Coffee, Lecture, And Exploring!

                                 I can not for the life of me recall what town this is in
                                             But there are a lot of murals!


    Well hello!   We have been busy Exploring and getting new pictures up the Wazoo --but I have been greatly slacking on getting new posts on this page!  In looking at my recent pictures I have noticed that several of my Exploring trips are quick -- around  errands, just to get out and enjoy the sun---coffee and a hike with our youngest  things like that.   These produce pictures and are fun, but might not warrant a full Exploring blog posting on there own.   Several of my last few trips were actually alternates after trying to visit the new museum in the area.   If you are heading from St David to Benson, just before Benson you may pass a sign by the side of the road that simply says "museum open!"    And it seems for two weeks straight now any time I see the sign   I am to busy to stop.   And on days like today, were I go to town specifically to stop --the sign is not up.   Some day I will have a full picture filled report from here!    But not today.    Several of the recent trips have been very locally, to places I have already been---like just recently to Tombstone again for a quick, mostly to get out of the house trip.   I did manage as always to get some new pictures   things I have not shot before  some how.   The same with a recent trip to the Benson museum.   A great trip--that I will be posting about soon, but I have been before.   Although it was years ago, and they now charge to go roam about inside.   I recently re posted an Exploring blog post from when we first moved to Benson in 2013.   Kind of a first thoughts of the area post.    It is very interesting to me to see how the area has changed ---how much our kiddos have grown---and how much at least my views have changed for this little town.  

    Tonight's post is from a few weeks back.   I learned that the local sub station for the college was having a free lecture on better picture taking.   Free coffee--free lecture about pictures, I was not missing this!   And after I left our car in the parking lot and had a walk about.   To practice what I had learned of course.   I had been to this area before with the kiddos---with a storm coming     so the sky was amazing in those pictures.   I have them posted on this sight---if you care to look back in my posts.   You know you do!     

The Benson branch is kind of a substation.

With a few class rooms mainly for Internet classes.

It is a nice campus all be it small.

And this was the first of many free coffee lectures if anyone is interested.

Off the back patio.

You don't see these signs to much outside of the desert.  

   Local artist ---artwork on canvas he says he gets done at Costco but all the major retailers do such.   It almost comes out in a 3 -D effect with picture all around.   I had not ever thought of this idea before.   I have pictures from all over the country.  Pictures I used to think were much better, until I meet some real artists and saw there work.   ;)   I have some of my favorites blown up, and on our walls and of course many of them all over this sight and all of Facebook and had thought about doing postcards and greeting cards with my pictures on the front.   But before had never thought about showcasing them this way.  I will need to check into the costs of course.   

     All and all this was a good lecture---he teaches classes mainly for the Sierra Vista branch.   And there was coffee and cookies!   So it really could not get much better.   After it was all on sunshine outside again and I decided to leave our car in the parking lot and take off with my camera.   And use some of the advice he presented.   Two of the things that really stood out is that he said a lot of great pictures really is just dumb luck.   You are at the right place at the right time, and have a camera    any camera   or run and grab one.   The one true benefit to cell phone cams----like it or not   this is almost always with you.   He said he recalls the old 35 millimeter camera's and before---waiting for film to develop---getting only like 12 shots with the film  so missing a lot of good pictures to get those 12 glory shots.    Etc  and would never wish to go back to anything beyond digital again.   And he mentioned how he has very nice cameras     but is almost afraid to use them in the field   or anywhere.    So he gets way more pictures in volume with his every day camera's.  I can relate.   I borrowed a relatives super nice camera years ago.   One with lenses that cost more than our vehicles.   One that I could grab, take a shot, with the lens cap on, while I was running and still get an amazing shot.   But I was afraid to use the camera   let alone touch it.  

   

Been housed inside this building since at least 2014 when I first saw it. 

And this rock is about as tall as I.

With the gem show going on in Tucson I felt I should share this beauty.

Just up the road. 

This is all college property whatever that means. 

      I have been here with the kiddos before years ago, but I do not recall it being fenced off at that time.   And as I said there was a storm a brewing in the sky on that day, so the pictures had some force to them.       You really should look them up on this very blog sight!!

Something we learned in the class

Go against what you have been told and shoot into the sun

But with something blocking most of the direct rays.  

Just found the grouping of these cow pies on the trail odd.

Off the side of the road. 

Back in the car and just up the road. 

This leads into one of the huge local RV parks.

Almost across the street. 

This restaurant has been closed since we moved into the area in 2013.

But it looks really neat!

I have waited tables off and on forever and this looks like it was a fun place to work.

I know before they roped off the parking lot, people used to dump nice furniture around this building. 

On this same day I roamed around for a closer look.

Asking more about all this on some local links. 

I also peeped in the windows and saw more than one light on  

so wonder if it is still being used for offices or something.

Later that evening at our homestead.

With my cell phone.

I call these  fire in the ground fire in the sky!

Soon if not next I hope to publish more on my trip back home  to Wyoming and further!

As always

**HAPPY TRAILS!!**

Falling Asleep At The Wheel #4--Into The Mountains!

     Hello and welcome to another exciting update to this page of mine!   We have been very busy Exploring and taking pictures and trying to get more readers to this page---but I have not had time for posting actual posts.  Although there are 100+ pictured filled posts already on this page to roam through--I have only made one new post so far this year.   This page is mainly about Exploring Amazing Arizona---but sometimes a rare, for us, road trip warrants space here.  One such one was when I went back home --a way past due trip.   While in Wyoming and beyond I ended up getting almost 400 pictures---so have been slacking on getting anything from the trip no here.  As the title suggests this is part four.   I hope you enjoy as much as I enjoyed taking the trip and getting all these pictures!

     I have moved a lot through my life - just in Arizona I have lived in Flagstaff, Florence, Queen Creek, Oatman, Kingman, Tucson, Benson, and now beautiful St David.   I believe my wife is the only person I have meet--with way more moves under there belt than myself.   If I were to  call anywhere home ---it is definitely Big Horn Wyoming.   Just out of Sheridan.  This is were I was born   and spent a good deal of my school life.   I have past posts just from Big Horn about how some key factors, mainly the school have been ruined in my opinion  --you really can't go home again.  But today was just a day to roam, get pictures, and remember, and of course eat.   With my parents.  

   The mighty class of "97" had a whopping 27 graduates!   And in grades K-12 we had 350 kiddos, but were all on one campus.  Like were our kids go to school now.  I am sure the class sizes from Big Horn are bigger now.  But they still get the coveted Fridays of no school!   Just a slightly longer school day each day--so worth it!

Wildlife is easy to spot across the whole state. 

In fact in all my travels -Wyoming and Montana drives always offer the most viewable wildlife by far of any states.

Very first house I ever lived in.

And the 2nd house lived in, just up the hill from the first.

My parents helped build and wire this house.  

And if you count hammering nails into random wood---I helped to.

Just behind is a huge drop off and view.  

Of course both house have changed a lot since when I was a new born. 

Out of all our moves  Easily my favorite house    still in Big Horn.

This is right down from the before pictured school.

Just across the street. 

Still dirt roads in much of Big Horn.

Anyone from Big Horn will recognize this  although it could be a shot from 

the country    anywhere USA

This was just down from our house and the school. 

The meeting spot, the smokers spot, and a popular place for fights.

This little stream that one could mostly jump across --rose greatly one year and flooded a lot of land--surprising everyone. 

Amusing sign

At least to me.  ;)

Check out that old licence plate!

My mom getting close up pictures.

Main Street Wyoming.

I spent a ton of time at the Merc growing up-and personally think they ruined the place.

BUT--inside is now turned pizza joint----and man it is good!

This place has went through a lot of changes through the years--and I am not sure how someone came up with pizza---but it was a great dinner.

This is now a separate building   with a walk way in between.

Old school PO boxes used to be in the store. 

a few of these still remain.

While we were waiting for our food--my mom went up to our old box and opened it right up

recalling the code----to Kool!

This used to be a very old barn---now event center.

Museum above the park and river.  

Very near my grandmas old house---in fact you can just see some of it in the background. 

Just out of Sheridan ---near a one horse town smaller than Big Horn.

This building was converted into a house  but stood empty on this fine day.

      Just up to road in Big Horn was the Rockie Mountains.   With a dirt road all the way up--in the winter, only about nine months of the year, it was closed off from snow and we used to snowmobile.   Ambitious enough you can go all the way through were a highway leads up the mountain.   I hit Wyoming just before October and could see snow on the mountains-so wanted to get closer to it.   Snow is very rare in this part of Arizona, because well, you just don't shovel sunshine.  

Taking a few wrong roads led us to this amazing old barn.

Going up!

So in Wyoming     when roads are to snowy---they just drop these barricades and BAM the highway is closed!

If you are already on the highway    you pull over, or you keep driving till you can find an exit.  A winter kit was a must have in any vehicle.  

Falling City

Looks way different than I recall.

But I have not been up this way in at least eight years.

Look out with a view!

Several of these areas at least used to be very popular for hang gliders. 

Bear Lodge

Several resorts are in this area.   

Catering to tourists year round.  

With groomed trails in the snow.

Old clock I found in the lobby.

Also were most of my touristy prizes for back home came from.

We stopped for food also.

I had a french dip sandwich, something I have not had in a long time. 

Very good---although when we first arrived they were out of propane for the stoves, and did not think they could actually cook our food.  

Delivery came while we were roaming the buildings. 

Brrrrrrr!

This snow was actually much further up-I just have a good zoom.

So we were still in search of snow I could touch on this day!

Classic sign hanging off the lodge

Fun sign in the lodge. 

Wyoming people like to say that sheep are safe!

But apparently not the sheep dogs-so much

Snow fence   for those of you that don't know.

But still no close by snow.

Steamboat Mountain 

One can hike to the top of this.   But not for this day.

No snow up there.

Fun sign before the steep decent back down the mountains.

What a view!

And than we spotted an over cast area on a hill side.

With snow

Not a ton---but it was also not quite October, folks.
On a side note, I have seen it snow at the top of the Rockies

In July

Time for a selfie

Nearing the bottom of the mountains I spotted this trail   and needed a small Exploring hike 

to stretch my legs.  

Chilling behind my parents house when we got home. 

OK  since part #5 is further down the dusty trail back into Billings Montana-

I want to share a few pictures from my cell phone that I don't believe I have posted in all these yet.

Coffee with dad and "Joe" one fine morning!

The Burger Wagon has become very popular.  

In fact I just joined it's Facebook page. 

They are about to expand into an actual building

with more cooking options. 

Although this wagon can be drug all over town.

Very good food---if not pricey. 

I was a little put out that french fries were a good deal extra-especially after paying 8 bucks for a burger.   

In my last post--I mentioned that two of these great statues used to greet people into Kendrick Park.

I pictured the concrete slabs they used to call home. 

No one in Sheridan seemed to know where the actual statues went-just that they were put some where safe and out of the weather.

By chance while visiting the college we found them both!

I just could not find this picture when I wrote the last blog post.  

As I said-- my next traveling post takes us back to Montana and beyond!

HAPPY TRAILS!!

And Cheers my friends!