Monday, February 12
The crew and I head out from our boondock in Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in southern Arizona to grocery shop in Arivaca.
As we approach the area where I previously photographed deer, I slow down in hopes of discovering more.
There they are!
At Arivaca Mercantile I load up on groceries.
This is a great store and I like patronizing small town groceries, if their prices aren’t outrageous. The prices at this store are reasonable and, as I mentioned in a previous post, the inventory is excellent.
Browsing the shelves I find Arivaca Blend coffee beans (made popular in a local cafe), blue agave syrup, and “wild natural desert mesquite honey.” I’d like to try these products but since I’m limiting my sugar intake, I decide not to take the two sweet temptations home. And I don’t have a grinder for the beans.
A few pics taken in Arivaca:
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It’s a good feeling to know we are well stocked.
Rain is in the forecast! With our supply of food, water, and propane, we have what we need to stay warm and well fed.
The boys enjoy more free time.
Roger finds a nasty old bone. My first reaction is to take it from him.
Here he is, hoping I won’t. Reggie’s eyes are on the prize!
I stop myself.
Let him have it. What the heck. Let him be fully dog.
Being fully dog means finding and gnawing on a bone. A very unsanitary bone.
*sigh*
Roger proudly carries his treasure away from Reggie.
A few chases and a brief squabble determine that Roger will keep custody of the bone and Reggie will have visiting privileges.
Tuesday, February 13
In posts about our two boondocks at Buenos Aires NWR, I mention the grass, various cacti, and mesquite trees. And also the sunsets, like this one that I photographed our first night at our present boondock.
I omitted a tremendous feature one enjoys while camping here.
The sky!
I tell you, I could spend hours watching the clouds in this big, beautiful sky.
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Wednesday, February 14
Valentine’s Day and what do I get? Flowers? Chocolates? A teddy bear? No, much better than that!
This desert woman gets what she wants: Rain!
At last, we get rain!
The boys and I are outside when the first droplets fall. The smell of rain has been in the air all morning and now the time has come. In a flash, I fold up the camp chair and the lounger and slide them into the Perfect Tow Vehicle.
I toss the crew’s big pillow bed into the PTV also.
Now what to do about the griddle? I don’t want to unhook it from the propane tank. Ah, I know! I’ll pull the oilcloth over it!
“REGG-EEE! ROGG-ERR!”
The boys come running. I open the door of the Best Little Trailer and they hop up the step and inside.
Next post . . . .
Boy, do we get RAIN!
rvsue
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Checking in then back to read.
YOU DID IT, STEPHANIE! CONGRATULATIONS!
Blogorinos: This is the second day of thick cloud cover. In order to conserve the charge in my batteries, I turn comments over to you!
The sky is so beautiful there.
3 rd!
So glad they are responding so well to freedom. Can’t wait to read about the rain.
Yup, raining cats and DOGS here in Green Valley and I feel like I’m home in Oregon! But it is refreshing and much needed. I think I can hear the cactus plants sighing, “Ahhh…”
We drove to Mesa last Monday and bought ourselves a sweet 21′ 2011 Heartland M17 Edge travel trailer, and even though it’s used, it is like new. It’s long enough to give us plenty of room for cooking, eating, and sleeping (and showering in a pinch), but short and light enough to tow it easily with our pick-up and to fit into camp spaces. We pick it up on March 19th when we begin our trek back to Oregon with our first stop being Buckskin Mountain state park near Lake Havasu. Thought about boondocking near Parker but decided we’ll be embarking with few supplies and might not be quite ready for that step. Probably best to be able to use my microwave oven if needed. 🙂
Thanks for posting the town and sky photos. I never get tired of observing the desert sky and clouds. This morning’s sunrise was interesting as it was pouring rain with a pink eastern sky. Gorgeous.
Congratulations Robin B! I know that you can’t wait to start your adventures in your new trailer!
Congratulations Robin, I’ve seen the Edge. It’s a very nice trailer.
I always like that little edge, but Heartland quit making it. They have the I-Pod now but it just doesn’t quite get it right, not a fan.
Heart land is owned by someone else not, forgot who. Congrats on your purchase. Hope you enjoy it.
What an amazing life you lead.
What an awesome feeling knowing you can let them run, and they come when they’re called!!!!
All kinds of treasures in the desert, bones, art galleries, and refreshing rain! Everyone receives a treat for the day even if it’s not sugar coated.
Glad you got the rain you wanted. We had about a foot over three days earlier this week! The campground was good and flooded. Just ordered a pair of boots from Amazon. Sure wish I’d had them earlier: sold a pair before I left Texas. Oh well.
Bet the desert will start blooming now. Look forward to your beautiful photos of desert flowers.
Thank you very much, Nora! As I type this the boots haven’t showed up on my orders report. I expect they will soon.
I hope they serve your well! 🙂
That was fast! Oh goody! Another post.
. . . and the bone?
The sculpture of the lady in Arivaca is gorgeous, one artist there has real talent. Gosh, the look on Roger’s face when he thought you might take his treasure away just tugged at my heart strings. I’m so-o glad you let him keep it! It’s amazingly easy to make our little ones sad or happy. You must have enjoyed watching him with his bone as much as he enjoyed having it.
Your blue skies and clouds are beautiful, I love staring at clouds ,too. I’m happy for you, the land, plants and animals about finally getting some much needed rain there. Gee, there have been strange patterns of cold, heat, rain, drought,and snow in most parts of the earth this season. They had snow in the Sahara desert recently, and here on the east coast we are beginning a 2 week stretch of temperatures into the 40’s and 50’s with rain instead of snow.
Your strength in resisting sweet temptations is impressive. I might not have bought the syrup, but would have at least gotten the honey. Decades ago I found out that having local honey while traveling to new places built our natural immunity to whatever virus and bacteria was prevalent there. So since then I deliberately shop for some after arriving in a different area than I had been before. Just a bit by spoon, in tea or on food works. Thank you, Lord, I’ve had very few bouts of common illnesses, colds, etc., in my adult life compared to most people.
Weather,. I’ve also read that local honey and vegetables help with allergies. I too use honey in tea.
Thanks, Teri, I hadn’t heard that about local vegetables, though it makes sense. Bees have physical contact with a lot that grows locally, and I think that is part of why local honey is so beneficial.
So glad you are getting rain. Maybe the desert will bloom now. I know the animals need water to drink. The sky is beautiful. It is soooo blue. Maybe someday I will get that way and see it again. Glad that things are going good for you and the boys. Happy travels!
Hi Sue….
Love your pictures
Ken Canada
Very little rain here in Surprise Missy. Glad for those who did get rain however. I don’t think we want to know the history of that bone. In your third pic you show a Mexican restaurant I think I’ll pass on too! How much rain did you get or do you have any means of knowing? Take care of you and the boys as I know you do…
Love your posts!! You are in my neck of the woods…Er…desert !! I love it out here and we are still getting rain in Tucson! !
😄To find a bone is Heavenly! !!✌💕 So happy you are having a great time and all I got for Valentines Day was the same…and of course puppy smooches✌😄💕
Greetings,just checking in to say hey.
and BUY THE HONEY. I have had it and there is nothing like it.
Glad to hear the pups are getting their wings, so to speak, They have shown they are very responsible and deserve it.
Enjoy.
Hi Sue,
Love the pictures of downtown Arivaca. Small towns are something to treasure about our country. Hope to hear from you when the rains leave…maybe we’ll see some desert wildflowers. Expecting mega rain in Tennessee this weekend and the jonquils are coming out of the ground. Spring can’t be far off. Enjoy your weekend.
The picture of Roger with the bone is great. I’m glad you let him be “fully dog.” That same attitude can let all of us be “fully human.” Of course, the pictures of the dogs playing are fun, too.
I know what you mean about the beautiful sky there. The sunset picture is great, too, but those clouds with that clear sky behind them are well worth our attention.
I’ll chime in on the weird weather. Here in Central Ohio, we had a morning low thirty degrees above today’s average. Sunshine eludes us, though. It often does. We’re getting rain or snow many days. We have only 178 sunny days a year here. Some locations in the Southwest get 300 of those.
Boys and their toys – or in this case bone. They will find some of the nastiest looking things and then dare you to take it! I hope they enjoyed it.
There is nothing like desert sunsets and clouds. Beautiful pictures of both.
I was disappointed in the groceries available in both Why and Ajo. Nice to know Arivaca has a good local store.
Wasn’t the rain nice? We had rain on the ride from Why to Casa Grande, and then into the night. Not hard but steady. Looks like it will a little cooler for a few days. Would rather be out in the desert alone, but family and minor repairs are calling for attention.
Love the header photo showing your camp and looking towards the mountains, and all the other photos as well. I like your new practice of letting R&R be “fully dog”. It’s been many years since I’ve had a canine companion. Recently I’ve noticed that many people seem to treat their dogs like little people and restrict a lot of their activities. I imagine they would like to be fully dog 😀
I’m camped near Ajo now up in the hills. It is so beautiful – lots of saguaro, organ pipe, Palo verde etc. I’ve seen lots of birds here also. Yesterday there was a steady rain all day. Today it has been overcast with some rain. I hope this will help the desert vegetation.
Buenos Aires NWR was on my list of places to visit. Now that you’ve shown us how beautiful it is there I definitely want to go there!
That 4th picture reminded me of the program Diners, Drive-In and Dives. They have a website which sent us to some pretty homely dives with great food!
The sky is calling! Thank you for reminding us to look up. I love that the pooches can run free once in awhile. They look so happy. Pretty special life they have.
Small town stores are the best! Their prices may be slightly higher but well worth it when it comes to the friendliness of the employees.
Rog looks proud with that nasty bone in his mouth. Some critter apparently is missing their spine. Just wait until it’s time for kisses tonight! Hahh. Glad he didn’t decide to roll on it!
Rained here throughout the evening….stay warm and dry.
Poor Reggie, he looks so dejected in the photos right before and right after the gorgeous
sunset, like he just can’t believe his buddy Roger, isn’t sharing with him.
The sky photos and that sunset are outstanding. I think the skies looks so much bluer out west. Guess it’s because in the desert there is less pollution. Thanks for sharing them.
Will read the other comments now.
Nice that the skies in your area are not crisscrossed with airplane contrails. Any picture I take, seems to have a least one plane on its way to or from LAX. Oh well, the skies were pretty and the air was so much clearer today, thanks to the lite rain clearing out the dust.
Take care, Sue and Crew.
Hi Sue!
I love the looks of that little town and from watching “No Reservations” I know that the place that sells Mexican/American food might have some really good things to eat. But what I would really like is a taste of that honey! I’ll bet it was amazing. I had a friend who raised bees/honey. One year the bees had gathered pollen from a bunch of pine trees. It had a very different taste and I loved it! But going low on the sugar is a really good idea. Trying to do that myself.
Have fun out there!
MB
G’mornin’ Sue and blogerino’s! Coming in on Friday morning, looking a world of thick, soupy fog! It will burn off I know, but right now I’m glad that I’m not out driving in it!
A couple of days ago, Jim Cantors of the Weather Channel announced that winter is over in Florida! Yay! Yesterday we went to the local hardware store and they had all their new plants out! I bought strawberries, basil and oregano! I grow most of my veggies in 5 gallon buckets, those come next! I recommend 5 gallon bucket gardens for those folks with bad backs like mine! No rows of dirt to dig, no back aches from bending over to pull weeds or pick veggies! Best thing I have ever done!
Hahaha! Had to laugh at Roger and his “treasure”, dirty old bone. Poor Reggie sure wanted his teeth wrapped around that ” treasure “!
Loved all the sky images…ready for a few sunny days with blue skies here! But I really loved seeing the trio of deer peeking at you from the trees!
Thank you Sue for sharing this peek into your world! Hug the Zoomie Brothers from us!!! Waiting to hear about your rainstorm! Hugs!!!💗
Thanks, Sue, for the picture of the momma deer and her twins. They sure look healthy.
That little restaurant looks authentic. Have you tried a take out burrito yet??? I can just smell the cooking aromas: chile, onion, New Mexico oregano, cumin, and other spice combos available only in that part of the world! Ooooo. Take me there!
Fully living dogs! Enjoy the days, you guys!
Hi Sue! Loved the pics of the deer. They are so pretty. Their ears look really big and rounded to me. Seeing Roger with that bone cracks me up. I’m impressed that you let him keep it. I agree with Cin, “just be glad he didn’t roll in it”! I don’t understand a dog’s compulsion to find rotting, reaking nastiness and to roll in it! When my dog was alive, he did that as well. It’s fun to see R&R running free. I’m glad you’re at a place where you can let them do that.
Hi, Dawn…..I think the big ears are why they’re called mule deer.
GOOD MORNING, BLOGORINOS!
Always fun to read your comments while enjoying the first cup of coffee of the day. The boys were outside running around before breakfast, taking advantage of a pause (maybe the end?) of the rain. You should’ve seen how they raced across our muddy campsite to come inside for their breakfast plates of chopped chicken!
A few notes . . . .
Reggie does look a bit sad in the photos. He isn’t. It looks like Roger didn’t share his bone. Roger did share, watching patiently with a proprietary air, while Reggie chewed the bone. Since then, Reggie doesn’t show interest in the bone.
One reason I didn’t try the restaurant in Arivaca is my love of my own griddle-cooking. Okay, so it probably isn’t as good as the restaurant’s. Doesn’t matter, I make Mexican dishes that suit me and I love ’em!
As always I thank you for adding your voice to my blog.
Bye for now,
Sue
Yuck Roger! I hope you didn’t roll all over it.
Clouds ⛅️ I love clouds! Beautiful pictures Sue!
A suggestion for a coffee grinder.
Manually operated. Does not need electricity.
Jeff: I replaced the link you posted with one that includes my code. — Sue
JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder, Conical Burr Mill, Brushed Stainless Steel
Thanks for the suggestion!