Refreshing!

 

Mother Nature cut you a break?  No, highs this week are supposed to be in the 100-and-teens.

That said, at 5:30 this morning, it was 76º.  I was feeling the need to take advantage of that.  It will be in the 80s for overnight lows the rest of the week.

I took care of my morning routine, including getting Murphy some outdoor time.  I had to chuckle at the local morning news: the NBC affiliate is at Buc-ee's - they were counting down to the 6:00 am "doors open" time.  Yep, a big crowd.  Some people camped out in line to be one of the first ones in the door.  I like Buc-ee's, but not enough to stand in line to get in the door.  But, I don't stand in line (anymore) for concert tickets, Black Friday sales, or the latest iPhone.  It's OK, people, they will make more Beaver Nuggets, brisket, and jerkey.

My refreshing time: out on the scoot.  I put the trickle charger on the battery last night - it has been sitting for a while.  I checked oil and tires, and fired it up.  I was a bit concerned when the fuel gauge was still showing two bars; that's where it was when I last rode it.  And, it stayed on two bars through the ride.  I was concerned that maybe the fuel sender was stuck.  I "shook it down" pretty good.

There was almost no traffic on the mountain.  Nothing in my lane and only 5 or 6 vehicles going the other way.  That was refreshing.  And the relatively cool air in the shade of the mountain on some stretches.  I stopped to take a couple photos of the valley...

 Pretty desert scenery (those photos were from less than half way up the mountain), and decent visibility.  I stopped to rehydrate at the top, then back at it.  The fuel gauge was still showing 2 bars.  Same when I got off the mountain.  When I did stop at a gas station on the way home, I discovered why the gauge wasn't moving: 91.5 miles per gallon.  This scoot is entertaining and economical.

I needed to get out for a ride.  Summers are brutal here in the desert.  Early morning is the only time - it isn't safe to ride when the heat is above 110º.

Great start to the day!

 

Happy Father's Day...

 

And happy Summer Solstice!  And, in spite of what you might read or hear, this is not the "longest day of the year."  The days all have the same 24 hours.  This is the day of the year with the most daylight; from today on (until the Winter Solstice) the daylight hours will get less each day.

And Father's Day?  It doesn't get any less - it is still the best.  I would say it is my "favorite job," but it isn't a job, it's an adventure... if you said, "That is the recruiting slogan from the US Navy from 1976 to 1986," you get 30 bonus points.

I'm having a good Father's Day.  We were all up early for breakfast out at Black Bear Diner; yes, the second of my Father's Day meals, but this one actually on the day.  We got to Black Bear a few minutes after 7:00 this morning - obviously not the only ones with that plan and timing.  Within a few minutes of getting seated, the place was full.

Once back home, it was time to be adored.  While I am always pretty adorable, this is also a day to get cards and gifts.  Murphy and Stella got in on the action, with traced paw prints as the signature on the card from them.  Yes, it was very cute.

But, the best part of Father's Day here in Arizona: I get to see our kid.  And that is an almost every day occurrence. While I am not a fan of living in the desert, being next door to Steph and Dan (and the critters) makes it all good.  It is a very nice Father's Day.

 

Clean It Up...

 

The RoadTrek smashed a lot of bugs in this last trip.  This morning, at 5:30, it was 76º... yep, that's as good as it's gonna get until around November or so - time to get that van cleaned up.  We brought it in from storage last night, so I was ready for it.  Well, as ready as you can be at 5:30 in the morning.

I got out the ladder (gotta clean those solar panels on top), the hose, the car cleaning soap, the brush, the cleaning cloths.

 Notice something besides the van in the driveway?

 That is Steph's new car - a Buick Envista Avenir.  They went yesterday morning "just to look."  And came home with that.  She traded her Lexus for it.  It is a good-looking car; rides nice... they took us to lunch yesterday; a "joint decision," to avoid the Father's Day crowds.

 Did I mention: cool new car?

OK, back to the cleaning... a bit over 2 hours later, my part was winding down.  6 rounds of soap/scrub/rinse on the front of the van (all those bugs, remember?).  Wiping it all down.  Joan came out to do the windows (a lot of windows) and the interior.  Looking good!

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And, back to the feline portion of our program:

The little one can be a bit of a goof-ball... 

 Yeah, that's off the side of the cat tower.  And, here she is swatting her brother...

 A bit of drama on Murphy's part.  They're cute together.

Naps...

 

I hear that is a good thing for old people like you, Jim.

I would consider that snarky... if it wasn't so true.  It is good for cats, too.

Murphy and Stella enjoy naps.  And lately, they have been enjoying them in close proximity to each other...

 You get a good view of the size difference with this "overhead" shot.  But, what I notice most is how sweet they are together.  I think two weeks in the "closeness" (is that a word?) of the van brought them together even more.  On the bright side, if there are middle of the night zoomies, they are generally happening somewhere besides our bedroom.

I've read that cats sleep 16 hours a day.  I haven't found that to be the case, but these two are working on it...

 And, later...

 Yeah, I may be a party of one who appreciates these images.  Well, Joan likes 'em, too, since the first two photos are hers.

So you don't get the idea that these two do nothing but sleep, this shot was taken shortly after the one above...

 And, Stella's turn in front of the camera...

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Buc-ee's is almost ready!

Monday, June 22nd is opening day for the new Buc-ee's in Goodyear, AZ.  "Is that a big deal?" you ask.  The local NBC affiliate (Channel 12) will be doing live broadcasts from Buc-ee's throughout the day, including two streaming broadcasts.  Motels close to the Buc-ee's location are reporting being sold out for rooms around that date.  There are special traffic procedures being put into place by the City of Goodyear for the streets surrounding Buc-ee's, including "no turns across traffic" (you will have to go a half mile beyond Buc-ee's, do a U-turn, then come back so you don't have to cross traffic to enter the Buc-ee's.  Arizona DOT has a camera set up to monitor the roads on the entrances to Buc-ee's.  I-10 drivers are being encouraged to take alternate routes on opening day and the week following; and are advising drivers that there may be Interstate ramp closures during that time.

So, yeah, it is apparently a big deal.

 

Steph and Dan are treating us to a Father's Day lunch today (to avoid the crowds on Sunday) a mile or so away from that new Buc-ee's location.  I'm guessing we should be away from the fray.

 

Everything Old Is New Again...

 

When Stella first started coming out of the catio, we put a second cat tower (a hand-me-down from Steph and Dan) in the living room.  It gave both cats a place to play.  I thin it was beneficial in bringing those two together, but... right in the middle of the living room.

In time, Joan moved both cat towers to a wall, and the cats lost interest in them.

Since we have been in this house, we have moved one of the kitchen bar stools (with a cooling pad on it) to the patio door.  It was Murphy's "happy place," where he could nap and keep an eye on what is going on in the courtyard.  When we brought Stella into the family, she would watch Murphy sit on that chair... and would hop up onto it when he vacated it.  The solution to both cats getting a comfortable place for courtyard viewing: two kitchen bar stools by the door.  That's a lot to move when you want to go out the door.

Joan gave it some thought and came up with an idea: what if we put casters on the bottom of a cat tower and put that by the patio door?  Plenty of room for both cats to have a raised view.  Casters on the bottom because the towers are heavy and awkward to carry.  She ordered a set of casters with brakes.

This morning, it was "only" 82º when I took Murphy outside.  More heat is coming (supposed to be highs of 114º most of next week) - this would be my window for getting the casters installed.  And outside, so I could put the tower on the tall table out there horizontally so I could work on it at a comfortable height.

The screws that came with the casters were just the right length.  15 minutes later, I bought the tower back into the house to test it out: with two brakes on, it is solid.  The cats looked at it with suspicion...

 And then, acceptance...

 

Up and At 'em...

 

Murphy walked on me this morning.  Those who have cats will understand: there is their stealthy walk, where they are light as a feather; and there is their heavy walk... this was the heavy walk.  It was 4:30 and I was not ready to be up.  I turned over - Stella curled up in the crook of my knees.

I got up just before 5:30 and started on their breakfast.  They both adore me at that time.  It was already 91º when I took Murphy outside before 6:00 am.  When we came in around 6:30, Joan was up - she asked me, "Did you turn off the propane in the van?"

"I did not."  A quick discussion and we decided to make a run to the van to shut off propane, drop off items Joan laundered yesterday, and bring the bedding home for it's turn at being laundered.  Leaving storage, Joan asked me, "Are you ready for a bite to eat?"

"Black Bear?"  Agreed.  They do have a "lite eaters menu" which works good for us.  Breakfast eaten and we were on the way home before 8:00.  That's a busy morning for us.  Oh, I know the working folks will have an opinion on that timing... but we are still adjusting to 3 different time zones in the last week or so.

While at the van, we emptied out the Stowaway2 storage pod.  When I get a reasonably cooler morning (maybe Friday), I'll bring the van in and get it washed... we squished a lot of bugs over those 3,000+ miles.

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On the local news this morning, they reported on "an elderly hiker" who had been found dead on a trail on South Mountain.  He had been missing for 4 days.  The local media warns about hiking in this heat (supposed to be 108º here today); the hiking trails are closed when the temps are forecast to be above 105º.

While I feel for this hiker and his family, the descriptor "elderly" got my attention.  I wondered if there was a real definition for the age at which one becomes elderly?  Turns out, there is: In the U.S. and globally, 65 is the most widely accepted age for becoming a "senior" or "elderly," primarily because it aligns with eligibility for Medicare and Social Security full retirement. However, definitions vary.

Gerontologists often categorize aging into brackets (Young-Old: 65–74, Middle-Old: 75–84, and Old-Old: 85+).  Cool - I am still "Young-Old."  

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With daytime high temperatures above 110º, it is now time to give the hot tub some shade.  Even though the lid on the tub seals and the whole thing is insulated (to keep the heat in), when it is this hot, it needs some shade to keep the water from getting too hot to be comfortable.  Joan and I set this up once again...

 I like being able to look at the stars, the moon, and airplanes flying over at night... this shade cover gets in the way of that.  It is necessary, though, to keep the water from getting too hot.

That, the pergola, and 4 large patio umbrellas help with the shade in the courtyard.  Joan and I were discussing a new bill passed by the Arizona State Legislature: an HOA board or Architectural Committee cannot prohibit any kind of shade structure in your back yard.  The pergola was something we had to submit for approval before the landscaper could erect it.  All the umbrellas are "temporary," so no approval was necessary.  But now, apparently, any kind of shade structure is allowed (by state law).  

The Cats Were Right...

 

"We live in a mansion!"  Well, not really, but the house does seem bigger after spending time in the van.  ;-)  The felines settled back in... they are sharing space, sitting on a chair by the patio door.  They both slept on Joan's side of the bed last night.  And the best part: we all slept in this morning.

"The morning routine" came back easily.  The fur babies were patient while I prepared their breakfast.  I took Murphy outside - he walked around our courtyard a bit, then settled down on some pavers in the shade.  Nothing I would call "cool," as it was already 90º at 8:00 am.  Coming back inside was his idea this morning: "Whew!  It's hot out there," he told Stella.  Then, they both got a Churu treat, sharing it off a spatula at the same time.

Joan went to work on laundry.  No, we don't have a washer/dryer in the van.  Yes, people have asked.  The bathroom (with a shower) makes an airline potty look spacious.

There is shopping that needs to get done today; staples (like cat food) that we knew would be enough to make the trip need to be replenished.  This is serious - I used the last of hard kitten food on breakfast!  Stella is not worried - she knows Mom and Dad will provide.  Or, if necessary, she can always snitch some of Murphy's food.  Yes, they each get their own, but it is a regular occurrence to have them start with their own food, then switch... like junior high kids trading lunch.

We enjoyed our trip.  It took a few days to get into the swing of things.  I participate on a RoadTrek owners group on Facebook.  One of the participants there was moderately appalled that we stayed in a KOA on our last night out - she was touting the 50% off that Passport America offers and said that is what they use when they travel.  Yep, we are aware of PA - we have a "lifetime membership" that we bought years ago.  For those who aren't aware of how it works: Passport America does give you 50% off a night at specific RV parks; the parks can put "exclusions" on when it can be used... such as: not on weekends, only during the off season, no holidays, etc.  You have to check the information at each park to see what their exclusions are.  A park can stop offering that Passport America rate at any time.

We used Passport America regularly from 2007 to 2020.  Then the big "RVing boom" during the pandemic - RV parks were full, only the less desirable places had to offer 50% off to fill sites.  The number of parks offering PA declined.  The exclusions increased.  The lifetime membership meant we didn't have to pay the annual fee for it, but we used it less.  To the point where we quit looking for parks along our route - for us, it is more important to be where we want to stop for the night. 

Here's a breakdown on the type of RV parks we used on this last trip:
4 nights in casino RV parks
3 nights in county parks
2 nights in a membership park (Hart Ranch)
1 night in a fairgrounds
1 night in a KOA
2 nights in Love's RV Stops

 Will we use Passport America again?  Sure, when it is convenient.  For those who don't travel by RV: campgrounds and RV parks are not all the same; some are definitely nicer than others.  Some are what we call "Camp Deadend," where the majority of rigs in there look like they couldn't move.  Some are true "resorts," where they offer all the amenities (like swimming pool, hot tub, sport courts, restaurant, activities).  Some are literally just overnight stops.

Our needs for an overnight vary: sometimes we just want a safe place to park; or an electric plug-in; or full facilities like electric, water, and sewer.  Or cable TV.  Or a nice shower.  We like a level site (you'd think that would be a given, but it isn't always); a paved site is a plus.  When we had bigger rigs and were towing, a pull-through site was a must.  So, it varies.  Our RoadTrek is nicely self-contained, so dry camping (no hookups) is easy when it isn't blisteringly hot out.  Sometimes we need to put on fresh water and dump our holding tanks - then, it's good to have a full hook-up site.  But, anyway you look at it, a Class B campervan is a great "traveling conveyance."

 

 

This Horse Is Heading For The Barn...

 

You bought a horse?  No, that's a saying.  We are 200 miles from home, and will be heading that way shortly.  The high today in Phoenix is supposed to be 109º... can't say I'm looking forward to that.

The kitties had their "best night" last night.  The ruckus was minor and didn't go on and on.  All things considered, they did good this trip.

Last night, Stella was grooming Murphy...

I just know she's gonna bite me.

 They do that for each other, but it usually turns into a bite-fest.  This was just sweet; and went on for a while.  Yes, that is a cat-spit induced cowlick in the photo above.  They can be nice to each other.

We'll finish our tank flushing this morning, then hit the road.  It's time.  We say we "won't be crazy about getting things unloaded and cleaned," but it rarely works out that way.  With the triple digit heat, we're going to have to take it easy and in shifts.

This stretch of road is quite scenic - it starts with high desert leaving Holbrook...

 But, turns into curvy mountain roads with plenty of elevation changes...

 I would much rather do this road than the Interstate.  As we drop in elevation and get closer to Phoenix, there is the challenge to see who sees the first saguaro cactus...

 And then, there are entire hillsides of them.

Before long, you see evidence of civilization.  Then, scads of traffic.  Yep, we are back in Phoenix.

Then, home...

 

Murphy saw the house as we pulled up to it - the boy couldn't wait to get inside.  We opened the sliding door and let him run to the front door of the house.  I put little Stella in her carrier and brought her inside.  The kitties seem very happy to be home once again.

It is HOT!  We had our plan, and worked it.  Within a half hour or so, we had the van unloaded.  A bit longer than that to get the stuff put away.  Joan cleaned the interior; I need to give it a thorough washing, but that will have to wait until an early morning.  Sometime.  We put the van into storage; I gave it a soft pat as I locked it up - the RoadTrek performed like a champ.

Thanks for riding along the past couple weeks. 

 

Another Day of "Side Excursions"...

 

We had a Sunday breakfast buffet at the Sky City Casino.  A bit of gaming.  Joan likes to say, "Between the two of us, we came out about even."  That's what you say when you lose and I win.  I'm good with it; what's mine is hers and what's hers is hers.

Because we made some extra miles yesterday, we had to do some "recalculating" - we'd like to be in an RV park tonight where we can dump and flush tanks, so those are empty.  Only 208 miles to go to get home.  Joan picked a KOA in Holbrook, AZ.  Check-in time isn't until 2:00pm and we were ready to head out after breakfast.  And, we gain an hour on this leg, on Arizona time.

We have never been to Petrified Forest National Park; it is close to Holbrook; looks like a good way to spend some time before checking in today.  We have a plan.

Some pretty scenery along the way...

Before leaving New Mexico, we saw a sign for El Malpais National Monument; yeah, we have time to check it out...

 

 This National Monument is best known for the black lava formations...

 

 From there, heading west...

 We turned of I-40 for a trip through Petrified Forest National Park...

 Painted Desert views above.  Checking out the Visitors Center and some view-points...

 A "log bridge"...

 A selfie from Joan...

 Some petrified logs...

 How did they become petrified?  Thanks for asking.  This area was a tropical rain forest millions of years ago.  When fallen logs become buried by volcanic ash, it doesn't allow oxygen to get to the tree, preventing decay.  Over thousands or millions of years, groundwater dissolves minerals like silica and deposits them into the wood, crystallizing and replacing the organic matter while perfectly preserving its cellular structure.  And, now you know.

It had been blowing like stink while we were in the National Park.  This is why...

 Yep, another thunderstorm moving right towards where we are planning to stay for the night.

Stella hopped up on the dash while we were on this final leg...

Above, from Joan's phone; below, from my camera...

 Murphy didn't hop up on the dash until we were settled in at the campground...

 I was going to say: Murphy was asking, "Where's my supper!??"  But, he is not a demanding boy - that was a yawn.

We got set up in the KOA right before the first sprinkles from the thunderstorm hit our windows.  The worst of it went north of us, but we did get the lightning and thunder.  After nearly 3,000 miles, the van is grubby - let it rain!

And speaking of the van, here's a shot from inside the National Park...