Hiking...

 

You hike?

Not very often.  But, last night just before dusk, I started out on the "1/2 mile trail" to the lake.  They lied.  After walking 14 miles, fighting off wolves and bears, I turned around - wanted to get back to the van before dark.

I'm kidding.  Mostly.  No wolves or bears, but I did see a couple bunnies.  And one snake from a distance.  I turned back because of the gnats.  As far as the distance, I walked about a quarter of a mile within the campground to get to the trail.  And then a lot further than that on the trail.  It was an interesting walk through the massive rocks...

 We have a drive through some twisty roads planned for today.

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So, how did last night go in the van?  Thanks for asking.  The first night in a different bed is always restless.  And, I'm sorry to say, it has been 3 months since we've overnighted (or more) in the van.  The plan was to get away from the heat for a couple days, and that has played out so far.  It was comfortably cool sleeping, with no air conditioning.  We're each trying something different from the Beddy's zip-in sheets and comforter: Joan is using just the top part of the Beddy's, I am using a sleeping bag.  Both are faster to "make the bed" in the morning.

I think both of us did more tossing than usual, and the cats did more wandering.  Still, some sleep was had.  We both had a window open just a bit overnight.  It is 56º outside this morning; that is a refreshing change.  Murphy let me know he was ready to be up for the day: around 5:00, he was nudging my hand with his head.  That is rare behavior for him.  We left a cover over the passenger side front window, and the cats took turns keeping watch.  There is more than the usual curiosity this morning.

We're in no hurry to get out and about this morning. 

Prescott...

 

For those not familiar with this city in Arizona, it is pronounced PRESS-cut, not press-scott.  We are at an RV park just outside of town.  The kitties are settled in and taking in the great outdoors from the safety of the van...

 One of them cried a bit when we first rolled out of the driveway.  No, not little Stella, Murphy cried like a little girl.  But, he settled in soon enough.  Stella on the other hand was happy to be sitting on Joan's lap and taking in all the sights along the way...

 Murphy stayed mostly in the doorwell on my side.  I would think it would be more comfortable and quieter on a lap, but that is where the boy likes to ride.

It is I-17 most of the way to Prescott...

 Traffic on a Sunday was reasonably light going north; heavy with traffic going south, coming back into Phoenix.  There is a reason we left today.

We stopped for a bite to eat in Prescott Valley, gas at Costco, then on to the RV park.  It is another 22 miles off the interstate to get to Prescott, good highway all the way.

Our RV site...

 Nothing bigger than a Class B van is going to fit in this site.  Works for us, though.  We got the van leveled, hooked up to electric, then got the patio set up (above).  I got the kitties fed, then Joan went out to set up their portable (kinda) catio while I programmed the TV inside...

 Not sure if the cats are interested in going out to the catio, but it is there.

This RV park is a 10 minute walk from Watson Lake and the dells - we'll check that out tomorrow.

 

It Was There...

 

 

The van, that is.  Sitting in the driveway, all shined up; looking pretty.  "We should go smash some bugs and go for a day trip.  Maybe overnight?"

Her reply: "We'll if we're going out, might as well make it a couple nights." 

"I see no down side to that."

So, as the temp goes back up here in Phoenix, we're going to do a couple nights at a slightly higher elevation.

One thing nice about the RoadTrek (there are many, by the way): the app that connects to the FireFly, the electronic screen that controls the functions and gives the readouts in the van...

 Yeah, it was 99º outside.  I was working on getting the fresh water tank sanitized and filled; nice to see the levels while outside the van, so I don't have to go back and forth from the water spigot to the FireFly screen in the van.

Joan packed up some food.  We are good to go.

 

The Princess and the Pea...

 

OK, there is no pea.  But, there is a cute little princess...

 She is laying on top of two pillows in that photo above.  You would think that isn't the most comfortable position, but she likes laying on those couch pillows.  And little Stella gets to lay wherever she wants.

When we first rescued her off the street, she put on a fierce face and hissed at almost everything.  She is just pretty sweet these days.  She did, however, hiss at me yesterday.  I reached down to pick her up, and apparently the timing wasn't right for being picked up - yeah, she hissed at me.  That little seven pound cat (Joan thinks she is eight pounds) does not hold back.

You might notice a different harness on her; still a lot of pink in it, but it is patterned.  Her previous one was solid pink, but she outgrew it.

But, look at that sweet little face...

 

Clean Up...

 

Time for your autumn bath already, Jim?

No, that's not until a week or so before Thanksgiving, so I am fresh for the holiday season.

The Roadtrek was due for a bath.  We may day trip to do some leaf-peeping over the weekend.  We'll see.

While I worked on the exterior, Joan scrubbed the windshield cover (that white thing) and then cleaned the windows...

 A lot of the van is above the height you can reach from the ground, so the ladder or a long handle brush is necessary...

 The ladder is necessary to clean the solar panels on top of the van.  This process is a lot of work, but the van is looking good.

As long as we were grubbed up, the Equinox was in need of a bath, too.  That is easy to run through the car wash that is about 3 miles from our place... and that car wash provides damp towels and vacuum cleaners on a long hose to clean the interior, as well.  And while Joan did the interior, I wiped down the body and the glossy black wheels.  It, too, is looking good once again - it got grubbed up last week when I had to drive it in the rain. 

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Today is Dan's birthday - his sister and brother-in-law are visiting, and the six of us will be going out for supper this evening.  I won't mention how old he is, but it is more than half a century.  

 

It's A Beautiful Morning...

 

... think I'll go outside for a while and just smile.

If you said, "The Young Rascals (aka The Rascals), 1968," you get 15 bonus points.  If you asked, "A beautiful day in the desert today?" you are right on.  70º to start the day.  Sunny.  Not humid.  A gorgeous morning.

Joan had put the patio back together after that last rainstorm, with a promised forecast of a week plus of sunshine and no triple digit high temps.  We sat outside on the patio, with the TV on.  Murphy was out there with us, Stella was watching us through the patio door.  Joan rolled the catio out of the shed and brought Stella out.

The little furry girl didn't put up and fuss and being carried out.  The catio was her "safe haven" when we first brought her home; she seemed to be enjoying time out there with us...

 After a while, I decided to get out on my ebike.  North through our neighborhood and then a bike trail to the city park...

 Once out of the park and onto the streets, I picked up the pace - get that old heart rate up.  It was a good ride.  Joan had just come inside when I got home.  She really enjoys spending time on the patio when it isn't so hot... and we are getting into that time of the year when it isn't so hot.  First thing in the morning.

It got to 93º for a high here today.  We must be acclimated: that seems almost pleasant.  BBQ for lunch out today.  Not a bad day in the desert.

 

Out Of Touch...

 

Technology passing you by, Jim?

Probably.  But, that's not what I'm talking about here.  If you said, "A song by Daryl Hall and John Oates, 1984," you get 20 bonus points.  If you asked, "Didn't they have an ugly, public break-up?" you are correct, but no bonus points.

Last night, we saw John Oates in concert at MIM (Musical Instrument Museum), accompanied by a piano player and a percussionist...

 I wasn't sure what to expect - turns out it was one of the best concerts we've seen this year.  Oates came out with a friendly, conversational manner; introducing the other band members.  It was stripped down, but still very full sounding.  The MIM auditorium is a great venue - Oates commented, "This place is great - I feel like we're playing in someone's house."  The performance definitely had that intimate feel to it.

They started out with an acoustic version of the song Out of Touch, then played some of Oates new (sans Hall) originals, a couple covers, several "these are the songs that influenced me", then played a couple Hall and Oates songs, and came back for an encore of another cover.  The info on the concert said it would be between 75 and 90 minutes; he played for an hour and 45 minutes.

Video clips...