THE EAGLE AND THE SNAKE

When we bought the cabin last year it came with quite a few bears….bear lamps, bear pictures, bear soap dish…..you get the picture. They are all inside bears, so we thought we needed a bear for the outside too.

I have been dealing at the casino to a guy from Minnesota for several years.  His name is Hank and when he came to the casino and sat at my table I suddenly remembered that he is a chainsaw artist.  So I said “Hank, I am in the market for a bear……did you bring any with you this year?” 

He did and here is my blue eyed bear…… which I got at a GREAT price.

While we were at his shop selecting a bear, I saw an eagle with a snake in his talons….and mentioned it to Hank.  He was surprised that I said something about it because most women are turned off by the snake.

As we were leaving, Hank said “if you give me $10 for the eagle and snake, it’s yours….he’s been sitting here a long time so if you want it, I’d like to see it go.”  OK Hank you’ve got a deal!!

Here he is in all his glory watching over the deck.

As you can see, his beak is not right….in fact our friends The Hunter’s, think he looks like a buzzard.  Oh well whatever he is, he’s grown on us and has found a great home in the White Mountains of Arizona!!

STAIN AND TRIM THE CABIN

THE MAJOR PROJECT OF THE SUMMER IS TO STAIN AND TRIM THE CABIN. TURNS OUT HIRING IT DONE MADE IT A ONE WEEK PROJECT INSTEAD OF DOING IT OURSELVES OVER TWO MONTHS.

NOW THAT IT’S DONE, WE’LL HAVE MORE TIME FOR SCOOTER TRIPS !!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IT’S NICE TO HAVE THIS PROJECT DONE !!!

The Constant Wife

On Saturday night we went to the Northland Pioneer College campus in Snowflake to attend a play with our friends the Hunter’s.  Both Rex and I decided that we had not attended a play since high school……………….a long time ago!!

I thought the seating was really unique and interesting.  They only seated a maximum of 50 people per show and it was presented “in the round”.  Makes you almost feel like you are actually part of the action.

The play was “The Constant Wife” and written by W. Somerset Maugham.  It was about the inside dynamics of an Upper Class British marriage in the late 1920’s and it was hilarious.  We all felt that the cast did a great job and totally enjoyed the experience. 

LOOKING AROUND

WATER LEAK

YOU REMEMBER THE WATER LEAK OUTSIDE A FEW BLOGS BACK? WELL THE THE PLUMBER FIXED IT ON “MOUNTAIN TIME”, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A WEEK.

THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE ON THE MOUNTAIN ARE TRANSPLANTS FROM PHOENIX AND OTHER BIG CITIES OR COWBOYS. THEY ARE SO HAPPY TO BE OUT OF THE RAT RACE OF URBAN LIFE THAT THEY OPERATE VERY LAID BACK, HENCE THE TERM “MOUNTAIN TIME”, AS IN, WHEN I GET AROUND TO IT…..

THE PLUMBING QUESTION WAS, WHO IS GOING TO PAY? ME OR THE RV PARK? TURNS OUT THERE WERE TWO LEAKS TO REPAIR AND SO I’M AVOIDING THAT QUESTION AND HOPE THAT NOBODY WANTS TO DISCUSS IT, AND THE PARK PAYS THE WHOLE BILL.

THE SHOP

WE HAVE A ROOM ON THE BACK OF THE CABIN WE CALL THE SHOP. IT’S ABOUT 7 FEET BY 13 FEET, AND LAST YEAR WE USED IT AS A STORAGE AREA. THIS YEAR WE ARE TURNING IT INTO A PROJECT SHOP. THE FIRST STEP IS THIS NEW TOP FOR THE WORK BENCH.

STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES ON MARY’S PROJECTS. THE FIRST ONE IS WOODEN CATS.

CABIN STAINING

THE MAJOR PROJECT OF THE SUMMER IS TO RESTAIN AND TRIM THE EXTERIOR OF THE CABIN. WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS PROJECT ALL WINTER. SHOULD WE TACKLE THIS MAJOR PROJECT OURSELVES, OR HIRE IT DONE? IF WE DO IT OURSELVES WILL WE HAVE IT DONE BY JULY WHEN OUR WISCONSIN TRIP IS PLANNED AND THE MONSOON SEASON STARTS? BACK AND FORTH WENT THE DISCUSSION……

LAST WEEK WE BOUGHT A 22 FOOT LADDER, AND USED THE FANCY NEW LADDER TO CLEAN OUT THE EVE SPOUTS. THE DAY AFTER WE CLEANED THE EVE’S WHILE STIFF AND SORE WE HIRED A PROFESSIONAL PAINTER TO STAIN AND TRIM THE CABIN. THE POWER WASHING HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND THEY REBUILT THE TRIM AROUND THE CAR PORT. GET READY FOR NEW STAIN AND FORREST GREEN TRIM COMING UP THIS NEXT WEEK,UNLESS THE PAINTERS WORK ON “MOUNTAIN TIME”.

  “SUNNY & 60” DURING THE AFTERNOON, WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE MID-30’S

CORNED BEEF

APPARENTLY ARIZONA IS A LITTLE SHORT OF IRISH. MAKE SENSE IN A STATE FULL OF MEXICANS AND INDIANS, HISPANICS AND NATIVE AMERICANS, SO ALL THE EXTRA CORNED BEEF HAS BEEN MARKED DOWN LIKE “USED MEAT” THIS WEEK.

 

YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE RUBEN SANDWICHES MARY MADE FOR COCKTAIL HOUR WITH THE HUNTERS. THE MARBLE RYE BREAD WAS FRESH FROM THE BAKERY IN PINETOP.

THIS IS THE SECOND SLAB WE’VE BOUGHT THIS WEEK !! I STILL COOK IT OVERNIGHT IN THE SLOW COOKER COVERED WITH WATER AND ONIONS, REFRIGERATE, THEN SLICE AND RE-WARM TO SERVE.

QUESTION OF THE DAY?

MANY BLOGGERS OFTEN WRITE ABOUT THEIR HEALTH PROBLEMS AND TREATMENTS ON THEIR BLOGS. I TRY TO AVOID READING THOSE ENTRIES, ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES IT’S LIKE A TRAIN WRECK AND YOU JUST CAN’T TURN AWAY.

A LOT OF MY FAMILY IS IN THE MEDICAL FIELD, AND I HOPE THEY CAN HELP ME WITH THE “THE QUESTION OF THE DAY?” I HAVE A DOCTORS APPOINTMENT LATER THIS AFTERNOON, AND THE QUESTION OF THE DAY IS, WILL MEDICARE PAY FOR MY BOY SCOUT CAMP PHYSICAL?

AS A YOUNGSTER I SPENT 8 SUMMERS ATTENDING OR ON STAFF AT CANYON CAMP BSA. IT SEEMS  WEIRD THAT I’M RETURNING TO BOY SCOUT CAMP WITH MY GRANDSONS. I’M FILLING IN FOR THEIR DAD WHO IS CURRENTLY DEPLOYED WITH THE AIR FORCE.

THE BOY SCOUTS HAVE CHANGED OVER THE 40 SOME YEARS I’VE BEEN AWAY, AND I’VE COMPLETED MY ON-LINE TRAINING, GETTING MY CAMP PHYSICAL THIS AFTERNOON, AND HAVE MORE TRAINING SCHEDUALLED IN JULY WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. BUT EVEN 48 YEARS CAN’T CHANGE SOMETHINGS ABOUT BOY SCOUT CAMP, LIKE THUNDERSTORMS, SLEEPING IN TENTS, COOKING ON A CAMPFIRE, ETC…….

MAYBE A BETTER QUESTION OF THE DAY WOULD BE, “AM I PREPARED?”

White Mountains are WHITE!!

We woke up to snow today!!!  My flatlander* ass is cold !

This is the corner of the deck that usually has a big pretty red geranium in it,  Guess we will have to wait until after Mother’s Day for that.

*Flatlander:  A person that moves to the mountains from the desert in the summer time seeking cooler weather.

“THE MOUNTAIN”

WE SUCCESSFULLY RETURNED TO “THE MOUNTAIN” ON WEDNESDAY. THE TRIP TOOK US SIX HOURS AND I WAS DISAPPOINTED IN THE OLD RED PICK-UP GETTING LESS THAN 10 MILES PER GALLON PULLING THE THE SCOOTER TRAILER.

WE BOTH ENJOY RETURNING TO OUR CABIN.

THE CABIN HAS TWICE THE LIVING AREA OF THE MOUNTAINEER TRAILER ON THE DESERT.

THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN FROM THE BACK DECK AND YOU CAN SEE THE EXTRA STORAGE LOT AND HOW CLOSE THE PICK-UP IS AND THE SCOOTER GARAGE JUST ACROSS THE LOT.

THE PLUMBER

YOU REMEMBER LAST FALL WHEN I WAS BRAGGING ABOUT THE MONEY I WAS SAVING BY WINTERIZING THE CABIN MYSELF? I SAID THAT IF THE PLUMBER WAS CALLED THIS SPRING TO FIX WHATEVER I F*CKED UP THAT I’D POST AND CONFESS.

THE PLUMBER IS HERE THIS MORNING, AND THIS IS WHERE THE MAIN WATER TURN OFF VALVE IS BURIED TWO FEET DOWN.

IF THE LEAK IS ON THE STREET SIDE OF THE VALVE IT’S A PARK PROBLEM. IF THE LEAK IS ON MY SIDE OF THE VALVE IT’S AN EXPENSIVE PLUMBING BILL FOR ME. THE PARK POWERS THAT BE, THE PLUMBERS, AND MYSELF WILL ALL BE GATHERED AROUND THIS MUDDY HOLE LATER THIS MORNING TO SEE WHO PAYS THE BILL. I SUSPECT THE VALVE ITSELF HAS FAILED, SO IT WILL BE AN INTERESTING DECISION FOR SURE.

WITH MORE “GOOD NEWS” THERE ARE SNOW FLURRIES IN THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR TOMORROW ………

RAIN RAIN

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY !!!

THIS IS THE LOWER MOHAVE DESERT, AND IT’S ACTUALLY RAINED THE LAST THREE DAYS IN A ROW. ONE DAY OF RAIN IS AN EVENT, TWO DAYS UNHEARD OF, BUT THREE DAYS? MAKES FOR UN-HAPPY CAMPERS!!

ACTUALLY IT COULD BE WORSE. JUST 20 MILES SOUTH ON THE COLORADO RIVER TWO RV PARKS WERE EVACUATED THIS LAST WEEK DUE TO A WILD FIRE. IT MADE THE NATIONAL NEWS AND WAS NAMED THE “TOPOCK FIRE”. WITH THREE DAYS OF RAIN IT WAS QUICKLY DOWNGRADED TO A STAGE 2 EVENT AND 85% CONTAINED, BURNING ABOUT 2,200 ACRES.

WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF PACKING UP TO MAKE OUR ANNUAL MOVE THE “THE MOUNTAIN”.

THE PACKING GETS EASIER EACH YEAR AS WE HAVE DUPLICATED MANY ITEMS THAT NO LONGER NEED TO MOVED BACK AND FORTH. TUESDAY MARY HAS A DENTIST APPOINTMENT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING EARLY WE WILL BE HEADED EAST ON INTERSTATE 40 TO THE HIGH COUNTRY.

IT’S NOT GOING TO BE SUMMER WEATHER EXACTLY, ON THE MOUNTAIN, BUT WE DO LOOK FORWARD TO OUR TWICE A YEAR CHANGE IN RESIDENCE.

REMEMBER THE EGG CARTONS OF SEEDLINGS A FEW BLOGS BACK? WELL NOW WE’RE INTO CUPS WITH OUR NEW PLANTS.

THIS YEAR WE HAVE NINE DIFFERENT KINDS OF PLANTS WE ARE TRYING TO GROW FROM SEED, INCLUDING TOMATOES FROM OUR OWN SEEDS SAVED LAST SUMMER AND MARIGOLDS FROM OUR ONE LONELY MARIGOLD PLANT LAST SUMMER. WE START THE SEEDS ON THE IDES OF MARCH ON THE LOWER DESERT AND PLANT OUTSIDE ON THE MOUNTAIN AFTER MOTHER’S DAY.

GUESS I’LL POP A “BEAST” AND WRAP UP THIS RAINY DAY BLOG. SEE YA  NEXT  TIME FROM THE WHITE MOUNTAINS OF ARIZONA…….

HOY !!! HOY !!! HOY !!!

HOY !!!  HOY !!!  HOY!!!

& HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY !!!

FINALLY AFTER FOUR MONTHS WE GOT THE BURGMAN SCOOTER OUT TO RUN WITH THE BIG BOYS.

WE, DAWN & COLE, CELEBRATED MARY’S BIRTHDAY AT A NEW PUB AND GRILL CALLED, THE BEARDED GENTLEMAN.

I WAS HAPPY THAT THE SCOOTER DID INDEED KEEP UP WITH THE BIG HARLEY.

THANKS FOR LUNCH AND DESERT DAWN AND COLE.

VALLEY OF FIRE

VALLEY OF FIRE, NEVADA’S OLDEST AND LARGEST STATE PARK, IS LOCATED ABOUT 50 MILES EAST OF LAS VEGAS. I WAS HERE WITH MIKEY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND PROMISED MARY WE’D DO A SCOOTER TRIP BACK AFTER SHE FINISHED HER CASINO WORK.

IT WAS A SCOOTER SHAKE DOWN. IT’S THE FIRST TIME WE USED THE NEW TRAILER TO HAUL THE SCOOTER, SO WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TIE IT INTO THE TRAILER.

A COUPLE OF HUNDRED MILES ON THE INTERSTATE BROUGHT US ABOUT 15 MILES FROM THE VALLEY OF FIRE WHERE WE UNLOADED THE SCOOTER AND PREPARED TO RIDE ON INTO THE PARK AND OVER TO LAKE MEAD. ONCE AGAIN WE HAD BAD LUCK WITH SCOOTER TRIPS AND DUE TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS ENDED UP RE- LOADING THE SCOOTER AND DRIVING THE PICK-UP THROUGH THE STATE PARK INSTEAD.

WE ENJOYED OUR ADVENTURE WITH “SUNNY & 88” AND OUR PICNIC.

AFTER THE VALLEY OF FIRE WE CONTINUED NORTH ON INTERSTATE 15 TO MESQUITE, NEVADA WHERE WE STAYED AT THE VIRGIN RIVER CASINO AND HOTEL. WE HAD A FUN FILLED EVENING OF SMOKING, DRINKING, GAMBLING, AND EATING WITH BOTH HANDS !!!

MORE BAD LUCK WITH THE SCOOTER AS WE HAD A PLAN FOR THE WEEK-END TO RIDE ON THE LONGEST REMAINING STRETCH OF ROUTE 66 FROM OATMAN, THRU KINGMAN, HACKBERRY, PEACH SPRINGS, AND ON TO SELIGMAN TO EAT AT THE FAMOUS ROAD KILL CAFE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A 175 MILE TRIP ONE WAY, AND WE CANCELLED DUE TO A SHITTY WEATHER FORCAST FOR FRIDAY.

SPEAKING OF ROUTE 66, IT’S MARY’S 66TH BIRTHDAY ON THURSDAY.