The sun arrives in Washington

The mountains of the Olympic Range provide a backdrop for a sunny day on the water

Spotted flowers??

BREMERTON, WA - - We're going to be in Washington, near a town called Poulsbo, for a bit over 3 weeks.  We've been here before so now we're doing a bit more exploring (Note to self to write down names of areas).  The mountains in the first photo cover part of Olympic National Park, a location we should check out while here.  Our house-sit companions, four cats, shouldn't mind.
     The interesting flower was one of a batch near our table at a seafood restaurant we've been to before.
    Part of the fun in returning to familiar areas is doing more exploring...unless the search is for a campsite when everything is booked up because it's Fourth of July weekend.  Our house sit doesn't begin until July third.
     So far, the sun is shining and the temperature should hit the low 70s today.  And the search goes o.

It's foggy out there

It's easy to tell which way the wind blows

The lighthouse: the sailors savior. 

Yaquina Head spent nearly 100 years in service

TILAMOOK, OR - - We've spent time on the Oregon Coast in the sunshine; we've spent time in foggy conditions.  This time it's foggy most of the day.  Locals say when its hot inland then we got the coastal mist.  We'll take the cooler temps (60's) any day.
     Later today we'll be in Washington  and it will probably still be the same.  No problem.  Plenty of firewood and hot coffee can bring on sunny dispositions. 
     This is one of our "stop in McDonald's for a senior coffee and free wi-fi" mornings.  If we're looking for something to do the Tilamook company offers free tours of their cheese making facility. The very sharp version is yum yum good. 

Nevada to Oregon

California's Mt. Shasta

An Oregon sense of humor

FLORENCE, OR - - Hot describes just about all of our trip time from Goldfield, NV to when we made it out of California.  Oregon (Port Orford to be more exact) where we spent last night (Saturday) has been cool... to the tune of a 50-decree difference.  It was either 108 or 110 or 111 degrees Friday night when we stopped. in Redding, CA.   This morning's (Sunday)  the temp was 58 degrees.  Way cool.
     Of course, out on Mt. Shasta in California it was cold enough to keep the mountain's eight glaciers from melting too much.
     To get to the Oregon Coast from the inland route we were on, Lydia found a way and we were on to another of "Lydia's excellent adventures".  These always involve routes to seemingly nowhere to get somewhere.  About 80 miles of desolate up and down road over a coastal mountain range with basically no straight parts later we emerged to see the Pacific and the Oregon Coast in  all its glory.  Even "The Leader" was a bit surprised noting that if she had known what type of trip was going to transpire she probably wouldn't have suggested it.  Yeah, right.
     Why no photos of the road and the terrain??  I couldn't unclench my fingers from the steering wheel death grip.

5-alarm blaze

Selfie, with new (fire) brush truck

It's hard to tell how big this monster is.

GOLDFIELD, NV - -  We're visiting Lydia's brother in Goldfield.  It's hard to visualize back 110 years ago, this Nevada town was a bustling mining center with 20,000 residents.  Today, it's quite a bit quieter with about 400 hardy, close-knit folks. 
     The town has a brand new fire truck (to add to a regular fire truck and a brush truck. There  are three ambulances, but they are a separate department). Luckily, somebody pulled a few strings and I got a chance to get a a short ride in the new unit.  But it was the driver who hit the lights and siren. It's a guy thing to like fire trucks
     The new unit is really like what we call in Florida a 'brush' truck (able to go off road to access fires or accidents)  This one is a brush truck steroids. It's good for providing coverage for any type of accident and fighting fires.  With four-wheel drive it can gobble up the rough sand roads and rougher terrain.  It has room for four responders plus the driver and enough gear to cover almost any situation.
     Because this is a pretty lonely area with the nearest hospital nearly 150 miles away, the volunteer fire department, police and ambulance volunteers cover plenty of ground.

Back to the road

One per cent humidity just before we left Tucson

The Vermilion Cliffs

Morning at Deer Creek (Utah) campground, clouds, aspens

CEDAR CITY, UT - - We left Tucson Tuesday afternoon and headed toward Goldfield, NV.  When people in Arizona explain 'It's a dry heat and not really that hot' at 105 degrees and one per cent humidity. Still, it's pretty darn hot.
    After spending the night in Flagstaff it was time to roll on.   Around Noon, we crossed the Navajo Bridge across the Colorado River and followed the empty highway and the Vermilion Cliffs while they mostly parallel the river.
     It would be cooler at higher elevations Monday night so once into Utah we headed for one of our favorite campgrounds,  Sure enough, it was 52 degrees this morning.  But we expect a very hot day and plenty of desert scenery on our 300 mile jaunt to Goldfield.
     Right now we're drinking coffee and doing the wi-fi thing at another favorite stop:  The  Grind in  "Historic" Cedar City...the last "big" center of any kind for a long time.

Kittty treats

I want kitty treats, NOW1

TUCSON, AZ - -  The feisty feline in the above photo is Bud. He's one half of the household we're taking care of while the servants of this 'friendly creature' are on vacation.  Cooper, the dog, shares the accommodations.
      Bud is not your normal lap kitty, he's more of a lap lump if and when he decides you deserve a few moments of his 15 pounds or so bulk.  Mainly he likes to vanish and sleep away the day in some cool hiding place. One thing which does make him reappear is 'treat time' after Cooper has his daily walks. 
    

'Tis the season

TUCSON, AZ - - Thursday, June 15, is the beginning of Monsoon Season here. Most of Arizona and New Mexico get nearly half their average rainfall (10 inches) before the season officially ends September 30.
     The above sign is seen more frequently then "Road work ahead"  and it seems as if the public works departments are working on  just about every street and road we've traveled in Tucson.  
     This area is currently bone  dry and it seems strange to cross river bridges and other bridges where there is nothing but cement hard layers of soil and sand and scrub to be seen.  But take that situation, add what can be two-inches of rain in an hour and you have the ingredients for flash floods.  And the flooding follows the 'path of least resistance'  so  that the dips in the road; highway underpasses and just about any low area can become a lake or raging torrent.
     You would think that abundant signs and visual evidence that the water just might be deep and flowing very fast would be enough to deter folks from trying to see if their vehicle has amphibious traits.  There's always a few folks who like to try.

The ears have it

Bobcat waiting for the keeper to deliver breakfast

Mountain lion watching and waiting

I got mine.  Prairie dog munch time

TUCSON, AZ - - Strangers in the night are out there prowling, looking for food should someone leave the garbage accessible or, worse yet, go for a late night walk with their pint-sized appetizer dog.  There have been sightings of bobcats in this neighborhood.  We decided it would be easier to head to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for our encounter.
     One interesting fact about the cat is that when in danger the cat hunkers down and its ears spread  out alongside its head.  The white spots on the ears (visible in the photo) then look like another set of eyes thus making the roughly 20 pound animal appear much larger.
     While mountain lions could roam the surrounding mountain ranges, we doubt any would be hungry enough to venture too close to civilization.  This sturdy fellow found hanging out in the shade and keeping a watchful eye on all the visitors to be less energy intensive.
     Of all the interesting exhibits, the prairie dog village was our favorite.  This gang of about 20...if they all decided to show themselves at once...were zipping all over the place.  The only times they came top rest were to munch on something or have an intruder check.
     We spent 3 hours wandering around and probably could have stayed longer but it was getting hot and animal activity was quieting down.  The hummingbirds, bees, javelina clan (a relative of wild pigs), wolf, black bear were all seeking some  kind of shade when we left.

From downtown to the desert

Tucson trolley

A portion of the Sonoran Desert seen from Sagaro National Park

TUCSON, AZ - - Driving through Old Town Tucson on our way to Saguaro National Park we were passed by a trolley.  Strange to see rail road tracks down the streets.  Tucson  also has real busses running on the same streets.
     We've been to the NP the last time we were here two years ago, but decided to go back for another look.  It's still dry desert, a lot of different cactus (the tall ones are the saguaro),  and lots of hardy bush.  The denizens of the desert had figured it was too hot and stayed hidden.
     Some parks are big, some are small.  And then there's Saguaro which has two parts...East and West.  We visited the West park.

Planes, planes, planes

These C-133 cargo aircraft date back to when I was in the Air Force

The "Super Guppy" was used by NASA to ferry space shuttle assemblies

TUCSON, AZ - - We visited the Pima (county) Air and Space Museum to check out the displays of aircraft.  While  the majority of planes in the museum are indoors, there is another area called the "boneyard," a 2,900 acre outdoor holding pen for aircraft and parts no longer in use. Imagine rows and rows of planes sitting in the sun and dry heat waiting to be torn apart for scrap or used for parts or sold to countries looking to establish an air force.  
       Davis-Montham Air Base is the secure location and the extremely low humidity and scant rainfall make this a very good place to store the planes. As is visible in the photos all the outdoor aircraft are sealed against the sun and fine grit in the air.  Should a foreign nation  wish to add their aircraft all it takes is a $20,000 fee to get each plane into storage.

I'm watching you

A curious lizard

TUCSON, AZ - - We have all sorts of visitors when we're out on the back patio.  Fill the bird bath and sprinkle some bird feed on the ground near it and you have an ongoing show.

High water

Water level?  Really?

TUCSON,AZ - - The above photo was taken in a dip beneath an under pass on a highly traveled highway in Tucson.  The very deep water level is FIVE FEET.  The area is bone dry as this is written with streams and rivers dusty and sprouting only very hardy weeds.
     The area gets only 12-inches of rain a year while in Ormond Beach our average is 51 inches.  So why the threat of floods.  Because the average rainfall comes almost all at once creating flash floods.  July through September are  "monsoon" season and  all the streams run together.  There are signs on most roads in low lying areas warning not to dive through flooded roadway areas. 
     The folks we are house sitting for say you have to be very alert and careful during the "monsoon."

Hello Tucson

Tucson...slightly spread out

TUCSON, AZ - - This post was supposed to be up yesterday.  Technical difficulties - - like the wi-fi where we were suddenly kicking me off - - delayed me.
     Monday morning we headed south for Tucson.  We got a warm welcome...like 98-degrees and 4 percent humidity.  We knew what to expect, but it was 36-degrees when we got up before leaving Flagstaff.
     Today we took a drive up Mt Lemmon (where the photo was shot from ) and the temps were a lot cooler at 9,100'.  We'll be in Tucson until June 18 doing a house sitting gig and renewing our friendships with Bud the Cat, Cooper the Dog and the owners air conditioning.