Monday, March 28
If you’ve read my blog regularly and have been paying attention like you should, you know I avoid towing in wind. Not that my Perfect Tow Vehicle with Best Little Trailer combo can’t handle wind. That’s not it. With the anti-sway bar on the hitch, we roll along fine, even in strong crosswinds.
But it ain’t fun.
Today, the crew and I scoff in the face of forecasters and their ominous prediction of “50 mph wind gusts.”
Ha! Scoff-scoff. We’re breaking camp and heading on down the highway!
“Outta’ our way, cows! We’re comin’ through!”
Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, Senoita, Arizona
“Yeah, cows! Do like RVSue says! Scram!”
No, we really didn’t say that. I’m kidding here. Well, Reggie did bark.
Such a beautiful morning . . . .
No wind so far! A roadrunner sprints across the road. Two deer disappear into a mess of mesquite trees. We turn to cruise the final leg out of the conservation area.
That’s when I see it.
“Oh, my. Will you look at that.”
A herd of 30-40 deer spills over the crest of a small hill on the right, streaming toward the road ahead of us. Gorgeous! I’m spellbound. I stop the PTV and lift my camera.
I point it toward the place where the perfect photo will appear.
Anyone who enjoys taking photos knows what I’m talking about. . . . when things in motion approach a flash in time when all elements come together in a perfect arrangement — the road leading the eye toward a majestic mountain in the background, the slope of grassy hill on each side of the road, the morning light, the gentle shadows, a few deer crossing the road in clear silhouette, a deer behind them floating through the air from the embankment, the others following, flowing down the hillside . . .
In a split second the magic will take place. My finger is poised . . . almost . . . almost . . .
“DAMN!”
Where the hell did that CAR come from?
A silver SUV has whipped around the PTV and slowed between us and the deer. It continues toward the place where the deer are headed. Panic erupts! A few deer jump, make it across the road, one is confused, turns, darts along the ditch, others up on the embankment scramble to change course . . .
“For crying out loud! You couldn’t wait half a minute?”
The SUV doesn’t stop, just keeps on going right through the herd which splits it into three groups running in different directions.
Of course, I hate that I missed the photo.
Much more than that, I hate the havoc brought to the deer due to the SELF-CENTERED IDIOT in the SUV. And, no, he’s not in a big hurry.
There he goes, rolling along, oblivious that I very much want to give him a good smack upside the head. Growl.
The next few miles I struggle to regain a pleasant frame of mind.
Okay, you Benchmarkers! Get out your atlases!
Bridget, Reggie, and I motor south on Route 83 to Sonoita. We turn east on Route 82 and at the junction with Route 90, head north to Benson and Interstate 10.
Before boarding I-10 east, we stop at Love’s for gas @ $1.99 gal.
The crew isn’t restless yet, so we don’t bother with a walk-around. Wind is coming through here and most likely it will worsen as the day progresses.
At this point I’m not sure where we will camp.
Maybe in the Dragoon Mountains? Cochise Stronghold? When we come to the exit for the above, I drive us down the ramp and park in a place where trucks park.
The crew has a potty run while I contemplate the Dragoon Mountains off in the distance.
Do I want to take us there today? Do I?
By the time I pop the crew into the PTV I’m resolved to keep going on the interstate. I can’t form a reason why, not anything better than “well, it seems right to keep going.”
I have a destination in mind.
Past Wilcox we exit the interstate and take Route 191 north.
The wind is strong, but not terribly so. Flowers of purple and yellow line the roadway for about five miles. It’s an enjoyable drive.
Shortly before the town of Safford, we take the turn for Roper Lake State Park.
We made it! And the wind wasn’t bad at all.
More about Roper Lake State Park in the next post. We stay over one night and the next morning, we move camp again!
rvsue
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Campsite at Roper Lake State Park; Pinaleno Mountains in background
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