And nowTucson

TUCSON, AZ - - Why a photo of roses??  Well, there wasn't a tele-sign with the temperature on it nearby.   Anyway, it was only100-degrees and that isn't 'real' Tucson weather.  It was up to 115 on our 2019 visit.  So we stopped our morning hike and checked out the local Trader Joe's.  No purchases, but plenty of ideas for our next outing when we drive.  We'll be in the area for three weeks playing house-sitters.
 

Ride this train - -3

FLAGSTAFF, AZ- - The photo of the lead engine on this 120 car-plus freight rolling through Old Town Flagstaff is what you get when you aren't quite ready to shoot.  This freight, one of about 80 per day,  was pulled by four BNSF engines ( 'Burlington Northern Santa Fe) with two engines at the rear of the procession adding a bit of 'push.'  Great for train buff watching; not so great if you are a driver stuck at the crossing.

     On our trip from Santa Fe to Flagstaff  the 'singing rails' ran (sort of) parallel to I-40 so we got to see a good deal of rail traffic.  Most of the freights were well over 100, with maybe as many as 200 cars.  My favorite:  a freight which seemed to go on forever with five engines pulling and another four situated about midway.  Try figuring the dynamics of getting the rolling stock moving or, better yet, stopping.

Bye, bye Santa fe; Hello Arizona

 FLAGSTAFF, AZ - - Impending heavy rain, dropping temperatures and a feeling we had stayed too long in Santa Fe and led us to pack it all up Memorial Day afternoon and await what the threatening clouds promised.  The temperature dropped15-degrees in three hours from a cold rain to 40-degrees by the time we turned in.  It was 35 at 6am.  Time to go.

     We'll miss Santa Fe:  The Saturday farmer's markets; The fish swimming up stream like they were two years ago and the lively street art and building murals.  

     It was hot enough at the (closed) Arizona Welcome Station that changing to shorts and short sleeves seemed like a very good idea.

I survived the Green chili burrito at Thje Shed

Turtles and other assorted figures dot a display at The Rainbow Man

 

SANTA FE, NM - - Sooner or later you gotta eat Mexican food in Santa Fe.  And that means chilli pepper as a one or more ingredients.  A restaurant called The Shed has caught our interest because of the long, long line of people waiting for it to open for lunch...and probably dinner, too. So Friday we joined the lunch line early.  The menu features a pretty basic selection, but must be good since the venue has been open for over 60 years.  I dove in with the green chili burrito...and survived the heat and beans. Lydia chose the blue corn burrito with red chili  and also survived the famous NM heat.  

    

Campsite visitor

SANTA FE, NM - - We have frequent humming bird visitors to our campsite.  They zip in and out; hover for a split second and then zoom off again. This gives us plenty of practice with our cameras looking for 'the right shot.'  Of course we cheat a bit since we bring a feeder.  This humming bird nectar (a sugar water solution) dispenser allows multiple birds to tank up at the same time - - although squabbles frequently break out about who's turn it is to slurp the nectar.  
 

More fun at the campground

 

SANTA FE, NM - - Later in the day after the previous post, we returned to the campground and settled in after erecting our shelter on the tent pad.  Then, two loud noises like gunshots sounded and someone yelling are you all right?  Later, I made a visit a short distance away from our site and there sat a Toyota Tacoma king cab with two blown passenger-side tires.  

     It seems the driver took a bit of evasive action as a man and a boy were walking toward the truck as it made its way up a hilly section of the campground.  The road is narrow.  The driver turned?? to the side, hit a rock wall outlining the restroom area and blew both tires.  A bit hard to believe...one tire, yes;  two tires...pretty hard to do.

    This left the truck blocking a good portion of the road.  And we are in an area of very poor / spotty cell service.  Eventually, some aid was worked out with the campground host.  The end result was a roll-back wrecker arriving.  The driver was an amputee (left arm) but sharp.  After a group effort (with more watching and offering suggestions than helping) the truck was on the wrecker and normal (if there is such a thing) campground life returned.

   

 

    

We're now in Santa fe

 SANTA FE, NM - - Blame a lack of internet on the lack of blogs.  Take right now, we're parked in a McDonald's lot because there is no inside seating.  Our Santa Fe go-to spot, the public library, is closed. so we look for back-up spots to "swipe" a bit of wi-fi signal.

     On the road, it's been rain and more rain with brief dry periods.  We've traveled most of the Natchez Trace where, if you listen closely, you can hear the musket fire from The War of 1812.  We've driven on parts of the Trail of Tears, the forced relocation of numerous Indian tribes from the Southern US to arid Oklahoma.  The bridge across the Mississippi at Memphis which I-20 follows has been closed for nearly two weeks due to a "massive" structural Problem.  So we hit the 'outback' to detour.  After recconection, I-20 follows along a lot of the famous Route 66 and one part of an alternate route we took in Miss was named for Levon Helm (famous singer and drummer in The Band).

     So, we've seen a lot and done a lot to end up in Santa Fe.  On the bright side we arrived at our favorite campground, Black Canyon (a Forest Service campground) to secure a site for the next two weeks through Memorial Day Weekend.  We'll keep scrambling so there's more to come,

How we pack our VW pop-top van for our vacation trips

WEST END, NC - - This photo is actually of a re-packing since we've been in WE nearly two weeks.  It's easy to spot the challenge:  Where do I sleep???  

     We've been doing this type of long term travel /camping since 2010 minus 2016 (I was sick) and the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.  Each year it's the same task with a lot of re-positioning of everything each night to get to my memory foam mattress (blue cover).  From there it's easy - - a bit of gymnastics, some contortions and a bit of squeezing here and there and I'm ready to snooze.  Multiply that by the number of times a 78-year-old gets up to answer nature's call and you have my nightly schedule.  For those keeping score our record of consecutive nights camping stands at 113.

     Oh, you ask:  Where does Lydia sleep??  In the penthouse.  You pop the top up and it's a cozy area with three mesh windows just about right for an agile individual.  Why don't I try it.  Well I could get up there but a slip and fall while descending would be hazardous to my physical, mental and overall well being.  And Lydia has a long list / memory of my goof-ups.
 

Play a train song - - II

It's always fun to wave at the engineer.  In this case the engineer gave the train whistle a long blast...and nearly fractured my eardrums.  Note to self: Don't stand so close to the tracks to take your photos.

 

Be sure to stop and smell the roses...

...just don't get the tip of your nose wet

 

Play a train song

WEST END, NC - - One of the special things for me about staying in West End is that the Aberdeen, Carolina & Western railroad tracks are about 100 yards from our lodging.  If we're home at the right time we can see / hear a freight rolling by.  

     Surprise, surprise today we heard the whistle the engineer blows to warn
 traffic approaching track crossings.  I hurried over to the tracks to get a couple of shots of the approaching engine.  But no freight this time as I encountered  a line of purple-ish passenger cars and observation decks.  Searching the 'net' for info provided no clues to where/when/why on possible tours/excursions.  So the plan is to keep searching.

The West End hangout

 WEST END, NC - - We've been in WE for a couple of days and intend to stay a few more...because we've got a nice, big house to stay in courtesy of a relative of Lydia's.  We've been here a number of times in past years so it gets harder to get photos of things / places I haven't taken before.  Thus, an old tractor decorated with fake flowers.  It belongs to a nursery.

Drive (x2); Ferry (x2) plus a couple of lighthouses

CORRECTION:  The Ocracoke ferry leaves from Cedar Island. My previously blog gave the location as Morehead City...close,  but no winner.

      PLYMOUTH, NC - - More Outer Banks fun today; another ferry trip; plenty of T-shirt stores and lots of sand...mostly blowing across the road.  Pretty normal, except for the snake but you have to read farther to find out.

     Our GPS doesn't care if we're on a ferry it just makes the road blue and still registers speed and direction.     

     The Cape Hatteras Light Station was originally located 1,500 feet closer to the Atlantic Ocean.  About a century of storms and erosion had eaten away all but 150 feet of the buffer of land and water.  Thus in the early 1990's the intact lighthouse station was "creeped" to the new location...the feat was similar to the way space rockets are moved to launch sites at Cape Canaveral.

     Look closely at the photo.  The snake has a salamander's (?) tail end in it's mouth.  The victim is looking across the snake's back.  Will the victim get away and live life as a shorter self?? or will it end up as a long, thin meal?  I wasn't about to fool with Mother Nature to alter the outcome.


 

Time for adventure, finally

OCRACOKE ISLAND - - It's been nearly 20 months since Lydia and I hit the road to wander on what has become an annual summer jaunt of about 5 months. Everything looked pristine as we set up for night 1 (Monday) in a KOA in Lumberton, NC.  Of course, the interior of the van is total chaos which is a byproduct of long-term on the road living.

     Tuesday,  we headed south-east to Morehead City and the ferry to Ocracoke and the Outer Banks.  There is a lot to see here and, once my pics show up in transferable mode, I'll post.
 

Homeless ..or what's in a name

 ORMOND BEACH, FL - - On the road all alone...or, in Gary the kitty's case, a parking lot.  I like cats and if we didn't travel so much, we'd replace our dear departed felines - -Alfie and Murphy.  So you've got a short haired rogue with a sympathetic face.  And, with a name like Gary, what's not to like.  I hope he's already gotten a forever home.   Anyway I  figured it was about time to post something other birds and flowers.

The library is foreveryone

 ORMOND BEACH, FL - - In our travels, we've seen Little Free Library locations in lots of places.  But here, in a riverside park about a half-mile from where we live, is a well deserved addition - - the Little Free Library For Kids.  Of course, you have to be very short to use this version.

Our hibiscus got bashed in Sunday's storms but were back with new blooms Monday

 ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Pretty much all of Florida had heavy weather yesterday (Sunday).  In OB, Mother Nature bombarded us with thunder and lightning and regular downpours.  Consequently, our hibiscus and other flowering shrubs took a beating.  Yet after an hour or two of sunshine this morning colorful new growth appeared. 

Macaw

Am I handsome or pretty...

 ORMOND BEACH, FL - - This scarlet macaw is an old friend who appears on most occasions when we visit the Alligator Farm.  The species is found in central and parts of south America and, with luck, lives about 50 years.

     Yes, I've posted photos in past years but, being such a colorful character, he or she, deserves another pic.

Still life ... with duck

Sunday sunrise with waves and con-trail

On the beach at 7am...lazy waves; fleecy clouds and a con trail of unknown origin.  No launches from near by Cape Canaveral scheduled.

 

A look back...Glacier NP...2018

Bear grass...No bears around so I filled in

 

Our orchid tree is blooming...and the wind is scattering the blooms

Purple rain...

...and other colorful artsy objects...

...led us  to hire some protection...

 

...but forgot to tell the neighbors

 

A mix from the past week

Snowy egret showing off breeding plumage

This lemon / lime conures parrot isn't great camouflage...unless you're in a bar 

A clear morning on the Halifax looking north toward OB bridge

Limbs and clouds

Two days of strong winds have left a colorful ground cover

 

Who you calling Cooter??

 

A study in light and dark

 

Alternative social distancing

 

Orlando wetlands early morning

Early morning haze

Dew makes the spider webs stand out

The 'Magnificent Seven'...waiting

The moon's reflection

This trio was nipping bugs as they flew past

CHARGE:  See the blog post below for the rest of the story