REPLANTING OLD GLORY

When we built, and opened Jamestown Harley-Davidson in 1995, part of the site plan was a 35 foot flagpole in front of the building, flying a 6x8 foot American Flag.  When we moved to Lake Havasu City in 2002, one of the first things I did to the property was the placement of a 20 foot flagpole in front of the house.  Now that we've moved to the Tucson area, the flagpole was just waiting in the new garage for a place of honor.  It found that spot a couple of days ago, when I dug a hole, and filled it with concrete to support the aluminum pole.

Now, when we look out the front windows, the symbol of our nation is plainly visible, and a reminder that we do still live in the greatest country on earth.  I often disagree with the decision making that takes place in our nations capitol, but despite the bungling politicians, the U S of A is indeed the land of opportunity, and to me, our flag represents all things good about our country.  I display it proudly!

TRACTOR SERVICE

I haven't used the tractor much in the past few weeks, but there's a few projects on the horizon that will require it's use.  Yesterday morning seemed like a good time to lube the chassis, change the oil & filter, replace a fuse, and when I was finished with the service, a good power wash got rid of some of the grease, oil, and caked on dirt.  With the air in the tires adjusted, the orange machine was ready to go for another 50-100 hours.

I did use it to dig a small hole in the front yard, where I mixed up some concrete, and put the foundation in for my flag pole.  The mud will be dry today, and once again, there will be an American Flag flying in the Chance front yard.

BACK TO NORMAL

We took Laila home to mom & dad yesterday morning, and I spent most of the afternoon watching the NASCAR race from Vegas.  Not much else to write about, other than it sure was quiet around here, and at times, it was deafening!  Our normal routine is certainly changed when we have Laila, but it's a change that is welcomed, and embraced.  To have the opportunity to be an integral part of her life, and watch her grow up, is beyond priceless.  It was a great week, and we're already looking forward to Easter vacation, when we're planning on taking Laila in the motor home to the Thousand Trails in Verde Valley.  That's just a few weeks away.

RETURN TO THE SECRET HIDEOUT

Despite the threatening weather, yesterday was the last day we had with Laila, for a return walk to her "secret hideout". She had been asking all week if we were going to hike to this oasis in the desert, and we had been telling her that we would make the trek on Saturday.  It was a chilly day, with a few sprinkles, but we decided it was now, or never, and headed down one of the small canyons on our property.

 Looking back at our motor home from the north.

It's about a quarter mile to the main line of the Union Pacific RR, then a right turn to the east, takes us along the tracks to this drainage tunnel, where we go under the tracks into the dry creek bed.  From there, it's about a half mile to the secret hideout.

Even though we haven't yet witnessed water flowing in the Cienega Creek, there's lots of evidence of massive flooding, probably during the very wet, and intense monsoon season of mid to late summer.  Walking through the dry river bed always reveals several treasures, which are usually inspected, then cast aside.

 

This was our second trip to a place where the creek is diverted into a pipe, and presumably, it's used for irrigation downstream.  The small pond below the dam was not present on our last trip, and it presented a barrier to where Laila wanted to have our picnic lunch.  So we found another spot to sit and have our snacks. 

 Climbing on the rocks is all part of the fun.

 Sitting on Grandpa's legs, was better than the hard rocks.

When we got back to the house, Laila warmed up with a nice hot bath, and the rest of the afternoon was spent watching movies.  It wasn't the best weather for a hike, but at least we didn't get wet, and we all had fun.  Later this morning, we'll take Laila home to mom & dad, and she'll be back to her normal routine, starting with tomorrow's school day.

COUNTDOWN TO ALASKA

It's only about 6-7 weeks before we leave the southwestern desert, and start a slow path north, with the ultimate destination being the last frontier.  Once you've been to Alaska, there's something about our largest state, that grabs you, and never lets go.

Our very first exposure to the 49th state, was a cruise ship experience in 1998, or 99.  We sailed from Vancouver to Ketchican, Juneau, Skagway, and got off the ship in Seward, Alaska.  Our friends, Art & Linda Mitchell, and Bob & Denise Dupree, quickly got on an airplane from Anchorage back to CA.  Patty and I rented a car, and spent several days exploring the Kenai Peninsula before flying back home.  That was it, we were hooked, and we began planning our next trip to the far north.

In 2001, we retired from being co-owners of Jamestown Harley-Davidson, and within  a few days, our motor home was burning diesel on the roads north to Alaska.  We spent most of that summer in Alaska, and the Yukon Territory of Canada.  We traveled on most all of the paved roads (and some that were not) in the far north, and by the time we left, Alaska was firmly entrenched in not only our minds, but also our souls.  Even though we considered that this RV adventure of 2001, was probably the trip of a lifetime, we weren't quite finished with our travels north. 

In 2004, we found a way to return to Alaska, to make some money, and live for 5 1/2 months in one of the most beautiful places on the planet.  Through workamper.com,  we both found jobs in Skagway, Alaska, working for the Corrington family.  What was supposed to be a 1 year experience, turned into 4 summers of seasonal work in this historic town, that was born during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. When we left Skagway for the last time in 2007, we both knew that there was probably still a trip or two back to Alaska in our future.

And so, here we are in 2013, and we have made plans to once again drive the motor home to Alaska.  We should be leaving near the end of next month, with stops in CA, OR, & WA, before crossing the border into British Columbia.  Our pal Nancy, will be traveling with us in her motor home, and the plan is to spend most of the summer in our adopted home state.  As with most of our travel plans, nothing is so firmly entrenched, that we won't be free to let our paths follow whatever road we desire.  The countdown has begun!

Marc's surgery appears to have gone well, with he & Chandra returning from Phoenix today.  This is the last day that Laila will be staying with us, and we'll be taking her home tomorrow.  This past week has flown by, but we'll have Laila with us again for a week, during the upcoming Easter vacation. 

I SEE FOOD

On Valentines Day, we went out to dinner with Chandra, Marc, & Laila, to the Casino Del Sol seafood buffet.  It was one of the best that we had ever been to.  The downside was waiting in line for just about an hour.

We decided yesterday to try again, only this time, we would get there as near the 4pm start time as we could.  We picked up Laila from school, rushed home, and quickly got her bath out of the way.  It was 3:30 when we left the house, which put us at the casino on the west side of Tucson, a little after 4pm.  When we walked into the building, there was no line, and as we approached the cashier with no one in front of us, we both thought the seafood buffet was going to be a regular buffet.  Oh well, we were there, and we were all hungry.
 

When we could finally see inside the restaurant, we saw some crab legs on plates, and realized that there was indeed a seafood buffet happening.  Laila likes sushi, and had two plates of the stuff while Grandma & Grandpa waded into the crab legs.  She later had some crab, along with fruit, and of course, desert.  When we left, we were all stuffed, and once again pleased with the quality and quantity of the food, and particularly the fact that we didn't have to wait in line.

Laila's first plate of sushi is just about gone.

 

 Grandma is getting her players club card.  Guess who will be the tallest in a few years?

Laila and I have this game, where she hides whenever the camera comes out.  Not all of the time, but it sometimes is a challenge to get a good picture of her.  In the photo above, she's heading back to Grandma, where there's cover from the camera.

Later at home, she did pose for a shot with Gracie, who's become her best buddy.  It was a good meal of all things from the sea, and the best part is that we were home early, with Laila in bed at her regular school night bedtime.

ANOTHER SCHOOL DAY

Laila's school days are pretty structured, with certain things happening at certain times.  The morning, afternoon, and evening routines don't vary much, even when she stays with Grandma & Grandpa.  As a first grader, she has homework every day, she must read at least 15 minutes, with one of us signing off on the reading time.  Her reading skills are way above what I think I can remember when I was about the same age.  I know, that's a long time ago, but I'm certain that I didn't read as well as she does when I was in the first grade.  Marc & Chandra have chosen a private, Christian school for Laila, and it's pretty obvious that she's getting a good educational foundation.  Bath & dinner are the same time each day, and bedtime, which used to be a struggle, is now accepted without hardly a fuss.

Thursday's are spelling test day, and almost without exception, Laila gets 100%.  She has already gotten 100% on this weeks spelling pretest.  Yea, we're pretty proud of our little girl, and even more proud of the loving, involved parenting by Marc & Chandra.  But of course, I'm just a wee bit biased!

 

HELICOPTERS & A WOOD RACK

Getting Laila to school at 8:30am, is a little more than meets the eye.  Her day typically starts at 6:30, but yesterday, she was up at 5:30, helping Grandpa write the daily blog.  By the time lunch was packed, breakfast was consumed, school clothes were on, hair was braided, it was time to head out the door at 7:45.  It takes about 30-35 minutes to drive to her school, and we had her there 10 minutes early. 

Since we were already in town, we stopped at a couple of stores, then made our way back home.  At 1:45pm, we left the house, headed back to retrieve Laila from school.  When we got home, and after a snack and homework, Grandpa brought out a new toy, that is a sort of helicopter.  It's launched with a rubber band several hundred feet into the air, then it rotates it's way back to the ground.  Laila didn't quite have the strength to get the twirly bird very high, but she was content going down range, and bringing it back to the launch pad.  When play time was over, next up was a bath, dinner, some reading to both Grandma & Grandpa, then off to bed at about 7pm.  Wow, this little girl's day is jam packed, from the start of the day, to the finish. 
   

While Laila was in school, I put up my lumber rack, did some final trim work to the storage room, and proclaimed that the project was finished.  Now it's time to move on to a long list of other tasks, that have been on hold, while the room was being built. 

GRANDPARENTS FOR A WEEK

Eating baby back ribs, is a messy proposition, whether you're a kid, or a grownup.

 

The main reason we moved to Vail (Tucson), was to be nearer to our kids, and granddaughter.  Being only a 15 minute drive away, affords us the opportunity to be involved in their lives, and to be in a position where we have the opportunity to share part of our life as well.

Laila is with us until Sunday, when Marc & Chandra  return from a planned week in Phoenix.  Several months ago, Marc had a laser spine procedure, that seemed to have gone well, and he was well on the road to recovery.  A few weeks ago, his car was hit by a Tucson City transit bus, while he was stopped.  The accident didn't cause a lot of vehicle damage, but the hard jolt apparently re-injured his back, and he will be undergoing a second procedure on Thursday.  Both he and Chandra left for Phoenix last night, as Marc has several medical appointments in the next few days, including the surgery. 

So, Laila is with us, and we'll adapt to her school week routine, that includes taking her in the morning, and picking her up at 2:30pm, when classes are finished for the day.  This morning will be the first test, when we wake her up at 6:30, and start the daily routine to get ready for school.

Lots of napkins are necessary when eating BBQ sauce covered ribs!

BREAKFAST, GUNS, & SHELVES

Chandra, Marc, & Laila came out to the house for a late, Sunday breakfast.  My credentials as a cook, are not exactly of the gourmet variety, but long ago, as a single parent of two young boys, I learned rather quickly to throw a few things together for the dinner table.  When patty and I married, we became parents to 3 boys who were all on the verge of being teenagers, often with huge appetites.  Cooking became part of the routine, as we both balanced careers (law enforcement & nursing), with work shifts that varied around the clock.  When Patty was working & going to school, I often was the one who took care of  feeding the kids.  Even though I no longer have to cook, I still enjoy fixing an occasional breakfast.

After breakfast, Marc and I rotated the tires on his truck, and then we drove over to the fairgrounds for the 2nd day of  a gun show.  We purposely waited for the 2nd day to avoid the long lines.  The downside of that strategy was the fact that a lot of things (mostly ammo) was sold out.  We heard stories of people waiting in long lines yesterday, just to purchase ammo.  This latest attempt by some of our "nanny state" legislators, to regulate public behavior, has driven the demand for guns & ammo through the roof.  Prices on all things gun related have escalated, commensurate to the public's appetite.

Marc and I found some ammo, but if you look closely at the shelves, you'll see that there wasn't much left.  There were several tables with petitions, all focused on the Constitutional 2nd amendment, and it's fundamental right for the people to bear arms.  The current assault by some of our legislators on this most basic right of Americans is very real, and is driving the demand for guns & ammunition. 

Back at the ranch, Laila helped Grandpa put together some shelving for my storage room.  After the shelves were done, Marc and I watched the end of the Phoenix NASCAR race, and we called it a day.
  

A NEW FLOOR

The first part of the day was a trip into town for new Jeep tires, and lots of groceries.  By the time we got back home, it was early afternoon, and I started the floor project in the storage room.  Nothing fancy, but definitely an improvement over bare concrete.  I thought about doing ceramic floor tiles, but that would have been overkill for a room that I'm not even going to paint.  I picked up some vinyl floor tiles on the last trip to Lowes, and by late afternoon, the floor was covered.

These self stick, square foot tiles are easy to put down, and even easier to cut.  By the time I got to the last floor tile, there was less than a square foot left to cover.  I wasn't sure if two boxes was going to be enough, but it worked out perfectly.

When I finished the tiles, I started assembling the storage racks, and had 3 of them completed by the time I quit for the day.  This room within a room is about 99% complete, and it's just about time to move on to the next project.

The kids are coming out for breakfast this morning, then Marc and I are going to rotate the tires on his truck.  When we're finished with that, we're headed over to the fairgrounds for a gun show.  It started yesterday, so there shouldn't be any long lines to gain entrance.  At the last fairgrounds gun show, I arrived on opening day, and when I saw the huge lines to get in, I made a u-turn, and came back home.

 

33 YEARS AGO

It was 33 years ago yesterday, that Patty and I became a married couple, and our journey together began.  We both were divorced, single parents, living in Los Banos, CA.  My two boys, Mike & Marc were ages 12 & 10, and Patty's son David was 11.  On March 1, 1980, we combined our two families into one, and last night, we celebrated that anniversary with Chandra, Marc, and Laila.

Marc called me early in the day, and invited us to go out with them for an anniversary dinner.  He wouldn't tell me where, just saying that it was a different kind of restaurant.  We drove over to their house, and then went into Tucson to a place called Mays Counter.  Their specialty is chicken & waffles, and their menu was indeed a bit different than most dining places.  Marc & Chandra each ordered a bloody mary, and when I saw the strip of bacon inside, it almost made me want to start drinking again.  They both said that the drinks were the best bloody mary's ever!.  I should have just ordered one without the vodka....duh!   We all ordered different selections, and everything was good, and plentiful.  We'll definitely go back to this place, and thanks Marc & Chandra for remembering our anniversary, and for the dinner.

 Note the bacon strips in the drinks.

Earlier in the day, I finished insulating, and sheeting the walls of my storage room.  All that's left to do is some trim pieces, and  a vinyl floor.  The storage racks that I ordered from Amazon showed up yesterday, so I'll soon be moving stuff into the room.  One of the neat little gizmos that I picked up online, is a plug thermostat pictured below.  With this little device, you can turn on your a/c, or heater, and the thermostat will regulate the temperature at where ever you set it.  Rather than leave my little wall a/c unit running 24/7, I can set it on high cool, and the plug thermostat will turn in on when the temperature climbs, and turn it off when the room cools down.  When we're traveling and away from home,, I won't have to worry about the a/c running constantly.

 The walls are done, with 5/8" plywood on the outside of the two interior walls, 1/2" plywood on the four interior walls, with R-19 insulation all the way around, and in the ceiling.

A NEW SEWING MACHINE

On our trip into town yesterday, the first stop was Arizona VAC & SEW.  We were going to drop off Patty's 30 year old Kenmore sewing machine to be fixed.  It had quit a few weeks ago, and even though Patty was doing research for the purchase of a new machine, she thought the old one needed to last a little bit longer.  When it comes to sewing machines, the only brand name I know is Singer.  We still have my Grandmothers Singer treadle machine, built back in the day when electricity wasn't a necessary component for sewing.

While the work order was being written up,. Patty was looking at the new machines, and not a Singer was to be seen.  According to the store owner, Singer & many of the other sewing machine manufacturers are now owned by Chinese companies.    The only Singer sewing machines in the store were a couple of antiques, similar to my Grandmothers.  While the owner of the store was giving Patty a demo on a new Necchi machine, and even though I was watching, I didn't have a clue of what the difference was between a bobbin, or any of the other bells and whistles.  The new machines are all computerized, and I think if they had wings, they probably would be able to fly!

As I've said, when it comes to sewing machines, I wouldn't know the front from the back, but when the demo was about finished, I was impressed with what the machine could do.  I was equally impressed with the knowledge of  the store owner.  There was no hard sell going on, but rather he was showing her some of the things that the new machines could do.  Knowing that Patty wanted a new machine, and seeing that this particular machine would be able to do everything that she wanted it to do, I started thinking, why spend any money on the old Kenmore, when it's life is limited.  Thinking that the 30 year old Kenmore wasn't worth anything, I still asked the store owner if it had any trade in value.  I was surprised when he said that he could use it for parts, and he would give Patty a $50 trade in credit on a new machine.  By not spending any money on the repair of the old machine, and a $50 trade in, that was a savings of over $100.  When we found out that the purchase of a new machine included a 20% discount from M.S.R.P., a 50 spool box of quality thread, a thread stand, up to 6 hours of free in house instruction, and the first year maintenance at no charge, I was sold.  Patty agreed, and we walked out the door with a new machine, staying just under the $1,000 dollar budget that Patty had established.

The owner is checking a list of components, making sure everything is included.

 Here's the new Necchi (American owned company) sewing machine, set up for use at home.

Our other stops were at Lowes, then Home Depot.  When we got back to the house, I started using some of the newly purchased plywood, and finished sheeting the outside of the two interior walls of the storage room.  I think I have all of the materials I need to finish, and that should be done within the next few days.

The room is now completely enclosed, and getting close to being done.