Monday, April 18

Haekel Road BLM boondock

The crew and I ride into Safford to see about new tires for the Best Little Trailer.

 If Big O Tires has the right tires for the BLT, I’ll hitch ‘er up and bring ‘er in tomorrow.  I remember seeing a Big O place the day we drove through Safford on our way to this camp. . . . There it is . . . . 

Huh?  No vehicles?  What?  Oh, they must have moved . . . .

I pick up a few groceries at Safeway.

Pushing the cart toward the Perfect Tow Vehicle, I approach a trim, neat fellow of retirement age who is preparing to leave.

“Excuse me, sir.  Maybe you could help me.  Do you live around here?”

He replies that he does.

I ask where I might find Big O Tires.

“They went outta’ business not too long ago.  It was in the paper.”

He recommends another tire place, a local business.  However, with us traveling so much, I prefer to buy tires with a warranty honored at stores in more locations than Safford, Arizona.

~ ~ ~

Tuesday, April 19

Today is our last day at the Haekel Road boondock.

I take stock of our situation. 

The crew and I have camped here for eight days.  We’re low on water.  The waste tanks need to be emptied soon.  Propane is okay.  Groceries are good.  The weather is warmer, both here and in higher elevations.

And the BLT needs tires!

I putter around camp, research future camps, walk the crew, and watch Reggie tear into Armadillo.

At the hottest point of the afternoon, I stand watching swallows dip and dive above me, flashing white and yellow.  No one is around for several miles, except for a lone RV far away.

A wind sweeps across the desert.  I’m in shorts and a lightweight, camisole top.  Cool air washes over the back of me, from head to toe.

It feels wonderful!  It’s like standing in a refreshing waterfall on a hot day.

At dusk the three of us take a last look at the San Simon River behind and below our camp.

Tomorrow we leave . . . .

“You ready to hit the road again, Bridgie?”

Wednesday, April 20

I whisper a little prayer while the crew and I cross empty desert heading southeast on Route 70.

Dear God, I passed up a chance to replace the BLT’s tires.  Please let them last a while longer.

We travel about 70 miles, passing through Duncan, entering New Mexico, and arriving at the junction with Route 90.

We’re on our way to Silver City!

We don’t take Route 90.  Instead I drive into Lordsburg because we’re low on gas.  A fill-up at the Valero station ($1.99 a gal.) and we backtrack the few miles to the junction.

Soon Route 90 has us climbing the southeastern edge of the Burro Mountains.  This is Gila National Forest.  We cross the Continental Divide.

At Gold Gulch Road, I pull over and park.  The crew has a walk-about and we check the condition of the road, evaluating the possibility of a boondock.

Nope.  We could get stuck in this deep, loose sand.

We keep going toward Silver City, leaving the national forest.

Hey, an RV park.  A small one.   Out in the countryside.  This might be good for us right now . . . .

We turn in to investigate.

Next post:  Life happens!

The crew and I tackle a “speed bump of life” that derails us momentarily.

rvsue

NOTE:  Thank you, blogorinos, for your patience and participation during the lull in posts.  I continue to need “time off” so I turn comments over to you.  Please welcome new folks, answer any questions, and generally enjoy the friendly company, good humor, and information made available by blogorinos.  As always, I’m grateful for you.  — Sue

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