Heading Northeast...

 

Out in the van today; the kitties got lunch early, with a bit extra to hold them.  Joan suggested we go to Fountain Hills, northeast of Scottsdale.  Maps and I worked out a route, and we were off; an hour or so enroute...

 That is the only photo I took today.  My plan: shoot some video clips with two different cameras (DJI Action 4 and DJI Pocket 3) and try editing it with Final Cut Pro.  You may hear some people say that FCP is like "the grown-up version of iMovie" - they lie.  The actions are all different.  But, I will see what I can do before the 30-day trial period is up.

We drove to Fountain Hills, arriving at the park just as the fountain was going off (on the hour).  We didn't try to time it that way.  A drive-by with some video, and by the time we parked, the fountain was done until the next hour.

From there, it was onto McDowell Mountain Regional Park, one of the Regional Parks in the County system that we have an annual pass for.  It is out there a ways, but as pretty as any of the other parks we've been to.  Of course, I like to see what the camping is like, both with hookups (water and electricity) and without.  Interesting; I have good intentions to get out there "one day."

Then, on to Rio Verde, another community north of Fountain Hills.  Then, through Carefree, and into Cave Creek.  I was surprised that Cave Creek was more "touristy" than upscale, like the other communities we checked out today.  Almost like it was trying to be "old West(ish)"... it felt like a weekend biker destination.

We were looking for a lunch stop when Joan saw an Oregano's - "How does that sound to you?"

"Pizza?  I'm in."  Our waitress was great, the food was exactly what we expect from Oregano's (and that's a good thing."

Time to find a route home.  Joan routed us to a Costco along the way so we could gas up for 50¢ per gallon less than everything around that area.  Onto the Loop 101 and south on I-17.  Not the pretty scenery we enjoyed on the way north, but I was happy to be out in the van.

Back to Laveen, we swapped the van for the Equinox and back home.  The kitties seemed happy to see us.  Well, happy to get treats and know we were back in time for supper.

And I have downloaded videos and will start working on that.

A test of a new logo...

 

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Here is the "unlisted" video I shot today.  I didn't use wireless mics (intentionally), looking to keep this as simple as possible.  I am still learning Final Cut Pro, so this is more about the editing than the video itself... thus, the reason the video is unlisted.

 

Laveen BBQ Festival...

 

It's a big deal: the 74th Annual Laveen BBQ Festival - a couple dozen food vendors and at least 50 other booths, from banks to political candidates to other businesses (our vet was there - more on that in a bit) to a bunch of kid attractions (bounce house, giant slide, bungee jump swings, face painting, and others).

We rode our bikes to Caesar Chavez Park, where the festival is being held...

 We locked the bikes up and wandered around...

Shade shelters set up for eating the BBQ...

Entertainment on the stage...

 We stopped by the booth our vet (well, Murphy's vet) had set up - they had a "spin the wheel" set up for various prizes.  Joan won a cooling towel and I won a large Yeti dog bowl (worth over $50).  We gave the bowl to Steph and Dan as a prize for the Guide Dog group.

And, yes, we had some BBQ - a good deal: a large pulled pork sandwich, a bag of chips, a chocolate chip cookie (from Chick-fil-A) and a soda... all for $10.

It was a good outing on the bikes and fun to see all the vendors and people at the park.  Oh, and we met the owner of the Chick-fil-A that we go to - he thanked us for our business and gave us each a card for a free breakfast.  I complimented him on the training they give their staff - always friendly and efficient.  He said, "If you know of any great kids that are looking for their first job, we can give them training that will give them an advantage as they move on in life."  No doubt about that.

 

Tired of the Sweet Crap, Yet?

 

Yeah, me neither.

Both kitties laid by Joan last night.  For a good part of the evening...

 I love it!  They both want to be by their Momma, and they are getting better sharing a close space.

Speaking of which, we have been giving then Churu treats at the same time.  If we use the regular Churu holder, only one at a time can lick the treat, but they take turns.  If we put it on a spatula, it is wide enough that they can both lick at the same time.  Yeah, that's pretty darn sweet, too. 

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Comments...

If you're a regular reader here (and there are generally over 1,000 each day), you have probably seen the comments.  On Blogger, you have to register to comment... and most people don't register.  One regular commenter is Earl.  Earl is a friend we have met "in real life."  The Facebook Memory from 8 years ago today was the first time we met in person...

 We first met online when we had our C-Dory and they were curious about that boat brand; found out we have many other things in common: cats, guitars, motorcycles, and aviation.  Nice people.  Just thought you might like to see who that regular commenter is.  And my "Hi, guys!" to Earl and Alice.

 

I thought this was the end...

 

A near-death experience?  Oh, hell no.  Just one of those times when you're thinking "Just kill me now."

Yeah, another HOA board meeting last night.  It was supposed to be my last one.  The management company rep asked if I'd open the annual meeting the first week of March.  The meeting where the newly elected board members take over.

So, how was the meeting last night?  Thanks for asking... same shit, different day.  Two more significant items got tabled until the next meeting (the annual meeting).  One was due to vendors not getting us bids in time.  The other due to the same board member that drove 3 of us away.

There was a greatly watered down version of a Meet the Candidates during the time scheduled for the board meeting.  A half hour that ran long.  Candidates saying they want to work together and get the community more involved (yes, some of the same people that were particularly nasty on Facebook, but have deleted those posts).  Then we still had to wade through the rest of the meeting.

And the beat goes on.

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How About Something Happy and Sweet?

I had music with my local guys today (Allan and friends).  A good time.  Even more fun: when I got home, Joan wasn't in the living room... when I walked back to the bedroom, she gave me a finger up to the lips (Shhhhhhh) and a big smile.  When I opened the door a bit wider: Murphy and Stella were laying on the bed with her!  Another first!  And everybody looking sweet.

Joan had taken these photos earlier...

 Joan couldn't get up to get a different angle, but I could see how sweet the kitties were being and how happy Joan was.  Me, too.  I am looking forward to a time when both of them can be in the bedroom with us overnight.

Oh, there is still All Star Cat Wrestling happening - I took these a couple hours later...

 Stella has grown a bunch since we first brought her home, but she is dwarfed by Murphy.  As you can see in that image directly above, she isn't intimidated by his size.  It is the first time that Stella got the "high ground."  Mostly, the wrestling is playful, but we do have to intervene on occasion when it gets rough.

 

Sunrise, Sunset...

 

If you said, "From the Broadway musical Fiddler On the Roof, 1964; made popular by Perry Como," you get 30 bonus points.  Partial credit will be given for any of those 3 key components.

I heard from my C-Dory buddy Harvey yesterday.  We are going to get together with him and his lady friend today.  Harvey was asking me about Arizona things and commented that he was told "there are some beautiful sunrises and sunsets here."  That is a fact.  It may be because of dust in the air at the horizon, which takes away from the thought of that beauty.

This morning, while taking Murph out after his breakfast, we were treated to this...

Technically before the sunrise, but quite pretty with the clouds being lit from below.

Murphy did not enjoy the scene as much as I did - a street sweeper came through the neighborhood, and he was not a fan of that different, and loud, noise.  He wasn't any happier about it when it came back the other way just a couple minutes later.  We did get him some good walking around, after.

And speaking of cats (and I frequently am): Murphy and Stella were not wild and crazy while I was getting their breakfast ready.  I know we are not beyond Thursday Morning Smackdown (or ANY morning or evening smackdown), but I am seeing an easing of "establishing dominance" - for the record, neither is coming out the victor, and neither is giving in.

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The kitty detente lasted a couple hours.  That's kind of a big deal.  As you might expect, little Stella broke the peace...

Murphy was on the highest level, chillin.  Stella jumped to the second level (above), then stood on her back legs (she is getting long) and bit him on the neck (below)...

 To his credit, Murph pretty much ignored her and she moved on.  Not sure where Stella is, but I need to check out her whereabouts.  ;-)

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We got to see Harvey and meet his lady friend Carol today.  They made that long drive from Florence.  A nice visit!

 Harvey sent me this one that he took with the 4 of us...

 

Sweetness Alert!

 

Jim, are you being sweet again?

Well, that is my natural state, but of course, I am talking about Murphy and Stella once again.  They were pretty wound up yesterday, but by evening, they were mellowing out.  Yep, the two of them napping together on the couch...

 Joan's perspective above, mine below...

 And, the moment I didn't catch the other night: Murphy grooming Stella...

 No biting.  No wrestling.  No slap fight.  Just sweetness.

How long does it last?  Thanks for asking - the napping was over a half hour.  The grooming, about 5 minutes.  Then, they just laid there.  Until Stella gets her 12th wind (we are WAY beyond a second wind), and then it's back to chasing and stalking.  Jumping and wrestling.  Their night-time meal and Stella will go to her catio and Murphy will head to bed with us.  Quiet again.

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Yesterday late afternoon, Murphy and I were out in the yard; he walked around to Steph and Dan's patio door, and...

 The door was open and Murphy and Tango visited through the screen.  These two haven't had as much time together since we adopted Stella.  Pretty sure I could follow the conversation...

"How's it going with your new little sister?"

"Chicks, man - they be crazy."

"You need to come visit more."

"Yeah, I'm going to work on that."

 

Size Matters...

 

I don't often give a "reader warning" regarding content.  This post is all about guitars.  Well, a little bit about buying an expensive guitar without having any comprehension regarding the specifications, specifically the size and scale length of a guitar that is advertised as being a 3/4 size.

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There was some discussion on my carbon fiber guitar forum this morning, with a participant asking about a McPherson Touring (a small CF acoustic guitar) vs an Emerald X20; trying to decide which one to buy.

Those are very different guitars, especially in size.  The discussion, as usual, talked about price.  The going price on a McPherson Touring is $2999.  Someone wrote "that is a lot of money for a small guitar."  I had to dust off my soap box.

 That is the Sable on the left, the Touring on the right.  ^^

My response to that price discussion:  "That said, I appreciate smaller guitars and not just for travel. My previous generation X7 is still one of my favorites... OK, you got me, they're all my favorites. But, I like the shorter scale. And the comfort. When people say that it sounds smaller... well, yeah: physics. But I've always found my smaller guitars are enough. And when plugged in, that isn't an issue.

And while we're on the subject of smaller guitars and cost... smaller doesn't necessarily mean it costs much less to produce. The labor is the same. The things you put on/in the guitar, like tuners and pick ups, are the same. The material difference is pretty minimal. I understand why quality guitars like McPherson or Emerald cost what they do. Yet, people expect a smaller guitar to be significantly less expensive.

Two years ago, you could by a new Touring for $2699 at pretty much any dealer. Today, they all seem to be around that $2999 mark. Inflation.  And a Sable is $3799. Carbon fiber material isn't cheap, but there isn't $800 worth of materials difference in those two guitars.

We used to own a photography studio. The difference in materials cost between a 5x7 and an 8x10 was about 30¢... but people expected the cost of the 5x7 to be half that of the 8x10. Perception. A friend of mine put it this way: "If I told you I just bought a Rembrandt painting, would you ask me 'What size?'."

There is value in each size guitar. These days, my largest guitar is a Taylor 814. It gets less playing time than my other guitars. But, when I play it, I really appreciate the tone. But I pick up my X7 far more often than the 814; because it is more comfortable and I appreciate the smaller scale."

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The guy on that forum discussion received his Touring today.  He was not happy.  It was a demo (he got 10% off for that) and the strings were not in good shape (you can replace strings for $15 or less).  And, in his words: "The guitar was too small to be comfortable."  He took it back to a local Guitar Center (they accept returns from Guitar Center online purchases), and immediately ordered the larger McPherson guitar, the Sable.  I guess he didn't look at the specifications for the Touring.  Hey, it is a small guitar... but, it sounds much bigger than the size would have you believe.

I have played both of those McPherson models.  They are both very nice.  Between those two, I actually prefer the sound, feel, and playability of the smaller Touring model.  To each their own.