This was the last day. We got up at 7 and were on the road by 8. It
was a long pain in the ass drive. Two things made it worse. First, it
snowed on the pass. Luckily it didn't stick. The temperature was 35,
so it was close to sticking. The second was a 25-35 mph headwind that
hit us at Pendelton and stayed with us all the way down the gorge. It
was like driving up hill all the way. It cost use over $60 in fuel just
to go from Boardman to Hood River.
It rained for at
leas 2/3 of the trip. It was raining pretty hard when we turned onto
205. Everyone was doing under 50 in honor of the rain. Luckily that
only lasted for about 10 miles.
We picked up the mail
on the way home. When we got there I started working on the water and
black water while Ellen cleaned up the mouse shit. Of course it rained
for most of the time I was out there. It cleared up just as I finished
up. The Polaris had an empty tank and I wasn't sure it was going to
make it.
We moved some stuff from the trailer, but there's a lot more to go. It can wait until tomorrow.
I
lost out on both of the ebay auctions that ended today. I don't really
care. I bid the max that I wanted to. Someone else wanted it more.
I'll start this up again in the fall when we hit the road again.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Day 218
This is the next to the last day. It was washing day, so we started out washing and surfing. I also poured the fuel from the can into the tank. The cheesecloth worked really well as a filter.
As we were finishing up Dan drove by with his trailer to put it in storage. When I went down to see him there was a buck by the storage building. His friend Dave was petting it. I'd taken Lucy on a leash. The buck and Lucy got along pretty good until Lucy tried to play with it. The buck sort of took a swipe at Lucy and that scared her. After that Lucy didn't want to get close except to smell it's ass.
By the time that was all over it was time for lunch. We went over to Annie's and we bought Dan and Patsy's lunch, too. Then it was time to go to the park dedication. It was pretty nice. They had a color guard. I'd forgotten how young soldiers are. Their captain looked like he was under 30. Afterwards they had cake, but no forks to eat it with. Lucy was really frustrated because we didn't let her off lead.
When we got back we went over to order Ellen a custom made fishing pole. We didn't really need one, but we wanted to buy something from the guy who was making them. It's going to look really nice.
Lucy finally got her chance when we went over to the Sportsman's access. The dogs got to run and Dan did some fishing. I don't think he caught anything. When we walked along the road Lucy went up the hill and checked it out for birds. I was pretty happy with her. All three dogs were pretty tired by the time we left.
We spent the evening watching TV and then said our goodbyes. I backed up the truck by the hitch so we could hitch up fast tomorrow. I also took down the dish. I should have done the tires in the morning, but I forgot to.
As we were finishing up Dan drove by with his trailer to put it in storage. When I went down to see him there was a buck by the storage building. His friend Dave was petting it. I'd taken Lucy on a leash. The buck and Lucy got along pretty good until Lucy tried to play with it. The buck sort of took a swipe at Lucy and that scared her. After that Lucy didn't want to get close except to smell it's ass.
By the time that was all over it was time for lunch. We went over to Annie's and we bought Dan and Patsy's lunch, too. Then it was time to go to the park dedication. It was pretty nice. They had a color guard. I'd forgotten how young soldiers are. Their captain looked like he was under 30. Afterwards they had cake, but no forks to eat it with. Lucy was really frustrated because we didn't let her off lead.
When we got back we went over to order Ellen a custom made fishing pole. We didn't really need one, but we wanted to buy something from the guy who was making them. It's going to look really nice.
Lucy finally got her chance when we went over to the Sportsman's access. The dogs got to run and Dan did some fishing. I don't think he caught anything. When we walked along the road Lucy went up the hill and checked it out for birds. I was pretty happy with her. All three dogs were pretty tired by the time we left.
We spent the evening watching TV and then said our goodbyes. I backed up the truck by the hitch so we could hitch up fast tomorrow. I also took down the dish. I should have done the tires in the morning, but I forgot to.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Day 217
It didn't thunderstorm today like they said it would, but it did blow a lot and rain a little. Dan spent a lot of the day cleaning his boat. I think he likes that as much as he does fishing.
I called Kesselring's. They still had the Apex and will ship it back to Stephen. I should have it on Wednesday or Thursday. I also called Cigna. They still haven't made a decision about the ambulance.
The pollen is beginning to get to me. I'm sneezing a little and sometimes my eyes are itching like crazy. I'm going to have to go on the pills soon.
We went with Dan to run the dogs at Greg's place. Lucy was running around like a crazy dog. I think she scented some quail. Also it's the first time she's really been allowed to run since Sedona. There were a bunch of really big carp spawning in the shallow water. Lucy went down and chased some of them in the water. She finally started to swim out after some out in the cove. I had to whistle her back.
Most of the reset of the day was spent reading and doing nothing. We did do some fixing up of Patsy's computer and iPods. We also went over to the neighbor's house and connected his TV to the internet. That was made a little more difficult by his not having the right remote control. We ended up using a combination of the control he had and the DirecTV controller.
For awhile we sat in the truck outside of Dan's place with the windows open and read. The windstorm was kind of cool sitting out there. We both napped a little also.
In the evening we watched the last episode of House. It's kind of fitting since we only have two more days on the road.
I called Kesselring's. They still had the Apex and will ship it back to Stephen. I should have it on Wednesday or Thursday. I also called Cigna. They still haven't made a decision about the ambulance.
The pollen is beginning to get to me. I'm sneezing a little and sometimes my eyes are itching like crazy. I'm going to have to go on the pills soon.
We went with Dan to run the dogs at Greg's place. Lucy was running around like a crazy dog. I think she scented some quail. Also it's the first time she's really been allowed to run since Sedona. There were a bunch of really big carp spawning in the shallow water. Lucy went down and chased some of them in the water. She finally started to swim out after some out in the cove. I had to whistle her back.
Most of the reset of the day was spent reading and doing nothing. We did do some fixing up of Patsy's computer and iPods. We also went over to the neighbor's house and connected his TV to the internet. That was made a little more difficult by his not having the right remote control. We ended up using a combination of the control he had and the DirecTV controller.
For awhile we sat in the truck outside of Dan's place with the windows open and read. The windstorm was kind of cool sitting out there. We both napped a little also.
In the evening we watched the last episode of House. It's kind of fitting since we only have two more days on the road.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Day 216
Dan went to church this morning, so we stayed in the trailer and surfed. I managed to depress myself ready the opinion pages of some liberal papers.
I called Stephen to tell him that we'd be there on Wednesday. I found out that Kesselring's had sent him my gun with no additional information. So he sent it back to them. Shit. I'll call them tomorrow to see what they did with it.
We went fishing in the afternoon. Yesterday I didn't catch anything. Today I caught 5 fish, three of them keepers. Of course we threw them all back. Lucy had a good time licking fish.
After dinner at Dan's we watched a particularly stupid action film. We laughed all of the way through it.
I called Stephen to tell him that we'd be there on Wednesday. I found out that Kesselring's had sent him my gun with no additional information. So he sent it back to them. Shit. I'll call them tomorrow to see what they did with it.
We went fishing in the afternoon. Yesterday I didn't catch anything. Today I caught 5 fish, three of them keepers. Of course we threw them all back. Lucy had a good time licking fish.
After dinner at Dan's we watched a particularly stupid action film. We laughed all of the way through it.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Day 215
We went fishing with Dan today. First we went to Thorny's for the licenses. They cost a little over $200. We left about 11:00. Ellen caught 2 fish. Dan caught several and so did his friend Dave. I didn't catch anything. It was a nice time on the water though. Everything is really green. You could hear the Chukar cackling on the slopes.
Dan left us off at 5:00 so he could pick up Greg. Of course Greg didn't show. Instead he kept working on cleaning up his yard. This isn't surprising.
When we got back from the river we sat around and talked for awhile. Ellen and Patsy went over to the store and bought some stuff for dinner. We ate about 8:30 (Patsy was cooking). It was good though, fajitas.
Dan put on a movie at 9:00. We lasted until about 9:30 and then we timed out and went home to shower and go to bed.
Dan left us off at 5:00 so he could pick up Greg. Of course Greg didn't show. Instead he kept working on cleaning up his yard. This isn't surprising.
When we got back from the river we sat around and talked for awhile. Ellen and Patsy went over to the store and bought some stuff for dinner. We ate about 8:30 (Patsy was cooking). It was good though, fajitas.
Dan put on a movie at 9:00. We lasted until about 9:30 and then we timed out and went home to shower and go to bed.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Day 214
We're back in Oregon. The drive over was uneventful except for the lousy mileage. There was a nasty headwind and we got 7.6 mpg. We stopped in Baker and got some groceries and fuel. 'The drive from there to Richland was just as big a PITA as always.
When we got to the park we set up. The park no longer has cable, so Ellen tried to set up the satellite. She worked for a good hour and a half or two hours without success. We called a halt to the festivities. I wanted to go downtown, so we walked there. We had some ice cream and looked at the changes. They weren't positive. One of the boat repair places was gone, and so was one of the realty places.
We went back to the trailer and Ellen tried again. She set things like a couple of dishes we saw on our walk. It took some more effort, but she got it to work.
We spent the evening with Dan and Patsy. We talked about a whole lot of things. It was a lot of fun. I guess we're going fishing tomorrow.
When we got to the park we set up. The park no longer has cable, so Ellen tried to set up the satellite. She worked for a good hour and a half or two hours without success. We called a halt to the festivities. I wanted to go downtown, so we walked there. We had some ice cream and looked at the changes. They weren't positive. One of the boat repair places was gone, and so was one of the realty places.
We went back to the trailer and Ellen tried again. She set things like a couple of dishes we saw on our walk. It took some more effort, but she got it to work.
We spent the evening with Dan and Patsy. We talked about a whole lot of things. It was a lot of fun. I guess we're going fishing tomorrow.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Day 213
Today was the long drive to Homedale, ID. It was made longer by a half hour stop at a Nevada construction zone. It was made even longer by a stop at a tire shop. About 20 miles out from Homedale the tire pressure alarm went off. The right back tire only had 55 pounds of pressure in it. We had no cell signal (it's Idaho). After a few miles Ellen got a signal. She looked up the closest tire place and called them. They were about to close, but they stayed open for us.
The tire had a screw in it. The screw was just long enough to cause a slow leak. No telling where we got it. They fixed it and rebalanced the tire. They wanted to charge use $12. I gave them $20.
The only other notable thing about the 9 hour trip was that we got to pay the most for Diesel that we've paid on this trip. The fuel price in McDermitt was $4.79.
Poor Lucy. The campground we are at is right on the Snake River. Only she can't swim. There's also at least three squirrels playing outside. She's standing by the door looking out at them. One came within 5 feet of the door.
I'm tired tonight. I'm going to surf a little bit and then go to bed.
The tire had a screw in it. The screw was just long enough to cause a slow leak. No telling where we got it. They fixed it and rebalanced the tire. They wanted to charge use $12. I gave them $20.
The only other notable thing about the 9 hour trip was that we got to pay the most for Diesel that we've paid on this trip. The fuel price in McDermitt was $4.79.
Poor Lucy. The campground we are at is right on the Snake River. Only she can't swim. There's also at least three squirrels playing outside. She's standing by the door looking out at them. One came within 5 feet of the door.
I'm tired tonight. I'm going to surf a little bit and then go to bed.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Day 212
I decided I didn't really want to shoot today. We ate the cheap breakfast at the casino and put money in a couple of machines. We even came out about $11 ahead.
We spent the morning doing some things sans-a-dog. We bought some groceries, since we are leaving civilization tomorrow. I also got a drug refill. It was funny, the doctor called asking why they were getting a renewal request from Nevada. I explained that I was traveling and would contact them when we got back.
We also stopped at the pawn shop. They didn't have anything that really interested us.
That took most of the morning. Then we picked up the dog and went to In-and-Out for lunch. It's the last chance we'll have to eat there for months. We took lunch to the dog park. Only it isn't a dog park any more. It's "leash only". So after lunch Ellen walked the dog while I went across the street to Costco for some stuff.
When I got back I found out that they had built a smaller dog park behind the old one. Ellen had Lucy in there playing with the other dogs. We sat there for a couple of hours with Lucy playing. Then we took the dog home and fed the animals.
We went to the buffet for dinner. It was great. We had a coupon, but the buffet wouldn't accept it. There was a hoop to jump through that wasn't described on the coupon. Afterwards we played a couple of machines. They were tight and we ended up losing about $10.
I fueled up the truck and backed it up ready to connect tomorrow. I'm planning on getting a sort of early start.
We spent the morning doing some things sans-a-dog. We bought some groceries, since we are leaving civilization tomorrow. I also got a drug refill. It was funny, the doctor called asking why they were getting a renewal request from Nevada. I explained that I was traveling and would contact them when we got back.
We also stopped at the pawn shop. They didn't have anything that really interested us.
That took most of the morning. Then we picked up the dog and went to In-and-Out for lunch. It's the last chance we'll have to eat there for months. We took lunch to the dog park. Only it isn't a dog park any more. It's "leash only". So after lunch Ellen walked the dog while I went across the street to Costco for some stuff.
When I got back I found out that they had built a smaller dog park behind the old one. Ellen had Lucy in there playing with the other dogs. We sat there for a couple of hours with Lucy playing. Then we took the dog home and fed the animals.
We went to the buffet for dinner. It was great. We had a coupon, but the buffet wouldn't accept it. There was a hoop to jump through that wasn't described on the coupon. Afterwards we played a couple of machines. They were tight and we ended up losing about $10.
I fueled up the truck and backed it up ready to connect tomorrow. I'm planning on getting a sort of early start.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Day 211
Today was 9 hours of driving to Carson City. We had to stop 2 times for road work. One time we waited for 15 minutes just so they could paint the road. The other time we got lucky and didn't have to wait. Instead we had to drive 3 miles or so at under 10 miles an hour.
Other than that the only notable thing was the ripoff fuel prices in several places. The drive itself was a long and boring as always. The country in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevadas is just as ugly, maybe more so, than southern New Mexico.
When we got to the park there were some strange clouds in the sky. We went to the casino for dinner and did a little gambling. When we started to leave it was raining - hard. So we went back and gambled some more. After awhile it cleared up and we walked back to the trailer. There was a lot of loud thunder, but we didn't see any lightning.
Other than that the only notable thing was the ripoff fuel prices in several places. The drive itself was a long and boring as always. The country in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevadas is just as ugly, maybe more so, than southern New Mexico.
When we got to the park there were some strange clouds in the sky. We went to the casino for dinner and did a little gambling. When we started to leave it was raining - hard. So we went back and gambled some more. After awhile it cleared up and we walked back to the trailer. There was a lot of loud thunder, but we didn't see any lightning.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Day 210
We decided to do the Las Vegas tourist thing today. That disappointed the dog, because she ended up locked up all day.
Yesterday I drained the grey tank. Today I checked the tires and retracted the stabilizers. That way we can get going quicker in the morning. I looked at the traffic at 9:15 and everything was green. I should have looked earlier, but I didn't think about it.
We went to Rio because we'd never been there before. It was an OK casino, but nothing about it was especially noteworthy. The slot machines were set pretty tight. We don't mind losing, in fact we expect it. However we do expect to lose slowly enough that it is entertaining. So we left.
We went to a place across the street called Plaza. It had a lot of the machines we liked and the slots were set so that we had fun as we were losing money. They also had an IMAX theater. We watched the Avengers in 3D. It cost $17.50 a ticket, but it was worth it. The movie was nothing but a bunch of explosions and special effects. It was just made for the huge screen and 3D. That flavor of 3D didn't give me a headache.
After the movie we did a little more gambling and then went back to see the dog. We fed her and hung around for about an hour. Then we went to the Fiesta casino for a buffet. It was under $20 for both of us when we signed up for their card. The buffet was OK, but nothing out of the ordinary.
After dinner we did some more playing. We probably played for an hour and a half for $6 or so. On the way home we fueled up. When we got home I hitched up. That way I could leave the dish up for the night. Pulling the stakes out tomorrow will take some work.
Yesterday I drained the grey tank. Today I checked the tires and retracted the stabilizers. That way we can get going quicker in the morning. I looked at the traffic at 9:15 and everything was green. I should have looked earlier, but I didn't think about it.
We went to Rio because we'd never been there before. It was an OK casino, but nothing about it was especially noteworthy. The slot machines were set pretty tight. We don't mind losing, in fact we expect it. However we do expect to lose slowly enough that it is entertaining. So we left.
We went to a place across the street called Plaza. It had a lot of the machines we liked and the slots were set so that we had fun as we were losing money. They also had an IMAX theater. We watched the Avengers in 3D. It cost $17.50 a ticket, but it was worth it. The movie was nothing but a bunch of explosions and special effects. It was just made for the huge screen and 3D. That flavor of 3D didn't give me a headache.
After the movie we did a little more gambling and then went back to see the dog. We fed her and hung around for about an hour. Then we went to the Fiesta casino for a buffet. It was under $20 for both of us when we signed up for their card. The buffet was OK, but nothing out of the ordinary.
After dinner we did some more playing. We probably played for an hour and a half for $6 or so. On the way home we fueled up. When we got home I hitched up. That way I could leave the dish up for the night. Pulling the stakes out tomorrow will take some work.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Day 209
We got up at 8 this morning and went back over to the range. I rented a MP5 and we both shot it. It's a fine weapon. It's very accurate and easy to shoot. The rate of fire is slow enough that it is easily controllable. I found that keeping a three round burst on target was really easy. A longer burst caused the muzzle to rise and go right. Then you were just wasting ammunition. It cost $1 a round for 200 rounds, but I thought it was well worth it.
After that we went back over to Camping World. Yesterday I noticed that one of the marker light lenses was gone. They had two types, so I just guessed on which one I needed. After that I stopped by the gun show they were having near the airport. It wasn't very good, sort of the same thing that I would have expected in Portland. About 1/3 of the vendors had guns, nothing really interesting. The other 2/3 were selling targets, magazines, beanie baby's and the like.
The dog was very dirty and greasy feeling. So we stopped by a dog wash that we had seen on the way home. It was surprisingly inexpensive and Lucy got herself a fine bath. Now she is soft and good smelling. When we were finished with that we went home and hid out from the heat. Later on in the evening I put on the marker light lens. I got lucky, it was the correct one. I also dumped the gray water tank. Of course one hose was a foot too long, so I had to use both.
After that we went back over to Camping World. Yesterday I noticed that one of the marker light lenses was gone. They had two types, so I just guessed on which one I needed. After that I stopped by the gun show they were having near the airport. It wasn't very good, sort of the same thing that I would have expected in Portland. About 1/3 of the vendors had guns, nothing really interesting. The other 2/3 were selling targets, magazines, beanie baby's and the like.
The dog was very dirty and greasy feeling. So we stopped by a dog wash that we had seen on the way home. It was surprisingly inexpensive and Lucy got herself a fine bath. Now she is soft and good smelling. When we were finished with that we went home and hid out from the heat. Later on in the evening I put on the marker light lens. I got lucky, it was the correct one. I also dumped the gray water tank. Of course one hose was a foot too long, so I had to use both.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Day 208
We went to a breakfast buffet with Dee and her husband and one of their friends today. Then we went shooting. It was a lot of fun. The targets were a little easy, but we made them harder by shooting pairs and different orders. There were 20 stations, so there was a lot of variety. The club rents machine guns, so tomorrow I'm going over there to shoot a MP5.
After that we went to get Lucy some more dog food. The place we found on the web in Boulder City didn't exist any more. So we stopped for lunch at an old style diner. It was a pretty good place and we could sit outside with the dog.
We had to drive all the way to Henderson to find a pet store. They had some cool food and a water jacket. It was expensive, but we thought Lucy would do good in it. I also got a Mother's day card for the one we lost.
When we got home we just hid out from the heat. When it cooled off in the evening Ellen tried to adjust the antenna again. She spent at least half an hour messing with it. She finally got a signal. It still took 10 minutes of screwing around to fine tune it. Now she's watching some chick flick.
After that we went to get Lucy some more dog food. The place we found on the web in Boulder City didn't exist any more. So we stopped for lunch at an old style diner. It was a pretty good place and we could sit outside with the dog.
We had to drive all the way to Henderson to find a pet store. They had some cool food and a water jacket. It was expensive, but we thought Lucy would do good in it. I also got a Mother's day card for the one we lost.
When we got home we just hid out from the heat. When it cooled off in the evening Ellen tried to adjust the antenna again. She spent at least half an hour messing with it. She finally got a signal. It still took 10 minutes of screwing around to fine tune it. Now she's watching some chick flick.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Day 207
I bought a paper this morning and the first thing that I read was Fry's lies. They had a 7 inch tablet on sale, as well as a blu-ray disk I wanted. Ellen called the trailer salesman and he was in, so we had a mission.
The tablet was a bust. The display sucked. We saw another one from Samsung that was nice, but it was way expensive. We ended up spending a couple of hours, but only bought a USB cable and the blu-ray.
We went over to see the trailer guy. He didn't have what we wanted, but we looked at a trailer by the same manufacturer. They are very nicely built. We just didn't want to buy a trailer sight unseen. Also it had a dinette and we don't want one of those. They don't make them anymore, so we'll have to keep looking.
After the trailer sales we went to a casino that's way south of Las Vegas, 14 miles south. We ate lunch there in a cafe looking over the swimming pool. It was a huge pool, surrounded by a large patio. There were a few people there. You can sit in the pool and order a drink delivered. That's the life.
After lunch we played some slot machines. One was the moo cows, and the other was Alice in wonderland. We lost $15 (surprise, surprise), but we had a lot of fun.
We went home and hid out in the AC for the rest of the afternoon. The dog was really happy to see us.
The tablet was a bust. The display sucked. We saw another one from Samsung that was nice, but it was way expensive. We ended up spending a couple of hours, but only bought a USB cable and the blu-ray.
We went over to see the trailer guy. He didn't have what we wanted, but we looked at a trailer by the same manufacturer. They are very nicely built. We just didn't want to buy a trailer sight unseen. Also it had a dinette and we don't want one of those. They don't make them anymore, so we'll have to keep looking.
After the trailer sales we went to a casino that's way south of Las Vegas, 14 miles south. We ate lunch there in a cafe looking over the swimming pool. It was a huge pool, surrounded by a large patio. There were a few people there. You can sit in the pool and order a drink delivered. That's the life.
After lunch we played some slot machines. One was the moo cows, and the other was Alice in wonderland. We lost $15 (surprise, surprise), but we had a lot of fun.
We went home and hid out in the AC for the rest of the afternoon. The dog was really happy to see us.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Day 206
We made the trip to Boulder City today. It's a little less than 300 miles. When we left Sedona we went down 500 feet to 4000 feet. By the time we were at Flagstaff we went to 7300 feet. We got 8.3 mpg, which I thought was pretty good.
The vet called. Lucy's test came back "high normal". That really means they don't know what's wrong. We're going to keep her on the vitamin K. We're supposed to get her tested again in 13 days. Unfortunately we're likely to be in east bumfuck Oregon at that point. She seems to be doing fine though and the spots seem to be fading a little.
When we got to Boulder City we went over to Fiocchi. Only Dee was there and she invited us to shoot with them on Saturday. She also gave us the name of a trailer salesman. We'll probably go look at a trailer tomorrow.
I put up the satellite dish, but Ellen couldn't get a signal. I don't know what could be wrong. We didn't have that trouble with the old one.
The vet called. Lucy's test came back "high normal". That really means they don't know what's wrong. We're going to keep her on the vitamin K. We're supposed to get her tested again in 13 days. Unfortunately we're likely to be in east bumfuck Oregon at that point. She seems to be doing fine though and the spots seem to be fading a little.
When we got to Boulder City we went over to Fiocchi. Only Dee was there and she invited us to shoot with them on Saturday. She also gave us the name of a trailer salesman. We'll probably go look at a trailer tomorrow.
I put up the satellite dish, but Ellen couldn't get a signal. I don't know what could be wrong. We didn't have that trouble with the old one.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Day 205
We got up early today and went over to the ATV rental place. They had a Ranger that was smaller than the one we have. It ran well though.
We started out driving out a forest road to a trail to an arch. The road was terrible in places. Lots of very sharp rocks and ruts. There were people driving cars on it. I couldn't believe it. When we got to the trail we started out. The trail went through the bottom of a forested canyon. Lucy had fun running around. She even scared up a couple of lizards. After half an hour we hadn't got to the arch, so we turned around. When we got back to the road we found out that the trail was 1.75 miles long. There was no way we were going to get there and back in a reasonable amount of time. It was a nice walk in the forest though.
We got back in the rig and went to a trail. That involved several miles of pavement, and then some more on a well graded forest road. We turned off that road onto a trail (really a jeep track). We were running late, so we called to extend the time (all in all it cost $370). Most of it was easier to drive than the forest road to the arch. There was one really nasty descent into a wash. The scenery was great and there were some cool purple cactus flowers.
Three weird things. First, my belt buckle broke while I was sitting in the ATV. That sucked because I had to hold up my pants for the rest of the trip. Second, my camera refused to focus either automatically or manually. I put it away disgusted. At the next stop I tried it and it was fine. Who knows? Third, we had to guess on the trail at one point. The ATV people had a great picture set that described every intersection except one. Luckily we chose the right way.
After the trail we stopped at come Indian ruins. They wouldn't let Lucy go there, but the caretaker offered to hold her. We went up and took some pictures. You could tell the rich people. They had the houses under the big overhang. The poor people had smaller overhangs, or no overhang at all. I bought a t-shirt from the lady that took care of Lucy.
We then went to another Indian ruin. The ruin was in good shape, but they wouldn't let you go within 400 or 500 feet of it. They also had another cave with pictographs. They were really cool and I got some nice pictures. They wouldn't let Lucy there either and there was no one to take care of her. So Ellen stayed at the ATV with her. Ellen was tired and sore from yesterday and the morning.
As we were about to leave the ruin I noticed that Lucy had a whole bunch of red spots, maybe ant bites, on her belly. So we high tailed it back to the ATV place. I would have liked to go to one other place, but oh well.
The vet in Sedona couldn't take her, so we drove Lucy 20 miles to the next town. The spots turned out to be all over her body. They did a whole bunch of tests. The good news is that they didn't find anything serious. The bad news is that they don't know what's wrong. They suspect that she ate some rat poison, so that's what they are treating her for. We'll find that out from a test tomorrow. We have no idea when she might have gotten into some, but she eats questionable things all the time.
We're going to Boulder tomorrow. That's a large urban area, so if she needs special care it should be available there. She going to hate it though. The vet said no swimming.
We started out driving out a forest road to a trail to an arch. The road was terrible in places. Lots of very sharp rocks and ruts. There were people driving cars on it. I couldn't believe it. When we got to the trail we started out. The trail went through the bottom of a forested canyon. Lucy had fun running around. She even scared up a couple of lizards. After half an hour we hadn't got to the arch, so we turned around. When we got back to the road we found out that the trail was 1.75 miles long. There was no way we were going to get there and back in a reasonable amount of time. It was a nice walk in the forest though.
We got back in the rig and went to a trail. That involved several miles of pavement, and then some more on a well graded forest road. We turned off that road onto a trail (really a jeep track). We were running late, so we called to extend the time (all in all it cost $370). Most of it was easier to drive than the forest road to the arch. There was one really nasty descent into a wash. The scenery was great and there were some cool purple cactus flowers.
Three weird things. First, my belt buckle broke while I was sitting in the ATV. That sucked because I had to hold up my pants for the rest of the trip. Second, my camera refused to focus either automatically or manually. I put it away disgusted. At the next stop I tried it and it was fine. Who knows? Third, we had to guess on the trail at one point. The ATV people had a great picture set that described every intersection except one. Luckily we chose the right way.
After the trail we stopped at come Indian ruins. They wouldn't let Lucy go there, but the caretaker offered to hold her. We went up and took some pictures. You could tell the rich people. They had the houses under the big overhang. The poor people had smaller overhangs, or no overhang at all. I bought a t-shirt from the lady that took care of Lucy.
We then went to another Indian ruin. The ruin was in good shape, but they wouldn't let you go within 400 or 500 feet of it. They also had another cave with pictographs. They were really cool and I got some nice pictures. They wouldn't let Lucy there either and there was no one to take care of her. So Ellen stayed at the ATV with her. Ellen was tired and sore from yesterday and the morning.
As we were about to leave the ruin I noticed that Lucy had a whole bunch of red spots, maybe ant bites, on her belly. So we high tailed it back to the ATV place. I would have liked to go to one other place, but oh well.
The vet in Sedona couldn't take her, so we drove Lucy 20 miles to the next town. The spots turned out to be all over her body. They did a whole bunch of tests. The good news is that they didn't find anything serious. The bad news is that they don't know what's wrong. They suspect that she ate some rat poison, so that's what they are treating her for. We'll find that out from a test tomorrow. We have no idea when she might have gotten into some, but she eats questionable things all the time.
We're going to Boulder tomorrow. That's a large urban area, so if she needs special care it should be available there. She going to hate it though. The vet said no swimming.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Day 204
The dog has diarrhea again, so I had to go out in the morning and get some chicken for her breakfast. I also got a parking pass. After I got back we fed the dog and then loaded her in the truck. We went to a trail called "Chicken Point". It was a 3 mile hike and worth it. I took a lot of pictures.
The dog got hot. It's only the second time I've ever seen her stop in the shade and not want to go on. We had to almost force her to walk the last quarter mile or so. I had a little disaster when we got back to the truck. I opened a bottle of the ICE drink and it sprayed all over me and the car. That made my shorts and shirt candidates for the wash tonight.
We stopped for lunch at a small town south of the hiking trails. After lunch we went back to one and did a short hike to "Bell Mountain". From one side it does look like a liberty bell style bell. There were some people climbing it off trail. It looked like they would have some trouble getting down, but we didn't stay to watch.
We've decided to stay another day and rent a Ranger to go on some trails. When we went to sign up for another night the office said we'd have to move. They only have two pull throughs, but apparently transposing the numbers on the future reservations was more than they could handle. So we moved to the adjacent site. It isn't as convenient a place, but I guess you can't fix stupid.
After that we went over to the ATV place and signed up. I needed a new RF cable because the connectors on the other one are broken. There was only one place in town, a building supply store, that had one. Then we went to a bar in town with a great view of the red hills and sat and drank. At dinner time we went to a place that served Buffalo. I had meat loaf and Ellen had a Buffalo burger.
The day ended with finishing the laundry. We have to get up early tomorrow to be at the ATV place at 7:45.
The dog got hot. It's only the second time I've ever seen her stop in the shade and not want to go on. We had to almost force her to walk the last quarter mile or so. I had a little disaster when we got back to the truck. I opened a bottle of the ICE drink and it sprayed all over me and the car. That made my shorts and shirt candidates for the wash tonight.
We stopped for lunch at a small town south of the hiking trails. After lunch we went back to one and did a short hike to "Bell Mountain". From one side it does look like a liberty bell style bell. There were some people climbing it off trail. It looked like they would have some trouble getting down, but we didn't stay to watch.
We've decided to stay another day and rent a Ranger to go on some trails. When we went to sign up for another night the office said we'd have to move. They only have two pull throughs, but apparently transposing the numbers on the future reservations was more than they could handle. So we moved to the adjacent site. It isn't as convenient a place, but I guess you can't fix stupid.
After that we went over to the ATV place and signed up. I needed a new RF cable because the connectors on the other one are broken. There was only one place in town, a building supply store, that had one. Then we went to a bar in town with a great view of the red hills and sat and drank. At dinner time we went to a place that served Buffalo. I had meat loaf and Ellen had a Buffalo burger.
The day ended with finishing the laundry. We have to get up early tomorrow to be at the ATV place at 7:45.
Day 203
I didn't do an entry yesterday because I was too lazy to get out my computer. We made the trip up to Sedona with no problems. Phoenix wasn't a big pain, but there was still a lot of traffic. We stopped for fuel just before we left I17. A guy at the gas station told us of a back way to Sedona that avoids a lot of silly traffic circles that they've installed on the freeway. I'm glad we went that way.
After we set up we went into town and did the tourist thing looking in all the shops. We bought Ellen a couple of sets of ear rings. We also got trapped by a couple of timeshare resort people. They are impossible to get away from without getting rude. We saw a couple of very neat things. One was a sculpture made out of found items tha included a gong. The other was a beautiful fossil plate about 2 feet square. Both were priced at about $4,000.
We also drove a few miles south of town to look at the road to determine if we'd use it to leave. The traffic circles are a pain, but nothing that can't be handled. We also saw some neat scenic turnouts. Unfortunately you need a pass to park there. We plan to buy a day pass tomorrow and do some hiking at them.
When we got home we did most of the washing. Because it's Monday other people were doing the same thing. That meant that we'll have to finish up tomorrow.
After we set up we went into town and did the tourist thing looking in all the shops. We bought Ellen a couple of sets of ear rings. We also got trapped by a couple of timeshare resort people. They are impossible to get away from without getting rude. We saw a couple of very neat things. One was a sculpture made out of found items tha included a gong. The other was a beautiful fossil plate about 2 feet square. Both were priced at about $4,000.
We also drove a few miles south of town to look at the road to determine if we'd use it to leave. The traffic circles are a pain, but nothing that can't be handled. We also saw some neat scenic turnouts. Unfortunately you need a pass to park there. We plan to buy a day pass tomorrow and do some hiking at them.
When we got home we did most of the washing. Because it's Monday other people were doing the same thing. That meant that we'll have to finish up tomorrow.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Day 202
We went back out to the club today. We tried to shoot the other course, but half of it was closed. So we ended up walking it AND the course we did yesterday. We still had a lot of fun. It was getting pretty hot. We let Lucy off lead and she ran around stopping under every picnic table we came by.
We stopped at the grocery store on the way home. Ellen had to stay in the car with the dog. Then we went back to the trailer and hid out from the heat. Ellen made reservations at Sedona. Unfortunately when we leave there we'll have to backtrack some. The road north from Sedona isn't passable by trailers. That will make the trip from there to Las Vegas a little bit of a pain. Also there's supposed to be some heavy grade up the interstate to Flagstaff. Oh well.
We stopped at the grocery store on the way home. Ellen had to stay in the car with the dog. Then we went back to the trailer and hid out from the heat. Ellen made reservations at Sedona. Unfortunately when we leave there we'll have to backtrack some. The road north from Sedona isn't passable by trailers. That will make the trip from there to Las Vegas a little bit of a pain. Also there's supposed to be some heavy grade up the interstate to Flagstaff. Oh well.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Day 201
We went to the club today. The weather was a little warm, but a breeze made it better. The club has a new course, and it was really good. They actually have two courses and a sub-gauge course. We shot the harder one. It was pretty good. A couple of stations kicked my ass.
After we were finished we ate lunch there it was very good. They offer sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs. We could have eaten breakfast there if we'd thought about it. As I ate I sat and watched some kid shoot bunker. He was probably about 12. The most he missed was two in a round. That was the last round when I think he was getting tired. He was interesting to watch. He approached each shot as if it was a competition. Perfect practice makes perfect.
We hid out from the heat in the afternoon. It was in the mid 90's. In the evening we ate dinner at the park's restaurant. They were having a mexican singer for cinco de mayo. He wasn't as good as the band at Capitol. He was also an artist. As part of his act he painted a painting on stage in half an hour. He used both hands at once. The result looked pretty good.
We had so much fun that we're going to stay another day and go back to the club. Then we'll go to Flagstaff.
After we were finished we ate lunch there it was very good. They offer sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs. We could have eaten breakfast there if we'd thought about it. As I ate I sat and watched some kid shoot bunker. He was probably about 12. The most he missed was two in a round. That was the last round when I think he was getting tired. He was interesting to watch. He approached each shot as if it was a competition. Perfect practice makes perfect.
We hid out from the heat in the afternoon. It was in the mid 90's. In the evening we ate dinner at the park's restaurant. They were having a mexican singer for cinco de mayo. He wasn't as good as the band at Capitol. He was also an artist. As part of his act he painted a painting on stage in half an hour. He used both hands at once. The result looked pretty good.
We had so much fun that we're going to stay another day and go back to the club. Then we'll go to Flagstaff.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Day 200
We got up this morning and took our time getting ready to leave. Even then we were in Tucson by noon. That's because we gained another hour because Arizona doesn't believe in daylight savings time.
It's hot here, as hot as San Angelo. The difference is that it gets a little cooler in the evening. The place we are staying at is very nice. There's a Camping World next door. We went over there and got a few things like a stair carpet, Next Exit and Trailer Life, and a grease trap. Since they sell trailers, we went to see if there were any we might be interested in. There were two with double slides. One was too small, and the other didn't have any storage space.
It was so hot that we just hung out in the trailer in the afternoon. In the evening we went over to the casino. It was packed because it was Friday night. We played a couple of machines. Unfortunately the odds were set sot tight on them that we weren't having any fun.
On the way home I bought a bottle of rum and some mint leaves. When we got home I made a mojito. It was great.
It's hot here, as hot as San Angelo. The difference is that it gets a little cooler in the evening. The place we are staying at is very nice. There's a Camping World next door. We went over there and got a few things like a stair carpet, Next Exit and Trailer Life, and a grease trap. Since they sell trailers, we went to see if there were any we might be interested in. There were two with double slides. One was too small, and the other didn't have any storage space.
It was so hot that we just hung out in the trailer in the afternoon. In the evening we went over to the casino. It was packed because it was Friday night. We played a couple of machines. Unfortunately the odds were set sot tight on them that we weren't having any fun.
On the way home I bought a bottle of rum and some mint leaves. When we got home I made a mojito. It was great.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Day 199
Today I spent 9 hours and 15 minutes driving. There isn't much more to say. It sucked. For the most part it was just "miles and miles of Texas". I had a little trouble with some oil trucks on the secondary road and the normal amount of hassle with trucks on I10. Those guys are shitheads. It also seemed that we had more than our share of waiting for people who blocked the pumps. One good thing was that the traffic through El Paso was the easiest that I've ever seen.
When we got to Deming we unhooked to go get fuel. It was 4.19 on the park side of town and 3.93 on the other side. We also did some grocery shopping. We got rice and chicken for Lucy. Her ass was really dragging yesterday. Today she seems to be a little better. Ellen says the diarrhea is getting a little better, too.
It's only 200 miles to Tucson, so we won't have to get up early tomorrow. That's good, I'm pretty tired.
When we got to Deming we unhooked to go get fuel. It was 4.19 on the park side of town and 3.93 on the other side. We also did some grocery shopping. We got rice and chicken for Lucy. Her ass was really dragging yesterday. Today she seems to be a little better. Ellen says the diarrhea is getting a little better, too.
It's only 200 miles to Tucson, so we won't have to get up early tomorrow. That's good, I'm pretty tired.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Day 198
San Angelo is hot. It was cloudy and cool, in the 70's in the morning. Unfortunately the club didn't open until noon. By then the clouds were halfway burnt off and it got hot quickly.
We found the club with no problem. The targets were fun, but not as challenging as they might have been. That was OK. We made it more interesting by shooting things in different orders and menus to make it a little harder. The people there were very nice and the prices weren't bad.
After that we stopped at a pet store to look for a bigger harness for Lucy. The first store didn't have one, but the second one did. Lucy has had diarrhea all day. She acts pretty active when we are outside, but looks like her ass is dragging when she's inside.
Tomorrow I'm going to try to make it to Deming. That's 500 miles. I'm not looking forward to it.
We found the club with no problem. The targets were fun, but not as challenging as they might have been. That was OK. We made it more interesting by shooting things in different orders and menus to make it a little harder. The people there were very nice and the prices weren't bad.
After that we stopped at a pet store to look for a bigger harness for Lucy. The first store didn't have one, but the second one did. Lucy has had diarrhea all day. She acts pretty active when we are outside, but looks like her ass is dragging when she's inside.
Tomorrow I'm going to try to make it to Deming. That's 500 miles. I'm not looking forward to it.
Day 197
We left today. It took a little longer to get going than I thought it would. We weren't really hurrying, since we were only going 200 miles. The trip was on roads we'd been on before and uneventful.
San Angelo was hot when we got here, and got hotter later in the afternoon. After we set up we took a short trip into town for fuel. Then we retreated to the trailer and sat under the air conditioner. It's supposed to be hotter tomorrow. I hope they're wrong. Apparently this is hotter than normal for this time of year. They are having a water shortage here. I'm not sure why, there's a big lake adjacent to the town.
The dog is sick. She's got diarrhea. It doesn't seem to slow her down any, she's raring to do something. It does mean a lot of trips to the dog run.
San Angelo was hot when we got here, and got hotter later in the afternoon. After we set up we took a short trip into town for fuel. Then we retreated to the trailer and sat under the air conditioner. It's supposed to be hotter tomorrow. I hope they're wrong. Apparently this is hotter than normal for this time of year. They are having a water shortage here. I'm not sure why, there's a big lake adjacent to the town.
The dog is sick. She's got diarrhea. It doesn't seem to slow her down any, she's raring to do something. It does mean a lot of trips to the dog run.
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