Stripped! A Serene Mission; Flora; Golf, Deer?

Some of the highlights of any RV trip (or boat trip, for that matter) are the surprises that come with “systems”; in this case, the water system. We have a very nice water filter that connects with hose fittings to the fresh water faucet at the campground and then to The Bus, giving us really sweet, clean water without sediment, swamp gas or other noxious things. Unfortunately, today when I hooked it up, it leaked like a sieve because the brass connector threads had stripped. (Sorry there wasn't any "skin" like some of you may have been expecting). A trip to Home Depot solved the problem, but I am sure that others will arise in the coming days.

On the way back, since Suzanne was giving another reading, I took time for a hysterical stop... that’s what my daughters called it when I would stop at roadside markers, museums and battlefields from the War of Northern Aggression (that’s what the Civil War was called in the South when I was growing up). In this case, it was the Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala, California’s first mission, founded in 1769 by Blessed Junipero Serra, a Franciscan priest.

The first of 21 missions stretching from San Diego along the California coast to Sonoma, 30 miles north of San Francisco, Mission San Diego became known as the Mother of the Missions. In 1775 it was burned to the ground by local Indians. Relations with the local inhabitants had improved by 1797 when 565 Indians were baptized. The mission was abandoned in 1821 when Mexico achieved independence from Spain and the priests were withdrawn. The mission was turned over to the Catholic Church in 1862 by President Lincoln. The campanario, or bell tower, is 46 feet high. Two of the bells are named; the bell on the lower left is called Mater Dolorosa, Our Lady of Sorrows, and weighs 1,200 lbs; the bell on the lower right is named Ave Maria Purisima, Immaculate Mary, weighs 805 lbs and was cast in 1802.  

The living accommodations were rather Spartan for the two assigned priests, but then this was the 1790s; flat screen TV's were still in an early stage of development. 

The gardens are very serene and beautifully kept. Tamarisk trees, bougainvillea, aloe, lupine and ice plant are among the many varieties of flora here. It is a spiritual place, perfect for contemplation and meditation. 

The mission church is simple, yet very solemn; appropriate, I think, for the location on the then-frontier of Spanish civilization. I thoroughly enjoyed the hour I spent at Mission San Diego; I hope to visit others, especially San Juan Capistrano and Santa Barbara, on our trip up the coast. And of course the Sonoma mission has special relevance... (we may have to sample the wine while in the neighborhood).

I may have mentioned the Navy golf course adjacent to our campground. Some of the RV's (not ours, thankfully) are located just behind one of the greens, with only a 12 foot fence protecting them from duffers (like me). This morning while walking the puppies, I noticed two golf balls next to a very high end Prevost motor coach. We call that "N.G." in the Navy... Not Good. Tonight after dinner we recon'ed the clubhouse. It's very nice, even if the furnishings are not as girly-glamorous as in The Villages. 

Speaking of females on the golf course, here are two blatantly violating the "no starting after sunset" rule. Hummphhh! 

Skyline, Sea Dogs, a flattop, kites and an Anniversary

Downtown San Diego has changed (just a bit) since I was here in the late 60s aboard a Navy destroyer before heading to Viet Nam. Back then it was a real Navy town; now it’s much more touristy and gentrified, a lot like Newport, Rhode Island, but on a much larger scale. The modernistic skyline is representative of the direction the city is moving these days - banking, business and high tech. As we walked the waterfront at 2:00 PM, a pleasant, cool breeze was blowing off the harbor. In spite of the changes, there are still things for old(er) sailors to do...

The square-rigger you see behind Suzanne is the Star of India, a clipper ship that once sailed in the tea trade to India and carried emigrants from England to New Zealand. She is one of the oldest merchant ships still afloat. Built of iron, she made over 20 circumnavigations in her day, and now is a part of the maritime museum here.

Rudy the Sailing Wiener Dog and Gretchen the Reluctant Sailor were happy to get down to the harbor for a change of scenery. You can tell by this picture of a wistful Rudy that he really misses the excitement of going to sea. He’s probably dreaming of his next voyage... across the Pacific to Japan, or maybe back to Europe. Or maybe he's thinking of that cute poodle he met in Rome... don't pack your bags and waterbowl too soon, podna', we sold our boat, remember?

The big gray thing Suzanne is pointing at is the nuclear powered aircraft carrier, USS CARL VINSON (CVN-70), that was just returning to port as we walked along the waterfront. The US Navy has 12 big carriers, also called flattops, which are the centerpieces of battle groups that deploy for 6-9 months at a time to represent and protect American interests abroad, guard vital shipping lanes and project American naval and air power if needed. These ships carry 90 fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, are over 1,000 feet long, displace 103,000 tons and have crews of about 5,500 men and women. It’s easy to get lost aboard a carrier; think of it as a floating town, with miles of passageways and hundreds of compartments (watertight rooms) to limit damage from explosions or fire in case of enemy attack. They are as big as the largest cruise ships, but don't have gourmet fine dining, bars or slot machines. Destroyers, the ships I spent my career aboard, are much smaller (564 feet, 10,000 tons) and have crews of 300-450. Destroyers are also much more maneuverable, sexy and very cool (think of a Ferrari or a Jaguar). Okay, so Tom Cruise was pretty cool in Top Gun... but he was just an actor...

The Seaport Village area of the waterfront is the location of many shops, galleries and restaurants. The architecture is based on Spanish missions built in the 16th-17th centuries, quite a contrast to the skyscapers of the center city just a few blocks away.

 The salesperson in one shop, the Wyland Gallery, saw that Suzanne was admiring a statue of some beautiful porpoises (dolphins) frolicking in the waves. He noted that the $2200 price was very reasonable, and would actually seem like half price, since you had to put only 50% down and didn't have to pay the next half for six months or so... by then you would have forgotten about the first payment... let me think about that for a moment.  More appropriate to my budget (I reasoned) was a kite shop around the corner. That is, until I looked at some of the kites that were flying above the heads of bystanders. The big one was about 50 feet long! Heck, it wouldn't fit in The Bus, anyway.

The day ended with a special event; Suzanne and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. I went all out and took her to a bar. Hey, I can hear someone snickering out there... it was a sushi bar! After all, we met in Japan, sushi is one of our favorite meals, and it's lots of fun to sit and watch the sushi chefs prepare our meal right in front of us. Suzanne often converses with the guys in Japanese. That often gets us little freebies, like the tuna sashimi tonight, or the plum wine we get back in The Villages. In any case, I count myself very lucky to be celebrating our anniversary tonight. Kampai!

A mellow ride, fish tacos, new Marines, a reading and Dog Beach

We are now fully encamped in the Admiral Baker Campground in San Diego for the next 12 days. It’s actually a small campground co-located with the Navy golf course just north of the city. While the golf course is pretty flat, there are big hills all around us. After enjoying a pleasant night’s sleep and a quick breakfast, Suzanne said, “Let’s go for a bike ride. There’s a park just a couple of miles away. We can drive there in the car and bike from the visitor’s center.” I made a slight error in assuming that she had selected what we call “A Mellow Ride”.  That is one that is easy, flat, scenic, not challenging, not rocky, and altogether appropriate to my sedate, mature manner. We unloaded our bikes, rode down a steep hill to a river crossing and looked up at the trails Suzanne had picked out. I ask you, does that look flat? Fortunately, before we went too far uphill, we met David, a local rider who showed us some beautiful, mellow trails more appropriate to our skill level.  

After our ride (and much-needed showers), we headed for one of my favorite restaurants - Rubio’s, where fish tacos were “invented” in 1983. Suzanne had the grilled ono (Hawaiian for wahoo) and I had lightly battered pollock. (Fishermen’s Fact: the wahoo is one of the most prized food fish, has razor-sharp teeth like a barracuda and is one of the fastest fish in the sea - it can swim at speeds up to 60 miles per hour; compared to the wahoo, my Alaskan pollock is relatively boring, but tasty.) The salsas you see below are picante (very spicy), mild, tomatillo and chipotle. Rubio’s is a San Diego institution; their food is all fresh, made to order and delicious. 

One of the highlights of any service member’s life is graduation from basic training, affectionately known as boot camp. We attended our daughter Susan’s boot camp graduation at Parris Island, South Carolina, 12 years ago, and remember it like it was yesterday. Today we visited the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) here in San Diego; it was the day before graduation for a hundred or so new Marines who were proudly escorting their families and girlfriends around the base. It was exciting to see these young men (women Marine recruits are all trained at Parris Island), all in top physical condition after 13 weeks of training, who had volunteered to serve their country. As we were leaving MCRD, I noticed a sign for the Marine recruiters’ School; commanded by ... are you ready for this? Major STUDLEY, USMC. What a great, appropriate name for a Major of Marines... OOH-RAH!   

Suzanne is happy that we now have good cell phone and Wi-Fi service. Today she was able to give a highly evidential phone reading to someone back in Florida. She is whittling down her waiting list one by one.

Our campground is about 10 miles from the ocean, and we felt obliged to drive out to see the sun set over the Pacific. It’s been 12 years since Suzanne was stationed in Washington State; that’s the last time we saw the Pacific, and it was good to see it again. We parked at Dog Beach, which made Rudy and Gretchen feel very special. Thousands of dog smells to check out! They were happy to be able to sightsee San Diego with us and walked until they were tired and ready for bed.

Fleece, a ParaGolfer, Felicity, Border Patrol and The Lazy Lizard

We made it to California!  But first ... last night we stayed in the Cactus Gardens RV Park in Yuma, AZ. When we arrived, the temp was 110F, and I had to spray down the top and sides of The Bus with a garden hose three times to help her cool off. We are now in San Diego, where it’s 65F. That’s a 45 degree difference in temperature! Suzanne had to put on a fleece sweater tonight while walking the puppies. We have the windows open and a pleasant breeze is blowing. No air conditioner needed tonight.

On our walk around our Navy campground, we met Anthony Netto, a paraplegic in a motorized wheelchair that he designed to help Wounded Warriors like himself get outside and learn how to play golf, shoot skeet and bat baseballs. His Stand Up and Play Foundation is based in Washington, DC, but Anthony is on the road in an RV with two ParaGolfer/Paramobile wheelchairs teaching wounded soldiers and Marines returned from Afghanistan and Iraq how to become more mobile, build their confidence and achieve greater freedom and independence. See www.standupandplay.org for more info.

Okay, here’s a pop quiz for you: what city/town in the USA was the site of the last invasion of the United States by soldiers of a European power? Here are a few hints: it has no residents, a pyramid, one church on a hill, was the center of the Jackass Mail route, calls itself The Center of the World, was one of General George Patton’s training areas in WWII, is the site of a monument to French aviation, has an original section of the staircase from the Eifel Tower, and has a sundial with the pointer being a bronze sculpture of God’s arm from Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel fresco. If you said, Felicity, California, you win today’s quiz. If you didn’t know the answer, please go to their web site for more information than I can provide here.  www.felicityusa.com   You will be amazed! And if you’re driving between Yuma, AZ, and San Diego, CA, please stop in.

We drove west with the Mexican border and the fence only a mile or so south of us. We encountered several checkpoints; one for agriculture and two for immigration/drug interdiction. If you ever think these checkpoints are a waste of time, please think again. Here are the statistics at this Border Patrol checkpoint in 2011: 843 immigration arrests; 589 criminal arrests; 7,500 pounds of drugs seized, 20 DUI’s arrested. Keep up the good work, guys! 

The highway in southwestern Arizona passes through landscapes that reminded Suzanne of the moon. It’s inhospitable territory in the summer, very hot and dry. It's not completely uninhabited, though, as this sign at a rest stop proves. We decided not to go looking for the critters. Besides, it was over 100F when we stopped.  We had to carry Rudy and Gretchen to what little shaded areas there were so they wouldn't burn their paws while doing their duty.

We had lunch today (delicious shredded beef, beans and cheese burritos) at The Lazy Lizard Saloon in Ocotillo, California. It’s in the heart of the Imperial Valley, west of El Centro. There were only two places to eat in Ocotillo; the other was the Old Highway Cafe.The entire town is 4 blocks by 3 blocks, and the two hundred or so residents are retirees or workers at nearby Plaster City, where US Gypsum mines that mineral and manufactures sheetrock. With construction down across the US, and especially in California and Arizona, employment at the sheetrock factory is down from 400 to 100. Here is Suzanne outside the Saloon (no, we didn’t have any beer there, only a diet soda and water; we still had many miles to drive). 

It was a long, steep, hot climb from below sea level at El Centro in the Imperial Valley to the 4,180 foot summit east of Alpine, CA. The Bus’ engine coolant temperature was in the red zone, but after cresting, we had a 13 mile 6% downhill grade into San Diego. After the dry, dusty, deserted desert between Tucson and Yuma, it was a nice change to pull into San Diego. After we parked, Suzanne took the pups out and sweetly said, “I’m hoping you’ll have a glass of wine ready when I return.” Well, I confess that I got involved with some project...  when she opened the door, looked into my blank face and saw my empty hands, she said, “Okay, we’ll try this again”, and went back outside. I knew I was in “Deep Kimchee”, as they say in South Korea. I quickly recovered and had a nice glass of cabernet ready for her when she returned. Whew, that was close.

Credibility, Boneyard hardware, an indoor track and ostriches

Yesterday was one of Suzanne’s most memorable days ever. She spent the entire day with Dr Gary Schwartz, PhD, and his lovely wife Rhonda, a very gifted intuitive herself, at Gary’s Laboratory for Advances in Consciousness and Health at the University of Arizona. Suzanne participated in exploratory investigations into the continuity of consciousness with Gary and Rhonda. They cannot discuss any of the details of their investigations right now, but they were all very excited by the results. (I think Suzanne may be earning some frequent flyer miles back and forth to Tucson over the next year...)

The second part of today’s blog deals with hardware; yes, it’s mostly for the guys. We were staying at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base campground, and what was parked just across the fence in The Boneyard? Hundreds of “mothballed” military and naval aircraft. Here you see only a small fraction of their inventory; these are P-3 Orion Navy anti-submarine and patrol aircraft in the background, and B-52 Stratofortresses (also called the BUFF, the Big Ugly Fat Fellow) in the foreground. The P-3’s will be replaced by the new P-8A Poseidon, just now coming on line from Boeing Seattle; the B-52’s are the oldest serving aircraft in the Air Force, and were built by Boeing in Seattle and Wichita. The early models were put into service in the 1950’s, and the B-52 is planned to continue into service until the 2040s. Talk about a classic!

The next picture is of an Iraqi tank, a Russian T-54; it is outside the headquarters of the 355^th Operations Group, a composite group that includes A-10 Thunderbolt II (lovingly called the Warthog, the Flying Gun, and the Tankbuster). It was obviously captured before the Warthogs had a chance to attack it; otherwise it would be in several dozen (okay, several hundred) much smaller pieces. The Hogs destroyed about a thousand Iraqi tanks during the Gulf War.

The black aircraft is a Lockheed U-2, like the one flown by Gary Powers and shot down by the Russians in 1960. The U-2 is still in service and flies in the stratosphere at altitudes of 70,000 feet, about twice as high as commercial jet airliners. The pilot has to wear a space suit because of the physiological effects at high altitude. It carries very sensitive reconnaissance and surveillance equipment. It is said to be the only aircraft that requires an automobile to help it land, due to its very low stall speed; a chase car carrying another U-2 pilot paces the U-2, and the second pilot talks the flying pilot down by calling off the height of the U-2 above the ground as it approaches stall speed on landing.

Before getting on the road today, we went to the gym to run on an indoor track, since the temperature at 10:00 AM was already over 100F. Here are Suzanne and I on the track; we're moving so fast the images are blurred!  I am like many runners; when you find someone just a bit faster than you, you try to keep up with him/her. I was pacing a young guy (in his late 20’s) for a lap or two, and decided to push him a bit. He matched me stride for stride for another couple of laps, then finished his run to go lift weights. We caught up to him in the weight room, and I said, “Hey, you were keeping a pretty good pace for a young guy.” He responded, “Yeah, you weren’t doing too bad either, for an old...er guy.”  J

After our workout, I was topping off our front axle bearing hub seals with SAE 90 weight gear oil. It’s a simple task, just pop off the red rubber seal, pour in some oil, and replace the seal. That’s the theory. In execution, what happened was that the clear plastic cover, now almost 10 years old, had become very thin and brittle with continuous UV exposure, and shattered into about a dozen pieces. Bummer... without the cover and seal, all of the gear oil was running out, making movement of The Bus problematic, to say the least. The local RV repair shop didn’t carry the seals, but could order them if they did the work. Fortunately, they referred me to a local auto parts store, and a 30 minute drive, $15 for two sets (I’ll change the other seal when we get to San Diego), 10 minutes to install, and we were ready to roll! And I saved mechanic’s labor ($90/hr.) 

Lastly, we are now on our way to Yuma, Arizona, and an hour ago passed the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Farm; they have 1,100 South African Black laying hen ostriches, and are the largest ostrich farm in the USA. I thought about stopping, since I had never been to an ostrich farm, but we decided to keep pushing to Yuma because of our late departure and the fact that the 115F heat was almost unbearable. We were headed west with the sun beating through our huge front windows. It was 94F inside the coach with three air conditioners running! We also skipped Sentinel, AZ, whose sign reads “Sentinel; The Middle of Nowhere”. Gee, sounds like a great place for an ostrich dinner, doesn’t it?  We are REALLY looking forward to the cooler weather in San Diego; we should arrive there Wednesday afternoon. California, here we come!

A Recovery Day (?), Tom Mix, and 9 hoosegows

Lately I have received some gentle, second-hand flak concerning my dragging Suzanne out for long mountain bike rides in the desert, runs in the heat, and kayaking with snakes and alligators. I feel it is my duty to set the record straight with just one example of our relationship regarding the outdoors and physical fitness/abuse. Yesterday was supposed to be a day of rest; a Recovery Day, as I call it in my schedule, to allow Suzanne to recover from her day-long S.O.A.R! Workshop, since she was on her feet and talking from 8-5 Saturday.


Much to my surprise, the alarm went off Sunday morning at 0530, and My Beloved jumps out of bed saying, "Up and at 'em, sailor... we're going hiking!"... I was hardly able to get a quick cup of coffee brewed and the puppies out for their brief morning constitutional when we're in the car and driving off to the Wind Cave trailhead at Pass Mountain. 


Even at 0630, we were not the first ones on the trail; the parking lot was already half full, with other masochists out trying to beat the heat (predicted to rise to 110F in the shade). Breakfast was an energy bar and a banana (what happened to strawberries and cream, mimosas and omelets?). I was feeling more than a bit hungry when we got to the top. The trip down was considerably faster that the hike up. Here's Our Heroine at the trailhead after the hike, with the mountain in the background. She looks surprisingly chipper, if you ask me. I never did get my mimosa... I had to settle for warm Gatorade. Hummmph!

After our hike, we attended Sunday Services at The Logos Center in Scottsdale with Dr Herb and Rev Anne Puryear, two of the nicest people on the planet. If a couple ever epitomized spiritualism and a love for humanity, it’s Herb and Anne. If you’re ever in the Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona area, you must visit The Logos Center for a dose of love and spirituality. It's a beautiful, renowned center for interfaith spirituality, education and holistic healing. 

As we were driving Arizona Route 79 to Tucson, I saw a roadside sign for the Tom Mix Memorial. You may not remember Tom Mix, but he was the first great movie cowboy and Hollywood surperstar, starring in 291 movies, almost all silent.  Tom Mix, with his Wonder Horse "Tony", was "the King of Cowboys" when Ronald Reagan and John Wayne were youngsters, and they both adopted many of his characteristics when portraying cowboys. When an injury caused football player John Wayne to drop out of USC, Tom Mix helped him get a job moving props in the back lot of Fox Studios. Tom Mix died in an auto accident near Florence, Arizona, in 1940. The plaque on the memorial there (at Tom Mix Wash) reads: "In memory of Tom Mix whose spirit left his body on this spot and whose characterization and portrayals in life served to better fix memories of the old West in the minds of living men." 

 Tom Mix's first talking film, Destry Rides Again, was about a wrongly incarcerated cowboy who got his revenge when released from prison. Coincidentally, the nearby town of Florence, AZ, is not as well known for its Renaissance art and sculpture as it is for the nine (9) prisons located here (Pinal County, Arizona State, Federal and private). Here is a look at one facility (the multiple fences with razor wire, guard towers and remote cameras are not well detailed, but are probably quite effective); we recommend that you do not pick up hitchhikers in Florence, particularly if they are wearing faddish orange striped jumpsuits. They probably aren't as nice or heroic as Tom Mix was... funny, the Florence Chamber of Commerce doesn't mention the prisons on their "Welcome to Florence" website... but even funnier, one of the "55 and Over Retirement Communities" backs up to the razorwire fence of one of the correctional facilities. If you're tossing a frisbee in your back yard, and it went over the fence, I guess you might want to consider that one a goner.

Lastly, for clock lovers... The town of Florence ("Where Opportunities are as Wide Open as the Western Range") has a courthouse with a clock tower whose clock has painted (not movable) hands indicating 11:44 (AM or PM, your choice). It is said that they ran low on funding and opted to finish the jail rather than to buy the real clock. Hey, when you're in the hoosegow, does it matter what time it is? (Teaching point: the Americanism "hoosegow" comes from the Spanish word for jail, juscado). See what you learn by watching cowboy movies as a kid?

Natasha; dessert and desert(ed) Internet; cowboys and Indians; a scorpion hunt?

As I write this edition of our Messages of Hope tour blog, I have Natasha Bedingfield blasting on the stereo for inspiration. Suzanne is conducting her S.O.A.R! Workshop at The Logos Center in Scottsdale, and I am catching up on RV maintenance and paperwork here in The Bus. Even though we are away, what we call in the Navy “administrivia” always manages to catch up with us. Today is no exception. Our great friend Ann Lavelle brought us a large packet of mail that Suzanne’s mom has been collecting for us back in The Villages. (Thanks a lot, Ann... I mean that only partially sarcastically...). 

Here is my workspace on the table in The Bus. We can tether Suzanne’s iPhone to her computer for access, but both of those electronic marvels are in use in her workshop. As a confirmed Luddite, I have reluctantly been brought into the 21^st century as a matter of necessity. I have an iPhone, an iPad and a computer here... none of which work especially well on the fringes of civilization (apologies to the Mesa, Arizona, Chamber of Commerce).

One of the minor (major?) inconveniences of “camping” in the desert (yes, that’s a relative term; we are not living in a tent) is the lack of Internet, reliable or otherwise. We are in Usery Mountain Recreation Area east of Mesa. As you know, cell towers support population centers. Here is a photo of the area around our campsite. “Urban sprawl” is not an issue here. There's not a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts in sight... 

You don’t see green (trees and lawns) because of the simple fact that real trees and grass don’t grow here. There is a lovely cactus, sand, rock and mountain view out the window which you can’t discern because of the off-the-chart glare from the sunshine and its associated 106F heat. Even with sunglasses on, you want to put a pair of sunglasses on. Humidity today is 7%. There’s probably more moisture on Mars. The EPA-rated UV (ultraviolet) exposure index here today is 11+. That’s as high as the scale goes. There’s nothing moving out in the desert right now. Any organism with a brain is buried down deep in a burrow until sunset. (Note for Bronwen:  I'm sorry if I sound like I'm whining; I really do love the desert, and have backpacked/hiked the Red Rock area near Las Vegas, 29 Palms in California, Death Valley, and Sedona. I just like pulling Desert Rats' chains.)  ;-)

Speaking of sunset, there is a special social activity here at the campground tonight. The park ranger will be presenting a lecture on scorpions, and after that, there will be a “Scorpion Hunt”.  I’m not sure if that means the campers go into the desert looking for scorpions or vice versa, but it sounds like great fun. I am sure Suzanne will be ready for some scorpion excitement when she finishes her workshop. Here’s one of the critters that we may be hunting... or who may be hunting us.  

I did get into Old Town Scottsdale for an hour or two this morning. After a Starbucks, a sinful lemon cake goodie and use of their WiFi connection, I recon’ed the Ville, with Rudy and Gretchen waiting in the car in air conditioned comfort. It’s a neat place, with lots of shops, restaurants and galleries. I especially liked the wagon wheel chair and the bronze Indians and cowboys in the Schorr Gallery. (Stephen Schorr is a former Rhode Islander, and a very knowledgeable gallery owner). They were having a sale, but our space is very limited aboard The Bus. 

A kindred spirit, one tired puppy, cactus needles and green slime

Last night we met a new friend at a tapas bar (you know, like in the Spanish hors d'oeurves... where was your mind?) at the Montelucia Resort and Spa, a beautiful five star resort here in Scottsdale. We had dinner and Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay (one of our very favorite wines) with Sarah McLean. Sarah is a dynamic, eloquent expert on meditation, and has her own meditation training facility in Sedona, Arizona. She has worked with Deepak Chopra and several other experts in the field. She and Suzanne hit it off from the start, and are obviously on the same wavelength. As I have said in a previous blog entry, it's the people you meet on a trip like this that makes it all worthwhile, and we are very fortunate to continue to meet truly beautiful and gracious people this summer.

This morning we got an early start for another desert bike ride. It was already 88F as the sun was rising, and Suzanne chose some new, harder trails for us to ride. I let her lead; since we hadn't ridden these trails, I figured she would find the rough spots and warn me when to be careful. Luckily, she didn't fall into any of the thousands of cacti (that's the plural of cactus) on the sides of the trail. However, the heat and sun started to get to her, and she needed a break halfway through, so we pulled into a picnic area which had a few shaded covers. She looks like she might have passed out, but rest assured she has survived the ride, but I think she's looking forward to missing her workout tomorrow because she's presenting her S.O.A.R! Workshop in Scottsdale.

There are several varieties of cactus (cacti?) here. I wanted to know whether the spines ("needles"?) were really sharp, so I tried the age-old male's method of scientific discovery... pressing my finger into the end of a cactus spine/needle... Eureka, those are sharp little buggers!!! Suzanne just sort of shook her head in wonder... what did she mean by, "Yes, men are from Mars..."?






One of my tires got a flat this morning, so I tried a new solution; rather than pulling off the wheel and tire and patching it, I used something called Slime, a green miracle liquid that you insert into the tubes of your tires. The container stated that it will seal leaks up to 1/8". With some trepidation I followed the instructions (Suzanne will say that that is unusual for me to begin with) and pumped up the injured tire to full pressure and continued our ride. Amazingly enough, the Slime appears to have worked beyond my wildest expectations. The repair held over the next hour and a half and appears to be holding pressure like a new tube. I would not normally put a product endorsement/commercial on this blog, but what the heck... it's a great product and their Summer Blob Tour poster caught my attention. (Full disclosure: I am not a SLIME stockholder).

Lastly, I think this little devil might have been the cause of my flat. The tree/shrub shown is called the crucifixion thorn (Castela emoryi). It is all over the area, and has lots of spiky thorns and no leaves to speak of; "all twig ends are drawn into straight, stiff, very sharp thorns. Do NOT ride into this shrub!  

A topless bar, Dr Gary Schwartz and Gila monsters

For husbands in particular: One of “Life’s Great Lessons” is to always listen carefully, analyze what you heard, and think very hard before you open your mouth. Especially when your wife is speaking to you. I know I have learned this lesson on several occasions over the years, but the latest incident just underscored that I still have some learning to do. One of Suzanne’s friends in Scottsdale called to schedule a get-together. I was driving at the time, and Suzanne said to me casually, “Hey, that’s great... we’re going to meet her at a topless bar.” My first reaction was, “Gosh, she must be pretty cool... or maybe even pretty hot.” Imagine my surprise when I told Suzanne that, and her rather frosty reply was, “Not a topless bar; a tapas bar...”.   Sigh...... I didn’t earn any points on that one.... guess I’d better head for the florist shop...

On the serious side, we met Dr Gary Schwartz, PhD, and his wife Rhonda at the Enchantment Resort in Sedona. Gary is a Harvard grad, was a professor at Harvard and Yale, and is now Professor of Psychology, Medicine, Neurology, Psychiatry and Surgery at the University of Arizona in Tucson. and Director of the Laboratory for Advances in Consciousness and Health. He has written 450 academic papers and six books, including The Afterlife Experiments, which had a profound impact on Suzanne in the aftermath of our daughter Susan’s death in 2006. Suzanne has been corresponding with Gary about mediumship and the afterlife for several months, bringing through evidence from his mentor, Susy Smith, on the other side that has astounded both of them.  Rhonda is a gifted intuitive herself, and a delightful person. Gary and Rhonda attended the Messages of Hope viewing at The Logos Center in Scottsdale, and we will see them again at their home in Tucson on Sunday. Suzanne and Gary are planning experiments on mediumship at his laboratory at the University of Arizona on Monday.Gary and Rhonda both have Corvettes; I haven’t driven a really powerful, fast sports car since Suzanne sold hers back in 2000, so it was with vicarious pleasure when I watched them drive off after dinner.

The documentary viewing last night went very well; The Logos Center, a beautiful facility in Scottsdale with great energy, was founded by Dr. Herb and Rev. Ann Puryear in 1983.  At left are Suzanne, Gary Schwartz, Ann Puryear, Herb Pulyear, and Rhonda Schwartz (right to left) in The Logos Center Sanctuary following The Messages of Hope viewing. Herb and Ann are also delightful; we will be having dinner with them Friday night.

 We are camping at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Mesa, east of Scottsdale and Phoenix. Temperatures here average around 110F. Residents here say, “That’s not too bad, and it’s a dry heat.”  My solemn reply is, “Yeah, well, ovens are dry heat as well, and look what it does to turkeys.” So, we’re now scheduling our daily workouts for early morning, before the sun gets too high and the temperature breaks the thermometers. Here's the thermometer on our car at 3:00 PM today. Who planned this trip, anyway????  (Oh, that’s right, I guess I did. But it will be much cooler when we get to San Diego.) 

Here is a shot of our bus in the campground. It looks like a beautiful moonscape with tall saguaro cactus. There are only about 5 other campers in the campground with about 65 sites. "Whassamatta, youse can't stand the heat?" 











We went for an hour and a half mountain bike ride on desert trails this morning and lost a couple of pounds due to the heat, even though we were drinking water and Gatorade frequently. Here is Suzanne (and a rather large sign on the mountainside) pointing the way for wayward, navigationally-challenged aviators who haven't been able to find PHX airport. Jim and Bob, we're talking to you here!  ;-)

Rudy and Gretchen have been like little dust mops here in the desert. There's no grass, only dirt, and their long hair picks up the dust and burrs constantly. So, today they got a bath. Just like when we take our indoor showers, we didn't need to even use hot water; the cold alone comes out at 100-110F. Now they are clean and fluffy.

The welcome package here at the campground was interesting. It had photos and descriptions of the local residents, and warns visitors about inadvertent interaction with them: coyotes, diamondback rattlesnakes, Gila monsters, centipedes, scorpions and tarantulas. The pamphlet is shown on the ground next to the bus by two holes of unknown inhabitants.  Sheesh! Who planned this trip, anyway?