAeX2d0FpzPMAdGRU0cCgz9ak5OoSaSZJr1x2Gu0/s1600-h/Apache+Trail+Lodge+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445512358007673650" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnTc7dAlYA8o8HPP5ilidhS_epe8dNo2g2nP3FtWJkOHDzq_tN8ywS8s2JZE65g7TXv277NCGziam3RzXb2nj8igmwRHf-mS_-GNHAeX2d0FpzPMAdGRU0cCgz9ak5OoSaSZJr1x2Gu0/s320/Apache+Trail+Lodge+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><br />View from the lodge</div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VnjZfsNOePFWYA87oj-rbij9bYhN4eWee2N-18i1oJnuQsC8qsQLGZ2rOfu-w0qHazzCRg148kUMUKjszlklxjGFu6i4O7fqQo08G79-JZgZlmYI_kQYGXxQPiFqNhcJLd-BuwiUflY/s1600-h/Apache+Trail+Lodge+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445512355252583042" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VnjZfsNOePFWYA87oj-rbij9bYhN4eWee2N-18i1oJnuQsC8qsQLGZ2rOfu-w0qHazzCRg148kUMUKjszlklxjGFu6i4O7fqQo08G79-JZgZlmYI_kQYGXxQPiFqNhcJLd-BuwiUflY/s320/Apache+Trail+Lodge+012.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="left">Fish Creek Canyon<br /></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_H2Ib4DriIMW0ZOQHbURoB9W_UQrllyMLIt24rUha3aVfrhUZYXTrLxY0C0tf0cFMNyx1w231INUKE4HkfTksn_UbWwp8Q49t3BIvVLevqNIA87b5p_c0MNMitXCkG9ttiqDxDpNAnU/s1600-h/Apache+Trail+Lodge+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445512347278282594" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_H2Ib4DriIMW0ZOQHbURoB9W_UQrllyMLIt24rUha3aVfrhUZYXTrLxY0C0tf0cFMNyx1w231INUKE4HkfTksn_UbWwp8Q49t3BIvVLevqNIA87b5p_c0MNMitXCkG9ttiqDxDpNAnU/s320/Apache+Trail+Lodge+009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div align="center">Not much remains of the old Lodge<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WGFpriwppBIX-VH4UVQlyYIdOq92QKMVEcksdbFH0Zpg3y61R90q7Dtg82PynpEM-3DFmFZgUoJRpIxJrR_72SnXnJnJLgOOI2r7MX0nyaoIpmHpRpc48hdP5k3Ql2LW-wvzFabFxKA/s1600-h/Apache+Trail+Lodge+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445512337780336418" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WGFpriwppBIX-VH4UVQlyYIdOq92QKMVEcksdbFH0Zpg3y61R90q7Dtg82PynpEM-3DFmFZgUoJRpIxJrR_72SnXnJnJLgOOI2r7MX0nyaoIpmHpRpc48hdP5k3Ql2LW-wvzFabFxKA/s320/Apache+Trail+Lodge+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-62557372967111116932010-02-20T16:18:00.002-07:002010-02-20T17:01:23.419-07:00I Told You So!<span style="color:#000099;">We've had some really fantastic weather all week long, sunny, mild...simply perfect so we decided to head out on a Jeep run on FR609. It's a fairly long run up in the mountains, one of our favorites. Larry and Jean and a couple of friends from Tucson wanted to go along too on what should have been a pleasant drive up through the pines and pastures, stopping along the way to visit a cave we wanted to explore again. All week long the weather people have been reporting that rains were expected beginning Saturday and continuing on and off throughout the weekend. Heck, what do they know? </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">We awoke this morning to spotty clouds, but the worse part were the mountains, we couldn't even see them in the distance, they were completely covered in clouds. I muttered something about it being a damned fool idea to head up there in bad weather, but my objections were met with, "nah, it looks okay to me," so off we went. Crossing Tonto Creek can be a bit of a challenge, but after ignoring the rather large barricade and sign declaring "road closed" we made it across the flooded creek without a problem. The clouds were getting thicker, darker and more threatening as we headed up the mountain. Rain was beginning to spatter on the windshield, mud was getting deeper, so deep that we all decided to stop and let some air out of our tires to give them more traction getting through the mud. We were fairly high up in the clouds by this time, the fog was closing in along with the heavy sleet that was pelting us and covering the muddy road in white pellets. The Jeeps were sliding, fishtailing, making the drive pretty treacherous and we knew that the road ahead wouldn't be any better so deciding discretion is indeed the better part of valor, we turned back. I've got to admit feeling rather smug on the ride back home but I held it in as long as I could before I blurted out, "I told you so!" .... only to be met with a distinct "<em>harumph</em>" from Ralph.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Oh well, better luck next time. </span><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;">***</span></div><div align="center"> </div><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Tonto Creek crossing, "road closed" (what road?)</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ctkzqeehDqUFemT52qkvfyQiSBVpryIYaD07LkyBUuaF_v_b-fJ6Td0pAZkoXqEpM3teSjOqWep6cLUCU6BFaoHou5e-AUc67Iho4wjETEcAMDPoziL8tP4OF0RxxcFzJhWPt83aqxo/s1600-h/609+Mud+Ahead+011.jpg"><span style="color:#000066;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440470546428037138" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ctkzqeehDqUFemT52qkvfyQiSBVpryIYaD07LkyBUuaF_v_b-fJ6Td0pAZkoXqEpM3teSjOqWep6cLUCU6BFaoHou5e-AUc67Iho4wjETEcAMDPoziL8tP4OF0RxxcFzJhWPt83aqxo/s320/609+Mud+Ahead+011.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000066;"> </span><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000066;">Foggy and rainy, mud soup<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6MaTwns2ch38EuRU7_9sOaF9Px0PoA9c2g7gio8j0RhCxcxDJ2Uufs0EO3emgqV8fWg7Q1pwHlke8-5uX4XX8YdUBQagbaDeZoZNyKO0SREAtsj3GJ3a3Xt9TIUhMR0u17fKuRU19x0/s1600-h/609+Mud+Ahead+003.jpg"><span style="color:#000066;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440470539198274882" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6MaTwns2ch38EuRU7_9sOaF9Px0PoA9c2g7gio8j0RhCxcxDJ2Uufs0EO3emgqV8fWg7Q1pwHlke8-5uX4XX8YdUBQagbaDeZoZNyKO0SREAtsj3GJ3a3Xt9TIUhMR0u17fKuRU19x0/s320/609+Mud+Ahead+003.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000066;">"view" of the mountains?<br /></span></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcA9fHraPkOEMQGjtmgilRnclsSlV5kLF_AT9WUBSkMJOg7f2MlSBIxZikO-R6Fy7-NrFRGeuRn9U0VEUykvurb8aOPJRHXs0-nE34kDLfU2u-wXBceluzZ6LaRWXpxGh4bI9us3rbE8/s1600-h/609+Mud+Ahead+007.jpg"><span style="color:#000066;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440470534417474434" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcA9fHraPkOEMQGjtmgilRnclsSlV5kLF_AT9WUBSkMJOg7f2MlSBIxZikO-R6Fy7-NrFRGeuRn9U0VEUykvurb8aOPJRHXs0-nE34kDLfU2u-wXBceluzZ6LaRWXpxGh4bI9us3rbE8/s320/609+Mud+Ahead+007.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000066;"><br /><br /></span></div><div align="right"><span style="color:#000066;">The forest primeval</span></div><div align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TO1Lp27YfoPk0QZI9RBrCPgXrG6sV89-Zwf-urILjv4GZcHd2ZEGqwZy6-cCrDw99NFotShOizEA8VqM9V9YA7zR6NvE8o2fQolholX_w7xWGfQS2axr1oitzY4fff_l2dUKZNaxm8A/s1600-h/609+Mud+Ahead+005.jpg"><span style="color:#000066;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440470532631790386" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TO1Lp27YfoPk0QZI9RBrCPgXrG6sV89-Zwf-urILjv4GZcHd2ZEGqwZy6-cCrDw99NFotShOizEA8VqM9V9YA7zR6NvE8o2fQolholX_w7xWGfQS2axr1oitzY4fff_l2dUKZNaxm8A/s320/609+Mud+Ahead+005.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Sliding through the mud<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXxdp52YxXdQeZWPARXsk3GU3lKRiqZ6_1_IMPqZKolpQvQH_ncUkP-BVmoHloBCJjK3CMUircIXLu7kwANA2oj_rVdHfd8xt6SzKhMCO04Hok0mA7WbLIGSPq7uHMSa3jsI1g_HmKlw/s1600-h/609+Mud+Ahead+004.jpg"><span style="color:#000066;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440470522469420386" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXxdp52YxXdQeZWPARXsk3GU3lKRiqZ6_1_IMPqZKolpQvQH_ncUkP-BVmoHloBCJjK3CMUircIXLu7kwANA2oj_rVdHfd8xt6SzKhMCO04Hok0mA7WbLIGSPq7uHMSa3jsI1g_HmKlw/s320/609+Mud+Ahead+004.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000066;"><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-6639220312095521312010-01-23T12:35:00.005-07:002010-01-23T14:01:32.836-07:00Redefining The Desert<span style="color:#ff0000;">Webster's says;</span> <div><div><span style="color:#ff0000;">Main Entry: <span style="color:#ff0000;">desert<br /></span>Pronunciation: de-z-rt<br />Function: noun<br />Results<br />1. arid land with usually sparse vegetation especially such land having a very warm climate and receiving less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of sporadic rainfall annually.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff0000;">b. an area of water apparently devoid of life<br />2. wild uninhabited and uncultivated tract<br />3. desolate or forbidding area </span></div><div><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Holy smoke! We've had about five straight days of steady rain here, it sure doesn't fit the definition of "desert" we find in the dictionary. </span></div><div><span style="color:#000066;">Gila County Sheriff's deputies were going door to door out here, warning people that evacuation might be eminent due to the potential of heavy flooding in our area. It was a wild week, the rain didn't stop except for a brief time yesterday when the sun broke through just long enough to show us that it was still up there where it belongs. We were lucky to escape relatively unscathed, happily evacuation wasn't necessary, although we did have the Jeep loaded with things we might need to survive a few days away from home. There were times we did get a bit nervous, particularly when the "dry" wash behind our house began to flow like a small river, we've never seen water in it before. Pinto Creek, the larger wash near us is roaring along the way to the lake along with every other formerly dry wash and riverbed in the area. </span></div><div><span style="color:#000066;">We've had more rain in five days than Arizona normally gets in an entire year. The mountains have gotten record breaking snows in some areas and even some ski resorts are closed because there's too much snow! </span></div><div><span style="color:#000066;">Growlph, our picky little Schnauzer has to be forced to go outside, he despises getting his paws wet, the poor little guy prefers to hold his business rather than risk getting wet. He's been wet and dry so many times, we're sure he's going to mildew if the rain doesn't stop soon. Ah, there's nothing quite like the essence of a wet dog. (Eau de Schnauzer?)</span></div><div><span style="color:#000066;">Our electricity was out for a few hours on and off during the week and yesterday, we had no phone service outside of our small calling area..no internet...Egads! We managed to stay snug, dry and warm in front of our wood stove so all in all, we have no real complaints. </span></div><div><span style="color:#000066;">Many major roads are closed for various weather related reasons including some interstate highways in the northern part of the state. The Forest Service has closed quite a few back roads due to unsafe conditions. Anyhoo, it looks like our Jeeping may be put on hold at least for a while until the trails have dried out a bit. </span></div><div><span style="color:#000066;">The entire state has had its share of something, flooding, dust storms, hail, sleet, freezing rain, wind, blizzards, snow.... we can't help but wonder what's coming next...locusts? pestilence? famine?</span></div><div><span style="color:#000066;"></span></div><div align="center">****</div><div><span style="color:#000066;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000066;">Here are some pictures we took this morning between the raindrops, it sure doesn't look deserty to us! </span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000066;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000066;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#000066;"></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimH38-iZZIokyQDA0t7xsC0ZMRu-5mJ3S_6gwOGhfmMKirN0cjPyj3sKDj6Rx2umftCkGxEFk0F3_RFuHw9JsFfqaM710e9UZELyT95dz3xBCHGDunSNcvCvksqZvg5PbfpwZdK4yr9o/s1600-h/2010+Flood+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430035102967530866" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimH38-iZZIokyQDA0t7xsC0ZMRu-5mJ3S_6gwOGhfmMKirN0cjPyj3sKDj6Rx2umftCkGxEFk0F3_RFuHw9JsFfqaM710e9UZELyT95dz3xBCHGDunSNcvCvksqZvg5PbfpwZdK4yr9o/s320/2010+Flood+009.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4caJzVLqdqfZJ9r9XfkDORjnyvDFhgN-no-Fpns6pQL_yN6kxJkBJSdq3vPNGHZLgog5Oh1vRzw_wEkQCC6hFDJRt1gTAZWpk6l7_8lRwSH90sMSHCRjdPRtV_VME1ifY1WpuAvBtZB4/s1600-h/2010+Flood+012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430035108740477234" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4caJzVLqdqfZJ9r9XfkDORjnyvDFhgN-no-Fpns6pQL_yN6kxJkBJSdq3vPNGHZLgog5Oh1vRzw_wEkQCC6hFDJRt1gTAZWpk6l7_8lRwSH90sMSHCRjdPRtV_VME1ifY1WpuAvBtZB4/s320/2010+Flood+012.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6ZwX2fsxov08trnssN3w7DeAYtfeBk7ke2JG4ggurbHxboAOaBcJfCgfwPKELE0Y7ZsVUdpjy3dD1ceE4e377O5So7rxLN1qbFlXeRiT_YqcqV6IynoEJPVML2vlZvc2wST0Lp9t17E/s1600-h/2010+Flood+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430035118101778690" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6ZwX2fsxov08trnssN3w7DeAYtfeBk7ke2JG4ggurbHxboAOaBcJfCgfwPKELE0Y7ZsVUdpjy3dD1ceE4e377O5So7rxLN1qbFlXeRiT_YqcqV6IynoEJPVML2vlZvc2wST0Lp9t17E/s320/2010+Flood+013.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvJomRXf7cUaWSEr45m-xzuAekGbMqmI4rhz7XaBeF_IuFoT8qXcobVMMzpkc5jBztiloJ6jPU48Of00xb6ocvoNoljb6P9RB-wc7V9JTNsKV0wZLD8fTjIx7_gSACIrt4RaNB2R79D8/s1600-h/2010+Flood+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430023734519856418" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpvJomRXf7cUaWSEr45m-xzuAekGbMqmI4rhz7XaBeF_IuFoT8qXcobVMMzpkc5jBztiloJ6jPU48Of00xb6ocvoNoljb6P9RB-wc7V9JTNsKV0wZLD8fTjIx7_gSACIrt4RaNB2R79D8/s320/2010+Flood+006.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKY1te03F4cqdc2MSbPxZc19FqkEJjZruuUPpxzBiYxPL2uwmHZaxHw5JUJ5M98dXDWzkXBCtXuoYzVmlpjCMER4LFpqnKBwCQ19WYBv70xZ6KRwXxnDrk2hQ4EeY2oQ-UH7lxyvf-mtE/s1600-h/2010+Flood+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430023732710529058" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKY1te03F4cqdc2MSbPxZc19FqkEJjZruuUPpxzBiYxPL2uwmHZaxHw5JUJ5M98dXDWzkXBCtXuoYzVmlpjCMER4LFpqnKBwCQ19WYBv70xZ6KRwXxnDrk2hQ4EeY2oQ-UH7lxyvf-mtE/s320/2010+Flood+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-1XM9IJv3ESzE9HoOhQPkHMMWzqeI2wXoMlvP3f3OfchTiKT1WIKTy2XyJocj-zNl2NBdTq4pwQ3lYz7js5Z4d1VXFo5jB8RwxqvF4crRuEYM1Y9VaQ_2_ziLMog4uppiNAN7J9x2-0/s1600-h/2010+Flood+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430023727396236274" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-1XM9IJv3ESzE9HoOhQPkHMMWzqeI2wXoMlvP3f3OfchTiKT1WIKTy2XyJocj-zNl2NBdTq4pwQ3lYz7js5Z4d1VXFo5jB8RwxqvF4crRuEYM1Y9VaQ_2_ziLMog4uppiNAN7J9x2-0/s320/2010+Flood+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9BNk1-QvbIDNuH-ADthM_U-Qy0s8cApO1aWF6RScl2xkztqz3YWCCaiOYWacYZF9tJemg4pzCboICdgIa7P0O8f8KeXcxVtdfSw1RiPszrigXyr2ukm1vwi-Y5wlQs_eizRUIWiSqoY/s1600-h/2010+Flood+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430023717954884034" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9BNk1-QvbIDNuH-ADthM_U-Qy0s8cApO1aWF6RScl2xkztqz3YWCCaiOYWacYZF9tJemg4pzCboICdgIa7P0O8f8KeXcxVtdfSw1RiPszrigXyr2ukm1vwi-Y5wlQs_eizRUIWiSqoY/s320/2010+Flood+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnSrAuwTp0PkhFDlSLbZvUSVcmTlx8lVZlKssnc0XELr4MUwGHWdQzAq_WgkBmV6QysPrP1EuuOovAAjZ-7BaA4bSn7sF4Ue2Rg_2ZAt1R13FUe9EyP8cut783MYrC2xqI26KfUsIC7Y/s1600-h/2010+Flood+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430023716500425090" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnSrAuwTp0PkhFDlSLbZvUSVcmTlx8lVZlKssnc0XELr4MUwGHWdQzAq_WgkBmV6QysPrP1EuuOovAAjZ-7BaA4bSn7sF4Ue2Rg_2ZAt1R13FUe9EyP8cut783MYrC2xqI26KfUsIC7Y/s320/2010+Flood+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-75908898959852790182010-01-15T15:59:00.005-07:002010-01-15T16:42:07.225-07:00The Ray Mine<span style="color:#000066;">It's a beautiful day today, clear, cool and sunny. We decided to take a ride to an area we've passed before but never had driven through. It's a big circular route leaving from Globe and heading down to Superior and then across to Winkleman and back up to Globe. It's all paved highway, no backroading today.... about 90+ miles or so. </span><br /><span style="color:#000066;">We've read about the Ray Mine being the second largest open pit copper mine in the state and wanted to see it first hand. Wow, what a gruesomely awesome sight it is! Huge doesn't begin to describe it, the photos can't show the true enormity and scope of the operation. Although we don't consider ourselves to be "tree huggers" or extreme environmentalists, we can't help but ponder what impact such an undertaking has on the environment, even the signs at the scenic overlook at the mine tell about sulfuric acid being used in the processing of copper ore. We watched as giant dump trucks crept back and forth dumping load afer load of mine tailings, leaving concentric mountains in place of the ones Mother Nature had previously put there. Yep, the world needs copper, lots of it and it's got to be mined somewhere...but.......<em>sigh</em></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000066;">The little dots in the center of this photo are giant dump trucks</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOB9sTNF_yFhmBlwncObqVuvMRY9dl0waPg9HzUVUr-vK596-Uef-4McCffGd08iPtKDoYTZKAag-OUNHTeU_hLRPXsivmubQgt1-HzzvSZthiJgwePxzJWpPsaExss0iQhAR4lU9vQM/s1600-h/ASARCO+Ray+Mine+008.jpg"><span style="color:#000066;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427107908264621858" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOB9sTNF_yFhmBlwncObqVuvMRY9dl0waPg9HzUVUr-vK596-Uef-4McCffGd08iPtKDoYTZKAag-OUNHTeU_hLRPXsivmubQgt1-HzzvSZthiJgwePxzJWpPsaExss0iQhAR4lU9vQM/s320/ASARCO+Ray+Mine+008.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000066;"> </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#000066;">A huge shovel and a $20,000 truck tire. (so the sign said) and a frustrated Schnauzer who wanted to piddle on the truck tire but couldn't because it was fenced off. </span><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoEdAWBxMvxNN3tabUy0VeXIIAqw2Ywi4zYA6-c7BemWHRPi4daCeWqhiljn_WmT685wqU5-fGFdFWJBdzqgqR0Czvjear22VKZF-41FK-qGKydQ8oaNmhrHZntRCe0WzHLAo7JJ-W04/s1600-h/ASARCO+Ray+Mine+013.jpg"><span style="color:#000066;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427107923565489090" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoEdAWBxMvxNN3tabUy0VeXIIAqw2Ywi4zYA6-c7BemWHRPi4daCeWqhiljn_WmT685wqU5-fGFdFWJBdzqgqR0Czvjear22VKZF-41FK-qGKydQ8oaNmhrHZntRCe0WzHLAo7JJ-W04/s320/ASARCO+Ray+Mine+013.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000066;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNY7LsphWzeILfMEhnujEpHt32xP8-rTeV1yZAqn6XwQrckv8teZevs72VDTw4BU3zgiOsVmU0UMMWOx8fKr5OF1OJRdhVhB_zqijMYeYufLuIq5vuUGxNcQBhGzLNVjdmqu2k_biW6o/s1600-h/ASARCO+Ray+Mine+010.jpg"><span style="color:#000066;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427108615500014130" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNY7LsphWzeILfMEhnujEpHt32xP8-rTeV1yZAqn6XwQrckv8teZevs72VDTw4BU3zgiOsVmU0UMMWOx8fKr5OF1OJRdhVhB_zqijMYeYufLuIq5vuUGxNcQBhGzLNVjdmqu2k_biW6o/s320/ASARCO+Ray+Mine+010.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Mother Nature didn't intend for mountains to look like these<br /></span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgji4NGDD3aLjI8gZLyAAmVy4fBKmiLxXS1tqeEAW9K83V43upSYPxYvtjDiu8KohWzVxOb7YCuM2MiUr_wHg6TIlWI2BXqcWiyDQmVk97Mf55kJZP3f91hsqYT-92pO4s8EIXecO8Wv38/s1600-h/ASARCO+Ray+Mine+003.jpg"><span style="color:#000066;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427107921252482610" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgji4NGDD3aLjI8gZLyAAmVy4fBKmiLxXS1tqeEAW9K83V43upSYPxYvtjDiu8KohWzVxOb7YCuM2MiUr_wHg6TIlWI2BXqcWiyDQmVk97Mf55kJZP3f91hsqYT-92pO4s8EIXecO8Wv38/s320/ASARCO+Ray+Mine+003.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000066;"><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000066;">Thousands of feet deep into the open pit<br /></span></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7WZBIQAaSXCS2C12tF051yhQMHnB3L2akw_kBgDAlaXv-bTxuM6mzkSh2fbRyDRSv7YO3XiZf7TYF5ohWoLsPrCVDBxnr_MqYakvs8iz8bL-dEaDpYlkAzM4UlREYQ9yYT5Anjbz_7w/s1600-h/ASARCO+Ray+Mine+007.jpg"><span style="color:#000066;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427107915132595842" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7WZBIQAaSXCS2C12tF051yhQMHnB3L2akw_kBgDAlaXv-bTxuM6mzkSh2fbRyDRSv7YO3XiZf7TYF5ohWoLsPrCVDBxnr_MqYakvs8iz8bL-dEaDpYlkAzM4UlREYQ9yYT5Anjbz_7w/s320/ASARCO+Ray+Mine+007.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000066;"><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000066;">Lots of copper is being hauled from this site<br /></span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOD5r3BHYSd9VbhAFuR9hJATxvdl7yG3MZJZhFvUfUjrtIFu2VfmCyrPRHIQT5GQPmkJFlfeDkpBtB1Dh4I1S4s-ac-XjvmcKinm3Bei2t5prnlAScokLxPPMkMVYa9wwE_cCdAxaMPRM/s1600-h/ASARCO+Ray+Mine+002.jpg"><span style="color:#000066;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427107912308597346" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOD5r3BHYSd9VbhAFuR9hJATxvdl7yG3MZJZhFvUfUjrtIFu2VfmCyrPRHIQT5GQPmkJFlfeDkpBtB1Dh4I1S4s-ac-XjvmcKinm3Bei2t5prnlAScokLxPPMkMVYa9wwE_cCdAxaMPRM/s320/ASARCO+Ray+Mine+002.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000066;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-16416236416524065082010-01-10T03:23:00.004-07:002010-01-10T04:30:32.812-07:00Jeeping The Pinal Mountains<p><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Great Day! Yesterday we went Jeeping with some good folks from the Casa Grande 4-Wheelers Club, Bruce & Judy, Bill & Maureen, Russ & Jackie, as well as a cheerful Border Collie named Socks. </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#000099;">We headed out with no particular destination in mind except to explore some of the areas in the Pinal Mountains, south of the town of Globe. The Pinals offer a range of vastly differing scenery ranging from lush pine and Manazanita forests to desert plateaus thick with barrel cacti, creosote bushes and scrub. Altitudes were mostly high, some close to 8000 feet, offering gorgeous, sweeping views of the mountains surrounding us. </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#000099;">The roads were fairly good with the very notable exception of the trail leading from Pioneer Basin up to Pioneer Pass. We've always been told that this trail in particular could be a problem, especially in bad weather. Fortunately, the day was clear and sunny and the trail was dry. After taking a long, bumpy trail we came upon a house and an old mining camp. The lone resident, a "different" fellow, a true hermit lived there with only the company of his dog, many miles away from the nearest civilization. Bruce stopped to chat with him and ask about the road conditions ahead. I don't know what was said but just past his place the trail turned ugly. We had to make the choice of attempting it or turning back from whence we came. We decided to attempt it. Since we drive a mostly "stock" Jeep while the other three are built more for this kind of terrain, we were a bit concerned about whether we could make it through without any carnage to our Jeep, but our worries proved to be unfounded. Ralph's Jeep driving experience served him well, we made it through with only a relatively few groans, stiffled screams and gasps from me....good job Ralph!</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#000099;">It was nice meeting new people and making new friends with the same interests as ours'...to enjoy the scenic beauty the backroads of Arizona has to offer to fellow Jeepers. </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#000099;"></span></strong> </p><p><strong><span style="color:#000099;"></span></strong> </p><p><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Ready to hit the trail<br /></span></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2ZATCocAG2VZp-diQQxfIN7omKzrw580i-zxaVtp1D0eLvRzmH8PeilOULKOc6CrB28XgbXct9NkIzwD5ZJ-iZWtewNTco6SezWKDcDy0VeiGs1oxwDAibjuCVW6avzvNiNJr3DN9iM/s1600-h/Pioneer+Pass+005.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425056364373863426" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2ZATCocAG2VZp-diQQxfIN7omKzrw580i-zxaVtp1D0eLvRzmH8PeilOULKOc6CrB28XgbXct9NkIzwD5ZJ-iZWtewNTco6SezWKDcDy0VeiGs1oxwDAibjuCVW6avzvNiNJr3DN9iM/s320/Pioneer+Pass+005.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a></p><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;"></span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">There's the road far below</span></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZQ5ZTn1xQ5XnZrvjyiyJnJOrcY6eBV-0dzVqte0vXqEpEUYOMc5hjzwC2cwts7gUXljVOACRBpyYC33eT00sBLF_sOvxusX6Nk9Hzcd8hlSbImfDzY426yjIHRfHX3i4ZypbcanK_GE/s1600-h/Pioneer+Pass+003.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425056358928773826" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZQ5ZTn1xQ5XnZrvjyiyJnJOrcY6eBV-0dzVqte0vXqEpEUYOMc5hjzwC2cwts7gUXljVOACRBpyYC33eT00sBLF_sOvxusX6Nk9Hzcd8hlSbImfDzY426yjIHRfHX3i4ZypbcanK_GE/s320/Pioneer+Pass+003.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;"></span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Sweeping views of the Pinals </span></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELIeMXVHQ0AEZMhy4dIG3RZkXqafOyzjkT9MXlPohPxJ63u8gxFkQhh1zJMVWE1sMBDbc7pQwGWsJwi3slkmg-_sr1VXKKf0ZVEaJ46D2VPrgvolQTEoFGgF2LBDzT3pkCIdBETG7ZUk/s1600-h/Pioneer+Pass+017.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425058262326220002" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELIeMXVHQ0AEZMhy4dIG3RZkXqafOyzjkT9MXlPohPxJ63u8gxFkQhh1zJMVWE1sMBDbc7pQwGWsJwi3slkmg-_sr1VXKKf0ZVEaJ46D2VPrgvolQTEoFGgF2LBDzT3pkCIdBETG7ZUk/s320/Pioneer+Pass+017.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#000099;"> </span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;"></span></strong><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Howdy folks!</span></strong></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2uRkM5AdCVAgMc8klIBevraDBgzjpsUmVDItYbApdhCFWVtWm_eSUJYf9CrX14qdTp55a0fIVFSWeJM5YYTKIj6OR2KHAOGDmb-PQ-9ohfnH3DZqajQr21cD4FBpMhirfOGEoC0UphU/s1600-h/Pioneer+Pass+002.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425056352447978770" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2uRkM5AdCVAgMc8klIBevraDBgzjpsUmVDItYbApdhCFWVtWm_eSUJYf9CrX14qdTp55a0fIVFSWeJM5YYTKIj6OR2KHAOGDmb-PQ-9ohfnH3DZqajQr21cD4FBpMhirfOGEoC0UphU/s320/Pioneer+Pass+002.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a></div><br /><div align="left"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"></span></strong></div><br /><div align="left"><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Challenging to( say the least)</span></strong></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdXeDTNTie2hmhZffv2XgdYz4xTyYk1MG1SYtIDgt0yLNXEpL643gNBLFs_cYhVctfq1cq20P6qZWWAHQPylrqa9jn2f19gA0XTqcfNqmBZJ1EZ5YTn4qx92QjiW_lHpmpBmBx-I41KI/s1600-h/Pioneer+Pass+013.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425058256103230274" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdXeDTNTie2hmhZffv2XgdYz4xTyYk1MG1SYtIDgt0yLNXEpL643gNBLFs_cYhVctfq1cq20P6qZWWAHQPylrqa9jn2f19gA0XTqcfNqmBZJ1EZ5YTn4qx92QjiW_lHpmpBmBx-I41KI/s320/Pioneer+Pass+013.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><br /></span></strong><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#000099;">NOT a road well traveled!<br /></span></strong></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqx1A9apYMA2CaTIzGYd9Lih3p9uypU1dM6tPMUjtQua8QpCWC-AB9w_LMVQr9VoBPxKvxiuATwYG1W4faLLGw0rmXYvgKMP3jjIV9jYplSSYlbnkIMhVaVhV7RxbB7ASBIPpwpxPgWE/s1600-h/Pioneer+Pass+014.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425058250611694802" style="WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqx1A9apYMA2CaTIzGYd9Lih3p9uypU1dM6tPMUjtQua8QpCWC-AB9w_LMVQr9VoBPxKvxiuATwYG1W4faLLGw0rmXYvgKMP3jjIV9jYplSSYlbnkIMhVaVhV7RxbB7ASBIPpwpxPgWE/s320/Pioneer+Pass+014.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /></span></strong></div><br /><div align="left"><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Pioneer Basin<br /></span></strong></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSZ5Fbi8qiiC4AYoz_JTg7PFTPwcBv8dGzXcY0xSGIzX9wbO8n_wVbrbnmI9u4bHqF5JwaiL91ddy1RydEHiUMssotz_gkHwnJsevM64Gw_bj6qox_yIH_FY8Kn02cwFOFiZzMIgsCWM/s1600-h/Pioneer+Pass+011.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425056370197569874" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSZ5Fbi8qiiC4AYoz_JTg7PFTPwcBv8dGzXcY0xSGIzX9wbO8n_wVbrbnmI9u4bHqF5JwaiL91ddy1RydEHiUMssotz_gkHwnJsevM64Gw_bj6qox_yIH_FY8Kn02cwFOFiZzMIgsCWM/s320/Pioneer+Pass+011.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /></span></strong><br /><br /><div align="right"><strong><span style="color:#000099;">We were rewarded with this spectacular view<br /></span></strong></div><br /><div align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcxhiXqjL4tErMe8QakLrTjrPic_QAH-ITfjiXxes9YIIO_7Ds1bJsjlKdzkOu3Zzc0x8eB0dLsaofpOS7CW7wsBQJWW89eN13fgnwKi3U2AnHhTSTpkysVepaoXiOzPYjSXvJAKtJhE/s1600-h/Pioneer+Pass+001.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425056345745869922" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcxhiXqjL4tErMe8QakLrTjrPic_QAH-ITfjiXxes9YIIO_7Ds1bJsjlKdzkOu3Zzc0x8eB0dLsaofpOS7CW7wsBQJWW89eN13fgnwKi3U2AnHhTSTpkysVepaoXiOzPYjSXvJAKtJhE/s320/Pioneer+Pass+001.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-32422586276575364332009-12-20T05:33:00.005-07:002009-12-20T06:37:35.231-07:00Jeepin' to McMillenville<span style="color:#000099;"><strong>We decided to head for the former town of McMillenville yesterday. Back in the 1800s McMillenville was a fairly large silver mining town, it even had a post office, established in November, 1877 until October, 1882. Nowadays, not much remains of its former glory.<br />During the town's heyday it was subjected to a major, brutal Apache raid. It seems that the area was once part of land designated by the government to be part of the Apache reservation. Then, silver was discovered there by a pair of wandering prospectors, Charlie McMillen and Theodore Harris, March 6, 1876. It wasn't long after that the government decided to "resurvey" the reservation, low and behold the government determined that the land containing the rich silver strike wasn't part of the reservation afterall... hmmm mighty suspicious, (seems typical of government activity but that thought is for another post and probably not appropriate here...okay Laura, step away from that soapbox!) anyway, it's a small wonder the Apaches were angry.<br />In</strong> <em><strong>Nell Murbarger's</strong></em> <strong>wonderful book, <em>"Ghosts Of The Adobe Walls",</em> Nell describes the town as she found it back in 1950. There were still adobe ruins of old miner's cabins present but even then, not much remained of the town. The original main mine, the Stonewall Jackson is now located on private property, the rest of what remains is on Tonto National Forest land.<br />We found outlines of old buildings, some Indian ruins along with the old tin cans that can usually be found at this kind of site. We even found a shard of Indian pottery laying near an eroded wash.<br />Although little remains of the ghost town of McMillenville, we stood amid the ruins with Nell Murbarger's words echoing in our ears, </strong><em><strong>" I left the old town of McMillen to its gray adobe ruins, its small gray lizards....and the gray ghosts of its departed dreams."</strong> </em></span><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;"></span></strong><br />barely the outline of an old adobe cabin<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFddX7IV9jeU-8387aOwYNcp9sXEUgndW7eMmk5gMfPl2pviT2OGIlSqXg2NUvXKjjwiDinsgKL9RjeFoC6sEN6Av90h0076vByRmwqbhYXjbnvAOl6VRAHHKnSHoNAklKjNJvve5kCA/s1600-h/McMillenville+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417300271381783874" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFddX7IV9jeU-8387aOwYNcp9sXEUgndW7eMmk5gMfPl2pviT2OGIlSqXg2NUvXKjjwiDinsgKL9RjeFoC6sEN6Av90h0076vByRmwqbhYXjbnvAOl6VRAHHKnSHoNAklKjNJvve5kCA/s320/McMillenville+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="right">a miner's cabin probably stood here<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvfFeTEN0y_QulYNOdtpQukQtLoDTja4BvK2OlcNyYGluj-085q8CMSO0Vzt1KzBzu05JdiHoOzKnst4jfe1V0jnT_BQ13ubxLv52JIJPscLPsUwt6o_BLa_5XBhTbiR6BN77grOJvDc/s1600-h/McMillenville+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417300270714774802" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvfFeTEN0y_QulYNOdtpQukQtLoDTja4BvK2OlcNyYGluj-085q8CMSO0Vzt1KzBzu05JdiHoOzKnst4jfe1V0jnT_BQ13ubxLv52JIJPscLPsUwt6o_BLa_5XBhTbiR6BN77grOJvDc/s320/McMillenville+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Ralph checking out more ruins</div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbIyzE8XmG64KKnFUdQi3XzfgijWnhzNGESWCcLyo_9XqeZ3ivIUVGNdhVczFL09aJzM6RQj5FbsVo62yvYgg7WX8nuU-0Yn6oo_Aiodo3YagjM8Y9PUYrMkXU6F0kKPxNIS6a23Rsm4/s1600-h/McMillenville+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417300262346651266" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbIyzE8XmG64KKnFUdQi3XzfgijWnhzNGESWCcLyo_9XqeZ3ivIUVGNdhVczFL09aJzM6RQj5FbsVo62yvYgg7WX8nuU-0Yn6oo_Aiodo3YagjM8Y9PUYrMkXU6F0kKPxNIS6a23Rsm4/s320/McMillenville+007.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="right"><br />after McMillenville we checked out FR 584, oops the road ends here</div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJzF0Q85t1OQ4ythapWpzDIZcDqyhFKh1fjNSrsZe7VMiq8QIcQUgTfkC7o_lEWba0vm4cXt5Z1Yrw-OmeSNK8vfb_ukwzYO5xzvMOLdh4XHSdAaTYn_zWcfNlSA4dmvGYx-ejyCWOJg/s1600-h/McMillenville+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417300255058156706" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJzF0Q85t1OQ4ythapWpzDIZcDqyhFKh1fjNSrsZe7VMiq8QIcQUgTfkC7o_lEWba0vm4cXt5Z1Yrw-OmeSNK8vfb_ukwzYO5xzvMOLdh4XHSdAaTYn_zWcfNlSA4dmvGYx-ejyCWOJg/s320/McMillenville+015.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="right"></div><div align="left">The view from FS 584<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0e0RBSxtbjGXZoDMEiBrRlhdoXLLXPamn3fgyO8AkrbcgQ36YLQI0HaQI0cHAqiMiQX6WONjm5cYrVynyAmhAQVdCejwtmNBvNyOi1wN6co4uiwdEhZ3wfVbv4clgpyx8xYSQ4LD1sI/s1600-h/McMillenville+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417300252458437698" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0e0RBSxtbjGXZoDMEiBrRlhdoXLLXPamn3fgyO8AkrbcgQ36YLQI0HaQI0cHAqiMiQX6WONjm5cYrVynyAmhAQVdCejwtmNBvNyOi1wN6co4uiwdEhZ3wfVbv4clgpyx8xYSQ4LD1sI/s320/McMillenville+018.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-74142486230707809672009-12-10T17:38:00.004-07:002009-12-10T18:03:52.887-07:00Seneca Lake<strong><span style="color:#000099;">It's been cold here, lots of rain with more on the way beginning tonight. This morning although it was cloudy the sun was trying to come out so we decided to take a ride to look for the former mining town of McMillenville. There's nothing left of the town, but we're hoping to find where it once stood. It had quite a bit of history in its day, Indian attacks and lots of silver mining. They even had a post office for a couple of years back in the late 1800's. We didn't locate the town, or any of the silver mines so we rode a bit further down the road to Seneca Lake, located on the Apache Reservation. At one time Seneca looked to be a really nice place, a trading post, cabins and a pretty campground, all in a sad state of disrepair now. It's a shame to see everything falling down and being vandalized. The lake is still pretty and supposedly has some good fishing, but since it's on the reservation, the $25 per day fishing permit is a bit pricey for a few bass or trout. Past the lake, we tried another road, it led to the edge of the cliffs overlooking the Salt River Canyon, the pictures can't do the place justice, you've got to see these views to believe them. Spectacular to say the least.
<br />We'll do some more research and see if we can find the exact location of McMillenville and make a return trip to the area, if nothing else, the scenery alone makes the trip worthwhile. </span></strong>
<br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;"></span></strong>
<br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;"></span></strong>
<br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Some of the ruins of Seneca, a shame to see it all </span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#000099;">falling down</span></strong></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANh7VOURf4P-sxMWZWKQmtK_vDJHzByhf892eb4d_1p-S9e2Y479fc8Aen3_K9djbureaw9Ry0vNhBfVp3Yg7-oxSJr6ZoNx-0YbUcJQsDY5GDFkAvnaEpw5LpwBZQ9M3jUw2ECpXixU/s1600-h/Seneca+Lake+003.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413774935411202930" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANh7VOURf4P-sxMWZWKQmtK_vDJHzByhf892eb4d_1p-S9e2Y479fc8Aen3_K9djbureaw9Ry0vNhBfVp3Yg7-oxSJr6ZoNx-0YbUcJQsDY5GDFkAvnaEpw5LpwBZQ9M3jUw2ECpXixU/s320/Seneca+Lake+003.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#000099;">
<br /></span></strong></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRuw4H6z894zN4LkFKDZnAbnfcPJW0bygN1RCm4132VxmC1bGkURiEqe3166P5WZ2VdqFLcR67TexpbGnn6z4f9i9Rb1vk3ujXBw_DwunYr-9Y934nPkl51MULE-tJNLRXRMAFnm92ao/s1600-h/Seneca+Lake+005.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413774926467615810" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRuw4H6z894zN4LkFKDZnAbnfcPJW0bygN1RCm4132VxmC1bGkURiEqe3166P5WZ2VdqFLcR67TexpbGnn6z4f9i9Rb1vk3ujXBw_DwunYr-9Y934nPkl51MULE-tJNLRXRMAFnm92ao/s320/Seneca+Lake+005.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#000099;">
<br />
<br /></span></strong></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0b7azW7z6K7hhSMXltM0IMvTaUJ6mm3Pfw2t5931zrdMgRKpGjjvXvtQcxOoV-PKttCQetGQkIwliQXfhdaz4pQSyHlCkbTXW5T1Wy37Xnx8OMepRtjmh4SevWpgWmQXGYZuZrzzf2E8/s1600-h/Seneca+Lake+001.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413774918065381442" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0b7azW7z6K7hhSMXltM0IMvTaUJ6mm3Pfw2t5931zrdMgRKpGjjvXvtQcxOoV-PKttCQetGQkIwliQXfhdaz4pQSyHlCkbTXW5T1Wy37Xnx8OMepRtjmh4SevWpgWmQXGYZuZrzzf2E8/s320/Seneca+Lake+001.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#000099;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></span></strong></div><strong><span style="color:#000099;"></span></strong>
<br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Seneca Lake</span></strong>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZS_7ZaVlQJuK11QegCLLYUDd0RGDaTWcoLa-rt6pOb24XT8yAPuPOalFAo40wKAv4OURC3WXE3C5UgWTXbG38-BjzqFhjFuyobLSmJJN5VDy_IgUz2j9k96so0l1u8cmHGIF3FbybRTI/s1600-h/Seneca+Lake+012.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413773142713729026" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZS_7ZaVlQJuK11QegCLLYUDd0RGDaTWcoLa-rt6pOb24XT8yAPuPOalFAo40wKAv4OURC3WXE3C5UgWTXbG38-BjzqFhjFuyobLSmJJN5VDy_IgUz2j9k96so0l1u8cmHGIF3FbybRTI/s320/Seneca+Lake+012.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#000099;"> </span></strong>
<br /><strong>
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span></strong>
<br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">You've got to see these views to believe them!
<br /></span></strong>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlWkRy-bF0fYZqGcv7bScgKAteq6Djip5mRuHSVaNnp-K1_nKY7EdnJQBvKZHJg9j3RZ3dxCvoZW2ZAE4812Vhj9e3oQxk8keDBUhZOy6K86lgFeh0gKEfza8fwxEoElvVvPREpxzqSc/s1600-h/Seneca+Lake+013.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413773137952884962" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlWkRy-bF0fYZqGcv7bScgKAteq6Djip5mRuHSVaNnp-K1_nKY7EdnJQBvKZHJg9j3RZ3dxCvoZW2ZAE4812Vhj9e3oQxk8keDBUhZOy6K86lgFeh0gKEfza8fwxEoElvVvPREpxzqSc/s320/Seneca+Lake+013.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#000099;">
<br /></span></strong>
<br />
<br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Salt River Canyon far below
<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413773125883366002" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtk2c_Fl4mU4YeenADB-DaFzPiQXj46EvH8tpD5NTUA9Jm6C_bvze24Fr5GGAoPj2KmkKQPE66rrJ0GsvN9OO2v0vtxbp1e_d7SbdO53eIJxql0MQ5gZuGgBUmdACMI7iMiKAFCAtVB_4/<span%20class=" /></span></span></strong>
<br />
<br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Oh my, that's a <em>longgg</em> way down!
<br /></span></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJlZI6aKgnIYDJqe3z4kpVCm6QrBWKBnS4tpDgnht4jYhJLtuCheBv3Il8KQmkN7AyHkeOfISHVs9mX9jdn_wYWElY_JzMZeGPsGWPt-sDh2Kv_YXDVshOmm4QAkakkQh36EekvDyEd0/s1600-h/Seneca+Lake+015.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413773123646595906" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJlZI6aKgnIYDJqe3z4kpVCm6QrBWKBnS4tpDgnht4jYhJLtuCheBv3Il8KQmkN7AyHkeOfISHVs9mX9jdn_wYWElY_JzMZeGPsGWPt-sDh2Kv_YXDVshOmm4QAkakkQh36EekvDyEd0/s320/Seneca+Lake+015.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#000099;">
<br />Our voices echoed whenever we spoke here</span></strong>
<br /><strong>
<br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span></strong>
<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTEhbsXyUzkzdq-LjT3HN3dS_fGwTUYpjHoHmAqdQds8CtVUwXLFXLs9TbLbrMdxeNlP8b0LBLlxu_2ArMACFPEQOZ4u36qknrZ2uPoCDpe6eUr1PVHURoiiZ2LjrORPguvfDkwdKrGU/s1600-h/Seneca+Lake+016.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413773118937400322" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTEhbsXyUzkzdq-LjT3HN3dS_fGwTUYpjHoHmAqdQds8CtVUwXLFXLs9TbLbrMdxeNlP8b0LBLlxu_2ArMACFPEQOZ4u36qknrZ2uPoCDpe6eUr1PVHURoiiZ2LjrORPguvfDkwdKrGU/s320/Seneca+Lake+016.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#000099;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></span></strong>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div></div></div></div>
<br />Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-24732575495693743042009-11-27T02:21:00.008-07:002009-11-27T04:21:42.222-07:00No Turkey, Just Murder and Asbestos<span style="color:#000099;">We left our turkey snug and comfy, sitting in the freezer where it belongs and headed to the ghost town of Mule Hoof Bend with Larry and Jean and both pooches yesterday morning. We've read about it and had been told that it was worth seeing, so we finally decided to go. I have to admit, I was dragging my feet for a year or so on making the trip, I knew the elevations were well over 5000 feet and the views were spectacular. Whenever I hear someone say "Oh, the views are awesome" it gets me nervous because along with those views comes my fear of height issue. Well, this time was worth swallowing my fear because it turned out to be one of the most beautiful places we've been thus far. (Thank you Andy B for the history information, preview pictures and report on the road conditions!)</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Mule Hoof Bend a former asbestos mining town is located high above the Salt River Canyon. It's got a rather sordid history because the owner of the mine, Guy Phillips was murdered there. His wife, Ruby Mae was charged with the crime but a jury failed to convict her, much to the chagrin of the sheriff at the time who thought he had a solid case against her. Guy Phillips had made a lot of enemies and when people were asked who they thought had committed the murder, they'd reply, "just open the phone book and stick a pin in any name".... I guess he wasn't a very nice guy. If Ruby did indeed commit the crime, people probably understood her reasons behind it, particularly the jury. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">There are quite a few remains of the town including the house where the murder took place and even a small jail located in the basement of one of the buildings. Ordinarily, I believe the forest service would have "reclaimed" the entire town by bulldozing the remains, but in the case of Mule Hoof Bend, the whole place is built out of asbestos, even the stucco walls are asbestos, thus requiring a hazardous waste removal, a very costly proposition. Fortunately for us, there is a lot left to see, including the extensive honeycomb of mines located on a mountaintop above Mule Hoof Bend. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">After seeing Mule Hoof Bend we drove further down the road toward Regal Mine, we didn't find the mine itself but we did find more and more ruins of abandoned cabins, houses and cars dotting the landscape. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">The weather was as perfect as it could be, we couldn't have custom ordered a better day. We'll return to the area in the near future, there was just too much to see in one day, in the meanwhile, our turkey can wait, we enjoyed our grilled steak dinners and the company of a day spent with good friends a whole lot more. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Yep, we do have a lot to be thankful for....</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">Salt River Canyon far below</span></div><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRs8JWoaYzoupdPmOPixM8ox-YcreV03V7BS-PBSkt7HvoTMco-Usrniu8tUeg6NhjZwbEtu2_nX1R2Fq1sUZatgyXrHdTI8rbdUcdY0zIfR4T66w5EzAEHuHVUHaZFFR-CIVvuPDwxw/s1600/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+004.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408716681147255506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRs8JWoaYzoupdPmOPixM8ox-YcreV03V7BS-PBSkt7HvoTMco-Usrniu8tUeg6NhjZwbEtu2_nX1R2Fq1sUZatgyXrHdTI8rbdUcdY0zIfR4T66w5EzAEHuHVUHaZFFR-CIVvuPDwxw/s320/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+004.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /></p><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><p><span style="color:#000099;"></span></p><p><span style="color:#000099;"></span></p><p><span style="color:#000099;"></span></p><p><span style="color:#000099;"></span></p><p><span style="color:#000099;"></span></p><p><span style="color:#000099;"></span></p><p></p><p><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /></p></span><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">One of the mine tunnels</span></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitOHOUFH9oW7mlacZFT9jdoGdQZTgmVYs0uOCKwssrKQYEq9JtNRWkhO4F4GGG4aoOJJShe8YPjTo2X4VZut43VWM-1GefWF6YhB4-6pnUpoQ1BWMG2vuCvsGICyT_VAQLgrICaVl9E9U/s1600/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+035.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408716693393505426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitOHOUFH9oW7mlacZFT9jdoGdQZTgmVYs0uOCKwssrKQYEq9JtNRWkhO4F4GGG4aoOJJShe8YPjTo2X4VZut43VWM-1GefWF6YhB4-6pnUpoQ1BWMG2vuCvsGICyT_VAQLgrICaVl9E9U/s320/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+035.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">Inside one of the tunnels, they honeycomb the entire</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">mountain</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408714574712873346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_gQzU5DFfwwGHmEezeSibHUvEZvaKR3WYWFbEi900guRDxEwF6LXl7Dg5SUsT3f3jf-Rhzx_josLjdEDmP3j-7g3X62UXPs6UQ5CDKjidTG1hR1VPbP9xUrvIxZ0Z5SAjxoru6g30zw/s320/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+032.jpg" border="0" /></span></div><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">Another rustic shack further down the road</span></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIzI5_txguAREEbpoVdYHqDNaGD43c0LsfETE7qhRAgjG9BzzaGq3zYLiPbae-NqyT8_QntGdtB05LwB4TobBiQqZQ_28IizZs8F-3-ByqFHbdJIgHkm9uIUh1SmoKEFsOBfBx1TP6NI/s1600/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+040.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408716690720155746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIzI5_txguAREEbpoVdYHqDNaGD43c0LsfETE7qhRAgjG9BzzaGq3zYLiPbae-NqyT8_QntGdtB05LwB4TobBiQqZQ_28IizZs8F-3-ByqFHbdJIgHkm9uIUh1SmoKEFsOBfBx1TP6NI/s320/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+040.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></span><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#000099;"></span><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">Umm could you check my oil? I seem to have a "miss"<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4t_3ayYf5wIr4aEIAJ5-cj44W7IBjbVwnSl0XarWdZfYEi3tBS_lPQMaWE0j9H6lhN2eY5jxi70qdjK_KLb-Jmhan0wAJhANvuBrmnVmJuxRWLJzrjBPy2rjy98DI42dlGZPJAoEOBUo/s1600/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+024.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408714567963864530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4t_3ayYf5wIr4aEIAJ5-cj44W7IBjbVwnSl0XarWdZfYEi3tBS_lPQMaWE0j9H6lhN2eY5jxi70qdjK_KLb-Jmhan0wAJhANvuBrmnVmJuxRWLJzrjBPy2rjy98DI42dlGZPJAoEOBUo/s320/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+024.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></span><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">abandoned houses at Mule Hoof Bend<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9afdr9barpWLCJQ54LHwZGvKFfKGJGjqkhxz9RaJBcFoiAXyneCN5k5Jgw5pC-YksuKjMhcgK2hosOk0jC9-3ol3ONWqM3zhQQFtdLViU0WGMKDppWC9B8Jo6EldR1AK2-k5gmmChMU/s1600/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+014.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408714565953107474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9afdr9barpWLCJQ54LHwZGvKFfKGJGjqkhxz9RaJBcFoiAXyneCN5k5Jgw5pC-YksuKjMhcgK2hosOk0jC9-3ol3ONWqM3zhQQFtdLViU0WGMKDppWC9B8Jo6EldR1AK2-k5gmmChMU/s320/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+014.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></span><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">This small jail is located in the basement of one </span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">of the buildings. </span></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTS5imPvFqL0CmnpzOEe0R4cx_AoxWFnc3ptCMe14bsqLAGGf4H0Kgcucua3OxabIK4yn4tDAOYzTGJqxQ54MM94Qn7UVblm3umT_S_wQwMO9HWu9gZFNcT8MGktLGmHBVovm41qYIg0/s1600/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+011.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408714558526743506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTS5imPvFqL0CmnpzOEe0R4cx_AoxWFnc3ptCMe14bsqLAGGf4H0Kgcucua3OxabIK4yn4tDAOYzTGJqxQ54MM94Qn7UVblm3umT_S_wQwMO9HWu9gZFNcT8MGktLGmHBVovm41qYIg0/s320/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+011.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Buddy and Growlph ignoring each other</span></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5i7qdG0C-CCFyZYPLwWiyNbHyR_9Ph84a_HqnhkvlveQuyKri8Nhm_sObP0TVEgB3Ouztw-w44DJR0j9DkRPhYhoLSy0HyuesjxKfFgFqzEtMA786HzchgWJK5beyl0MvsrgajjYJ2k/s1600/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+008.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408714552380530786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 307px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 206px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5i7qdG0C-CCFyZYPLwWiyNbHyR_9Ph84a_HqnhkvlveQuyKri8Nhm_sObP0TVEgB3Ouztw-w44DJR0j9DkRPhYhoLSy0HyuesjxKfFgFqzEtMA786HzchgWJK5beyl0MvsrgajjYJ2k/s320/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+008.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><p><span style="color:#000099;"></span></p><p><span style="color:#000099;"></p></span><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="right"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFz4kOxfDcARy4xCqmKixzE94T2yStmgIMyJ82xE8AS_AKTq5yT4vjE_ODaZTHBmwvrCpT5OiJIyPxlZM5shcvvgaamy13wKlRqhvhFwZRrz_pR5JIjjOpdd-VwEdlR5UmRFdQ6iy76d4/s1600/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+006.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408712983258842578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFz4kOxfDcARy4xCqmKixzE94T2yStmgIMyJ82xE8AS_AKTq5yT4vjE_ODaZTHBmwvrCpT5OiJIyPxlZM5shcvvgaamy13wKlRqhvhFwZRrz_pR5JIjjOpdd-VwEdlR5UmRFdQ6iy76d4/s320/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+006.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">The murder house, not exactly house beautiful anymore.</span><span style="color:#000099;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFLt0QTPvTfQyrnFtSn7mMmlR0z2iXewZR-uBhgGc6W6kfWfQn6EhexdkS0_G5q-3wRVqU2TTpJEHPLSXOEZydYyFK4u2oCNFswT0f_sg5aZvyn7FLvIleySweV-ui8hr89cjYouhQ9g/s1600/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+020.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408716700068715618" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFLt0QTPvTfQyrnFtSn7mMmlR0z2iXewZR-uBhgGc6W6kfWfQn6EhexdkS0_G5q-3wRVqU2TTpJEHPLSXOEZydYyFK4u2oCNFswT0f_sg5aZvyn7FLvIleySweV-ui8hr89cjYouhQ9g/s320/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+020.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></span><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;">More canyon views</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZF0c8lOERuWQ5KEDTPXaV7aEg_tExMfOL-IwhtR-yMQomZS6uFdsQzyHhffwL5aFS3-QZBZQoJS4seiqiHEHTtqM3sEe0SCm9B52P_LulJs5sEX83cYezQcD4D5eJqERPpo7Kf_ISNmQ/s1600/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+003.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408712976268962514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZF0c8lOERuWQ5KEDTPXaV7aEg_tExMfOL-IwhtR-yMQomZS6uFdsQzyHhffwL5aFS3-QZBZQoJS4seiqiHEHTtqM3sEe0SCm9B52P_LulJs5sEX83cYezQcD4D5eJqERPpo7Kf_ISNmQ/s320/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+003.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;">Wow, that's a <em>longgg</em> way down!</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDPBO9ghBHI9Ltlzta4dVStKI9k62QqXv30W2X86q3galt9mZXPaJLmpu8TTT54JpqP91JTuscMI-ESRIzb140oIE7CLhCcrTlcRxhbO0x63YJxfuoso2q-GVS6mHfcFovidA0gXtOXM/s1600/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+005.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408712973631409298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDPBO9ghBHI9Ltlzta4dVStKI9k62QqXv30W2X86q3galt9mZXPaJLmpu8TTT54JpqP91JTuscMI-ESRIzb140oIE7CLhCcrTlcRxhbO0x63YJxfuoso2q-GVS6mHfcFovidA0gXtOXM/s320/Mule+Hoof+Bend+Thanksgiving+Day+005.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"> </span></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;">The detective novels of the day covered the story</span></div><span style="color:#000099;"><div align="center"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408712961623606610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 242px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwz9b4rIZaPsMN2Vgt-8vAm6TDI-izavyRgsNJKfgC574iFvP7fl0sd6jhGEPJA-nkG375-52AbofER8pYNfCK4yMMULZjP_zNmII75TCgny6u5yQZzAA4_OcBZiVieMzcU1yWa9rSvQ/s320/01a.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center">We'll never know who really committed the crime. </span></p><span style="color:#000099;">Ruby Mae and Guy are both dead and if someone else was involved, </span><p align="center"><span style="color:#000099;">they're not talking.<br /><br /><br /></p></span><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia69YZrbuoompMxWbRjfmHpl8N7eE9W3esj5UOdfx7NPPG65u3w5r44XPAyC9tX4L6tXrwYP9rTSX-WFgiMz0-HlCCU9OKtpw9ydoK85-8mqHDGf9Fak9ZVWL9PxtmzgDsDn4Rtww_JWI/s1600/02a.JPG"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408712966693046818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 243px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia69YZrbuoompMxWbRjfmHpl8N7eE9W3esj5UOdfx7NPPG65u3w5r44XPAyC9tX4L6tXrwYP9rTSX-WFgiMz0-HlCCU9OKtpw9ydoK85-8mqHDGf9Fak9ZVWL9PxtmzgDsDn4Rtww_JWI/s320/02a.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-20795122034307293292009-11-17T15:43:00.003-07:002009-11-17T16:11:27.094-07:00Short Run, No Gold<span style="color:#000099;"><strong>Just a short run this morning with our friend Larry. We'd noticed some old prospects dug into a hillside of one of the trails up a wash not far from our home so we decided to check them out. According to our information from the Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources, there were quite a few claims at one time in this specific area filed by people looking for gold. I don't know how successful they were or which of these mines might have produced gold, but there sure wasn't any evidence of it today. The old mines didn't look very inviting, none of them were cut into hard rock, just tunnels dug into the mountainside. Some had old timbers used for shoring, and some had experienced cave-ins sometime in the past, at any rate, we didn't feel comfortable enough to venture too far into their dark interiors. The old miners had to be a hearty lot, imagine crawling up the side of a mountain and saying, "let's dig here." We couldn't help but wonder what might have lay beyond the cave-ins, I suppose we'll never know.<br />If was a beautiful day, clear and cool with a slight breeze, perfect for a nice, comfy Jeep run. </strong></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>The hillside is carved with old mining prospects<br /></strong></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJsiu88cEVhmwQABjhWdqir8p-c8Q4aCrad-vwBCThTsUYpaAsGpBcxBxItsOeCKXoiadUIHoWjLDl607gyYXNXQJFqqByLqz6GS1g-4Ft0JrovlniWpqfL9iF0rSuneSZOLNPufFTv4/s1600/Up+the+wash+in+Wheatfields+013.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405209941311549106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJsiu88cEVhmwQABjhWdqir8p-c8Q4aCrad-vwBCThTsUYpaAsGpBcxBxItsOeCKXoiadUIHoWjLDl607gyYXNXQJFqqByLqz6GS1g-4Ft0JrovlniWpqfL9iF0rSuneSZOLNPufFTv4/s320/Up+the+wash+in+Wheatfields+013.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><strong> Here's an old bat outside one of the mines<br /></strong></span><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNkQ77EvwdJDG3leAgOctLiFyVpE9HtDvfg15jRZF3wc5ozQ1PKjfZ5BxSE8sPACIzJ6oZDY10BRiRuoYvkeN4UEcWVfmEX3Ny6C6VUtHdz1Z6tvzhGQOcC6HVsU6NGcduMOh4GfzpsY/s1600/Up+the+wash+in+Wheatfields+006.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405209025621957554" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNkQ77EvwdJDG3leAgOctLiFyVpE9HtDvfg15jRZF3wc5ozQ1PKjfZ5BxSE8sPACIzJ6oZDY10BRiRuoYvkeN4UEcWVfmEX3Ny6C6VUtHdz1Z6tvzhGQOcC6HVsU6NGcduMOh4GfzpsY/s320/Up+the+wash+in+Wheatfields+006.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><br /><br /></strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>This one was dug into fairly soft rocky dirt<br /></strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFxpK-jzvtcjEfhjOlAAm8Q73wOeilr4GoYLdHLeyi5FTbLV7T787K0fYhhOcSKOSWuDaI6lD0q0PRYADvzFXHWEiVxWCtMaVaVWGaNpzeC7o8f905V0UNWrY1l6loRT5N4WBB2gfBLU/s1600/Up+the+wash+in+Wheatfields+003.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405209020147802786" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFxpK-jzvtcjEfhjOlAAm8Q73wOeilr4GoYLdHLeyi5FTbLV7T787K0fYhhOcSKOSWuDaI6lD0q0PRYADvzFXHWEiVxWCtMaVaVWGaNpzeC7o8f905V0UNWrY1l6loRT5N4WBB2gfBLU/s320/Up+the+wash+in+Wheatfields+003.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong></strong></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>The shoring of old wood and rotted beams didn't </strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>do much to prevent the ceiling from collapsing<br /></strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMEs3B-yZ4v80dbRr8pJqdm6JHMRrTiXhrKHSLAtOty6TnLfHf8EzH1Dj0c2dJI67RErL4AqD3bremJybYKt5x1Sx9O8BZZQdqCHg-apqsxcvjtWWCTYk04P6pLWtoJi8jx1sgVU-TTs/s1600/Up+the+wash+in+Wheatfields+010.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405209041624142530" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMEs3B-yZ4v80dbRr8pJqdm6JHMRrTiXhrKHSLAtOty6TnLfHf8EzH1Dj0c2dJI67RErL4AqD3bremJybYKt5x1Sx9O8BZZQdqCHg-apqsxcvjtWWCTYk04P6pLWtoJi8jx1sgVU-TTs/s320/Up+the+wash+in+Wheatfields+010.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><br /><br /><br />No gold, just rocks and dirt...darnit<br /></strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-1yqSUmZRA2NkAMvnVDAodjxkVW05ub_OfQsC_Mi8ooyMz26mWEs2p_E3PFni-pODX6M9sP67zOXdZqZHgfzRIi3oP_1WtWwgzOSxyJjq9D0k9NZBIOFLLOlNCMyPjcXoLSek-OBurQ/s1600/Up+the+wash+in+Wheatfields+001.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405209015874825858" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-1yqSUmZRA2NkAMvnVDAodjxkVW05ub_OfQsC_Mi8ooyMz26mWEs2p_E3PFni-pODX6M9sP67zOXdZqZHgfzRIi3oP_1WtWwgzOSxyJjq9D0k9NZBIOFLLOlNCMyPjcXoLSek-OBurQ/s320/Up+the+wash+in+Wheatfields+001.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong></strong></span> </div><div align="right"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>I guess this cave-in will keep us </strong></span></div><div align="right"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>from finding what lays beyond<br /></strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVUuEdjtgWIwPbbG27D2dSCrKVBjgeFkXGr7byMwb1bG0sXIEuSO7OH7IZvHtJpN6ON8LctQJsLkJ6mCvkWvgZ7MZa86DpCrwG8EXDXwybNz7cMMLTynmZYU2vXHNBNOgBiqQ4WVIrfg/s1600/Up+the+wash+in+Wheatfields+009.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405209036179249410" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVUuEdjtgWIwPbbG27D2dSCrKVBjgeFkXGr7byMwb1bG0sXIEuSO7OH7IZvHtJpN6ON8LctQJsLkJ6mCvkWvgZ7MZa86DpCrwG8EXDXwybNz7cMMLTynmZYU2vXHNBNOgBiqQ4WVIrfg/s320/Up+the+wash+in+Wheatfields+009.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><br /><br /></strong></span></div><div align="right"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong></strong></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>There's Roosevelt Lake</strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>The group of buildings in the valley foreground is where we live.</strong></span><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405209944161834434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7rnaarle5gxrr0Ky80M-hsDlzO1NhtzmT7I9MLBIZhQgmDuELO1l414JP253EMqa_QNRlz4KU139Uls7XKnQJ_ibrvB905um7ZqliqgU6vvDdRp2YoyyU7CZe-cNlglpuFRg2NfOJXQ/s320/Up+the+wash+in+Wheatfields+018.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /></strong></span></div><div></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-16279275944135836412009-11-10T06:12:00.004-07:002009-11-10T06:42:04.518-07:00Cherry Creek to FR 202<span style="color:#000099;">We've been wanting to check out a trail off of Cherry Creek Road for quite some time. The trail, FR 202 skirts the Sierra Ancha Wilderness as well as the Apache Nation's Reservation. It runs from above Roosevelt Lake to Young, taking many twists and turns along the way.<br />Yesterday morning we headed out with Jean & Larry to check it out. Of course we took the Jeep, but since Larry and Jean were taking Buddy, their HUGE dog, they took their Toyota Highlander, Buddy wouldn't fit in their Jeep. We were concerned that the trail would be too much of a hazard for the Highlander but it turns out we worried for nothing. The trail was a bit rocky in places but as we approached the northern end, the road smoothed out into a dirt super highway, dusty, but great traveling. The weather couldn't have been better, cool in the high elevations with the sun shining brightly. We stopped for a picnic lunch in the shade of a tall pine forest just outside of Young.<br />Growlph did just fine, he's a little trooper. Since he's such a Daddy's boy, he spent most of the trip with his head contentedly resting on Ralph's shoulder. It was a long trip, we left at 8 A.M. and arrived back home at 4 P.M., dusty and tired but very glad to be hitting the trails again. When we arrived back home, Growlph ate his dinner, then went to bed, growling at us when we asked "wanna go in the Jeep?"...smart dog. I seem to recall growling as well last night, when Ralph asked me, "wanna go Jeeping?" ... we can learn a lot from our dogs. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"></span> </div><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;">Smoke can be seen in the distance from a fire </span><span style="color:#000099;">burning on </span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;">the Apache reservation.</span></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402464306938648402" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dOCsYZfZM8tqa3uAdg5TTeSDX_ue-2P1ciIcKd-io2PN5iCmgOU2nGHJFWgYbsJqErzKM5poFvMgST-cB349ywqd8eSOt1MQ4ywoey1Hendm6W_kdqoXait7kS6t8MWuk65XkRvoGmI/s320/Cherry+Creek+to+FR+202+006.jpg" border="0" /></span></div><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">The road was dusty!<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTBAU83SyP1KCz2Jh1kuaohScGRR7fRpgcaMp0tT3Nfam1HMp8AEK_rtiudNcq8ZtkB2Z5gAxgcYMvRWAX17uke7JQd6zN3BoX2aQUk6aJkpUvQRFhCmMKO_60tj22G89qgjbGJHWRwM/s1600-h/Cherry+Creek+to+FR+202+016.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402464886925795698" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTBAU83SyP1KCz2Jh1kuaohScGRR7fRpgcaMp0tT3Nfam1HMp8AEK_rtiudNcq8ZtkB2Z5gAxgcYMvRWAX17uke7JQd6zN3BoX2aQUk6aJkpUvQRFhCmMKO_60tj22G89qgjbGJHWRwM/s320/Cherry+Creek+to+FR+202+016.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"> </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">A rustic corral along the way</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKveoB1tD61Zw6GK7Of0WRBrttVZXOjCkahVwhSAu9fNIRCud2OUAwm8kYVgNdxO8to-Lx6oJDU1JTpP11sE15hTASq2TXLRRjam1VK26bYjaFInuiO6wGuAW0k4h87Y3pSfLlfZNcVOM/s1600-h/Cherry+Creek+to+FR+202+014.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402464316029045058" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKveoB1tD61Zw6GK7Of0WRBrttVZXOjCkahVwhSAu9fNIRCud2OUAwm8kYVgNdxO8to-Lx6oJDU1JTpP11sE15hTASq2TXLRRjam1VK26bYjaFInuiO6wGuAW0k4h87Y3pSfLlfZNcVOM/s320/Cherry+Creek+to+FR+202+014.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;">Larry, Jean, Ralph & Growlph</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;">(Buddy is in the Highlander)<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbea4BsFL1ZDyY__TCR6UHNG4Kgvcf3VH-5QzmVhFOyZLyn7rjfqHTohpDqV9Vzg32nvt6bQ7aB5g1WhKDw3ZRTUgnk8-C25fRq2XkLw1wIDTWKEZ0suUVZrHGpuORJpKZVGCsPFY-uo/s1600-h/Cherry+Creek+to+FR+202+012.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402464313198960162" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbea4BsFL1ZDyY__TCR6UHNG4Kgvcf3VH-5QzmVhFOyZLyn7rjfqHTohpDqV9Vzg32nvt6bQ7aB5g1WhKDw3ZRTUgnk8-C25fRq2XkLw1wIDTWKEZ0suUVZrHGpuORJpKZVGCsPFY-uo/s320/Cherry+Creek+to+FR+202+012.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br />Some cattle kept a close eye on us<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWAlRUQcSBVjJHGSg4ksWrUuEFVByoeaBILSH77eHB-1F5vrtZSwYPWqOWfxFydNzbDdCYIWM3OaVGQ7ghzuZkmrvHWX0bwqYiBTotKmuL1cck9QMOxGUDN5w8PpwXjbFxP76P3ACVi8/s1600-h/Cherry+Creek+to+FR+202+010.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402467533379494642" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWAlRUQcSBVjJHGSg4ksWrUuEFVByoeaBILSH77eHB-1F5vrtZSwYPWqOWfxFydNzbDdCYIWM3OaVGQ7ghzuZkmrvHWX0bwqYiBTotKmuL1cck9QMOxGUDN5w8PpwXjbFxP76P3ACVi8/s320/Cherry+Creek+to+FR+202+010.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU3pO3XwpBmYkQQOjHPDguqCf226HhA56G67MGG-LwpnBZtsGNlu80EDUgRp8tj4p3Z-zyD6E4DQ6tPATSN9Ypf1yHjrhrtPrluFgczt0irAwamYCiIPnpSLWjEdqIy1WCHFo-6kQPdo4/s1600-h/Cherry+Creek+to+FR+202+009.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402464308015456834" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU3pO3XwpBmYkQQOjHPDguqCf226HhA56G67MGG-LwpnBZtsGNlu80EDUgRp8tj4p3Z-zyD6E4DQ6tPATSN9Ypf1yHjrhrtPrluFgczt0irAwamYCiIPnpSLWjEdqIy1WCHFo-6kQPdo4/s320/Cherry+Creek+to+FR+202+009.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;">Nice smooth road!<br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVmOX-Pi897lNanDBWF6SAqjFDgUsAH1-wp3jT40vv9lnmPVYzupLZjINuQ49eBg9WdP4QZIxewNGC7BVbgsqdRxvLfmMoer0ckuSgstkPPhOMke6U2VMlf2DgufVgDTyUuNO4-X9c2w/s1600-h/Cherry+Creek+to+FR+202+007.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402464305578144386" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVmOX-Pi897lNanDBWF6SAqjFDgUsAH1-wp3jT40vv9lnmPVYzupLZjINuQ49eBg9WdP4QZIxewNGC7BVbgsqdRxvLfmMoer0ckuSgstkPPhOMke6U2VMlf2DgufVgDTyUuNO4-X9c2w/s320/Cherry+Creek+to+FR+202+007.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-28220332139854631052009-10-31T03:07:00.003-07:002009-10-31T04:05:35.042-07:00Turning tail on the trail<span style="color:#000099;">This was our second experiment into the possibilities of camping on the trail. We'd hoped to establish a way to head out on the trail into far reaching destinations and be able to camp for the night when we got tired instead of heading home. Well, to put it mildly, it just isn't going to happen, leastways, not in the winter time...come to think of it, probably not in the summer either.<br />We headed for Burnt Corral along the Apache Trail again. We were optimistic upon arriving, the weather was perfect with temperatures in the upper 70s. Setting up the tent was easy with no wind at all. That evening we were happy campers as we enjoyed a meal by the campfire. The next day dawned bright and sunny as well but by mid afternoon the winds began to pick up, gusting at times to at least 40 miles per hour. The tent ballooned and billowed but held its ground. The temperature began to drop adding to the chill factor. Of course with the high wind we had to eliminate the possibility of a campfire that night, we had no choice but to head to bed early and hope for a better day the next day. That night, the winds blew without ceasing, at times we wondered if we'd make headlines if our tent decided to blow away with us inside, (ala "balloon-boy" )<br />The next few days didn't improve as almost record low temperatures hit Arizona. Sleeping proved to be a challenge in the cold so we decided to use our propane heater designed for use in a tent. Ah warmth at last...but what we didn't count on was the condensation the heat on the tent walls that would be created when the heat hit the cold walls of the tent..getting dressed in cold, wet clothes the next morning only set the mood for the entire day and seeing Growlph with his teeth chattering from the cold eased our decision to pack it all up and head for home. I dunno, maybe we're getting too old for the adventure lifestyle although we would hate to ponder and possibly admit to it. <br />We'll still be hitting the trails and doing our jeeping but if we're going to be away overnight, perhaps we'll be phoning ahead...for reservations. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;">Cozy by the campfire on day one<br /></div></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRUmdVEy6dl0qPAw9bRPo_Fv9ZkTVe3l3Gbhb3T1H-AU-cdzBxuFo0uRrvr4558qQiNk5rpHROj72fVnVA6tKO-2AJ4Bqe5s8UoyIkGJmxj9Ki_oznDRe2rX1ngE9s_QAIFXvsrKMKOU/s1600-h/2nd+Camping+at+Apache+Lake+008.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398707540438432018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRUmdVEy6dl0qPAw9bRPo_Fv9ZkTVe3l3Gbhb3T1H-AU-cdzBxuFo0uRrvr4558qQiNk5rpHROj72fVnVA6tKO-2AJ4Bqe5s8UoyIkGJmxj9Ki_oznDRe2rX1ngE9s_QAIFXvsrKMKOU/s320/2nd+Camping+at+Apache+Lake+008.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br />What a beautiful sunset over Apache Lake!</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IBB9c5wjGai2C_E0IfmyGK7GkHKowJXdO5kqtvIFay2b3MlpvxnXNaTukx3kCKWsAiDpSbtJQJ_CxNSvYwCAavZiD0T8lO4b9iYYzljQU8s-dBgE7nSvI9o7NJkqGC9xqdLoTzx2OtQ/s1600-h/2nd+Camping+at+Apache+Lake+005.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398707536905915554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IBB9c5wjGai2C_E0IfmyGK7GkHKowJXdO5kqtvIFay2b3MlpvxnXNaTukx3kCKWsAiDpSbtJQJ_CxNSvYwCAavZiD0T8lO4b9iYYzljQU8s-dBgE7nSvI9o7NJkqGC9xqdLoTzx2OtQ/s320/2nd+Camping+at+Apache+Lake+005.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><br /><em>Ah</em> camping at its finest<br /></span></p><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398707531328267266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUgXsFXT3fPIAuXyuB0qsQq7yr2vXHJmagKgZTEMLWumr_kB8iKA7C29b9vXXqwJ0vU3adAsURaZrH8dRLwZdaLbCyWrck_oh-x48dOhCKCNXeWSxK6ac7S9gh6m7zVkRQcrHDLUN0_0/s320/2nd+Camping+at+Apache+Lake+004.jpg" border="0" /></span><span style="color:#000099;"><br />It only got better...<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwKZx6dJMORoUZ_T3TCOX8Cp5_73O6GBdQLKMSQd0cgfXud3O-kcDTe9hOhjNEMzNVT-o0f2kFv6vGc_P5YMct9t4Nx8YjVPKExmv2-bpcGUciUN53zLDHoNKt3k93IAk7ox9K6dgCfY/s1600-h/2nd+Camping+at+Apache+Lake+003.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398707527309661346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwKZx6dJMORoUZ_T3TCOX8Cp5_73O6GBdQLKMSQd0cgfXud3O-kcDTe9hOhjNEMzNVT-o0f2kFv6vGc_P5YMct9t4Nx8YjVPKExmv2-bpcGUciUN53zLDHoNKt3k93IAk7ox9K6dgCfY/s320/2nd+Camping+at+Apache+Lake+003.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br />The next day, gray, windy and dismal<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398707544245551474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfk_0XRZmruflEnQzBMAPq5o_1vJrs31V4Pq4ECTczUvTG7AUL_roA5ZTUbaFcaEKvri5eaXOqRVCbuXU4eG3W0nvUtAKP2wmMM6jAm_BWBtpugHCuZdnkm_patEfYG3wxr4tGl7i9rQ/s320/2nd+Camping+at+Apache+Lake+010.jpg" border="0" /><br /></span><br /><br /><div></div><br /></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-45637487644233818752009-10-10T15:38:00.005-07:002009-10-10T16:41:01.237-07:00Back To Nature...sorta<div><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>It was an idyllic week. We decided to go camping last Monday to spend the week at one of our favorite campgrounds, the spot where we spent our honeymoon, Burnt Corral on Apache Lake, along the Apache Trail in the Superstition Mountains.<br />We drove into Globe on Monday to pick up a few last minute supplies. In order to get a jump start on getting our campsite set up, we stopped for lunch at a local eatery instead of preparing food at the campground. We were proud of ourselves for ordering "healthy" salads instead of the usual greasy burger and fries.<br />Arriving at the campground, we had the place almost to ourselves, and picked a choice spot, close to the lake, close to the rest rooms, close to the fresh water source. The day was clear and cool, the birds were serenading us from the trees surrounding our campsite. We spent the week enjoying ourselves, fishing, relaxing, appreciating the breathtaking scenery of the Superstitions. Pretty boring huh? ...Well, read on....<br />Now for the truth of the matter. Yep, we went to Globe on Monday, yep, we had our "healthy" lunch of nice salads, however, we didn't count on the food poisoning that followed. Monday evening our stomachs were queasy, by Tuesday, there was no denying it, we had food poisoning, along with all the symptoms I won't go into details describing, suffice to say, we paid homage to the forest service, self-recycling toilets. For those of you have never used one of these modern marvels, imaging plunking your bare butt over a dark, seemingly bottomless pit and feeling a cold wind blowing were no winds should ever reach. There are times you simply must put your trust in Mother Nature to take care of you, this was one of those times. By the next day, we had recovered fairly well, resolving in the future to stick to greasy burgers and fries and leave the so-called "healthy" salads for those more adventurous than us.<br />Getting our tent set up was no small feat, the wind was whipping without any letup. The birds weren't merely serenading us, they were poking their bird beaks into anything that even resembled food. We quickly learned that we had to put all our food out of reach of prying paws after a kitfox invaded our chocolates and dog biscuits one evening.<br />We assume Growlph had never been camping before, proven by the fact that after hearing the coyotes howling around our tent at night, he refused to sleep in his own bed, insisting on sleeping smack in the middle of ours' instead. We tried to assure him that the coyotes weren't interested in Schnauzer stew, but being the smart critter he is, he didn't believe a word we said.<br />Fishing wasn't very good at all. Ralph caught three...well actually, he only caught two because the second bass proved himself to be the dumbest bass in Apache Lake by allowing himself to be caught twice, we could identify him by a small wound on his belly. What are the odds of that happening?<br />We came home twice to rest up at home during the heat of the day, Burnt Corral is only about 20 minutes from our house, so we had the best of both worlds. All in all, it was a wonderful experience despite the stomach wrenching beginnings. We'll do it again in the near future, this time, sans salads.<br /></strong></span><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Home Sweet Home</strong></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3boG_pRb_ngRkj0BrAccK6iEvDxkWLz1QA9Nvh-hCN8kCAZY4CFh2W_P2MWn44QA_iNgfw-HqU3wlAFFoUlN5rpGwBJFcE_Ko4KiTpahp-r_lYNNQahkoOfXqo3x0l9SgyXtH6YJsHLw/s1600-h/Apache+Lake+Camping+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391106643282745922" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3boG_pRb_ngRkj0BrAccK6iEvDxkWLz1QA9Nvh-hCN8kCAZY4CFh2W_P2MWn44QA_iNgfw-HqU3wlAFFoUlN5rpGwBJFcE_Ko4KiTpahp-r_lYNNQahkoOfXqo3x0l9SgyXtH6YJsHLw/s320/Apache+Lake+Camping+002.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div></div><br /><div align="center"><br /><strong>All the comforts of home...well, almost</strong></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHeI3bigGn0PzAr2EDpwzr8TMfT11MMZorf67ARhLBhim1EgSQ9kqeIwatFT4s2pLwDOIjJWGkwco-Qt5ZQKBMkzscVD0ZR511wVdent-gCgXFqnhPikn3Hj12wdNkqd28m_2ModfNSY/s1600-h/Apache+Lake+Camping+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391108317753439346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHeI3bigGn0PzAr2EDpwzr8TMfT11MMZorf67ARhLBhim1EgSQ9kqeIwatFT4s2pLwDOIjJWGkwco-Qt5ZQKBMkzscVD0ZR511wVdent-gCgXFqnhPikn3Hj12wdNkqd28m_2ModfNSY/s320/Apache+Lake+Camping+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Ralph trying his luck<br /></strong><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApq83pDEEqkr_Jw5lH9T7EjdsCr2PElILABlY_Z01oc0tIbOjjrSnuDEY7_mWKAXNLhLlz5kzIZGmpR2yRvXZhpOG3cmXimA76ZraILjiND1N3nUIts_JCRRcJVG30tYWWp7xePBRa08/s1600-h/Apache+Lake+Camping+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391108307672531666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApq83pDEEqkr_Jw5lH9T7EjdsCr2PElILABlY_Z01oc0tIbOjjrSnuDEY7_mWKAXNLhLlz5kzIZGmpR2yRvXZhpOG3cmXimA76ZraILjiND1N3nUIts_JCRRcJVG30tYWWp7xePBRa08/s320/Apache+Lake+Camping+013.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Here's Ralph with the dumbest bass in Apache Lake<br /></strong><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8TL8rigXWTTMta-QUxcT8IOmH7csD8uasjafq02Miu-InZ056cMh3tAbolXI2rZJY1DMZmXTZT8KK4b6cWzvSC41qJtKkKDPXPtA1aPXy52_R-ZdP-5yjqyHV1ukvIta_BLDx2iC2qFc/s1600-h/Apache+Lake+Camping+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391108305906043378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8TL8rigXWTTMta-QUxcT8IOmH7csD8uasjafq02Miu-InZ056cMh3tAbolXI2rZJY1DMZmXTZT8KK4b6cWzvSC41qJtKkKDPXPtA1aPXy52_R-ZdP-5yjqyHV1ukvIta_BLDx2iC2qFc/s320/Apache+Lake+Camping+014.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><strong>This is the face Growlph makes now if you ask him, </strong></div><div><strong>"wanna go camping?"</strong><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNn1-ZaMgIjdpE0dFNvK4Y8IJWG4YwZjndl1EJ9jt7dE2Kg60h7dMjv3OszxrrDP0Dsm0Co4W5_Mkg1ELh0SPGWWtVhyulhCsXNxP8yRdBI9mFU4u-HfIgOJvD2DidNOZioctWXl5vjU/s1600-h/Apache+Lake+Camping+010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391108299879065922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 158px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 237px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNn1-ZaMgIjdpE0dFNvK4Y8IJWG4YwZjndl1EJ9jt7dE2Kg60h7dMjv3OszxrrDP0Dsm0Co4W5_Mkg1ELh0SPGWWtVhyulhCsXNxP8yRdBI9mFU4u-HfIgOJvD2DidNOZioctWXl5vjU/s320/Apache+Lake+Camping+010.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>This is the face I make now if you ask me, </strong></div><div><strong>"want a salad?"<br /></strong><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivo4QMPCQE573u7P9ZXplqOT6vfQWzpBZFiLfZ2GioTgGJ2uVKPrSzQ61B6_b0Yf1QWENcGU8g2mM_tGXJwn9-dup-6FKqK0K-z2JpAaEJDi_R0etos6B4i9DaqOZnmM_LTZ1QprEZWuU/s1600-h/Apache+Lake+Camping+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391106661803483506" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivo4QMPCQE573u7P9ZXplqOT6vfQWzpBZFiLfZ2GioTgGJ2uVKPrSzQ61B6_b0Yf1QWENcGU8g2mM_tGXJwn9-dup-6FKqK0K-z2JpAaEJDi_R0etos6B4i9DaqOZnmM_LTZ1QprEZWuU/s320/Apache+Lake+Camping+009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong></strong></div><br /><div align="left"><strong>The view from our campsite</strong></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAu29r-GsRGMRJd5cTsmDQvy1acGUxxYY3E0QucSJ5r53RTey5hledMKEUPkV32VvnxvPtJJnOMEr_2-_PbOSn8ajB-hwIUCFdXIsYNWSUfqWLVgPO-N1znkfr-mHJB9FVkJle_reWIIo/s1600-h/Apache+Lake+Camping+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391106652322205714" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAu29r-GsRGMRJd5cTsmDQvy1acGUxxYY3E0QucSJ5r53RTey5hledMKEUPkV32VvnxvPtJJnOMEr_2-_PbOSn8ajB-hwIUCFdXIsYNWSUfqWLVgPO-N1znkfr-mHJB9FVkJle_reWIIo/s320/Apache+Lake+Camping+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="left"><strong>Growlph keeping the birds away</strong></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51nSwLAV8Blo3SpSqdvfH3vIzkoA_JupWzwPF7X3RBw9MmQ184bCnFTLuv2awgyLmtHEhEcfcm8MQ6yOi3rroWiAQgX_wqsyntxuXgvM75-boX8CzM_fqz_plOwZIa_TZmBR7sPwg2r8/s1600-h/Apache+Lake+Camping+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391106639143139154" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51nSwLAV8Blo3SpSqdvfH3vIzkoA_JupWzwPF7X3RBw9MmQ184bCnFTLuv2awgyLmtHEhEcfcm8MQ6yOi3rroWiAQgX_wqsyntxuXgvM75-boX8CzM_fqz_plOwZIa_TZmBR7sPwg2r8/s320/Apache+Lake+Camping+001.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="center"><strong>There's no denying the scenic beauty of Apache Lake</strong></div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391116919589855394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO67F1iWsxic4xPtDss_agvp8KRaRBw0ZT2gDeFlcIGGfE0O-8EuvCnRmoNWEE5M25hvDNpAgjARaF3ghFFOMQNEbNR5Mkgw96RKw_cBCbPBuVXeDQutzCVB8cYtO4aJUYzdTPeszRNF4/s320/Apache+Lake+Camping+006.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><br /><div align="center"><strong>Homage to the "self-recycling" rest rooms, </strong></div><div align="center"><strong>(whatever THAT means)</strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391108325020752050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BgNf6-Mhqjdo7o3s4sDelsGRQnqaRmJHfGyH3jDQWc7cyPpiVzmVecCGtNl3bc4GDiqMy5qVnAR0flPhl6b4traBu56X2uF_vrWzQFAKAfKNfK3fq3LipgVEldwQZgIKE5F7W95cw-o/s320/Apache+Lake+Camping+017.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-22733174587020853832009-08-22T19:37:00.003-07:002009-08-22T20:06:18.234-07:00Cool Day, Good Dog<div align="left">We've finally been getting some monsoon weather, more typical of Arizona this time of year. This morning was so humid, it was more like being in Florida instead of what most people think Arizona is like. </div><div align="left">Some new friends of ours' from Casa Grande phoned this morning to see if we'd be interested in a short Jeep run up Workman Creek to Aztec Peak, it sounded like it would be a good escape from the sticky, icky temperatures we're having here at home. </div><div align="left">As we climbed to the higher elevations we could feel the temperature dropping and when we arrived at the firetower on Aztec Peak, the towerman reported that the temperature was only 65º, what a super change, we haven't felt a cool temperature like that in a long time. It was overcast with spotty rain at times, the sun stayed in for the entire trip keeping the temperatures pleasantly cool. We've been testing Growlph to see how he'd do riding in the Jeep, taking him on A-Cross Road a few days ago and then up Workman Creek today, we're happy to report he did fine. He was interested in all the new smells and sights and gave no sign of carsickness at all. On the way home, he slept like a baby, not a care in the world. It looks like Growlph is going to fit right in with our lifestyle, he's passed the Jeep test with flying colors. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="right"> </div><div align="right">It's a dog's life, and this one's got it made</div><div align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fjR1P6e0bLBk_GiU_bk43YgMdLVu6e2PbisKAj5XzxQFOqIAG2Txq0jdqrM6zjylKixuYuLdE5EPiDyr-WYqlRDVtcdKy8VTnfs1jvB7wwj30-qF0Ka2JosDzAkKKv8_wAjOhFbdgl4/s1600-h/Growlph+Workman+Creek+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372984220948880210" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fjR1P6e0bLBk_GiU_bk43YgMdLVu6e2PbisKAj5XzxQFOqIAG2Txq0jdqrM6zjylKixuYuLdE5EPiDyr-WYqlRDVtcdKy8VTnfs1jvB7wwj30-qF0Ka2JosDzAkKKv8_wAjOhFbdgl4/s320/Growlph+Workman+Creek+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="right"> </div><div align="right"> </div><div align="left">Clouds giving the mountains a smokey appearance </div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jXQtWfKRmqt9oQu-L1vG5w1jrD4Oc8KlVd6eKePyUbtInD5gzptbY00SJbYdIWcReMMuV3ik6ygkrohjMFQktJpXgxgmmlyMI5JITiNPrk3tufGNUCfJnvHyyAewTBSA46UarakdEB4/s1600-h/Growlph+Workman+Creek+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372984210695815346" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jXQtWfKRmqt9oQu-L1vG5w1jrD4Oc8KlVd6eKePyUbtInD5gzptbY00SJbYdIWcReMMuV3ik6ygkrohjMFQktJpXgxgmmlyMI5JITiNPrk3tufGNUCfJnvHyyAewTBSA46UarakdEB4/s320/Growlph+Workman+Creek+006.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="left">Cloudcover kept the temperatures down<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bTklDOjXV5Iir9_Ua9ZvWPk5gaet8NHIiulrTiTd7P8xN5Rt4TsRPnrXE-CRjkTUusPIZb0CEFGn9DAdYNQrm1BQklNyAmtRzy640LuUb-_KNIUm4QdVN4dd6M4NA56w3olMdK4xMbg/s1600-h/Growlph+Workman+Creek+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372984205921705234" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bTklDOjXV5Iir9_Ua9ZvWPk5gaet8NHIiulrTiTd7P8xN5Rt4TsRPnrXE-CRjkTUusPIZb0CEFGn9DAdYNQrm1BQklNyAmtRzy640LuUb-_KNIUm4QdVN4dd6M4NA56w3olMdK4xMbg/s320/Growlph+Workman+Creek+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Two red Jeeps are better than one<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_9_01agKlXJRm2Gxh8NyIa6_kPRoKvwS00eObkaQY8xBmHnJ2WRiEbu8AOtoHAK8W2sSCBNtW_B1ZOLrrIkRptwzLHztCpIg6B0zcsbfW3WM8v6ot4OFUnDbxgdEyaRuK6Pq-6aJaIQ/s1600-h/Growlph+Workman+Creek+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372984200335785858" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_9_01agKlXJRm2Gxh8NyIa6_kPRoKvwS00eObkaQY8xBmHnJ2WRiEbu8AOtoHAK8W2sSCBNtW_B1ZOLrrIkRptwzLHztCpIg6B0zcsbfW3WM8v6ot4OFUnDbxgdEyaRuK6Pq-6aJaIQ/s320/Growlph+Workman+Creek+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="right">Ralph, Bruce and Judy with Red the towerman on Aztec Peak.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphensCmOkqfP0dGELc9pUehFsDan8F4o5M42Qp4ishpJhoFAoF1lm2CjJGh0GItIO55TzgIyumpnAOR3t_fgu3U5nSXBCdHYD2NXf4KDbEmVHALLGbP9naOIKl60fxdyZIoBM_IC09VgZ8/s1600-h/Growlph+Workman+Creek+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372984194171277634" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphensCmOkqfP0dGELc9pUehFsDan8F4o5M42Qp4ishpJhoFAoF1lm2CjJGh0GItIO55TzgIyumpnAOR3t_fgu3U5nSXBCdHYD2NXf4KDbEmVHALLGbP9naOIKl60fxdyZIoBM_IC09VgZ8/s320/Growlph+Workman+Creek+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-75473910654303756742009-08-11T08:10:00.005-07:002009-09-14T05:13:08.615-07:00It's a BOY!<strong><span style="color:#000099;">We were going a bit nuts around here without a Schnauzer in the house, the house seemed empty, so we contacted the Schnauzer rescue group in Phoenix, wonderful people who are doing a superb job placing Mini Schnauzers in need of forever homes. They phoned us last Thursday to tell us they had a Schnauzer that might suit us, so we headed to Phoenix on Friday stopping at Petsmart along the way to get everything we'd need, we were already sure we were going to adopt him and sure enough, after seeing him, there was no doubt.<br />He's five years old, salt & pepper, a bit pudgy but dieting (he fits right into our lifestyle) and packed with personality. He's housebroken with no real issues, well, maybe just a few, but we can work through his insecurities he's well past the puppyhood stage, just right for us.<br />He adjusted to our house immediately and decided <em>WE</em> could easily become trained to cater to his every whim, he's right. This morning we were up at 2:30 AM playing growly nip bark, in the den with a very rambunctious Mini Schnauzer...he decided we'd all had enough sleep and it was time to play.<br />He came to us named "Snoopy" no self-respecting Schnauzer (unless he's got Beagle aspirations) should be named Snoopy, so we've changed his name to "Growlph," .... a combination of <em>GRrrr</em>owl and Ralph, it seems fitting to name him after his Dad. </span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">We're hoping he'll become our trail riding companion, he seems to ride well without getting carsick, he'll be a nice addition to our explorations. </span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">We'd like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who is looking for a terrific pet to consider one of the breed specific rescue groups, there are many of them out there, an internet search should yield the results you're looking for. There are a lot of great dogs looking for good, loving homes. Puppies are cute but there's a lot to be said for a mature dog who is well past the piddling on the floor, chewing your shoes stage. </span></strong><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mzZsRcrungH7HVa1TIHCkF_Q5TzhnwOCg1wV8ZsOk2YFwC3XQ-V3THVYb8BxlQYxcs_dp4ay4nmip2KCyoB6cUbldXMdWQFRpevhqrNF8SThf2E4m4t_3EaLHFosCngjeSCxdh11zwA/s1600-h/Growlph+Pics+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368726844567074434" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mzZsRcrungH7HVa1TIHCkF_Q5TzhnwOCg1wV8ZsOk2YFwC3XQ-V3THVYb8BxlQYxcs_dp4ay4nmip2KCyoB6cUbldXMdWQFRpevhqrNF8SThf2E4m4t_3EaLHFosCngjeSCxdh11zwA/s320/Growlph+Pics+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0ow8Zj7GmWTvVVqX0kfblEUs_3TZcqW_vDgk5CTlpccWlwQWaPVzMy_q4DJ0WtOnwQs1RIDVpWjuZF42h5rYJRWk6b8Q4wvPw3oKL2Dx5G5cWN6sWulodni-A4FGQaYgtUrSQfv0bLE/s1600-h/Growlph+Pics+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368726837911807410" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0ow8Zj7GmWTvVVqX0kfblEUs_3TZcqW_vDgk5CTlpccWlwQWaPVzMy_q4DJ0WtOnwQs1RIDVpWjuZF42h5rYJRWk6b8Q4wvPw3oKL2Dx5G5cWN6sWulodni-A4FGQaYgtUrSQfv0bLE/s320/Growlph+Pics+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglByinS1qjCBKLaTLTihjw4CVz2Tk0BC__GX8tGYwTiz1sAJ_nZyU6NfmW1vG6k4asYOqoTAdebVjGw9cPZnEy7gC2F1nzPDSU4qPgYY9qjX1K9KoR5XecGq_BB43Vf-eHVqe5Xb0PeCU/s1600-h/Growlph+Pics+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368726834570951522" style="WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglByinS1qjCBKLaTLTihjw4CVz2Tk0BC__GX8tGYwTiz1sAJ_nZyU6NfmW1vG6k4asYOqoTAdebVjGw9cPZnEy7gC2F1nzPDSU4qPgYY9qjX1K9KoR5XecGq_BB43Vf-eHVqe5Xb0PeCU/s320/Growlph+Pics+003.jpg" border="0" /></a>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-11106508592577340672009-07-05T07:57:00.006-07:002009-07-05T09:45:14.704-07:00Farewell Bailey<p align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;">Bailey "Boo" </span></strong></p><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;">10/28/95 - 7/3/09</span></strong></p><p align="center"> </p><p align="center"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NKDPy9DRAu-bWRW-EjRYRLa458-qI8lxt3q97GzWyFPVzdmq9h1EPSayog7AnQ_Q4RwAuk8ee1HEKk-TMnbhscO1SMrJtuvnMjQLSjKtHLh5ZFv-P9mwpLwjFRUJTGzcHmH6jdCX4ns/s1600-h/Pretty+Bailey.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354992089320358722" style="WIDTH: 244px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NKDPy9DRAu-bWRW-EjRYRLa458-qI8lxt3q97GzWyFPVzdmq9h1EPSayog7AnQ_Q4RwAuk8ee1HEKk-TMnbhscO1SMrJtuvnMjQLSjKtHLh5ZFv-P9mwpLwjFRUJTGzcHmH6jdCX4ns/s320/Pretty+Bailey.JPG" border="0" /></a></p>On Friday, 7/3/09, we had to say goodbye to our sweet Bailey. His poor little body was failing him quickly. The end for him was peaceful, we held him until the vet pronounced him gone...<br />Even though we knew it was inevitable, it seems one is never prepared for such a terrible loss. Words can't describe the pain we're feeling at this time, but we're trying to remember the happy times. <br />It seems I'm at a loss for words to describe what Bailey meant to us, his presence is everywhere, a toy on the floor, an empty place in all of his favorite spots, but most of all he lives on in our hearts and memories of the wonderful times we had with Bailey.<br />Those of you you have experienced the loss of a dear pet will know what we're trying to say.<br />Eventually, the sadness will be replaced with smiles as we remember the richness Bailey added to our lives.<br />Sleep well our beloved Bailey Boo ..............<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"> </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KWN3FzT7cCj9BxqY-rqIQ88RsCqW9GeyJBwm6s9cS1c2Yub-2Uz5ktwhVtu92fFyTMEOZyDVR7StewjmslYblivByFisx0Ne83tZzcecRfHffcnqWoLNl9cZ3YRnkoNuzFw1weR9v3M/s1600-h/Bailey+toys.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355006103632095154" style="WIDTH: 306px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KWN3FzT7cCj9BxqY-rqIQ88RsCqW9GeyJBwm6s9cS1c2Yub-2Uz5ktwhVtu92fFyTMEOZyDVR7StewjmslYblivByFisx0Ne83tZzcecRfHffcnqWoLNl9cZ3YRnkoNuzFw1weR9v3M/s320/Bailey+toys.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="right"> </div><p align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkNBh-VV5wh_9nuzp6Fzv4kSXiDKzQ-_Y16wz10D0JVpxinGWvWWPoaQ1JeyfxphzHBMo32vyiQknViBAk_qsGts8VuOBPeKh2oatFLBM3MHlbH44DqiYlJcabtpnOOKga5XyCHZJZno/s1600-h/Charlie+&+Park+Pix+017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354992084540148706" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkNBh-VV5wh_9nuzp6Fzv4kSXiDKzQ-_Y16wz10D0JVpxinGWvWWPoaQ1JeyfxphzHBMo32vyiQknViBAk_qsGts8VuOBPeKh2oatFLBM3MHlbH44DqiYlJcabtpnOOKga5XyCHZJZno/s320/Charlie+%26+Park+Pix+017.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp75E6ZcvdLXrSyQZ6Hz2um9qnVV7cp9nxyr_XZ7AtKXR3QH5mqdwKNpTBptCLADuyQ7yp67zM8CtPWdeSbZoDwn47_h80AmJXvGdQOAFERl831j1D8eRgVaYLBfyjVYE3lXxWRG88jWE/s1600-h/nuthin.jpg"></a> </p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KWN3FzT7cCj9BxqY-rqIQ88RsCqW9GeyJBwm6s9cS1c2Yub-2Uz5ktwhVtu92fFyTMEOZyDVR7StewjmslYblivByFisx0Ne83tZzcecRfHffcnqWoLNl9cZ3YRnkoNuzFw1weR9v3M/s1600-h/Bailey+toys.jpg"></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp75E6ZcvdLXrSyQZ6Hz2um9qnVV7cp9nxyr_XZ7AtKXR3QH5mqdwKNpTBptCLADuyQ7yp67zM8CtPWdeSbZoDwn47_h80AmJXvGdQOAFERl831j1D8eRgVaYLBfyjVYE3lXxWRG88jWE/s1600-h/nuthin.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354995024514136306" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp75E6ZcvdLXrSyQZ6Hz2um9qnVV7cp9nxyr_XZ7AtKXR3QH5mqdwKNpTBptCLADuyQ7yp67zM8CtPWdeSbZoDwn47_h80AmJXvGdQOAFERl831j1D8eRgVaYLBfyjVYE3lXxWRG88jWE/s320/nuthin.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX08CdPgiulFqO5TCJ4pfog7v4v3bFkQHOScccqwTwdATcz4kkQY-kRqO5rkr6KHifjq6CS6le80kDYQN9UNfIiUZ4sGq27im_uWQEReapQWHB84TFE8R7TIsk4iwuq5HJa3SmCbrZMkc/s1600-h/Bailey+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354992083772221202" style="WIDTH: 212px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX08CdPgiulFqO5TCJ4pfog7v4v3bFkQHOScccqwTwdATcz4kkQY-kRqO5rkr6KHifjq6CS6le80kDYQN9UNfIiUZ4sGq27im_uWQEReapQWHB84TFE8R7TIsk4iwuq5HJa3SmCbrZMkc/s320/Bailey+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000066;">The Rainbow Bridge</span></strong></div><div align="center"><br /><span style="color:#330099;"><strong><span style="color:#000066;">Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.<br />When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.<br />All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.<br />They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.<br />You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.<br />Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... <br />Author unknown...<br /><br /></span><br /></strong></span><br /></div><div></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765084442937617986.post-67828074359013269252009-06-02T15:18:00.005-07:002009-06-02T15:59:17.517-07:00Return to the mountains...<span style="color:#000099;"><strong>We returned to the mountains this morning. It's beautiful and so nice and cool up way up there among the tall pines above the 5000 ft. elevation. This trail is another one in the Reynolds Creek Area. The trail ends at a cliff side, far below we could see Cherry Creek Road and the Sierra Ancha Wilderness seeming to stretch on for miles. It's difficult to capture the depth of these canyons and the wide panoramic views in one dimensional photographs, but they are truly spectacular to experience first hand. We hiked a little way up a trail, there's an old mine up there, but you'd need to be a goat to reach it now. It's hard to imagine how ore was ever hauled out of such a remote location.<br />A nice morning, now for some food and a nap ... it's a rough life, but someone's got to do it.<br /></strong></span><div><br /><br /><div><br /><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>The trail ends here.......<br /></strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHaGDnEIA-8oqKEhah7rlzl4-sLdHm7CGmjyOhHEcVZraM8SQ7rU3zD2rXeLJkf1NZI5z0yWsT0aVjjdC5fx2_RkrEXvRDT4TUo6Fsa5rpfJ9f0on0EQwTt5BjJqyOUpLaSaoyzQhD0g/s1600-h/Trail+near+Reynolds+Creek+003.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342860729290224834" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHaGDnEIA-8oqKEhah7rlzl4-sLdHm7CGmjyOhHEcVZraM8SQ7rU3zD2rXeLJkf1NZI5z0yWsT0aVjjdC5fx2_RkrEXvRDT4TUo6Fsa5rpfJ9f0on0EQwTt5BjJqyOUpLaSaoyzQhD0g/s320/Trail+near+Reynolds+Creek+003.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><strong></strong></span></div><div><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><strong></strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>This is a very deep, steep canyon</strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>it's hard to show the dimension </strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>in a photo<br /></strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0F9-b1N1hEmM-I6FAb3nVfu1GryXUk3HbU91ZAII4f0PenXNKpu8nCDIwFxpFh7uFwRRNMP3sI_6_EmOdJp4j4d7jsEfsT_RARC7r08AtJsLew5JDPJLGqQG4QZaOlhZK6EEl9ky2QM/s1600-h/Trail+near+Reynolds+Creek+007.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342860735842925298" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0F9-b1N1hEmM-I6FAb3nVfu1GryXUk3HbU91ZAII4f0PenXNKpu8nCDIwFxpFh7uFwRRNMP3sI_6_EmOdJp4j4d7jsEfsT_RARC7r08AtJsLew5JDPJLGqQG4QZaOlhZK6EEl9ky2QM/s320/Trail+near+Reynolds+Creek+007.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong></strong></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>The Sierra Ancha Wilderness spread out below</strong></span></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDKT81PX34vQayKmxPoExvbBSVLvOhrehLvhYtHXHMsrndrp5MrEpwQ-wyibClNFNp7y3nqF9YtkQF8AIJQFGGp_vgSuY5rlej5mCpy0p1ckWBHmOVX2QufNy-kP1PSThdFYR84t3lzM/s1600-h/Trail+near+Reynolds+Creek+002.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342860737266575762" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDKT81PX34vQayKmxPoExvbBSVLvOhrehLvhYtHXHMsrndrp5MrEpwQ-wyibClNFNp7y3nqF9YtkQF8AIJQFGGp_vgSuY5rlej5mCpy0p1ckWBHmOVX2QufNy-kP1PSThdFYR84t3lzM/s320/Trail+near+Reynolds+Creek+002.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>One false step here and it's a long way down<br /></strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdrY2JfuCMNlaAHAImCFRMAim-31daATImSXMaAXki7MItyx06QTgEQk9jY1-V9o8Bm8bwiwA5MLKj0FFzZx4GlUSjnzrfFkFzCxEH6rTu1_n2znUGnMYIE3wqn87_NXmKVYdcEGqFxE/s1600-h/Trail+near+Reynolds+Creek+008.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342863663854985314" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdrY2JfuCMNlaAHAImCFRMAim-31daATImSXMaAXki7MItyx06QTgEQk9jY1-V9o8Bm8bwiwA5MLKj0FFzZx4GlUSjnzrfFkFzCxEH6rTu1_n2znUGnMYIE3wqn87_NXmKVYdcEGqFxE/s320/Trail+near+Reynolds+Creek+008.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>Manzanita in bloom<br /></strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj321rJtCUAXfBJfk5hBwVo2GuK2fCV789xULZZXQ_wJFp7izvNI24-ZDd8hAnKp1w_wKa_n7Tjwhe7LvOfwCtEB1voWO-6XMrNsMCjZoagQNW3xaORrCNM_PfxVUq5S4Ihi0Wvy89cuw0/s1600-h/Trail+near+Reynolds+Creek+005.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342860734156243394" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj321rJtCUAXfBJfk5hBwVo2GuK2fCV789xULZZXQ_wJFp7izvNI24-ZDd8hAnKp1w_wKa_n7Tjwhe7LvOfwCtEB1voWO-6XMrNsMCjZoagQNW3xaORrCNM_PfxVUq5S4Ihi0Wvy89cuw0/s320/Trail+near+Reynolds+Creek+005.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="right"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>Ralph with Old Peep's Jeep and Old Blue</strong></span></div><div align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3ZXYee314yXD0dy7XgAeqc1dDg8ZldgaAZWmnWK5NHpWZedFkbWZqDD0BFct6vKYCTYSZ5VClJuON1Z_G44MGfsi3ir2Xq4QtmyOflKO65EWC9Lmpw2AZ4VNRGFN7mnfyNzpuIdcv7Y/s1600-h/Trail+near+Reynolds+Creek+012.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342862356296603874" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3ZXYee314yXD0dy7XgAeqc1dDg8ZldgaAZWmnWK5NHpWZedFkbWZqDD0BFct6vKYCTYSZ5VClJuON1Z_G44MGfsi3ir2Xq4QtmyOflKO65EWC9Lmpw2AZ4VNRGFN7mnfyNzpuIdcv7Y/s320/Trail+near+Reynolds+Creek+012.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>Blue Spotted Fungus Beetle</strong></span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIh1yl0uzqjLn0mAfx_SObOhFPlHZNNKNsnVlYCFVK4GSOv0uKmPMvIjEwEdxOOREEE762qSFs6NGn5JHjLmhILdiy7BIijdRO8wETMjBVRHUaFE9S2mMmNgZXvybHZa7-Ff3SQuzyx8/s1600-h/Trail+near+Reynolds+Creek+009.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342862351423431538" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 215px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIh1yl0uzqjLn0mAfx_SObOhFPlHZNNKNsnVlYCFVK4GSOv0uKmPMvIjEwEdxOOREEE762qSFs6NGn5JHjLmhILdiy7BIijdRO8wETMjBVRHUaFE9S2mMmNgZXvybHZa7-Ff3SQuzyx8/s320/Trail+near+Reynolds+Creek+009.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><br /><br /></strong></span><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Ralph and Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01067269633688313311noreply@blogger.com