Bryce Thompson Arboretum and Our First Dust Storm

The hummingbird sat poised on its branch cocking its head as if it were trying to see me better. I could see it was dark green above and below with a blue gorget and a reddish beak. The tail was a dark black/blue but I couldn't see the underside as it was blocked by the branch it was perched upon.
We were on a days outing with Alan and Sharon at the Bryce Thompson Arboretum. We had thought of taking a drive somewhere and they had suggested it. Both of us kind of looked at each other as we normally prefer rocks over plants, but as it turned out it exceeded our expectations and is another of those places we would go back to!.
They picked us up at 9:30 am and we left Apache Junction, hoping to have a nice excursion before the massive cold front arrived and a dust storm set in. It was a short drive down US 60 to the Arboretum and I used the time to do some homework on the bird list form the Arboretum website.
Parking the car we went into the visitor center and I drifted outside with Alan and headed a little ways down the path. A hummingbird appeared on the edge of a tree and flew around the corner of a shrub. Following it, I first saw a feeder and then the hummer perched on a branch. It was a new life list bird for me, a broad-billed hummingbird, and I pointed it out to Renita when she arrived! Separating, she went to another feeder and waved me over. Another new hummer, an Anna's Hummingbird, fed and weaved and fed again giving us a great view of its colors.
Two new birds in only a matter of minutes! Alan and Sharon both were realizing how slow the walk with us would be as we hadn't even started on the main trail! Another hummer appeared, a black chinned hummingbird. It wasn't a new one for us, as we had seen one at the Red Rock Lodge near Flaming Gorge, but what a day already.
Alan and Sharon both started pointing out birds to us and also pointing out the different plants and trees and cactus.
Sharon explained that the Arboretum had been built by Boyce Thompson, a rich industrialist from the 19th century, and that he had imported plants and trees from deserts all over the world. Across a small bridge and we were suddenly transported to Australia amidst a grove of towering red gum trees. Alan stopped and showed us an eucalyptus gum tree and explained that he had used to make tea from it while living in Australia,(Alan was an Australian Tennis Pro who came to the United States where he met Sharon).
We stopped at a shearing shed and it looked pretty much like some of the places in Wyoming. From there we next walked into a grove of different types of palm trees. A towering date palm impressed me the most, all though I couldn't see any fruit.
Leaving the palms we strolled along a arroyo, a dried stream bed, before heading up a slight inclined path. It led to several gazebos, which gave panoramic views of the arboretum and the surrounding desert.
A small dam pooled water and we watched several turtles sunning on a rock. A black colored bird drew our attention and we watched as it caught insects above the waters surface. Unconcerned with our presence we were able to find it in the bird book and it was another new life bird for us, a Black Phoebe.
We passed gorgeous golden barrel cactus and both Alan and Sharon warned us not to touch the Bunny Eared Cactus thorns. Sharon laughed and pointed out a jumping cactus.(She had read my blog and knew that I had been attacked by one at the White Tanks Regional Park.
It was an amazing place. Mexican Fence Cactus were another species that drew our attention. Renita pointed out the Fairy Hair cactus and again we were warned to never touch the fine haired cactus as they had the worst thorns to get out! It was a great piece of advice as we both wanted to feel the fine and delicate looking hairs.
We finished the trail and were rewarded with a coopers hawk high in a gum tree. Lunch time had arrived and we sat and discussed the place, again thanking Alan and Sharon for the days adventure.
Heading home, we drove out of the protected valley and right into the strong cold front. Winds whipped us and the dust lowered the visibility as I counted only seven towers of a passing power line before the rest became obscured. We arrived safely home, our fifth wheel, and spent the rest of the day inside, glad we were sitting and not traveling. Counting our bird list we found that we had spotted six new birds, a great day for us! Did I say retirement is good? Clear skies.

Lake Havasu to Phoenix, with our first stopover in Quartizte

We got the house hooked up and left Lake Havasu City on Sunday the 18th. Our plan was to stop for a couple of nights in Quartzite, Arizona, as we wanted to check out the free camping areas for a future visit. We also hoped that there would be a rock shop with the rock polishing equiptment we have been looking at purchasing. From there we would head to Surprise and spend a few days replenshing our supplies and visiting old friends.
It was a short and easy drive to Quartzite, on US 95. We managed to miss our turnoff for the rv park, hard to do in a town this size,(too many cactus?), but we called the resort and the lady helped us find the park while barely containing her laughter.
We set up and unhooked ok and so I was pretty happy about my repair job. Resting first, we took a drive around the town looking for rock shops and beading stores. Unfortunaely for our budget we found both. The next day Renita hopped out of bed, eager to go shopping. I was excited too, as we had spotted a neat looking rock shop called T Rex. We drove there first and were really surprised to see one of the best rocks shops we have visited in our travels,
The storekeeper knew her stuff and had some of the same rocks we had collected in Wyoming, including our Wyoming jade, at eight dollars a pound,(And that was for the cheaper Jade)! We looked at all her samples and finally decided that we couldn't live without a beautiful six plus pound specimen of malachite! More rocks for the fiver.
Our next stop was even worse. As Renita looked at the jewerly making supplies I started talking with the owner and lo and behold he sold both of the rock grinders and polishers I had been looking at. Now we have a rock saw, grinder, shaper and polisher in our basement!
The next day we headed out of town to the nearest free BLM campground, called Hi Jolly. There we drove around the campsites and really liked what we saw. It turns out there are six 14 day campgrounds and a long term area,(Our campground host told us that the thing to do is to spend 14 days at the free area and then go to the long term area where it costs 49 bucks for two weeks. He also said that for 25 bucks a honey wagon will come around and empty your tanks. We really liked what we saw and next time we come here we are going to boondock in the desert!
We like Quartzite so much we stayed another day, it was also pretty windy. I cut and ground and polished rocks and Renita did her beading stuff. It was a nice restful day.
The next morning, we made another run to the bead shop as we still had some money to spend. Returning to the house, we hooked up and left foe the drive to Phoenix. Now of all the roads we have driven I dislike Interstate 10 about as much as any, but it really wasn't so bad. The wind was sideways and the trucks caused us to sway slightly with their blast of displaced air, but ti was just normal and the miles sped by.
Renita spotted a blimp and managed to take a picture of it with her window rolled down. She has turned into a good photographer and its always neat to see what her eyes pick out, usually something that I have missed. We arrived in Surprise and were greeted by the Air Force as jet fighters where zooming back and forth and round and round. It had been the usual, a trip with hidden surprises. Clear skies.

Lake Havasu, Canoeing, A Casino Trip, and Jet Ski Races

Of all the times to be at Lake Havasu, we "Lucked" out and arrived on the same day as the World Jet Ski races started. Now I am a fisherman and so that should tell you my general attitude about jet ski's in general. Regardless we actually did get to watch some of the jet ski competition, as we passed it while canoeing and taking the ferry to the casinos.
Now Renita and Flo had talked with members of team Serbia and they had actually met one of the members. It was with sadness that the same person they met was killed in a collision as he and two others crossed the finish line. I now know of four people who have been killed, or have killed someone with these machines, far more deaths than among people I met while rock climbing. I just don't understand the fun or the risk from driving a jet ski.
Anyway, one of our plans was to canoe the London Bridge Canal. It was built when McCullock, of chain saw fame, built the bridge and foresaw the potential of Lake Havasu City. Now the Canal is actually one of the main party spots on the lake and people drive their boats into the narrow canal, beach them, and basically party. Of course Renita and I had to join the fun!
Launching the canoe at Rotary Park, it was a short paddle to the southern entrance of the canal. Renita pointed out bass and bluegills and schools of shad! The canal narrowed and we became more conscious of the other boats, almost all larger then ours! Luckily the whole area is a low speed area and so we were pretty safe, but the boats were throwing small wakes. They would have been pulled over in Utah and Wyoming,(I know this from being pulled over twice while traveling at less than 5 miles per hour).
The paddling was easy and we even encountered a couple of kayaks! We passed through the canal, past private condos and beaches and we actually had people make comments about our outriggers/stabilizers,(Renita suggested that I should make and sell my stabilizers but it would be too much like work). We reached the north end of the canal and watched the jet ski races for awhile, little realizing the tragic event soon to occur. Turning back into the channel the wind came up and we drifted through the channel, may the wind be at your backs!
For our last day at Lake Havasu we invited the Wheelers to join us for lunch at the Chemehavasui Casino. It was actually Flo's idea all along but we had just never taked the time, so we met them at the canal.
Flo gave us passes, she is a casino regular and so we exchanged them for tickets and then climbed the gangway and up the stairs to the top of the ferry. Its kind of funny as we had been on a ferry once in ours lives and now it seems we are taking ferry rides everywhere we go!
As we left the channel we passed the Jet Ski Race course where the Jet Ski Freestyle competition was happening and it really was amazing to see people doing double flips! They were even sticking the landing! I had no idea such things were possible.
We arrived at Casino and one of the workers commented that it must be my first time there as I was the only one taking pictures. He wished us luck and it must have worked as we both won enough to pay for lunch!
The lunch was really good. I had the Flat Bread Taco and Renita had one of the fanciest Chicken salads I have seen. Flo and John stuck with more traditional lunches but they both decided that the Chemehavasu Taco was on their too eat list!
We talked and watched a bass fisherman land a keeper. It was a pleasant day with friends. Retirement is soooooooooo good! Clear skies.

Stripper Fishing 101: Lake Havasu 2009

“See if you go out at 4 pm, you can pick up the fish on the bottom, and if you sit and wait you can then see them move up. That’s when you can catch them”, John explained. He also talked about when the strippers would boil and the importance of feeding birds.
I was fishing Lake Havasu, and while the fishing wasn’t great the seminar John was putting on for me was top notch! We had arrived, from Pahrump, on Sunday the 11th and I had immediately called my friend John Wheeler about the current fishing conditions.
He said the fishing was slow as the strippers had pretty much disappeared, but he agreed to take me out and at least he would show me the lake and his methods for catching strippers. The first morning we went to the Site Six fishing pier. There John showed me how to bait my hook with the threadfin shad he had caught, and it wasn’t long before he had a smallmouth fighting on the end of his line.
I baited my pole and cast out. The threadfin shad was lively and my pole tip danced as I watched it. Soon it was my turn as a small stripper inhaled the shad and really hooked itself. I fought the fish to the dock listening as John warned me about the hidden steel cables, used to anchor the fishing pier.
Releasing the fish I cast out and caught another. Other fisherman were also catching strippers but nothing big happened. It was fun to catch fish and listen to John as he talked about the 27 pound stripper that had been caught there while he watched.
Two days later John treated me again by taking me out in his boat. I had met John at a walleye tournament years ago, and I knew I was going to get a lesson from one of the best fisherman on the water. So to say I was excited was an understatement.
See it isn’t always about catching fish, watching a top fisherman as he hunts his quarry and listening to him explain the reasons for his methods or plan is just as much fun to me. So when he explained that the fishing was off, it really didn’t matter.
We left the dock before sunrise and made a short run to Windsor, where a gaggle of boats were casting and trolling pointer crank baits. Soon one of the fisherman caught a nice stripper and John recognized a friend who explained that the bite was pretty much over by six am! We rigged up and cast a bit with no success.
John suggested we troll and so we worked the shoreline but didn’t have any strikes, but it didn’t matter. The sun rose and the morning passed too quickly. We boated through the river channel, under the London Bridge, looking for shad and finding some but we had both forgot our cast nets.
John took me along the west shore and showed me a fish, sitting on the bottom in one of his secret “honey holes”. He explained how the lake was filled with sunken trees and how you needed to fish above the brush or you would simply be breaking off rig after rig.
It turned out to be a dues day but if your a fisherman you have lots of those. This one was special as I got to fish with John Wheeler, one of the best! Thank you John! Clear skies.

The Canyon Jeep Tour

On our last full day at Canyon De Chelly we decided to view the Canyon from the bottom up! So we bought tickets for the full day jeep tour,(6.5 hours and a lunch).
It was money well spent!

We loaded up at the Thunderbird Lodge. Both of us were concerned about the cold so we wore multiple layers of clothing. We were fine. We were even warm when the jeep plunged into the river.

The first part of the tour was up Canyon De Muerto to Mummy Cave Ruins. The jeep trail went in and out of the river, if you could call it a trail. We passed a stuck truck, it was getting pulled out, and at one point we even got stuck, (I was glad I didn't drive our truck but our son Matt would have loved it with his).

As we drove and stopped, the guide told us that there were over 600 ruins, identified in the two canyons. He also explained the many pictographs and petroglyphs. They belonged to three different periods. It was a real learning experience.

At one stop Navajo girls waded out into the river to offer us necklaces that they had made. The people are so poor that everywhere you go you encounter blankets covered with jewelry and stone art. We were eve able to buy freshly made Navajo Fry Bread. We watched as the Navajo Women fired the bread dough in hot grease and then covered it with cinnamon and sugar. Lunch was at the Mummy Cave Ruins. The guide explained that the mummies were unusual in that the average height of the people was about five feet and that one of the mummies found here was six foot tall. At one of the stops we could see the handholds and fotholds used to climb the cliffs. We loaded back up and headed back down the canyon stopping once to stretch and view more pictographs.

At Junction, we turned and headed up Canyon De Chelly. We passed more ruins and continued up to White House Ruins. That was the place we had hiked down the day before. Luckily the merchants were still there and we were able to buy much needed jewelry and stone art.

The drive back to the lodge was all too short. However our senses were overloaded and it was time to get back home and pack the house for the trip to Mesa Verde.
Clear skies.

White House Ruin and the South Rim

The next day started pretty easy as we got up and did some chores. We were waiting for the afternoon as the plan was to hike the White House Ruin trail and the guidebook said that the afternoon was best for photos.
We finally left the house at noon and drove to the trail head. Oh my! The trail is a 500 foot vertical drop and is about 3 miles roundtrip. Looking down, from the overview you could easily see the ruins at the bottom.
The trail started easy, about 1000 feet along the rim. It then went down through a tunnel with switchback after switchback. It was part dirt, but mostly sandstone ledges that had been blasted and chisled from the rock wall. It is one of the most spectacular hikes we have ever been on! Near the bottom we passed through a long tunnel to be greeted by the sight of an Hogan. Smoke curled from its smokestack inviting a photograph but the sign said no photos!
After passing through the tunnel it was a short and easy stroll to the ruins. There we were greeted by quite a few Navajo Venders, selling the usual silver jewelry, pottery, and rock art. The rock art was really neat, a dancing figure, but there was no way we were going to carry it back up the cliff, (the Navajo drive the dirt trail, alongside the river to get to this spot. It can also be reached by taking a jeep tour but I strongly recommend the trail!).
We ate lunch near the ruins before beginning the hike up. There was no hurry so we took our time and made use of the benches. While we had both worried about the return it turned out to be pretty easy.

After returning to the truck it was a short drive to the Spider Rock viewpoint. Spider Rock is a sacred site of the Dine. Renita spotted ceremonial ruins near the base and I looked for a line to climb. An unforgettable tower of sandstone that seems to defy gravity!
The drive back was anticlimatic. Sliding House Ruins, Tsegi Overlook, Junction, and Tunnel were all worthy sites but we had seen too much as we stumbled from spot to spot. We returned home exhausted from the day. Clear skies.

Canyon De Chelly, The North Rim

Ya'aah'eeh. On Wednesday we left Holbrook headed toward Canyon De Chelly. The road , north of the interstate, turned into the worst road we have traveled on. When we arrived at the monument we went straight to the campground and fo9und a really good spot. Large enough, that we could park next to the fiver, allowing us to plug into our portable generator. The best thing about the campground is it is free, along with the monument. This is because it’s part of the Navajo Nation.
We rested the rest of the day, our usual routine after traveling. However we did attend a program at the campground amphitheater. There a ranger and a Navajo Musician entertained us with guitar and drum music songs and dance. It was really neat as they also interspersed their songs with stories and language of the Navajo.
The next day we got up and drove the North Rim Drive. The Canyon is actually two, Canyon De Muerto and Canyon De Chelly, which join at the park enterance. The North Rim trail has three turnoffs for viewing cliff dwellings and historic points. The Canyons starts shallow, but the walls rise quickly to over 1000 feet high. The first turnoff was closed but we were able to view the Antelope House Overlook. The second turnoff viewed Mummy Cave and Massacre Cave.
Antelope House if the biggest ruins in the park. It has about 100 rooms and kivas and was abandoned due to flash flooding, it’s pretty much at the bottom of the Canyon. Mummy cave is more spectacular and is named for the mummies found eroding from the ground beneath the ruins. It is pictured above.
Massacre Cave got its name from the massacre of 100 women and children, some older men also, who huddled in the cave as the Spanish fired round and round ricocheting them into the place where the people hid. The place is called Where Two Fell, by the Navajo. This name was given to honor the Indian Woman who grabbed a Spanish soldier and then hurling herself and him down the canyon.
We also visited the visitor center where a Hogan is constructed, that allows you to view the construction methods and the interior of an actual Hogan. They are really large and look quite comfortable! Maybe someday we will build one! Clear skies.

Petrified Forest National Park, continued

The guidebook, for the Petrified Forest, says that the best part of the park is the Long Log Trail. The authors sure got that right! For our second day at the park we walked the Long Log, Agate House, and the Giant Log trails.

The Long Log and Agate House trails are connected so you can walk both at the same stop. The Agate house was constructed of petrified wood as a pueblo for hunting parties. It is actually a reconstruction, done by the park service. The reconstruction used beautiful pieces of fossil wood and modern materials and is hardly authentic. In fairness all the wood in this location is beautiful, but the cement detracts from the structure.

The trail to the house winds among beautiful and highly agatized logs filled with multicolored agates. It screams, "Take me home, you will never be caught!" That's why the park service has a display of the 325 dollar fine for taking a small piece of wood,(We resisted the urge and purchased a cut and polished piece from Jim Greys Rock Shop, the best rock shop I have ever been in).

The long Log trail is just that, with logs of up to 100 feet in length. Once again filled with beautiful agate. One area has pieces of agate covering the ground, like the Crystal Forest used to have before visitors stole all the small and not so small pieces. As we strolled along a high school group was working on the trail, causing me to shudder and remember why I retired.

We finished both trails, about three miles, and then went to the museum and the short Giant Log trail. The trail has a self guided tour and displays the largest log in the forest, about eight feet in diameter. Nice, but a little disappointing after the Long Log Trail. We left the Park and returned home tired but glad that we had spent two days at the park. Clear skies.

Petrified Forest National Park

After arriving at Holbrook we set up camp at the Petrified Forest KOA,(Basically a gravel parking lot), and checked out the rock shops before heading to the National Park. We had planned on spending a day at the park but there was too much to see so this blog is divided into two parts. The first day, we drove to the park headquarters. From there we stopped at the North Rim Trail, Pueblo Puerco, Newspaper Rock, Blue Mesa, and the Crystal Forest.

The North Rim Trail is about .6 of a mile long and gave us our first good view of the painted desert. The rocks were horizontal layers of the Chinle formation exhibiting typical badlands topography, dendritic stream patterns, and rock bands that were colored with various shades of iron oxides. In other words a pretty desert landscape. The trail was an easy hike and was well signed with guides to the plants and wildlife.

From there we stopped at other places but the next main stop was a the Pueblo Puerco, a prehistoric 100 room pueblo. It was a nice stop with some interesting petroglyphs.

Next we stopped at Newspaper Rock, which is pictured above. It was one of our favorite stops of the day as the two large rocks are covered with petroglyphs. The cliff side reminded us of the sandstone cliffs by Devils Tower. As we viewed the petroglyphs a raven flew by clutching an unlucky lizard in it's beak.

Blue Mesa, and it's trial was a three mile loop from the main road. We really enjoyed it but didn't walk the interpretive trail as we were hungry and so we drove to the Natural Bridge, a large petrified tree, and ate lunch in the parking lot.

Our final stop of the day was at the Crystal Forest. It is an area where there are hundreds of pieces of large petrified logs. At one time the ground was covered by shards of crystals from the weathered logs but unfortunately most have been stolen by visitors. The logs that are left are some of the most beautiful we have seen. We resisted any urges to grab any ourselves, (did I mention the minimum fine of 325 bucks?), and instead took image after image of the jasper filled logs.

After returning home, we both agreed that the highlights of the day were Newspaper Rock and the Crystal Grove. We were both filled with the beauty of the place. Tomorrow it's off to the Long Log Trail! Clear skies.

The Meteor Crater, Arizona

One of the places we had to stop at was the Beringer Meteor Crater. So as we left Williams it was a short drive, 75 miles to Meteor Crater Rv Park. The drive was another windy one but the truck and house handled it without any problems, (We even got 14.7 mpg as going downhill helps).

The Meteor Crater Rv Park, as is everything here, is owned by the same company and is the only place to park, (The land along both sides of the road is also owned by the same company and has no trespassing signs everywhere). It was a surprise to find out that it was a nice park. It was uncrowded and it only cost 12.50 a night!

The next day was windy and cold so we waited till 10am to go to the Crater. As you drive towards the crater the low circular hill is obvious. This was caused by the rebound of the local rocks, after the impact. The crater was initially thought to be an an impact site but its origin theory was changed to a volcanic steam vent explosion. This was because it was thought that an impact would leave a huge magnetic iron mass, and none was found. It took 60 years to discover the evidence that it was an actual impact site.

The cost to get in was 13 bucks each and well worth it. The museum was well done, had numerous specimens of meteorites and shocked materials, (after teaching about this place for 30 years I still learned new stuff). Renita is posing next to the Apollo Space Capsule that was used for training the astronauts for the lunar missions.

To view the crater we climbed a stair that took us outside. From there you could walk, not very far, to upper and lower viewing platforms. The biggest problem is to get a sense of scale. The Meteor Crater Museum has placed a six foot high Astronaut in the center of the crater for this purpose. We also wanted to go on the rim walk but the wind had picked up and the rim tour was canceled,(I had also hoped for a tour of the crater itself but no luck there as it's off limits).

The Crater was an enjoyable place. After our visit we celebrated with a subway sandwich, followed by an afternoon nap,(Did I say retirement is good?). Clear skies.

Sedona

The drive to Sedona is as pretty as the town itself. We were both taken by the beauty of Oak Creek Canyon, with its stunning rock formations. WE also both liked Sedona and its beautiful setting.

As we drove north of Flagstaff, the ponderosa pines reminded us of the Black Hills. Needing to find a restroom we saw the turn off to Oak Creek Canyon. What a viewpoint! The sheer cliffs and the stunning view were as pretty as any place we had been. There were also Native American stands set up, surprising tasteful, and we both enjoyed the craftsmanship displayed.

Leaving there were a series of sharp hairpins, too sharp for us to tow the fifth wheel,(I put the truck in manual and drove down without using my brakes, staying at the speed limit. There were three vehicles following me that were not happy, but if you live in a tourist area deal with it). The road was narrow and crumbling like the road around Crater Lake National Park. We took several turnoffs and marveled at the rock formations. The rocks are also at the Grand Canyon but here you can get up close and personal. The drive is, in parts, a lot like Kaycee Wyoming and the Hole in the Wall.

Reaching Sedona we found a public parking lot that was half full and roomy enough for the truck. We ate at a Mexican food place that was actually reasonable and good, (I have developed a taste for hot food, Renita is still working on hers).
After eating we shopped. A lot of beautiful and extremely high priced items. Once again most of the stuff was imported. The rock carving were from Pakistan, the ammonites from Morocco, and the quartz from Brazil. How disappointing, but still beautiful.

We left without buying anything, and Renita drove home so I could see the scenery.
A fun day! Clear skies.

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon

We left Lake Havasu and drove to Williams, Arizona, setting up at Canyon Gateway Rv Park. The drive was uneventful but we did have to fight a strong side wind. After setting up we rested and decided to go to the Grand Canyon.

It was our third time seeing the Grand Canyon. In 1983 we were also at the south rim. The kids were with us and we drove quickly along the rim, only stopping for a few quick pictures. In 1996, we returned, this time with Jenny and visiting the north rim. We spent a day there and rode the donkeys along the short trail.

This time we were able to spend the full day. We drove 60 miles north, taking a leisurely time and upsetting a lot of other drivers. Don't they know that it's all about the journey? We first went to the Visitor Center where we listened to a ranger describe plate tectonics and then talking to another about the California condors.

Leaving the visitor center we decided to spend the day on the rim trail, first hiking bout 2.8 miles round trip, to Maricopa Point and then taking the free shuttle to Hopi Point.

The hike was a little strenuous as the first part had some uphill and we were not used to 7000 feet elevation. It was an easy trail and gave a great view of the Bright Angel trail below. The trail below beckoned me, but not this time.....
The pictures we took, 50, are beautiful but don't give the Canyon the justice it deserves. AS we hiked we watched for Condors but didn't see them, next time?

The shuttle bus ride took us farther than we could have walked, to Hopi Point. From there we watched the river below and Renita spotted rafters, running through a rapids. The river beckons...... We finished the day tired but happy as we reached our house and smelled the homemade soup. A fine day. Clear skies.

London Bridge

We have spent the last few days on necessary maintenance projects. About the only thing we have done for excitement is to walk across London Bridge.

The Bridge itself cost over a million dollars to move to Lake Havasu. The impetus for this, and money, was from the Murdock of chainsaw fame. He reasoned that if the Bridge was brought to Lake Havasu, it would become a tourist destination. Definitely a well thought out idea. The canal, called the bridge canal, was also dredged during the reconstruction. After walking across the bridge, we looked closely at the underside and one can see the numbers on the blocks that were for the reconstruction. You can also see a little history of the bridge as there are bullet pockmarks from a strafing by a German pilot in World War II.

Another day was spent sterilizing the fresh water tank, a full day's project. We didn't know if we really needed to do this but it was time as we are getting ready to rely on the internal tanks. It involves emptying the tank, and then refilling it with a solution of one and one quarter cup of bleach with 75 gallons of water. After this you fill all lines and let it set for three hours. The house had the definite odor of bleach so we had all the fans going. Finally we drained and then flushed the system. Not the most exciting day of our travels.

The rest of the time has been spent researching the next leg of out travels. Our niece Krista shared pictures from her field trip to Bandolier National Monument. A place we want to visit, but not on this trip. We are getting hitch itch and hope to head out on Friday. Clear skies,

The Bridge Canal

We finished putting in the battery bank and the switch. No fires, sparks, or burned wires so it appears all is well! We went from a single battery with 70 amps to two battery banks with 290 amps. Now it is simply a matter of waiting for the weather to warm, north of here, and we are ready for the migraton.

In the meantime, there is still a lot to do here so we went for an extended walk along the Brdge Canal, the waterway under London Bridge. It was really pleasant!
We disvcovered a nice park, Rotary Park and saw lots of possible fishing spots.

The walk is a little over a mile and even though it was early was quite busy. As we walked along we spotted a lot of largemouth and smallmouth bass. It is the height of spawning season, 65 degree water, and the bass are on their beds. There were also the usual boats parked along the shore with people drinking and sunning, hmmmmm... human spawning activities?

As we walked we saw a guy exercising by balancing himself on a cement wall and jumping back and forth as he walked the wall. Renita double dared me and it looked like so much fun that I had to try it. It turned out to be not so easy as I fell on a jump and scrapped my leg but I was able to continue. It also turned out to be hard work.

We continued the walk, did some shopping and people watching before calling it a morning and heading back home. We did make an additional stop at Mesquite Bay. The dock was full of fisherman, trying to catch the big bass on their beds. Pretty huge bass! All in all a nice day. Clear skies.

Laughlin and Bullhead Cities

We have been quiet for the past week and it's time for an update. The reason for the quiet is that we have been working on the fifth wheel, preparing it for our trip to the wilds of Wyoming. What that means is that we are adding more battery storage i.e. a bank of batteries.

There are lots of ways to do this. One is to add 2 deep cycle 12 volt batteries, in parellel. Another is to add two or four golf cart batteries. The golf cart batteries are 6 volt and so if you add them you need to hook them up in series, so you get 12 volts. We decided to go the golf cart battery route as the golf cart batteries are supposed to last longer than regular deep cycle batteries,(I have talked and seen two rigs set up with the golf cart batteries and the owners are vocal in their endorsement of this method).

So the first step was to go to the Sams Club in Bullhead City. The trip was 70 miles, north and then west through Needles, California. Finally North from there to Laughlin, Nevada, before crossing the Colorado River into Bullhead City. We were not impressed as the towns seem to be built simply for irrigation, agriculture, and the casinos,(I keep thinking about what will happen when Wyoming starts to use its 2 million acre feet of water from the Colorado River. How will Arizona keep going when it dries up..).

Anyway, we got there and went to the Sams Club, bought the batteries and headed home, after eating a lunch at Chilis. On the way back we drove on the Arizina side till Needles and then on interstate 40 and Arizona 95. As we drove I kept thinking about the desert and how tough it must have been to survive. The Mojave is the most desolate of the four deserts we have been in, buts that's for another blog.

So we are home now and working on the battery bank. We installed a switch last night and today the batteries get hooked up. The switch allows us to choose which of the batery banks to use, so we will have backup power. Keep your fingers crossed! Clear skies.

London Bridge

Its been five days since our last entry. Five days of fishing, sightseeing, shopping, and just plain enjoying Lake Havasu. Its a nice place and a place where we could spend more time. We decided to extend our visit to a month.

We took the weekend off from fishing and the usual stuff and instead went to the London Bridge Canal and walkway. Its a sidewalk along the canal that starts beneath the bridge and goes for about a half a mile. Along the way are shops, ice shaving stands, and lots of people in boats. Here, the thing to do is to drive your boat to the canal, beach it on the sand, and people watch. Renita and I both agreed that there were many fine healthy looking people demonstrating swimsuits along the way. Renita managed to find some clothes that she liked and I enjoyed just hanging, (Our fishing boat probably wouldn't fit in).

On Easter Sunday we attended church at Our Lady of the Lake. The place was crowded with the average age being 60. Definitely a lot of snowbirds. After church we went home where we learned that there was a swap meet every Sunday so we went to that and saw every tool imaginable. (A bad place for me to go.) Renita and I agreed that we needed to return there next Sunday as we just started looking and the swap meet was over. It closes at 1 pm.

Tuesday and Wednesday were a return to normal. On Tuesday John gave me another lesson on smallmouth bass fishing and today he took me striper trolling. The fishing was good and a bag of fillets sits in the refrigerator, waiting to be cooked for dinner. Clear skies

Smallmouth Bass in Lake Havasu

The small mouth bass fishing, at Lake Havasu, quite simply is impressive. In two hours, we caught five and lost three, ranging from one to three pounds. It is another reason for coming here.

The morning stated early as I got out of bed at 3:40am, ate some food, took my drugs and drove to John's, to get bait and go small mouth fishing. I hadn't fished the day before as Renita and I had a honey do list day in which I took the truck for an oil change, changed the trucks fuel filter at the rv park, and Renita did the laundry. So when I had a chance I called John and he said the small mouth were biting,(He had gone out that morning and ran across a fishing buddy, named Doc. He had watched him catch four in a few minutes).

Anyway John told me that we needed to be at the dock early, so that we could net some threadfin shad, so I got to John's at 4:15 and we went to the dock. I was surprised to see so many people there so early. John said it was actually not many. We walked out, John put his bait net out, and we started to pull the net for bait. It turned out that the baiting was really slow. It took an hour to get a dozen shad, all about 4-5 inches long. It was really neat as we could see a lot but they were pretty quick and avoided the net. I did get to watch a man snagging bait. He would then throw out the bait while it was still on the snagging treble, and dang if he didn't catch stripers. He caught four while we were there.

We left the dock and drove to the park near the bridge. It was still dark as we tied on hooks, put a shad on, hook behind the dorsal, and cast out. The rig was really simple, a hook and a split shot two feet up the line.

Nothing happened for a bit, however the fish were hitting something on the top as we waited. About sunrise, John had a fish pick up his shad. It ran as he free spooled, and after a long time he set the hook and landed a nice small mouth bass. As he posed for a picture,(John is kind of upset with me for posting pictures of him with small fish. He is afraid his son Heath will see them and think that's all he catches),my line took off. I waited a long time, set the hook, and was rewarded with a nice smallie, about three pounds.

The morning went too fast. We even got a double. I had to laugh as people were walking by, jogging, boating, and we were catching really nice small mouth. An outstanding morning with a great friend and guide! Clear skies.