Rattlesnake Ranch

Here I am just east of Tombstone (The Town Too Tough To Die) about 15 miles in the desert off a dirt road leading to nearby mining ghost towns, Gleeson and Courtland in southeastern Arizona.
Rattlesnake Ranch is the creation of John & Sandy who quit their office jobs in Illinois and created the ranch, starting in 1979. They traded the work-a-day world for the laid back and somewhat lazy lifestyle of rattlesnake hunters. They craft all sorts of items using every part of the rattlesnakes, selling them and gem stones to tourists visiting their ranch.
Over the years as they scoured the desert for rattlesnakes, they collected over 5,000 primitive and western collectibles. Some were donated by local ranchers cleaning out their barns.
Here's a good alternative use of the bed pan. Just don't sit down on it!!!
John and Sandy are friendly, happy persons living a solitary and different lifestyle.

It's a Guy Thing

My second tour of the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson AZ is every bit as interesting as last winter's visit. Imagine 33 acres covered with virtually every type and size of military aircraft and space vehicle used primarily during the period of WWII through the late 1990s. Parked outside or inside hangers, every item is well-signed. A tram tour is available with a veteran conducting, providing insights and details.

Friend, John Porter and I walked a couple of miles outdoors and through numerous hangers, ooing and ahing at all we saw. I identified several aircraft types my cousin, Bill Davenport had piloted, including one I rode in with him at the controls.

A few antique or unique civilian aircraft were on display, including a replica of the Wright Brothers first-flight airplane,
an autogyro and the world's smallest plane. .We walked through Air Force One used by Kennedy and Johnson. It was a 4-engine piston-powered aircraft, quite primitive and slow with limited range by today's standards.

The Museum abuts the vast Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. While the military conducts training flights, the primary role of the Base is to store excess military aircraft inventory within its 10 or so square miles. Those deemed worthy of keeping are carefully moth-balled, lined up and readily re-commisionable. Otherwise, they are disassembled for parts or scrapped.

Since before WWII, vast sums have been spent developing, building, operating and preserving our military aircraft and space arsenal.
I couldn't help but wonder whether more standardization between the military branches could have provided each with their needed capabilities at a lower cost. Today, such cooperation is said to be more prevalent.

So - What's a RV Rally All About?

This week I am attending a RV rally in Casa Grande, just south of Phoenix AZ. Located in a huge county fairgrounds, about 300 RV's of all descriptions, sizes and condition and from all parts of North America are lined up side-by-side in multiple relatively neat rows. At this rally we have some power and water!!



One couple drove 3,600 miles from upstate NY to attend. Nick Russell, the producer of this Gypsy Journal Rally, introduced the couple to all 500 or more attendees saying to them, "it's OK to take the chains off your tires now."

As is typical in this lifestyle, everytime one relocates or someone moves in nearby, you have new neighbors and the opportunity to make new acquaintances and friends.

Such is the case here. I have been caravanning with San Diego-based RV friends, John and Mimi Porter for over a month as we have moved from spot to spot. Here you see our coaches parked side-by-side.


Recently, we have developed new friends, Charley and Sheila Scarborough who are relatively "newbie" full-timers. Retired from Raytheon and amateur radio "hams", they are fun folks with a lively dog, all three quickly adapting to life in a portable home and deliberately changing venues. Others are people whose RV/travel blogs I follow, as well as some notable RV lifestyle authors and vendors. It's neat to put their faces and body language together with my impressions and learning received from reading their blogs and hearing about them.

This rally is the best one yet for me. I like attending seminars about living on the road topics. Examples are - "Personal safety for RVers", "Driving tips and techniques", Caring for the RV's exterior", "Highway history and backroad mystery", "How to write travel and life stories", "Fire safety". For the ladies there's "Crafts workshop; quilting on the road; RVing from a woman's point-of-view".



There's coffee and doughnuts in the morning, happy-hour late afternoons, Mimi's delicious dinners, and available entertainment (dancing and jazz) in the evening. Very full days!!

John and I have squeezed in some RC model flying "experiences." We both have a long way to go in reliably making landings where we want to!! Both of us have looming major repairs/replacements -- but -- it's fun!!!!

Moving in Southwestern U.S.

Note: This is my initial entry - it's much longer than future entries are likely to be. To see any photo enlarged, left click on it. To return to the entry, hit the "page back" arrow in the upper lefthand corner of your browser screen.

Since early in 2008 in southern CA and AZ, I've been seeking warmth, wide open spaces, clear skies and friendly people - and places to fly my RC model airplanes. So far, its been colder than normal with some rain and there definitely are friendly people. In spite of occasional, non-fatal crashes, am getting more proficient at controlling the models! Landings remain a challenge!!

The Palm Springs CA area is ritzy with RV parks getting up to $150 a night and providing every imaginable amenity. This one sports a 1-mile inland waterway and RV "pad" owners often will have their electric party boat at their own dock! Then, there's the nearby Fairgrounds in Indio where attending a RV rally means being packed in like sardines and without any amenities! I sampled both (free pass to the $150 one; paid for the other!).

On to Anza Boreggo State Park CA to meet up and boondock with friends, John and Mimi Porter from San Diego, who drive a well-equipped RV (solar panels, etc.). John and I managed some successful RC model flights, using a nearby dry lake bed as our "field".

We have been and are caravanning from spot to spot. Mimi is one good cook!! They like my wine and brie cheese!!

On to Quartzsite AZ where, during January each year, as many as a million people - most in RVs of all descriptions - congregate and spreadout on the vast desert floor, enjoying whatever brings them to this "happening". Here's a desert mountain sunrise.

Down to Yuma AZ for supplies, dump waste and refill tanks with water, propane and fuel. Active Marine airbase there and witnessed squadrons of Warrior type aircraft do their thing, which includes flying at supersonic speed to vertical take-off and landing!

Up to a BLM site just noth of Yuma called Imperial Dam to boondock, fly RC model and take Jeep rides along what is left of the Colorado River. The nearby Army Proving Ground hosts the Army's demonstration parachute teams each winter to train. Open to the public, it is a thrill to watch their precision "flying" and landing. Very professional and entertaining.

Now in a small remote "town", Ajo in south central AZ and boondocking (in remote area w/o hookups) amongst other boondockers who have happy hour and morning coffee gatherings around a campfire. Interesting, sometimes "different" people from all walks of life. Most are retired and full- or semi-full-timers.

Ajo abuts the Barry Goldwater Military Range - a vast deolate area stretching 130 miles to the west and Yuma. Military jets use the range to practice gunnery and bombing. Jets fly low right overhead on their way to do their thing. One hears, then sees them, and soon thereafter, feels the shock of the detonating bombs.

Weather finally warming up and the promise is more of the same - hooray.

On to Casa Grande this Sunday, caravanning with the Porters 100 miles or so through the Tohono O'Odham Indian Reservation. We will be attending what promises to be a most interesting and educational RV rally - The Gypsy Journal Rally.