Whew...that was close.

The window glass has been replaced.
And I didn't have to make any trips to the home improvement store.
That intrepid researcher, Peggie, found out that National Glass replaces window glass. So I called them this morning, and they came out this afternoon. They did the repair sans ladder, from inside. I watched and learned. I learned that if it happens again, I will call them again. There were screws on the outside that you had to know about. The window, having sat unmoving for twenty- five years, had to be pried out. So you had to know how many and where all the screws were, then have the confidence in that knowledge to pry in the right places, while holding the window with the other hand, because when it came loose, it would fall all the way to the ground. Oh, and you had to take the air conditioner out, which takes two people, and put it back in, which takes two people and a trained monkey. It took all of twenty minutes.
So now we know a lot about modern windows. For instance, they cost a lot.
Not every window company can replace glass without rebuilding your home.
And stupid doves are really more trouble than they are worth.
To review: I made no trips to the store, I didn't break anything (especially not a bone), I did not have to use even half of my swearing vocabulary, I didn't bleed, Peggie didn't say "I told you so."
And of course, the nutballs are licking egg from their faces and dining on crow. The more creative nutballs are coming up with a revised date for the apocalypse. I hope they remain wrong.

Alas, Babylon

This will be my last post...
Unless all those nutballs are wrong, and the world doesn't come to an end tomorrow.
In that case, I will probably continue.
So the roof did its job Wednesday, none of the rain got into the house. But this blog is about adventures.
At the end of the day, Monday, as we stood reviewing the new roof as the last clean-up was being accomplished, we noticed a hole in an upstairs window. We could only surmise that a dove had flown into it. That happens a lot. Though no holes have been created before. Since tall ladders were still available, we coerced one of the workers to apply packaging tape to the glass. And begins the next adventure. We use the word "adventure" in this instance to mean another non-pleasurable use of money. Window companies are actually in the window replacement business, as opposed to the window glass replacement business. So we must get several estimates because the first one came in at four digits. To the left of the decimal. For a window.
We were entertained for 90 minutes last night by one guy. We get another hour or so tomorrow from a competitor. I never really wanted to know this much about windows. In my neanderthal view I thought it was just a piece of (broken) glass that could be replaced. That's what they do with windshields. They don't have to replace the entire front of the car.
I could do the job myself. (Who is that laughing? I can hear laughing!)
Even if I could buy a sheet of glass cut-to-fit within a millimeter (that's 1/25 of an inch) of tolerance, I would have to carry it up to the second story window using an extension ladder and get it in place, and secured, without dropping it. I would definitely drop it. Then I would have to make a second trip to the store. The next time up the ladder, just before I finish getting the rubber gasket in tight, it would break. Then I would have to make a third trip to the store, where they wouldn't have the right rubber gasket, so I would have to visit three other stores, the last one on the far side of town.
So, no. As handy as I am, and as much as I enjoy being twenty feet above a slab of concrete on a rickety ladder juggling a sheet of glass, no. This is not a job for me.
So the adventure continues tomorrow. Maybe we can actually find somebody who can just replace a piece of glass without reinventing the concept of "window."
Or the nutballs will turn out to be the smart ones and I won't need to worry about windows.

A break in the routine.

Ah yes!
Remember the good old days? Alarm clocks beeping in the dark early morning. Rolling out of bed into the chilled air. Stepping out of a warm shower to get goose bumps before you could dry off. Getting into a cold car after scraping frost from the windshield. Remember the good old days?
Nah!
Those days meant working for a living.
These are the good new days. Sleeping until you wake up because you are fully rested. Sitting up carefully in a room already warmed from the sun. Showering later, after coffee. Leave the car in the driveway until rush hour is over, if you have to drive at all today. These are the good new days.
Except today.
Today we are getting our roof replaced. Like all construction crews, they start at 5:00 a.m. Even in the winter. When it is dark and cold at 5:00 a. m. Jane, and other northern readers, remember it is all relative. This is our winter. It was 40 degrees at 5:00. So I get to whine a little.
For the last two hours they have been scraping, LOUDLY, to get the old roofing shingles and tar paper off.
It sounds like destruction. Which it is. Six men STOMPING around on the roof. The loosened shingles CRASHING to the ground on all sides. Surely, at least one of them (the guys, not the shingles) will come crashing through the roof at any minute. If they don't fall over the side first.
And in another hour or so, the new shingles will go on. You know how they do that, right? Hammers and nails. For hours. Hammer, hammer, hammer. Hammer, hammer, hammer.
I think I need to go see a movie today.
Yeah, that's the ticket.

Happy Birthday, Tomoko!

Today is Tomoko's birthday. Yes, 12-12-12! 

Have a wonderful day!

The casinos in town are doing lots of specials so gamblers can win spend lots of money. I don't see Tomoko gambling the day away.

Grandparenting is the best thing ever

I just returned from Phoenix SkyHarbor Airport, where I dropped off GaT.

We enjoyed their whirlwind weekend visit. They came because there was a gonga ticket price, but it was a quick turnaround. Ariana is the cutest, smartest, most amazing almost five-year-old anywhere, anytime, since I was that age, of course.


Peggie, Ariana, and I attended Casey's birthday pajama party (Happy Birthday, Casey) while Greg and Tomoko did adult visits.

Casey has a group of fun, interesting friends who actually showed up in pajamas and spent the early part of the evening making graham cracker "gingerbread" houses. The guys really went all out.



 I don't know what happened later. Being good parents, we left early enough for any wild stuff that came later.

Peggie and Ariana had a lot of artistic adventures in the studio. The results cannot be told until after Christmas.

So now we wait for the birth of our grandson. We already have our tickets for that visit.

Thank you, Dad.

I like to drive on old, rough, dirt roads and trails that wander up and down and in and out and around and about.
For pleasure.
Not for work, or to get to and from work.
I call it jeeping. I do it for fun.
Don and I were doing some jeeping last week. We had gone many miles, up one side of a mountain and down the other side. We had seen no one. That is the kind of jeeping we like.
Then we came around a curve and saw a pickup stopped in the (very narrow) road. Three cowboys were standing by the front of the truck. Apparently, they were having a "palaver." That is what cowboys do at trucks, corrals, cafes, and feed stores. Palaver.
My father was an accomplished palaver-er. That's 'cause he was a cowboy.
Well, we had to stop while they moved the pickup to one side so we could drive past. We got a good look at the cowboys while they did this. We are not bad at palavering our own selves, so we pulled up beside the moved-over pickup and stopped between the cowboys. There was one on my (passenger) side looking down the slope. I asked what they were doing. "Looking at our cattle." Sure enough, in the wash at the bottom of the slope, at least a half mile away, were some cattle. Meanwhile, Don was shootin' the breeze (that's another form of palaver) with the men on his (driver's) side. So, after more palavering, we determined that the cowboys had come up the mountain to check on a fence mending crew.
How many cowboys does it take to check on the fence? Three. One to look over the crew and evaluate their competency, one to drive the pickup, and one to keep the others company and thus avoid the chores around the ranch.
During their reconnoiter, they had observed that several head of cattle had passed through the in-need-of-repair fence, and were grazing in the wrong place. Their palaver was directed at correcting the situation. The cattle were over half a mile away from the road, down a steep slope thickly covered in scruboak and manzanita. Not fit terrain for a man on foot. The cowboys had determined that the solution was to drive back to the ranch, saddle some horses and ride out to drive the cattle back through the hole in the fence before the  repair crew had reached that point. They pointed out where the ranch hq was located, "way over there in the valley below that jutting rock." Maybe fifteen miles by air. Maybe forty miles by old, rough, dirt road that wanders up and down and in and out and around and about.
As I said, fun. But not for work. Not followed by a ten mile ride in the saddle over brush covered hills to locate and drive cattle that might have moved to a new spot. Or might be scattered and skittish.
I mentioned that we got a good look at the cowboys. None of the three stood straight. All three were bent and stiff.
So, thank you, Dad, for getting out of ranching before we would have become cowboys, working in country that is much better suited for jeeping than for working in.

Adventures in Art

Those of you who follow Peggie on Facebook may already know that she has now sold two of her pieces.
No, I don't intend to cover each and every sale from now on, but the first two are significant steps.
Her FASA (Fiber Artists of Southern Arizona) group hung a show at The Source, which is the salon where Peggie gets her hair done, last month. One of Peggie's pieces sold the first day. Then, last weekend, the group participated in Open Studios by occupying a classroom at St. Gregory's school. They all took examples of their work, but the idea was to be able to talk about, and demonstrate techniques they use. Not surprisingly, Peggie set up to demo rust dying. But, one couple talked her into selling a small piece we've had hanging in our dining room for a while. She had to make up a price and a title for it on the spot, as this event was not intended as a sales venue.
She is busy now getting some additional pieces finished for the up-coming show at the Jewish Community Center from December 14-January 3.
We are quite proud that Peggie is now a professional Artist!

got my head on straight

I mailed my ballot weeks ago, so the election is out of my hands. I cannot control the outcome.
So, tonight I will watch the Wildcats play basketball. It is not on TV, but will be live streamed. By watching, I will help the 'Cats win. Really. We will win  if I cheer.
Unless they lose. Then it is Peggie's fault.

An "unexpected surprise."

Life has been decidedly unadventurous lately.
We are not complaining. Unadventurous can be very good.
We are looking forward to the PAC 12 basketball season. We went to the Red/Blue Game in person. It is the first public intrasquad scrimmage. We got to see the returning players and the seven highly rated recruits. We think they will be a pretty good team for the next few years unless significant numbers jump straight to the NBA.
Then we went to the White Mountains one last time. We had left the trailer in Eagar and had to go get it anyway, so we spent the week up there. We took some beautiful drives on some roads that were new to us. On one of them, we encountered an abandoned, weathering cabin. It was time for lunch, so we stopped long enough to eat and explore. The aging cabin provided Peggie with interesting patterns to include in fabric dying and quilting. A nearby outbuilding which had been burned to the ground, provided some interesting rusty pieces. When we remounted to continue the drive, Peggie said, "That was an unexpected surprise." As opposed to the more common expected surprise?
Looking for other interesting new-to-us drives, I studied the map and discovered a road to the top of Escudilla Mountain. The road took us to 10,200 feet and circled a meadow called Terry Flat. It wasn't exactly flat, but compared to the steep climb up and back down, I guess it is relatively flat. Escudilla Mountain suffered near total destruction in the 2011 Wallow Fire. Burned areas are being logged to salvage as much unburned timber as possible. We stopped at a pile of trimmings to look for usable twigs and I had another unexpected surprise. Some poor soul had forgotten his pick axe. It has an axe blade on one side and a flat pick on the other side. A great camping tool. Now it is mine. We got a terrific view of New Mexico from the eastern side of the mountain.
We visited a museum and visitor center in Springerville where we met Brenda. She directed us to a wildlife area outside of town. It is headquartered at an old homestead where the original owners had planted copious numbers of trees. The visitor center is in the original native-stone house. It is dedicated to education on the management of area wildlife. Brenda's husband works for Game and Fish, and runs the place.
Over the entire five days we saw not one wild animal until we were almost home and passed a lone coyote trotting along the road just outside of Winkleman.
We are happy that Sitka and Skagway did not have a tsunami adventure, and hope that White Plains does not have too much Sandy adventure. And Casey, that is a terrific pot bellied costume!

The Zen of Errand Running

I had a list today. A to-do list. A honey-do list.
I had to wake up and get up a little earlier than I probably would have. We order grass fed meat products and eggs from a rancher south of Willcox. They deliver to a park nearby at 8:30 on a Saturday morning about every five weeks. Today. I arrived at 8:30. Hadn't had my breakfast yet. I didn't get up that early.
It was maybe (still is) the most perfect day, weather wise, since last spring sometime. So, I rolled down the window and listened to the radio. The delivery was 25 minutes late. I didn't care. By then, I was sitting on the tailgate watching some hawks and some walkers/runners on the park's trails.
Back home, I fixed and ate breakfast, read the paper, had an extra cup of coffee.
By a quarter to eleven I was on the way to complete the list. Costco for gas. No line. Pull right to the pump, note that the price has fallen again. I always try to guess how much gas it will take. I was off by less than half a gallon. I remember three years ago, pulling into Tonopah, Nevada on the last quarter of a gallon. Today, I still had four and a half. I decided I should take advantage of Costco's snack bar. Nowhere else can you get a quarter pound hot dog and a drink for a buck and a half. On the way there, I passed the cart corral. One of the carts is loaded with boxes. Just the type Peggie was looking for when we were rearranging the studio. So I nabbed them. Serendipity.
Then to The Home Depot. Need fence posts and some other things. Do you know where they keep the fencing in The Home Depot? Me neither. But, I am in no hurry. The fencing is in the farthest back corner beyond all the lumber and blocks. Some other folks are there trying to decide if they want a kit-in-a-box for a dog run, or if it is better to buy the pieces separately. So they have called for assistance. I wait until they have decided, then snag the staffer. No, they don't cut the fence posts. But I realize that I have several hack saws, so I buy the 10 1/2 foot pipe. I even already know that I can carry very long things like that in the truck by opening the back window and letting it extend into the cab. It is much more fun to shop at The Home Depot on Saturday morning when I haven't been working all week, and don't have to work next week, and if it takes 45 minutes instead of 15, so what?
Next stop, the library. Drop off some books and pick up some that have been held on reserve. Reserve is the best. Even though I have lots of time, (as stated above) it is so convenient to look for books on the website and have the library staff pull them, set them aside, and email that they are ready. Sweet.
Now to the grocery. Years ago, when money was tighter, I shopped the ads, clipped coupons, and went to three super markets in one day to get the absolute best prices every week. Now, the savings are automatically put on my discount card, but I will still go to more than one store if I know that certain brands or products are less expensive or just plain better.
So, again, I took the time to search for the three things I needed at the Walmart Market Place. When I got in the checkout line, I was number two. The lady in front of me, and the cashier were chattering like old friends, with frequent pauses in the check out process because sometimes you just have to use your hands or make eye contact to get the point across.  The cashier, I learned by eavesdropping, is 73 years old and unable to retire because Social Security is not enough. The customer, too, couldn't foresee any time when retirement would be a reality.
Well, that was all I needed to zen out. I read all the covers of all the magazines, looked longingly at the variety of candy bars, and relished the fact that I am retired. This is the last item on my list. The day is outstanding. If I was really in a hurry, I should have gone to the self-check aisle.
Nope. Sometimes you just have to be grateful not to be working the cash register at Walmart at 73. And appreciate that the woman who is doing that is friendly and wishes you a good day.

The adventure that is IKEA

We had to go to Scottsdale yesterday. Peggie had an appointment with an eye specialist there. I went to drive, because she would have her eyes dilated.
After the appointment we went to the Shemer Gallery in Phoenix for a fiber arts show. There were some very interesting, and varied pieces. Most of them were not in a class you would call quilts. It is a good display.
Then we stopped at IKEA. I do not like IKEA. I like the stuff they have. Lots of interesting stuff. I don't like that once you enter, the only way out is by going through the entire 1000 acre store. So, I took my book, and sat in the lunch room reading while Peggie searched for some frames she wants for some of her art pieces. The first time she returned, she had found a sofa that is comfortable and reasonably priced. Okaaay, not frames. The second time she returned, she had found a dresser she has been thinking would work well in her studio as a base for her cutting and work table. It was in the "as is" area at 40% off. That means it is already put together, a big plus when buying at IKEA.
The frames she originally went after did not come in the color she wanted.
Okay. So measure the dresser. Go outside and measure the truck. It will fit. Barely. If we are lucky.
We have straps to secure it, because of bthianni (aka BettyAnn). So we lined up lots of help from IKEA staff, got it purchased and loaded and strapped in.
Then we drove home. By the way (BTW to tweeters), IKEA is in Phoenix, so it is a long drive. Well, not too long.
Anyway, when we arrived home, the helpful IKEA staff were not around. So we had to unload this dresser, now twice the size as when we put it in, and carry it into the house all by ourselves.
Today, we (yes, I helped) did a lot of rearranging in the studio to incorporate the new furniture.
The good news is that it works well. The bad news is that two would work even better.
Oh boy. We get to make another trip to IKEA pretty soon.

Tourist for a day

Casey and her BFF Michaela swung through Tucson and picked me up on the way to Bisbee for the day.
Michaela is a history buff and teacher who recently moved to Delaware (it's a small state on the central East coast) and was here for a visit. I went along because I like to go places and Bisbee is an interesting place and a good drive. We had to stop at Eegee's on the way out, because Casey and Michaela needed a fix, and  Eegee's is only in Tucson.
We went by way of Benson, St. David, and Tombstone. We were amazed to see half a dozen Highway Patrol cars northbound. Later we learned that, unfortunately, a border patrol agent had been killed just east of Bisbee that morning.
In Bisbee, we stopped to view the Lavender Pit. I had always assumed it was named for the color of the rock exposed around its terraced walls. Not so. It was named for Harrison Lavender, who was a mining engineer and superintendent at the mine for many years. Then we went to the visitor center and booked a ride on the Queen Mine tour. Doing that dropped my IQ by ten points. "Smart tourist" is an oxymoron, and "dumb tourist" is redundant. I seldom do "tourist" things in my home territory, maybe for that reason. Even so, I have always wanted to take the tour, because it is the only safe way to get into an underground mine, and with a guide, you get lots of interesting info. And we did. The guide was good at his job (I know, because I am a professional guide, myself) providing fascinating facts with just the right amount of good humor. We were outfitted in yellow slickers, hard hats, and flashlights and rode about a third of a mile into the tunnel on a tiny train. We made two stops inside where we learned some of the tools that had been used between 1880 and 1975, and viewed some of the ore body that is still in there. The guide seemed pretty confident that mining will someday resume in the mountain if copper prices remain relatively high. The ore body is high-grade enough to extract if they use the open pit method, but too costly for underground techniques.
Then we wandered downtown for a bit and discovered that half the shops close on Tue/Wed. That was fine with us, as we didn't need anything, anyway.
We came back by way of Sierra Vista just to see different country, and back in Tucson, took Michaela to Mosaic Dos because Delaware doesn't seem to have good Mexican food restaurants and she was in withdrawal. Michaela denies having a problem, but when you "need" Eegee's and chile rellenos, how else can you describe it?

Are we there, yet?

There is an ad for something on TV these days portraying children asking the the question that probably was first heard on the Mayflower, and has been voiced by every child (and many adults) on every trip since.
Being the gifted philosopher/linguist (English only) that I am, I can answer the question: No. Not only are we not "there yet," we will never be "there." Ever. You see, where ever we are, is "here." When the destination is reached, the leader of the expedition (driver, father, whoever) gleefully announces "We're here!"
"There" is someplace else. "Here" is where we are.
The paradox, of course, is that of perspective. I am here. But, you, are there. You think of yourself as here. And you think of me as there. We are both (all) correct.
And you thought time travel presented problems. (It does, or did, or will.)

On another topic, I have started to read J.K. Rowling's first adult targeted novel, "The Casual Vacancy." She says it was a story she felt the need to tell. That's how the wealthiest author in history explains why she is still motivated to "work." So far, this is a story that I might soon give up on, except that it is written by Rowling, so I will "muggle" through and try to finish it. Maybe.

Arizona has this place...

...called the Grand Canyon.
Margie's husband, Dave, along with his sister and brother took a hike into this place on Monday. They were due out at noon on Thursday. Five miles from where they went in. So, they knew that when they got out, they would be too tired, hot, blistered, worn out, to hike five miles back where they left their van. So I went with Margie to ferry the van to the take out point. For both of us, it was just an excuse to go to the Grand Canyon. You see, even thought we live in Arizona, it is a BIG state, and we don't just drop in on the Canyon as often as one might think.
We arrived right on time. We were to allow three hours beyond the due time in case they were more tired, hot, blistered, worn out than expected, and took longer. After all, it is all uphill from the Colorado River to anywhere on the rim. Margie and I enjoyed the absolutely gorgeous day finding various vantage points to sit and look at the Canyon. The Creator of the Canyon did a fine job of selecting a wide range of complementary colors with which to decorate the walls. He even allowed them to mix in random ways to create even more colors, then threw in some plants to soften the whole effect with shades of green that were somehow not present in the rocks, themselves. Turkey vultures, ravens, and hawks played on the updrafts for our further entertainment.
When the hikers finally emerged, more than four hours late, tired, hot, blistered, worn out, we found a Mexican food restaurant, had dinner, and drove home in the dark. But first, we were treated to an up close viewing of elk who wanted to cross our road.
Any day out is a success when you combine great views with wildlife.

The hikers were at the bottom of this canyon in the foreground, but we couldn't see them.

Margie took these photos with her phone. If I had known, I would have sucked in my gut and smiled.

The drive home

Going home the long way was worth every extra minute.
If you haven't driven The Coronado Trail, aka US 191, from Alpine to Morenci lately, you should.
Right now there are wildflowers in more profusion than one can imagine. Virtually every open space created by the Wallow Fire, highway cuts, or natural are filled with yellow. Daisies, sage, sun flowers, brittlebush, etc. Also, Indian paintbrush, bluebells, penstemon, and lots I don't know. But, one surprise I know well: fireweed!  I did not know fireweed grew here, having never seen it before. It is smaller than the Giant Fireweed in Yukon, and larger than Dwarf Fireweed in Alaska, so, is it Regular Fireweed? It is later in the year than fireweed season in Yukon. By now all those have gone to cotton and the leaves are showing red-orange. Here, in Arizona's high country they are in full magenta bloom.
Aside from that, we saw a pretty little doe with extremely cute fawns. The two fawns appear to be way too young for this time of year. We saw several hawks soaring on the thermals or perched in trees. And we got a truly SPECTACULAR view from Blue Vista. This is probably the best-located view point on any highway, anywhere.You can see forever in a 300degree sweep. And nowhere can you see the imprint of man. Mountains and canyons one after another until the farthest literally fade into the sky. Thunderheads rising 30,000 feet from the bases above the mountain tops.
The living forest is as beautiful as ever, the fire ravaged forest is hauntingly beautiful in its own right, the flowers are breathtaking, the mountains and canyons beyond description. Even the open-pit Morenci mine exposes more colors in the rock than could otherwise be seen. After several hours of driving on the nearly deserted highway, encountering the mine and the town of Morenci is like entering an ant hill. Vehicles moving helter skelter but in a carefully choreographed dance with purpose in every turn.
I should point out that we were driving south. Of the times we have driven this road, we could only remember having gone south once before. We always go north. South is the better way. North is good. It will take your breath away. But south is exponentially better. You can forget about breathing. Except you have to take a breath periodically so you can keep saying "Oh My God!!"

Caught up

Tuesday, Sept 11, 2012
Last evening, as I was preparing to grill meat for dinner, Peggie asked me to go to the truck and check the temperature. When I walked over there, I happened to look across the meadow to the east. The tree line of aspens there is about 3/4 of a mile away across the grass and slightly uphill. In the time we have been parked here, I have looked that way a lot. There was something different. I checked through binoculars and saw a bull elk with two cows and two calves. We had previously heard keening from that direction after dark, but had not seen elk until now. We have walked over there twice and driven once. The forest behind the aspens is impenetrable due to dead fall. But apparently the elk don't find it to be.
All evening until bedtime, we heard keening from at least four bulls off to the east and south both near and far. We also heard the coyotes again, and thought the wolves howled at least once.
It was a nice way to end our adventures in these mountains this summer.

There are now several posts with today's date. They were written while we were in the woods with no web access. So we are now caught up.
We are headed back to Tucson tomorrow. We intend to take the scenic route down US 191 to I-10.
We are leaving the trailer here in Eagar until we decide we need it again. We may get a chance to come up here when fall colors are blazing.

Glow in the dark

Mon. Sept. 10, 2012
We heard the elk keening again after dark last night. The sound was coming from the meadow to our south. So we got in the truck and drove that way trying to see them in our headlights. No luck. They must have been farther away.
But we discovered that the blue needles on blue spruce glow in the headlights like a white shirt in black light.
Who knew?

Popcorn rain tm

I hereby officially coin the term "popcorn rain."

You all know what I mean. The rain starts with a DROP then another DROP. Then two DROP...DROP............DROP.......DROP DROP DROP........DROPDROP. ..DROPDROPDROPDROPOPOPDROPOPOPOPOPPPPPPPPP. Maybe you get some hail, then the whole thing is gone with everything in reverse order like it is time to dump the popper pan.

We didn't have that today. Oh, it started like that, but it went on and on and on until water couldn't get off the road fast enough. We were on a drive on some of the almost roads that run through the forest all around us. We had just gone through our third gate when Peggie said to look at the clouds. She predicted we were in for a downpour. She was right. Luckily, during the height of it, when we could barely see far enough to continue driving, the next fence we came to had a cattle guard instead of a gate.

The drive took two hours, and we covered exactly ten miles. That's what I mean by almost roads.

You turkeys!

Sat. Sept. 8, 2012
Last night I had to once again crawl out of my nice warm bed, get dressed and go into the cold, dark night. This time it was to tighten the awning that was being snapped by the wind. Now, understand that we heard coyotes yipping nearby when we were going to bed, and those re-introduced wolves are around somewhere, but I didn't mind. I am so brave!
This morning when it was actually time to get up, the rain and wind had stopped, but it was still overcast. When I stepped outside with my hands full of breakfast fixin's (we find it is less messy if we fry bacon outside) I spotted a flock of turkeys in what we call our front yard. They saw me, or heard me, and began heading for the tree line. By the time Peggie responded to my call, they were well on their way and disappeared pretty quickly. We estimated twenty or so, with about a third of them juveniles.
So here's a big THANK YOU to all you from-the-cities noise makers who have left our woods so we can enjoy the natural wildlife.

A heck of a hike

Friday, Sept. 7, 2012
In the interest of sighting our elk herd again this morning, we decided to take a walk along last evening's trail. We saw the tracks of the herd. Then we decided to continue around the woods to a "road" that appeared to go to the top of the hill from the west side. It is a 4x4 trail that goes steeply to the top. At more than 9000' elevation we had to take frequent breathing breaks on our way up. The trail continues down the east side from the peak, but it is not well used. We soon discovered why when we came to the point where the trail ended in just a little ways. So we started bushwhacking back to our camp at the eastern base of the hill. We could see the tracks of the lone bull elk from time to time. But the big excitement was a pile of bear scat that still appeared fresh. Maybe, the bear is what had the elk spooked before we saw them. Even though black bears seldom attack full grown elk or people, I would certainly be spooked by one when I was on foot in the woods.
So now we are excited. With fewer people around, we have elk and bear on the hill behind our camp. We saw deer in this woods when we were camped on the far side last month. We still hear the wolves howling some nights. This is why we camp in the woods.

A little excitement!

Friday, Sept 7, 2012
We returned to our campsite yesterday at lunchtime. We noticed on the way out that most other campsites are empty. Some trailers are still there, but nobody is around. As near as we can tell, there isn't another occupied camp within a mile of us. That's good. No barking dogs, no revving unmuffled ATV's, no chain saws, no shooting. Maybe we will be able to see some natural wildlife. We didn't see any cattle on the way out either; they must must have been relocated again.
We were a little bummed that some miscreant took our hummingbird feeder from the tree where we left it for the 24 hours we were gone.
Last night while we were preparing dinner, I heard some cows lowing in the distance. Then I heard the keening of a bull elk. Close by. I grabbed my binoculars and began to scan. The forest has some pretty clear spaces allowing more than 50 yards of visibility. Whoosh! I saw a tan hide flash through a gap. The elk was flying!
We couldn't interrupt dinner prep, so we decided to sneak into the woods after we ate. And we did.
Casey will know the way we walked because it is the way she drove out to avoid all the mud and rocks from the other road. As I sit here the next morning writing this, the pachinko squirrels are at it again. But last evening as we walked into the woods, we discovered that elk running through the trees sound just like the invisible elephants. We barely got a glimpse of the lone elk I had seen before, when we heard the elephants behind us. We turned and there was a herd running through the trees fifty feet away. They moved fast and we estimated a dozen or more. They stopped briefly in an open area but the bull saw us right away and led his harem up the hill into the denser woods. We could hear them crashing for a while. Then we could hear the two bulls keening for a long time afterwards. It is too bad they were moving so fast. It is the closest encounter we've had with elk.
This morning dawned cloudy and we awoke to sprinkles. We want it to dry out so we can go looking for the elk herd. From the sounds it appears they are still in the vicinity.
Of course, I will probably sprain my neck snapping at every dropped cone.
Today, only invisible elephants.

One of the (many) reasons Peggie keeps me around

Tues. Sept. 4, 2012
Last night after we went to bed, Peggie's C-PAP started misbehaving the way it does when our batteries are getting low.  So I crawled out of the nice warm bed, got dressed, went out into the cold, dark night and plugged the umbilical cord into the truck. Then I turned on the heater, found a soothing classical station on SiriusXM and sat up for an hour and a half until I thought the batteries had recharged enough. The biggest problem I had, was that when I dozed off, my foot depressed the accelerator and the racing engine woke me up. When I finally returned to bed I knew my sacrifice had worked; Peggie was sound asleep and the C-PAP was behaving normally.
Well, I am a real sweetheart and all, but in order to avoid a repeat, I hooked the trailer up this afternoon and let the batteries charge again.
Tomorrow we will head for Eagar for the weekly refill.

Labor Day

Monday, Sept. 3, 2012
We just had a different kind of weekend. Casey drove up Saturday morning to join us for the holiday. Her holiday, not ours. We don't need holidays. Anyway, it was the first dirt roads for her two (three?)-year-old Honda Fit. Two miles of graded dirt, and half a mile of muddy two-track. I walked out to the graded road to guide her in past the puddles and rocks. Her car only bottomed out once and she got a scratch (arizona pin striping) on the passenger side. We're hoping it will buff out with wax.
On Sunday we drove around a bit to show her some of the damage from last year's Wallow Fire. Then we headed to the nearest Indian casino at Hon-Dah. We all dropped our $20 limit pretty quickly, but Peggie got hers to last for a while.
We stayed up late playing Uno and laughing. Casey and Peggie take great pleasure in beating me at games. As you all know I am a gracious loser. I am never having so much fun as when my "loved ones" are laughing at me.
It would have been nice if Casey had had longer than a three-day weekend, but we are glad that all the other yahoos who run their obnoxiously loud ATV's up and down the trails had to go home.

Squirrels playing pachinko and invisible elephants

Sat. Sept 1, 2012
The quiet forest is often invaded by the sound of elephants crashing through the trees. When we go in search of these behemoths, they are nowhere in sight. Invisible. Instead, if you stand still and observe, you see pine cones (generic term, they are actually spruce cones) landing all around. The squirrels are high in the trees harvesting the cones. They do this by pulling a cone loose and dropping it. The cone strikes a branch, bounces randomly, strikes another branch etc. until it thumps into the detritus on the ground. The sounds are "conk" "thunk" "bonk" "crack" "thump."  Most of the nearby squirrels are thus engaged at the same time. That's why it sounds like elephants coming through. They all cease at about the same time and sit up in the trees chattering. I think they are saying, "Hey, I just dropped a bunch of cones on the ground and the rest of you better not try to pick any of them up!" On the ground they sometimes immediately attack the cones like a kid at the state fair in July with a corn cob on a stick. Or they grab a cone and run off to their secret hiding place.
This activity is repeated numerous times throughout the day.

We're here

Friday, Aug. 31, 2012
White Mountains, Arizona
Two miles from AZ Hwy 260, .5 miles from FR 117 on the edge of an enormous meadow. Spruce, blue spruce, fir, aspen, and ponderosa pines marking the forest edge. Our trailer is oriented East/West putting our  patio on the south for maximum sun exposure. The nearest trees are 10 yards west and over 100 yards east and 10 yards north and 1/2 mile south. We wanted early morning sun and afternoon shade.  The shadows begin edging into the patio at 3:30 and sunset is at 6:30. We find ourselves moving our chairs out to find sun during those three hours because the shade is just a little too chilly.
We set up at about noon. At around 4:30 I was enjoying the warmth of the sun and a good book. I looked up into the wooded area to the west. Now, I can't say I have been under any particular stresses or pressures lately, but at that moment, when I looked into the forest, I heard whatever stress I had fall to the ground beside my chair. The message made by the falling stress hit my consciousness as "We're here."
After that I became aware of the squirrels, birds, flowers, trees, sunlight and shadow. We're here.
The plan is to stay three weeks this time. Then those pesky appointments and commitments require a return to Tucson.

....and then the phone rang.

The phone rang this afternoon. Not unusual. Lots of people want us to vote for them. Others want to sell us new windows, security systems, credit cards and other stuff we don't listen to.
But this was Heath. From Skagway. He is the new owner of Southeast Tours who almost had us going to Skagway in June.
When last we spoke, I agreed that if he found a new bus in the lower 48 and needed it, I would drive it up there for him. He called to see if I would still do that. After talking to me, he spent the day on-line and on the phone, trying to find a desirable bus in Arizona. No dice. But he will keep on looking. If he finds one in the next month, he still wants me to bring it up. Then he wants both Peggie and I to agree to come work for him in 2013.
So, I hope he finds a bus. That will be a fun adventure driving it up there.
He has been having a good season, and expects next year to grow even more. I think he will. He is eager, hard-working and imaginative.
So we are still heading for the hills tomorrow, and staying flexible.

Head fer the hills!!

In response to my critic:
Yes, I admit to not posting for a week. But, nothing was happening!
We went the entire time with no adventures of any kind.
Peggie is having a wonderful time experimenting with all kinds of creative ideas. But I have not tried to do anything that could turn adventurous. I haven't been on the roof, haven't used any power tools, haven't driven anywhere, and haven't attempted any home projects.
Tomorrow we will return to the White Mountains. We will try to be adventureless. Casey will join us over the weekend, maybe she will provide blog fodder. We have selected a spot that, while slightly more accessible, is still remote enough to be peaceful.
We will be back in town mid September. Pesky appointments!

World's laziest Grandpa

Grandparents have unlimited rights to brag on their offsprings' offspring.
So, I refer all to the GaT blog. Read the entry from Aug. 25 and look at as many videos as you can. Specifically, the piano and "guiter" performances.
If this isn't the laziest way to brag, you tell me what is.

A welcome change in perspective

We have been catching up on some TV shows recorded while we were out of town. Some of the ads we fast-forward through are for upcoming new fall shows. Last night, for the first time, I realized that Sept. is right around the corner. By the time we return from our next mountain retreat, the new shows will be starting.
The new perspective? Summer will FINALLY be over!
For what seems like forever, summer was always over WAY too soon. You just get your classroom cleaned up and ready for summer, you spend a few days catching your breath, you attend a workshop or take a class, you take a trip, you read something for pleasure, and then you go to your classroom to prepare for a new group. Summer was ALREADY over!
While we were spending the summers working in Skagway, the season went from May through September. Five whole months. The final month was lo-o-o-ong. This is the first summer since '08 that we have endured the (dry) HEAT!!! The last ten days have been so lo-o-o-ong. (that stretched word is pronounced HOT)
All of our still-teaching friends have been back at work so long that their lunch room conversations no longer mention what they did in June or July. Their summer is already over. They are deep into routine and are anticipating fall break.

Peggie and I are definitely enjoying the view from our new perspective.

Happy Birthday, Bill

I woke up this morning and already had an email greeting from Margie and a blog greeting from Greg and Ariana in Germany. Today is supposed to only be in the 90's, so it will be a "cool" one.

We don't even have to leave home.....

Usually we think we are going for adventures when we leave home. But, sometimes adventures come to us.
Maybe you remember the time lightning struck the tree that used to be in our front yard.
Well, last night we were enjoying the closing ceremonies from the London Olympics when electrical power was lost. We checked outside to see if it was just us. Strangely, only 13 houses on our street were affected. Everybody else still had power. There were no electrical storms in the area. No cars had crashed into any thing. We called TEP and reported the outage via an automated system. At 5 am we were awakened by truck noise. TEP had a crew at a transformer two houses down from us. Our utilities are all underground, and they were digging with a backhoe. At about 6 am power was restored. Shortly thereafter we received a phone call from the automated system informing us that power had been restored. Just in time to make coffee.
The silver lining is that since we had no TV, we were not annoyed when NBC cut away from the ceremony to air the premiere of a new show that we are not going to be watching. Did they learn nothing from the Superbowl/Heidi fiasco?
We had to go to Scottsdale today for some doctor appointments. It was 111 degrees there. That temperature is "in the shade" in a specially constructed box at the airport. We spent all of our outside time "in the sun" walking on asphalt. I think they should report those temperatures.

Back in Tucson, for a while

We have appointments and stuff to do. Even in retirement.
So we are in Tucson for as long as we can stand it. The heat, that is.
Since I have access to the computer, I posted the last two entries which were written the old-fashioned way (pen and paper) while we were sitting in the cool pine country.
I am sweating away at the keyboard this evening because, once again, the A/C is on the blink.
When we started hitting the outskirts of Tucson, we had to stop twice for school buses discharging children.
We are soooo happy not to be back in the classroom.

Company? No, thank you.

Aug. 6, 2012
Last week, just a couple of days before we headed back to Eagar for recharge and restocking, a couple of other campers (trailers) moved into our area. The area is probably five acres of scattered trees with lots of open grass. Fifteen or twenty good parking spots are available. These people were very friendly. They were from Eagar and Springerville. They told us that by the weekend there would be between 50-100 people joining them. And we were welcome to stay. They didn't want to run us off. But, they have been holding a family reunion at this spot for the last 38 years! And really, we were welcome to stay.
Thank you, but NO!!!
We agreed that it is the perfect spot for a large group like that, with lots of kids. There is plenty of open area for games, and lots of forest to explore, the spring and creek to play in. But, we do not go to the forest to have that kind of noise and activity.
So, on Thursday, when we returned to the forest, properly recharged, restocked, and looking for some peace and quiet, we selected a different place. It is only two miles from the spring, but the nearest neighbors are 1/4 mile away, and it is just two people. Two quiet people.
Today, we went for a long drive. We have been camping in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest since our kids were little. Last year while we were in Skagway, we heard of the Wallow Fire burning through the forest, and how big it was, and where. We were very concerned about our camping area. We took a drive through in October, and we were pleased at how much had NOT burned. Today, we specifically visited two of our former campsites. One, on the San Francisco River (it is barely a creek at this point) within a stone's throw of New Mexico, showed that the fire had raced through, burning along the ground, but leaving the top half of most of the trees green. It would still be a nice spot to camp. It isn't destroyed. The second one, about ten miles south of Alpine, and about two thousand feet lower, is at the confluence of Turkey Creek and The Campbell Blue. There are probably half a dozen Turkey Creek's in Arizona. This one is a perennial stream that can be jumped across at any point, or waded without getting you socks wet. The Campbell Blue is a nice stream with trout. Again, the fire swept through, but left the large trees only scorched at the bottom and green at the top. The damage here was from flash floods created when the more severely burned canyon slopes could not hold the falling rains and the spring snow melt. The narrow portions of Turkey Creek showed evidence of very deep water. The camp area was coated with obviously fresh sand that had washed down the canyon. But, again, as long as it doesn't rain while you are there, it is still a nice place to camp.

July 31, 2012

We are at the end of our third week up here in the White Mountains. Most of our adventures have been weather related.
At the end of our first week, we retreated to Bear Paw RV Resort in Eagar. It is necessary to recharge batteries, drain holding tanks, refill fresh water, do laundry and restock groceries about every week or so.
When we returned to our beautiful, isolated campsite near the spring and creek that feed Carnero Lake, the shady spots held piles of hail reminiscent of springtime in snow country. (Carnero is Sp. for sheep or mutton)
When we pulled into our camping area, both the site we left and the new one I had selected to get better runoff from our awning, were under six inches of water. Apparently, the previous day's rain storm had been far wetter than any of the previous ones. When we went a little ( 75 yards) farther to another spot, it was obvious that our first place was the low point of the immediate neighborhood. While parked in our new location over the next two weeks, the "pond" reformed several more times. We were amazed at how quickly the porous volcanic soil absorbed the water. It never lasted overnight.
Today, at about 10:30 a. m. it started, slowly at first. Then, lightning began. It was so close, we went inside, hoping that it really is safer in a vehicle of some kind. Several times the thunder sounded simultaneously with the flash. That's close! Through the door I saw one bolt strike the "pond" just 70 yards away. Strangely, it did not strike any of the dozens of trees within that same zone. Most of the hail from that storm was pea sized, but there was a significant amount of grape sized.
Following this storm, we had ground fog for quite a while. Fog is eerie in a half-dark forest!

Happy Anniversary to us!

Forty-two.
We were married at 7 and 5, I guess.
Time really does fly when you are having fun.

Bucket list? I don't need no stinking bucket list.

July 20, 2012
I am sitting in my camp chair in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, at a little over 9000 ft. above sea level, perfect temperature (63?), partly cloudy deep blue sky, surrounded by ponderosa pine, aspen, fir and spruce, listening to the calls of countless birds, watching grey squirrels scamper hither and yon, chipmunks darting yon and hither, hummingbirds fighting over the two feeders hanging from the nearest tree, and I pause from reading a good book and think "it doesn't get any better than this."
It does, of course, get better. It has been better, and will be better again. But what if it doesn't? What if I die right here, right now?
When I was a teenager, Peggy Lee had a hit song called "Is That All There Is?" The lyrics suggested disappointment at the end of life from not having expectations met.
My motto is more along the lines of Circle K convenience stores current tag line "What else do you need?"
Nothing.
I do not need anything else.
If I die at this moment, what will I regret not having done? What bargain will I want to make with God?
"Don't take me now, I still have to X."
Nothing.
Oh, there are things I want to do, places I want to go, people I want to see. "Don't take me now, I am having too much fun."
I grew up in a stable family situation. Neither rich nor poor. Whatever I didn't have or didn't do because we were perhaps more poor than rich, or because we lived in the sticks, I didn't and still don't miss.
I got to attend college. I was fortunate to meet Peggie, my one true love, and somehow convinced her to share the rest of my life with me. Score!
We raised two fantastic, healthy children who are now fantastic adults.
In the course of time passing I crossed both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. I rode an elephant. I swam with sea lions. I stared into the eyes of a timber wolf. I got waaay too close to a grizzly bear. I observed a bull moose placidly grazing belly deep in a beaver pond while the beavers busily repaired their dam. I enticed a hummingbird to land on my finger to lap at the sugar water from the cup in my hand. I walked on a glacier. I survived a massive mosquito attack at the Arctic Circle. I snorkeled and climbed an active volcano in Hawaii. I positively influenced the lives of hundreds of students and was positively influenced in return.
I held my newborn granddaughter in my arms.
"Is that all there is to life?"
No.
But, what else do I need?

Going Dark

We will be away for an undetermined period. Please continue checking in periodically.

Happy Birthday, Margie.

Hope you all have a good time at K-T. We will not be able to join you this time. We are preparing for our own time in the cool high country. If all goes as planned (and it never does) we will start packing the trailer today, and leave town on Monday.
While we hope you don't get rain on your picnic, we hope for afternoon rains on our campsite to keep things cool and reduce fire danger.

Happy Birthday, USA

Well, let's admit it. This day really is a celebration of the conception of the new nation, not the actual birth.
Good thing we don't celebrate our own birthdays that way, we'd all be nine months older. And who needs that?
We are 15-20 degrees cooler today, thanks to the cloud cover and the potential for rain. Lightning and thunder might compete with fireworks this evening, and rain might dampen the whole event.
The Diamondbacks lost the game we went to see, but we had a good time, anyway. Our new truck is a joy to drive and to ride in on the interstate. We parked and took the light rail from Tempe to downtown Phoenix. That is a great way to get across town. Cheap and stress-free. And the station is closer to the ballpark than any of the parking lots, so less walking in the Phoenix heat. Anything you can do less of in Phoenix, is a good thing.

Happy Birthday, Dick.

Dick always gets to go first when we play "Let's get older!" He sets off the spate of summer birthdays for his siblings, which ends with mine on August 16th. You can mark that on your calendars.
For Dick's birthday this year we are going to a Diamondbacks' game. Not with Dick. You know, just sayin'.

Philosophy 400

What is the nature of retirement?

Last night, as we were preparing for bed, Peggie said it had occurred to her that we were now in our longest period of not working, since retirement. When you think about it, it means we are also in our longest period of not working since we started working. But we started working back in the days before digital record keeping, so there is no way to really know how long that's been. Suffice it to say we both started working before we were married, so it has been longer than forever. If you count school as work for kids, then really, we have almost no memory of life before work.

But what about the original observation?
The first year following retirement, we were both back at work for the school district throughout that school year. Ditto, the year after that. Followed by the first of three seasons in Skagway, during which Peggie worked, and I got paid to have fun (at work).

Now, here it is July 1st and we have not worked since last September. It has been nine months! And counting.

So now, one answer is the "I Choose to Work Club". Aimee Smythe founded the organization following her retirement. It means that those jobs you take, whether contracted, or substituting, or working retail, or driving, or whatever, are totally voluntary. And that means you can do it or not. You can quit any time. You can do it again, or not. You can skip a season. You don't have to work. As a retiree, you get paid anyway.

Since we got home in October, we have been doing just what we want to do. Day by day. Hour by hour. Minute by minute. If at any time we don't want to do what we are doing, we are free to do something else.

So maybe that is it. Retirement is a paid vacation with no end date. Return to work? If you choose to. Find new work? If you choose to. Get paid just because you wake up still breathing? Good choice.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BECKY!

Yep, today is the day. If you don't believe me, look at last year's post, or the year before, whenever the big mnemonic debate ran. Peggie called Becky today and wasn't told it was the wrong day, so it was confirmed at the source.

In honor of the big event, we actually got the hitch installed today. Yes, there were a few hitches in our git-along over the installation. But it is done, now. Tomorrow begins the adventure of resetting the level of the trailer to match the height of the new truck. 4x4's are taller, you know.

At some point we will be ready to head for the (relatively) cool mountains. We will wait until after the Independence Day crowds (pronounced i-de-its) have returned to their urban environs, hopefully without setting our haven afire.

The Monsoon

Or is it the mon-not-so-soon?
The weather people used to have a complicated process for deciding when the Arizona monsoon season officially started. It had something to do with dewpoint and elapsed time and could only be identified some number of days after the fact. It was like figuring out when Easter will be without access to a lunar calendar.
Now, they have a day in mind. It is June 15th.
For the uninitiated, the monsoon is our summer rainy season. It is when, if conditions are right, we get thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are area specific, and of variable size and intensity. From any particular vantage point you may see rain falling somewhere else, but not get a drop where you are. The normally dry streambed could become a raging muddy river of runoff from a thunderstorm "over there, somewhere."  Or, you could be subjected to a frog-drowning, zero-visibility downpour that starts with grape-sized hail and features gale-force winds that rip off your roof, or overturn semis. And it might last five minutes or an hour. It can happen three times a day, or not once in three weeks. When it does rain, it cools the air and smells terrific. When it doesn't rain, the humidity is like New Orleans (that means you sweat, but there is no evaporation, so you don't get cooled).
The right conditions involve a more-or-less stationary high-pressure system over Colorado and a more-or-less stationary low-pressure system over Mexico. The two systems together suck up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and funnel it into Arizona. When it runs into the mountains the rising hot air cools and forms clouds. This can cause rain. But it can also just cause a rapid downdraft of cooled air which can create haboobs. Haboobs are massive fast-moving dust storms that can be many miles wide. They reduce visibility, causing pileups on the highways, and can scour the paint right off a car.
Anyway, our monsoon is now 10 days in and we have had only one passing thundercloud that gave us a trace of rain. Imagine your mouth is dry, your throat is parched, you stopped sweating an hour ago (because you have no more moisture in your body) but you spot a water bottle. You eagerly tip the bottle to your mouth and two teaspoons of water drip out. That is the kind of rain we had on the 16th. Yesterday there was some attempt by the clouds to gather into serious accumulations. They murmured a little thunder, but passed by without relinquishing any of their precious water.
The mon-not-so-soon is underway.

Happy Solstice

Today is the Summer Solstice, the day of longest sunlight, and the official start of summer. Hah!
Summer is well under way in the Arizona desert. Tucson will hit 104, and Phoenix is going to melt into the sand. Sadly, three people have died from the heat in Tucson already. All of them were out of town visitors who probably didn't fully realize the true dangers and didn't recognize the symptoms of heat prostration.
Two of them were hikers, and the third was working construction in a parking lot.

On our walk last evening, we once again spotted the red-tail hawk on the power pole. He had a snake for dinner. We couldn't tell what kind of snake due to the low light and the fact that the hawk flew away as we approached. He took the snake with him, and we turned off, so he wouldn't feel compelled to fly again, perhaps losing his meal in the process.

Tonight, we will leave our shiny (washed it last night) new truck to have the fifth-wheel hitch installed tomorrow. It is an auto-slide hitch that moves to the rear during tight turns so we won't break any more rear windows out of the truck by having the corner of the trailer impact it. We are keeping our fingers crossed that no glitches will interfere.

Today, Peggie is getting measurements of the wall space at The Source, a salon that will host her fiber arts groups' display and sale in October. She is happily working on some pieces for that and other up-coming shows.

Happy Birthday, Greg!

Oops, I'm a bit late. You were born at 11:01 and I see that my clock says 11:06. What a great day. I'm so glad you were born!!!

Have a wonderful Birthday and Father's Day!

ALERT!! Tomorrow is a Special Day.

Tomorrow, June 17th, is Father's Day.
Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there.
And for those of you who have fathers, this is your last minute reminder to contact Dear Old Dad.
Not my children, though. They are already great at remembering important events. Like our anniversary, on July 25th, and my birthday, on August 16th, and Christmas, on December 25th. My children and family and friends are all great at remembering these things. So thank you all. Oh, and, of course, Peggie's birthday on December 28th. And Mother's Day, on May something.

This Father's Day has the added significance of being Greg's birthday. This is the seventh time the two have fallen on the same day since 1979, when he was born on Father's Day, allowing me to celebrate at the earliest possible opportunity.
Happy Birthday Greg.  Don't let Ariana get away with just one card or gift. One for each occasion is appropriate even when they fall on the same day! Get her used to it while she is young.

Casey, I got the sun-viewing-glasses and enjoyed watching Venus transit the sun. I made the mistake of using binoculars, though. It made for a better view, but each time, they focused the light and burned a pinhole in the plastic lenses. It took me five pinholes to figure it out. So next time I watch Venus cross the sun I will know better.

Greg, the truck swelled to just the right size. We use it for all our driving needs. I am worried that the current dry conditions will cause it to shrink back to Matchbox size. Should I add more water? I lost the instructions.

Normal?

Is there such a thing as "normal?"
If there is, that's where we are. Or, it's what we're doing. Or, it's how we are.
Anyway, for Tucson in June, it is HOT!!
Air conditioning makes indoors the place to be. The heat makes nothing the thing to be doing. And we are doing a good job of it. We try to put off outdoor chores and errands until evening or early morning, and combine them to reduce exposure. We take walks after sunset. We have seen another diamondback. We frequently see the "s" trail across the dirt road so there are more of them out there. The resident red tail hawk seems to have moved away.
Peggie's creativity is active. She is designing work to put in the various shows her artists' group has coming up in the next twelve months. Yesterday, we restored her studio to work-in mode, instead of go-away-for-the-season mode. The outdoor sink has proven to be the useful appliance she wanted when dying fabric. The rail plates and other rusty objects are making interesting designs.
So, for now, normal is the new adventure.

Flexible? We are as raw pretzel dough.

Well, that was a thrilling ride!
The promise of a short season in Skagway was greatly exaggerated as it turns out.
At least, we think it has turned out.
For two weeks, we've been back and forth. On Tuesday night we packed everything but clothes and refrigerated foods into the new truck. With an hour for last minute close-down-the-house stuff and final packing, we were hitting the road Wed. morning. We thought. Then the phone rang. There were issues at work which were apparently beyond anyone's control or understanding. So we stood down for a day. That became two days. Now, the issues (not pertinent here) cannot be controlled so we aren't needed, after all.
Well, during the back and forth we got so we wanted to go. A short season seemed perfect. I guess it is a good thing we had some appointments (and potential jury duty) to delay us, or we would have gotten all the way there before the "issues" surfaced.
Now, we are back to the original, albeit modified, plan. We will pull the trailer to the cool mountains and veg periodically to escape triple digits on the ol' thermo-meter.
After we find a hitch. And get it installed. And lift the trailer. And get running boards. And replace the torn awning. And if the forest doesn't burn first.
But, we do have a beautiful new truck.....that is loaded to the rails with stuff that needs to come back in the house. Unpacking just doesn't have the same appeal, does it?
Can we still call this an adventure? What kind?

Casey comes thru again.

Even from Delaware Casey found me the sun-safe-viewing glasses. The store here in Tucson restocked. I got them today. I will be able to see Venus cross in front of the sun without going blind. Yippee. I just have to remember to take time from the frantic last-minute packing and loading we will be doing Tuesday.
And I can give Greg some credit for getting me a truck. Do I have great (adult) children, or what?

This is why I like to leave during the summer!

Who doesn't like instant gratification?

Last night I got in the jeep and drove to the end of our street. Peggie got in the truck and drove to the other end. We accelerated at each other like a game of chicken, but we didn't chicken. Apparently we both hit 88 mph at exactly the moment of impact, sending us into the future. October to be exact. But when we got there, we were not in the jeep and truck any more. We were in this hybridization. It is a four door, 4wd, Dodge Ram 2500. We raced it up to 88 mph and returned to the past and the new truck came with us.

In reality, (that first paragraph is mostly fiction) I was looking on-line at truck dealers' inventory to get some kind of idea what might be available and what they cost. Here was a 2012 with all the equipment we wanted in the used car inventory. It had 19,000 miles on it and was about $18,000 less than a new, new truck. We decided, "What the heck. Might as well check it out." The good news was, it had the right stuff without anything we wouldn't want if we ordered from the factory. The other good news (?) it is available right now. I decided that with a 4wd truck, I could give up the jeep as a trade-in, and we needed to trade the old truck anyway. So it was a twofer.

Of course, there were some adventures included. I took the old truck to our favorite RV place to have the fifth wheel hitch removed, to be remounted on the new truck when we return in October. First, the hitch had been welded, not bolted in place. Second, the frame of the new truck will not accept this hitch without adaptive hardware, since Dodge has redesigned their frame in the last 16 years. Third, the company that made our hitch has been out of business for 5 years, therefore, the adaptive hardware is not available. Result: the hitch stayed with the old truck. Aw, it will probably all be scrap metal next week, anyway. There will be further adventures in October when we have to buy a new hitch, and have the trailer raised to the new bed height. I just bet that won't be a straight-forward proposition. You think?
We will be heading to the hinterlands in a new-to-us vehicle. The ride will be more comfortable. We have cruise control, a longer wheelbase, a heavier vehicle, and new suspension.
And we can take A LOT more stuff now.
I (mostly) don't make this stuff up, folks.

When it rains, it pours.

Or, when God gives you lemons, make lemonade.
And, since it is raining, you can make it with pure rain water.

My degree is in psychology, but I did take a philosophy class, so I know that any situation can be looked at from any perspective and be interpreted accordingly. See the previous "Glass half full" entry.

On Thursday, two significant, but seemingly unrelated things happened.
First, as you read, the truck ceased being a functioning contributor to our vagabond lifestyle. Our plans for spending weeks in the cool environs of high altitude forests, listening to the wind in the trees, watching whatever wildlife wandered our way, and doing as much nothing as we could cram in, were dashed. A HOT! summer in Tucson loomed.

Second, I got a telephone call from ...(drum roll, please)...Skagway, Alaska.

Now, you may have heard of Skagway from us. We went up there when we were younger, like last year. And the year before. And the year before that. We did not plan to go there this year. (see above paragraph for our plans this year) I should mention that this is the fourth call inviting us to return.

         One spring day a truck came out to Old Man O'Hara's farm, and the driver warned
         Old Man O'Hara to evacuate the farm because the river was going to rise and flood the farm.
         "I'll be fine," says O'Hara, "God will take care of me." And he refused to leave the farm.
         Later that day, as O'Hara stood on his porch as the waters swirled around his house, a man
         in a motor boat pulled up to the house and offered to take Old Man O'Hara to dry land.
         "I'll be fine," replied the old man, "God will take care of me." And he refused to leave the farm.
         Later that night, as O'Hara sat on the peak of his roof, watching the waters eddying around the
         eaves of his house, a helicopter hovered overhead and dropped a rope ladder. A loud speaker
         encouraged Old Man O'Hara to climb on up, as the water was about to rise even more.
        "I'll be fine, God will take care of me," O'Hara shouted back.
         Old Man O'Hara drowned in the flood. As he stood before St. Peter he was angry. "I trusted
         in the Lord to save me," he said. "Why didn't He take care of me?"
         St. Peter patiently nodded his head. "Who do you think sent the truck, the boat, and the
         helicopter?"

So, we decided to heed all of the messages we have received. We leave for Skagway next week. The earnings put us closer to that new truck we need if we ever want to pull our trailer to the mountains again. It's a no brainer and part of the glass being half full (a solution).

Having done this before, I don't find it necessary to tape off a corner of the living room to allot space for all the junk we will take. We are taking a lot less junk. The ferry is full, so we will get in a 3000 mile road trip. We will see high altitude forests, and there is a chance that we will see wildlife. Who knows, we might see a bear!

Happy Birthday, Jane

Okay, we are a day late and a dollar short. But we thought about you yesterday.
Hope you had a good day and have many more, and share a good number of them with us.

Glass half full.

Making the best of a bad situation comes easy after the practice we've had. For reference, see just about any of our previous entries.
On Friday, when we were supposed to be enjoying the cool temps in Silver City, we instead went to the refrigerated confines of our local multiplex to see "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." That was fun. Then we decided to find a motel near Silver City and go to the blues festival, anyway. The nearest available room was in Lordsburg, 45 miles distant. We got the room free from our rewards. Excellent.
We found a good, comfortable place in the shade at the park and enjoyed the music from noon until 9 pm. Then on Sunday, from noon until 6:30. Becky and Steve joined us for the day and dinner after. Then we drove home.
So we salvaged most of a good time. We enjoyed the music, the perfect weather, and the people watching. There was more driving involved than we planned for, but, on the bright side, there are fewer bugs in the world now.

Bummer!

I guess this qualifies as an "adventure" of the third kind?
An adventure of the first kind was planned. Isn't that how every good story begins?
We made reservations way back in January to take the trailer to Silver City for the Blues Festival this weekend.
We set out early this morning to avoid an adventure of the second kind. Forecast called for strong winds on I-10 between Tucson and the N.M. border. We did not want to get flipped over by a strong crosswind. Really, we didn't want to get flipped over? Why not?         DUH!!
So, back to the story. We made it to mile post 277, which is on Tucson's southeast side. Kind of out of town, but not really. The engine quit running. No explosion. No fire. Just quit. Being the clever soul that I am, I pulled to the side of the road, set the flashers, and tried (unsuccessfully) to restart the engine several times. Then, because I am a guy, I got out and raised the hood. I looked at the engine and could not tell what was wrong. Huh?! What I mean is, the belts and hoses were all there, no leaks of any kind were visible, and the engine, itself, was still there.
Now, we learn from past.....experiences. Yeah, that's the word. So we have Good Sam Emergency Roadside Assistance coverage. And we had cell phone coverage. So, do you know how hard it is to have a conversation on a cell phone next to a busy truck route? The poor operator had to repeat everything she said.
Upshot is, the tow truck only took an hour. Then about 45 minutes to get us hooked up. The tow company's owner was our driver, and he took lots of calls. Good thing we weren't paying by the minute. Good thing we weren't paying at all. The nearest repair facility was Tucson Dodge, because our truck is a Dodge and the Good Sam operator assumed that was the best place to go.
Okay, we sat around the dealership, blah, blah, blah (or is that yadda, yadda, yadda?).
The verdict is that the engine quit because the spark plug wires are shot. Oh, and there is a gasket missing on the air intake (it gets dry and brittle after years and years) which has been letting dirty air into the engine. That is very bad. In fact, the ticking sound we have been hearing is most likely in a piston. Prognosis? Fifty-fifty chance we could get to Silver City and back without the engine quitting again. This time with a bang and for good.
So we did not go to Silver City. And we will not be able to take the trailer to the mountains later this summer unless we get a new truck.
So, never mind the sun viewing glasses, I want a new truck for Father's Day.
Kids? Are you reading this? Don't both of you speak at once.
Oh, not to leave you hanging. The truck runs, and got us home safely. But only because I can drive while keeping my fingers crossed and holding my breath.

NSR =No Shovel Required

Even my cold-blooded sister wouldn't go get the shovel for this reptilian sighting.
We were on the first leg of our evening constitutional when we observed a group of fellow walkers off the road taking a picture. When we got closer they let us know it was gila monster sighting. Sure enough, there he or she was. About 16 inches long and with a nice fat tail. Perambulating in that unique lizard way that looks like walking isn't the preferred method of getting around.
We continued around the next corner and soon we saw, about 50 yards up the road, something crossing the road. Snake or gila monster. We actually trotted to get there. We arrived as another gila monster climbed the berm. This one was about an inch or two shorter and less fat, but very nicely patterned in orange and black.
Two. In one day! Cool.
Continuing, a resident red-tail hawk swooped just overhead and sailed to a landing on a telephone pole where we often see him. He never lets us get too close, but tonight he didn't sail away until we were stopped at the base of the pole.
Finally, as we neared our house, a pair of nighthawks got an early start eating all those nasty flying bugs over our street.
So we got our exercise, and some good wildlife viewing.

What's wrong here?

This evening we will be able to view part of the solar eclipse before the sun sets. On June 5th we will be able to watch part of Venus' transit of the sun before the sun sets.
EXCEPT you can't look directly at the sun long enough to see anything, or else you won't be able to see anything ever again. That is the classic catch 22. But somebody produced a special set of sun viewing glasses that are dark enough to allow direct sun viewing. Fine. Where can I get them?
There is one astronomy-themed store in town. They had the glasses until they ran out three days ago. The Saguaro National Park West is hosting a viewing party, so the gift shop had them for sale. Until they ran out yesterday. We drove out there today specifically to buy the glasses. Long drive. It was pretty, because we went through the Tucson Mountains at Picture Rock, and the saguaros are BLOOMING.
Okay. What's wrong here is marketing. If you want to maximize sales, you must not run out of product. Simple.
So, as the manufacturer of a product like these glasses which will have a limited demand period, what do you do? No retailer wants to be stuck with 800 pairs of sun viewing glasses after June 5th. The next eclipse will be years away, and the next transit of Venus will be more than a century from now. So the manufacturer should have guaranteed full return-for-credit on excess stock. If it was me, I'd have had them in every convenience store. Tonight when the moon starts blocking the sun, hundreds of people who don't plan ahead (the very definition of C-store customers) will be wanting to buy glasses.
Personally, I could pass on the eclipse. Been there, seen that. But the transit of Venus? Only once in my lifetime. Once. Coming up in a couple of weeks. I know, pictures will be shown on TV and youtube. But that's like saying you don't need to visit the Grand Canyon because you saw a postcard.
So, your assignment, reader, should you decide to accept it, is to find me a pair of sun viewing glasses.
I will also be looking. I can't really count on you, now can I?

Romantic Poetry--hot stuff, eh?

Does this guy know me or what?

I do not like the heat

said she.

The heat is not my friend in need.

The heat is not my friend indeed.

I do not like the heat in spring.

I do not like the heat in fall.

I do not like the heat at all.

The heat in summer is too much.

It makes some things too hot to touch.

I do not like the heat

said she.

I do not like the heat today.

I do not like the heat, no way.

It is too hot.

I like it not.

I do not like the heat a lot.

              Bill Thomas, May 2012

The heat in May

is here to stay.

The heat in June 

is here too soon.

               Bill Thomas, May 2012

It's all finished--even the hem!!

And just in time for 100 degrees. It felt cooler when I was playing in the water at the sink so that's good.

Restaurant sinks for $150 are few and far between so I felt really lucky when I spotted this one on Craig's List. And it was in good shape even though it needed some cleaning (which Bill did as part of the gift). 

It's definitely a great gift. Bill's eight trips to various stores and my one trip to a fabric store for deeply discounted UV resistant fabric was very worth it! I'm glad we found this before it started hitting the hot temperatures or it may not have gotten installed as quickly.

You can see how convenient it is to the studio door. I think I'll put a couple planters along the fence and I'll almost feel as if I'm in an oasis.

There is a limit to everything.

In the last post I commented how special it is to share space with wildlife. Well, not always.
Last night in the hot tub we heard a rustling noise. It was coming from the space between the wall and the storage sheds. I went in the house to get a flashlight. After some patient searching I spotted the pack rat. Pack rats are fine out in the desert. Like rattlesnakes. Not in my yard, though.
Truly Nolen will be out in the morning. Or should I just ask to borrow the neighbors' cat?

And, for the record, it took 8 trips to get everything to get the sink installed and functioning. Casey is hereby declared the winner. But Peggie is the true beneficiary. And I have a pick again. Not that I look forward to using it any time soon.

A little detour

I am waiting for the sun to move a little bit so my work area will be in shade, so I will tell you about yesterday.
Margie and Dave are in town again so she can attend a PEO convention and he can play. I joined him at sunrise yesterday and we drove down to Madera Canyon to do some bird watching. It was a typical Tucson day, clear sky, moderate temperature, slight breeze. We parked at the trailhead at the uphill end of the road. We checked the board to ascertain that my "old farts' card" would cover the parking fee, and headed a short distance up the trail. We spotted something interesting and dropped into the dry creek bed for a look. It turned out to be a great spot. We just sat or stood around and the birds came through as if the waterway was also a flyway. Other people came by occasionally to have some birder chat. The big question was "Have you seen him?" They meant the Elegant Trogon male who overwintered in the canyon. Normally in May and June they inhabit the area, but this one stayed all year. Well, we did. See him. We heard this strange call that sounded like a raven doing its dog impression. "aarrk, aarrk, aarrk" coming from down canyon and getting closer. Then a brilliant flash of red and he landed in the tree overhead. He just sat long enough for us to confirm it was him, then he continued up canyon. So right away, the day was a success. I won't recount all the birds we saw, but they were numerous and pretty. Eventually, we headed to an area where the creek runs above ground, and the water attracts a different variety of birds. We were again holding still and observing, when we heard a distant "gobble, gobble." Well, every kid knows that that is a turkey. We could tell from the occasional call that he was getting closer. Finally, I could tell that he was going to be passing on the far side of the creek and across the road. So I climbed up there, saw some other people heading in what I thought was the right direction, and there he was. Just a big tom, all alone, heading downhill. I remembered my camera was in my pocket, so I walked along the edge of the road parallel to old tom and managed to snap a few pictures. Then it occurred to me that he was trying to get to the water. So I stopped walking. Some other people were about a hundred yards away and the turkey fanned his tail feathers and gobbled angrily, circled a bit, then strutted across the road between me and the other folks. Headed for the creek.
Dave had joined me by then, so we crossed the creek again and headed back towards the car. On the way we stopped to admire a pair of painted redstarts. They do not stay still long, but for some reason, perhaps a nearby nest, they cavorted just above my head for a while before I moved on. Just a few feet up the trail, I turned my head to see what was rustling the dry leaves and saw a small doe heading in the opposite direction. About the time I saw her, she froze. She held totally still for several minutes with her ears turned straight ahead. She was more alarmed about something ahead of her than about us. Eventually she resumed walking, she was joined by a fawn and then we saw that she was joining another pair of does in a low meadow. As we watched she turned and walked right towards me. I could tell she saw me, but she was not overly alarmed. Living in a public area like this had reduced her fear of humans. She was joined by the fawn and they browsed no more than 25 feet from either of us. It is always special to get to share space with wild animals. Finally, the deer began to move, and we saw that there were six of them, altogether. As we headed up the trail again, they were also heading up the creek parallel to us, about 50-60 feet to our left. We came to a spot where another family was sitting on some rocks by the creek watching the deer approach. Then a really funny thing happened. A car came whizzing by on the road, and the deer quickly retreated toward the creek. The fawn was in full run when she saw the people on the rock. Wham! She set her brakes! Then is when you see that animals can have facial expression. Her eyes were huge, and you could clearly see the confusion in her mind. Where is the greatest danger? That noisy vehicle behind, or those people on the rock ahead? She probably stood frozen for 20-30 seconds. Then she kind of shook herself, looked around, saw mama was not panicked, and nonchalantly nibbles some grass.
On our way out we saw another tom turkey who wanted to cross to the creek. He was really displaying his tail and voicing his objection to the the people who seemed to be in his way.
It was a fabulous morning. We saw the trogon, two turkeys, six deer, and a whole bunch of other birds we hadn't seen before. Then we had some really good chile con carne at Guillermo's on south 4th.