Back to Buellton - August 2009

We had not planned to get out during August, mostly because Sandy has a hard time getting off that time of year. The school year is getting ready to begin in September and since Sandy is a pre-school teacher, she has much to do in preparation for the new year. However, all of the rules changed this year - I won't go into all of the reasons, but suffice to say that we were able to get away for a few days. Since it was spur of the moment, we didn't have time to do a lot of planning. A good fall-back position for us is to go to Flying Flags RV park in Buellton, CA. This is one of our very favorite places to go. We will be spending our Thanksgiving in this park again this year. They are getting a little spendy these days, but overall we think that it is worth it. Here's a shot of the entrance to Flying Flags:
Here's another shot of the entrance area:
One of the most fun things that we do when we are camping is sitting around the camp fire, just the two of us chatting about everything and about nothing. Below are two pictures of Sandy sitting around our campfire. Around our campfire, we have solved all of the world's problems. Now if we could only get that dunce Obama to listen to us . . . but of course, he's too busy celebrating "Cinco de Quatro" whatever that is!

Okay, so I have gained a little weight over the course of the summer. I'm working at taking it back off. I guess I'm not slimming down quickly enough, as I completely destroyed one of our chairs on this trip. Here's a pic of what my fat butt did to the chair:

Here's a picture of my beautiful bride, relaxing outside next to Boldlygo:

On one of our nights there, Flying Flags put on an old fashioned hay ride. Below is a picture of farmer John towing the hay ride trailer:

Wow, that was exciting. I'm having a hard time catching my breath just thinking about that hay ride stuff. Ol' farmer John (that's probably not his real name - I'm guessing his name was Dufus or something like that) really had the pedal to the metal. He came roaring past our campsite at 2 or 3 miles per hour. Dadgum kids!!! Slow down, there's people trying to relax here!! Geez . . .

Of course, we did some sight seeing while we were in the Santa Inez valley (where Buellton is located). Along the road to Solvang, there is a nice nursery. Of course, they sell plants and junk like that, but they also sell JUNK and junk like that. Here's a picture of me standing behind some of the junk. The junk I'm standing behind was like 2500 dollars or something like that. For that price, they can KEEP THEIR JUNK!!

Speaking of junk, there's at least one "antique" dealer in the county that not only has a sense of humor, he's also HONEST. We spotted the sign below at the above mentioned nursery. In case you can't quite read what is on the sign, it says "We buy Junk and Sell Antiques". Mmmm Hmmm . . . one man's junk is another man's . . . treasure? Nope, it's still junk to me. However, Sandy likes it and is prone to dragging as much of it home as she can!!

For the first time, we stopped by the little town of Ballard. Ballard is just a stone's throw from Los Olivos. There's really not much there, but we did spot this little gem. This school house has been continually used (as a school house) since 1882. To put that into perspective, 1882 was the year that Wyatt Earp and his brothers had the shootout at the OK Corral (you just knew I would work a reference to Tombstone in here some place, didn't you?). Anyhow, this was a very cool find.

Below is pictured a little market in the town of Orcutt, which appears to actually be a part of Santa Maria. Regardless, this very much has a tiny town feel. We had a very nice lunch at a Mexican restaurant and then went to the place pictured below. It is actually a food market and an antique store. Interesting, huh? The meat looked terrible, but we did end up purchasing a parlor stove while here. It is Sandy's birthday present . . . only a month and a half early :-)

All of the time that we were in the valley, there was a huge fire to the north of us. On our way to Orcutt, we actually saw the flames on a ridge next to the freeway. This picture was taken from about a quarter mile away from the flames.

Now, it turns out that this fire was started by illegal alien pot farmers. According to the news reports, the illegal aliens (sorry, I guess I'm supposed to write undocumented immigrants - what a bunch of horse puckey) have camp fires and such. One apparently got out of hand and started a brush fire. Or, is that a weed fire? Regardless, the tonks sat around for a while just sucking up the smoke from the fire. When the fire hit the surrounding chapparal, they all said "oh wow man, que paso?" That's when the firemen had to step in. NO, I do not believe that pot should be made legal in Kalifornia. I realize that having it illegal doesn't do any good (please reference the ILLEGAL aliens), but it sure makes me feel better to know that the fellow working on my car has been smoking a cigarette and not a joint. Anyhow, this fire spewed huge amounts of ash in the air. It was all over the truck as is evidenced in the picture below. Doesn't our truck have a nice ash?

So anyhow, we had a GREAT time in Buellton. On our last morning there, we went to eat at Mother Hubbards, which is located on Avenue of the Flags. We both highly recommend this place. Tell 'em howdy for us!!

Prescott, AZ. June 26-30, 2009

After leaving Tuscon, we headed west to Phoenix via I-10 then north on I-17, cutting east on state highway 69 to the beautiful city of Prescott. Prescott is nestled up against the mountains in what is known as the 'quad cities' area. The quad is Prescott, Prescott Valley (a seperate and distinct community), Chino Valley and Dewey-Humboldt. Although we drove through Prescott Valley, the city of Prescott was the only place that we really explored.

Before leaving Tombstone, we checked out the internet for appropriate places to stay upon arrival in Prescott. Although we wanted to "let the wind blow us around", we didn't want to get stuck camping in the Walmart parking lot. So, we surfed the net and came up with three likely candidates for where we should stay while in Prescott. The first on the list boasted a downtown location, so we called and made a reservation. I should have known something was hinky while talking to the lady on the phone. They would not take a credit card. They wanted cash only. Hmmm . . . that's a little odd, but whatever floats your boat. Upon arrival in Prescott, we called ahead and got proper directions for where we were going. Sure enough, the "rv park" was right downtown. Except it wasn't an RV park. It was a 55 and older mobile home park.

Okay, I see the clown in the back with his hand up. What do you want? What's the difference between an RV and a Mobile Home? An RV is a home in which you live, be it a motorhome, fifth wheel, travel trailer, etc. It is designed to be moved from place to place. For instance, Sandy and I moved from Whittier to Tombstone to Prescott to Whittier, all in the space of 2 weeks, while living in our RV. A Mobile Home on the other hand, is a home which is designed to be moved to a designated spot and then left there indefinitely. Here's a picture of an RV: And here's a picture of a Mobile Home:

Okay, everyone clear on that now? Good. Okay, so anyway, as I was saying before I was interrupted, this place was NOT an RV park. They had a couple of cement pads where you could park your RV which, in their minds, made them an RV park. They had no TV, they only had 50 amp hookups (nevermind, I don't even want to have to explain that), no place to park your tow vehicle, etc. Plus, all of the people there were 55 years old!! Who wants to camp with a bunch of old people???? Oh wait . . . I guess I AM one of those old people . . . Anyhow, we thanked the old lady for showing us around but told her that we thought we would find someplace more appropriate. She must get that a lot, because she seemed to expect it.

Anyway, down the road we went, wondering if Walmart would still take us? To make a long story short, we found a place named Point of Rocks RV Park out on Highway 89 about 5 miles or so from downtown Prescott. They had all of the good stuff, everything that an RVer needs to have a comfortable stay. They didn't have cable or satelite TV, but we wouldn't have watched TV anyway. Here's a shot of Boldlygo snuggled into her spot at the park. Note: Please compare to the photo of the Mobile Home above.

After driving all day, we were in the mood for a steak, one that neither of us had to cook at a place where neither of us had to wash dishes!! So we headed off to town and found the Prescott Brewing Company and had us a big fat Ribeye steak with all the fixin's!! The Prescott Brewing Company is on Gurley Street, right across from the courthouse. Here's a pic:

We arrived in town during a time of festival. Although we did not get a picture of the courthouse, it is quite a grand building with a large park. The park was being used during this time for the festival leading up to the Independence Day celebration. Prescott takes Independence Day very seriously. That is partially why it is so disgusting to me to have some of our Neighboring cities, such as Montebello, doing away with their July 4th celebration. I guess Cinco De Mayo is a little more Montebello's speed. Regardless, the people in Prescott are REAL American's, proud of their heritage as well we should be! They celebrate for a WEEK leading up to Independence Day!! During that week, they have the world's oldest rodeo going on. We were priviledged to attend the 122nd showing of Prescott's rodeo. Here's the website: http://www.worldsoldestrodeo.com/ Although they would not allow cameras inside the rodeo grounds (a little off if you ask me), Sandy was able to get a shot from outside:

Some of the greatest attractions in Prescott (other than the rodeo - we are huge fans of the rodeo, but we realize it's not everyone's cup of tea), are all of the Victorian homes. There are long streets full of these homes, most of which were built between 1880 and 1904. Scattered among these historic homes are a smattering of newer dwellings, built to blend in with the historical nature of the street. The new ones are easy to spot. How? They have garages! The turn of the century homes do not include garages. Most still have a 'carriage house' still standing at the back of the property. Sandy and I ditched the truck and walked as many of these Victorian home lined streets as possible. Here's a nice example of what we saw while strolling:We have many, many other photos of these fine homes. If anyone is interested in seeing them please email us and we will pass them along to you.

Downtown Prescott has many historic places - besides the Victorian and other historic homes. For instance, there is Whiskey Row. Sandy and I had to have lunch in a place that has been continuously operating since 1877. The place is named "The Palace" and is a hotel, saloon and restaurant. The food was just so-so, but what can I say? Just sitting in a place that has been around that long, thinking about who has been there, the lives that have passed through the place is fascinating to Sandy and I. We sit there and wonder how many of them knew the Lord, how many didn't. How many lived to a ripe old age? How many are in boot hill, not too far from town? We all end up there sooner or later. I'm not sure that it matters whether we end up there early or late. But I am sure that what happens between us and the God of Abraham in between is of utmost importance. Okay, down off the pulpit now. Here's a picture of the outside of The Palace.

It burned to the ground on July 14th 1900 and was rebuilt into the edifice that you see above. There was a very ornate bar in the saloon, which was carried across Montezuma street (Whiskey Row) to the park in front of the courthouse. This very expensive bar was the only thing of value salvaged after the fire. When the place was rebuilt, the bar was reinstalled. Here are some folks sitting at that bar:

Farther downtown on Gurley Street - by the way, I have to stop and talk about the name of that street for just a moment. Now, what self respecting, boot wearing, spurs chingling, six gun toting, cowboy hat hauling MAN would name the main street of town "Gurley"?? Well, it turns out, that was the surname of a person who figured prominently in the early development of Prescott. It kind of does make you think of Kalifornia's Governor though, doesn't it? Anyway, farther down Gurley street is a museum grounds known as Sharlot Hall Museum. http://www.sharlot.org/ You can read more about Sharlot Hall on that website. Anyhow, on these grounds are the first two governor's mansions. The first "mansion" is really a glorified log cabin. Trust me . . . I could live there . . . no problemo! A couple of the buildings are not on their original sites, however others are. Regardless, it is a great place to visit. We spent about 4 hours here. Here is the oldes standing log cabin in Arizona:

Here's a picture of Sandy, taking a picture of me, taking a picture of her, taking a picture of the oldest log cabin in Arizona:Here in California, we have PG&E lakes. These are actually reservoirs that have been created for the purpose of generating electricity as well as conserving water for future use. Arizona of course has their own version of these lakes. Here is one of them, made by the Chino Valley Irrigation District. The name of this one is Willow Lake. The picture does not do it justice. It is breathtaking in person, all of the different colors and hues, especially during the twilight hours. Amazing . . .

On Sunday, we headed off to church, attending at Liberty Baptist Church on Williamson Valley Road in Prescott - actually, kind of in the boonies outside of Prescott. We heard a great message from Hebrews 11 about God's power in our lives. Something very thought provoking from the pastor: Abraham was asked to go and he went. He didn't ask WHY? We need to be obedient without asking why? Great thought. Although we do not remember the names of the folks, we will long remember their hospitality and how they made us feel so welcome. Here's their website www.libertybaptistaz.com/index.htm

Okay, so that's a thumbnail sketch of our trip to Prescott. Ooh, ooh . . . I forgot Thumbnail Butte!! But alas, my time has run out and I need to finish this blog up and post it so you'll need to look it up on the net. Prescott really is a very worthwhile place to visit. We hope to see you there sometime!!

Addendum to Tombstone June '09

A couple of interesting side trips that I failed to mention in the previous post. I mentioned the trip to Gleeson, but did not write concerning the Rattlesnake Ranch. On the road out to Gleeson - by the way - speaking of the road to Gleeson. The road is dirt and gravel and reminds me very much of the county ranch roads up in Wyoming. The dirt and gravel stretches for miles, interrupted only by cattle guards and the occassional mailbox. A funny story concerning the cattle guards: I will assume that the reader knows what a cattle guard is. If not, please look it up on Wikipedia or something like that . . . I don't really want to have to explain it. Anyhow, while asking a local for the directions to Gleeson, he told us of the Rattlesnake Ranch. This good samaritan told us that we would find a sign to the Rattlesnake Ranch about 20 miles out, right after the cattle guard. He relayed to us that he had given these directions to one city slicker who in turn asked "what if the cattle guard has gone home for the day?"

The Rattlesnake Ranch is run by John and Sandy, a couple who appear to be in their late sixties. About fourty years ago, they got tired of their office jobs and crowded commutes up in Chicago, so they turned in their responsibility keys and headed for southern Arizona. They opened what is now their Rattlesnake Ranch. John goes around the desert hunting rattlesnakes. He captures and kills them using one of those long reach 'grabbers', you know the sort - it has a hand grip on one end and a pincher at the other. This, according to John, makes rattlesnake hunting much less dangerous. He skins the rattlesnake, dries and cures the skin and then he and Sandy make crafts from it. They sell their wares from an old 1950's mobile home (single wide of course). There's a little box outside the mobile home where you place your money after making your selection. Trusting people, huh? On the other hand, a criminal isn't going to drive 20 miles of dirt roads in order to steal John and Sandy's crafts.

While wandering in the desert for the last 40 years hunting rattlesnakes, John and Sandy have come across countless little treasures. At least they see them as treasures. It's pretty amazing what they have collected from the desert over that period of time. Old stoves, skulls, axes, picks, saddles, etc., etc. They have these items displayed all around their mobile home. It is absolutely free to look around at their 'stuff'. Here's a few pictures of some of the junk they have collected.

Yes, those are real guns hanging there, all of them found by John and Sandy over the course of the last 40 years.

Sandy particularly liked this sign. How lewd . . . :-)

So, if you're ever in the Tombstone area, be sure to check out John and Sandy's Rattlesnake Ranch. You will not be disappointed!!

Upon leaving Tombstone, we drove north through Benson (don't forget to have breakfast at Reb's!!) then west through Tucson. Although we were on a bit of a tight schedule, we decided to stop at the Old Tucson movie studio. This is basically an old west town that was put together specifically for shooting movie scenes. Picture a smaller version of Universal Studios, all done in an 1880's theme. Some of the movies shot here are: High Noon, Rio Bravo (John Wayne), Hombre (Paul Newman), The Outlaw Josie Wales (Clint Eastwood), and numerous other films since 1939. Oh, and for those of you who remember the series 'High Chaparral', it was filmed here also. We ran out of memory on the camera, so we didn't get any High Chaparral pictures, but the entire ranch area from that series is here on the property. Here's a couple of pictures along the streets of Old Tuscon:

In a previous post, we had pictures of Sandy and I in jail. It was in the building shown below that those pictures were taken.

There are horses for rent at the studios. Although we did not inquire, I'm guessing that this is a 'nose to tail' trail ride, rather than a real horse rental. Their prices were pretty good though. For someone not familiar with horses or mules, this would probably be a good introduction.

Another shot of one of the buildings with me hanging around outside. The building in this town are not just 'false fronts' such as they are at Universal Studios. These buildings are actually functional. The inside could be used as a set as easily as the outside.

The very well known and loved movie 'Tombstone', starring Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot and Bill Paxton was partially filmed here in Old Tuscon. A couple of the sets are very recognizable if you are familiar with the movie. Remember the scene at the train where Kurt Russell (Wyatt Earp) kills Stillwell with a shotgun and then tells Ike Clanton "run you cur. You tell the other curs I'm coming"? Well, here's a picture of that train.The opening sequence of the movie Tombstone opens with 'the Cowboys' led by Curly Bill Brocius (Powers Boothe) interrupting a wedding of a member of the Mexican Police. The members of the gang annihilate all of the present members of the police with the exception of the groom. Curly Bill, after the carnage ends proclaims, "looks like we win". He then tells one of his gang who speaks Spanish to tell the groom to get on his knees. The gang member tells the groom "De rodillas cabron!!!" (on your knees (expletive)!) Below is the 'church' and courtyard where this scene was filmed. Unlike most of the building in town, this is merely a false front. Since Sandy and I are both such huge fans of the movie Tombstone, seeing this was a wonderful highlight of our vist to Old Tucson.
For more information on Old Tucson, check out http://www.oldtucson.com/

Tombstone! (again)

On June 20, 2009, we hooked Boldlygo up to the mule and headed out once again to one of our favorite spots - Tombstone, Arizona. As in previous posts, you may wonder why in the world we would repeatedly go to Tombstone? Well, to find the answer to that question, go back and read the other posts!! Go on!! Don't be lazy!! This trip, we were determined to see some of the 'out of the way' things that have escaped our attention in previous visits. So off to the desert we headed in search of adventure.


Here we are hooked up and ready to roll.
We arrived in Tombstone that evening, probably around 5:30 or so. After setting up camp, we headed into town and up Allen street to the Longhorn Restaurant. The Longhorn is situated in an historic building and features some of the best grub in town. The have anything from burgers to steaks - and pretty much anything in between. After a good meal, we headed back to our camp and settled in for the night.

Before leaving for Arizona, we looked for a church where we might be able to worship while on the road. The First Baptist Church in Tombstone has a new pastor - and a new website. We had overlooked them before, but after having found their website and explored their veracity, we decided to go to attend there Sunday morning. Now, unless you have been to Tombstone, you won't understand the culture there. Pretty much everyone in town dresses up as 'reinactors', complete with 1880's style clothing, etc. Upon arriving at the church building, we say several folks coming to church in their old time garb! It was different, but very very cool. The folks there made us feel very much at home and the message was very good. Being Father's day, the pastor gave a bit of a different twist for the message theme. The text was from Luke - the prodigal son. Rather than focusing on the misbehaven child, the pastor focused on the actions of the father. All in all, a very good message. After services, we stuck around and chatted with a couple from the church. G.T. and Regina were very friendly. We talked to them about what we had seen on their website, how we were glad to see a church of like faith and order in Tombstone. Otherwise, we would not have attended. Anyhow, here's a picture of the church.
On Monday the 22nd, we headed down to Bisbee, Arizona. Bisbee is about 25 miles south of Tombstone and is the home of the Copper Queen hotel and mine. This town was built as a result of the discovery of copper. It is a very historical town, with many buildings dating back to the 1800's. We spent most of the day in Bisbee, exploring the museums and sucking up on some good Mexican food at a place named Santiago's. Here's a picture of one of the main streets through old town Bisbee. On Tuesday, we took a trip to the town of Fairbank. Fairbank is a true ghost town, with it's only resident being a caretaker, who's responsibility it is to make sure nobody defaces or destroys any of the property. Fairbank was established as a railroad town, the town being built on either side of the tracks. Although the tracks are no longer present, part of the roadbed is, along with several structures that have survived. Here's a picture of the roadbed. The structure below is an old house. There was a sign that advised us to stay back because of a rattlesnake infestation. Sandy wouldn't get close to it. I on the other hand, am not nearly as bright as my lovely wife. Therefore, I strode directly up the walk and onto the porch, thus proving two things - #1 - I'm a bit stupid and #2 - there were no rattlesnakes in evidence. So much for signs.

Here is a picture of the lovely Sandy, standing in front of what used to be the hotel/railway station. She is standing on the old roadbed. And here I am coming out of another supposedly rattlesnake infested building. This particular building was an old stable.Addendum - 07-16-2009. I found this little piece of information concerning Fairbank. From ghosttowns.com, "At the time of the Earp/Clanton/McLaury gunfight near the OK Corral Fairbank, Arizona was the railroad rail-head nearest to Tombstone. Following Virgil's ambushing and Morgan Earp's murder in early 1882, it was at Fairbank's train depot that the Earp clan boarded the train with Morgan's body for the trip to California via Tucson". So, if you have ever seen the movie 'Tombstone' and remember when Wyatt Earp kills Stillwell and tells Ike Clanton to "run you cur", this would have historically taken place at the depot in Fairbank.

After leaving Fairbank, we headed over to another town, Gleeson. Gleeson is known as a 'semi-ghost' town. There are a number of residents in this community, many of them occupying buildings that should have collapsed years ago. Most of the town is privately owned, so exploration is out of the question. However, they can't put me in jail for taking pictures, right? So, here's a picture of me in jail.
Of course, they nabbed Sandy too. Poor thing . . . she looks like she just lost her best friend. As for me, I picked up a few friends while in the slammer.

Okay, all kidding aside, here are a couple of pictures of Gleeson.
On Wednesday, we decided to take a trip to see Cochise' stronghold. What's that? It's basically a rocky, mountainous area where the Apache Cochise held off the pale faces. As long as he stayed in this very rugged area, it was impossible for the Cavalry to root him out. He was able to thumb his nose at authority for a number of years. They never did 'capture' him. He came of his own volition. You have to admire that kind of grit and determination. Anyway, we spoke to someone familiar with the area and asked for directions (yes, I can take direction when it is truly in my best interest :-). There are a couple of trails that can be taken. One is a bit shorter and is suitable for grandma's sedan. The other is longer - about 11 miles - and requires four wheel drive for part of the trip. Hey, guess which one we took? Good guess!! Here's a pic or two of the rock formations. Can you imagine going in there after a wild savage? Suicide! As a side note, Sandy is part Apache. Hmmm . . . good thing I have no hair . . .

Before departing on this trip, while conversing with the before mentioned advisor, we were cautioned to not take the more desolate route unless we carried plenty of water - and firearms. We were up to the task on both counts, beings as we rarely travel unarmed. In this case, the comfort of being armed was particularly welcome. Remember, the route we have chosen to take is very remote. We would not have expected to see another soul after leaving the main dirt road. About 5 miles into our trip, we came upon a van sitting about 50 yards off of the road. Although I was a bit surprised, I wasn't particularly alarmed. About 1/4 mile farther on, we came upon a pickup truck, again about 50 yards off of the trail. The doors were open but nobody was there. Another 1/4 mile down the road, we found another van. This one was only 25 yards off of the road and had shotgun and bullet holes in it. The doors were open and it was evident that it had not been there long. So what do we do? I drove past this vehicle with a bit of fear in the pit of my stomach, but my conscience was more than I could bear. I pulled about 100 yards down the road, left the truck idling with Sandy inside, grabbed a revolver and went to investigate. Of course, Sandy thought I was nuts and maybe I was, but I could not have slept that night, wondering if I had left behind someone who needed assistance. There was no way of knowing if there was a wounded body laying in a pool of blood in the van. Only one way to find out. So off down the road I went, pistol in my hand and heart in my throat. After a cursory investigation, I found the van devoid of humans, although the evidence of recent habitation was abundant. I also found a police evidence sticker. Hmmm . . . cops already been here? Okay then. That's my que. Back to the truck and on down the road!! The whole episode kind of frightened Sandy and I think partially ruined the trip for her. That's really regrettable, because the scenery was spectacular!

On Thursday, we headed for Sierra Vista, a town about 20 miles from Tombstone. Now, Sierra Vista (pronounced Vee sta in these parts) is a well developed urban area, complete with a Super Walmart. You know you've arrived when you have your very own Super Walmart, huh? Anyhow, Walmart was not really our destination. We were headed for Fort Huachuca, a military base just outside of Sierra Vista. I have not been on a military base for over 25 years. Security has sure gotten tougher in that space of time! Our final destination was the Buffalo Soldier museum. Black soldiers were at one time known as "Buffalo Soldiers". Although there are a couple of explanations of why they called them this, it is my belief that the name was coined based upon racial bias and prejudices which were prevalent during the time that the name was adopted. Regardless, the 'buffalo soldiers' have an illustrious history, including some medal of honor winners. Here's a picture taken of a buffalo soldier tribute. God bless our troops . . . regardless of what color they may be.
On Friday it was off to Prescott. We are currently in Prescott, sitting in Boldlygo, enjoying each other's company as well as the smell of an artichoke steaming on the stove. It will be a part of our dinner, along with ribeye steak and mushrooms. Our next blog will probably come after we arrive home. We are currently planning to head home on Tuesday. We'll see where the wind blows us . . .

Retired the Dodge for a Dodge

After our last trip the the Sierras, we decided that we would like two things. Number one, we want a bigger trailer. Yes, Boldlygo has been wonderful for us. We have slept comfortably in the heat, in the rain, and in the snow. We have cooked many a fine meal on her stove. We've made popcorn in the microwave and coffee to wake us up in the morning. But alas, it has just gotten a bit too small for us. However, since a bigger trailer is number one on the list, number two was, of a necessity, a more powerful truck. Well now, there was a bit of a problem with that. I love my truck!! It has everything that I need and nothing that I don't need. It's not all fancied out inside with 'rich Corinthian leather' or any of that sissy stuff. It's utilitarian. It's comfortable. It's four wheel drive . . . what more can a cowboy use? Well fortunately, we were able to find an identical truck to replace our old one. Uh, identical with three exceptions. It is a different color, it's a year newer and it has a Cummins Turbo Diesel. Common all of you Tim the Toolman wannabes!! Say it with me!!! HUH, HUH, HUH!!! On May 30, 2009 we picked up 325 horses and 610 foot pounds of torque that will pull your house right off of the foundation!! Hmmmm . . . maybe this truck is a bit over kill? No, not really. It is capable of pulling pretty much any RV that Sandy and I would want to own. But even pulling boldlygo, our fuel mileage has been a good 18-20% better than the old truck. And, our mileage running empty is also appreciably better than with the old truck. The best of both worlds, or so it seems. Now it's off to look for a bigger trailer, one that will better accomodate the three of us - yes, I have to count Buck in there. Momma's boy needs a place to sleep too :-)

Here's some pictures of the new truck.