Not the best news

We are spending the day at Jim Click Ford in Tucson, AZ. Our F-450 has had a warning light go on twice in the last 2-3 weeks, indicating 'reduced engine power'. I had taken it to Lawley Ford in Sierra Vista, and got to sit around for 3 and a half hours, only to have them say we have no idea what happened.

Here in Tucson the tech sounds much more knowledgable, and told us that we might not be smart to travel pulling our 18000 pound fifth wheel until the problem is diagnosed and resolved. Not what we wanted to hear, but I can just picture us going up a mountain with 83 vehicles behind us when the power goes out!

I will keep you posted. The tech said to try and drive as many miles as possible to hopefully have the warning go on again, and then he could trace the source. He also indicated the tech in Sierra Vista must have downloaded and lost any information that could lead to a diagnosis.

Our last two rides

This week we made what were probably our last two ATV rides of the season here in the Sierra Vista Area.

On Sunday we drove out to the Empire Ranch with Jerry and Vicki and Pat and Charlie Schaffer. We cruised through expanses of grassland spotted with mesquite trees. We saw a lot of cattle, a couple of red winged hawks, sort of following a string of Cottonwood trees clinging to the creek that comes down for miles from the I 10.

Pat, Vicky and Ellen during a break on our ride

Our destination was 'The Narrows' , a lowland spot of water and lush trees where all the slopes and small mountains come down to the same spot. We had a long lunch there by the creek--two and a half hours--before heading back. It was a nice warm day, with a refreshing breeze all day.

On the way back we pulled into the actual Empire Ranch complex, which is being restored. This ranch began in the 1870s and was a modest operation until silver was found on the property. Big things happened, and the ranch grew to over a million acres! It is still a working ranch, but most of the land has been appropriated by the government. I guess in the 40s and 50s, movie stars including John Wayne made their way out here.

Ellen at the Empire Ranch

Tuesday we met up with Jim Pearce and Beth Manuel for breakfast at the Lone Star Cafe in Hereford, before heading out to the Coronado National Monument south west of Sierra Vista. This was probably one of the prettiest rides we have been on, climbing switchbacks to the Montezuma Pass, atop the mountain, manned with a bevy of Border Patrol trucks, and a special electronic radar/tracking camera atop a Ford F 550.

Border Patrol Recon

We rode down the Mexico side of the mountain into the San Rafael Valley, making our way to the border. We rode along the iron rail fence for several miles, finding a huge alligator pine tree that was hollowed and burned out. Jim said this was used as a shelter by illegals.

a shelter from the elements near the border

We turned north again and headed for Parker Canyon Lake for lunch. The lake was pretty and quiet, created by a small dam some 50 years ago. We had a nice lunch, good conversation, before heading back to the Monument. After loading the ATVs onto the trailers, we had a soup and sandwich before parting company.

At the border fence

A Ride and a Show

Hedgehog cactus blooms

Yesterday had a great ATV ride out past Cascabel, AZ, and I think we came close to Tucson! Hurried back to the RV to change, clean up and rush to Sierra Vista to enjoy the U.S. Army Field Band concert at Buena High School auditorium. Wow, great show, with a terrific variety of music...opera, Beatles, West Side Story and Mussorgsky...We went with our friend Jim Pearce, his girl friend Beth and her mother. Toodled over to Denny's for a post-show snack.

It was a beautiful day for a ride, not too hot and the wind was down. We went with Pat and Charlie Schaffer, Jerry and Vicki and Smoky, and Jerry and Gloria in their new Can-Am side by side. We rode along several ridges covered with prickly pear cacti. Saw tons of Saguaros as well as some Teddy Bear Cactus and occasional hedgehog cacti. We were hoping to see some cactus blooms, and we did see some prickly pears blooming, and many hedgehogs.

prickly pear cactus blooming

Back in Business

Hey, I almost feel guilty calling this a blog, but I am not going to get down on myself!

We are at Mountain View RV Resort in Huachuca City, AZ, about 10 miles north of Sierra Vista. We are having a laid back fun time. We have done a couple of ATV rides, had visitors (Ted and Jan Werner, friends from Gila Bend, whom we taught Catan, and Ted ended up winning one of the games!), got six new tires on the Ford ($1852.00!!!!), and made three trips to the Apple Store in Tucson in a week, trying to get our MacIntosh working right. They solved the problem last Monday, it acted up again on Wednesday. We took it back in Thursday, they kept it, presumably for a week. Lo and behold they called Friday and said it was fixed, so we made the trip yet again.

It is doing better, and sometimes the problem is our internet connection, so we went to Verizon yesterday, to see if our MiFi was working right.

Three trips to Tucson means three big eating out events (Yum, Sweet Tomatoes and Mimi's Cafe!), which led me to my doctor's checkup this week, in which I was encouraged to eat less and exercise more. So I am watching my carb intake, Ellen and I have been walking daily. Here's hoping for a long term commitment.

Ellen has been working on a beautiful afghan of Swedish Weaving. It is gorgeous, but Ellen exclaimed today that she will not finish it until she is 100!

A Short Story of where I have been

I'm not sure how long it has been since the abduction. The scout ship was bluish silver with orange and white lights rotating around the rim of the craft. The hatch opened with a whine and I was sucked upward with tremendous velocity. I could only see four pairs of green eyes in the darkness behind the metallic panel, but heard gutteral exclamations echoing about the chamber. That was when I lost consciousness.

April Fool's!!!