DESERT STORM

The annual kick off to the boating season here in Lake Havasu City, AZ, is an event called Desert Storm. Yesterday, many of the participant boats, and lots of other big boy toys were on display at a street party on main street. We also had a cold front move through the area, so it was a virtual desert storm. When you walk around some of these monster boats, it's hard to believe that most of them are capable of traveling at between 100 and 200 mph. Part of the desert storm activities include what is called the shootout, which takes place tomorrow. A one mile course is set up and the top speed of each boat is measured at the end of the mile. Last year the top speed was 174 mph! Today is the poker run, and Sunday, there will be an offshore race. These activities bring a lot of boats and spectators to the city, and is a big shot in the arm for the local economy. The evolving of the power boat over the years, is pretty amazing. The boats have gotten much bigger, two engines are common, and some are even powered by jet engines. I must admit however, that a 20 year old, 18 foot flat bottom, with a big block chevy sitting out in the open behind the driver, is still in my opinion, the definition of a real power boat.

BOAT RACING

When it comes to motor sports, with big V-8 engines, count me in! In this case, I guess the classification would be "water sports", since the action took place on the Colorado River. Yesterday, Patty and I drove 35 miles down to the "Parker Strip", where the Bluewater Casino was the sponsor of some boat racing action. The approx. 1 mile circle course was on the river, in front of the Casino, and there was a variety of boats, ranging from blown engine, to outboard powered classes. The main event of the day was the 25 lap, grand national class, that featured boats such as the Rusher Air boat from Lake Havasu, pictured above. This boat was running away from the field, when on about lap 13, a steering cable broke, and that's all she wrote, as the driver sat on the river, and was a spectator for the rest of the race. Some of the best action was in the "Nostalgia Flat" class. These boats can be just about any combination of motor and hull, but they cannot exceed 80 mph. They have a GPS device which is checked after the checkered flag, and if the GPS shows that they went over 80, then they are disqualified. I talked to one of the drivers before the race, and even though most all types of racing can become expensive, this class looks like it might be somewhat affordable. Hey Marc, are you reading this? On the way home, we stopped at La Paz County Park, and had a picnic lunch on the river, as we watched the boats cruising up and down the Colorado. It was an enjoyable day on the river, with a cloudless sky, and temps in the low 90's.

A HARLEY RIDE

Davis Dam on the Colorado River

After passing many fields of orange poppies, it was briefly back to civilization, as I took Highway 14 through Lancaster, and south to Palmdale. This is the point where a choice has to be made as to traveling into the L.A. metro area, or passing to the east of the San Gabriel mountains, and avoiding the L.A. freeway system. Not a hard choice. I've taken this route around L.A. several times, continuing southeast on Highway 138, 18, and 247, to Victorville, and Yucca Valley, ending up for the 2nd night in the Palm Springs area. This is the same route we used to take, when we rode the bikes south to the annual Prison Run in Yuma, AZ. After spending the night in Indio, and having an awesome Mexican dinner at the restaurant next to the motel, I continued south toward the Salton Sea. I had not been around the east side of this huge lake for a lot of years, so decided to take Highway 111 toward Brawley. There isn't much development on this side of the Salton Sea, mostly the State Park system, and a few very small communities. At Brawley, I turned east, then northeast on Highway 78, passing the world famous Glamis Sand Dunes. During holiday weekends, these dunes are the destination of thousands of people with a multitude of sand toys. On this day, I didn't see a soul playing anywhere in the sand. From Glamis, it was back to the Colorado River, and north through Blythe, Parker, and back home to Lake Havasu. I stopped briefly at the Parker Dam, as I crossed from CA to AZ. The photo shows the downstream side of the dam, but doesn't show what is the deepest dam in the world. When the city of L.A. department of Water & Power built the dam to create Lake Havasu, they had to dig down over 300 feet to reach bedrock and a stable foundation for the dam. The picture shows what is the tip of the iceberg, and not the 300 plus feet of dam that rests under what's visible. From the dam, it was just a short ride home. In 2 1/2 days, I covered 1,017 miles, took in some great sights, but as always, it was good to get home and see my girls.

A HARLEY RIDE

The new bridge above Hoover Dam
Highway 138, northwest of Lancaster, CA

East entrance to Death Valley National Park





Each spring, I usually take off on the Harley for a few days, and for at least the last 4 years, the ride has circled through Death Valley. There's something about riding in the desert, away from civilization, that I have always enjoyed. The more remote the road, the better I like it. This year, I left on Tuesday, and rode north to check out the progress on the new bridge that will take traffic off of Hoover Dam. The prediction is that the bridge will be open to traffic near the end of this year. It has been an amazing project to watch from its inception several years ago, and as the picture shows, there's only one section missing on the actual bridge deck. From the dam, my journey took me quickly through Las Vegas, and over the hump to Pahrump, then west to Death Valley, where premium fuel was $4.29 a gallon. Even with 91 octane, this is the one place where my Harley motor isn't real happy, due to the below sea level elevation. Since building this engine almost 10 years ago, the 10.25 compression ratio works pretty well on premium fuel, even better on AVGAS. But, at below sea level, I have to be careful and not let the R.P.M.'s fall too low, or that distinct pinging sound rears it's ugly head. From the Death Valley floor, I climbed out the west side, where Highway 190 traverses Towne Pass, at a little over 5,000 feet. Continuing west, I dropped into the Panamint Valley, where I turned left on Trona Road, and headed for Ridgecrest, and a stop for the first night. The Panamint Valley has been where I by chance, usually see FA-18 fighter jets from China Lake, and I wasn't disappointed this year. This is obviously an area where they do a lot of low level training, because I've enjoyed seeing them in 3 of the last 4 years I've made this trip. Four years ago, I watched 2 FA-18's make several low level passes, and I waved each time they went by. On the last pass, as one of the jets approached me from the front, I waved again, and the pilot dipped his wings, acknowledging my presence. That was very cool, and something I will never forget. In fact, that experience is one of the reasons I have made this trip, through the same valley in the middle of the desert, for the last 4 years. After spending the night in Ridgecrest, I headed west on Highway 178, over Walker Pass in the southern Sierras, and made a stop at Lake Isabella, where I included myself in the photo at Lake Isabella. From there, I continued west over the mountains, then turned south, and climbed back up the mountains with all of the other traffic on the "Grapevine". Near the top, I took Highway 138 east toward Lancaster, and passed by huge Poppy fields that turned the landscape from green to a golden orange. There are a few places in California where the poppies are dominant, and this is one of those places. I'll finish the rest of the trip tomorrow.

ONE MANS TREASURE

I'm not sure how you measure the success of a garage sale, but my primary motivation was to just get rid of it. And get rid of it we did! When the dust settled, we had about 4 boxes of junk left, and it was promptly hauled to one of the local thrift stores. When the garage sale ads were deducted from the our sales, we netted just a few dollars under $400. Not bad for a lot of stuff that would have either ended up in the trash, or at Goodwill. The real good news is that I now have a few empty shelves in the garage, and my shed is uncluttered. Now, our calendar is clear, and except for some local activities, and my annual Harley ride into the Death Valley area, we're home for a little over a month, before heading north for the summer.

GARAGE SALE PREP.

For at least the last year, we've been stacking up stuff for an eventual garage sale. That stuff was about to take over what little space I had left in the shed, and my garage shelves were spilling over. So, we finally set a date of this weekend, and put the ad in the paper. I moved the motorcycles out of the garage, and all of that stuff is now in between the jeep and truck. The next step is to put prices on everything, and get it ready to move out into the driveway on Friday morning. Compared to a lot of garage sales that we check out from time to time, we actually have quite of bit of nice, usable stuff. There's a lot of junk too! I suspect when this is over on Saturday, we'll be loading a lot of that stuff into the truck for a trip to the local thrift store. At least it will be gone from here, and there will be a little bit of breathing room. We enjoyed our visit with Ron & Margaret, who will be on the ferry back to Skagway, Alaska in a few days. One of our long range plans is to travel back to Alaska next summer (2011). There's something about the "Great Land" that gets in your blood, and keeps calling you back. The plan for this summer, is to spend most of our time in the Northwest, traveling around Oregon, Washington, and possibly British Columbia. Our departure date this year will be about a week later than last year. We're shooting for hitting the road on May 17th.

THE OTHER HAVASU

Patty, Margaret, and Ron in front of the London Bridge

Our friends, Ron and Margaret Boughton, have been visiting the last couple of days, as they take a break on their long journey from Florida, back to Skagway, Alaska. We first met Ron and Margaret, during the summer of 2004, our first year working in Alaska. We decided yesterday, to take the Casino shuttle across the lake to Havasu Landing on the Calif. side of the lake. While waiting for the boat, which leaves on the hour, we walked along the bridge water channel, taking in some of the spring break action. It was a really nice day with practically no wind, and temps in the low 70's. Some of the kids were out, and a few boats were cruising the channel, but it was relatively quiet. The Indian Casino at Havasu Landing, on the Calif. side of the lake, operates a shuttle that leaves from the London Bridge, and takes about 15-20 minutes to travel across the lake. Once we arrived at the Casino, we bypassed the games of chance, and headed for the restaurant, where we had a nice lunch. The view from the lake view table, gave everyone a better perspective of how much area Lake Havasu City actually covers. The last time Patty and I had been at the Casino, was 2 years ago, when we rode the Harley's around the lake with our friends, Bob and Diana. When we got back to the house, none of us had much of an appetite, so my plan for BBQ'ing some steaks was put on hold. Ron and Margaret are staying thru today, and we're going over to Bob and Jeanette's for a late lunch/early dinner.

MOTOR HOMES & MOTORCYCLES

Motorcycle carrier with new modifications and two new receivers on motor home
The two pictures show a well traveled, and well modified motorcycle carrier, that has been used with several of our motor homes. On the last RV, I had two extra receivers welded to the hitch, and this carrier was supported by two arms that went into the two receivers. When we got the Camelot 3 years ago, I unbolted the two arms, and had the single arm strengthened. Besides being a little low, I've never been comfortable with this single arm arrangement. So, yesterday, the motor home went down to Mohave Hitch and Welding for a fix. They welded two new receivers to the motor home, and modified the center arm so that all three now slide into the back. It is now very solid, about 3 inches higher, and doesn't move. It's probably strong enough to carry the Harley, but loading and unloading the 700 plus pound bike would be problematic. The KLR is a little over 400 pounds, and I can handle it with no problem. I probably could have gotten by with the single receiver configuration, but, the old saying - "better safe than sorry" goes a long way. Not only does it carry the 400 pound bike, but it's also part of the tow bar for the 4,000 pound Jeep. When we leave for the summer, the plan is to take the KLR. It's support on the back of the motor home is now much stronger.

TEA PARTY REFLECTIONS

I've had a couple of days to reflect on what took place in the Nevada Desert a couple of days ago, and the more I think about it, the more I'm glad we took the time to get involved. I took this photo about 2 hours before the rally started, and by the time Sarah Palin was speaking, the crowd had filled in the bottom area, and about half of the hillside where I took the picture. The Las Vegas Police estimated the crowd size at 7,000, but it sure looked like a lot more people than that. The fact that so many folks came to this remote part of Southern Nevada, speaks loudly that there is a lot of discontent with the direction that Washington D.C. is taking the country. Yea, Sarah Palin has become a popular leader of this conservative movement, and that was one of the reasons we wanted to attend, but, I think it's a lot more than just one dynamic leader. It was re-invigorating and re-enforcing to see thousands of people who feel the same way we do. My biggest argument to progressive liberalism is really very simple. I don't believe that big government is the answer to all of society's problems. The path we are headed down is what some people call the "Nanny State". I call it socialism and the desire to re-distribute wealth. One of the popular liberal phrases is "social justice". What happened to personal responsibility, good old fashioned work ethic, and spirited entrepreneurship? I do believe that we all have an obligation to provide some safety nets for those, who for whatever reason, cannot provide for themselves. However, I'm concerned that the progressives want to create more of an entitlement society, which takes the breath away from individualism principles, and the free market upon which this country was founded. The biggest argument against this progressive movement is that we simply can not afford it! I often say to myself, "what are these people thinking" when I hear of some new legislative proposal that will cost billions. Look at the states who are trying to balance their budgets, but having a hard time. At least they are cutting where they can. Don't expect to see a rest area open along the interstate in Arizona. At least they are making the tough choices necessary for reducing the state deficit. Congress continues to spend, with no end in sight. Along with more and more financial and economic experts, I'm certain the day is coming when this house of cards will come crashing down, and unfortunately, it will impact everyone, especially future generations. The federal government cannot just keep printing money, and not expect serious consequences. This Tea Party allowed me to grasp the fact that there are a lot of people who feel the same way I do, and that was a good thing.

SHOWDOWN IN SEARCHLIGHT

Sarah Palin speaks to the "Tea Party" crowd.
Part of the 10,000 people who showed up in Searchlight.
The Tea Party Express buses.
I'm not much of a tea drinker, but when it comes to a "Tea Party", count me in! Yesterday, Patty and I drove the 100 miles to Searchlight, NV, the hometown of Democratic Senate leader, Harry Reid, and the kick off site for the Tea Party Express III tour. This third round of Tea Parties is due to make it's way across the U.S., arriving in Washington D.C. on tax day, April 15th, 2010. We arrived about 2 hours before the rally was scheduled to start, and I took a picture of the crowd and speakers stage, as the people poured into the rally, located about 2 miles north of Searchlight, NV, and about an hours drive south of Las Vegas. When we learned about this Tea Party, and that Sarah Palin was to be the keynote speaker, there wasn't much hesitation, we knew we wanted to attend, and lend our support. Along with millions of Americans who are frustrated, and angry with an out of control federal government, we felt it was time to get involved. What we saw, were thousands of normal, mainstream citizens, who gathered in the middle of the desert, on a windy day, exercising their constitutional right to assemble and voice their opinion. Much of the media, and a lot of political pundits would like people to believe, that the Tea Parties are a bunch of gun toting, right wing extremists, who should be marginalized, rather than allowing their voices to be heard. The central theme for this rally, was the call for a defeat of Harry Reid, who is up for re-election in November. When Sarah Palin addressed the crowd, and talked about common sense conservatism, and getting the budget deficits under control, the folks roared their approval. It was obvious that she has achieved a "rock star" status from the mostly conservative audience. From our days of living in Skagway, Alaska when Sarah was the Governor, I have always admired her conservative principles, her individualism, and her fearlessness to go against the established political machine. I'm convinced that she truly believes government should serve the people's will, not dictate what the government thinks is best for the people. I strongly believe that this next national election in November, will be one of the most important in our nations history. If the people don't rise up, and get the pendulum back near the center, it will demonstrate that either apathy, or a movement toward socialism is the dominant factor. I hope it's not the later.

STAYING HOME

Except for a possible motorcycle trip for a few days, it looks like we'll be in Lake Havasu for the next couple of months. No plans to take the house on wheels anywhere soon. Most of this week will be spent doing maintenance, cleaning, polishing, and fixing a few things on the motor home. We have been accumulating things for a garage sale, and finally picked the days of April 9-10 to hopefully get rid of most of it. What's left will go to one of the local thrift shops. One of the most immediate projects, is to do our taxes. The thought of spending several hours, doing something that is required by our federal government, is not the most satisfying thought at the moment. I have long since been of the opinion that the responsibility of taxpayers to support our huge federal government, should also require some responsibility in Washington D.C. It seems that lately, there is no responsibility, or common sense in Congress, and the spending on huge federal programs continues at an alarming rate. How long can this go on without consequences? I certainly hope that the voters aren't apathetic in November, and send a message that deficit spending is not OK. Other than my frustration with the politicians, it's good to be home.

THE LAST DAY

As the saying goes, "time flies when you're having fun". Yesterday was the last full day of the Chance Family gathering in Verde Valley, AZ. Chandra needed to do some shopping without the munchkin, so Marc, Laila, Patty and I headed off to Cliff Castle Casino, and lunch at Johnny Rockets 50's diner. Their hamburgers are right up there near the top of my list, and as everyone knows, I'm the original hamburger king. Laila had a P.B.&J., and to our surprise, ate the entire sandwich. Sometimes her appetite borders on being birdlike, but yesterday, she was on one of her eat almost everything spurts. After lunch, we stopped by the Fort Verde State Park, and learned a little about what was a frontier Army Outpost from 1871-1891. The rest of the afternoon was about relaxing at the motor home, when Grandma disappeared for a quick hiding of some Easter eggs. Even though it's not quite Easter yet, we won't see the kids for awhile, so Patty took Laila on a treasure hike, and she found the eggs that Grandma had hidden. When she returned, there was an Easter basket hidden near the motor home (in the photo), and Laila had fun going through the goodies in the basket. The other picture shows the doll that our friends Bob and Jeanette had given us to give to Laila. This talking, cheerleader doll has about 5 different "cheers", and after a couple of days, I think Laila and Grandma had most of one of the cheers memorized. It's been a fun 5 days, and we're talking about making this an annual spring getaway. But, unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and this morning, we will say our goodbyes till next time, and head for home.

OUT OF AFRICA

Yesterday was Grandma and Grandpa day with Laila. Marc and Chandra went of to Sedona, and we took Laila to a wild animal park called Out of Africa. Part of the experience included rides around the property in converted school buses, and the opportunity to feed a 15 foot tall giraffe. As we boarded the bus, we were handed carrots, and even though I couldn't get "the shot", Laila fed the giraffe, and got licked by it's tongue. She thought that was pretty cool, as evidenced by the top picture. We later watched the tiger splash, where several of the park employees lure the two tigers into the pool with props, like inflatable toys, and other items that seemed to trigger the tigers' chase instincts. It was fun to watch, but after some of the show became repetitive, our 4 1/2 year old wanted to move on to bigger and better things. We did stay till the end, and then moved on to watch the big cats being fed. We have seen this a couple of times at Keepers of the Wild animal park near Kingman. When you watch a large tiger latch onto a chunk of meat, it definitely reinforces the fact that these are wild animals, and very powerful. The nice feature at this park, and at Keepers, is that all of the enclosures are very large, giving the animals room to exist in near their natural environment. We capped the daylight hours off with some play time at one of the playgrounds in the Thousand Trails Preserve, where we have the motor home parked. It was a good grandparents day, and gave the parents some free time.

RED ROCK COUNTRY

After I fixed a late, mega breakfast, Marc and I took off again on the bikes, and headed toward the red rocks surrounding Sedona. We only had to go about 8 miles before we got off the pavement, then it was mostly well traveled forest service roads under the shadows of the very unique red rock cliffs, that are the signature of the Sedona area. This was an all new area for me, as I didn't do any riding around Sedona last year. Except for a couple of roads that were on the forest service map, that we couldn't find, we kind of made a couple of loops west of highway 89A.
We found one road that looked kind of interesting, but after less than a mile, we ran into a locked gate. It was obvious that there was a well traveled path around the gate, and the signage indicated that it was only closed to autos. So, after a little debate, we kept going, until the road started up a mountain, and it looked a little too challenging for me and my bike. As I waited, Marc kept going and climbed the mountain. When he returned, he said the view was incredible. While at the top, a small plane passed by, and he was actually looking down on the aircraft.
Most of the time, Marc stays ahead of me, leaving him free to ride as hard as he wants to, and I eventually catch up. At one point, I was leading, and decided to push the envelope a little bit. There's something about the male ego, that never wants to entirely admit, that you can't still do something as well as you used to. This moment of macho, I'll show the kid that the old man can still go fast, almost turned into a disaster. I misjudged a right hand corner, and entered it way too fast. As I was sliding the rear wheel, trying to keep from going off the road, and keep the bike from low siding, I almost ate a bunch or rocks, as the bike traveled off the road a little, but at least I stayed upright. Marc said it looked like a bull rider trying to keep from getting bucked off. With that little incident in the past, I waved Marc around me, and was content to stay where I belonged for the rest of the ride. It was another great day on the bikes, especially spending time with my son, who enjoys one of the same things that I do.

A LITTLE MUD, A LOT OF FUN

After finding some rubber gasket material at Home Depot, Marc made a gas cap gasket, and we took off on a ride of about 50 miles. I forgot the camera, but we did get up high enough to have to deal with some snow. Fortunately, there were already tire tracks thru the patches we ran into, and except for the mud created by the melting snow, the ride was mostly on dry dirt. Most of the afternoon, I was content to motor along at my own pace, while Marc would zoom ahead at his much faster pace, then wait for me a few miles ahead. Even though I consider my skill level at competent, when you factor in my age and the heavy bike I have, keeping up with Marc was not an option. His riding abilities are so much better than mine, even when I was a lot younger. It was fun to watch him for the short periods that he was relatively close in front of me. It was a great day and a great ride, in almost perfect weather. When we were coming down off the mountain, on the highway, we briefly ran into Patty, Chandra and Laila, as they were looking for a parking place in Jerome. We finished the day with Laila blowing some bubbles, and she and Grandma doing an art project.

A CHANCE TO RIDE

Marc, Chandra, and Laila arrived yesterday afternoon, and got settled into their cabin, a few spaces away from where we have the motor home parked. Marc and I made plans for a ride today, and I'm not sure what the girls are doing. One thing we need to find is a gas tank gasket for Marc's bike. He discovered gas leaking from the cap, and that's not a good thing when you're riding, especially when gravity sends the liquid down and back toward where you're sitting. I think we will re-trace one of the routes I took last year when we were here, mostly forest service roads, and an old narrow gauge railroad grade. My ride a year ago was a bit on the challenging side, since it had rained the night before, and much of the old railroad grade was a muddy mess. It hasn't rained here in a week or so, but the snow is visible on the mountains, probably around the 6-7,000 foot elevation. One of the roads will take us to over 7,000 feet above Jerome, and I'm hoping the snow isn't too deep. The last time Marc and I rode in the snow, I ended up in a ditch, with a broken ignition switch. We had to hot wire the bike, so I could ride it out of the mountains. The wisdom of age will probably prevent me from getting too far into a hazardous condition, like trying to plow thru deep patches of snow at 40 mph. However, the first order of business today, is I'm feeling inclined to prepare a mega breakfast, and I know a certain 4 year old, who loves pancakes!

VERDE VALLEY

We left Lake Havasu City yesterday morning, and after fueling at I40 & SR95, we drove east on I40, about 185 miles to Flagstaff. Then, it was south on I17 for about 45 minutes to our turn off on Hwy 260, and a few miles west to the Thousand Trails Preserve, near Cottonwood, AZ. There was still lots of snow on the ground, as we passed thru Flagstaff, and it reminded us of our trip there, just a few months ago when we picked up the newest addition to the family, our "wild child" cat, Gracie. Where we are parked, the elevation is about 3,500 feet, and this morning, I see quite a bit of frost outside. The night temperature was in the high 30's, a little colder than we're used to, but when we're plugged in, we have lots of different heaters, so the inside of the motor home stays at whatever temperature we choose. This afternoon, Marc, Chandra, and Laila will be arriving, and staying in one of the cabins, just a few feet away from where we are parked. We will have 4 full days to spend with the kids, and on at least of couple of those, Marc and I will be doing some riding on our dual sport motorcycles. We promised Laila, that we would take her on the Verde Canyon Railroad on one of those days, and I'm sure we'll find something to do on the 4th day.

PASSING THROUGH

We made the short drive home from Yuma on Friday, and have been busy getting ready to go again. Tomorrow, we are driving to our favorite Thousand Trails RV park, in the Verde Valley near Sedona, AZ. The day after tomorrow, Marc, Chandra, and Laila will be meeting us at the park, where we have reserved a cabin for them. Marc is bringing his dual sport motorcycle, and I'm putting my KLR650 on the back of the motor home. Hopefully, he and I will get a few good off road rides in while we are there. When we were there last spring, I did some off highway exploring on the Kawasaki. With the beautiful red rocks of Sedona, an old narrow gauge railroad grade, and National Forest surrounding the Verde Valley, it's a great area to hit the dirt roads on the bikes.
After a several months of constantly being on the go, this is the last venture away from our home that is on the calender. As much as we both like to be on the go, we're both looking forward to being in our home for the next couple of months, before taking off for the summer.

THE RALLY'S OVER

This is where we've been parked at the Yuma Fairgrounds for the last 5 days, just in front of our friends, Jim and Megan. The Gypsy Gathering Rally ended last night with lots of door prizes, in fact, there were so many gifts, that every person, or at least couple, received something. Patty won a gift basket a couple of nights ago. This morning, we say good bye to Jim & Megan, who are headed north toward their home in central Washington. We have a relatively short drive north to our winter home in Lake Havasu City, AZ. We hope to catch up with our friends sometime this summer, where they will be working their second season at Crater Lake, OR. At this moment, our plans are to spend most of the summer months in OR and WA. But today, the sun is shinning, the temps are supposed to be in the mid 70's, and it should be an easy drive home.

QUICK TRIP TO MEXICO

Even though the primary reason for this trip south to Yuma, was to attend the Gypsy Journal RV Rally, the secondary reason was to see my Dentist in Algodones, Mexico. Yesterday morning, we drove the 10 miles or so to the border, and walked past the already long line, waiting to get back through U.S. Customs, into the U.S. There is never a line, or any wait going into Mexico, if fact, we've never even been stopped or questioned. While I was at the Dentist, Patty had her glasses adjusted, and picked up some meds for a friend. I had a few minor things taken care of, including a new X-Ray for re-submission of the dental insurance claim, that was initially denied. When I asked how much I owed, the answer was nothing. I'm liking my Dentist in Mexico, more and more, despite the problem of getting claims accepted by my dental insurance. After lunch in Yuma, we spent the afternoon at the rally, talking to vendors, and I listened to one seminar on extended warranties. Jim & Megan, also growing tired of Satellite dome problems, purchased the same Wineguard Traveler satellite antenna that we purchased last year. It will be installed on their motor home this afternoon. That's one of the advantages of attending some of these RV rallies. It's easy to be relieved of a little, or in some cases, a lot of your money. But, it's also convenient to have new stuff installed on, or in your RV. The rally we attended in Albany, OR., last June, was rather expensive. This rally has been a little easier on the checkbook.

THE GYPSY JOURNAL

The Gypsy Journal is published by Nick and Terry Russell, full time RV'ers for about the last 11 years. I don't remember where we ran across this publication for the first time, but after reading it, we both knew we wanted a subscription, and have been getting the Gypsy Journal for many years. Nick has an earthy, tell it like it is writing style, and his newspaper focuses on their travels, particularly, the off the beaten path places, they happen to stumble across. Nick and Terry started putting together small RV Rallies, one in the east and one in the west, and we attended their 2nd western rally a couple of years ago in Casa Grande. They moved the western rally here to Yuma due to problems with the Pinal County Fairgrounds. Yesterday, we spent most of our time at seminars. One of the vendors is a retired fire fighter, and after listening to his seminar, I bought a fire suppression system for my refrigerator. Patty and I always worry about our pets when we are gone, and I think we'll feel a little more comfortable knowing that the #1 cause of RV fires, which originate in propane refrigerators, is not as big a concern as it was. This morning, I have an appointment with my Mexican Dentist, for a follow up to all of the work I had done in January. Part of this visit will be to obtain more documentation for the 2nd submission of a claim to my dental insurance. Naturally, the first claim I submitted was denied, due to a lack of the above. Insurance companies are really a love - hate relationship. We really can't live without them, yet when it's time for them to provide the service that we have been paying for, the hoops that have to be jumped through, seem to get taller and taller. I'm sure this will have a happy ending, because I just don't give up!

BACK IN YUMA

We made the 150 mile drive from Lake Havasu to Yuma yesterday, arriving at the fairgrounds, and the Western Gypsy Journal Rally, around 1pm. There's over 200 RV's here, and they are parked in every nook and cranny of the property. After getting parked and registered, we attended the opening ceremony, and read through the list of the many seminars available during the next 3 days. Jim, Megan, Patty and I had dinner at one of our favorites, Cracker Barrel, then it was back to the fairgrounds for door prizes and a concert by one of the former Sons of the Pioneers, David Bradley. The last rally we attended was the FMCA rally in Albany, OR, and one of the entertainers was so bad, we left after the first song. Last night, we were truly entertained by Mr. Bradley. Not only did he have a great voice, he played the guitar very well, and at the end, he received a standing ovation, which was richly deserved. Today, there are a few seminars we are interested in attending, and the weather is almost perfect, supposed to be in the mid 70's, so it should be a great day!

AN RV RALLY IN YUMA

We had planned on leaving yesterday for Yuma, and the Western Gypsy Gathering RV Rally being held at the fairgrounds. Unfortunately, the weather turned ugly, and it rained most of the day, with flash flood warnings. Along with Jim and Megan, we decided to sit tight, and wait for this system to move to the east, and drive down this morning. It's about a 3 hour drive, and the rally doesn't officially start until 3pm, so, we should have plenty of time to get there.

A BBQ WITH FRIENDS

Yesterday afternoon, March 6th, 2010 was the 2nd annual Alaska Reunion BBQ at our house. Everyone in the picture worked for the Corrington Family, starting in either 2003, 4 or 5. From the bottom row, left to right, Vivian Borgsmiller, Louise Hawkins, Patty, Jeanette Fulton, Barbara Brosco, Bev Thompson, Megan and Jim Stebbins. Top row, left to right, Bob Borgsmiller, Joan and Don Jones, Bob Fulton, Judy and Ron Ellstrom, David Hawkins, and Charlie Thompson. The common experience we all share, having worked and lived in Skagway, Alaska, was the basis for many conversations. I think we all agreed, that living in Skagway, and working for the Corringtons was a very positive chapter in all of our lives, and in fact, Charlie and Bev Thompson continue to work during the summer in Skagway. They left their winter home in Yuma, and this was their first stop on the long drive north. Charlie and Bev were able to bring us all up to date on the many changes that have occurred in Skagway, during the past few years.
We had lots of food, and after a delicious desert that Judy and Ron brought from Kingman, I put together a slide show from our computerized photo files of Alaska, and displayed about 300 pictures on the big screen TV. Except for a few gusts of wind, the weather held, and it was a nice afternoon with friends.

ALASKAN REUNION

Today is the date for our 2nd annual Alaskan Reunion BBQ, and we expect just under 20 people to arrive this afternoon. Last year, we had a smaller group, and vowed at that time to do it again. So, here we are, and wouldn't you know it, the weather has changed from beautiful sunny skies with temps in the mid 70's, to mostly cloudy, and a little cooler weather. At least it's not supposed to rain today. In the midst of getting everything ready for this get together, we have also been getting the motor home ready to go again. We leave tomorrow with Jim & Megan in their motor home, for a Gypsy Gathering Rally in Yuma. This event is put together by Nick and Terry Russell, who publish the Gypsy Journal, a publication that we have subscribed to for many years. We'll be in Yuma along with a couple hundred other RV'ers, then it's home for a couple of days before we head for the Thousand Trails RV Park near Sedona, and a rendezvous with Marc, Chandra, and Laila. It's going to be a busy couple of weeks!

HOME BRIEFLY

After having Spectrac re-adjust the front end of our motor home, the drive home from the Phoenix area was a real pleasure. This was the 4th time I attempted to have the front end aligned, and I think it finally got fixed. From day one, a little over 3 years, the steering has pulled to the right, and the wear on the outside of the front tires has been extensive. It appears that when we had Monaco align the front end before they went bankrupt, they actually made it worse, and according to Spectrac, it was dangerously close to a severe front end wobble, had we hit a bump just right. Now, maybe I won't have to buy 2 more tires, before we leave Lake Havasu in a few months. Yesterday, we spent most of the day cleaning the motor home, after parked for 2 weeks at the Tucson Rodeo grounds. As much as we like to work that event, the parking conditions are a little less than ideal. With the changing weather we went through, it seems like if it wasn't dry and dusty, it was raining and muddy. We were both glad to get the inside and outside clean, and get it parked under the shade cover. Today, Jim and Megan will be arriving, and will park their motor home next to the house, where they will stay for a few days. This Saturday is our Alaskan Reunion BBQ, and if everyone shows up, we'll have about 20 of our friends here at the house. We all have the Skagway experience in common, and it will be fun to share some recollections of those days we all lived in one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

ALIGNMENT AT SPECTRAC

Well, the rain didn't stop completely for the final Rodeo performance on Sunday. In fact, it rained off and on most of the day. This of course affected the size of the crowd, and even though our final day was OK, it would have been much better if the weather had been nice. When we pulled out of the Tucson Rodeo grounds yesterday morning, there was still a lot of wet ground, aka mud, and our motor home needs a good cleaning when we get home. We drove the 100 miles or so, to Phoenix, where we checked in at Spectrac for our scheduled appointment to have the front end aligned once again, (this is the 4th time). Perhaps this company which specializes in truck and RV suspension, can figure out why our motor home wears the outside edge of the front tires prematurely. Hopefully, we'll have the answer later in the day. Then, it's home for a few days where we'll be hosting a group of friends who have all worked where we did for 4 years, in Skagway, AK.

FIRE IN THE SKY

Yesterday morning, we were treated to one of Arizona's spectacular sunrises. It's almost as if the horizon was ready to burst into flames at any moment. At our winter home in Lake Havasu City, AZ., we frequently see similar, magnificent skies in the evening, as the sun sets to the west of the lake. Our weather changed for the worst last night, as we were awakened by rain and thunder. One of the things that we can count on when this happens, is our fearless beagle Sami, will be out of her dog bed on the couch, and onto our bed in the bedroom. So, last night, Gracie, our cat, had to share part of our bed with the scardy cat, dog. The forecast is for diminishing thunder showers, so hopefully, by the time the rodeo is ready to start it's final performance, at around noon, the worst of the weather will be gone. This is the last day of our almost 2 weeks at the Rodeo Grounds, here in Tucson. When it comes to "dry camping", this is the longest stretch that we park in one spot without hookups. Over the many years we have been doing this, we have learned a few techniques that not only save water, but also limit the amount of power we need to use in the evenings. With 3 large solar panels on the roof, we could easily go without running the generator, but the convenience of the microwave, and longer TV hours, sometimes requires the use of the generator. Starting tomorrow, our routine will revert back to the retirement mode, and we'll be heading west toward Lake Havasu City.

LAILA AT THE RODEO

One of the main reasons that we enjoy working the Tucson Rodeo each year, is it gives us the opportunity to see Marc, Chandra, and our Grandaughter, Laila. This picture was taken on Thursday, when Marc brought Laila to the rodeo, and a visit with Grandma and Grandpa. Unfortunately, the wind was a little colder than expected, so Grandpa bought Laila one of our kids sweatshirts, to warm her up a little. She always warms our hearts when ever we are together, and even though we didn't have a lot of time to visit, it was fun seeing her enjoy the action at the rodeo. We're down to the last 2 days of the Tucson Rodeo, and we hope the weather holds. The forecast calls for some rain tonight and into tomorrow. The only good thing about rain at this event, is it keeps the dust down. Since this is an outdoor arena, that seats about 11,000 people, unfortunately, when it rains, people just don't show up. Our sales numbers continue to be up from last year, so we'll keep our fingers crossed, that the weatherman is at least a little bit wrong.

TUCSON RODEO PARADE

Yesterday morning was all about the Tucson Rodeo Parade which started at 9am, and continued for just about 2 hours. Billed as the largest, non-motorized parade in the U.S., it ends at the Rodeo Grounds, and that's when the crowd transitions from the parade to the rodeo. Even though we open our trailer each morning at about 8:30, we aren't very busy until the public starts to arrive around 11am. The rodeo starts at 12:30, and is usually over by about 4-4:30. By the time the crowd filters out of the rodeo grounds, we typically close the trailer around 5:30 each day. So, the work hours are pretty good, and so far, our sales are up about 20% over last year. That's encouraging, that perhaps we have turned the corner on this economic recession. We have 3 more days of rodeo, then we have an appointment in Phoenix, to have a company that specializes in big rig alignment and suspension, try and diagnose why we keep wearing out front tires on the motor home. Then, it's back to Lake Havasu, and preparation for our Alaskan Reunion BBQ, which at last count, has almost 20 people coming to our house for a "get-together" on Saturday, March 6th. It will be nice to see some folks we haven't seen for a year, and in some cases much longer.

HORSE TECHNOLOGY

We all know that driving a motor vehicle, and talking or texting on a cell phone, are not compatible. I can recount many times when somebody did something rather stupid, while paying more attention to their cell phone conversation than to their driving. In fact, many states have now passed laws that make it illegal to do any combination of the above. Does that mean you should not be doing anything else while talking on your cell phone? I think not, but I kind of get a kick out of watching all of these cowboys riding their horses, and talking on their cell phones. It's a bit ironic that the horse represents the older method of transportation, and the cell phone is representative of the technology explosion that has been going on for several decades. Today starts the first of 4 days of rodeo, and this mornings huge, non motorized parade. The parade route has been shortened due to a lack of available police personnel. Just like most municipalities across the U.S., the cutbacks due to the recession are affecting even the most basic of government services. I could get on my soapbox, but I'll save that for another time.

RIDIN HORSES

Some of the kids we're watching on horseback, are too small to get on, or off the horse by themselves. The youngster in the black hat wasn't being led by Dad, he was riding the horse by himself, and looked to be about 4 years old. There are hundreds of competitors at this rodeo, and for many, it's a family affair. The last couple of days, the parking lot has been filled with horse trailers that are multi purpose. The back half is for the horse(s), and the front half is the living quarters. Some of these "Ranch RV's", are seriously expensive, and are typically pulled by at least a 1 ton dually pickup, but in a lot of cases, the motive power is much larger. While working the National Finals Rodeo at the Las Vegas Convention Center, some of these rigs have been on display. I've had the opportunity to check them out, and the RV part of the trailer is as nice as anything on the market. This is how most of the professional rodeo cowboys travel around the country, and many of them travel with their wife, and in some cases, their kids. These 2 photos represent a lot more youngsters, who we watch every day, here at the Tucson Rodeo.

YOUNG COWBOYS

From where our merchandise trailer is located, we watch not only the contestants going to and from the arena, but, we also have a view of the main pedestrian pathway around the rodeo grounds. Obviously, the central theme of a rodeo is horses, livestock, cowboys and cowgirls. It's nice to see that the younger generation still thinks that cowboys are cool, and these pictures are representative of the many kids wearing western attire here at the Tucson Rodeo. When I was a kid, and we got our first television, the cowboy shows were always my favorites. I know I'm dating myself, but I remember meeting the Cisco Kid at the Fresno Fair, and couldn't wait for his TV show to come on. Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger were also at the top of my list. When my friends and I got together, our play time consisted mostly of playing Cowboys and Indians. Watching some of these kids, particularly the youngsters throwing the rope at the cow horns on the bail of hay, brings back a few memories of my childhood. Yesterday, the weather turned colder, and Patty and I were bundled up, trying to stay warm. When the rains started in the early afternoon, the small crowd left, and we closed up for the day. Starting Monday, there are 3 days of what the rodeo calls "Slack Competition", and it's nothing more than 3 days of qualifying, to narrow the contestant field. These 3 days, there isn't much of a crowd, and we typically close early anyway. Thursday is the day of the big parade, and the rodeo performances start back up, and continue through the grand finale on Sunday.

A HORSE LANE

Most everyone has experienced a drive through, whether it be your fast food joint, or your bank, or perhaps something more exotic, like a drive through pharmacy. The world we live in is all about getting it quick, making it easy, and with drive through convenience, never having to get out of your car. At the Tucson Rodeo, our merchandise trailer is positioned between the arena, and an area where the cowboys warm up themselves and their horses. Every year, we have numerous customers who ride their horses up to our counter, and purchase something. Yesterday, this dad purchased a rope set for his young son, and he did it without having to get off his horse. I guess your might call it a "Ride Through". This is one of the many unique reasons why we like to work this event. Yesterday, word had spread that we might not be returning next year, and it was heart warming to hear from numerous people that they hoped it wasn't true. We certainly hope that MainGate finds a way continue doing this rodeo, despite their loss of the contract for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Vegas. Much of the merchandise we have for sale, is discounted from the NFR, and without it, I don't know if it will make financial sense for them to continue doing this event. If not, we will always have the great memories of providing customer service to cowboys and cowgirls on horseback.