Our Quartzsite, Az crew
Monday, March 21, 2005
South East Arizona Adventures
Early in January we celebrated our one-year anniversary of being lease holders in the Saguaro Co-op RV Park in Benson, Arizona. In 1999 our name was #200 on the "Hot List" for membership. After 5 years, we were the lowest number to bid one of the 300 lots. Our high desert location is an excellent location for Jan./Feb. When we head off for another project, we put our Lot #280 into the Rental Pool and the income earned pays for our share of the park’s yearly maintenance and operations fee. Our park family is diverse and friendly. Activities abound every day. Hiking, Bridge, Pegs and Jokers, Danish Card Making have been some of our favorites, along with evening entertainment.
Benson is surrounded by the Dragoon, the Chiricahua and the Whetstone Mountains. Cochise Stronghold, about 30 minutes drive from the park in the Dragoons, offers a splendid 3 ½ mile climb. In the late 1800’s, an Apache tribal family led by Chief Cochise hid from the U.S. Army in the boulder-strewn mountain terrain for ten years to avoid being captured and transported to a reservation in Florida. While hiking the Chiricahua National Monument one hour from the park, we were at the crossroads of four major environments. On the cooler northern slopes grow the Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir, typical of the Rocky Mountains. Sunny southern slopes have Apache and Mexican Pinion Pine from Mexico’s Sierra Madre Range. Yuccas and sotol from the Chihuahuan Desert co-exist with agaves and prickly pear cactus from the Sonoran Desert. Neon green lichens adorn the pinnacles, while ferns thrive in the shade. Towering rock formations stand as sentinels over the forest. Stories telling about the clash of cultures between the Chiricahua Apaches and the westward-moving pioneers abound. We have yet to experience the trails for off-road exploration in the Whetstones, but we were very impressed with the pristine Karchner Caverns.
Benson is surrounded by the Dragoon, the Chiricahua and the Whetstone Mountains. Cochise Stronghold, about 30 minutes drive from the park in the Dragoons, offers a splendid 3 ½ mile climb. In the late 1800’s, an Apache tribal family led by Chief Cochise hid from the U.S. Army in the boulder-strewn mountain terrain for ten years to avoid being captured and transported to a reservation in Florida. While hiking the Chiricahua National Monument one hour from the park, we were at the crossroads of four major environments. On the cooler northern slopes grow the Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir, typical of the Rocky Mountains. Sunny southern slopes have Apache and Mexican Pinion Pine from Mexico’s Sierra Madre Range. Yuccas and sotol from the Chihuahuan Desert co-exist with agaves and prickly pear cactus from the Sonoran Desert. Neon green lichens adorn the pinnacles, while ferns thrive in the shade. Towering rock formations stand as sentinels over the forest. Stories telling about the clash of cultures between the Chiricahua Apaches and the westward-moving pioneers abound. We have yet to experience the trails for off-road exploration in the Whetstones, but we were very impressed with the pristine Karchner Caverns.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Christmas Trip
Here we go again……another New Year. We can still remember just waiting to get to be 21 so we could go out and celebrate all night long… and now if we can stay awake until 10:00, we have done well. Where did all those years go? Actually we were awakened by the flurry of fireworks at midnight, made wishes for a more peaceful year in 2005, then fell right back to sleep.
Our holidays have been spent with our folks in Florida. We made the 1100 mile trek from middle of Arkansas in our newly-acquired 1989 Ford F-150. It didn’t take long to discover that loose items don’t stay put in the back of a pick-up truck, so our first Christmas gift was a work box to store our belongings in as we travel. We had a lovely week of visiting with June and Victor (90 years young now!) leading up to Christmas. Then on to Oric and Lois to make some post-hurricane repairs during daylight hours, then rousing games of cards in the evenings.
We will be heading back to the bus in Arkansas early in the week and preparing to make an 1100 mile trip west to Arizona. We have received word that The Heifer Ranch was blanketed in 5 inches of snow on Christmas Day, quite unusual for that part of the world. We will enjoy our lot in the Saguaro Escapee Motor Home Park in Benson for a week before we return to our jobs selling water purification systems at a huge RV Show in Quartzsite, on the California border. We look forward to reuniting with many friends-of-the-road who will migrate to that spot…the largest flea market in the world… for late January and early February. Great fun!
Until next time, best wishes for 2005. Love, Darcy and Wally
Our holidays have been spent with our folks in Florida. We made the 1100 mile trek from middle of Arkansas in our newly-acquired 1989 Ford F-150. It didn’t take long to discover that loose items don’t stay put in the back of a pick-up truck, so our first Christmas gift was a work box to store our belongings in as we travel. We had a lovely week of visiting with June and Victor (90 years young now!) leading up to Christmas. Then on to Oric and Lois to make some post-hurricane repairs during daylight hours, then rousing games of cards in the evenings.
We will be heading back to the bus in Arkansas early in the week and preparing to make an 1100 mile trip west to Arizona. We have received word that The Heifer Ranch was blanketed in 5 inches of snow on Christmas Day, quite unusual for that part of the world. We will enjoy our lot in the Saguaro Escapee Motor Home Park in Benson for a week before we return to our jobs selling water purification systems at a huge RV Show in Quartzsite, on the California border. We look forward to reuniting with many friends-of-the-road who will migrate to that spot…the largest flea market in the world… for late January and early February. Great fun!
Until next time, best wishes for 2005. Love, Darcy and Wally
Monday, November 29, 2004
November
As we made or plans to drive from Little Rock Arkansas to Asheville, NC for Thanksgiving we also arranged to carry with 2 gallons of ranch fresh goats milk. Erin and Brett having been trying their hand at soap making and goats milk soap is one of the best. I have been involved with goatsmilk cheese making so I shared that receipe with Erin and Brett. The two projects turned out with spectacular results. We four enjoyed a special time of fellowship with Brett's parents Janet and John eating southern delicacies and playing Mexican Train Dominoes.
When word reached us that a family member had died in Maine on Thanksgiving afternoon, our attention turned to getting to Augusta in time to give support to Wally's sister April her children and grandchildren. Erin and Brett put their experienced travel skills to good use for us locating reasonably priced flights and motel accomodations. By Friday night we were in Nashville, TN and by 3PM Saturday we had arrived in Portland, Me. Round trip flights into Portland on Thanksgiving week-end ranged from $200-$2000.00 dollars so driving to Nasheville not only put us within 6 hrs of Littlerock for the return trip but also offered the best rates. George Cooper Dipman will be greatly missed by family and friends. He had a zest for life and a love for family that set a strong example for all who knew him. He taught us all to cherish every momment.
Upon our return to Arkansas Wally and I portrayed Joseph and Mary on the way to Bethleham, the second of 5 scenes in a Living Nativity here at The Ranch. I sat astride a donkety for two hours kept Mystic exercised, well patted, and happily chomping on alfalfa. During the two-night event 1335 people began ther season with us at Heifer International. What a blessing that was! Sharing our life-on-the-road with you is a blessing for us......Thank you for caring
Love Wally and Darcy
When word reached us that a family member had died in Maine on Thanksgiving afternoon, our attention turned to getting to Augusta in time to give support to Wally's sister April her children and grandchildren. Erin and Brett put their experienced travel skills to good use for us locating reasonably priced flights and motel accomodations. By Friday night we were in Nashville, TN and by 3PM Saturday we had arrived in Portland, Me. Round trip flights into Portland on Thanksgiving week-end ranged from $200-$2000.00 dollars so driving to Nasheville not only put us within 6 hrs of Littlerock for the return trip but also offered the best rates. George Cooper Dipman will be greatly missed by family and friends. He had a zest for life and a love for family that set a strong example for all who knew him. He taught us all to cherish every momment.
Upon our return to Arkansas Wally and I portrayed Joseph and Mary on the way to Bethleham, the second of 5 scenes in a Living Nativity here at The Ranch. I sat astride a donkety for two hours kept Mystic exercised, well patted, and happily chomping on alfalfa. During the two-night event 1335 people began ther season with us at Heifer International. What a blessing that was! Sharing our life-on-the-road with you is a blessing for us......Thank you for caring
Love Wally and Darcy
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Thanksgiving
Ranch News
It is hard to believe that we are into our 5th week at the ranch already. Many of our fellow volunteers are ending their stay at the ranch and moving on to other adventures. We will miss all of them as each one brings something special to our experience. Most of them are young adults and their enthusiasm and commitment is inspiring. They keep us old folks young.
I have been finishing the erection of the vehicle storage building. The only thing left to do is to install the power and then install some lighting. I am not sure what I will be doing next but there is never a shortage of things to do. Darcy has been busy getting the gardens ready for winter. She has been leading work crews planting, mulching and pruning. You wouldn’t think that there is much to do in the gardens in the fall but it is amazing how much has to be done.
Off to Erin and Bretts
After spending the evening in Little Rock looking at the new Clinton Presidential Library we left for Asheville, NC. After a 13 hour drive we arrived for our week long stay with Erin and Brett. It is always fun to spend time here in Asheville with so many things to see and do.
We wish all of you a very special Thanksgiving Day. We would ask that you think about all the people in the world who will be hungry on our Thanksgiving Day and do somethig about it. Contribute your time and or money to your local food bank or to our favorite mission Heifer International.
Saturday, November 06, 2004
What It's All About
I’m sure that many of you out there are wondering what we are really doing. What is this volunteering really all about? I guess the answer is believing that each of us can make a difference… with Heifer International we hope to help end world hunger and poverty. We feel certain that each time we help a few, we are making a difference. As Margaret Mead observes, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”
Here at the Heifer Ranch we assist in delivering an educational program to over 25,000 people a year ranging from young school-age children to adults of all ages. After leaving the ranch they have tools and knowledge that can, should they choose to use them, make a difference in a small way or maybe in a large way. I met a young lady, 7 years old, who after hearing about what Heifer is all about and what a difference an animal makes in someone’s life set out to make a difference. She to date has raised enough money to give several animals and is now on her way to raising enough to buy the $5,000 Ark. This would provide one of each of 30 animals that are now being given to people who are desperately in need of resources..
What are we doing specifically? My first project was to solve a water problem at our business office. We dug a four foot-deep ditch by hand to install a proper footing drain so that the water would no longer enter the building causing a huge mold and mildew problem. Along with the footing drain we also re-graded the area so that the run-off would be directed away from the building. Darcy and her crew of gardening ladies removed all the shrubs and perennials from the area before my excavation began, and then terraced the hillside before replacing the plants. We hope that the moisture problem is remedied and this new garden will be a peaceful retreat for Ranch staff, volunteers and guests.
I am now helping to organize the tools and equipment in the new maintenance building and re-construct the previous maintenance building’s frame into a shelter for heavy farm equipment. The team working on these projects ranges in age from 18 to 80! I spent yesterday morning “chicken choppin’”. Yes, 50 plump chickens are now in the Ranch freezer, ready to make delicious lunch-time meals for the Ranch crew. Darcy is working with ladies from the Methodist NOMAD RV mission group to create adjustable window shades for the Ranch greenhouse. They hope to gain better control over the heat…more moderate during the daylight hours and better retention of warmth after the sun goes down.
We have learned to milk goats and make goat’s milk cheese and soap. We also continue to enjoy being able to visit our draft horse babies who are now 6 months and 1 1/2 years old! Life on this ranch is varied and we enjoy the variety. Check us often as we make weekly updates and learn more about Heifer International at: www.heifer.org
Here at the Heifer Ranch we assist in delivering an educational program to over 25,000 people a year ranging from young school-age children to adults of all ages. After leaving the ranch they have tools and knowledge that can, should they choose to use them, make a difference in a small way or maybe in a large way. I met a young lady, 7 years old, who after hearing about what Heifer is all about and what a difference an animal makes in someone’s life set out to make a difference. She to date has raised enough money to give several animals and is now on her way to raising enough to buy the $5,000 Ark. This would provide one of each of 30 animals that are now being given to people who are desperately in need of resources..
What are we doing specifically? My first project was to solve a water problem at our business office. We dug a four foot-deep ditch by hand to install a proper footing drain so that the water would no longer enter the building causing a huge mold and mildew problem. Along with the footing drain we also re-graded the area so that the run-off would be directed away from the building. Darcy and her crew of gardening ladies removed all the shrubs and perennials from the area before my excavation began, and then terraced the hillside before replacing the plants. We hope that the moisture problem is remedied and this new garden will be a peaceful retreat for Ranch staff, volunteers and guests.
I am now helping to organize the tools and equipment in the new maintenance building and re-construct the previous maintenance building’s frame into a shelter for heavy farm equipment. The team working on these projects ranges in age from 18 to 80! I spent yesterday morning “chicken choppin’”. Yes, 50 plump chickens are now in the Ranch freezer, ready to make delicious lunch-time meals for the Ranch crew. Darcy is working with ladies from the Methodist NOMAD RV mission group to create adjustable window shades for the Ranch greenhouse. They hope to gain better control over the heat…more moderate during the daylight hours and better retention of warmth after the sun goes down.
We have learned to milk goats and make goat’s milk cheese and soap. We also continue to enjoy being able to visit our draft horse babies who are now 6 months and 1 1/2 years old! Life on this ranch is varied and we enjoy the variety. Check us often as we make weekly updates and learn more about Heifer International at: www.heifer.org
Sunday, October 31, 2004
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