A 3-Wheel Conveyance...

 

"OMG, Jim - you did it!  You bought one of those Can Ams, didn't you?" 

No, I did not, but thanks for asking.

I mentioned to Joan that I would be interested in one of those pet strollers for Murphy.

Looking them up online, they go for $30 and up.  Way up.  Joan and I looked over the different offerings; Steph got in on the conversation - she had been looking, as well; DiCha isn't allowed to walk on a leash in public, until she has had all her vaccinations, which will be another couple months.  That means they have to carry her when out in public.  She is about 15 pounds right now, and growing fast.

Joan found a really nice "jogging-style" stroller, with air-inflated tires and spring suspension, on Offer-Up.  If you aren't familiar with Offer-Up, it is similar to Craigslist or eBay, where people can list used items for sale.  New, this thing would go for somewhere on the far side of $200.  This guy was asking $70 and it looked to be in great condition.  Steph offered the guy $60, he accepted, and Joan and I went to pick it up this morning.  We are thinking it will be a nice shared item, with Steph and Dan using while DiCha is still a pup, and me taking Murphy out for a "stroll" in the neighborhood occasionally.

The transaction went fast and easy, except for the guy's very friendly and enthusiastic Golden Doodle... it was literally jumping all over Joan and me.  I gave the guy the money, we loaded it into the car, and we were off.

Yes, we looked it over before agreeing - it really is in fine shape.

From there, we went for lunch at a Mexican restaurant that Steph's boss had recommended (two thumbs up), and ran a couple errands.  Back at the house, we unloaded the stroller, popped it up, and rolled it into the house...

 

Murph was interested.  We put him inside and I rolled it around the yard...

 He did fine with it: no fuss.  I decided to take it for a "stroll" in the neighborhood; off to the mailboxes a couple blocks from our house.  This thing rolls nice and smooth.  Actual spring suspension.  And with the air-filled tires, it rolls quietly... again no fuss from Murph and he seemed to enjoy the look around (good viewing for him while sitting in the stroller).

This one has been designed for people who want to take their dogs jogging, without the dogs having to run.  I think it is going to be perfect for DiCha; and it has proven to be good for Murphy, too.  Nice to find this on Offer-Up.

When Murphy and I were done with our stroll, I put the new 3-wheel conveyance in their living room, to see what her cats might think of it.  Within 10 seconds...

 That is Tango, who hopped into the lower storage area.  He approves.

In that image above, you can see the the spring suspension; that black bar above the chrome axle is the parking brake (works great).  The storage area that Tango is in, would be good for dog treats... or, today: picking up the mail.  The tricycle arrangement with the wheels makes it very maneuverable - it can rotate in it's own length.

Steph won't get to see it in person until she gets off work, but Joan, Murphy, and I give it two thumbs up.

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This product is no longer being made.  New, it listed for $350, most retailers sold it in the $250 range.  It is nice.  Glad we were able to find one at this price.

 

 

And just like that...

 

If you said, "A million or so memes with Forest Gump," you get10 bonus points.

 

No, this has nothing to do with Daylight Saving Time - that just happened to be one of the Forest Gump memes that popped up first.  I'm talking about tariffs.  This isn't political, just an observation.

You may know that Joan is a Vine member/reviewer.  She can order stuff from Vine (a program through Amazon) for "free" - she just has to do an honest review of the product.  Free is in quotes because the price of that product becomes taxable income to the Vine reviewer.  That tax responsibility adds up fast.  But, I digress.

Prior to the "trade war" with China, there were over 100,000 products that Joan could choose from on any given day.  Since the tariffs, the number of products has dropped to around 50,000.  Manufacturers based in China can't give you a product for free AND pay for the tariff on that product.  Well, not if they expect to stay in business.

I only mention this because it is the tip of that tariff iceberg that is coming.  We all know higher prices for almost everything are coming.  I am predicting that shortages of all kinds of products are coming.  All that cheap crap from Shein and similar - yeah, those prices are doubling or tripling.  But, some of the importers of that stuff will just stop selling to the US.  "And just like that"... everything will cost more and some of it just won't be available.

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What a day to get out on a scoot!

Me?  No, I have music with the guys today.  While I was loading gear into the car, this biker babe was in the driveway...

 She gets to go ride, while I'm toiling away playing and singing.  It ain't right.  ;-)

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Music with the guys was great today; and Danny brought pizza!  (We take turns providing lunch.)  Just 4 of us today; we worked on a couple new songs and played a lot of favorites.

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Back home this evening, we were treated to this evening sky...

 Right after sunset.  And, Murph walking around in the courtyard...

 The whole family had a nice day!

 

It's my first day...

 

No, I didn't start a new job.

I took Joan out for lunch and a stop at Costco.  Lunch at Olive Garden... yes, I know some people say, "Olive Garden is like the McDonalds of Italian food."  We like it.  And always pick up a couple more entrees for a quick supper down the road.

It was our waiter's first day.  It was clear that he had studied, but you could see he was still a bit nervous.  We had to remind him of a couple things, but he did fine - and seemed genuinely concerned that we were happy with the meal and the experience.

Everybody has to start somewhere.

I just needed a pair of lounging pants, the reason for our stop at Costco.  Joan found other things that we will probably go back for another day.  IF they still have what she looked at... one never knows if something will still be in stock when you go back.  Buy it now, or "take the chance."

 

Cat Stuff...

 

You bought more toys for Murphy?  No, but that is an on-going thing.  This is just a moment to reflect on the kitties in our lives.

Of course, Murphy...

 That's my boy being a peeping tom(cat) on our morning walk: we walk to Steph and Dan's yard, and Murph likes to look in their patio door.  A little creepy, but we are working on understanding boundaries.

 He's my boy.

The other kitties in our lives are the grands... Steph and Dan's trio.  Tasha, Alfie, and Tango.  I get regular time with them; with Steph and Dan's busy schedule, I feed and give meds a couple times a week.  This is at feeding time...

 That's Tasha in the foreground; yes, she is bigger than the boys.  She and Alfie (the dark fellow on the right) are Siberian Forest Cats.  Or, as I call 'em: the fancy cats.  The orange boy is Tango.  Here's Tango encouraging Alfie while I get him ready to take his meds...

 Steph describes Tango as, "Perhaps the sweetest living thing on the planet."  I'd say that's pretty close.

 

New & Improved...

 

How often have you heard that?  How often has that something "new" actually proved to be an improvement?

I mentioned a couple days ago that Insta360 released a new 360º camera, the X5.  I have the previous model, the X4, as my main 360º camera.  I may have mentioned that I am currently using that camera less than I have in the past, just because of the lengthy editing process.  I have other non-360º cameras that do a great job with way less time to edit.

As you might expect, with a new model camera comes new software to run it.  Insta is good about regularly updating their software and firmware.  One of their "improvements" is the editing on the 360º video is... "now faster and easier."  This new software version covers all their cameras, which means my X4 benefits from the release of the new camera.  Sorta.  My camera doesn't have the AI features (the buzzword that all new products have to have... "New bathroom tissue (toilet paper), now with AI!!"  Yes, I'm kidding.) that this new model X5 has.  I got out my X4, put it on a long selfie stick, and shot some video around the yard, just to see if the video clips are faster and easier to edit.

Yes, but (there's always a "but"), they changed things enough that there is a new learning curve.  I'm sure in time, once I've learned the new "controls," it will be faster.  I didn't shoot anything "360-worthy"... 360º videos are fun on a motorcycle, not so much for walking around the yard, although some "influencers" shot video while just walking around... but, I digress.

I did make a couple stills from the video, just to get a feel for that process (yes, it is also new and improved)...

On a long selfie stick, the 360º camera looks like something shot with a drone (above).  It's a good feature if you are in an area where you can't use a drone, but want that look.

Steph and Dan's yard (above), ours (below)...

The over-done "tiny planet" look...

 The take-away from this exercise: I'll happily "get by" with my dated X4 camera.  ;-)

 

Catch a Falling Star...

 

... and put it in your pocket...

If you said, "Perry Como, 1957," you are probably old enough to be eligible for Medicare, and you get 40 bonus points.

I have been looking at the night sky every night since last week, hoping to catch a glimpse of a meteor, aka: a falling star (misnomer).  The Lyrid Meteor Showers were to peak on the evening of Monday, April 21st.  Monday and Tuesday nights were particular crisp nights.  No, I did not see a single meteor.

But, last night (Wednesday, the 23rd)... yep, I saw one!  One.  Astronomers were saying you might see as many as 20 per hour.  And, finally, I saw... one.  Surprising, because the sky wasn't crisp.  Oh, you could see plenty of stars, but the sky wasn't as black as the earlier nights and the stars not as bright.  Maybe enough breeze to stir up dust in the air?

But, after all that time looking, I was happy to have seen that one.  If you are keeping track, it was to the west, just a bit south of Procyon (if you are into astronomy).  And if you aren't into astronomy, Procyon is also known as Alpha Canis Minoris, and is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Minor and the eighth-brightest star in the night sky.  Not to the northeast sky as had been suggested.

That is not my image and is not exactly what I saw (not as many stars that you could see); it's a file image to give you an idea of what a meteor will look like.  What I saw wasn't that bright and it only lasted a very brief moment.  But, finally!

I will reminisce for a moment: back in our sailing days, we were in a dark area with very little light pollution.  Laying out on the nets on our Corsair trimaran, we saw dozens of meteors during meteor shower that night.  Odds are pretty good we won't be treated to a sight like that again.

Still, I am happy to have seen this one last night.

 

Working on some music...

 

I got together today with Mark and Ron.  The "big group" will get together next week, but it is helpful for the 3 of us to work on harmonies in between.  Interesting thing today: Mark brought a guitar he has been working on: a G&L Telecaster that he installed new pickups, new controls, and new locking tuners... it was a good guitar that is now an outstanding guitar.  Mark likes to have a project; might as well be guitar related.  ;-)

It was a good session; we'll have some new things to bring to the big group.  Plus, I really enjoy these guys.

When I got home, there were a couple photography-related things waiting for me: a new compact tripod (lightweight but reasonably solid and nice height) and a circular polarizing filter for my DJI Pocket 3 camera.

"What does a polarizing filter do, Jim?"  Thanks for asking.  If you noticed in the photos I posted yesterday, there were occasional reflections in the windshield.  A polarizing filter can help reduce those reflections, with an added bonus of making the sky a deeper blue (by filtering out certain "waves" of light).  The downside of a polarizing filter is it reduces the amount of light that gets through the lens, so it isn't a good thing to have on there in low light situations.  On the Pocket 3, this filter attaches to the lens with magnets, so it is relatively easy to remove when you want... but it is small.

"How small?"  Here's a photo showing that filter on the lens on the Pocket 3...

 It's that little orange ring around the lens.  We'll see how it works; I am hoping it makes a difference.

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Murphy has been getting plenty of outdoor time... some of that time is in his catio.  It has a calming effect on him; may be because he can't run and jump.  He can be a very active fellow.

Yes, he was talking to me in the photo above.  The catio is 3 levels, plenty of room for him to stand, sit, or lay down.  He seems quite content in there, so he can relax and have a 360º view...

 

That was Pleasant...

 

Lake Pleasant, that is.

Lake Pleasant is one of the Regional Parks in the annual pass we bought.  It has been years since we've been there, so we decided to make a day-trip out of it with the van.

We stopped at Portillo's for lunch - Chicago style Italian beef sandwiches, hot dogs, and more.  Then, on to Lake Pleasant.  It is about 45 miles from our house... and just far enough north that it feels remote as you drive there...

 The first views after getting into the Regional Park...

 Those are a bit of a preview - it's a pretty lake in a desert setting, surrounded by mountains in the distance.  And, proof we were there...

We drove to the Discovery Center - not really a Visitors Center in that you couldn't reserve a camp site there, but there were nice displays and great views...

The sign below gave you some perspective of what's in the distance - that diffused mountain just right of the upper center of the image is South Mountain...

 

A look at the dam...

More views...

 We drove through a couple campgrounds to get an idea of what the sites are like, in case we come back for a night or two out.  Some sites have a lake view, some have a mountain view, there are sites with water and electric and "primative" (no hook-ups) sites.  The lady at the Discovery Center told us it can get "busy" as it transitions to summer... "the winter visitors are quieter and less rowdy than the people who come during the summer."  This park is more about the boating, and we know what "weekenders" can be like.  A look at one of the marinas...

 We also learned that there are approximately 3,000 wild burros in the park ("Don't feed them.")...

 She also told us, "With that many burros, you'd think they'd be everywhere, but many visitors never see one."  

Us, out of the van...

 

Yes, we do get out of the van on these day trips.  I think this park may be the "Crown Jewel" of the Regional Park system for Maricopa County.  It was a pleasant outing (pun intended).

 

Another new camera??

 

No, I didn't get another new camera.  Insta360 released another new camera this morning at an event in NYC.  Kind of like premiering a new movie...

 The X5 is the "new and improved" upgrade from the X4, the camera I use for 360º footage.  It used to be the camera I used the most... but it is time-consuming to edit.  Insta is promoting the "AI editing" on this new camera.  If all you want to do is post a 15 second clip to Instagram, that is fine; but, if you are trying to truly "capture the moment," it takes real human input to know what is important.

That said, the new X5 has a bigger sensor, more battery life, better low-light resolution, built-in wind noise reduction, and the biggie: user replaceable lenses.  The lenses stick out away from the body on these 360º cameras, so they are prone to getting scratched... which makes any further imaging worthless.  With the X4 and previous models, the only thing you could do was send it back to China to have the factory replace the lens.

So, are you going to be one of the first in line for this new camera, Jim?  No, but thanks for asking.  No doubt it will be another hit for Insta360.  The release was also the worst kept secret: Insta sent out an e-mail blast last week, inviting current owners to the release event in NYC; the attached video teaser showed a new 360 camera, with the same form factor as the X4.  And Insta always gets new camera models in the hands of "influencers" ahead of a release... and even though they weren't supposed to post anything about the new model until after the release event, some of them have to try to be "the first" to get a post out on social media.  There were plenty of those online yesterday.

 

And, We're Off...

 

"About half a bubble?" you're asking?  At least.

No, I'm talking about weather again.  We had a couple days (Friday and Saturday), where the high temp for the day was in the 70s.  Delightful.  I think that was our "spring."  Starting today, the high is 91 to 92º for the week.  Yes, that's about 5º above the average right now.  So, not awful.  And, in case no one mentioned it: it's a dry heat.  

Murphy had a tough day today.  He went for the wall.  Over the wall.  We got him right back, but his "free time" will be significantly curtailed.  He misbehaved inside, too.  Nothing bad - he isn't destructive; just more hyperactive than normal.  And, he gets quite vocal if he can't go out when he thinks he should.  I give him some advice: "Murph, you should just 'lay low' for a while."  He farts me off.

He got outdoor time in his catio while Joan puttered with plants and I made some music out on the patio.  Before the heat of the day.

 

Happy Easter...

 

Joan saw that the casino that is just a few miles from us was offering an Easter Buffet Brunch.  Steph and Dan joined us.  The buffet wasn't extensive, but it was nice... plenty of offerings, and the food was good.  And, it wasn't packed.

We've never been in this casino before, so we didn't know what to expect.  Not huge, but very nice.  After eating, Joan suggested we "walk around to see what all they have" for gaming.  That is code for: let's do a bit of gambling.  Since Lent is officially over, and I wasn't giving up anything anyway, we looked.  And sat to play for a while.

I got a text from Joan, asking "Where are you?"  That's a sign that she's done.  Win or lose.  I texted back my general location and a few minutes later, Steph and Dan came by, and then Joan.  Finally tally: Dan came out ahead; enough so that he gave Steph back what she had lost and still had some winnings.  Joan considered what she was down to be a "donation to the tribe."  I was down a grand total of $6.  A small price for some "entertainment."

Before leaving, they wanted to go check out the Bingo room... I was surprised by how big it is, and how full it was.  The rest of the casino was very lightly populated on this holiday Sunday, but I think the Bingo session was sold out.  I believe Steph and Joan may have made some plans... we haven't played Bingo since before Covid hit (the Community Bingo place we used to go to was a casualty of Covid).

I let myself "splurge" on some of the dessert offerings at the buffet.  It has been a while since I've had real (not sugar-free) chocolate.  Now, I need a nap.

 

AI vs Human...

 

I mentioned working up the video from yesterday's outing on the Honda CTX, using the recently acquired Insta360 Go 3s.

Insta360 makes a big deal of their "AI Editor": select the video clips and let their AI processing come up with a highlights video... the premise being: let the AI handle "the work" and you wind up with a very short video to post to social media.

I have used this editor in the past, generally with actual 360 videos - the results have had a sameness to them that shows off the movement of a 360 camera, but loses much of the subject of the video.  In my case, it has been on motorcycle/scooter rides.

The Go 3s is not a 360 camera (even though "360" is in the company and product name) - it is a fairly simple and small action camera.  I decided to put some human (me) editing up against the AI processing.  The AI editor cut 8 minutes of video clips down to 25 seconds.  My editing took the better part of an hour vs about 2 minutes for the AI editor.  That time for mine included downloading files, moving them to my MacBook Pro, cutting the clips, adding transitions, putting in a couple title/captions, adjusting sound, then finding and adding a royalty-free music track.  My cut was down to about 3 1/2 minutes, and showing what I think is the best part of the ride: running down a fun, twisty road.

You be the judge.  Here is Insta's AI Editor...

 And here is my version of what I think shows the feeling of the ride...

 Yes, I am biased.  I enjoy looking back at these ride videos.  And testing out various cameras.  

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Happy Getting High On Easter...

Last night on the local news, a reporter teased an upcoming segment with: "Cannabis shops are anticipating an uptick in business for Easter."

I looked at Joan and asked, "Why?"

She said, "Why what?"

"Cannabis shops expecting increased business for Easter?  Is that a new thing - celebrating the resurrection of Jesus by lighting up a fatty?"

She said, "Did you notice the date?"

"Ohhhh... 4/20.  I get it.  Nothing to do with Easter, except the date coincides with celebrating weed.  Duh."  I don't get out much.

 

Bro...

 

Apparently, I am a curmudgeon... for sure, I am not... "Bro."

I got out for a while on the CTX today.  The bike was needing gas before I went too far.  I stopped at a Circle K, the only gas station along my route to the fun riding.  Circle Ks in general seem to factor in for robberies and assaults in some parts of the Phoenix area... I like to refer to them as: Stab & Go.

There were two other motorcycles getting gas when I pulled in.  While tapping my credit card and getting the pump ready to go, one of the other motorcyclists came up to me and said, "You wanna race, bro?"

"Why would I want to do that?"

"You have a bike, bro - it's what we do!"

I said, "No, it's not what I do, but thanks for asking."  Damn whippersnappers.  I am not a "bro" nor a "dude."  He skulked back to his bike.

At this point, the other guy on a motorcycle came over to me and said, "That was weird.  Nice bike you have there - what is it?"  We talked bikes a bit; he is on a Triumph (Tiger Sport 660)sd, one of the sport bike models, not a classic like a Bonneville.

I told him about the CTX.  Briefly.  Then complimented his bike and told him, "I had a Triumph back when I was 17; a 650 Bonneville."

He said to me, "Yeah, I was 17 when I got this."  The bike couldn't have been more than a year old.  My modular helmet covers all but my eyes and nose, so he probably couldn't easily see that I was old enough to be his grandfather.  About that time, the pump clicked off, and I wished him "Safe riding."  I think he could tell that I was ready to ride; he said the same back to me and headed back towards his bike.

Right before going out to the garage, I decided to grab a camera, the new Insta360 Go 3s.  It is a pretty simple action-type camera, but doesn't have the capability of connecting to an external mic... so, the wind and engine sounds are the only audio you can get with this while on a bike.  The camera works OK for picking up your voice when in low noise situations.  I knew it wouldn't be as good as the DJI Action 4, the Pocket 3, or the Insta360 X4 (360º camera)... but, I wanted to see if it would have a place in ride videos.

My conclusion: yeah, it works fine on the bike; it would be best as a "second camera," while dedicating voice to one of the other cameras.  So, as a different view looking forward, or a looking back at the rider camera, this will work.  I have no shortage of cameras... just a matter of picking the right "tool" for the job.  This camera will also be good as a POV camera when out walking or bicycling around.

Video will be coming.

Here are a couple stills:

Looking into a rear-view mirror to see the small camera on a chin mount on my helmet...

 The view from that helmet mount...

 That's the camera's "action pod" in the photo - it can be used as a remote and a monitor (seeing what the camera sees).  Or put the camera in the action pod and it is pretty much another action camera.

With the camera in the action pod mounted towards the center of the windshield...

 This is also the best position to reduce wind noise, but still get some sound from the engine.  And, with the camera reversed, looking back at the rider...

 It is fast and easy to move that camera to all these different positions.  Yeah, it will have a place in my camera options.

Video will be coming.  Probably.

 

Beautiful Boy...

 

If you said, "A song from John Lennon, 1980, Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)," you get 20 bonus points.

Of course, I am talking about Murphy.  Although I frequently tell him how handsome he is.  Late yesterday afternoon, while out for a walk, Murph laid down and I was looking at him from directly overhead...

 I find his markings interesting: he is quite dark in the body, with shades of black, gray, tan, blond, and a bit of red undercoat.  The front sides of his legs and his belly is much lighter in color.  From the back, his legs look like he is wearing black boots.  The striping on his front legs is pretty symmetrical.

And from the front...

 Strong markings on the angular face.  Yes, I think he is very handsome.  We didn't pick him based on looks.  Well, we saw his photo on the Humane Society's website and we wanted to meet him.  When we first saw him and took him out of the cage he was in, he just wanted to be held.  We were hooked.

And, hood-winked.  He wants to be right by us all the time, but he is not a hugger.  He will tolerate it when Joan gives him hugs, but it is rare that he initiates it.  We don't try to force it.  Our other cats have all been huggers.

And, from a looks standpoint, I guess we do have a type: a gray(ish)-brown tabby.  Our first cat, Smoke, set that pattern in us.  Molly came to us, looking for love.  She was a lighter gray color, with subtle striping.  Next came Izzy - I called her our feline supermodel: long, lean, perfectly symmetrical stripes.  She loved the camera and it loved her.  Perhaps the sweetest cat ever.

Next came a real change for us: we picked Rufus because it looked like he really needed to be rescued.  I described him as "quirky" looking (like the cartoon character Bill the cat).  He outgrew that in the first 6 months we had him (we were told he was fully grown and weren't expecting the big changes in his appearance)... he went from quirky to looking like Thor, the cat god of thunder.  Big, burly, and a real presence: some people were intimidated by his size and strong personality - he just knew that anyone he saw was there just to see him.  Joan called him my "chick magnet" when we were out walking; women (especially) were drawn to him and he loved the attention.

And now, Murphy.  Like the others, he walks on a leash, but he hasn't had a lot of experience on that outside our yard.  His face is angular, with bands running back from his eyes.  He is our "Rico Suave" - he gets away with some naughty behavior... because of his looks.  He is not allowed on the counters, but he will hop up there, hop down, then come walking up to us with a swagger that says, "Yes, you adore me."

Each of our cats have been family, and our lives have been enriched by them.  I know we have given them good and interesting lives.  Smoke was a cat, Molly was wise and worldly, Izzy was shy and sweet, Rufus bold and commanding, and Murphy is secure, but wary of new people.  I appreciate that they have all been unique personalities.

Murphy is different with each of us: he is sweet with Joan, loves to lay by her, touching and being touched.  He is more playful and stronger-willed with me.  I sometimes wonder if he is challenging me for the position of Alpha Male.  He gets several walks each day, in our yard; we have gone to his first morning walk on a leash, the subsequent walks off the leash, but keeping a watchful eye.  He can leap to the top of the 6' wall around our property in a heartbeat, but isn't a flight risk.  Still, we discourage that "leap to the wall" behavior... and he will pull out the "Yes, but you think I am very handsome, don't you?" look.

Gotta love 'em.  :-)

 

Video Premieres...

 

I've edited and uploaded videos from the last several days in the Tucson area.  The first is from the trip up Mount Lemon on Monday...

 

The second is from Tuesdays trip through Tucson Mountain Park and into Saguaro National Park (West), including the rough gravel "scenic loop"...

 

No issue getting through the editing, but on a slow(ish) internet connection, it took a while to upload so I could post it.  Yes, I understand that the typical YouTube viewer will watch the first couple minutes, then move on to the next video, but I enjoy looking back at these now and again.

Thanks for checking them out.

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Home again...

I'm going with "Joan and Murphy missed me"... I know for sure, I missed them.

Before heading out, I cleaned up, then picked up in the van.  It is compact in there, so you can't leave things laying around.  Know that I would be unloading as soon as I got home, I packed accordingly.

It was in the 80s at my departure time around 8:00.  I sure like being able to turn the roof air conditioning on while driving (thanks to the lithium batteries and that big ol' inverter) - it keeps the whole van very comfortable.  Traffic was light when I left Tucson...

 It is hard to see (because the field of view on the Go 3s is SO wide), but traffic was very heavy on the opposite side of the Interstate, and very light in my direction.  Not sure what my usage will be with this camera - this is the first time I tried any stills with it (typical action camera view).

A view looking up my nose...

 Yep, that is really wide angle.  ;-)  I texted Joan a couple times (hands-free, of course) on the way north - traffic was completely stopped on the westbound lanes of I-10.  No idea why, but there was "a lot of red" on the Maps app on the dash screen.

 After sitting for a few minutes, traffic started moving slowly.  "How slow?" you ask...

 And then stopped again...

 Yeah, that lens makes it look like there was plenty of space between vehicles - not the case.  And, if you look close, there is a motorcycle that blew between the lanes of traffic...

 

Filtering (some mistakenly call it "lane splitting") is now legal in Arizona; when traffic is stopped.  This was moving slowly, and people trying to jump lanes... not a good situation for that guy on the bike, but for as long as I saw him, he was unscathed.

The next traffic stop was right at an exit to a rest area... "Might as well pull in," I thought.  A line at the men's room; that's rare.  I guess a lot of people thought it would be a good idea to pull in while the traffic was so slow-moving. 

Back on the road, the speed picked up to 50 mph or so, but I couldn't drive the speed limit until I turned off I-10 and got on the Loop 202.  Close to home, now.

I pulled into the driveway, came inside and gave my Honey a hug and smooch, and some petting for the furry boy.  Less than 45 minutes later, I had everything out of the van and put away.  Easy when you don't take much.  Although, in hind-sight, I did take way more camera gear than I needed... this was a good opportunity to sort through all that gear.  For anyone wondering, I was fine on socks and underwear... you weren't wondering?  Fine.

I had a good outing.  The van is great for an impromptu get-away like this.

I got to take my Honey to lunch.  :-)