Major Blog Overhall

Want to know what I did in Ajo? Re-did, played with, added links (click on colored word or phrase and you will be taken to a website that describes whatever I'm talking about), slide shows (click on picture and you will be taken to my Picassa web album - use the back button to return to the Blog), added some of my favorite sites - more to come, editing and adding photos to web albums, adding maps with our route drawn and placemarks (still working on that one).

Spent HOURS working on fine tuning, tweaking, deleting, adding, actually reading instructions on how to add whatever to the Blog, uploading, downloading, losing then finding text, watching tutorial videos (thanks Geeks on tour), then watched them again, choosing size, color, style of fonts and texts. Whew! Thank the heavens we were in Ajo otherwise the Blog would still be just the Blog. Now it's new and improved and I'm just getting warmed up. Stay tuned.

Trip to Ajo (Ah Ho)

We took the motorhome out of mothballs and headed to Ajo, Az to Shadow Ridge Rv Resort (not going to do that link...obnoxious music on their website). Why Ajo? Well, it's only about 2 hours away, an easy drive and we've never been there. There is not much happening in Ajo unless you happen to work for Border Patrol. They are everywhere! One day we went to the IGA to get bread and Jack Daniels. They only sell beer and wine at the IGA. Tim had to go to the local liquor store "Indulgence" to get his JD. The next day we took a drive around town and out in the desert...which was a very pretty drive even tho we were dodging Border Patrol cars. Also went to the Pharmacy to get me some Zyrtek knockoff since my allergies were horrible. I was tempted to take the car and drive home leaving Tim to get back on his own. Fortunately, the drugs kicked in. The next day we went to Dollar General. Today, I went to the Chevron to get a "cappucino" before we headed south to the border and Organ Pipe Cactus National Park. The following posts detail the trip.

It has been a good trip. We like Ajo. They even have a Country Club...kinda. They also have an airport...but don't have any planes. Did I mention Border Patrol? We also went to Why, AZ. Why? Why not? Don't need to go back.

We head home tomorrow. I bet there will be a Border Patrol road block heading north.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Park

This is as close as Tim would let me get to the border. This border crossing is at Lukeville, AZ and it is a busy one. I was amazed at the number of RV's heading to Mexico. This is the road that takes you to Rocky Point which is about another 40 miles down the road.

On the drive back to Ajo we passed a Border Patrol car parked on the side of the road (facing traffic) and using binoculors eyeballing us as we drove by. There was also a "high intensity tower" watching traffic.
A 28 year old Park Ranger was shot and killed by a drug cartel member while he was on patrol in 2002. I had no idea that Park Rangers patrolled for illegals and drugs as well as Border Patrol.

We just visited the visitor's center...didn't do the 21 mile trip through the park (on a dirt road). Bought a post card instead.

They have a campground (dry camping only) that was real nice. Can handle 40' motorhomes. No entry fee and $6.00/night cost if you have a Golden Age Pass (now called America the Beautiful Pass) however; all the snakes are coming out of hibernation now so I'm not going there.

Picture of me...proof I was on this trip.

This is a test

Recent Miscellaneous Pictures

Click on above picture. Will take you to web album. Click on "back arrow" tab to return to Blog.

Trip to Ajo, AZ

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Datastorm Users

Datastorm Users

Click on above link. Map showing our location in Ajo. Use back button to return to Blog.

I'm Lucy and I'm ready to travel!

TOOTSIE 1993-2008

WHO HOO 60TH BIRTHDAY!!!!

See Lorie's blog - www.lofam.blogspot.com - I'm still recovering (and full)! She did what I was going to do...so...why do it twice?? However, she didn't mention that Tim got me a fly fishing rod, and, yes, I did ask for it. I also need one of those net things you catch them in. He said I had to just reach in the water and bring them out. Well, now he understands that I need the net thingy. I want the sucker cornered for a controlled catch.

Lorie also didn't mention that I tried to bribe (sex for secrets) Tim out of what was planned for Sunday. He whimpered, squirmed, eyes watered like I've never seen him do before ...but he didn't cave...thought I had him for sure. Probably the hardest secret he ever kept. I wouldn't suggest using him again...he exhausted his will power.

2007 is History!

As many of you know we had blessings and challenges this past year. A brief recap in case you didn't know. First part of the year we were feeling pretty good. Tim's CT scans were showing no change in the spot on his lung and his breathing ability was improving greatly (blessing). He had stopped smoking 1 year as of February 2007 (now approaching 2 years!)(blessing) We got a new Yorkie puppy in February driving to Tuscon to pick her up. My girlfriend (godparent of Tootsie and now Lucy), Pat, drove 2-1/2 hours to eastern Illinois to retrieve her from a breeder and then fly her to Tuscon. She already had a trip plan...just added a little extra baggage. She's nothing like our Buffy (twice as big...we call her our Illinois farm girl) but she has won our hearts especially Tim's (blessing).


April 17 brought me my newest granddaughter - Audrey Rose (blessing). My daughter, Lorie, had her first baby at 41, pregnancy was fine, however, delivery ended up a C-section. Mother and daughter are doing great. Lorie's blog...lofam.blogspot.com has current pics.


We were planning on taking our motorhome up to ShowLow (White Mountains - northern Arizona) May 12 to park it for the summer. We had a cement pad poured and had reservations for Tom and family and Sean to stay in the cabins next to us. However, everything went haywire May 5. We went to breakfast that morning and by 5pm Tim was in ER. He was in ICU by 11pm and in the hospital for the next 5 days with a perforated colon. He then had emergency surgery May 26 removing a portion of his colon and adding a "bag". Two weeks later I had gallbladder surgery. We spent the rest of the summer adjusting to the "bag" and figuring out what I could and could not eat minus a gallbladder.


Tom, Hee Yun, Jee Soo and Sean came to visit in July (blessing). It's always great to be with them. We never realize how much we miss them until they are here and then leave. We took the motorhome to ShowLow the end of July and then headed out in September for our first major trip. We left ShowLow September 4 with a destination of Ft. Bragg, CA. Previous posts on the blog details our trip.


Tim's 2nd surgery was October 11 removing the bag and reattaching the colon. He spent a week in the hospital and then the next 6 weeks getting back on his feet (blessing). Tim's surgery prevented us from going to Korea for Sean's wedding. He and Yeon were married in October in a traditional Korean wedding (blessing). Hopefully, they will be coming home this summer and we will be able to spend some time getting to know her.

Here's what I learned in 2007. Life is precious. It can change at breakfast. All that really matters are family, friends and damn good surgeons (blessings). When you feel out of control - quit fighting the current...turn the boat around, pull the oars in and go with the flow. And, laughter is the best medicine. We don't go a day without laughter...in spite of some pretty scarey times we always seemed to find some humor somewhere. And, it looks like I had more blessings than crappy (no pun intended, Tim) things. I guess 2007 wasn't so bad afterall.


Here's to a great 2008!


Tim and Sue

Cabin Fever

Tootsie says...OK, so you want to play?
Give me your best shot.
Missed.
Wow. That was a sucker punch.

Paso Robles Wineries

Tasted my first desert wine at Tobin James. Oh my, with dark chocolate as a chaser what can I say. I bought two bottles.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and he sells box wine at Sylvester Winery!! The winery provides this wine to Princess Cruises (as their house wine)...probably in bigger boxes, tho. I only bought two boxes. I'm running out of room.
Me and my friend at Justin Winery. Made room for just a little more wine.
Was able to spend some time talking to the taste pourer at Justin. He told me there are 80 acres of vineyards here and they hand cut the grapes. Larger vineyards have machines that cut the grapes. Also, when vines get to be around 50-60 years old they produce so little fruit that it becomes too costly to make wine and they will tear the vines out and start over. It takes about 5 years for new vines to produce fruit and bottle wine. Very expensive startup costs.

Miscellaneous Pics

Picking blackberries.
More of those pink flowers with fog moving in the background.
San Rafael Bridge. It's a double decker bridge. We headed north on the top deck and now we're on the bottom deck heading to Petaluma. We took this bridge instead of the Golden Gate...less congestion.

Point Cabrillo Lighthouse/Mendocino

We were there early and I was able to get some great pictures without people milling about.
When I first saw these flowers (they are every where) I thought they were plastic. It is a pink flower - like a day lily - at the top of a brown stem and not a leaf in sight. It looked like someone had just stuck them in the ground.
I'd want a lighthouse with a coastline like this.
Fog moving in.

Dog pics

What???
Leave me alone.
Do you think they know where they're going?
I'm cold. I may have been born in Illinois...but I'm a desert dog now.

Yosemite

The first picture is of El Capitan. Big rock...or look what they can do with styrofoam! Lucy was a big hit with all the tourists. They couldn't resist her charm. Tootsie just put up with it all. The scenic pictures are hazy due to all the smoke in the air because of fires. We stayed for a couple of nights in Oakhurst which is about 16 miles from the park. Tim hadn't been here for 50+ years. His uncle owned land in the area and he used to come here as a kid. We scoured many back roads trying to find his uncle's former property. No such luck. He showed me the corner where Mr. Goatly sold soda pop, eggs, ice cream bars and goat meat. His real name was Mr. Whitely...but he said it wrong one day and forever more Mr. Whitely became Mr. Goatly. Ahhhh. Such memories. Tim's having a good time.

Cloverdale KOA

The first two pictures only can give you a taste of what the road to the campground was like. The one lane bridge should give you a hint along with the 10 mph turn. It was a steep, narrow, potholed road. If we had met another rig or truck someone was going to have to unhook the car in order to back up (can't back up with car in tow). Fortunately, no one was on the road except for us. When we got to the campground we had a decent place to park; however, couldn't level the moho without wheels being off the ground which we didn't do.

Hard to see in the picture but Tim ran over the metal fire ring and did some damage to the car. He was able to bang the fender back into place. When we left the next morning I followed him down the hill and hooked up there. Decided we didn't want to chance meeting
someone coming up the hill. Left Cloverdale and took the Hwy 128 exit to Ft. Bragg. Didn't get any pictures of that part of the trip...was too busy sucking air. Oh my God, if I had been
the one driving we still wouldn't be in Ft. Bragg cause I would be pushing it. Between meeting logging trucks that go 90mph and twisty, curvy roads I was ready for a double wine with lunch.

North of Ft. Bragg

Beautiful coastline north of Ft. Bragg

Mendocino coast

These were taken this morning (9/12) along the Mendocino coastline. Yes, it was (and still is) chilly.