Alvin...

 

If you said, "One of the singing chipmonks - the one that was most often in trouble," you get 15 bonus points and are probably from the generation that had Saturday morning cartoons and Captain Kangaroo on the weekdays.

One of the changes from living in the Tropical Tip - I don't look at Tropical Weather everyday.  Whoda thunk that weather in the desert is affected by tropical weather?  Yeah, this guy.  But, the weather that comes into central Arizona frequently comes from the southwest.

And currently, way to the southwest - as in not far from Cabo San Lucas (at the southern tip of Baja) is "Post Tropical Cyclone Alvin."  Yep, that pesky Alvin.  That storm made it up to tropical storm strength, but is now down to a depression.  The weather weasels were predicting movement on that storm that would bring rain to the desert by Sunday evening.  Depending on the weasel, the predictions ranged from 1/10 of an inch to 3 inches.  As that storm winds down 500 miles south of us, we'll see how to plays out.

For those keeping track: tomorrow is the official start of Hurricane Season.  But, for now...

 

The early bird gets the worm...

 

But, the second mouse gets the cheese.

The high today is supposed to be 104º.  Average high here for the end of May is 99º.  We are into summer, even if that isn't official for another 3 weeks.  It's that time when getting out early is important if you want to be outside.

This morning, it was an outing on the CTX.  I was up shortly after 6:00, got my morning routine done, then took Murphy out for a walk around the yard.  I was gearing up for the bike by 7:00... it was a delightful 74º.  No photos or video, just Breakfast With the Beatles playing on my Sirius/XM app.

Traffic was light, even on the surface streets.  Up on the mountain, I passed a dozen or so people on bicycles.  Except for one pickup coming out of a blind curve: he was waving me down to stop - there was a semi pulling a long flatbed trailer coming around that curve, and the truck needed both lanes to make that turn.  The flatbed was empty, so they must have been taking some heavy equipment up to the antennas at the top of the mountain... that would be a hairy drive with a big truck and long trailer.  I was happy to be out on my bike.

The other plan for today: music with my new local musician friends.  This is easy: less than 5 minutes from our house, a couple hours of jamming, no iPads or working up parts.  

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Here's a link to a Facebook post of a short video of one of the songs we were working up today...

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1274671380895196

It was shot by Allan's (the host) cousin.  She also brought lunch for everyone, from Jimmy John's.  (win/win)  You will probably have to be on Facebook to see the video.

 

You broke your new guitar??

 

Click bait.  No, I did not break my new guitar.  I did break a string on my new guitar.  I figured I'd do a string change before long, but this was sooner than I expected.  And for full disclosure, I just replaced the high E-string.

I figured there would be a learning curve with this unusual tuning peg location and stringing on this Traveler Guitar.  I was right.  For the guitar players out there, restringing this guitar is a lot like stringing a slot head guitar... and I am not a fan of stringing slot head guitars.

The guy I bought this from thought that the action might be a bit low.  I tried it out before plunking down the money, and I didn't hear any string buzzing on the frets (a definite sign that the action is too low.  I'm used to playing mostly acoustic guitars - they generally have a bit higher action (than electric guitars) to get the strings to vibrate the top.  I thought this Traveler Speedster played nice, but I could see that if you really dug into it, there could be an issue.

I didn't take a tuner with me yesterday when I bought it.  The guitar was a bit out of tune, so I tuned it "relatively" (pick a string and tune the others to that, by ear)... which is fine as long as you aren't playing with other guitarists.

I have worn out a couple electronic tuners, so Joan ordered me another yesterday; it arrived today.  I pulled it out, turned it on, and compared it to one of my trusted tuners... right on.  I tried it on one of my Emeralds, so not a fair workout for the new tuner - those Emeralds rarely need to be retuned.

I put the new tuner on the Traveler - it was a step and a half flat.  I started bringing it up to pitch, and... twang!  The string broke, and hit my hand like a whiplash.

So, I guess I am going to see what it takes to put on a new E-String.  I haven't broken a string in years.  It used to happen in my old rock 'n roll days, but I was playing about 4 hours a night, almost every night.  I went through a lot of strings.

The high E-string I have onhand is .010... I had to put on a set of readers and use some additional light to thread the string around to the back of the guitar and into that hole in the tuning peg.  That's always the toughest string for me...

 All good.  Bringing the rest of the strings up to proper pitch was a non-event.  I'll change the rest of the strings when I get time.  Changing strings on my other guitars generally takes me about 20 minutes (well, except the Taylor 12-string); no idea how long it will take on this new one.

 

And now for something completely different...

 

If you said, "The 1971 sketch comedy film from Monty Python's Flying Circus," you get 25 bonus points.  It isn't always about the music trivia.

Yesterday, while at Mark's, I asked him about the Traveler Speedster Deluxe travel guitar he has.  He said, "Take it home and try it - it is good for traveling."

Yep, that's what I was thinking.  Space is a precious commodity in the van - even my Emerald X7 (the smallest guitar I have) would take up too much space in there.  This Traveler Guitar .(that's the brand name) is designed to give you  full-size guitar playability while staying very compact due to the design.  Essentially, there is no body... well, very little body.

I had looked them up in the past couple days.  I actually considered one years ago, before I bought the Taylor GSmini that was my travel guitar for a few years.  I kinda tried one in a Guitar Center in Las Vegas... the salesman pulled one off the wall, plugged in the headphones, then started banging away on it.  He could hear it, we couldn't.  After watching him wale away on it for about 15 minutes, I gave up on any chance of getting my hands on it, and we left.  I bought the GSmini not long after.

Fast forward about 14 or 15 years: even my Emerald X7 takes up too much space in the van.  I started thinking again about a Traveler Guitar.  Traveler has greatly expanded their line since that last look.  I quickly discovered that the Traveler Speedster Deluxe that Mark has is the best choice for me - it has features that the "acoustic" model I was first considering doesn't have.  Like: a preamp that allows you to plug in headphones, if you want to play quietly, but still have big sound.  Volume controls for the pickup system.  An ergonomic detachable arm that gives you a place to lean your arm when playing (so it "feels like" there is a bigger guitar there...

 This particular model of the Speedster Deluxe is the teal blue (reminds me of a '57 Chevy, with that arm resembling the tailfin), white pinstripes, and dice for the control knobs.  There are 4 different power effects built into the guitar - just push down on the rear knob... um, die... and it rolls through those tones: clean, boost, overdrive, and distortion.

I found this one on Craigslist, located in Chandler... we were planning to go that way for lunch at Oregano's.  I messaged the guy through Craigslist, he called me back very promptly, and we set up a time to meet so I could buy the guitar.  The transaction was easy, and the timing great for us to have lunch right after.  Pizza and a guitar - no downside to that.

These Traveler Guitars put the tuning keys in the lower body of the guitar - well, what little body there is.  No headstock.  It is a unique way of making a guitar, but it eliminates a lot of the size and weight compared to a normal guitar.

It can be plugged into an amp, or used with headphones (see above).  The Aux In lets you run music into the headphones so you can play along.  It all fits in a case that isn't much bigger than a case for a pool cue...

Should be no problem making some space for this in my cabinet in the van.

Will it take the place of any of my other guitars?  Um, no.  This will have a specific use, and the size is so much smaller than any of my other guitars.  Does it play as good as my Emeralds?  Did you really ask that?  It is unusual to hold or play wearing a strap, but it does a decent job.  And, the price was right.  So is the size (did I mention that already?).  I played it a bunch this afternoon - not bad at all.

In the words of the philosopher David Bowie: "Rock on."  ;-)

 

Makin' Music With My Friends...

 

Yeah, same Willie Nelson song, again (On The Road Again).

I got together today with 5 of us at Mark's house.  Good times, good music, good friendship.  I truly enjoy these guys.

Cindy (Mark's wife) made me laugh today when I got to their house: check out the shirt...

 It says: "Dibs on the Guitarist."  Yes, Mark is a guitarist, but I did tell her that the shirt wasn't specific, and, "There will be 4 guitarists and a bass player today - have you made a choice?"  She was kind of non-committal.

Cindy was quick to point out that the same company makes a shirt that says, "Dibs on the Lead Singer"... in case Joan wants one.

Great shirt!  A fun couple, and always gracious about letting us gather at their place.  So glad to have them as friends.

 

We are manly men...

 

... who fix many things.

Walking around the yard two days ago, Joan discovered that the sprinkler/irrigation system wasn't shutting off.  Well, that's not good.  She shut off the water at the main line for that system and investigated - opening the water box in the ground where the valves are, water was spraying in there.  Yeah, that ain't right.

I went to the source of all knowledge: Google and YouTube.  It may be just the diaphragm in the valve, or the valve that controls the water flow.  Joan ordered both from the source of all goods and products: Amazon.

 I find it interesting how Google, YouTube, and Amazon have changed the way we do things in the last decade.  But, I digress.

The valve and diaphragm came in (same day delivery, thank you, Amazon).  We left the water off on that line to let the ground in that water box dry out a bit.  Then, this morning, I invited Dan to come out with me to open, inspect, and replace as necessary.

I took photos along the way (as suggested in the YouTube instructional video) to make sure things went back together in the same way they came apart...

 In a surprising twist of fate, it was just as described: the diaphragm had a deformation in it, the new diaphragm was an exact fit, and it all went back together with no fuss.  I turned on the water line and... you could hear it fill with water, and no leaks.

Joan came out, turned on the system from the control box, and we have a functioning plant watering system again.

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Would a "manly man" do this...

 Taking Murph for a walk in the stroller.  I'm secure in my masculinity.  Yeah, this post took a different turn.  ;-)

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Here's a look at the finished product from the class Joan and Steph took...

 It needed to have a layer of "grout" put onto it, which Joan did this morning.  It is not the "broken glass" I thought it would be - but there are a lot of small beads on there, too.  Sounds like it was a good Mother-Daughter outing.

One other Mother-Daughter project today: Steph's "Rubina friendship bracelet" (I don't know what else to call it, but it spells out Rubina) pulled apart this morning.  Well, Dicha pulled on it, and... pop.  Steph and some of her friends are wearing these bracelets in support "until Rubina makes it" through the 8 stages of her final training at the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus (she is currently in stage 2).

Mom to the rescue: Joan pulled out a bead board she has - just for making bead projects - and stretchy thread, then helped Steph get started on remaking her Rubina bracelet... better than original.

 

Like a Jr High Date...

 

I've made that joke before: when two couples go out and it's guys in the front seat, girls in the back.  We don't do that.

Today, Joan and Steph were doing the Mother's Day event that Steph had scheduled for them: they are taking a class to make a lamp out of pieces of broken glass.  Oh, they call it "mosiac," but it is gluing pieces of broken glass onto a lamp.  Sounds potentially dangerous to me.  But, it should be good Mom-Daughter time, since they are doing a nice breakfast out before the class.  Steph is big on experiences.  She has asked if she and I can go to a shooting range sometime soon.

I suggested that Dan and I go out for breakfast this morning.  'Cause, guys gotta eat.  So, Dan and I had a nice breakfast out at Blackbear Diner.  And good guy-conversation.  Dan is a good guy.  I enjoy time with him.

Steph took some photos of Joan in action during their class...

 

 

Why I Ride...

 

Out on the Burgman 200 today; early, before the heat of the day.  It was already pushing 90º when I got home shortly after 10:00 this morning.

It's been a while since I've shot any riding video, so I brought the Insta360 X4 along.  Been a while since I've used that camera, as well.  Of course, before I could do anything with it, there was a software/firmware update for the camera and the app that needed to be loaded.  I kinda slacked off from using the X4 as much - it used to be a go-to for any riding video, but it takes time to edit and work up.  Using my other non-360 cameras is a lot less work.

That said, I just wanted to use one camera today, so this fit the bill.

I stopped at the top of South Mountain to reset the camera and drink some water (it is important to stay hydrated here in the desert).  As you will see at the very end of the video, there was a group of sportbike riders there.  I could tell they were looking to take a group photo, so I offered to shoot it for them so they could all be in the photo.  When I was done, they asked if I wanted to roll my bike in and get a photo with them... I had to chuckle at that: I'm guessing I am about 40 years older than the oldest one in that group.  I thanked them for the offer and wished them safe riding.

A shot from my bike as I was ready to head out...

 And here's the relatively short video from today...

 

Starting the morning right...

 

Well, after doing my morning meds and vitamins, then taking Murphy outside for a while.  With that out of the way, I decided to get out on my CTX.  It was a good ride, even though the heat of the day was already building: 89º when I got back around 10:00 am.  Mother Nature is going for 104º for a high today.

I took the bike out on the twisty roads (no video).  The ocotillos have lost their blooms and their green look.  The saguaro cacti, though, are blooming even more currently...

 That is a lot of blooms off one cactus.  And, a quick selfie, as long as I had the phone off the mount on the bike...

 When I got back, I took the Burgman for a ride around the neighborhood.  Yes, they both started right up.

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In other "it's about time" news: look what showed up in the mail today...

 Joan got hers over two weeks ago.  We submitted our applications for renewal online... at the same time.  I had been checking regularly, and no change in status (application received) until Wednesday, when I saw that my renewal had been approved and was being submitted for making the passport book.  Then, it showed up today.  Joan received notice of changes in status all along the way, and had her passport in hand in 8 days... I got nothing.  Government efficiency at work.  But, at least it is here; in case I need to get out of the country on short notice.  No, we have no plans for getting out of the country.

 

You Load 16 Tons, What Do You Get...

 

If you said, "Another day older and deeper in debt - from the song 16 Tons, by Tennessee Ernie Ford, 1957," you get 20 bonus points.  If you added, "The song was written by Merle Travis in 1946," you get an additional 50 bonus points.

I know what I get: a sore back.  Today was my "yard day" - Joan did her part last Friday, trimming all the plants in our front yard (and bagging the trimmings).  I was off making music.  Then, it was off in the van for a few days.  My task today was raking the gravel; well, to be more accurate: using a large push broom to move the gravel around.  The guy Joan hired to plant the cacti in the yard a couple months ago used a broom instead of a rake... so, now we use the push broom.

I am told that "moving all the gravel around helps eliminate any weeds that are trying to push their way through the gravel."  That's in quotes, because I have no verification of that fact.  There were a few tiny weeds along the way that I pulled.  So, if nothing else, our gravel has now all been swept, so it is cleaner.  Probably.

Our yard has pavers, turf, and gravel in the back yard.  I do believe there is more square footage of pavers than gravel or turf.  The front yard is all gravel, with a bunch of plants and cacti.  The front yard is on the west side of the house, so I got out early this morning (before 7:00 am) to get as much done before the sun was pounding.  The high today is supposed to be 106º (hottest day of the year so far), so the sun will be pounding.

I am pretty sure I moved more than 16 tons of gravel today.  There is actually a formula, but it works out to about a ton of gravel for each 100 square feet to a 2 inch depth.  Yeah, I'm sure I moved more than that today.

 The builder put gold gravel in everyone's front yards; I am told that is the most plentiful (and less expensive).  We went with the gray gravel in our back yards.

And pavers; lots of pavers...

 If you're keeping track, a pallet of pavers can weigh between 2,650 pounds and 3, 255 pounds.  We used 18 pallets of pavers... so, somewhere around 27 (+/-) tons of pavers.  Fortunately, I did not have to move each of those pavers today.  And, "27 tons" doesn't work in the song.  ;-)

 

I ain't never done that before...

 

You have to say that with a Larry the Cable Guy accent to get the whole effect.

We had a nice time in Sedona.  This was scheduled to be a short get-away, and that's how it played out.

The RV site we were in last night didn't have a sewer connection, and no separate sewer dump in the park.  While we didn't use that much water, I do like to put the van away with the holding tanks empty.  We came up with a plan while rolling.

We took a different road out of Sedona: Red Rock Scenic Byway (also known as State Highway 179).  There are plenty of red rock formations along the way.  I used my DJI Pocket 3 camera to get a few "grab shots" along the way...

 The road also winds through part of the Coconino National Forest.  (For those keeping track, there is free dispersed camping in that National Forest - that means it may or may not be easily accessible with the van.)  The RV site we were in at Sedona was not free; not even inexpensive.  We paid more for that small partial hook-up site than we generally pay for a larger full hook-up site.  The reason is 3-fold: location, location, location.  But, I digress.

The fact that there was no sewer connection at our site meant we needed (well, wanted) to find a place to dump before putting the van away.  Coincidentally, the gas prices in Sedona and all along the way north of Phoenix were about 60¢ per gallon cheaper than in Phoenix.  There is a Love's Travel Center and a Pilot Truck Stop that had the best price on gas and have a sewer dump (part of their business plan to court RVers' business).  These dumps are not free.  And, we've never (in over 35 years of RVing used one of these truck stop/travel center dump sites.

We stopped at Love's and bought gas for $2.93/gallon, with our 10¢ Love's app discount.  It is $10 to use their dump site - you pay at the register inside the store, they give you a key with a metal plate about the size of a table top photo book attached... you aren't going to walk away with that.  They also hold onto your drivers license to make sure you bring that key back.  The dumping was easy and clean (I really like the macerator pump on our RoadTrek - it makes the job quick).

While I was pumping gas, Joan ran water from our fresh water holding tank into the black and gray tanks - better to dump when they are full or nearly so.  This also means less for us to empty out of fresh water holding tank to put that away empty.  $10 well spent.  I would definitely do that again if we are staying somewhere without the benefit of hook-ups.

Typical mid-day big city traffic on the way into Phoenix from the north... 17 to the 10 to the 202.  Easy.  We pulled into the driveway, Joan carried Murphy from the van to entryway to the house, put him down, and he scampered to the front door while I held it open for him... "I remember my house - I think it has been months since we've been here."  Cats can be a bit dramatic at times.  He looked around to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be, then said to me, "So, you probably want to feed me now, huh?"

Joan and I carted stuff back into the house (Joan quote: "This is a lot of work for just a couple days."  Maybe we should stay out longer next time?); we put stuff away, then decided on a visit to SmashBurger.  SmashBurger had other plans: they were closed... until the 22nd.  Joan surmised it was for some deep cleaning.  No explanation, just "Sorry for the inconvenience."  After Joan suggested this, I really had my mouth ready for their BBQ bacon cheeseburger.  Next closest alternative: In and Out Burger.  Not a bad second choice... and it is occasionally our first choice - in the rotation along with Five Guys, SmashBurger, and BJ's.  Alas, bacon isn't on the menu at In and Out.

It is hot here in the Valley of the Sun: 103º today.  Quite a bit different from the 79ª high yesterday in Sedona.  We'll wait until after the sun goes down before taking Murph out in the yard so he doesn't burn his paw pads.  Yes, that's a thing.

 

Into Sedona...

 

It is a pretty drive going from Clarkdale to Sedona.  We stopped at Black Bear Diner for a big breakfast on the way through Cottonwood.  Murphy stayed in air conditioned comfort in the RoadTrek, thanks to the lithium batteries and 3000w inverter.  It was 74º when we stopped at the restaurant, but parking in the direct sun means it will warm up - with this rig, the boy can stay comfortable with no engine or generator running.

Breakfast was outstanding; we've eaten at other Black Bear Diners before, but this one tops 'em.  Nice decor, too, and the place was lightly populated at 10:00 am.  Back to the van, checked on Murph (he didn't leave his carrier, even though the door was open), and we headed to Sedona, only 17 miles away.

Looking through the windshield as we got close...

 We were there a bit early for the noon check-in time at the RV park (and they are particular - they have an "before check-in overflow parking" where you can wait until noon.  We drove around town, eventually finding a road that led to a trailhead, away from all the population (Sedona is very much a touristy town - upscale, but it is very apparent what the main "industry" is in town).  I got out to take a couple photos of the Roadtrek...

 At one minute after noon, we rolled into the RV park.  And followed their procedure: "You were given a site number when you booked - drive to the site and get set up.  Do NOT come to the office until after your are parked in your site after noon.  Their emphasis.  The lady at the front desk thanked us for following "the procedure."  They don't have much room for parking around the office, so I could see how it could be a bottleneck when people don't follow "the procedure."  Truly, this is unlike any other RV park we've ever stayed at, as far as "the procedure."

 The sites are wooded and arranged according to size and amenities.  I have checked here several times in the past and they never had anything available with a week's notice.  I lucked out to get this partial hook-up site, booking a few days ago.

Nothing much to do for check-in, since we booked and paid over the phone.  She gave us a campground map and list of rules (they do like their rules here).  We walked back to the van, then headed back to town for a bit of a walkabout. 

As I mentioned, plenty of touristy type shops...

 Joan hammed it up for a photo with a prickly pink javalina...

Then, she wanted a photo of me, by just regular ol' javelinas...

 The views of the cliffs are pretty, even from the downtown area...

 Joan didn't find anything to buy, but I heard some ice cream calling my name... first time I've had real ice cream in a very long while.  There are free public parking lots a couple blocks off the main drag, but you have to pay to park if you want to be in the thick of it...

 They do like their round-abouts here - I guess it keeps traffic flowing, as long as everyone plays nice with the yielding...

 Then, back to the RV park where we really settled in: plugged in, awning out, chairs out, and some leash time for Murphy...

I had no reason to come to Sedona, other than a place to be where we could be out and about in the van.  It is cooler here: 101º in Phoenix today, 79º for a high in Sedona.

Tomorrow, back to the Valley of the Sun, since we both have "appointments."  And Murphy wants to get back to his courtyard when he can frolic without the "house" moving.  ;-). But, for now...