Illegal activity on the border - Tucson, Arizona boondocking

I was in the mood for geocaching, and the directions made the road sound ... meh... so I took the Tracker out.

THIS is how you spend your lawless card?

You know that sometimes, finding the actual geocache site is the least exciting part of the trip.

Forward? That's a negative. Reverse? Still no. 

 Later, Annie said "one wheel what?" I was going to call  her for a refresher on putting it into 4WD, but I had no signal. That made figuring it out myself the very best of one option.

All the rest of the challenges kept things four-down, but I did need to get out to assess my strategies a few times.

Palo verde trees are full of bees lately.

Jake is full of wags lately. This is him obeying a JAKECOME!

He seems to have no separation anxiety at all, despite the shelter's records. YAY! He just doesn't want to be left alone outside. So, today we could enjoy one of our favorite dog-unfriendly restaurants (Govinda's) for our anniversary.

Sonoran Squash? Palo gourd-o?

This is on a dirty road we walk. Some sort of a benchmark? The concrete seems too stable, round, and regular to be fill. Ideas?

We met Dixie and Will (who don't blog yet), an energetic newly-retired couple who grabbed their RV in March and high-tailed it to Tucson. Dixie has a keen interest in boondocking, and is interested in solutions for impassable roads. Dixie, this is what one landowner here does.

If you're going to park here for long, you need to pre-think your response to requests for help. A traveler may need water, food, money, and/or transportation. It will also help to know more Spanish than no hablo Español and lo siento, even though those phrases will get a "no" across, if that's what you want. So will "no."

It's important to be able to say THAT'S NOT PHOENIX, because no one wants that kind of mislead on their conscience.

Inform yourself on the legalities of aiding a person who may be in the US without documentation. Friends in the know tell me that giving water is always legal. If you choose to give food, you're on shakier ground. Some people put it on the ground and walk away from it; if someone takes your food while you're not looking, well, there's not much you can do about that. Items that you might have stolen are things like Vienna sausages, soft granola bars, fruit cups, soft fruit, or things that can be eaten by a partially-dehydrated person.

[NOTE: Tucson Samaritans' website says "It is NEVER ILLEGAL to provide water, food, or medical assistance to another human being in distress."]

Transportation to anywhere (including a hospital) may land you in jail. If you encounter someone who is in medical distress, you can call 911. If you choose to drive them to help, understand the possible consequences.

Maybe you'll be asked if you are la migra. Or, you may be asked to call migras, if the person wants to go home.  

Please read this excerpt from The Devil's Highway: a true story.

Some of our friends are fearful for us, knowing that we are parked where there is foot traffic. All I can say is that "illegal activities" are not all created equal. Having met a traveler hasn't changed my mind about this.

I dig that not everyone feels the same about this stuff. You dig that I won't argue with you about it.

A Big Dog in an RV, and Annie's Behind™

Outside a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside a dog, it's too dark to read. ~ Groucho Marx



















Jake is starting to dog it up around here.

Yin and Yang

A stick at tooth level! Thanks, guys!

Jake behind "Life is good" 

 It's April, and that means the tops come off. Sometimes we raise car roofs, too.

Annie's Behind™ the Tracker

I'm outside taking the picture because I SAW the road ahead of time.

After our desert romp, Annie replaced the ripped soft top on the Tracker.

We've been enjoying friends lately. We're sorry Cheryl couldn't stay longer; we blew her off to go get Jake.

In later years, the pair could no longer remember when humans stopped visiting. I seem to remember liking people, Roxi mused, reaching into her pocket for a poop bag.

We enjoyed an afternoon and evening with Hughes and Judy Moir, who threw their very, very busy lives into neutral to spend some hours with us. They're great company - energetic and charismatic - and it's a pleasure to see them whenever we can.

Grace and Steve kindly met us at a park so our pups could meet. These two balls of energy (with a matching dog) are boondockers, too. Steve has retired, and Grace pretends not to mind. They'll be on the road in less than two years.

Strawberry hedgehog in "our" yard

  

My new cousin with serious star power. There's a strong family resemblance; I don't want to talk about it.

What the HECK am I looking at here??

 

Hold us, we're scared!

 

I'm calling this "The End"

Pima County Fairgrounds RV Park

You're wondering why I've called you here tonight. You'll still be wondering when I'm done.

Since we left BLM land, the Prius and tow dolly have been staying with a friend in Tucson. We've been towing the Tracker with its tow bar. HOLY MOLY is that easier! Wow. I would never have imagined it would be so much easier not to tow with a dolly. The hooking up, the un-hooking up, the stowing of the towbar, the EVERYTHING.

The fairground is fine. The public toilets don't flush because the bowls are full of ice (true thing). There's a laundry room with two washers and two driers. It's better than driving 20 miles to do laundry. The park is unbeautiful, in general, although the distant mountains are a plus. It's quiet here. Most importantly, we're all as warm as we care to be here inside the Duck, and that's a very good thing. And, we have clean pajamas, which should satisfy the Health Department's most recent demands.

Next door, a small girl was feeding hot dogs to a cold dog. I was torn between feeling bad for the dog and relieved that the child wouldn't be eating them.

When you have nothing to say, tell as many people as possible. ~ Me

Buying a vehicle - here's how to do it.

Do you hate shopping for a car? Oh man, it shrivels my insides. This isn't going to be that kind of story.

We bought a Geo Tracker today.



We've also spent nice parts of two days hanging out with Myrna and Neil. They've made us welcome in their home, and given us great ideas about things to see and DESERT ROADS TO TRAVEL! Neil has offered to teach Annie some things about repairing engines, and Annie is ecstatic. She's sleeping in their garage so she doesn't miss anything.

Our suggestion to throw in Baby was rejected.

 

They've done us a couple of big, kind favors that made this whole transaction so much easier. Thanks, Neil and Myrna! *waves*

We're licensing and registering the Tracker in NYS, since it's much cheaper that way. We're still New York residents anyway. THANK YOU, Alphonse and Bruno, for helping us do that.

Next, we'll sell the tow dolly, then the Prius.

~~~~~~~

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