VERDE CANYON RAILROAD

It was a perfect weather day for a train ride.  We boarded the Verde Canyon Railroad a little before 1pm, and returned to the station in Clarkdale at about 5pm.  The scenery in this remote canyon in Central Arizona is magnificent, most of which is only accessible by the train.  Even though we had seats in one of the coach cars, we spent most of the ride in the adjacent open air car.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. 

 This trestle over one of the side canyons is about 150 feet tall.

 I sneaked this picture while we were in the darkest part of the tunnel.

 At 18 miles out from the depot, the train stopped in Perkinsville, where the engine did a "runaround" from the front to the back, then pulled the train back to Clarkdale.

 One of the few photos where the reluctant 7 year old model agreed to have her picture taken.

 This telephoto shot of two Blue Heron's actually turned out better than I expected.

This was our 2nd ride on the Verde Canyon RR, and Laila's first.   At 4 hours in duration, the ride was perhaps a little long for our Grand Daughter, but she was a trooper, not complaining, and not a single "are we there yet" on the way back to the station.  This morning, it's a return trip back to the Grand Canyon where we worked for two summers.  This will be Laila's first viewing of a true natural wonder!

EASTER VACATION ROAD TRIP

 The girls stayed busy on the sofa, while Grandpa handled the driving.

It was just about 9am when we pulled away from the house in the motor home, destination - the Thousand Trails Preserve in Cottonwood, AZ.  It was about a 4 hour drive on I10 through Phoenix, then north on I17 to the Verde Valley.  When we arrived, I took the jeep, and found us a 30 amp, full hook up site.  There were a few 50 amp sites left, but with predicted temps in the mid 70's this week, we won't need to run both air conditioners.

When we picked up Laila on Sunday afternoon, she was a bit reluctant to have us take her bicycle.  She had taken a tumble a few days prior, and had a nice "boo boo" on her knee.  We loaded it up anyway, and I'm glad we did, cause she was on the thing for most of the afternoon.  We made a quick trip into town for a late lunch & some groceries, then after returning to the park, we walked (Laila rode her bike) over to the pool.  We all agreed, the water was warm enough to consider a future swim, but by then it was getting a little too late.

Inside the rec room, Grandpa hustled Laila into a game of pool.  Apparently she's been practicing at home, and even though her accuracy isn't very good, she was able to hit the cue ball just about every time.  After dinner, I put a movie on the tube, and by 9pm, we were all done for the day.

At 1 this afternoon, we board the Verde Canyon Railroad, for a 4 hour train ride.  It's been several years since Patty and I last rode this train, and as I recall, the scenery in the canyon is pretty awesome.  Our Internet connection is really slow, but with a little patience, I should be able to continue posting pictures of our activities.

2 WHEELING THE TRACKS

It was finally time to break away from my project list, and do some exploring on the dual sport bike.  Due to the Union Pacific's main line tracks being so close, I spent about an hour riding east of our house, next to the rails.  Not too far from our place, there's an abandoned spur track that serviced a large metal building.  I've been told that business used to make wooden trusses, but it's long been empty, and I've never confirmed what they used to do there.

About 5 miles to the east, one of the two U.P. tracks crosses over the Cienega Creek drainage on this big trestle.  What the picture doesn't show is the other mainline track coming under both of the bridges, keeping to the south of the creek.  Marc had a past experience where he crossed the big bridge on his dirt bike, just making it to the other side before a train came along.  I don't think that's an issue that I'll ever have to worry about!

 

From the bridges, I rode the old Benson highway back toward the house, doing some more exploring on a few of the dirt roads in the area.  I got back next to the tracks before returning home, and had a long freight come up behind me.  I was a short distance away from the tracks, but you can see the train in the background.

We picked up Laila in the afternoon, and this morning, we're taking the motor home to the Thousand Trails RV Park near Cottonwood, in the Verde Valley.  I have tickets to ride the Verde Canyon Train tomorrow, then I think we're taking Laila to the Grand Canyon on Wednesday, for her first ever look at a place we called home for two summers.  I have a feeling the next 6 days are going to be quite busy!

IT'S A FAIR

Not the kind with carnivals, and Ferris wheels, but the type of street fair more commonly known as an arts, and crafts festival.  Since moving to the Tucson area, we've heard, and read about the 4th Ave Street Fair, so we had to check it out.  Located in the downtown area, near the University of Arizona Campus, I had a feeling that parking might be a problem.  When we arrived, finding a parking spot was indeed a challenge.  Every parking lot, from only a few spaces, to some with a hundred or more, were all being staffed with entrepreneurs, charging what seemed to be the universal fee of $10.  Knowing that there was a free spot on the street somewhere, I surely wasn't going to give up ten bucks that easily.  After driving around for 5-10 minutes, we found an open space, about 3-4 blocks from the event.

Except for the setting, this lineup of EZ-ups reminded me of Winterfest in Lake Havasu.  Same kind of event with lots of vendors selling everything from arts, & crafts, to booths promoting everything from the local newspaper, to the establishment of medical marijuana businesses.  The lineup of vendors stretched for about a mile, and by the time we had walked from one end to the other, a couple of hours had passed.  It was mostly a window shopping experience, as neither of us bought anything.  I did however, come away with a free Saturday newspaper.

There were lots of street musicians like this fellow, who was playing a ukulele, and a kazoo.  Judging by the business on 4th Ave, I think it's safe to say that this is an area that is heavily patronized by students at U of A.  On the way home, we had lunch at one of our favorite places - Sweet Tomatoes, then stopped at Harbor Freight, and Ace Hardware before calling it a day.  Today, we pick up Laila for a week with Grandma & Grandpa.  Yea !!

DRIVEWAY IMPROVEMENTS

I spent a few hours on the tractor yesterday, clearing small growth away from both sides of the driveway.  When we get back from our Easter vacation trip to the Verde Valley, the excavating contractor will start on April 1st, the reconfiguring, and repaving of the driveway entrance, for about the first 250'.  By the time I was finished, I had filled the small trailer with brush and shrubs.

 

My shop now has a mini refrigerator which I picked up a few days ago off Craig's list.  I spent an hour or so, thoroughly cleaning both inside and out.  I paid $45 to a U of A college student, who would benefit greatly from a class on cleanliness.  The frig wasn't too bad, but the rented apartment was a total disaster.  Just imagine the worst possible mess, then double it.  Glad I'm not the owner of that building.

AFGHANISTAN TO AUGUSTA

I spoke to my oldest son Mike yesterday, for the first time in several months.  He had just returned to his home in Augusta, GA, reuniting with his wife Amy, their dog, and 2 cats.  He had just spent almost 4 months in Afghanistan.  We talked for about an hour, and it sure was a good feeling to know that he was home safe & sound.   This was his second assignment in a country that we've being pouring blood and treasure into for over 10 years, and I hope this was his last deployment. 

Working in the intelligence community, under the National Security Agency, Mike felt that his job this time actually made a difference.  Due to his top secret security clearance, he never gets into specifics about his responsibilities, but despite working 12 hour days, 7 days a week for almost 4 months, he felt good about his contribution toward keeping our troops out of harms way as much as possible.  I'm so very proud of his accomplishments as a career Army Officer, and now, his 2nd career working as a civilian government employee.  With all of the vacation & comp time that he has accumulated, he and Amy were about to jump in their Corvette, and head for a rented cabin in the Georgia mountains.  You deserve some down time Mike, so just kick back, and relax a bit.  Save some of that vacation time for a trip out here to Arizona in the fall. 

CLOSING THE GAPS

When the roof overhang was boxed in during construction of the garage, there was a small gap left between the top of the wall, and the eve.  The distance varied from nothing, to 1/2 inch.  This was one of those little things that would drive me crazy, every time I looked up and saw sunlight peeking through the crack.  The gap was in a place where rain, or moisture probably wasn't going to be a problem. but it was a perfect place for wasps, or hornets to gain entry into the building.
 

The simple fix was a small molding strip screwed over the 90 degree corner, finished with a strip of caulking material along the top.  Yesterday, I completed the project by putting a coat of paint on the wood.  I also painted the trim pieces around where the small air conditioner sticks through the wall at the back of the building.

The garage is pretty much done, both inside and out, except for a future shade cover along the exterior south wall.  Since moving here in December I had the garage built, then, along with help from my neighbor, brought the power underground from the other side of the house, and did the electrical wiring inside the building.  Insulating and sheet rocking the interior walls was a big project, that took a lot of time.  When that was done, I put up shelving, cabinets, and pegboard.  Next, I built a 100 square foot storage room in the southeast corner, complete with an air conditioner in the wall.  Other projects included rain gutter, and down spouts on the north wall, building work benches, and finally getting all of the boxes emptied, and off the floor. 

The next big project, coming up when we return from our Easter motor home trip with Laila, is the driveway.  Once the driveway is moved entirely onto our property, and the surface is improved, then I can build, and install the gate, complete with solar powered, automatic opener.  By the time that's done, it'll be getting close to departure time for Alaska.  I think I'll be ready for a vacation!

BUILDING A GATE

One of the next projects on my "to do list" before we leave in a few weeks, is to build & install a gate across our driveway.  The solar powered gate opener came yesterday, and the rest of the materials are supposed to be here tomorrow.  The last picture shows what the two separate gates will look like when I'm finished.  The gate opener will control one side of the dual gate, and the other side (both 10' wide), will be semi stationary, with a lockable post.
 

 The gate will be across the driveway, about where the new asphalt will end, near the tree on the left.

 

  It should look something like this when I'm finished.

On the good news front, Marc called and said he had spoken with his brother Mike, who just landed in Maryland on his return from Afghanistan.  By this morning, Mike should be home, or close to home in Augusta.  We're all glad you're back son, and hope that there aren't any future assignments over there.  

YUMA TO TUCSON

My third, and last dental appointment was yesterday morning.  The adjustment, and cementing of the crowns was completed in about an hour, and because it was still early, there was no line to get back into the U.S.  I had planned on coming home today, but there was no point just sitting around for an extra day, so I was on the road home by 11am.  The distance from Tucson to Yuma, is just under 250 miles, and it's all desert driving.  No spectacular scenery, just miles and miles of Interstate 8 and 10.

Every time motorcycles pass the motor home, I often wish I had my face in the wind, rather than behind a huge piece of glass.  This is about the time of year that I usually jump on the Harley, and head for the Death Valley area,  With all that we have planned before departing for Alaska in a few weeks, not sure that's going to happen this year.  It's good to be back home, and more importantly, good to have the dental work finished!

WASHIN, WAXIN, & RACIN

The wash & wax boys showed up at 8am, and in about 3 hours, the motor home/truck were washed, and the motor home was hand waxed.  This was the second coat of Meguiars wax for the house on wheels in just a few months.  The two guys did a good job, and I gave them more than their advertised price of $89.95.

This was my second day of non dental activity, and I spent the afternoon watching the NASCAR race from Bristol, then the taped AMA superbike race from Daytona, & finally, the NHRA Drag race from Gainesville.  Most of my fantasy picks for the drag race went out in the first round, so I'm not doing very well in the competition with my two boys, Mike & Marc.  There's 20 races to go, so I have time to make up lost ground, but I better start picking some winners soon.  Today, back to the dentist, and if everything goes as planned, home tomorrow.

GENERATOR SERVICE

Changing the generator oil & filter is something I often do myself. But this time, I also wanted to change the fuel filter, so I had one of the mobile service guys come by yesterday morning.  The mobile wash & wax folks called, and that appointment was put off until this morning.

When it comes to mobile service in Yuma, many of the providers prices are very reasonable.  For example, the generator service which included oil, oil filter, & fuel filter, was a total of $85.  The outfit coming today to wash both motor home & truck, then hand wax the motor home, has an advertised price of $89.95.  When we were here in Jan, we had a different mobile crew do the same thing for $125, which I thought at the time, was a heck of a bargain. 

Yesterday, and today are down days between my dental visits, and other than a trip to the post office, that's about all I got accomplished.  Today will  be more of the same, but at least today, there's some racing action on the tube.

BORDER CROSSING

 When I arrived for my 2nd appointment, Dr. Rafael Santos was waiting for me.

Even though there are signs stating that photography of any port of entry is not legal, I snapped these two pictures of the U.S. side, as I headed for the parking lot.  This was my second crossing from Mexico in two consecutive days, back into the U.S. and the wait in line was again about 45 minutes.  Once I moved up to where you present you passport, the reason for the very slow moving line was obvious. 

Several years ago, these long waits in line were pretty routine, as the facility was in a modular trailer, and could only accommodate 2 border enforcement agents.  It was about 3 years ago, several million dollars was spent to update the facility, among other things, adding 2 more check stations.  With 4 agents checking folks through, the line moved quickly, and waiting times were reasonable.

When it was my turn to present my passport, I asked the lady agent why only two of the four check stations were being used.  Her answer was brief, and sarcastic.  She said the Department of Homeland Security had cut their budget, and this was one of the results.  I was tempted to reply in a similar, confrontational manner, but resisted, thinking that an argument with this person wasn't going to accomplish a darn thing.  However, I couldn't help but wonder, how our federal bureaucrats can justify sending billions of dollars overseas, to fund stupid things like teaching Moroccans how to build pottery, yet they cut back on personnel at border crossings, and release thousands of illegal aliens because they say they don't have any money.  What the hell is wrong with this picture?

Yea, I was hot, but it was even hotter in the motor home.   When I got back to the RV from my second dental visit, the temperatures inside, and outside the motor home were both 95 degrees.  It didn't take too long to cool down the inside, when I turned on both A/C units.  This morning, I have two service's coming here to the motor home.  I'm getting it washed and waxed, and I'm getting the generator serviced.  Great spaghetti last night, thanks babe.

A LONG DAY

It started with an 8:30am appointment at a new dentist, whose first name is Rafael.  He had been recommended by our friends, Bob & Jeanette Fulton, and  upon meeting him, I was slightly apprehensive, due to his youthful appearance.  He finished dental school 5 years ago, and has been practicing in Algodones for 2 years.  After the initial exam, he explained (excellent English) what needed to be done, and the cost.  I agreed, and the work began.

The reason for a change from my previous Mexican Dentist, Carmen, is that it was confirmed yesterday, that she had developed an aggressive cancer, and had passed away.  I last visited Carmen a little over 3 years ago, and was happy with the dental work that she did.  Unfortunately, I have always had dental issues, and was not blessed with the best of teeth.  The time that I have spent in a dental chair during my lifetime would be scary, if I knew the actual total hours.

I won't get into the gory details, but I was in the chair from about 9am until 2pm, with a short break in the middle.  I have 4 teeth that need crowns, and two of those needed root canals.  All of the prep work was completed in that marathon session yesterday, and now it's up to the lab to build the crowns.  One of the amazing things about dentistry in Algodones, and probably other Mexican towns that cater to Americans, is the speed in which every thing is accomplished.  What usually takes a couple of weeks in the U.S. for crowns and bridges to come back from the lab, only takes a couple of days in Algodones.  If everything goes as planned, I'll be done on Monday, and back home on Tuesday.  The cost............4 crowns with 2 of those requiring build up posts from the lab, 2 root canals, and some other minor work - $1,400.  In the U.S. the charge for all of that work would be in the $5-6,000 range.  My dental insurance has an annual cap of $2,000, but it does cover Mexican Dentistry.  By getting dental care in Mexico, my out of pocket expense is thousands of dollars less than it would be in the U.S., and so far, my experiences with 2 dentists, have been excellent.

At about 2pm, the line waiting to get back into the U.S. was longer than I expected.  It took about 45 minutes to cross the border.

DRIVEWAY REHAB & MEXICO

It's kind of a long story that has to do with insurance, prior dental work, and a few other things.  I won't get into all of the details, but suffice it to say, I left Tucson yesterday about noon, driving the motor home to Yuma.  I'll be parked here for a few days, and with any luck,  I'll get my dental situation squared away.  When we leave for Alaska in a few weeks, I don't want to deal with any teeth problems, so it's kind of now, or never before the window gets closed for 5 months.

On another front, I signed an agreement to have our driveway improved, and moved entirely onto our property.  When I had the survey done several months ago, I discovered that the first 75 feet of our driveway is half on the adjacent property.  When these lots were improved, and sold, our particular driveway easement was incorrectly located.  It's difficult to see in the above picture, but there's a small pink ribbon next to a survey marker, and it sits right in the middle of the driveway.  That's the property line!  To the right of the ribbon is the next door neighbors property. 

The contractor is going to bring in approx. 200 tons of fill, and move the driveway about 12 feet to the left.  Then, he's going to grade the first 300 feet, and surface it with recycled asphalt.  I never thought I'd become a "greenie" when I improved the entrance to our property.  That's all going to happen during the first week in April.  When I discovered the property line issue, I've never been comfortable with the situation, and I'll be glad when it's fixed.

The first 300' of driveway will be asphalt surfaced up to the tree on the left, where I'm going to install a gate.

Still lots of dirt work to do around the front of the house, which will be done by me, and Mr. Kubota.