YUMA PRISON

With 3 days between dental appointments, Patty and I played tourist yesterday, and stopped at the Yuma Prison State Historical Park. I first visited this old prison site, about 29 years ago, when I started riding my Harley to Yuma for the "Prison Run". That gathering of motorcyclists is still going strong, and takes place in mid April. The spring ride to Yuma was something we all looked forward to, because the weather was always nice and warm, and often, quite a contrast to the cold and foggy central CA weather. One year, about 8 of us left Modesto in the rain, and by the time we stopped in Kettleman City, a couple of hours later, we were wet, cold, and not looking forward to any more miles in the rain. So, we rented the largest U-Haul available, and Art Mitchell drove all the way to Palm Springs, where we got rid of the truck, and rode the bikes from there, to Yuma. The truly amazing thing, was that the bikes were not tied down, and due mostly to Art's skillful driving, not a scratch was to be found on any of the bikes. That was indeed a trip for the memory bank, in more ways than one! The old prison hasn't changed in the last 3 decades, but is due to be one of about 20 Arizona State Parks to close, because the state is broke. I won't get started on government ineptitude, but it's pretty sad when the congressional leaders find hundreds of millions to make corrupt, backroom deals, and states like Arizona, don't have enough money to keep State Parks and Rest Areas open.
On a more positive note, we visited with Charlie and Bev Thompson yesterday at their winter home here in Yuma. We first met Charlie and Bev during our first summer in Skagway, Alaska. We all worked for the same company, and stayed in the company RV park, where it was like an extended family. We hadn't seen Charlie and Bev for a few years, and we had heard that they dedicated themselves to a more healthy lifestyle. They both looked great, and told us how they had lost a combined 140 pounds through better eating and exercise. It was nice to see Charlie and Bev, and catch up on the latest happenings in Skagway. It's raining this morning, and the forecast is for more of the same throughout the day. Who says it doesn't rain in the desert?