Almost

Sunday the 26th

We are just waiting on a couple of final things and we are out of Dogpound South, Brenda is getting the inside all shiny and clean, I am tinkering in the shed and around the yard to make sure everything is ready for our departure. I have drawn a diagram of the irrigation system and tried to give DPS's new owner a good idea of how things work. For the most part, the manuals are all here so he will be able to figure it out himself. We aren't taking a lot of things with us so about 3 or 4 rubbermaid containers thrown on the little ATV trailer should suffice. We will leave that and our Buick at a friends place and come down late next spring, Mayish, and repatriate it all to Canada.

Well, today we checked the last box of things to do, passed our septic inspection, pumped the tank and with that completed there is only the money to change hands and the papers to be signed. We sign ours on Wednesday morning so it is looking like Thursday is the day we hit the road. For the most part, we are packed and tomorrow will move those few things out onto our trailer, tarp them over and move our gear into Dogpound Anywhere (DPA).

Sunset tonight

I am taking the Buick into the big city to get a trailer hitch, in the morning, and make one last Costco run before we head for the wide open spaces. We have a kind of a plan on where to go to start with but I will save that for a later update. Hate to give too much warning to folks, this way they don't have a long time to plan their escape.

Max likes a good sunset as well.

Packing our Tent

Not much exciting going on here at Dogpound South. We have been getting DPS ship-shape for its new owner. The deal hasn't closed yet but we have dealt with the conditions and I guess until the money actually changes hands that is as close as it gets to being done. We had to fix a couple of minor issues but all in all the place was in good shape.

This week as well as finishing up those outstanding issues we have been trekking over to Gold Canyon in the East Valley to Superstition Chiropractic for Brenda's Calmare or Scrambler Therapy. It is one of the only things she has found that relieves her nerve pain caused by the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).

Sunrise this Morning

 Today we had an early afternoon appointment and we took the opportunity to slip down the road a couple of hundred yards from the clinic for a visit with Renè and Jeanette, who are staying nearby for a couple of weeks. They fed us a great lunch and we caught up with our visiting. I was so busy visiting I didn't get any pictures so all I have for today is a couple of shots from DPS.

Sunset Tonight

I started this blog a week or so ago and never got it finished. Everything at DPS is ready to go now, except for one more inspection that needs to be completed. We expect that things will all be in order by mid-next week and we are hoping to close on November 30.

Monday afternoon we got visitors here at DPS, Mike and Shaunna Lewis, and their travelling menagerie. They had a couple of horses, a mule, and three of the best-behaved dogs you have ever imagined. Guess that is what happens when the owners are both RCMP K-9 handlers and trainers. Max and Maya just sat back and observed for the most part but I don't really think any of that training is going to rub off on them, they are free spirits and their owners are not too good as dog trainers.

The Lewis's were in transit to their place down near Pearce, Arizona and used their visit with us to stock their pantry. We sure enjoyed having them and sharing stories around the campfire.

Wednesday we put some new tires on the Buick and it is ready for its journey back north of the Medicine Line next spring/summer, so just a few more things to get done and Dogpound South (DPS) will be in our rearview mirror. What is next, we are not sure, but it probably includes a trip to Why, and maybe into SE Arizona, one part we have never visited much. After that we will have to see where the wind blows us, but for this winter I guess Arizona and Southern California are on the horizon.

New Adventures in the Pipeline

Six and a half years ago we made a move that surprised some folks. We were visiting friends in Thunderbird Farms and stumbled on a little single wide trailer that looked like a great base to do some riding around Arizona from. We jumped on it and started hauling our horses south for the winters. We saw a lot of country, met some great folks, had some interesting adventures, and until Brenda's knee surgery in 2014 had a great time. Long-term readers will know that surgery wasn't exactly successful and Brenda has been unable to get back on her pony. I continued riding here the next couple of winters but it wasn't the same without my partner. Last winter we left the horses at home and brought an ATV, Blue II down with us, thinking that would allow us to get out into the desert again together. Well, it is not Brenda's favourite mode of transportation but, she is being a good sport and spending some time bumping around the country with me. We traded off our Living Quarters horse trailer and acquired a toy hauler that allows Blue II to travel with us and converts to a pretty nice dining room when he is on the ground.

Dogpound Anywhere (DPA)

So not needing pens and not needing a place to keep our ponies led us back in time to the days before Dogpound South when we were just wandering the highways and byways finding a lonely desert location and enjoying the winters down here in the Sunbelt. So we rigged up our new Road Warrior and the next thing Dogpound Anywhere was born. I mean what is not to like about spending our mornings with a view like this.

Watching the sunrise along a wash outside of Bouse, Arizona

We took our time getting south this year, something that is not all that easy when you are transporting horses, but Blue II will stand tied for just as long as you want and never a nicker or a stomping foot to get rolling. We started talking about the next chapter a little more seriously, and earlier this week decided to talk to our local realtor. Well, things moved pretty quickly after that, within 24 hours we had an interested buyer, and a day later an offer on the table. His number and our number were the same so if all goes well over the next few days Dogpound South will have a new proprietor and Dogpound Anywhere will shed her ties, lift her jacks and hit the trails again. Still, a couple of things to be done but I am hopeful none of them insurmountable and we will be onwards to continue John and Brenda's Incredible Adventure, down the road from Dogpound. We've got some old favourite spots to visit, some friends to drop in on, and no ties hopefully in a few weeks. We have conditionally sold the place as a turnkey deal, the new owner will just need his toothbrush and he is ready to go.

We loved this place, and it was great while we used it with the horses but those days are gone, and it is time someone else enjoyed it. We will miss a lot of things here, not the least of which is the people, and neighbours we have, and I am sure that unlimited internet will be missed as well, but I know Brenda won't miss keeping this acreage in order.

Chilling

Not much to report today, but what the heck I'm on a roll and this blog will probably double my production for the year, maybe more. We didn't do much today, a fire in the morning to watch the day begin and drink our tea, but no pictures, that passed the pre-publishing inspection, of that event. As usual we are eating like royalty here at Dogpound Anywhere (DPA), but I am not much on food pics so you will just have to trust me that you would be drooling.

Yesterday and today Brenda took a spin in Blue II with me, it is not her favourite way to travel but she is a trooper and trying to look like she is enjoying it. I like this Can-Am but it does have one flaw, it is a mid-engine outfit and that engine sits right between our seats and throws a pile of heat. Those who have followed our journey with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome know that heat is not a great thing, so that doesn't make it anymore comfortable for her either. This is beautiful country and the scenery starts just beyond where you can walk easily. Back in the day Meg and I walked a couple of hundred miles through these hills but now Blue II is doing the moving and I am just along for the ride.

Along the way we came upon this memorial, appeared to honour two folks but the pictures were so sun faded it was hard to tell.

We took about a 6 or 8 mile run through the hills past an old mine site and the memorial and then back to camp to chill for the rest of the day. I spent a little time mucking about with my extension tubes and camera and below is the result of that exercise.

Just a rock but it could be the Grand Canyon

Wouldn't want to step on this little bugger

Every day has to come to an end but here at DPA the end is always beautiful so I'll leave you with this.

Yellow Bird Country

Well we got done Brenda's mission in Vegas and headed south for a old favourite spot near Bouse, Arizona. Along the way we crossed through California for a short distance and caught this train headed for the coast.

It was pulling hard on an uphill grade and within 10 miles we passed two more hot on his tracks, literally.

We ran down through Lake Havasu, and stopped in Parker to pick up a few things and then we were off to the desert for a little down time before we head the rest of the way into Dogpound South. As I said this is maybe our favourite spot to decompress and get away from the rat race. Our solar panels keep us in power and we have a new WeBoost system for our cell phones so we might even have decent internet, although the country around here is pretty nice and we don't have much time for the internet anyway. Today we took a couple of runs on the Can-Am and saw some of the country, even passed through this high security gate with a keypad to open and shut it.

That was on our trip to the dump to get rid of our garbage, and then we headed around the mountain for a short ride. The desert is a beautiful spot and we enjoy seeing it in all its wonder.

Had a little excitement back at Dogpound North today, I won't bore you with the snow pictures but my Thermostat sent me an email about 4:30AM this morning to tell me we had a low temp situation going on back there, so I had a peak at the camera in the Furnace Room as sure as shooting the pilot light had gone out. I waited a while and then caught Matt on his way to work and he ran in and relite it for me so we have heat on the Northern Ranges as of this writing, but our furnace guy is headed there in the morning to give it the once over anyway, and probably replace the thermocouple as a little preventative maintenance.

It is a beautiful night in the desert tonight and thanks to WeBoost we are able to write this blog as Live Writer doesn't work so well in the Mac Ecosystem and it has to be done online.

One last shot of the moon tonight off our dining deck.