I just popped the top on a Cold One and toasted WARM!!! I'm in Casa Grande, Ariz., on McD's wifi alo ng way from Florida where I started my Adventure XV. This is the only place I park overnight in McDs lot. I made a bee line for warmth and skipped all the New Mexico places. The elevation for the state is 4,500 feet and more, which causes it to be just too cold in February, except for occasionally it might be warm. I could see snow on the high elevation hills and mountains and it was 24 degrees two days ago and 34 this morning. Not what I want!!! I passed a guy on an Adventure of his own in Benson, Ariz. Lots of times people refer to my travels as too rough, outdoorsy or hazardous. He was pulling his nest behind his bicycle in the chill and vulnerable to all kinds of weather. That’s what I call extreme, too much for me, and I don’t do that!
Last night I was in Deming, N.M., a good place to overnight in my nest (a slide-in camper on a pick’em up truck) in MegaMart’s parking lot. Deming is right on US 10 west of Las Cruces and has lots of TexMex Restaurants that are very good. One also has a butcher shop. The steaks really look good. Someday I’m going to buy one and BBQ it at “Wonder Rocks,” (Coronado N.F.), which is a couple hours west of there and is remote and gorgeous, the way I like it. The butcher shop also, surprisingly, has an array of seafood in the middle of the desert. There’s also a very good brew pub, Mimbras Valley Brewing Co., that’s a good place to relax and watch a little TV. Here in Casa Grande the elevation is about 2,000 feet and comfortable. I'll be even closer to sea level along the Colorado River in Cibola south of Blythe, Ca. tomorrow. Cibola NWR (
www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/CibolaNWR) will be in the 80s and no people!!
I wanted to watch the ACC Bball tournament in a sports bar I like in Yuma, Ariz., but I went on line and found out that it isn't happening this weekend. It's March 14th. I also saw the NCAA final four isn't till April 6-8, both later than I thought. Living in my nest without the daily bombardment of TV makes it easy to lose track of what’s going on in the world. It’s not unusual for me to lose track of what day it is and that’s a good thing. That’s one of the reasons I call this a life style change and not a vacation. Most people’s vacations are crammed into a schedule of events and places to be - Not Me! They can do NCAA Tournament Bball games without me watching!!!! I'll be seeing bears and caribou when the NCAA finals happen! Who cares!
I'm going to stock up on supplies tomorrow and go to my favorite oasis in the desert, Cibola NWR, for a month. I’ll have a gorgeous view from the nest's picture window! The best days of my trip are when I don't have to move my nest, that's Cibol. Accompanying that awesome view will be bobcats, wild burros, a myriad of birds, Big Horned Owls, plus a river, lake and the wet land! I've never spent enough time there. This time I'll be there a month!!!
I showed my multi-talented side today and slid under the camper and changed my own oil! There isn't a mechanical bone in my body, but I got it done!!! I had no idea that different brands of oil filters for my truck were different sizes, so of course, I didn’t have the right wrench to remove it. Glad I checked before I drained the oil, so I could get one. Also, I had no idea that oil pans “tap” was on the side causing the oil to squirt out to the side not down, where I’d put the container to catch it. Whoops! I caught most of it though. MegaMart would've charged $47, but I paid $23 for the filter and synthetic oil. What I saved bought me a NY Strip steak for dinner!!! Was it good? Not really; a little lacking in flavor, but the baked potato was good! I don’t eat much red meat; too much cholesterol, and if it’s not rare as it can be, it tastes a lot like cardboard. I'd rather have broiled oysters or a dozen steamed crabs!!!! That's why I'll always return to the Eastern Shore and O.C. I didn't expect to have an evening for internet prattle!!!! but McDs is providing it. I can get the ten-day weather forecast, enjoy Seacret’s Irie Radio, and catch up on my emails. Gee, I must be back in civilization!!!
If you read this stuff regularly, rather than just look at the pictures, you’ve noticed the articles are all written during my meanderings. The first four were submitted back in February; from here on out I’ll be doing it the week they’re published. I’ll be adding a little local news and hopefully include my travels here on DelMarva this summer. We have some gorgeous, natural, remote places within easy driving distance, right here. Maybe summer has finally gotten here. We got a tease Memorial Day. It’s got to get better! Summer is near, because Birch’s vegetable stand across from the airport on Rt. 611 has fresh DelMarvalous produce.
Bob R o.c.FotoGuy
& facebook.com/OCfotoguy
PHOTOSAsYouWantThem.biz, articles @ Coconuttimes.com
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