BEGGING FOR PIZZA

Sami's automatic posture when there's food around

There's probably a lot of things that we all take for granted. Like ordering a pizza from the local pizza joint, that prepares the Italian pie just the way you like it. Well, there's only one game in town here at the Grand Canyon, and a few days ago, I had to give it a try. Maswick Lodge has a pizza pub, so I drove over and waited for them to prepare their whoop to do, supreme, top of the line pizza. The picture below looks pretty good, and it was OK, but not something that I'll be picking up on a regular basis.

Whenever there's food around, Sami's Beagle Nose goes into overdrive. She learned from a puppy that whenever there's anything edible around, if she sits up, the chances are much better that she might score a bite. We try and limit the amount of people food that she gets, but being old softies, whenever she sits up and begs, it's sometimes hard not to give her a treat.

Being almost 14 years old, our faithful Beagle is getting a little long in the tooth, and we're starting to see more and more signs of her advancing age. The average lifespan for Beagles is 12-16, so we know that our time with her is approaching the end. Except for her independent nose, she has been a wonderful member of our family, and it's going to be incredibly hard when it's time to say goodbye. Hopefully, that will still be a few more years down the road.

A CROWN & A SEARCH FOR SHARPS

A quick trip to the Dentist in Flagstaff was on the schedule yesterday. A few days ago, a gold crown on one of my back teeth came loose, and while chewing on a piece of gum, it was suddenly floating in my mouth. I was going to try and glue it back on myself, but decided that a dentist would be able to do a much better, and more permanent job.

Since I arrived for my appointment a little early, I borrowed the Dentist's phone book in an attempt to track down some Sharps non-alcoholic beer, which is getting harder and harder to find. My first call was to the Miller Distributor who would know which retail store carried the product. Not surprisingly, the distributor stated that no one had Sharps, because they were the only Miller Dealer in the county, and they didn't carry it any more. Oh No! With my supply from Bashas Supermarket in Lake Havasu dwindling, what was I to do?

On a long shot hunch that perhaps a grocery store in Sedona (different county) might carry Sharps, I made a call to the Bashas store, and connected with the beverage manager. Totally in shock, when he said "yes, we carry it", I immediately asked if he could order an extra supply for me to pick up next week. He said it would be here waiting for me when I arrived.

With that task completed, and my tooth back to normal, I picked up a few things at the store not available here at the Grand Canyon, and hit the trail back to the motor home. This morning, it's back to work for 5 days, then another road trip next week down to Sedona. I almost feel like a drug addict, having to search high and low for a supplier of my fake beer. I think the handwriting is on the wall. At some future point, I think Sharps will cease to exist, and I'll be forced to consider some alternative like O'Douls............YUCK!

PHANTOM RANCH

The first picture is the Phantom Ranch area at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It sits on the north side of the Colorado River, at the junction of Bright Angel Creek. The only way to get there is either by foot, mule, or helicopter. If you're rafting down the Colorado River, that would be the only other way to reach Phantom Ranch.

In the 1920's, right after Grand Canyon became a National Park, the Fred Harvey Company hired Mary Colter to design the ranch and it's buildings, to better accommodate the increasing number of tourists who were hiking, or riding mules down to the river. With the exception of much of the native rock, all of the building supplies were hauled down by mule. The popularity of the ranch has grown over the years, requiring reservations to be made in advance, sometimes over a year ahead of time.

The second picture was taken without a zoom, and the Phantom Ranch is almost impossible to see. It sits at the junction of the two inner canyons, about in the middle of the picture. I took these pictures yesterday from Mather Point Amphitheater, which was an area I had not previously visited. As much as we have both seen the canyon in the last several weeks, it still takes my breath away with it's stunning beauty.

Looking at Mather Point from Mather Amphitheater

These last two photos were taken at Mather Amphitheater which was created at the rim of the canyon out of native rock. It's an incredible vista where the speaker (in this case a ranger), had her back to the canyon, and the audience is looking across the canyon at the north rim.

I caught the tail end of the ranger presentation about the natural history of the canyon, then wandered over toward Mather Point where I took the pictures of Phantom Ranch. It's doubtful that Patty and I will ever make it down to the Ranch, but the idea of a raft trip down the canyon, with a stop at Phantom Ranch, is now more visible on the future radar. I understand these sometimes week long trips are very expensive, and must be booked well in advance, but what an adventure that would be. It doesn't hurt to dream.

This morning I'm off to Flagstaff for the second time in two weeks. Lost a crown on one of my back teeth, so I have an appointment this morning to get it cemented back on.

LAST THOUGHTS

One last thought or two regarding the political discussion of the last two days. There's always a known quantity when you attempt to bring religion or politics into any dialogue. The polarization is predictable, and based on the few comments that I've published, that's exactly what has happened. In fact, I opened the blog of two days ago with the statement "at the risk of polarizing the conversation".

I will always welcome opposing views, and will never censure any comments as long as they are respectful. We as a nation have different opinions on a variety of issues, and the fact that we have the freedom to express those opinions is what sets us apart from many other countries.

The one thing that this blog will NOT become is a political forum. Having said that, there are times when I personally find it necessary to speak out about issues where I either disagree with something, or think that change is necessary.

The change that I feel is absolutely necessary is what started this conversation two days ago. The fact that our government is borrowing obscene amounts of money, and increasing the national debt to almost unrecoverable levels, is what compels me to speak out. The argument about fixing this problem kind of boils down to either raising taxes, or cutting spending. When you start talking about raising taxes, then the argument changes directions, and the popular opinion seems to be that the wealthy should pay more.

My argument is simple, taxes shouldn't be raised on the poor, the middle class, or the wealthy. The American people pay enough income taxes, property taxes, & sales taxes. Raising taxes on anyone, in an attempt to balance the governments out of control spending, is what's really immoral. Washington D.C. has to cut up it's credit card, and balance it's budget just like every city, county, and state must do. Granted, all of those entities are having a hard time due to economic conditions, but they are legally obligated to balance spending with revenues.

If any of us had a personal spending problem, and we kept asking our credit card company to raise it's credit limit, at some point that company is going to say "that's it, no higher limit".
At that point, the spending has to stop, or slow down. You're most likely not going to go to your boss, and say, I need a raise in order to make payments on my credit card. The solution is to cut up the card, quit charging, and systematically pay the debt down to a manageable level.

That analogy may seem overly simplified, but I'm here to say that millions of Americans are saying basically the same thing. The answer to the problem is for Washington D.C. to deal with their spending addiction. The idea of fixing this problem with higher taxes is absurd, but unfortunately, it's symptomatic of the thinking of many of our elected representatives.

I predicted that the last national election was as important as any in this nations history. I have a feeling that the next national election may be even more important!

PAYING MORE TAXES?

One anonymous comment to yesterdays blog stated that perhaps it was time for the wealthy to pay more taxes, as a possible solution to the nations overwhelming debt problem.

My short answer was that we're all going to pay the price, if the government doesn't reign in it's out of control spending addiction, and that higher taxes is not the answer. If you happen to be in the "wealthy" category with a high taxable income between $175,000 and $380,000, your tax rate is 33%. If you factor in all of the other taxes like state income, and property taxes, the so called wealthy are already paying about one half of their earnings to the government.

One of the fundamental principles associated with the founding of this great country, was that if you work hard and are successful, your rewards are tangible. Many of the so called wealthy spend their entire lives building something that they can pass on to their kids. That's the American Dream.

At some point, the taxing of our citizens becomes a disincentive for hard work, and is totally counter productive. I'm not sure where that number is, but when the government starts taking more than you do from you efforts, I think you've reached that point. That brings up another topic of discussion, who creates jobs? It's not the government, it's the so called wealthy small business owner, and corporate America. If their taxes continue to increase, what effect does that have on the creation of jobs? I think I know the answer to that one.

More taxes on any class is not going to make a dent in the enormous debt of our country. There is only one answer, and that's making the hard decisions necessary to control spending. If our irresponsible politicians had not spent us into oblivion, we wouldn't be facing these troubled times.

GOVERNING BY GRIDLOCK

I've kept my frustration with our politicians under wraps far too long. At the risk of polarizing the conversation, it's time to allow some of those frustrations an outlet. So, here we go...........

The elephants and the asses are engaged in an ongoing debate about whether to raise the debt limit over the existing 14 + TRILLION. That's trillion with a "T"! The Dems argue that we have to raise the limit or the country will default for the first time in our history. The Repubs argue that without an equal amount of spending cuts, they won't vote for increasing our credit card limit. There's obviously a lot more involved with this debate, however, the basics are no different than how we as individuals handle our personal debt. You don't need a degree in economics to understand that when you spend more than you make, eventually the can that has been kicked down the road, will at some point fall off the cliff.

I think that the can is precariously close to the edge, and if it falls off, the consequences could be devastating to all Americans. This isn't about political ideology, it's about doing the right thing. The right thing is not to continue spending trillions more than we take in. Yes, spending cuts will have detrimental impacts on perhaps many of us, but we're at the point where it has to be done, or the alternatives are very bleak indeed. It's not rocket science, it's just common sense. Unfortunately, there seems to be very little of the later in Washington D.C.

With such a huge divide between the two parties, gridlock is usually the word of the day, week, or month. I think that individual Americans are taxed enough, and with the 2nd highest corporate tax rate in the world, increasing revenue through higher taxes is NOT an option. The only answer is to cut spending, and balance the budget. What's wrong with a balanced budget amendment to the constitution? We have to balance our checkbooks, why doesn't the government have to do the same. We don't have the option of going to our copy machine and printing money, and the government shouldn't have that option either.

Patty and I are the leading edge of the Baby Boomer generation, and my concerns are not so much for our future, but for the future of our kids and grand daughter. This reckless spending, and idea that government should provide for all of our needs has to stop! I think that countries like Greece are the canary in the coal mine. With no more money to provide all of the social programs, the result is rioting in the streets. It's kind of like feeding wildlife here at the Grand Canyon. When the squirrels start depending on people food, they often die when it's taken away. That analogy is simple, but ever so true.

Arguments can be made on both sides of the aisle, but when it comes right down to it, all of our elected representatives are supposed to be looking out for our best interests, and the best interests of America. Somehow, I think that political ideology has become more important to our politicians than the use of common sense, and that's unfortunate. There, now I feel better.

IT'S A PARADE

OK, I know this blog is fast becoming an Internet "wild kingdom", with all of the pictures of the Deer and Elk. I'm trying, but it's hard not to take pictures of these critters, when they present themselves in such unabashed fearlessness.

So, I'm sitting here a few minutes ago, reading my favorite blogs, and thinking what the heck do I write about this morning? Not coming up with much, since both Patty and I are into the work routine, with little time for other stuff, I look out the window, and spot two young Mule Deer Bucks strolling by. A few minutes later, these two female Elk are headed in the same direction. In between, I missed a shot at a cottontail rabbit, who went hopping past my window. Fortunately, Sami was asleep on the sofa, or the howls would have been heard for miles. I'm thinking, it's a wildlife parade without the marching bands and colorful floats.

As I've mentioned, this is almost a daily occurrence here at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. If not at our motor home, these plentiful creatures are spotted all over the village. Now, if I was a Mountain Lion, I think I would find a way to overcome my dislike for human contact, and sneak into the village for one of these big kitty dinners.

This young buck is watching a white van as it approaches

The white van is moving, with little effect on the deer

I guess enough is enough. I'll make a promise to only post more pictures of Deer and Elk if they are attacking me, attempting to break into our motor home, or otherwise disrupting our daily routine. Since that isn't likely, maybe I will be able to come up with other things to write about.

On a different subject, Patty was up bright and early this morning on her day off, to join some of her coworkers on a highway cleanup detail. Reminds me of the many times we organized volunteers to help us clean up two stretches of highway back in CA, when we had our Harley-Davidson Dealership. One of the differences from then to now, is that we rewarded our helpers with pizza after the cleanup, Patty is getting paid overtime for her efforts. Wahoooooooo!

BABY ELK

I've been seeing the newborn Elk around the park while at work, but never had the opportunity to take any pictures. Just a few minutes ago, while looking at new emails, I spotted this mom and baby passing by the motor home. By the time I got the front door open, they were walking away, so the images aren't the greatest, but at least you can see the size difference. These babies are pretty big when they're born, and just like deer fawns, they have white spots all over their torsos.

According to the Mountain Lion experts, the young Elk are at the top of the cat's menu choices. Maybe that's why there are so many Elk here in the village. With the aid of GPS collars, the Park Service knows that the big cats stay away from people, and are rarely tracked anywhere near the village. I guess mother nature has a way of helping & hindering at the same time.

The Elk and Deer are all over the place, and present a considerable driving hazard. I've had a couple of close calls in the bus, but fortunately no contact. A couple of nights ago, one of our buses hit an Elk Cow, taking out the windshield, and doing quite a bit of damage to the front end. Unfortunately, the Elk's outcome was much worse.

The herd here in the village seems to consist of a group of females, and two large males that are always together. The mating season, or rut, is in the fall, but we'll probably be gone by then. I remember quite a few years ago, we were in Jasper, Alberta at an RV park during the Elk mating season. What I took away from watching the one Bull Elk near our motor home, was that you definitely want to keep your distance. When the big males are trying to keep their harems together, they're not very friendly, and are dangerous to people who get too close.

Patty starts her two days off today, and this is my Tuesday. The temperatures are creeping up into the 80's, and we're starting to run the air conditioner during the afternoon. I shouldn't complain, the predicted forecast temperature in Lake Havasu today is.........111-116 degrees!!

BREAKFAST & STARGAZING

One of the things I enjoy doing on a day off, is fixing what I call my "mega breakfast", and that's exactly what I did yesterday morning. With little plans for the day, I was in no hurry to be anywhere, so the first order of business was frying up some potatoes with lots of onions, bell peppers, spices and cheese. Then came the bacon, topped off with scrambled eggs, ham, mushrooms and cheese. One of the best ways to describe my mega breakfasts is that they are a coronary delight. There's absolutely no thought given to counting calories, or using fat free ingredients. I think Patty has learned over the years that it doesn't do any good to suggest more healthy ingredients, and probably just shakes her head as I use bacon grease while frying my potatoes. You know the old saying - "you can't change the stripes on a tiger". Since giving up tobacco and alcohol decades ago, I find it very easy to rationalize my sometimes (make that often), unhealthy eating habits. For those that know me, I could survive quite nicely from meals at N and Out, the best hamburgers on the planet.

After breakfast, I ran some errands, then spent part of the afternoon catching up on some reading. I picked Patty up from work a little after 8, and we drove up to the Visitors Center, where the "Stargazer Week" was kicking off. During the next several days, amateur astronomers from all over the western U.S. have their telescopes set up in one of the parking lots. I guess this is a good place to look at the stars due to the high altitude, and lack of light pollution. We looked through a couple of huge telescopes that were aimed at Saturn. It was pretty cool being able to see the rings around the planet and several of it's moons. Not a hobby I could wrap my arms around, but nevertheless, it's always interesting to participate, or watch someone else involved with their passion.

A TRIP TO FLAGSTAFF

Not a whole lot to write about, other than a quick trip to Flagstaff yesterday. It's a 75 mile drive from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to the largest town in Northern Arizona. With a city population of approx. 60,000, and an area population of twice that, there are most all of the necessary services and stores.

Yesterday, was mostly about getting some groceries, and a few other items that are not available here at the Grand Canyon. While I was in Flagstaff, Marc & Dave gave me a happy Fathers Day phone call, and later in the afternoon when I got home, I got a call from Mike. It's always good to hear from our boys, and catch up on what's happening in their lives.

Today is my second day off, and other than a few planned errands, it's going to be a day of not doing much of anything. I've got some reading to catch up on, and that's about it.

PATTY'S STORE

The Plaza as we call it, is where the only grocery store is located, and it's where Patty works. Other than a couple of other souvenir gift shops, the general store is the only game in town, unless of course you leave town, and drive the 65 miles to Williams, or the 75 miles to Flagstaff.

Patty says that the company she works for, Delaware North Corp. has been a good fit so far, and that she's enjoying working with her mostly younger co-workers. Being a checker on the grocery side of the store has been a bit challenging, but after moving heavy items like ice and cases of beer across the scanner for a summer, she thinks the positive will be monster muscle biceps!

Another positive is that she can walk from the motor home to work, as it's only about 1/2 mile. Bringing the bicycles isn't working out to be my best idea, as so far, neither of us has used them at all. Several of my shifts end after dark, and riding a bicycle a couple of miles back to the motor home isn't what I consider a very good idea. When Patty works late, I drop the car at the plaza, so she won't have to walk home in the dark. When I say dark, I mean it's really dark here, unless like the past few days, there's been a full moon. If we return next summer, I will bring one of the motorcycles as a second means of transportation, but so far, just having the jeep is working OK.

Speaking of leaving town, this morning, I'm headed down to Flagstaff to pick up some stuff that's not available here. It's been almost a month since I last made the trip, and there's several things that we need. With different days off, it's not likely that we'll be able to do much together, but that's one of the adjustments we committed to, when this summer of work began.

RUDENESS ABOUNDS

I'm not sure if it's a feeling of entitlement because they're on vacation, or if it's something more inherent to their nationality, that makes people act without regard to simple courtesy, and politeness. Whatever the reason, the lack of civility and respect for others is in abundance among the crowds here at the Grand Canyon.

When Patty and I worked the 4 summers (04-07) in Skagway, Alaska, we saw folks from all over the world coming off the cruise ships. After awhile, it was difficult not to form opinions about the different countries with respect to the people and their attitudes. That same analysis is starting to take place, as I again deal with people from the far reaches of the globe.

As we really ramp up for the busiest part of the summer season, we're starting to see larger and larger crowds on the buses. When you throw a lot of people together, sometimes having to wait in line, or having to stand when seats aren't available, it's a recipe for potential conflict.

I think most everyone will agree, there's nothing more irritating than when waiting your turn in line, someone comes along and tries to cut to the front. That's exactly what happened yesterday, as I was pulling up to the Hermits Rest Transfer stop in the Village. When I opened the front door, a couple of individuals literally forced their way past the front of the line, squeezing into the bus in front of about 100 people. I almost couldn't believe it, and my reaction was quicker than instant. I was out of my seat faster than you can say lickity split, and stopped these two male individuals before they got 3 feet into the bus. When I started to read them the riot act, I quickly saw the blank look on their faces, and realized that they didn't understand a word I was saying. It came down to me pointing to the door, and giving them both a gentle nudge toward it. When they stepped off the bus, they transitioned from my indignation to the verbal rath of the crowd, as they went to the end of the line. What's up with people like that?

I could go on about general rudeness, and be more specific regarding which nationalities seem to be at the top of the list, but that's not where I'm headed. I often think to myself - would I act that way? When the answer is no, then my thoughts tend to be condemning of that person or persons. It's pretty rare when I'm verbal about some one's disrespectful actions, or behavior, but this just might be the summer when my quiet demeanor becomes a little bit louder!

CRUISIN THE CARIBBEAN

It's done! All of the necessary reservations have been made, we're cruisin the Caribbean for a week this December on the Carnival Glory. We sail out of Miami with stops in Cozumel, Belize, Honduras, and Grand Cayman.

We've been planning this trip for a couple of years, with the original intent of taking all of our kids and grand daughter with us. As it turns out, Patty's son David, can not get the time off, but at least the two of them got to take a trip to Greece together last year. At that time, Dave was in between jobs, and has since transitioned to Memorial Hospital in Modesto, CA. With little seniority (there's that word again), unfortunately, he won't be able to get the time off.

My sons Mike and Marc, with their wives Amy and Chandra, and our grand daughter Laila, are all set to go. I've made the final reservations for the cruise, the flights, the hotel in Fort Lauderdale, and even the limo to take us to the cruise ship, and pick us up when we return.

As I mentioned, this has been in the works for a couple of years. We were holding off until Laila was a little older, and by the time we sail, she will be 6. It's going to be a busy fall for her, as Mom and Dad are taking her to Disneyland for her 6th birthday in October, then a cruise in December, and the Christmas Holiday right after the cruise.

This will be our 6th cruise, and 3rd to the Caribbean. In our 31 years together, Patty and I have gone on different cruises about every 5 years. The last one was 2 week journey from L.A. to San Juan, Puerto Rico through the Panama Canal, and ranks right up there with one of the best.

We're really looking forward to spending some time with our kids and grand daughter, in an environment where most everything is taken care of. Even though it's several months away, I'm sure the time will pass quickly, and we'll be packing our bags before we know it.

SUNSETS, DEER & ELK

Two days ago, I was driving a bus on the Hermits Rest Road (Red Route), when I had to stop at the Abyss for a few minutes, in order to readjust my time schedule. It just so happened that the adjustment coincided exactly with the sunset over the rim of the canyon. Not the best place to view the sunset at the Grand Canyon, but still not bad. Once again, my camera is very limited in it's capabilities, but after enhancing the scene on the computer with a little more light, well, you get the picture.

Sunsets are a big deal here, I think primarily because of the fact that there is so much scenery below where the sun sets on the rim of the canyon. Most sunsets are viewed simply on the horizon, but here, there is such a beautiful scene below the horizon, (which my camera doesn't capture), that the setting of the sun is enhanced by the magnificent scenery of the canyon. On most days, hundreds, if not several thousand people, flock to various points on the south rim for a view of this natural phenomenon.

Yesterday was my Cover Bus day, and after doing a couple of runs on Hermits Rest Road, I parked near the Back Country Information Center, waiting for a call from the dispatcher. It was just about dark when the call came, and as I was preparing to leave, I spotted several Mule Deer in front of the bus. It was a little too dark for any good pictures, but at least you can see the critters, as they ate their way past where I was parked.

Just as I pulled out, I spotted a female Elk with two newborns in tow. We've been seeing baby Elk during the past couple of weeks, and it's interesting that they, much like Deer Fawns, have a lot of spots on their bodies. As I rounded the corner, the Mother Elk and her kids, integrated themselves into the small Deer herd, which I had not seen before. In the past, I have always seen them by themselves, or within their own group.

Today is officially the one month milestone of our summer here at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. One down, and about 3 to go.

MORE WINGS AT THE CANYON

Before my scenic flight over the canyon the other day, I had some time to kill while waiting for it's departure time. At the National Geographic Center in Tusayan, where they show the IMAX film about the Grand Canyon, I took in the Condor Encounter. The title of the show is enough to get a lot of people interested, due to the fact that the CA Condor is one of the most endangered bird species in the world.

There's a little bit of deception with the title of the show, in that the bird used in the show is an Andean Condor, not a CA Condor. The other birds were mostly non-native birds to the Grand Canyon, but it was still an entertaining, and educational way to spend about 30 minutes. As with the IMAX film, this show was also free to folks who work in the park, so, once again, the price was right!

The host, and owner of the birds, raised this Andean Condor from a chick, and it was 15 years old. According to him, the Andean version is a little larger than it's CA Cousin, and it was indeed an impressive bird.

A few decades ago, the CA Condor's numbers were down to only 22 left in existence. The decision was made to capture the remaining birds, and attempt a captive breeding program to save the species. Over the years, the program has had great success, and now, over 300 birds have been released, some here at the Grand Canyon. They are frequently seen right here at the South Rim.

After the bird show, I returned to the airport, and boarded my flight over, and around the Canyon. It was a fun way to spend a day off, with lots of memorable scenes, and pictures.

This small bird is a Falcon, capable of reaching diving speeds over 200 mph!

Red tailed Hawk, common throughout the U.S.

WINGS OVER THE CANYON

When it comes to flying, sign me up! The exception to my enjoyment of flying is when it comes to getting on those commercial flying buses, where you have to sit for hours in seats that are designed for 4'8" midgets. Commercial flying is most often a necessary evil, with no enjoyment involved, except perhaps the take offs and landings.

Well, yesterday was the type of flight that was not only enjoyable, but incredibly scenic. The DeHaviland Twin Otter Aircraft pictured above, is a really neat airplane that is used by Grand Canyon Airlines. This same airplane was used in Skagway, Alaska for scenic flights, and we flew on one over some equally beautiful country, to include several glaciers & ice fields.

It was a perfect day with light winds, and visibility for 100 miles. Flying OVER the Grand Canyon gives you a perspective of how big this hole in the ground really is. Taking advantage of the "locals" discount price of $20, I boarded the aircraft with a group from China, and as they set there headsets to Chinese, I listened to the English version of the narrative.

Just visible to the right, is the Little Colorado River where it intersects with the main Colorado

Looking downstream, with a couple of rapids visible

One of many majestic red rock formations, this one standing alone like an island

A closer view of the turquoise Little Colorado River to the right

Not sure why the Little Colorado River has such a different color

This red rock canyon wall was on the North Rim

Coming in for the landing at Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan

Almost back on the ground

It was a fantastic way to spend an hour, as the aircraft did a counterclockwise loop around the central part of the Grand Canyon. My point and shoot Kodak digital camera doesn't do justice to the scenery, but at least some of the beauty was captured.

Today is my Monday, as I start my workweek. Even though Patty and I don't enjoy the same days off, I'm glad we both got a chance to take advantage of the opportunity to see the Grand Canyon from a birds eye view. It truly is an amazing natural wonder!

COUGARS AMONG US

After a 5 day work week, yesterday was one of two days off, and I was ready! Dealing with the public on the buses here at the Grand Canyon, presents some unique challenges, and a day off was just what the doctor ordered.

Patty had a late shift, so we spent the morning together, and I fixed one of my mega breakfasts. Just before she went to work, Sami and I took off for a long walk up "Sami's road", then turned right at the end. We had not gone this way before, and we ended up at Mather Campground, making a loop back to the motor home. Not sure how far we walked, but time wise, it was almost an hour, and the little old dog's tongue was hanging pretty far out when we got home.

I took care of a few household chores, and just kind of relaxed most of the afternoon. Later, I attended one of the Ranger talks at the McKee Amphitheater, and it was most excellent! The subject matter of Mountain Lions is what attracted my attention, and Lori, the interpretive ranger was not only informative, but quite entertaining. Yes, there are Mountain Lions here at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, but after looking at a G.P.S. mapping of one particular Lions movements, I think it's safe to say that folks staying here in the Village have nothing to worry about.

It was a fascinating talk about an incredible animal that lives among us, but is rarely seen. Lori had some video of 3 Lion Cubs that were 4 weeks old, and were being ear tagged while the mother was away hunting. She participated in this venture about 4 years ago, and due to the mother having previously been collared, they were able to safely tag these babies, and document their condition. Unfortunately, the story didn't have a happy ending, as the mom was killed by an Elk, which is the Lions primary prey animal here in the Park. Even though the Mountain Lion is at the top of the naturally food chain, there are plenty of inherent dangers to this top predator. When the mother was killed, the cubs were only about 2 months old, and due to their young age, were not old enough to survive on their own.

Later, when Patty got off work, I told her about the program, and that it should be presented a few more times this summer. I know she will be captivated by the subject matter, and by Lori, who did an incredible job of engaging the audience, and capturing every one's attention.

CHP MEMORIES

One of the primary responsibilities of the California Highway Patrol was, and is the investigation of motor vehicle traffic accidents. During my career, I would guess that the total number of accidents I investigated was well over a thousand.

It was during my couple of years in the Santa Cruz Office, that I began to cultivate a desire to improve my investigative skills, and be more comprehensive with all aspects of the investigation. Often, accident investigations were quite easy, especially when they were categorized as "fender benders", and only involved one or two vehicles. On the other hand, they could be quite complex, with multiple vehicles, and injury and death involved. When criminal prosecution was involved, it became even more critical to cover all of the bases.

After the first time I was embarrassed on the witness stand by a sharp defense attorney, I vowed to do all that I could to prevent that from ever happening again. There wasn't anything worse than being in the spotlight, in front of a jury, and not knowing an answer, due to an incomplete investigation. When civil litigation kicked in, often several years after the fact, the accident report was often the basis for your testimony, as the memory tended to fade after a long period of time. When serious injury or death was involved, these civil lawsuits, often against the State of California, ran into the millions of dollars.

During the mid 70's, while working in Santa Cruz, I took on a fairly intensive self study program to improve my investigative skills. This included a lot of testing with the patrol cars. If my supervisors knew how much tire rubber I was leaving on the pavement, I'm quite sure that my determination to better understand the dynamics of vehicular motion, would have been put to a screeching halt. By knowing my speed before hard brake application, I could then measure the skid marks, determine the skid resistance of the pavement, and by applying the applicable mathematics, correlate the skids to the known speed. After doing this many times, I became very confident in my ability to determine a vehicles speed, based on the length of it's skid marks.

This was the first step in my quest to become a better vehicle accident investigator. I later became much more proficient in determining a vehicles speed based on centrifugal (curved) skids. As the years rolled on, I worked very hard to better understand everything I could about vehicular dynamics, including momentum formulas, determining speed from crush damage, and the science of accident reconstruction.

My education in the above was still in it's infancy, when I was called back to Southern California to testify in a civil case, where the plaintiff was suing the State. Even though my original accident report didn't have any speed calculations, based on skids, I was able to give an opinion as to the plaintiffs speed, based on my measurements of his vehicle's skid marks. When the Superior Court Judge ruled that I was qualified to give an expert opinion, it was a highlight of my young career, and encouraged me to continue my education regarding the field of accident reconstruction. I later became a member of the States first M.A.I.T. (Multi-disciplinary Accident Investigation Team), but that's a story for a later time.

WHAT A VIEW

Today is my Friday, and it's kind of a goofy workday, in that I do 3 lunch reliefs, and a 4 hour Village Route. This is the one day that I start work in the morning (8:25), all other days it's around noon. The good news is that on one of my days off, I'm looking forward to taking the same scenic flight over the canyon that Patty did a few days ago.

Yesterday was a Hermits Rest day, and this picture is illustrative of the scenery that I'm compelled to look at all day. I snapped this one while waiting for my departure time to arrive at Powell Point. The Hermits Rest Route (Red Route) is by far, the most scenic of the 4 bus routes. Fortunately, I have this route 2 days a week, and the views of the canyon never get old. Granted, we're only approaching our one month date here at the Grand Canyon, but it's hard to think that this incredible scenery will ever get old. In a way, it kind of reminds me of our 4 summers in Skagway, Alaska. The magnificent setting of mountains, glaciers, and ocean never got old, and it was almost inspirational when I would wake up to such beautiful surroundings.
The beauty here is much different, but it's so incredible, it's in the same category as Skagway.

Not a lot of time this morning, due to the early work call. Patty's work start times change from early morning to early afternoon, so it's a good thing we're flexible, and this summer of punching the time clock is only a little over 3 months long. Despite all of the positives, it will be good to get back to being retired in a few months.

OUR FLAG & NATIONAL ANTHEM

Parked in the desert last January, near Quartzsite, AZ, with the flag proudly displayed

This story came across the wires, and TV airwaves yesterday, and all I could do was shake my head in disbelief. A small college in Goshen, Indiana, has decided not to allow the National Anthem to be played at their sporting activities, and other events, due to it being offensive to some of the student body. What??? Are you kidding me?

Due primarily to complaints from the schools pacifist element, the administration, in its' infinite wisdom, made the decision to ban the playing of the National Anthem at school events. A spokesman for the college stated that the specific objection was that our national song was to warlike. Phrases like "rockets red glare" & "bombs bursting in air" were the focus of these pacifists objections. So, to please a few, or perhaps a bunch of the fringe element, the one song that represents national pride and honor, has been relegated to the music graveyard, at this college in northern Indiana.

I've only got a few things to say to these "turn the other cheek" folks, and it ain't pretty! ----
You have the right to voice any opinion you want in this great country, due to the sacrifice of thousands of men and women, who in many cases paid the ultimate price. Starting with the Revolutionary War, your fellow Americans fought tyranny and oppression, so that we all could have the freedom to live our lives the way we want. Throughout our history, it has been necessary to stand up, and fight for what we believe in, because the alternative would have resulted in a much different societal landscape. Your objection to our national song is protected under the Constitution, but nevertheless, I think it's a disgrace for you to dishonor the one thing that represents pride and patriotism in our great country.

The playing of our National Anthem, and public display of the Stars and Stripes at countless activities across America is representative of who we are as a people. The fundamental right to individual freedom is expressed in both this song, and the display of our flag. To ban, or dishonor either, is about as Un-American as it gets!

HELICOPTERS, & FLIGHTS

Patty had the day off yesterday, and as she was dropping me off at work, the National Park Service Helicopter was lifting off from it's pad next to our bus yard. This particular helicopter is based here at the Grand Canyon, and is used for a variety of purposes, including search and rescue. There are multiple occasions during each summer when hikers need to be airlifted out of the canyon due to medical emergencies, and for other reasons.

A few days ago, I discovered one of the "locals perks" at the airport with Grand Canyon Airlines.
They offer 40-50 minute fixed wing flights above the Grand Canyon, with a retail cost to the public of $139. As locals, we get the flight for $20! Yesterday was one of Patty's days off, and after dropping me at work, she drove into Tusayan, and got on a 2 o'clock flight over the canyon. She said it was amazing, but unfortunately her camera wasn't cooperating, so no pictures until I have the same opportunity, probably next week.

Yesterday was my "Cover Bus" day, and after sitting on my butt last week for about 7 hours, I was prepared with 3 books this week. Having plenty of reading material on hand, you might know what I'm about to say..............It's kind of like washing your car, and it immediately rains.
Not much sitting yesterday, as the bus was needed to cover a few holes in the system. So, I drove 3 rounds on the Hermits Rest Route, had a short break, then finished the day doing the Village Route.

The weather this week has been almost perfect, with more of the same predicted. It's getting into the mid 70's during the day, and down into the 40's at night. Still haven't had to run the air conditioning on the motor home. When we were looking for a place to either spend the summer parked, or in a travel mode, so far, the Grand Canyon is fitting the bill almost perfectly.

Last summer, our travels in Oregon & Washington provided a lot of relief from the summer heat, especially when we were on the coast. I've been following our Gypsy Journal Buddies, Nick & Terry Russell, who are doing a similar route in the Pacific Northwest this summer. Had it not been for our last minute job offers here at the Canyon, we most likely would have been retracing our path of last year.

On a different subject, we just got word that our friends Bob & Diana Rush closed escrow on their Lake Havasu house, and have started to add some furnishings. We're excited that this winter, we'll have some fun times with them, when they decide to head south from their primary home in Enterprise, OR.

MORE CRITTERS

The challenge of coming up with new material to write about seems to be increasing, as we approach 1 month of living and working at the Grand Canyon. On days like yesterday, we both worked, and except for a couple of pictures of this ground squirrel, most of the day was pretty routine.

The one thing that is fairly constant, is the expectation of seeing wildlife almost every day. My bus route yesterday was the Red Route out to Hermits Rest. While taking a short break at the canyon wall, this little ground squirrel came up to within a couple of feet, and started chowing down on some peanuts left by a previous visitor. Most of the wild animals in the park are almost fearless of humans, so up close and personal is more normal than not.

The rest of these pictures showing the Elk, Deer, and Raven are similar to those already posted, but not previously used. I'm still amazed at the size of the big male Elk roaming around the park. This is a good picture of the big boy, comparative to the size of the motor home.

I shot this picture just before this female Elk jumped over Sami's leash, in her attempt to get away from the domestic antagonist. While driving out on the Hermits Road yesterday, we ran across two female Elk, and one newborn that was less than a couple of weeks old. No pictures while driving, but we have been hearing reports of several Elk newborns in the area.


The ravens are all over the place. I took this picture at Yavapai Point a few weeks ago. No sightings of any CA Condors, but they are here in the canyon, and they are unmistakable when sighted, due primarily to their size. Full grown, the Condors have up to a 10 foot wingspan.

Also, no Mountain Lion sightings, and it's pretty doubtful that will happen. They are here, but not seen very often. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Today is my "Cover Bus" day, which means that most likely I'll be parked for the better part of the day. I guess I shouldn't complain about getting paid to do nothing. If the day is like last week, I'll be prepared with more reading material to pass the time. Then again, maybe I'll get lucky, and be needed to fill in where the system gets overloaded with passengers. In either event, it'll probably be an uneventful day.