The Buffalo Roundup is done!   Now South to Arizona for the Winter....

We left Custer State Park a couple days after the roundup.  Always hard to leave this place!  The 52nd annual roundup was a success with a new record set for people attending....over 21,000.  Al and I put in some long hours a couple of days....and then the roundup is done and volunteers start leaving for the season.  Kind of sad.  Al worked the North parking lot and they parked a record 2300 cars.  The South parking lot was at least 2000 cars.  Al's job was to play in traffic....like he did at age 4....and direct drivers on which way to go.  He snapped this photo over the crowd just as the herd was in viewing range coming over the hills...

Roughly 1250 buffalo all in a huge group, hooves thundering, heavy breathing, snorting, whips cracking, horses whinnying, and the earth under your feet starts vibrating!  YEE HAW!  Its awesome!

a few of the big bulls do not get rounded up...wonder why?!!  Tail up its going to be a charge or a discharge!!!  Leave him alone!



As we headed south we stopped to see several of our friends first.  Always a must do.  After 5 summers on the road we have no regrets...just do miss being a bit closer to our friends.  But do not miss our home or home town.  Seems almost wrong...but we like what we are doing!

We traveled through Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico on our way to Arizona.  Only weather to watch was the winds.  But Oklahoma did have a small tornado near our overnight stop the day after we left...that is part of it...gotta watch the weather.

Red Rock Canyon just East of Oklahoma City is one of our favorite stops as we cross the Midwest.  The state park is down in a canyon with red rock walls surrounding your campsite.

Since we had a day to wait out the winds we took a little day trip.  This is an old Pony Truss Bridge on old route 66.  This bridge crosses the Canadian River and is 3944' long with 38 pony trusses.   It is the longest pony truss bridge on route 66.  Next we headed further north to Roman Nose State Park and took some short hikes.

Al had fun taking pictures of the small waterfalls along the trails at Roman Nose SP.  He likes to try to capture the look of water in motion in his pictures.

There are pretty sunsets all over America, but I have to say the southwest really does stand out! 

Upon arrival in Benson AZ a small town about 40 miles East of Tucson, spent some time catching up with Al's brother, wife and niece.  It was also time to get new tires for the 5th wheel so we made an appointment at Discount Tire, one of Al's new favorites.  Hauled the trailer in, they started changing tires and oh no!  We had not one but two of our rims that were cracked!  Cracked!  folks this could have been bad...but they saw it and it got fixed.  Of course a it meant more $ and a 2nd trip in, but they are bigger and better and look good too!  Not sure what happened but a good catch!

November 1st was our first day of work...volunteer work here at Roper Lake State Park.  This is near the town of Safford AZ.  A nice little area with a man made lake and lots of natural hot springs in the area.  Kind of an oasis area.  They put us back in our old camp site and boy have the arrow weeds and cattails grown!  We really cannot see the lake at all.  So Al has been busy whacking away at the weeds.

there is a huge campfire and sitting area here can you see it!

butt shot....

The park will be cutting the cattails down sometime this winter, this is an ongoing job for them.  There are lots of ducks, blue herons, and white egrets here.  Plus a osprey or two!  The coyote have been yipping and howling off and on at night.  Fun to here, but glad I am not out there with them!!!

Our old duties came back to us pretty fast.  5 of the volunteers here we had worked with last year.  One new couple just arrived the other day and in a month another new couple will be arriving. 

Of course we have the hummingbird feeders out!

The cottonwood trees, mesquite trees, and salt cedar trees here are just barely showing fall colors....that will be coming.  Lots of areas around us are showing colors, might have to make a few day trips.  For now still settling in.

Pretty sunset last night!

We will be here until January 1st and then we will travel to Lake Havasu for some goof off time!  YEE HAW!