Wandrin Blog

With a cool day in Phoenix, it was a great day for a hike. I chose South Mountain Park. Once I found the trail head location, I wandered around the park for about six miles on varying trails. Once back at Silver Slug, I changed my shoes. Then I chatted with a runner that was passing by. Finally all systems were go and I headed back home.

Just as I was pulling out of the park and waiting to make a left hand turn onto the main road, I saw a pickup truck with camper towing a trailer. It was Marc and Kristin. Since they didn't know the area any better than I did, they missed the turn to the trail head just as I had done that morning. A change in plans and I made a right turn to catch up with them. Passing them, I flagged them down. We managed a U-turn and told Marc to follow me to the trail head. With the correct turns, they parked. We chatted about another fortunate meeting and wished all a fond farewell until next summer in the mountains west of Boulder, Colorado.


The day's bad news... When I returned to Wandrin Wagon, I was wondering where I left my compact hiking camera. I scoured and looked through my pack and Silver Slug. As I searched I had this vague recollection of setting it -- and its holster -- down as I changed my shoes. Obviously, I stood up and left it right there on the curb in the parking lot. Knowing there was no way that the camera was still there, I had to confirm that obvious conclusion. I drove back to the trail head to confirm it was not there. I walked around searching with the hope that one of the few people there might come forward with the missing camera. Too much fantasy.

The conclusion. Time to look for a new camera.

As I travel, if there is an art festival, I have to check it out. The usual art that lures me is photography and wood carvings.

Tempe's Mill Avenue District is the location for the Tempe Festival of the Arts. Mill Avenue and several side streets are blocked off for the large number of booths. Once parked, I walked a couple of blocks since I didn't want to pay parking fees. Besides there were calories consumed earlier that needed burning.

Walking slowly down the first block, there was nothing that drew my eye. As I started down the next block, I noted the Contemporary Metal art of Kristin DeSantis -- or some one who was doing a rip-off of her unusual work. Nephew Marc Kriewaldt is married to Kristin. As I walked closer to the booth, I approached Marc and Kristin and wondered how they were doing. Needless to say, it took a few seconds for recognition to take hold. It had been a couple of years since we last crossed paths in Shawano, Wisconsin at Emil's place on the Wolf River. We chatted and caught up on lives, art, travels and families. I wandered around to see the photographers and the wood carvers and came back to chat more before I went on my way hoping to visit this summer when my annual travels took me through the Denver area.

Part of the show's success for them was that they received the "Best of Show" award. It was hard getting photos of Kristin's work without people. Fortunately, there was a people break to share a couple photos.




From Tempe their next stop is the Indian Wells Art Festival. They will do some mountain bike riding in the Phoenix area and follow that with more bike riding when they get to the Palm Springs area.

Leaving Catalina State Park at Tucson, I headed north along the back roads to Tempe to park in Ed's driveway. It has been several years since the desert was this green. The roadsides were also decorated mostly with Lupine. There were the occasional orange patch of poppies. There could have been more photos. However, when towing a trailer, it isn't easy to stop and catch the colorful scenery. In the end, the photos only remind one of the scenic vistas. The photo tries to capture what the eye sees. However, the winds, the smells and the sounds are missing. The photo helps the recall.

Hikes in the Superstition Mountains are always a pleasant respite from the ever growing populous Phoenix suburbs. Bill lives in Chandler after several years of full time travel. Bill hikes with a local hiking group and this trail was a recent find. During our five mile hike, we took photos and managed to fill every moment with conversation ranging from RV full time exploring to finance to politics and others when one of us found a tangent for another subject. Here are a few photos from the hike with lots of Brittle Brush in bloom.

Vanity Plates...

MUYMINI -- on a mini-Cooper

TXGRL -- Hawaii plates. What's a Texas girl from Hawaii doing in Arizona?

LIMEY4U -- obviously an ex-pat from England. Car had a "GB" tag.

JAVAWGN -- Was this guy selling, drinking or is the car powered by Java.

5KDSL8R -- on a Chevy Suburban. The plate says it all.

FLTGDSS -- The plate guard said, "I would rather be flying"

THESOFA -- On a Mercury Grand Marquis. My curiosity: what is the ID on car two in that garage.

HUGDALY -- Good advice. (Spotted in Escapees Jojoba Hills)

HOWUDON -- Fine. Thank you.

MOHOGO -- On a class A RV.

Bumper stickers...

REAL WOMEN DON'T DRINK LIGHT BEER

EXACTLY WHAT ARE CONSERVATIVES CONSERVING

The Wild and Crazy Saguaro meets Prim and Proper. It is easy to anthropomorphize the many saguaro that can be found in Arizona. With arms akimbo and arms in strange contortions and locations from the main trunk of the saguaro, some may require an adult rating for viewing. Books have been published of the unusual saguaro shapes.


Crested saguaros are another find. Genetic abnormality or plant injury or disease, it is not known why, but these unusually formed saguaros are the result. The one on the left is the more usual crested saguaro. The one on the right has arms growing out of the crest.




Answers about the White Mexican poppies.... After asking lots of questions of park volunteers, I found a park ranger who knew some of the answers. The white Mexican poppies can be found in small clumps in various Arizona State Parks. About five years ago, park personnel collected white Mexican poppy seeds and threw the seeds at the Catalina State Park entrance station. This park ranger did not know where the original patch of this genetic variation occurred.

At the entrance station (and only here) of Catalina State Park (north of Tucson) are these white poppies mingled in the same patch as the usual orange poppies. In my travels and hikes I have never seen a white version of -- what I assume is -- a Mexican Poppy. It looks just like the usual orange shades with the exception that the petals are white.

Paul was my hiking companion on the day that the swarm of bees passed along our hiking trail. My previously posted blog entry of the experience was similar, but here is Paul's dramatic retelling

The unusual weather continued this past weekend with two days of off and on rain and snow on the peaks high above. Staying inside Wandrin Wagon at Catalina State Park was comfortable and a good way to enjoy the weather. A fireplace would have made it perfect. It was also a good day for a sleeping in and an afternoon nap.

As the clouds cleared, the Catalina Mountains had a dusting of snow. Later that evening, the remaining clouds produced a colorful sunset. The view to the east at sunset can be as beautiful as the colorful rocks reflect light from the sunset.




Studies on mice have shown that exercise reduces that plaque buildup that is similar to that in Alzheimers patients. So to delay the onset of Alzheimers, I headed out to Finger Rock Trail. This is a true killer hike. After about two miles of hiking and the recent climb of 1000 feet in a half mile, it was time to turn around. Since the knees were already hurting on the uphill, how were they going to fair going down hill. It was a beautiful day for a hike with lots of Brittle Brush in bloom, there was lots of yellow covering the mountain slopes.



Several days ago I drove downtown in search of some vintage motel signs. Here are two of them. These are left over from the days before the motel chains and resorts that are more popular today. What I like about these places is the manner of cooling -- "Refrigerated" for one.

Commenting to my blog...

Problem fixed. I hope!

The anti spamming parameters for comments has been an ongoing issue with the Serendipity software. It continues. As I change the parameters to make the comment review easier, I end up rejecting the good with the bad. My apologies.

I've changed the parameters once again. No doubt I will have more comments to review, but it appears to be the only way to see the good comments.


Social get together

The annual visit with Flora and Phil (live in nearby Marana) started at a local Italian bistro followed by ice cream which was followed by a visit to a nearby coffee shop. Not a Starbucks. There are plenty of other alternatives. Phil needed his daily dose of espresso -- straight and dark.

Rather than both driving to the coffee shop, Phil and Flora allowed me a ride with them in their brand new mini Cooper. It was special ordered and arrived in the US less than a month ago after an ocean journey from Europe through the Panama Canal and eventually to Scottsdale where they picked it up.

After the short ride and Phil lauding the merits of the car, a mini Cooper may be the car for me when I retire back to "sticks and bricks."

It was a great chance to meet up and catch up on their lives. Until next year...


Rain and cool

Over the last weekend it was rain. That was followed by some cold (freezing) evenings and some cold days where the attire was long pants. It has been a while. But it's back to shorts once again.

Predicted highs are low eighties for the next ten days. Sure beats the alternatives.

Growing up on the farm eating all those fat laden dairy products, beef, sausages and eggs, it is surprising that I am still alive. But I am alive -- and healthy -- in spite of all the "science journalism" that would have me believe otherwise. Perhaps I received a good set of genes. However, I have always eaten a healthy diet. Or at least I have attempted to eat healthy. It isn't easy.

Here is a book that reminds me once again how to eat.


Book: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

EAT FOOD. NOT TOO MUCH. MOSTLY PLANTS is the theme of Pollan's book.

The point is that we should be eating the food before the food industry refines the flavor and nutrition out of food. Once that is all gone the industry laces it with sweeteners, fortifies it with vitamins and preservatives for a long shelf life. Pollan makes that point that we should eat the foods in the diet of your grand parents or great grand parents. They didn't have the highly processed sugar laden products that are sold in today's grocery stores.

Pollan writes a highly informative and enlightening 200 page book. Forget all those other diet books. This may be the best diet book available to address today's health issues.

It was a beautiful day for a hike for this out of shape guy. This trail starts out easy and then it turns into a stairs for about a half mile. To the pools from there is about another mile and a half of a trail that goes up and down over and around rocks. It is definitely a work out. At least for me it was. In years past I had continued past these first pools to additional -- and even more scenic -- pools water hewn out of the rock.

Some photos taken along the way include a natural rock sculpture, a desert view from the trail, some wild flowers, rare water in a wash and a rest on the rock at the Romero Pools.

The last entry into the gallery of photos was over a month ago. Time to catch up.

Check out the latest photos at Palm Springs, Yuma and Tucson.

Written with Adam Schefter, this autobiography of Romanowski's life is a candid and brutal depiction of his life in professional football player. Getting there requires a singular focus and dedication to being the best. Once the goal has been achieved, maintaining the position requires more effort. Through mental energy he creates demons in the opposing team. That mind set plus the help of the latest in physical therapies, nutrients and steroids, Romo is able to continue to compete. Never admitting being hurt, the toll has no doubt taken a toll. The brain concussions and other body injuries remain as souvenirs of the life in professional football.

Romanowski was on the Denver Broncos team when I lived in Denver. I don't really follow football closely, but he managed to get his share of headlines with his controversial play. In this book, there are no apologies for the way be played or competed or lived. That was who he is -- winning regardless of the cost to him personally or any effect on other players.

Throughout the book he says that he is not the unlikable profession football player of the newspaper headlines.. He says his family and friends know he really is good guy. I am not convinced. He may have tried to explain who he was, but he isn't any more likable after I read the book.

It had been sold while I was in Yuma. The salesguy-installer-technician came out to my rig in Yuma to check it out. I had checked it out before he had arrived. Of course, I had the usual result. I had a signal, but could never get it into the acceptable range. When G showed up, he had me change the way I had always been finding the satellite. Within ten seconds it was locked dead on with a high signal. Cross polling worked without a problem. Once again a high reading.

I started to express my amazement and wonder why it had worked fine for 18 months then all of a sudden for the next three months, before I canceled the system, I couldn't do it right. Now I come to Yuma and it works within seconds. I stopped my blubbering because I was sure G thought I was crazy.

I asked if he might know of someone who would want a used system. He did. He called the lady who had an older system which had failed and my system would provide the necessary parts to make it whole once again. I had $500 in my pocket the next day when the system was picked up.

However, that $500 will cover some of the costs of a signal amplifier for the air-card. When parking in fringe signal areas, that amplifier will help the air-card to connect to the internet.

Oil Imports

The stretch of I-10 from Phoenix to Tucson is a busy road with trucks and cars whizzing in both directions on two lanes and -- soon to be three lanes. Lots of semi trucks delivering goods to the consumer culture. As I envisioned all those little calorie molecules in the fuel, I was amazed that I was able to get eleven miles to the gallon as I towed my world down the freeway.

The next vision I had was of a stream of oil tankers leaving the Middle East and heading to the US shores. I had imagined hundreds every day. A few searches of the internet found these petroleum statistics. That was followed by a search for oil tankers which indicated that most have a capacity of about one million barrels or more. At that capacity, there are about ten oil tankers arriving daily in the US. That doesn't seem so many. There are probably more container ships coming from Asia to stock the big box retailers across the US.

200 square feet of living space

Yup. 24 feet long and eight feet wide is a home on wheels for me. That would have been the average size of RVs just 20 years ago. Within the RV industry, the new units continue to get larger. Today, it is not unusual to see 40 foot units with four slides.

Everything is getting larger in the US -- including home size. In 1950, the average home size in the U.S. was 983 square feet. By 2006, the average size was more than 2,430 square feet (National Association of Home Builders).

At the same time, the average family unit is smaller. In 1950, a home had an average of 290 square feet of living space per resident; in 2003, a typical new house had almost 900 square feet per person. Wow. Of course all that space needs furniture. And the furniture manufacturers love it.


The Recession

Bush doles out 150 billion to the populace of the US and then says there is no recession.

We're not at the bottom yet. Borrowing against house equity, the American consumer went on a buying spree. With demand for more things, the retailers built stores to meet the demand. Now that the money has been spent, the retailers will start closing those stores when they don't have sales to cover the fixed costs.


The Primary Season

One thing about a "hunting season", there is an end. The primary season goes on and on -- like the Energizer Bunny. Now it is turning into a soap opera. This will go on until the conventions in August. Of course, the soap opera will continue a new season with the two major political party finalists and end in November. I'd like to say wake me when this is over, but this soap opera is interesting.

At one time I had said that McCain and Obama would be the finalists. I am not so sure anymore. Obama doesn't seen to have the heart of a politician. He's a nice guy.


From Prairie Home Companions annual joke show this weekend.


Are there suicide hot lines in Iraq?



Why don't cannibals eat divorced women? ..... They're bitter.