Adventure 115: Valley of the Sun RV Park, Marana, AZ/Post D

This is the panorama in just about every direction.

Only a fool would put his faith in the fates: those fickle, feckless, fiendish females (So the Greek's personified). Catty might be a better word. There I was cruising along with a twenty point lead when I made the mistake of thinking I had the game in hand.  I've decided that kind of thinking is just what Clothos, Lechesis, and Atropis love to dispel in us puny humans. And they use tools as well. Today, they used Judy to teach me a lesson. First, the wily cager pulled a never before seen mystery move: thirty one for three! She then started some babble about being so confused. The next thing I knew, she was spreading two eights and two sevens in front of the newly cut six. A veinte cuatro! Suddenly, my cushy lead turned into the exhaust vapor (We've been eating Mexican) of the wily cager who made chortling sounds as she counted twenty-four pegs (One by one). I'm not sure what happened, but I know I was distracted by the thirty-one for three. Could be there were some Wiebe Jeebie moves being made. No matter. I still lead 5-1, but rest assured no lead is safe against the wily cager. After a more leisurely start to the morning than usual, we hopped on the bike for an hour and a half. We rode another large twenty mile circle, but this time in a different direction. Low and behold, we discovered one of the riding treasures of Tucson. It's a paved trail that runs beside the Santa Cruz river. The Santa Cruz bisects Tucson east to west, so it's conceivable a rider could ride from one side of town to the other. We won't go that far tomorrow, but our ride will likely stretch into the early thirties due to the lack of traffic and such. On a mechanical note, we jumped our timing chain on the ride. It happened only once, but I knew the chains were wearing. We took "Papa" (Our tandem) to Performance Bicycles near University of Arizona. That's when my latest moron move happened. Why is it that I always suffer for my mistakes? Not once can I remember getting a do over for being stupid. I usually have the front wheel at the ready before I remove the tandem from the rack. In the parking lot of the bike shop, I left the front wheel near the back of the truck. I took the bike down, which means its wheel is on the ground and the fork is secured in a mechanical lock. I stepped around the bike to retrieve the wheel when suddenly the bike twisted like a petulant child wiggling free from a perturbed mother in a grocery store. The result was a couple of ugly scratches made by the pedals on the once shiny gray coat of Fric. If trucks could talk, Fric would have squealed like a stuck Javelina. Grrr. Other than that our day was fantastic. We took a car ride through the Saguaro National Park all the way around the mountains back through South Tucson. The brutally sheer mountains serve as a perfect canvas for the most magnificent cactus plants I've ever seen. Besides the Saguaros, the Barrel like cacti, and the varied sticky stick like ones, there are also these kind that look like an exploded bottle brush. From a distance they look soft and inviting, but since everything in the desert is stickery, I know that is just an illusion. Nonetheless, they are cool looking, and they are prolific. They carpet the desert landscape just as the Saguaros prickle it like living ribbed telephone poles with arms. To finish our day, we ate an almost Reuben at a very nice little sandwich shop near the bike shop. The mechanic (Daniel) recommended it, and since he showed himself to be a very competent bicycle man, I trusted his judgment. It was spot on. He also told us the name of the pro team we saw the day before. They are a Canadian sponsored group called Smart Stop Khaki. They race the pro circuit in North America. I didn't recognize any of their team members, but it was still fun to see their colorful peloton flashing through the cacti. Needless to say, (But I will anyway), life is good, especially today.

 My own foolish folly defiled poor Fric. Grrrr.

 Papa, ready for some new chain gear.

 Just like the red rocks in Utah, I can't get enough of these Cactus plants.

 The hillside is sprinkled with all kinds of plants, most notable the Saguaro sticking up like pencils in a foam pad.

 My camera (Or the light) didn't quite catch the fuzzy bottle brush cacti.

 I hope these guys (Non bike fans?) missed the bicyclists.

 More of the Sonora desert panorama.

 And more.

 And close up.

 Even closer.

 Hey, there's the Bunny on the Santa Cruz river trail.

 The trail in the other direction, which is paved on both sides of the river.

 We didn't do much hill training on the way out.

We didn't do much on the way back either.

Pretty good sandwiches.

 They call it an almost Reuben because they use cole slaw instead of sauer kraut.

Adventure 114: Valley of the Sun RV Park, Marana, AZ/Post C

Way Cool!

The spankings continue (Thank you new deck). I'm now up 5-zip, but ever cautious against the wily one. After what has become our normal routine. (Judy up before dawn to knit, read and welcome the day; me up before eight; coffee, oatmeal, and a game), we took a nice twenty mile loop around the area. The Tucson valley is flat, most of the roads are new, the surrounding mountains are beautiful, the wind was wispy, the traffic was light, so all in all, our ride was very enjoyable. The only angst we had was about three miles out when we realized we had forgotten the pannier, which held all of our repair gear. Thankfully, our unpreparedness didn't bite us like a poisonous Gila Monster. Our friends, David and Ginny Kral, picked us up around eleven, and we headed out to the desert museum. It is a natural desert setting carved into part zoo, part display, part eco-education. It's very cool and easily Tucson's most popular tourist destination. On the way to the museum, we drove through the Sonora Desert, which is chock full of Saguaro Cacti (Among other things). It's is quite beautiful, and I'm told it's even more beautiful in the spring when the desert flowers are blooming. On the way out, we saw a large peloton (Twenty riders all in the same team shirt and a team car following) of bicyclists clipping along at about thirty miles per hour. I wasn't prepared with the camera, so I missed them, but clearly they were training for serious riding. I couldn't quite get the team name either, but their colors reminded me of Astana. The highlight of our desert museum experience was the raptor show at 2 P.M. Handlers let out birds of prey, which flew over a large crowd of about seventy people just above everyone's heads. There was an owl, a Peregrine falcon, a family of Harris hawks, and an endangered Gray Hawk. Scattered midst the brush and cacti were handlers who placed little treats on limbs. The birds swooped over our heads and landed on the limbs for a little snack. Then they were off. All the while, one of the rangers kept up a running commentary on the hunting habits and flying characteristics of the birds. She was enthusiastic, and she also plugged conservation any chance she got. Since she had the microphone, she had a lot of chances. I stood there thinking. Ain't America great! A kid could dream of growing up to be a falconer for the State of Arizona. What a life! We also saw caged Foxes, Big Horn Sheep, Mountain Lions, Rattle Snakes, Beaver, Bear, Birds, and desert plants of all kinds. The only living thing out there we didn't see that was advertised were the javelinas (Pigs). They lay low during the heat of the day, and we couldn't quite see them in the shade. It was a good visit as far as zoo experiences go. The best part was driving back into Tucson through the Saguaro forest. These cactus are not quite as thick as a pine forest, but there are enough of them poking up out of the desert to create an impressive scene. Some of them are quite huge, which is astounding, considering the fact that they may be as old as four hundred years. We had dinner at a sandwich shop called "Beyond Bread". My camera battery was dead (Poor planning), so I didn't get pictures of the huge sandwiches made with fresh bread and health conscious ingredients. It's a good local spot. Tucson has three outlets. Right now, the Bunny and I are relaxing in Frac. We spent about an hour trying to figure out our path north through California, but our heads started hurting after a while, so we quit before we lost sight of the fact that life is good, especially today.

 In Pima County, they grow excellent cotton. Where we're staying most of the land is irrigated and producing.

 Quite funny.

 An older version of the Airstream.

 The forest of cacti is simply awesome.

 According to this lady, the first thing to do if a Gila Monster bites you is get it to let go. Really?

 It would cost you about 100,000 dollars to pay for the snake antidote. Double pain. First the bite, then the bite.

 Art shot number one of the day.

 Art shot number two.

 I  wish the camera could capture the true panorama. Nonetheless, a nice day in the desert.

 Ginny Kral.

 The Bunny.

 Me and the crowd waiting for the raptor show to begin.

 A rare Gray Hawk. They are daytime hunters.

 A tiny little owl. He was squawking the whole time.

Just one of the several bird trainers sprinkled around the watching point. It was very fun to have the birds land so close to us. At one point two Harris Hawks land on this girls arm.

Adventure 113: Valley of the Sun RV Park, Marana, AZ/Post B

Sue-Wah-RRow (Saguaro)

What a great day! I changed out the deck, and the fates rewarded me with a very satisfying skunk (Yes, the cager smells), and a 2-zip lead in the Tucson Open. But, of course, I'm still as worried as the father of a teenage girl because NO LEAD is safe from the wily cager. At least the new deck has evened the odds. After breakfast we joined our friends, the Krals, at their church (The New Life). The young pastor gave a well conceived sermon to a large audience of true believers. His message, be slow to anger, centered on the idea of  the stumbling block that many people trip over, which is the notion of being offended. He said, "Don't take the bait." And like he said, it is a really big deal. A person simply has to read the list of officially registered Christian Churches to see the divisions within the body of those who profess to follow Jesus (Being a human is fraught with difficulties). On a personal note, one of the things very heavy on my heart is the idea of exclusion. I'm troubled by the practice of judgment, both my own and others. I'm concerned (Always) by people who have found "the answer" but exclude me if I don't happen to believe the truth in the manner they do. I pray daily for three things: a clean heart, justice, and acceptance. Maybe I should add another prayer that will help me get out of my own way. After church, we enjoyed a fabulous lunch: spaghetti with a rich maranara sauce made with elk meat and thickened with garden vegetables that gave the sauce an earthy bottom note. Very yummy. Then we watched last night's Zag game, which David had taped. Speaking of zealots (I try to avoid them at all costs), it's nice being in the same room with fellow Zagots (Maybe sports is a religion). The Zags played well and disposed of the Mormon contingent (Never an easy proposition). After a walk through the neighborhood at sunset, we made our way back to the trailer, but not before we stopped at the local Taco Shop for a Carne Asada combination plate. it was also good, and the way the Hunny Bunny and I attacked it, you'd have thought we hadn't eaten in a month. The Krals have volunteered to be our tour guides for part of the next week, so tomorrow they will pick us up and we'll visit the desert museum and perhaps the Saguaro National Park. Regardless, we'll get a morning ride in, I'll hopefully continue my newfound win streak versus the wily cager, and they'll pick us up around eleven. For now, though, life is good, especially today.

 Ginny Kral coming out of the New Life church to meet us.

 Then came the hugs.

 Then came the tour of the house.

 Ginny and David have a garden about the size of a truck farm in Spokane. In Tucson, it's a bit smaller, but no less intense.

 Besides a small patch of grass, the house is bordered by a rock garden packed full of naturally occurring plants (Many of which the Krals transplanted).

 Ginny cooks. David cleans up (I helped him today).

 Carl is a neighbor. He joined us for lunch. Carl is literally a rocket scientist. It's always fun talking with genius types.

 Lunch is served.

 Thanks largely to Kevin Pangos' hot hand and great hustle by the Zags, the BYU boys went home with a loss, maintaining Gonzaga's one game lead in the conference.

 The Bunny and Ginny catching up. Ginny taught Leticia in middle school, and she also gave Libby flute lessons. It's amazing that over twenty years has gone by since we first met.

 Part of the walk include a tour around the middle school track (Fitting).

 The Krals (They seem as happy as they look).

 The desert sun bidding the day adieu.

 Another small family operation. Very good.

Art shot of the day.

Adventure 112: Valley of the Sun RV Park/Marana, AZ/Post A

Fric, clean and cheery!

No tale has more woe than that of Juliet and her Romeo. My so called anchor clanking, deck swabbing, backsliding, cheater butting, oyster-eyed, wily cagering Hunny Bunny made no sacrifice even close to sweet Juliet's sipping on a little arsenic (Let alone a knife to the gullet). No! She fed me the whole poisonous bottle in tiny doses of twos and fours while she amassed large chunks of sweet nectar in the form of twelves and sixteens. Need I say that the cruel fates have star crossed my arse with a big L for loser, and worse, the overall score is now tied. First thing on tomorrow's agenda is a trip to the Family Dollar store for a fresh deck of cards: That'll put a Capulet into her Montague! Although I was in a dazed state of mourning, our trip to Tucson was uneventful. The valley of the sun is just that. The clouds that hung overhead yesterday were mere memories here. Right now, as I type this (7:07 P.M.), it's still hovering just under seventy degrees. I can see why so many people come here for the winter. The RV park in Marana is in the lower third of the places we've stayed in terms of ambience, but the infrastructure works, and we're inside a half hour to Tucson, which like most of these Western towns, stretches for a long piece along both sides of the freeway, and almost everywhere you look there are houses the color of sand set among the Saguaro cacti (Which are way cool, by the way). After we set up, Judy did the laundry (Significantly, we changed from flannel to cotton sheets), and I cleaned all three bikes, which was sorely needed. As a side note, so far we needn't have brought the two single bikes, but California still lies in front of us, so maybe we'll make use of them yet. After our housekeeping chores, we did what we always do. We went exploring to get our bearings. On the way, we almost jumped the divider when we saw an IN-N-OUT burger stand, so after cruising around for a while, and after washing Fric, we smashed a very good version of the best fast food burger in the country (In my opinion) down our gullets in a time that would make a Nathan's Coney Island Hot Dog contestant proud. Though unhealthy, the friendly serotonin producing lump in my gullet makes me glad to be an overfed American. I had my first IN-N-OUT burger in Pasadena, CA at the original outlet back in the early seventies. I still remember sidling up to the outdoor movie theater squawk box, placing my order, and not three minutes later, having a brown paper bag handed to me out the window. By the time Doug Perry, an LA boy giving tours, pulled out into traffic, I had chomped my first bite: Hot and delicious. The trick that IN-N-OUT uses that seems so simple is that they place their burgers inside a half sack (Like a cupcake wrapper). This prevents the juices from getting all over you as you drive and eat at the same time (And they say texting is distracting). Everyone knows that burgers are best right off the griddle, so the convenience of a drip free presentation is superb. Of course, IN-N-OUT also never freezes its burger and always cooks fresh fries to order. Their motto is quality you can taste. I guess that's why after the first store opened in 1948, they kept on replicating themselves. Now, they have multiplied like exotic mushrooms and extend from Southern California into the depths of Arizona. Just plain salivating, and not for the timid, the calorie conscious, or anyone dieting either. This meal is a smash mouth frenzy of at least 1,500 calories. And by this meal I mean the double meat, double cheese (Sliced Kraft American) and fries. Oh, my, if I don't quit writing, I'll have to go back out tonight to repeat the decadence, but since we'll be here a week, I just console myself with the fact that life is good, especially today.
 Home Sweet Home for the next week or so (It will look better with the awning out).

 The view from our living room (We may keep the curtains closed).

 The view to the east. I think these are the Rincon Mountains.

 Just fifty miles away and maybe less than that, these Saguaros don't grow. In this valley, they are everywhere. There is even a National Park we plan to visit which celebrates these magnificent plants.

 The view to the west. I think these are the Catalina Mountains.

 More cacti. It's just like Utah: no two red rocks are alike. I imagine the same is true of Cactus.

 My art shot of the day. This might be a paintable shot.

 The view to the Southwest. I'm not sure which mountains these are.

 In and out is what it's all about.

 Truly, the best California styled burger in America.

Chomp!