TRAVEL WITH THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:)): KELLY HEADS TO WICKENBURG WHILE PHEEBS & I HOLD THE FORT…AND THE SKUNK TRAPS ARE SET……….
KELLY HEADS TO WICKENBURG WHILE PHEEBS & I HOLD THE FORT…AND THE SKUNK TRAPS ARE SET……….
I woke up to the sounds of a crowing Rooster & Pheebs woke up to a big tummy rub. And I felt the warmest morning breeze through my bedroom window I have ever felt on a still dark Arizona morning. Knew we were in for a hot day so whatever things we had to get done we had better get done early.
Had the attic creature stirred in the night Kelly was prepared to go out & sleep in the rig. But not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Maybe it sensed the Critter Cam & being camera shy did not want to have it’s picture splashed across the internet via my blog. So no pics on the Critter Cam this morning but I do have it set up for tonight again.
Devoted some time to the rig this morning doing a pre-trip check. Oils were Ok, battery cells good, greased the slide in step & slide gear. Partially filled the fresh water tank, etc. etc. Just have to load er up with a few things & we’ll be ready to rumble next week. Long range weather forecast is calling for rain on the week-end followed by cooler temps for this area. I think we topped out around 85F today. And I was reminded by ME & MY DOG’s post today that I had better see if I can find out why our Sirius Satellite radio antennae lost the satellite signal about half way to Arizona a few weeks ago. Radio itself is fine & I have it playing inside on a Sirius boom box at the moment. Has to be some kind of an antennae problem.
I’m sure Kelly was happy to head off to Wickenburg this morning by herself. She likes hitting stores of interest & of course I don’t like dragging around in stores much at all. Always nicer for her if I’m not along grumbling about all the store stops. She always gets far more accomplished without me along anyway. And besides, Pheebs & I were happy to stay just where we was today. She picked up an Arizona tag for the utility trailer today too. And the lady at the ‘Out West Title Company’ remembered Kelly from last winter when we sold our Class A Damon Challenger.
In my bathroom there was a deep closet made of crappy cheap shelves. Cowboy construction for sure & not very well done. It is one of the areas we have detected dead mouse smells & mouse dirt. This morning I tore that whole mess of a closet out of there. No wonder critters were getting in from under the house. Sure was shabbily built. We’re going to have someone come in & finish off the walls properly & seal up the holes. May put some shelves in again but not so deep this time. We have one other problem area in a crawl space behind that closet which also needs attention & some renovating.
John over at JUST FINDING OUR WAY has another modification completed on his Scamp. For all you mechanical & techno do-it-yourselfers out here you really ought to keep a close eye on John’s blog because you are going to pick up a lot of ‘how-to’ stuff along the way. Just boggles my mind how some people can make projects like this look & sound so easy.
Thanks for the name suggestions for our hand carved wooden garden Eagle. Cactus Jack seems easy to remember but I like El Pica too. And how clever Butterbean Carpenter’s AL E. OOP. I wonder how many folks remember that old Alley Oop cartoon strip. And did you know there was a 45 RPM record out about ALLEY OOP. It was done by the Hollywood Argyles. I know because I bought that 45. Again thanks for the many suggestions from folks on Critter deterrents. Mr Ed from the FLIP FLOP RESORT INN had a couple suggestions. That ‘strobe light’ idea is commonly used in the South-West when keeping Pack Rats out of from under engine hoods. And I will let Les handle the Skunk or Skunks issue. He’s had a lot of experience with Skunks under his own house. And it’s important the Skunk is caught within the next few days before the weather begins to cool off or else it will go into hibernation & we’ll have to deal with him when he wakes up in the Spring. Would rather get this problem taken care of now. And to answer CAVE DWELLER DONNA’s question, yes we did use our fireplace a few times last winter. Not very heat efficient with most of the heat going up the chimney. Probably not something we will use much this winter either. NEW MEXICO DESERT HAWK identified that skull in Sunday night’s post as that of a horse. And yes LADYBUG the sheep in last night’s post are the very same darn varmints that ate our cactus……….
We have been keeping kind of an eye on our weather back home & it has not been good. Cold temperatures, snow, snow squalls, power outages, road closures & the usual rash of highway accidents due to slippery roads. Kelly & I are very fortunate in that we do not have any strong Christmas or work related ties & are able to escape Winter’s nasty grip each year & head south by mid October. Our November weather here in Congress has been nothing short of fantabulous. To me November was always the most depressing month of the year back home. And sitting here tonight my mind wanders & wonders……what has ever become of TIOGA GEORGE?
GROANER’S CORNER:(( You are working on your family genealogy and for sake of example, let's say that your great-great uncle, Remus Starr, a fellow lacking in character, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889.
"Remus Starr: Horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison, 1885. Escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged, 1889."
Pretty grim situation, right? But let's revise things a bit. We simply crop the picture, scan in an enlarged image and edit it with image processing software so that all that is seen is a head shot.
"Remus Starr was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad.
Beginning in 1885, he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."
That sunset looked wonderful from up here too.
Still blaming the Sheep are ya. I still think they were framed.
Hehe...nice groaner. Sounds the way politicians speak. I envy you that warm morning air. Over here we "enjoyed" -5C this morning, though no snow yet. But how much longer can that go?
We heading that way slowly 21f here this morning but gonna get up to a sunny 53 today great travel day. I like the Alley oop.
As for the rabbits & other critters eating your cacti, I see folks who live farther out in the desert around Las Cruces use wire cages to keep there plants from being eaten.
1" Mesh Galvanized Poultry Netting Chicken Wire Fencing should work to make the cages.
Good luck with the rodent problems.
We've had problems in the past with skunks spraying out dogs & the smell they leave behind just walking by can come into the house as well.
Animal control dropped off a cage trap I set up with a raw egg inside. Got it first or second night.
Called animal control, I a man came & picked up the caged skunk. Before he got it into his truck, it sprayed him.
Pretty looking animals, but not ones one would want around the home place.
I often wonder about Tioga George as well.
I never realized there were skunks in the desert...Are they desert skunks or do they look the same as ours up here???That desert can't be very warm at night, that's why they want to bunk up at your casa!!
In NM, we have high desert. Often above 4,000' to much higher. Our normal nights even on the hottest part of summer will cool down at night.
We tend to have skunk problems in the Spring & late Fall & early Winter. Either they are come out of what I always called hibernation in the Spring. Or they are finding a place to hibernate in the Fall/Winter.
But I have read they don't really hibernate. Skunks are dormant for about a month during the coldest part of winter. They go into a state of torpor. This is a very groggy sleep that is intermittent and can be interrupted by periods of time awake and active.
Skunks are nocturnal & find shelter from the sun.