Blue, and Red or Green

A couple of days ago I left Marc and Sara in Phoenix and headed out on Blue Highways to the land where the eternal question is Red or Green.
(note photos below got double loaded. Editing is awkward)
Starting in Fort McDowell, I headed northeast on Hwy 87 to Payson.  There must have been 5 mountain passes along the way.  Mean while the Sonoran Desert sugaro cacti grew larger and more numerous until they gave way to juniper and pine forests.  At Payson I turned east on Hwy 260 to Show Low.  We paralleled the Mongollon Rim.  An escarpment/cliff that runs for hundreds of miles and defines the high plateau of northern Arizona and New Mexico.  Eventually the Blue Highway sidestepped its way up to the plateau.  On the rim I wanted to stop for lunch and the view but the snowy viewpoint was closed.  The pine forest was a mass of hundreds of shallow ponds of snow melt.  Slowly the forest opened up to mixed pine and juniper again, but not without signs of some massive forest fires.  Trees layed higgledy piggledy across floor of the now barren forest.
From Show Low I turned onto Hwy 60.  The trees gave way to range land and barbed wire fencing as I crossed the border in the New Mexico (first time in NM!).  By Quemado there was signs of basalt under the thin soils and I felt like I was in eastern Oregon.  From there I took 36 and 117 into Malpais National Monument.  Here the basalt flows are only a few hundred years old.  The road is squeezed into the narrow gap between the edge of the raw basalt and sandstone bluffs.
I camped in Joe Skeen campground for free with about 6 other campers.  A long day of driving, but not a freeway in the whole day.  I cooked up some red lentil pasta.  I combined it with a sauce of tomatoes sauteed in olive oil, spinach, ground pepper, tomato paste and parmegano reggiano.  The wind picked up and the temperature dropped quickly, so I went inside the Alaskan to read and plan out the next day.  Before going to bed I went out once again to stare and the starry starry night.  By then the wind had stopped.
Tuesday March 26.  I went to Acoma Pueblo to their history and pottery museum.  The original pueblo is on a mesa top and has been continuously occupied since about 1100 BC.  They claim they moved there from Chaco Canyon.  I had my first red or green question (this is the New Mexico State Question (like state tree, flower, etc).  Did I want red chili or green chili stew.  I had the green that included corn and green squash and a bit of a picante bite.
Motoring on I drove 2.5 hours on freeways (but on the alignment of the original route 66) thru Albuquerque to Santa Fe.  I have stayed two nights at the Chimayo Hotel done block of the central historical Plaza.  The historical hotel is wood framed with adobe and has a central courtyard.  Very quaint.  I have taken on the Red or Green question 4 more times now.  Pozole, enchiladas x 2, and chili stew.  The restaurant in the hotel specializes in Chimayo chilies (no "mass produced" Hatch Chilies for them).
Wednesday March 27 was museum day.  Georgia O'Keefe, Native American Art, and Folk Art museums.  The walk to the later two was 2 miles each way, so I got my milage in (at 7000 ft elevation).  Santa Fe is not big on sidewalks so there was a lot of gutter walking.  Still, it was pleasant enough.  As I got back to the plaza, I was tempted by a shop with several Two Grey Hills rugs.  Very fine weave and patterns.
Tomorrow I head for three nights at Georgia O'Keefe's Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu, NM.  Back to camping in the Alaskan and hiking.  Plus I have a guided tour/hike to places she went to paint.

Asiago and the soot sprites

You may recall that while in Long Beach I refered to Asiago's antics.  Here is the whole story:

We arrived at Jacob's house after a bridge tour.  While dinner was being prepared by Janice, we went out back to watch the honeybees in the hives.  It was a bit chilly and breezy for Long Beach and the bees seemed agitated.  We went back inside.  Immediately Totoro and Asiago found the heat register and sat there to warm their tushies that were chilled by that breezy cold wind.

They continued sitting there while we at curried chicken.

Sometime during our dinner, Asiago sneaks out of the house through the letter slot.  Afraid he would get hurt, Totoro opened the peep hole window in the front door and he too snuck out, although not without some difficulty squeezing through the slats.   Luckily, Totoros can make themselves invisible and he ghosted out the hole.

Totoro arr

ived outside just in time to catch Asiago falling out the letter slot.  He asked, "Asiago why are you sneaking out?  It is cold out here."  Asiago instead ran into the garden and started laughing, singing and stamping his feet.  He sang, "Soot sprites fly away, fly away.  Little beezies want to play. No honey for you dirty little things."  (For those of you who do not know what a soot sprite is, think of a dust bunny that has malevolent purposes.  If you touch one they leave soot on you.  They also will not endure singing and laughing.)  As Asiago sang, Totoro understood why Asiago snuck out.  But, Asiago had black soot all over his feet.  He got into the japanese water jar fountain to clean his feet.  Totoro sat below listening.  "I like the sound of water falling" said Totoro.  

Later Totoro used his magic to fly into the trees where he and Asiago played on their flutes.

All of this occured with out Jacob and I noticing.  We were far too absorbed in our curry and conversations.  As I got up to go to bed, only then did I notice the two tricksters were missing.  We searched high and low.  We looked in numerous book cases (Asiago likes to read), but to no avail.  I gave up and said, "We will just have to wait until morning to find those rascals."  Jacob then helped me get out an extension cord to plug in the Alaskan Camper to recharge its batteries.  Only then, when walking around the garden to get to the truck, did we hear the sound of flutes and see two content friends up in the tree!

The next morning, Jacob was amazed at the transformation in his bees.  They were calm and busy getting nectar from the flowers in the garden.  Then a little bee came up to Jacob and told Jacob in his buzzy dance language that the garden had been invaded by soot sprites and it was Asiago's bravery that chased those mean little balls of dirty fluff away.  The bees then came out as a mass.  They sang a song of praise for Asiago and his portly assistant Totoro.  They then offered a tub of honeycomb to Asiago which he loves in his milk for breakfast.  

The photos below are not in the order of the story.  It is your job to sort them out and match the photos with the story line.

#1 - On the head register warming their buns.

Add caption

Thatcher Arizona and Mt Graham camping

Update:  I saw and photographed an Albert's Red Squirrel.  Not the endangered Mt. Graham Red Squirrel.  Similar look, but Albert's is larger and has pointy'er ears.

Oops.  I deleted my previous post.  Here is a quick recap of my travels heading to Thatcher Arizona.
I headed east out of Phoenix from my campsite at Lost Dutchman State  Park.  A cactus wren in her nest kept a close eye on me.  I followed Hwy 60 through mountains and past monstrous open pit copper mines and refineries before turning southeast at Globe on Hwy 70.  The road headed down the Gila River and thru the Apache Reservation.  Along the road were carpets of california poppies and arroyo lupine.  I stopped in Pima for a milkshake and encoutered an elementary school teacher who had a Totoro water flask.  Needless to say Totoro and Asiago were estatic.  I next visited Thatcher where Nancys great-great grandfather is buried with 4 of his wives. I stopped at the cemetery and the family history center to collect some history on him. Hans Nadrian Chlarson was fleeing Federal Police to avoid being arrested as a polygamist when we arrived in Thatcher and the people there assured him that it was so remote no one would bother him there.  He bought property and built a sawmill on Mt. Graham, and lived there until he died in 1911.  Finally I headed up 4000' to my campsite at Arcadia Campground on Mt. Graham.  Mt. Graham Red Squirrels are endemic only to that isoloted island of a mountain.  They are endangered.  I saw a couple of red squirrels and have inquired with the Forest Service to find out if I saw the endemic type.

Phoenix Family and Stuff

While based in Lost Dutchman State Park I drove into town to see my cousin, and Sara & Marc (sister and brother in law).  I also ran some errands and visited Taliesan West Frank Lloyd Wright architecture school.

Cousin Jim Cain, his wife Rosanne and daughter Ashley and I met for lunch on Sunday.  We had real Sonoran style Mexican food (not that stuff you get in Seattle).  My hatch green chili pork was very flavorful with the chilies and char on the meat giving new taste sensations for me. We ate at Valla Luna.  Ashley is doing alot of genealogy research on her mother's hispanic side.  I shared my ancestry.com tree with them and invited Ashley to be a guest viewer of the Brallier-Briggs tree.  We talked about how the Brallier's in the 1800's were in a very small community of the Dunkard Brethren and that some of the marriages were also very "close".  After a pause, Jim said in his best sarcastic (but bitingly true) voice, "Well that explains alot."  Indeed.  We had a good laugh.

Asiago and I took the 3 hour tour of Taliesan West on Monday before heading over to Marc and Sara's rig to socialize for the afternoon and evening.  Marc grilled ribeye steak to perfection.  Sara baked potatoes and made a corn/green pepper/avocado salad.  I glass of cabernet from Costco topped it off.  Both of them are in great spirits.  Marc's treatments have reduced his blood counts to lower than when he was first diagnosed with multiple myaloma over 10 years ago.  Sara has lost some weight, but she calls it the new Weightwatchers cancer drugs appetite and weight reduction program.

Lost Dutchman State Park and Superstition Wilderness

For the last 6 nights I have been based in Lost Dutchman State Park east of Phoenix.
I hiked in the adjacent Superstition Wilderness for 3 days.  Water Siphon trail heads up the gap between the mountains that I see from my camp.  Cutoff trail goes along the base of the cliffs.  Lost Dutchman/Black Mesa Loop trail is a 10 mile loop nearby.  Hiking observations: water in the desert!  The creeks on the loop trail were happily rushing along.  Also nice were the wildflowers.  I identifed 10 and saw one other that I did not ID.  But no cacti in bloom.  They seem to be delayed (damaged?) due to the late freeze that hit a couple of weeks ago.  Perhaps they are taking a year to build up energy after so many years of drought.  Here are some of the flowers (b=blue/purple, r=red, y=yellow, o=orange)in bloom right now: Desert and Caliche Globe Mallow(o), Arroyo Lupine(b), Wild Hyacinth(b), Blue Phacelia(b), Beloperone (Hummingbirdbush)(r), Brittlebush(y), and Desert Indian Paintbrush(r).
Winged neighbors are Canyon Wren, Cactus Wren, Doves (Mourning?), Anna's Hummingbirds, bats, and best of all...Beep Beep...a Roadrunner!
The days are warming up to the low 80's now.  As the sun sets the temperature drops to a very pleasant upper 50's.  I sleep with the windows open to have a cool breeze pulsing and caressing me.
Sunsets are a delight, see attached photos.  Sitting inside or out, morning or evening are a delight with the great scenery.  I love the quiet sound of the campground.  Children playing.  Adults talking around a campfire, clicking of bats, coyotes, and the wind in the brush and cacti.

Let the fun begin

Now that I arrived in Arizona, I consider this the true beginning of my trip.
So far two days and nights at Lost Dutchman State Park east of Phoenix and on the border of the Superstition Wilderness.  I am settling in to a routine of hiking in the morning, reading and chilling out in the afternoon then making dinner before going to bed.  I hiked 12 miles yesterday and 8 more today.  Part of all that walking is that the restroom/showers are 1/4 mile away.
I have set up a hummingbird feeder.  Last night I moved it to the side of the camper.  I moved it before the hummers were going to bed and all hell broke loose as they dive bombed me during dinner to show their displeasure.  I moved it back to the camp table and they happily flew past me to dine 1 foot from my head as I cooked pasta.  Dinner for me was avocado and kale salad with pasta tossed with olive oil and concentrated tomato paste.
Photo is of my campsite when I arrived.

LaLa Land - Friends and relatives

Totoro, Asiago and I were treated to two nights at my cousin Melissa and Steve's, and one night with my friends Jacob and Janice.

With Steve and Melissa we updated on our families, ate / drank at Stone Brewery, went through Melissa's trove of family photos and documents, and had a fantastic meal.  Stone Brewery has a nice collection of beers.  I had the IPA sampler.  Not up to the standards of Pliny the Elder or Black Raven Trickster, but good.  The menu had a good selection of vegitable focused food.  I had the stir fry.  Steve gave me a number of youtube hints for other campers like me and showed me some great places to see along the way.  Melissa's family history was a photo album started by grandpa Tom and a briefcase full of family trees, marriage certificates, etc.  I will have her ship the goodies to me when I return to seattle in June.  Then I can scan it all.  One particularly interesting photo was of the Mariposa Store and Post Office that Jefferson Jones ran for 4 decades.  Many more well annoteded photos are included.

With Jacob and Janice, I arranged a tour of the Gerald Desmond Bridge that I worked on for several years.  My best buddy Tanya gave us a 3 hour tour (and we didn't get marooned on an island).

We had a beer, green fried tomatoes and hummus with okra pods in Long Beach, then dinner of curried chicken at their home.

The next day I headed to Phoenix with gifts of fresh home roasted coffee, an avocado and an orange off the neighbor's tree.  Six traffic jams later I arrived at Lost Dutchman State Park in time for dinner.

p.s.  An almost disaster occured as I had left my rain jacket and bug/sun shirt at Jacob's.  He is shipping them to my cousin Jim's house in Phoenix.

Photos are of Melissa and I, Gerald Desmond Bridge and some antics by Totoro and Asiago at Jacob's house.

Heading Down the Coast

March 7 - 10, 2019
Time to catch up after several days of traveling and sometimes with limited internet.
On March 7, Nancy and I had coffee and granola at the Flying Goat coffee shop.  Then we returned to the Santa Rosa County Cemetery to take photos of all the gravestones.  This is a way we can pay back others who have photographed headstones on findagrave.com . I will upload the photos to findagrave over the next few weeks.

After mucking through the cemetery, we headed to San Jose to drop Nancy off at the Diridon Amtrak station.  We had some spare time so we had a picnic lunch at Stanford and walked down to the Gates of Hell Rodin sculptures.  The campus is much expanded since Nancy was there.  In San Jose we had Chicken Saag, Chicken Tikka Kabab, Papadum (lentil flour crispy crackers) and extra masala sauce at Swaad Indian Restaurant.  The ingredients included yogurt, saffron, spinach, mustard greens, lime juice, lea pepper, garlic and ginger.  Excellent distinction of flavors that were not overwhelmed by a creamy sauce.

That night I drove in the rain and dark through heavy traffic to a winding road up the side of the valley.  It was not fun going around 5 mph hairpin curves in the dark.  Luckily the rain stopped when I arrived at Coe State Park.  I popped the top of the Alaskan and went to sleep without unpacking the camper.  In the morning I crawled out, dropped the top and headed out, but not until I watched the deer, wild boars and turkeys wandering around.  That is an advantage of being only 1 of 2 campers.  The wildlife are not deterred.

I arrived in Montana de Oro State Park near Morro Bay for a late lunch.  I walked the bluffs and made dinner on a cold windy evening.  I sat next to the feeble fire while listening to my Belgian neighbors speak in clearly understandable French (Belgian's french is better than the French's french).
The next morning started out with 3 endurance runs up the hills of the park.  There was a 10k race, a half marathon, and a 50k race.  I hiked up one of the 1350' hills that was on the course.  Seeing the 50k'er flying down the trail reminded me of why I don't do trail runs...I am too likely to trip and break something.  I hiked the hill with a local who has gone up the trail 650 times.  He is 75 years old and a retired commercial beekeeper.  He knows all the flowers and reminded me to avoid the poison oak that was all along the trail.
I had some internet on the mountain but not at camp.  While on the mountain, I checked the weather forecast.  They nailed it with rain starting at 5pm and continuing heavily thru the night.  I packed up the gear and covered it before the rains started.  In the predawn morning, I threw the boxes and wet tarp in the truck and headed to the first Starbucks in San Luis Obisbo for breakfast.  I circumnavigated around the north and east sides of Los Angeles.  I arrived at my cousin Melissa and Steve's house before 4pm.  There were several traffic jams on the way, including one flower jam where people were slowing down and even stopping on the shoulder to walk to the exit ramp to view the California poppies in bloom.
Photos are of wild boars, turkey butts, Montana de Oro and the poppies.