Mt Lemmon - Part 2

 This morning I woke up at 7 o'clock soon after the sun came over Snyder Hill.  Up and washing dishes by 8 o'clock and soon after Yuma and I had our breakfast.

It is going to start getting hot around here real fast.  Calling for above normal temperatures for the next week.  Highs in the the low to upper 90s for the next week.  Heard on the news tomorrow will be the first day in the 90s this year in Tucson.  Time to move on soon.

My first thought was to do nothing today but lay around but then I got the idea of going to the top of Snyder Hill and take pictures.  So at 12:30 we were off.  However, I've got Mt Lemmon to finish up so I'll catch up with Snyder Hill another day.

I left off at Windy Point Vista, so off we go up, up, up!

Far enough up now that I can see the San Pedro River Valley to the east.  You can actually see the river 15 miles away and the Galiuro Mountains 10 miles beyond the river.  No more Saguaros and now into pine trees.

Getting close to the top now at 8000 feet.

Didn't bring a coat.  Just shorts and a short sleeved shirt.  It is quite cool but feels refreshing after the heat down below.  In the 50s and breezy😱

It snowed about a week ago but turned warm quickly so most of the snow is gone now.  Some on the north sides of the mountain away from the sun.

Now for the bad part.  Human carelessness caused a large forest fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains and made it all the way up the north side of the mountain.  You may recall the Bighorn Fire in June of 2020.

With that I will stop for the day and finish tomorrow at the top of the mountain.

As I was working on my post, my neighbor Glenn came over to show me some additions to his bike.  That bike is his pride and joy😂  We sat outside for over an hour while he told me his life's story.  He is definitely full of energy.  Asked if he could smoke a joint and I said it was fine with me.  

He is so hyper I think he needs one.  He told me he smokes all the time and is always high.  Probably why he is so talkative.  I have to say though, he has had an interesting life and is very knowledgeable about a lot of things.  Had to admire his look on life even under hard times.

Dinner will be late tonight but that's okay.  We both enjoyed the evening just getting to know one another.

Thanks for stopping by.

Mt Lemmon - Part 1

 Woke up with the sunrise this morning and out of bed at 7:30.  Early for us, but wanted to get on the road by 9:30.  Couple coffees and 13 crackers with cheese and it was time to go.  It's going to be sunny and warm today.  Should be a great day for pictures.

Last night I heard a Harley come in after dark and park nearby.  Later in the night, I heard coyotes in that same area howling up a storm.  Well, this morning I hear the Harley start up and come out of the bushes right across from the White Lion.

He saw me and stopped to introduce himself.  I believe he said his name was Glenn and he's living in a tent in the bushes back there.  56 years old and lost his job and a place to live because of the Covid 19 epidemic.  He was a talker.  Said he spent 17 years in prison and he's a changed man.  By the time he left, I knew quite a bit about him, but not why he was in prison.  He didn't say and I didn't ask!😇

Took us an hour to drive across Tucson to Mt Lemmon Hwy that goes to the top of Mt Lemmon.  This mountain is north of Tucson and is the highest point at 9157 feet in the Santa Catalina Mountains.  There is a ski resort at the top.

It is 27 miles to the top and it is asphalt the entire way.  Anyone can drive it as long as it is open.  We're on our way.  There were lots of bicyclists going up and down the mountain.   Don't think I'm ready for that.  Also, I could see some very expensive homes on the hillside overlooking Tucson.

Curving to the right just ahead to get onto the hwy.  No snow problems today, but they did have snow about a week ago.

Won't be long before we are too high for the Saguaro cactus.😞

As you can guess, the road is very windy all the way up.  A look back from where we came.

Wish I could show you what I see in pictures, but I just can't.😢

There are lots of hoodoos.  Tall thin spires of rock.

We're getting higher.  Guessing around 5000 feet here.

I don't want to overload you with pictures so I will leave you with the map of where I've been and where I'm heading.  Continue with tomorrow's post.

Thanks for stopping by.

No leak move day

 Awake and moving at 7:30 this morning.  Going to be a busy morning and I want to get an early start.  It's going to be 88 this afternoon, so best do my work this morning.  Amazing how we went from cool to hot so fast, but I guess we are now near normal.  HOT!

Started my breakfast routine and tried to relax a little.  Took Yuma over to the Dog Park and on the way back checked for water leaks and it was dry!😁  The finger crossing did it or maybe it was Jerry's excellent work.  I owe Jerry and Elva some of my great grilling when I return next winter.😏

Right after breakfast Yuma and I took a shower.  I was so tired last night I just waited till this morning to get all the dirt off me.  I also called the RV repairman to let him know the problem is fixed and he needn't come by tomorrow evening.  Then we went over to wish Jerry and Elva a safe journey.

It wasn't long after, Yuma and I were also on the road.  We only have 30 miles to go so won't take even an hour.  We are headed back west to BLM land at Snyder Hill on the west side of Tucson.

Once I was on hwy 86, it wasn't long before large hills appeared 

and then we were there at 12:30.  Found us a site just off Old Ajo Hwy that was large and flat with a fire pit right near Snyder Hill.

As usual, Yuma was hesitant to leave the MH so I took him for a walk around the area so he would feel more comfortable.  You can barely see the White Lion through the trees.

It clouded up later in the day but still very warm.  I was thankful for the cool breeze.

The weather looks good for a trip to Mt. Lemmon tomorrow.  Excited to show you that 27 miles of views up to the top of the mountain.

Thanks for stopping by.

A new friend and a dirty project

 This morning I again slept in till near 8 o'clock when Yuma jumped off the bed to tell me it was time to get up.  Already 60 degrees out with blue skies.  I think the days of cold are over.  Supposed to be 90 by Friday.

Yesterday, Jerry stopped by before he, Elva and I went over to Nancy's place and I was telling him about the repair man coming on Tuesday.  He said let me take a look and that's when the dirty project started to take on a life of its own.  

He said I could get the replacement valves right off the shelve at Camping World.  And he said he would help with the replacement.  Little did I know what help means to Jerry.  Anyway, after our visit with Nancy, I drove over to the nearby Camping World and got a valve for the black tank.

This morning I had a quick breakfast and started the dirty project and Jerry saw me and stopped by.  Before I knew it he was under the White Lion asking for tools and soon had the valve out of there.  If you ever need someone that goes the extra thousand miles to help you out, Jerry is that man.

We stopped soon after to get ready for my new friend, Rawn Stone to stop by.  He and his wife live in Green Valley for the winter months and they also have a home up near Portland in Oregon.

Just about 1 o'clock Rawn pulls up in his big Ram truck and out pops Peanut!  Just the cutest little girl.  Then came Rawn.  Yuma didn't know what to make of her.

Rawn and I spent several hours talking about our lives and jobs before retirement.  Also, our military service.   Rawn spent 22 years in law enforcement in Multnomah County in Oregon and retired 11 years ago.  He's also trained as a medic.

As for Peanut and Yuma, that little Peanut ran around the house drinking Yuma's water, walking on Yuma's bed, jumping on Yuma's couch and Yuma was not happy with any of that.

I haven't had another dog in the house and didn't realize how protective he is of his stuff.  No fighting, but Yuma would give her the evil eye and stand over her.  Peanut is strong willed and didn't take any guff from Yuma so it was a standoff.

It was around 3 o'clock when the two headed back towards Green Valley.  Rawn has been a long time follower of my blog and comments quite often.

Now that we have met we are now friends.  Hope to go to Green Valley next winter and visit him, Peanut and his wife.

After Rawn left I climbed back under the White Lion to start cleaning off all the glue that I placed there to try and stop the leak.  It slowed it down but never would stop the slow drip.  I saw that a flange had broken back when I bottomed out on Darby Well Road and that caused the drip.

Soon Jerry was back over and to make a long story short, by 7:30 we had Gorilla glued the broken flange and placed it in properly with the new release valve and the leak has stopped.  I'm waiting till morning to let the glue set before I pour water down the tank to test it.   Keeping my fingers crossed.  It's been a very busy and productive day thanks to Jerry.

Thanks for stopping by.

Visiting Day

This morning I woke up at 8 o'clock to a nice warm temperature for once in a great while.  Supposed to get to 72 today and 80s from now on, so we're getting Arizona weather finally.

Rawn had contacted me by phone yesterday but I didn't catch it till this morning after he alerted me.  We got together on Text and he plans to visit on Sunday.  Glad we got on the same page. 😊

I checked my glucose last evening before dinner and it was 106 which is great.  Decided to not have my pudding and whipped cream for dessert to see if my number improved and sure enough it did.  This morning my number was 111 and that isn't bad.  I think with a little eating adjustment I will be good. 😁 

Jerry and Elva arrived around 11:30 and are parked not far from my site.  After they had lunch and I finished breakfast I went over and had a short visit.  Elva had set up a visitation with Nancy, Kissack Adventures at 1:30 so we were soon heading to her house about 12 miles from here.  

Nancy is leaving for her other home in California on Sunday morning so this was our last chance to see her home and new travel trailer.  We were busy talking and looking around so I only took a few pictures.

Jerry and Nancy

Elva and Nancy

New 5th wheel in a beautiful cover

 Soon we were inside meeting her long time companion Jonathan of 48 years.

He was very curious about us and especially Yuma.  Luckily Yuma kept his nose clear of the cage and made himself right at home. 😀 

Nancy has a beautiful home overlooking the Rincon Valley.

Nancy is showing Elva the little watering hole the animals come up to at night and are caught on her movement activated night camera.

We visited for several hours and then left Nancy to finish her packing in preparation for her three day drive with her new trailer in tow.  Have a safe journey, Nancy!

Getting ready for another pork chop, half potato and beans again tonight.  May even splurge on one pudding and not so much whipped cream.  Ready for a day in the 80s tomorrow.😎

Thanks for stopping by.