BANDERA VOLCANO GODESS

Kind of a pleasantly unexpected week here in Grants NM. We pride ourselves in our investigative/explorative natures, but Grants turns out to be a big surprise. We have spent the night here a few times in the past. Refueled, and headed on to interesting places. After spending time at Parker AZ, and Cottonwood AZ., Grants turns out to be very comfortable. The campground is no 5 star, but the weather is much cooler, the winds are just breezes, and there are no *@!&% bugs. We decided to spend a week. Grants is a small cowboy and Indian town. No fancy houses, lots of rusted old cars, lava beds everywhere. No local attractions. Main St is old Route 66 but the folks are friendly. Today we took a drive out hwy 53 into the country. Nice drive, and we wound up climbing the Bandera Volacano, which is over 8000", then we hiked down to to the Ice Cave where the temp is 31 degrees, that's below freezing. We continued our drive to El Morro Nat. Monument. It is breathtaking, beautiful, and loaded with history you can wittness. The pics help. In case you didn't know, you can click on any picture to enlarge it. You may want to so with the "inscriptions". It turns out the walls of El Morro have been inscribed by the indiginous Indians in the 1400's, the Spanish Conquistadors, and the American pioneers heading west. I have many more pics if you're intrested. All is well here, hope the same for y'all. Love and God Bless..............


Ray & Diane & the Fur boys.

BANDERA CRATER

This is a large hole in the midle of a volcano, the Bandera Volcano. They call it a crater. I call it a physical challenge for a mature male. This puppy is over 8000' in altitude but I made it. Hopefully Medivac will chopper me out before the snows come.

ICE CAVE AT THE BOTTOM OF A VOLCANO

It's not enough to climb a stinkin volcano, I have to crawl down into an ice cave caused by a lava tube from the same volcano. 31 degrees F. And we have to climb out, yippee...............

FROZEN WATERFALL

I had nothing to do with this! It was like this when I got here. There is a small waterfall to the pool in the ice cave. It's frozen, like me...

CIRQUE DU HUMMER

This feeder hangs outside the ticket booth at the volcano/ice cave. The hummers are prolific and well fed. Probably on Govt. assistance.

EL MORRO POOL

Incredibly beautiful scene. At the base of El Morro, is this wonderful pool. the hourglass looking rock formation in the back wall has been carved by a waterfall that must appear in the wet season.

AMERICAN PIONEER MEMORIAL

Be sure to click on this pic to enlarge it. It is the inscription of a pioneer from Baltimore, probably headed for the California gold fields.

SPANISH CONQUISTADOR BILLBOARD

In the 1600's and 1700's the Spainish conquistadors came in search of Cibola, the City of Gold. As they passed El Morro, many of them inscribed their names and messages. This is one.

ANCIENT INDIAN BILLBOARD

In the 1400's, the predessors to the Zuni, Hopi, and Navajo lived or passed by this huge mesa. These are petroglyphs that date back to that period. Note the snake and the bighorn sheep.

CORNERSTONE FAVORITE

This is the corner of El Morro, and obviousely a favorite place to inscribe proof of pressence, as it has examples of all three groups of travelers.

SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE

On our way to explore the sights, we passed through the Continental Divide. What a holistic trip, dude..............

WHAT'S DOWN WITH THE BREHMS AS OF 7/17/2100

You have just been mooned from Arizona..

"AND A FINCH IN A BIRD FEEDER"

Sorry, I know every week I have to tell you about the birds. It's difficult to get pictures of the more exotic species, but we enjoy their company anyway. It's been a nice week. Weather has been in the 80's & 90's with some 5-10 mph winds, and humidity around 7%. Today the weather is starting to change back to T-storms and monsoons and 100% humidity. We have been well, no physical, mechanical or mental problems, and old Ross is still kicking, slowly but kicking. Thursday we pull stakes in AZ. and head for New Mexico for a couple days and on to Oklahoma. Hope you are all doing well, happy brithday to John and Jan. Keep in touch, we love you and God Bless............

Ray, Diane, Ross & Satchmo.................

KABOB UTAH?

Yummmm, I got to feeling creative the other night so I whipped up some kabobs. Pork tenderloin medallions marinated in a pepper sauce. Bell peppers, onion, cherry tomatos, baby portobello mushrooms, and baby red potatos. Zingers.....................

UNAUTHORIZED CAMPSITE

A couple of days ago, we were leaving the camp, and there, on the road to the campground, was this camping trailer on it's side off the road. Ahead of it was a nice new Ford pickup. The road is straight and rarely driven, so we figure the driver was on the phone, or texting, or adjusting their GPS. Must have been terribly distracted..

CREW CUT MESA

Every morning I wake up to a view of this mesa. It always reninds me of that guy with the shades and that Butch Wax crew cut. I guess Diane thought it was cool too. She took the picture.

WHAT'S DOWN WITH THE BREHMS AS OF 7/10/11

WE'RE WATCHING YOU

Howdy friends and neighbors. It's been another fun sucker week in Verde Valley AZ. The monsoon season is upon us. We get at least one T-storm per day, so the humidity is up from 7% to 30%. I have been doing a few minor projects on the motorhome and the Jeep, while Diane has been taking photos of the birds. We took a drive to "Old Cottonwood" today. Went to an antique dump and picked up a neat old cast iron Dutch Oven. It will take some cleaning up, but maybe my good friend Glenn will send me some recipes. We also visited the Tuzigoot Indian apartment complex, which was occupied from 1000 AD to about 1400. Hope all is going well with you and that you are enjoying your summer. Love & God Bless, Rrrrrrramon and Diana...........................

BIRDING IN VERDE VALLEY

One of the great things about this area are the wide variety of birds. Diane has her perch right next to the window by one of our bird feeders. She watches with her stealthy camera and catches some good shots.

PEEPING CARDINALS

These guys are getting pretty brazen.

800 YEAR OLD GOVERNMENT HOUSING

For about 400 years, Sinagua and Yavapai indians called this home. There were 6000 to 9000 at a time residing here. Good soil for farming, some game, and the Verde River close by.

TUZIGOOT APARTMENT COMPLEX

This picture is taken about half way up the complex. Below is the fertile Verde Valley with the Verde River.

TUZIGOOT ANNIVERSARY

This year, The Tuzigoot Museum celebrates it's 75th anniversary. The actual archiological dig started in 1934.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, GOD BLESS AMERICA, 2011

OUR VERDE VALLEY CAMPSITE

Here is the prized "Camper of the Month" campsite. This week has been fairly relaxing
except for the defibrilation from the IRS. They sent me a cordial letter regarding my 2009 Federal filing. They think I owe them another life savings. I think future blogs may be sent from Levenworth. Other than that, Hot weather
(100 +), but dry (7% humility). Today, it's darker than Fairbanks in Dec. and the lightening is trying to light things up. Guess I'll raise the white flag for now. God Bless, and remember how fortunate you are to be free and Independent.


Love, Ray & Diane, PS Ross & Satchmo too.................

CAMP TOTCHINA

This is the carved sculpture outside
the clubhouse. I named it a "Totchina"
because I'm not sure if it's a totum, or
katchina. In any event, I think it's an
owl.

VERDE WATERFUL

This waterfall is about 25' from our campsite,
and is very nice to wake up to, and listen to in
the evening.

PRETTY DIRTY BIRD

One of the things we love about the Verde Valley is the birds. They are abundant, friendly, easy to coax to our feeders, and the variety; sparrows, grakels, wood peckers, hummers, and the only place I've seen cardinals. This little dude is just hanging out at the waterfall.

HERE'S WHAT'S DOWN WITH THE BREHM'S AS OF 26, JUNE, 2011

M.J. & John Maschka, Diane &

MONTEZUMA'S CASTLE

As many times as I have visited Montezuma's Castle in the past 50 years, I am always intrigued by not only the structure, but the peole who, concieved, designed, and built this 5 story apartment house. It has been abandoned for 700 years but continues to be a majestic sight.

This past week has been fun. We are currently camped a few miles from Cottonwood, and close to Camp Verde. Next week we move back to Cottonwood. Then east towards Nashville. Hope all is wonderful for all of you. God Bless, Don & Daisy....

MONTEZUMA'S CASTLE, SUBURB

Within the same complex as the 5 story castle, is this older section of the Anasazi villeage. More cave than brick.

SEDONA ELECTROMAGNETIC MADNESS

M. J. and John Maschka took a little day trip with us. We stopped in Sedona because.....As you might guess, the place is loaded with psychic readers, crystals, vortex maps etc. We avoided the sweat logdge deal.

ANTENNA JACK AND ANOTHER HOT AIR BALLON

Our campsite at Verde Valley is on the edge of the Verde River, and some mornings, a balloon tour passes overhead. Here, our antenna ball (Jack) checks it out. Jack has been traveling with us for 10 or 11 years, and has his own album of places he's been.

ROSS

This is how the old coyote spends most of his time these days. He turned 19 years old last Sunday, and just barely gets around. Don't think he has many wake-ups left.

AUSTIN

Our "Fulltime" Traveling Buddy.

WHAT'S DOWN WITH THE BREHM;S ON 6/19/11

Old town Prescott. Whiskey Row to the right.

THE PALACE HOTEL AND SALOON, OLD TOWN

Sometime during the past week, the Maschka's and we, had a calling to seek out he nearest COSTCO. We located it in Prescott Valley, and set the Garmin to find it. Somewhere along the way, the demonic GPS took us to "Whiskey Row" in old Prescott. We inocently parked the Jeep and were lured into the Palace. A little lunch and some beverages later. we explored the rest of Whiskey Row, and headed on to Costco. Lifes's been tough for us, but somehow we perservere. Hope you're doing the same. Love and God Bless..............

The hole in the wall gang...............

BALOONS OVER VERDE VALLEY

If you are willing to get up around 6-7:00 am, you might catch one of these creatures passing right over your campsite. Diane took this picture. Needless to say, I was still in a spiritual state, solving galactical disturbances.

BEST PIECE IN TOWN

This sign hangs outside Belgian Jennie's Pizzeria" in Jerome.. wonder what else is on the menu?

GHOSTS OF THE PAST

This is all that remains of the Clark Hotel in Jerome, AZ

TIN PENTHOUSE

This caught my eye. It appears to be a tin shack placed on top of a turn of the century brick apartment house. Jerome is loaded with strange concoctions of all types, and most of it is considered art by the locals.

MS. JEROME

This lovely lady adorns the slippery banks of the Jerome landscape.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Yes, these are members of the world renown "Flamingo Society". Only in Jerome, or maybe Bisbee, these magnificent birds survey the vast Arizona landscape.

WHAT'S DOWN WITH THE BREHM'S, JUNE 5, 11

RED CLIFFS OF COCONINO

This is typical scenery along hwy 179 heading into Sedona. We are now camped in Verde Valley, Thousand Trails Reserve. The last time we came here our motorhome burned to the ground on the highway. We came a different way this time. We came in on I-40 to Flagstaff, then down 17 to Verde Valley. Weather is cooler here, mid 80's and 10-20 mph winds.

Yesterday we took a little drive. Went to the Cliff Castle Casino, I lost $2 but Diane won $200. That made for a nice start. We left the Casino and took a nice little country drive in to Sedona. Many changes since our last visit. Ended our drive in Old Cottonwood for lunch at the Tavern Grill. Hope you are all doing well, God Bless...

The Gambler and her lucky charm..

HOME IN THE DESERT

DESERT ORCHIDS

there are many of these type of bushes here, and they are all in bloom. This one is right by our campsite.

HIKING PATH

This is one of the many hiking trails in Verde Valley. We are too late for all the beautiful cactus blooms, but still enjoyable. You can see Squaw Peak in the backround.

CAMP VERDE POOL AREA

SHADOW STUDY

I was intrigued by the shadows off the lattice at the pool area.