We dropped off the Honda...

Left it with an RV service place here to get the towing and braking equipment installed.  In the meantime, we are once again driving the silver Malibu.  It isn't fancy, but it has good air conditioning, and that is important.

I thought I might coax Izzy into a walk before it got too hot outside.  Nope.  She has her morning routine, and that includes a couple hours of relaxing after breakfast.

Joan and I did some shopping - starting to stock up for our time on San Juan Island.  Even got in a short nap this afternoon.

Steph and Dan were at their new schools today - first day of training for them, so Joan planned supper for this evening.  We really enjoyed hearing about their "first day of school."  Well, there will be more time off for their summer break, but this gave them an opportunity to meet some of the staff.  Everything sounds upbeat for both of them.

Here's a shot I took yesterday morning while waiting to get a seat for breakfast...

Settling in...

For a week.

We love to spend time with our daughter and son-in-law.  We have to, when one considers the hot weather and living in a motorhome.  I was once told, "There is nothing hotter or colder than an RV."  Meaning: extremes in weather are not an RV's forte.

The Winnebago is comfortable for the 3 of us, but to keep it liveable when it is this hot, we have to keep the sun out... all day long.  So, this nice - some might say "airy" - motorhome is more like a cave in this weather.  The MCD duo shades are a nice touch, but they have to be down to keep the sun and heat out.  And the a/c has to run almost all day long to keep the cool in.  The sun laughs at our dual pane windows.

Izzy gets to have a small bedroom window with the shade up, so she can see out all day.  We people types get to go out and about.  Not on the scoots, but in an air conditioned car.

The 10 day local forecast...

116º this Saturday??  Yabut, it's a "dry heat."  Yeah, I wasn't puking, I only had the "dry heaves," so that is a LOT better.  ;-)

We went out with Steph and Dan for breakfast, and they are taking us out for an early Father's Day meal tonight.  In air conditioned restaurants.  They have a pool in their back yard - I may have to take advantage of that... if the water isn't too hot!

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On edit:

Steph and Dan took us out for an early Father's Day celebration.  Fleming's Steakhouse - very nice!

It's a new world record!!

Yeah, I was up early.  That two hour time zone change - how often do you get jet lag when traveling by RV?

Our RV site in Benson...

Nothing special, but nice to have a plug-in.  Over priced, even with the Passport America discount... may be the reason there were only a half dozen rigs in the park.

It was another cool start to the day at 3,600' elevation.  We didn't have to hit the road too early, since it is only about 3 hours to our destination today.  We rolled through Tucson about 9:30 - not much traffic...

Between Tucson and Phoenix, we got our first view of Saguaro cacti once again...

About that "world record": we stopped for fuel about mid-way... with a combination of no head-winds and less hill climbing, I got the best fuel mileage since we bought this small coach: 10.69 miles per gallon!  Makes my heart soar like an eagle.  Also, a new high with the CR-V: 42 miles per gallon.

That mileage probably has something to do with going easy on the gas pedal...

Yes, we are being passed by a Smart Car.

We planned to roll through Phoenix before noon to hopefully avoid the holiday weekend traffic...

Good timing.  We rolled into the RV park just before noon.

Steph was planning to make supper for us, but Joan was craving an In and Out Burger.  That burger craving doesn't happen very often, so it is important to act on it.  We stopped to pick up Steph and Dan (the reason we are here in the desert this time of year), spent some time with Grandkitties, and headed over to In and Out.

Tummies full, we drove by the new schools where Steph and Dan will be teaching this next school year.  Much bigger campuses.  Dan's school is still under construction.  They are excited about these new opportunities.

I deemed it fate when our routing back to their place took us by Culver's - "We should probably stop and get some ice cream, huh?"  That motion carried unanimously.

Then back to our motorhome where we spent the rest of the afternoon visiting.  It is so good to spend some time with them again.

Little Izzy did make an appearance or two while we visited; most of the time, she spent by the bedroom window, keeping an eye on the roadrunners that kept making laps of the coach.

Early evening, we said our good-byes, with plans for tomorrow.  And it won't involve driving separate.  ;-)

Three states...

It was an early morning - especially when you consider we were right at the far edge of Central Time Zone, and would gain an hour within a couple miles of where we stayed last night.

It was chilly when I went out to unhook electric and cable - as in: 62º.  Felt kinda good.  We picked up a breakfast sandwich (well Joan picked it up, I found a place to park the motorhome) and rolled west.  West of Van Horn, the terrain is a bit less nondescript for a while...

Calm wind - a first on this trip.  The next traffic to deal with: El Paso.  El Paso is a city of just under one million population, with 2 1/2 million people within a 50 mile radius (taking in Cuidad Juarez on the Mexico side of the border).  The city is mostly between a mountain and the river, making it a long narrow stretch of population... I figure about 30 miles of concentrated traffic.

As we rolled into town, the traffic looked like this...

It usually gets thicker as you get deeper into town.  Today...

I was going to wait until we were all the way through town before declaring it a successful El Paso passage, when Joan said, "That was about as easy as it has ever been going through El Paso."

Yep.  A stop for fuel at the border, and into New Mexico.  It looks a lot like west Texas.  Into Arizona...

We stopped for the night about 175 miles from Steph and Dan's.  The second time zone change going into Arizona made it still reasonably early... our tired butts told us different.

Little Izzy upon arrival at the RV park...

Not a lot of RVs on the road this holiday weekend.  Probably heading somewhere cooler, huh?  ;-)

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On edit:

Got the guitar out for a bit this evening.  Nice way to relax after a long driving day.  The humidity right now is... 7%.  7%?!?  I am already feeling like I have "Vegas throat"... without the entertainment factor of being in Vegas.  The new guitar (carbon fiber) sounds good and doesn't care one bit about the humidity... or lack thereof.

40% chance of thunderstorms = a 60% chance we won't get wet...

Off this morning, heading into San Antonio (the 8th largest city in the country) on the Friday of a holiday weekend... what could go wrong with that plan?  ;-)

I said, "See ya down the road," to my Honey, since we are driving separate...

I had to be careful to not run over the ducks that populate the park...

Just like humans: the boys chasing the girls.

It was pretty overcast.  Looking at hourly forecasts, if we make it through San Antonio by 10:00 or so, it should be before more expected rain.  It looked like this...

Driving separate worked out well, with all the turns we have to make to get off of I-37 and onto I-10... driving a motorhome, there are places that feel like a "Runaway Mine Train" ride at an amusement park.  Traffic was surprisingly light.  I led the way in the motorhome, Joan opened lanes behind me when I need to switch lanes.  We didn't get slowed down as we made our way west.

Into Hill Country...

For the first hundred miles or so, we had a decent tailwind.  That changed abruptly, when the GPS in the motorhome said, "Wind Warning Ahead"...

As the sky cleared of clouds, the wind changed 180º... yes, making it a headwind... and kicked up above 20 mph.  There goes my gas mileage.

Nice to see blue sky, though...

Not so nice to see this, after we left the Hill Country...

About 150 miles of really crap road.  I guess it is cheaper to put out a sign rather than fix the road... it has been like this the last several times we've been across here.

A lot of nuthin' out here...

Well, I shouldn't say nuthin'... at one point, I could see 4 dust devils at the same time...

We stopped for a late lunch (3:00) and fuel (one stop shopping) in Fort Stockton.  Decisions: stop for the day here, or push on to Van Horn.  Towing the cargo trailer, we keep the speed to 65 mph or less.  With the crap road and ugly winds, it was usually less.  It is about 550 miles across west Texas, so we can't make it in one day.  We decided to go another couple hours.

Tomorrow, we'll have a couple more hours of "high desert scenery", then get to deal with the crazy-ass drivers in El Paso.

I'm ready for an adult beverage and an evening without getting bounced around.  The forecast for tonight: a low of 56º (we won't need to run the a/c!), clear, and wind out of the west at 15 gusting to 32.  We are just over 4,000' elevation, and it is dry here.  Blowing dirt kinda dry.  Right now, it is 82º and it "feels like" 82º... haven't seen that in a while.

Timing...

Looks like our plan to stay south of the expected severe weather was good: we had no rain overnight.  Areas just north and west of us (the direction we are heading) had 1 to 2" of rain.  One area along our route reported hail the size of... grapefruit!  No, I am not kidding.

Still a 40% chance of rain and thunderstorms today in the Hill Country, so we may get wet, yet.  This morning: through the San Antonio traffic, Hill Country, and into west Texas.

Rolling...

Looks like weather will be a concern as we head north - San Antonio is predicted to see a bunch of thunderstorm activity for the next 5 or 6 days.

Looking at the hourly predictions for SA, we are thinking we may be able to get close, then hunker down for the night.  If the storms move as predicted, we may be just south of the ugly stuff.  We'll see how that plays out.

Little Izzy was nestled into the pillows on the bed while we gathered our last minute stuff to put in the motorhome...

We finished shutting down the house, hooked up the cargo trailer, and the caravan hit the road.  Not as much fun driving separate, but we have our phones, and hand-held radios for any areas that have no cell coverage.

My last look at the Tropical Tip for a while...

The only view I get of my Honey while we are rolling...

Yeah, that's the CR-V back there.  We visited by phone a few times - yes, hands free.  Stopped at one rest area, and a Flying J for fuel and lunch.  All the while, checking the weather... we can roll into an RV park south of San Antonio, put more fresh water on, then put all the utilities away except electric and cable, so I won't have to put that stuff away in the rain in the morning.

The drive was uneventful - just the way I like it.  There is a big difference between "seeing the sights" and "making miles."  Today, it was the latter.  And, trying to time it right.  We pulled in around 3:00... the hourly forecasts were showing the rain would likely start between 4:00 and 5:00.  San Antonio is under a flash flood watch for the evening.

After getting the tankage situated, another check of the weather shows it may be just north of us.  We'll see.  I wanted to be on a site with a concrete pad...

As we come up on 5:00, we are in the sunshine.  Had we continued north, then west, we'd be in the thunderstorms.

Little Izzy settled in right away...

The motorhome averaged about 9 mpg today; the CR-V got 35.6 mpg.  First time in a few months we paid more than $2 per gallon for gas ($2.02).  First time in decades we've had a vehicle that could top 30 mpg.  No, I don't suppose we could tow the motorhome with it.  ;-)

Swallowed 'em...

We bought a really cool bike rack for our e-bikes.  A great fit with the truck.  Now that the truck is gone, replaced by the Honda CR-V, there is no place for that bike rack.  Because it doesn't have a hitch on the back.  There is a hitch for the Honda waiting for us at Steph and Dan's place in Phoenix.

In the meantime, the CR-V swallowed up those big ol' fat tire bikes, with plenty of room left over.  It helps that they bikes fold; but even folded, they are beasts.  We strapped the bikes in place with Velcro and bungee cords.  Feels solid.  To make sure the bikes don't scar up that pretty interior, I put some blocks of styrofoam under the frame support on the bikes, and between any part of the bikes that could potentially rub against the car interior.

With all but the last minute stuff to load into the RV, we cleaned up - it if was a sweatball competition, I was far in the lead.  Joan probably worked harder than I did, but I was outside more today... and it was hot and humid.  It felt good to just sit for a bit.

Joan suggested a late lunch/early dinner at Russo's, with some pizza left over for snacks on the road.  I was completely in favor of that idea.  And, no one has to cook or clean.  As we pulled away from the house, in the Honda, with the bikes in back... the styrofoam began creaking.  Not a friendly little squeek, but a chorus of horrendous creaks.  It was funny for the first 30 seconds or so... and then Joan began to consider the consequences of driving across the roads in west Texas with creaking louder than the stereo will blast.  "We have to do something about that!"

I said, "The Honda is a lot quieter than the motorhome - it only seems fair that you should get to enjoy..."  That little voice in my head interrupted the voice coming out of my mouth: "Yeah, I'm sure some wash cloths wrapped around that styrofoam will quiet it down a bunch."  Whew!

Yes, we will be driving separate to Phoenix.  I'll be in the motorhome, Joan will be driving the CR-V.  I am not looking forward to that drive without some friendly conversation.  And, a pretty Blonde to navigate.  Although we have made this trek dozens of times.  I'm guessing Izzy will ride with me, since she likes to burrow between the pillow shams on the bed.

By the time we leave Phoenix, the Honda will be set up for towing... being towed behind the motorhome and being able to tow the cargo trailer or haul the bikes on the back, as the situation allows.  Well, that is the plan.  The RV service place that is doing the tow bar install is supposed to have the parts in hand before we get there.  We'll see how that plays out.

On the bright side, when we are down for the night on our trek across, if we want to go out for supper, it is going to be easier with the CR-V.  And not having to unstrap scoots.

Plus, we are looking forward to seeing Steph and Dan.  Last week, they finished their 15th and final year teaching at Rainbow Valley.  They are moving to another school district where they will continue to mold young minds.  We are excited for them with this move.  We will get to see their schools while we are there.

We are ready to get rolling with this season!  The motorhome... the CR-V... the scoots... the e-bikes.  You can't take it all, but I am looking forward to our changes, too.

Nothing says nutritious breakfast like...

... ice cream and a left-over stromboli.  Yeah, we're cleaning out the fridge.  No way I was going to toss slightly freezer burned ice cream or any form of Italian food.  Two of the 4 main food groups - now I just need to have some bacon and chocolate.  Scratch that: the ice cream was Oreo, so I am covered on the chocolate.  I looked... there is no left-over bacon.  Pretty sure that is an oxy-moron.

The loading and house closing continues.  I do think I'm rapidly approaching the "No mas!" stage with this moving in and out stuff.

The local weather weasels are taking delight in saying, "The outside air temp at the coast is 87º, but it feels like (the misery index) 100º... and, it is going to get even hotter before the day is over.  Even hotter inland!"

The only response I have to that would be expletive-filled.

March of the Penguins...

That's what our friend, Mary Jo calls it: that walk to and from the motorhome as you are getting things loaded.

We pulled the Aspect out of the storage unit, stopped at Discount Tires to get the tires aired up, and brought it home.  The loading has started...

To add to the fun, it is another warm, humid day here in the Tropical Tip.  Fortunately, the motorhome is plugged in, the air conditioner is keeping it cool... just that "penguin march" in the heat, to and from.

When I pulled up weather today, several of my favorites come up... it was 63º in Friday Harbor today... that sounds pretty right now.  ;-)

What's next...

In the last post, I mentioned 4 big oil rigs in the turning basin at our local port.  Make that 5.  This morning, it looked like the drilling ship that came in yesterday was moving around... nope, another one that looks just like it!

These ships are impressive.  They are about two years old, and have been pulled off their current 3 year contract, due to the depressed oil prices.  I was visiting with my buddy David about them - they will likely have a short down time before being put back into service.  They can drill to 4,000', with GPS driven gryro propulsion to keep them in one spot.  Expensive rigs... too expensive to leave 'em sitting.  Day rates between $250k and $500k for operating costs.

In the meantime, this means more income for our local port authority.  And the turning basin is starting to look like a parking lot... a parking lot for VERY BIG rigs.

My nakey girl...

There is a difference between naked, nekked, and nakey.  Naked means you have no clothes on.  Nekked means you have no clothes on and you're up to something.  Nakey is cute naked... like a little kid playing in the sprinkler... or little Isabella without her harness.  Wait, you didn't think I was going to post naked photos of the Blonde, did you?

We have a routine: I play guitar, Joan comes into the guitar room, and Izzy follows her.  Joan brushes Izzy, after taking off her harness.  Since Iz doesn't like to go for walks here, she gets to run around nakey for a while...

Sweet in all her freshly brushed fur.  She has a slightly concerned look on her face... there is more activity than usual around the house.  She knows what that means.

The process has begun: stashing and gathering.  Stuff is off the deck, so no grilling or TV watching out there.  For a while.  The walls in the guitar room are looking bare.  Speaking of guitars (and I have been doing that more lately), I mentioned that the new Emerald X7 is a "small guitar."  Not ukulele small, but smaller than my other guitars.  My two carbon fiber guitars...

The RainSong Shorty is on the left, the Emerald X7 on the right.  If you look close, the neck sizes are pretty close in size - the X7 is 3/4" shorter.  The body size on the Emerald is smaller and thinner.  Yes, the Shorty is louder (size matters with an acoustic guitar).  The headstock (where the tuning keys are at the top of the neck) is also smaller on the X7.  Interesting design on that Emerald headstock: it is shaped so the strings run straight from the nut to the tuning keys.  I don't know if that makes any difference, but it seems like there would be less sideways pressure on the strings.

Oh, there are some pretty wood guitars, too; but these carbon fiber guitars travel nicely.  Wood acoustic guitars need to live where the humidity is 45 - 50% humidity.  Not an easy thing to control when you are RV or boat cruising.  Joan asked if I wanted to take both of these... there is a finite amount of room in the Aspect.  And, I bought the X7 because of its compact size.  Here's a look at the Shorty (left) and a Taylor all mahogany, similar size, on the right...

There is a lot of stuff moving beyond our deck, too.  The three oil rigs that are being temporarily stored in the turning basin are now 4 rigs.  And some big tugs playing "musical chairs," moving these giants around...

It will be interesting to see what's next in the turning basin.

An afternoon set-up...

No, I'm not talking about adult beverages or having a date.  Joan still doesn't let me date and it's too early for a drink.  I'm kidding, of course - it is after 5 o'clock.

I have had the Emerald X7 for 12 days now.  I like it.  It was nicely set up from the factory.  But, every guitar player has preferences for they way they like their guitars set up.  And the strings they like to use.  I knew I would be changing the strings because I didn't care for the D'Addario strings that came on it.

I figured: as long as I am replacing the strings, I'll sand down the saddle, making the action even lower.  I don't have another saddle (the piece that goes between the bridge of the guitar and the strings)... I prefer to keep the original saddle and work on a second saddle... just in case.  If you sand it too low, you risk the strings buzzing on the frets or changing the tone.

Our kitchen island makes a good guitar work bench, and I am fortunate to have the assistance of the lovely Izzy - she loves to play with the string while I'm working on the guitar...

First, the old strings have to come off.  Here's the saddle...

It's the smaller black thing in the photo above.  The lower black thing is a sanding board.  Look close at the saddle, and you can see where I've marked it with a "T"... top, so I get it put back in the right direction.

Putting on the new strings...

Yes, with Izzy's help...

She's holding down the end of the string - couldn't do this without my little furry assistant.

The results: the guitar was very nice to start with, now it is even better!  It plays easier and I definitely prefer the sound of these strings.  Plus, they are what my fingers are used to, and they have way less "squeek" (as you move up and down the fretboard).

I am SO liking this guitar!

A morning ride...

It has been warm and humid this past week.  Yes, even first thing in the morning.  It was 80º when we decided to go for a bike ride at 7:00 this morning.  And, "fog your sunglasses" humid when we went out the door.

It was surprisingly pleasant once we were moving.  I didn't bring a camera with me, but stopped to take a few photos with my phone.  A nice start...

We rode around our island for a while, then decided to cross the bridge and ride into town a bit.  The bridge was out when we got there, so a short wait...

Another view looking east from the eastern most point of town...

The causeway across the Laguna Madre to South Padre Island...

We rode through the neighborhoods in town, then back to our island.  On the way home, Joan said, "It looks like the tower on that one rig is leaning again."  We stopped to take a few more photos...

Indeed.  That isn't cropped crooked.  There is some large tug activity around one of the rigs...

Those large tugs aren't local - looks like one of these rigs is getting moved.  We watched for a while, then decided we needed to stir up some breeze, before heading for home.  And breakfast.