Snitch...

 

"Snitches get stitches."  We've all heard that from the cop shows.

Joan is working on a sewing project; it's been a while since she's done that.  This one isn't to make one of her cool quilts, but to design and sew some covers for the arms of our low-height patio furniture.  We bought it after being told it wears decent in the Phoenix summers.  The reality: not so much.

The two chairs and couch have a woven, wicker look to everything but the cushions.  When not in use, or when rain or dust storms are predicted, Joan keeps the furniture covered.  Even having been covered, the wicker(ish) looking arms and across the top of the back are disintegrating, due to the Gates of Hell climate here.  And for the record, this furniture is under the pergola, and frequently in the shade thanks to 3 large patio umbrellas... Mother Nature laughs at these efforts.

So, to get another season or two out of this furniture (it is not quite two years old), Joan is making covers for the horizontal surfaces of the furniture.  She started out with trying to hot glue some of the deteriorating bits - that was less that successful.  But, it did give Murphy something to play with: he hopped up onto the countertop, scarfed one of the glue sticks, and was having a ball playing "floor hockey" with it.

Joan was outside messing with the furniture, so I wrestled it from him before he glued his innards.  Then told Joan she needed to keep those glue sticks under cover so Murph couldn't sneak away with one...

 And that's where the title of this post came from.  Yes, Murphy called me "a snitch."  I was just looking out for him, 'cause that's part of my CatDad obligation.

It got to hot to mess with the furniture outside, so Joan brought one of the chairs into the living room and started working on a pattern for the arm covers (3 lefts and 3 rights)...

 I am told this will be a multi-day project.  So, more stuff in the house for Murphy to mess with.  ;-)

 

Let me check my schedule...

 

Joan ordered a 2026 appointment calendar.  Yeah, we need a place to keep track of our day-to-day goings on.  Medical appointments, dental appointments, music rehearsals (with two different groups), HOA board meetings, concerts we have tickets for, and most importantly: when I need to feed and give meds to our Grandcats.

Steph will occasionally come over and ask, "Do you have anything going this Thursday?"

My answer: "Check the appointment book."

Her reply: "I don't see anything in there - can I put you down for taking care of the kitties?"

"Of course."

And now we're ready to go for next year.  I came home from the dentist on Wednesday with an appointment for January.  I didn't have any place to write it down.  Yes, you can put it in your phone - I prefer to have it on paper so I can see anything coming up, at a glance.

I need a day off.

 

Music with the local guys...

 

No, not from the American Federation of Musicians local (I was a union member back in the day); I'm talking about the local guys I jam with ever other Friday.  I call them "local," because we get together at Allan's house, which is only a mile or so away from our place.  Easy and convenient.

I mentioned yesterday that Zero Zero Robotics (the company that makes the HoverAir X1) offered me 10% off on replacement batteries for my X1.  Thinking about that, but I mentioned to Joan a consideration of one of the newer models.  They are more capable than the original X1.  So, do I put more money into batteries for what I have... or put that money towards a newer flying camera?  Decisions.

Joan said, "Maybe you should ask them if they'd offer you that 10% off on batteries towards a newer model?"  Nothing to lose, so I did just that.  They responded right away agreeing to 10% off one of the new models.

Decisions.

 

And the answer is...

 

No.  I have to give it to the HoverAir people: they are not covering my batteries as a warranty item, but they did get back to me right away.  As a consolation (and for being "a loyal customer"), they are offering me 10% off any battery purchase.  Not much of a consolation, so the decision: get a couple new batteries, or put that money into a newer model, or write it all off and don't worry about having a drone in the photo/video equipment. 

Not like I have a shortage of gear, but the X1 is my only "flying conveyance."  Interestingly enough, you can kinda simulate drone footage with a 360 camera on a long selfie stick.

 

Jumping through hoops...

 

"Murphy is training you for an audition on America's Got Talent?"  No, but thanks for asking.  For the record: Murph is more trainable than I am.   That may be because he is young and active, and I am neither of those.

The hoops I am talking about are of the dealing with Customer Service kind.  When I got my HoverAir X1 out yesterday to get some video of the roof, the batteries were swollen.  Not a good situation with these small LiPo (lithium) batteries.

I sent an email to Zero Zero Robotics (the maker of the HoverAir X1 camera drone) to ask if the situation with swollen batteries was considered a manufacturing defect.  They were very prompt in getting back to me, and asking for a lot of information.  I understand they need to check into things to make sure I'm not trying to beat them out of something.  Without the batteries, the X1 is just a very light paperweight.

What they asked for: the original order number, how it was purchased, where it was purchased (directly from them), the serial numbers of each battery and the device, photos of the batteries from different angles (showing the swelling); and asking if the X1 had ever been wet or used around water, how often it has been used (per month), what charge state the batteries were in when stored, if the batteries had ever been left uncharged for any long periods, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting as I write this.

With Joan's help, I was able to get them the order information, the PayPal receipt, etc, etc, etc.  So, we'll see if this is considered a defect or if I am long out of warranty.

 

And the calls are coming in...

 

Calls, texts, and e-mails coming in regarding damage in our community from last night's storm.  Most of what I am getting is in regards to trees down or damaged.  The landscape company that we are contracted with is going to have their hands full for a while.

At 8:00 this morning, I was told the landscape company is in the community, assessing and dealing with the tree damage.  Good to hear they are right on it.

Joan and I were out this morning, picking up in our yard.  Joan had some plants that were toppled, and a lot of stuff that got moved around in the wind.

I'm told you don't forget your first haboob.  This was ugly, but lower on the scale compared to a tropical storm or hurricane.  No, I don't miss that part of living on the Gulf Coast.

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A drive around the community this morning to assess some of the damage...

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After nearly a week of not having any HOA things to deal with, it was back to that stuff again.  We have a board meeting Thursday afternoon/evening.  There are a lot of vendor bids that have to be decided during that meeting... the budget is due October 1st.  So, to go along with the damaged/destroyed trees (about 40 trees had to be removed due to this storm), which will get homeowners riled, there will be a dues increase - no way around that: the price of everything has increased.  City water (and we use plenty of that) has nearly doubled for commercial users (as our HOA is classified).  Some tough decisions are going to have to be made.

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When I was done with going through the last of the budget items, I turned my attention to getting the HoverAir X1 "flying camera" charged up so I could run it up and check the roof.  I am too old to go up on a ladder to check it out.

The X1 hasn't been used in months, so of course, it needed software and firmware updates.  And to add to the fun: the two batteries I have for it are swelling... that is not good.  They, of course, are not charging normally, so I have no idea how long either will last.  But, on the bright side, when I switched the X1 to manual mode (so I could fly it in a straight line above the roof), it tried to fly away!  I managed to grab it just before it got away.

I took it into the house, turned everything off, then back on, and... it told me I needed another software update.  With that done, I fired it up in the house - just in case it tried to fly away again.  It was acting normal.  Well, except no battery read-out.  I took it outside and fired it up again...

 I ran it up to above the height of the roof, turned on the video camera, and started a slow pass over the house.  I got to the far end of the house and it started to come down on its own - low battery, and it was going to land on the roof if I didn't make one last attempt to get it to move just a bit further.  It missed the roof and came down when I could get it to land in my hand.

I swapped batteries and sent it up for another pass...

 All good.  I sent it to the far side of the house and started one last pass.  It made it 2/3 of the way, then I got a "vertical collision error"... which is bullshit because I was above the height of the roof and nothing in the way to hit.  And then it landed.  On the roof.  I assumed, because I couldn't see it or hear it.  I walked out to the street and... yep, there it is on the roof.

Well, that's not good.  You know that thing I said earlier about "being too old to climb up on the roof"?  Yeah, I'm going to have to climb up a ladder and hope I can find something long enough to pull the drone down to me.  I let Joan know what my plan was and she graciously offered to help.  Good thing, because even at full extension on the ladder, there wasn't enough length to get much of a lean.  Joan got the soft bristled brush I use to clean the van and it was just long enough (at full extension) to lightly brush the drone towards me.  On the bright side, those gray tiles on the roof are damn hot when it is pushing 100º (yeah, cooler than normal today)... my hands got a bit toasty with my death grip on the roof tiles.

I handed the brush and the drone down to Joan.  Then, breathed a sigh of relief.  These batteries are not to be trusted.  This drone is old technology (they've come out with two newer models since I got this); I don't want to spend money on replacing batteries, but... well, you know. 

We folded up the ladder, put things away, and got back into the air conditioning. 

On the really bright side the videos are captured on my phone and there is no sign of any issues on the roof.  Also good: the predicted afternoon storm didn't happen.

 

Nice Haboobs...

 

The weather weasels were calling for "monsoon thunderstorms this evening."  Close.  It's coming faster and harder than they were predicting.

Anticipating a storm, Joan prepped our yard: the 3 big patio umbrellas are off their stands and put into our shed.  She put down a bunch of plants that were on raised plant holders.  Patio furniture is covered and tied down.  Covers over other stuff is strapped down.  In the grand scheme of things, this isn't like hurricane prep, but it looks like it isn't going to be pretty.

The view from our house has changed: we can't see the Estrella Mountains anymore, and the top half of South Mountain is getting swallowed up by the dust storm (aka: a haboob).

Local TV news is covering it live:

 Sky Harbor International Airport is under a "Ground Stop": nothing going out or coming in.  Visibility at the airport is below minimums for operations.  I feel for pilots in this mess, not to mention what the massive amount of blowing dirt and sand will do to jet engines that are running.

Joan is "reporting" from our patio door: "The antennas at the top of South Mountain have disappeared in the blowing dirt."

The reporters on TV have gone from "The dust storm is coming fast!" to "We have zero visibility!" to "Now it is pounding rain!" in about 15 minutes.  Wind gusts are above 60 mph (68mph gusts and zero visibility right now at the airport).  All that is coming our way.  

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It hit.  With gusto.  We had the pop-up kiosk over the hot tub (protects it from the pounding sun) tied down and weighted.  When the big gust front hit, it shredded the cover over the top of it.  We watched from the door for a bit, but when what was left of the cover had turned into "a sail," I took scissors, ran out into that nasty crap, and cut away what was left of the cover.  The wind was blowing like stink and the rain was pounding.  I took a moment to grab a few things that were blowing around the yard and toss them into the shed.

Joan had put two inflatables on top of the short patio table, under the cover, to keep rain from pooling on the cover.  The wind blew those out from under the cover, and they were swirling around the yard, knocking over plants like a drunk sailor.  (for those keeping track: that is two sailing references in this update)  I grabbed one in each hand and started heading towards the shed - the wind had other ideas and blew one out of my hand.  I am guessing it is somewhere on the way towards Flagstaff.

As expected, some plants blew over.  The patio furniture under the cover (couch, two arm chairs, a coffee table, and two end tables) blew "in formation" about 6 feet away from the house.  The wind was swirling all around our yard, coming off South Mountain.

No idea what the gusts peaked at, but I had to brace myself a couple times while out in it.

The local news just turned things back to the network - they have had live coverage for the past 3 hours, showing the storm from different places around the Valley.  And now reporting street flooding in some areas.

 

At 7:00, there is still wind, rain, lightning, and thunder out there, but I think we are past the worst of it.  For now.  

 

Look what showed up today...

 

 Not a surprise, I knew this was coming.  It's another product from Aeroband, the company that makes the digital guitar I recently reviewed.  Here's a look at the exterior of the box...

 This is the Aeroband PocketDrum 2 Max.  We've all seen "air guitar" - this kit allows the player to make drum sounds, without physical drums.  Yep, "air drums" - but, you actually get the drum sounds.  The kit comes with 2 drumsticks, bass drum and hi-hat pedals, and a small controller (what would be the "brain" on a set of e-drums).

In the next few weeks, I will be doing a review on these.  Of course, I did get them out of the box, turned them on, and plugged in my Bose headphones.  Yes, they sound like drums.  No, it isn't like actually playing drums, because you are moving the drumsticks in front of you "in space."  Like a physical set of drums, the hi-hat is to your left, the snare drum is between your legs, the mounted toms are in front of you and at a 45º angle, the floor tom is to your right, and the ride and crash cymbals are up and to the right and left.

The lady from their marketing told me that these can be "quirky... don't expect them to play like real drums."  Having researched them, I knew what to expect.  Mostly.

These arrived with some charge on them.  Each part of the kit is rechargeable; according to the instructions (yes, actual written instructions), once fully charged, these will last "up to 16 hours."  There are 8 different "drum kits" (all drums do not sound the same) that you can shift through.  In the short testing I did today, the volume level of each drum is not controllable... the hi-hat is much quieter than the bass drum, and so it goes with each of the drums.

I will play with this as time permits over the next couple weeks.  The "action" isn't anything like playing real drums, since you are just moving the sticks through the air... no "bounce back" as when a real drumstick hits a real drum.

As with the guitar, these are mine to keep.  I'll take them next time I get together with Mark and the guys to see what everybody thinks.  That will be a couple weeks from now, since Mark and Cindy are on vacation for a while.

If nothing else, I can see a use for the foot pedals (foot switches, actually) as a bit of rhythm when playing guitar.

 

X Marks the Spot...

 

Well... Xmax.

It's been a couple weeks since I got out for a ride.  I've been keeping a battery tender on the CTX and the Burgman.  Joan started her Xmax a couple weeks ago.  I was up early this morning, with a plan of getting her bike out for a ride.  The local weather weasels tried to convince me otherwise.

They were showing video of hard-pounding rain about 10 miles east of us.  I pulled up weather radar and it looked reasonably clear.  I took Murphy out in the yard; we watched while I cleaned the filters in the hot tub and topped it up.  I came back in and checked weather again... yeah, I'm going for a ride.

The Xmax popped right off when I started it and the alternator was showing a good charge.  I had a Hydroflask with ice water and didn't bother to put a camera on the bike or put in Airpods to listen to some tunes - I was just needing a ride.  The spot that Xmax was "marking" was deep inside my chest: being home most of this summer has meant less riding than we've done since we first got those PCX scoots in 2013.  I miss the riding.

It was 90º when I left around 7:00 am, but there was overcast to the east so the sun wasn't pounding.  The riding was good, once I got away from the morning drive-time traffic on Dobbins.  Other than a couple South Mountain Park trucks, I only saw 3 other vehicles on that whole drive up and down the mountain... one of them was a convertible Camaro driving well over the center line.  I saw him coming slowing at me from a distance; an older guy at the wheel who didn't look like he was enjoying the twisty roads.

I, on the other hand, was downright joyful to be out there this morning.  That ride really "hit the spot."  :-)

 

Yabut...

 

"You've had a lot of music related posts, Jim - don't you think it's about time to get back to the important stuff?" 

You are absolutely right.  Without any further ado...

 Yep, that's our Murphy.  He is settling into being an "only child" again, after a couple weeks of way more time than usual with his "cousins" (Steph and Dan's cats).

This morning, Murph was resting next to Joan's leg, asleep, but with one eye half-open...

 

Yep, that's a bit creepy.  The boy keeps us on our toes.

 

What an AMAZING night of music!

 

Last night, Joan and I had front row seats for Blood, Sweat, & Tears at MIM (Musical Instrument Museum).  The musicianship was the best we've seen this year!

For some background: I really like a good horn band.  Some of you know I quit college (first time around) to go on the road with a horn band (The Flippers).  Before that, I was in a horn band (Faith), through high school.  And early on in college, another horn band (Oddessy).  My favorite bands during those years were Chicago, Tower of Power, Chase, Cold Blood, and (of course) Blood, Sweat, & Tears.

This is the first time Joan and I have seen BS&T live.  While the music was nostalgic, there are no "original" members in this current band.  Much like The Flippers, there were a LOT of musicians in BS&T over the years.  This line-up was a 4 piece horn section, guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, and a lead singer.  BS&T came together in the 60s, playing a mesh of jazz and rock... and that is what the band has been about ever since.

The horn section took my breath away: kick-ass powerful and tight.  Each of the 4 is an outstanding player.  The drummer is possibly the best I have ever heard.  Everyone else in the band is impressive.  And together, they are strong and tight.  No fancy lighting or special effects - just great playing!

Here's a look at the concert...

 I shot some video with my phone, but I have to admit that I missed some of the best playing of the evening, because I was so engrossed in the music.  Video coming soon.

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As promised, the video:

 I'm sorry I didn't capture the best music of the evening - I was completely caught up in the music and the talent, but this video will give you a taste of it.

 

If you're going to play a Roy Orbison song...

 

... you have to have to wear the sunglasses...

 Podge sent me these individual photos...

 I'm assuming courtesy of Mrs Podge (Roberta).

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Joan shot some video clips - I put them together for this...

 

It's back...

 

Well, from my perspective, it never went away.  Another Extreme Heat Warning for the next 3 days, with temps expected to be 111º to 115º.  The last 4 or 5 days have been more "normal" - typical daytime high is around 105º.  I guess we have acclimated... I find myself saying "only" when the daytime highs are around 103º.

Warnings by the local media to "avoid being outside during the hottest part of the day."  Mark, Podge, and I are playing out for a group at Banner Health (near downtown) today.  We'll be loading in equipment at 3:00.  So, fun.

Actually, I'm looking forward to the playing.  In air conditioned comfort.

 

Check out the time on that image above.

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Loading up...

Joan, as usual, had a good suggestion: take the Equinox out of the garage, turn it around, back it in, and load up in the garage...

 It is 109º out currently, and the driveway is in the sun - this is much better.  The gear at the door, ready to go to the garage...

 Loaded...

 We'll have to unload in the heat, so it was good to skip that step for loading into the SUV.

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Murphy wanted to visit his cousins.  Instead of him going over to their house, he invited them to ours.  The boys are back in town...

 Alfie and Murphy by the patio door (above), and Tango checking out Murphy's toys (below)...

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 The gig is a wrap.  Our placement in the room was a bit snug, but we made it work.  Joan shot some video of the playing - I'll try to work something up tomorrow.  In the meantime, here's a few screen grabs...

 

So, what do you really think?

 

I've been asked a coupe times what I really think of that Aeroband guitar... pretty much what I said in the video.  It won't replace any of my guitars, but I did play it for Joan and Murphy while sitting outside on our patio this morning.  Before the heat drove us in.  And then I played inside for a while.

I have my favorite settings on it - the acoustic guitar setting you get when first turning it on, and the piano setting.  I used both of those today.  Also as I said, it takes some adjustment in technique to get the best playing experience out of this guitar; and I've been "adjusting."

The big deal: after an hour and a half of playing, my fingers weren't sore at all.  Not the fingertips or the muscles across my palm and thumb.  

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I laid out the set list for the gig we're playing tomorrow for Banner Health.  I like to have that set up ahead of time, so it is easy to flow from one song into the next: as soon as I finish one song, the OnSong app on my iPad pulls up the next song.  We we decide to swap things around on the fly, one click takes me back to the list, then another click on the chosen song.  Fast and easy.

I'll be bringing more gear than a typical get-together with Mark and the guys, since we'll be using my Bose PA and mixer.  We are ready.

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Have you been getting out on any of the bikes lately?  Thanks for asking, but, no.  Since Steph and Dan have been gone most of the last couple weeks, my mornings have been occupied with cat duty.  Today was the first morning in a while that I just had Murphy to take care of.  It continues being hot here, so if you don't get out early, it can get unpleasantly hot while riding.

 

Home again...

 

No, we didn't go anywhere.  We never go anywhere, we never do anything, we never have any fun.  Yeah, kidding.  Steph and Dan are back from their trip to California to go to the Guide Dogs for the Blind graduation ceremony.  Plus a couple days of touristing around San Francisco.

Joan and I were up early - I got cats fed, we cleaned up, and drove Dan's car to the airport to pick them up.  We were up at the butt-crack of dawn.  When we got home, I wanted to go in with Steph and Dan to see what the reaction would be from the kitties.  I was expecting running and jumping... no, the Grandkitties did their cat thing: "Oh, 'bout time you got back here."

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I got an email from the marketing folks at Aeroband this morning: asking if they could use the video Mark and I did on their website and in advertising.  Sure.  They also asked if they could send out any new products as they are developed for review.  Free stuff for an honest review?  Yeah, pretty much like what Joan and I do with Vine on Amazon.

 

One more sleep...

 

The Grandkitties are missing their Mommy and Daddy.  Joan and I have been spending extra time with them, but they are craving human interaction.

Today, Joan put a short cat tower in the doorway between our house and Steph and Dan's...

 ... allowing the kitties to go back and forth, if they want.  Tango has been coming to visit us for as long as we have had Murphy; but, the "big cats" (Tasha and Alfie) haven't shown any interest in coming to visit.  Until today...

 That is Tasha, checking out some of Murphy's toys.  Alfie did come over for a bit, but I didn't get a photo.  After the big cats looked around, I guess they decided they were OK in their own house.

I let the Grandkitties know "One more sleep and two more meals, and your Mom and Dad will be home."

Tasha spoke for them, "So, you mean like forever, huh?"  She was speaking of them being gone forever, not that they were going to stay home forever after they get back... but, it only feels like it, and they have no more trips planned that I know of.  I'm not sure they believe me.

 

I feel like the Pied Piper...

 

Except with cats.  When we go to Steph and Dan's side to feed and give meds to the kitties, they come running.  Joan and I are spending time at their house, but it isn't the same, and I know the furry babies are looking forward to having their Mom and Dad home.

And speaking of Steph and Dan: Joan and I watched the "graduation ceremony" today, live streamed from the San Rafael campus of the Guide Dogs for the Blind.  They introduced 3 dogs and trainers who are going into their breeder program; one dog that is a "K9 Companion" for a young girl, and 4 dogs who have been matched with "their person" as new official Guide Dogs.  The puppy raisers were invited to speak, as well as the person receiving the Guide Dog.

Stephanie did the talking for her and Dan... she held it together quite well, with only a few tears of happiness.  She told the story of how Rubina came to be their Guide Dog Puppy In Training.  Some tears in our house, too, as we watched.

 

We are proud of the work Steph and Dan do to raise these Guide Dog puppies - it is a real commitment in time and energy with all the training they do.  Not to mention the weekly meetings with their Phoenix Guide Dog group.

It was a nice ceremony - glad we were able to see it "live" on-line.

 

The finished Aeroband video...

 

This link is currently "unlisted," but it will be public in a day or two.  Here's a preview if you want to check it out...

 I appreciate Mark's perspective on this.  Seems we both enjoyed the experience, but, no, it won't replace any of my current guitars.  But, a fun "add-on"... I especially like the piano sounds.

I sent Mark and Aeroband the link to the video.  Mark was happy with how it came out, and Aeroband responded right away: they like the perspective of an older player with some hand issues and appreciated getting two perspectives.

I put a link to the Aeroband Guitar in the description of the video on YouTube, and they asked if I could make a small modification to that link so they can keep track of how many people went to their site directly from my video.  No problem, and it doesn't change the link...

https://www.aeroband.net/products/aeroband-guitar?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=kollola-youtube&utm_campaign=captainjim605 

Click on the above link if you want to go to the Aeroband site for any more info on the guitar. 

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The link is now "Public".

 

 

If the Rain Comes...

 

An easy music trivial question this morning: "The Beatles, 1966, the first line from the song Rain."  10 bonus points for the complete answer.

Last night, the rain did indeed come.  It's monsoon season, after all.  It started with the distant rumble of thunder.  I had been texting with Mark - he said it was raining at his house (about 20 miles north of us).  Looking at radar, it was moving south.

The "official" rainfall for Phoenix is recorded at Sky Harbor International Airport - they received a grand total of... nothing.  Here in Laveen, the National Weather Service called our rainfall at .24"... it was obviously localized.  The rain pounded here; no idea what we actually received, but it was the first time we've seen large puddles in parts of our yard.  Under the turf, pavers, and gravel, the ground is hard and dry - it can't easily absorb that much rain all at once.

This morning, the puddles were gone.  It pounded hard enough that it actually rinsed off everything in the yard... instead of what we've come to expect: dirty water spots.

Steph and Dan are in California, the Guide Dog puppy they raised is "graduating."  Rubina has been placed with her person and there is a ceremony for that on Saturday.  So, we are kitty-sitting once again.  We spent the evening at their house, so the Grandkitties had human company.  The thunder didn't fire up until we were back in our house.  I went over to check on the kitties during the thunder and rain - they seemed chill.

It seemed like a lot of rain to us.

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Video Production...

I didn't get out of the house today, other than a couple excursions in the yard to get Murphy some outdoor time.  The reason...

 You may have to look close, but I have lights and a video camera set up in my music room.  I got the Aeroband guitar back from Mark yesterday and spent most of today shooting video and getting after the editing process.  Mark sent me videos from his phone while he checked out the Aeroband.

The editing is getting close - hope to have that finished by tomorrow.

 

This, right here...

 

 This was on Facebook last night.  I've said, something similar: "One cat does not replace another, but your heart can expand to love another."  It took me a while to come to that after we said our good-byes to our first cat, Smoke.  She lived to almost 22, and losing her hurt so bad that I said I could never do that again.

Of course, I was proven wrong when Molly came to visit.  And stayed.  Steph said, "She knew you had a big hole in your hearts that only another cat could fill."  Molly taught us that we could bring another cat into the family.  She was truly amazing - she is the subject of "Cat On A Leash."  Our time with that big girl was too short.  We started "dating her" when she was 6 years old.  I expected another 15 years with Molly... but, it wasn't to be.  We lost her when she was just 10.

And then, our sweet little Isabella (Izzy).  We went to the shelter looking for a full-grown mature girl, and this little bit of a thing locked eyes with Joan, and... that was that.  Izzy was small, not in good health, but we gave her great care and she thrived.  She grew to become an 8 pound cat with the heart of a lioness.  She and Joan had a special bond, but I was very protective of her.  Great personality, lovey, and an amazing traveler - by boat and RV.  Like Molly, she walked on a leash and was generally fearless.  Her time came too soon.  We were trying to get her to Phoenix where a pet surgeon gave us hope that she might live longer.  That was not to be.

Next came Rufus.  Regular readers here know about this big burly boy.  He was in real need of being rescued.  His look when we first saw him could only be described as "quirky," but his heart was full of love.  This boy was a Maine Coon mix (we didn't know that when we first adopted him, and he certainly didn't look it), and had all the wonderful attributes that breed is known for.  He and I had a similar "communication" as Molly and me.  He walked tall and proud on his leash and just knew that anyone we came across was there to see him... people and dogs.  I felt we hit the feline jackpot with this boy - we were fully retired when we adopted him and he was our constant companion.  He seemed to settle in just fine when we moved to Phoenix and he loved our large yard.  We took him to the vet when he developed a cough, and... another heartbreak.  We had Rufus for 5 years and it wasn't enough.  My Facebook Memories are full of Rufus posts - each one brings back wonderful memories.  And the heartache of losing that wonderful spirit.  I had said that "This boy needs to outlive me," because the thought of life without Rufus was unbearable.  It will be two years this November and I still think about him every day.  That boy gave the best "kitty hugs" ever: pick him up and he would put a big paw on either side of your neck and hug you in.

And now, Murphy.  This boy is the most cat of any of our cats: he has spunk and personality.  He was handsome from the moment we first saw him.  In the year and 8 months we've had him, he has grown into a big boy and is playful and a bit of an imp.  He does not snuggle like all our previous fur babies.  But, he sits right beside Joan all the time... or follows me around like a puppy.  He can walk on a leash, but he gets the freedom that the 6' block wall around our property affords... but one or both of us is always out there with him.  He will look you right in the eyes.  Where Rufus was Thor, the God of Thunder, Murphy is Rico Suave.  We could not love him more.  He is not a fan of being held, but we are patient, and he is learning that we are a huggy family.  As I am writing this, he is sitting beside Joan, leaning against her.  Progress.  Murph is the most athletic of any of our cats, but that may be due to his young age (coming up on 3 years old).  He is strong; both physical and in attitude. 

The image I posted at the beginning of this post describes us and the wonderful felines who have been a member of our family.  My heart has the scars from the holes left when our cats have crossed that Rainbow Bridge.  Each has been so very different, but all of them truly special.  If you read this far, my thanks.  That statement really touched me.

 

Have you heard the saying...

 

"Perfect is the enemy of good"?

15 bonus points if you said "Voltaire."

Yep, an old guy in my neighborhood, Walter Voltaire, said that when I was mowing his lawn.  I told him I would make it look perfect.  That was 10 year old me selling him on paying me to mow his lawn.

"Perfect is the enemy of good" is an aphorism that means insistence on perfection often prevents implementation of good improvements.

Today was "Clean the Van Day" - I have been wanting to get at this for quite a while.  We've only had the van out twice since we got back from the Tetons.  Having driven through rain on that trip, and a couple monsoon events (blowing dirt and rain), the RoadTrek was in dire need of a thorough washing.

Adding to that: there is a RoadTrek Group on Facebook.  While some people post about their travels, a good portion of the posts are from owners who are having problems.  Many of those problems stem from the unique battery systems on these vans.  RoadTrek was the first in the Class B industry to utilize lithium batteries.  There is a learning curve with this battery system, and some owners don't understand how to best charge the lithiums, how to best store the van, and even the procedure to use with the batteries and inverter when plugging into shore power.  Add to that, RoadTrek has continuously updated the batteries as technology changes... so, the owners of a 2020 model year van may have a different use procedure than those with a 2025.  Questions and issues get posted on that Facebook group.

I like to get our van out regularly, to make sure everything is working and that the batteries, solar, inverter, air conditioning, under-hood generator, and motor get regular exercise.  And, it has been so damn hot that we haven't taken the van out in a while.

We got after it reasonably early, heading to pick up the van around 7:00.  It was already 90º.  We put it in the driveway at the house and went after it, with both of us cleaning...

 

Starting early, besides being a bit cooler, there is some shade in our driveway.  Some parts of the van, like the entire front end, the front of the awning (where Joan is scrubbing in the photo above), and the lower 1/3 of the sides were especially grubby, due to smashed bugs and driving on wet roads.  The solar panels on the roof needed rinsing.  Everything got soaped, scrubbed, rinsed... and repeat as necessary.

 Looking clean and shiny when we were done.  We then put in the floor liner Joan had ordered a while ago...

 Seems to be a good fit, but we'll see as it gets some use.

We finished up just after 9:00 - hot, sweaty, and tired.  Time to clean up ourselves and take on the rest of the day.