Sunday, November 30
The forest service ranger drives by our campsite at sun-up. He slows his white pick-up in order to look for the red Tonto pass on the dash.
The ranger is the only person in over a week to come near our campsite at Roosevelt Lake, Arizona, and that includes Thanksgiving weekend. It’s been wonderful here! I appreciate you understanding my need to keep our location to ourselves.
Roadrunner visits every day in the late afternoon.
I laugh to see him run under the bushes along the edge of the clearing, because I know he’s on his way to see Bridget and me. Zoom-zoom and he’s at our camp, head cocked, one eye scanning the premises. Satisfied, he waves his comb a few times and is off again, zipping soundlessly (nary a beep-beep) under the bushes and away.
Ravens are frequent fliers over our camp.
They own the skies around here. I can hear the approach of a single raven before I see him, the pumping of his wings a sound like no other. As he passes, he croaks loudly, following a straight flight path on a mission . . . to his mate maybe? When in pairs the ravens float and dive in playful dips and swoops, never more than a few feet apart.
Two timid jackrabbits make an appearance on Thanksgiving Day. Other creatures are cactus wrens and a tiny bird (vireo? kinglet?) which looks like a grey version of an Easter marshmallow chick, also a hummingbird and a few bees, the latter two attracted to my red wash basin.
Okay, enough with “RVSue, Junior Ranger.”
In more practical matters — the dadburn damaged door! I promised to tell you how the back door of the once-Perfect Tow Vehicle was crunched.
Take a look. Pretty sorry-looking sight, eh? I’ve been driving around like this for a month.
Bungees — What would we do without them?
Maybe you recall our October camp along Ivey Creek near Salina, Utah.
That’s the area where I photographed maples and oaks in autumn color, and also in the previous spring the tom turkey shown in the previous post. (Thanks, BTW, for the compliments on that pic!) Anyway . . . . to tell the story . . .
After a clinger experience, I hitch up the Best Little Trailer in order to move us further downstream to a pretty camp that we enjoyed in the spring. I find the large clearing has been eroded from the recent rains and from heavy use. It wasn’t a level area to begin with — I had a devil of a time positioning the BLT previously– and it’s even more difficult this time.
I don’t take down the antenna pole for this short move.
By leaving it up I save myself some effort and also I can make sure it won’t be caught in tree branches. (This doesn’t have anything to do with damaging the door. I just thought I’d throw that in.) I turn and back several times as I try to find a place where I won’t have to prop one side too high in order to become level.
There are tree branches and rocks and holes dug by previous campers to avoid. At one point I get out of the PTV and pull out the bright yellow chocks from the back. These I set out as markers so I can see in my side mirrors where to back the wheels of the BLT.
Just then Del drives up in his pick-up!
It’s always a treat to chat with Del (the guy who built a cordwood cabin with his son). We yak away from our respective drivers’ seats. When he leaves, I pause for a moment. Gee, this site isn’t going to work. It would be easier to camp at that other site.
And that’s when the damage occurs.
I forgot all about placing the chocks on the ground. I forgot that I got those chocks out of the back of the PTV. The ground being unlevel, evidently the back door closed by itself . . . but it did not latch!
The PTV is sideways to the lane out. I drive in a tight arc over ruts and holes in order to make it to the main road. While I’m doing this, the back door swings open. As the PTV turns, the front end of the BLT — the “belly band” actually — comes in contact with the inside edge of the door.
“Crunch!”
Thank heaven for the belly band! The BLT received no damage.
Due to the bumpety nature of the drive out of there, I don’t feel the contact between the BLT and the PTV. It isn’t until I stop at the campsite up the road that I realize what has happened.
And that, my dears, is the story, “How the PTV became the ITV.”
The damage is in the latch area, necessitating replacement of the door.
Tomorrow (Monday) I have an appointment with Cobre Valley Body Shop in Globe, Arizona, to have the door replaced with one from a salvage yard. (The previous appointment for last Tuesday was cancelled due to rust on the replacement door.)
About the many comments under the Thanksgiving post . . .
It was a pleasure to have many blogorinos around my “table” for Thanksgiving. I am blessed with kind and thoughtful readers!
Thanks to those of you who took advantage of the sale on Paperwhites and Kindle Fires. I see your orders which give me a big smile in addition to nice commissions. I’ll try to make y’all aware of special sales, especially during the Christmas shopping season.
A reader informed me that not all of the home page is visible on her old phone, and, because of this, she doesn’t have easy access to Amazon from my blog. She asked that I put an Amazon link at the end of each post. I will do that from now on. Thanks for the helpful feedback and suggestion!
I need to sign-off now . . .
Today we move to a new camp!
rvsue
THANKS, RVSUE SHOPPERS!
I appreciate you doing your Christmas shopping at Amazon from my blog.
Here is a sample of the items purchased recently:
Garmin Edge 500 Cycling GPS
Mega Bloks Barbie Luxe Camper
Assorted Dinosaur Stampers (24 PCS)
Forever Collectibles NCAA Oregon Ducks Core Duffle Bag
Ever After High Secret Hearts Password Journal
Wilson Electronics 700-2700 MHz Wide Band Directional Antenna
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