The photos below are what we
saw.
The annoying motor noise was
the gasoline powered water pump on this water delivery
truck. The campsite had to have all its
water brought in by tanker. 3 trucks arrived and unloaded
their cargo in just a few hours. I do not know the
circumstances that prevented the site from being on a well or
city water, but it did reinforce that water is a scarce
commodity in this part of the world.
On our way south on I-17
from Flagstaff, we passed a scenic overlook that gave us a
reasonable view of the valley to the west of the freeway.
In the distance the cliffs
around Sedona, AZ were visible.
We got into metro-Phoenix
and stopped for diesel. Within seconds I was panhandled by
this gal. The rear view was "remarkable" for a variety of
reasons, exposure of crevice in her anatomy being one of
them. But as fate would have it she was not in the right
place at the right time for such a photo.
Instead, viewers will have
to be satisfied with a front view. Her face looks like a
male friend of ours.....
We had an odd smell in the
cab so we tilted it to allow inspection of components. We
spotted what appears to be an exhaust leak from the
turbocharger, perhaps an inner seal.
Closer to Tucson, we spotted
this space-age add-on to existing trailers to reduce aerodynamic
drag and improve fuel economy.
We arrived at the parent's
place in Tucson and next morning I spotted this barrel cactus
flower in bloom. Note the ant at the right of the photo.
Before the monsoon clouds
started to build, the visibility of the west end of the Santa
Catalina Mountains was great.
While nosing around the
backyard, I spotted a different species of barrel cactus that
was sporting a nice blossom.
I have always been
fascinated by ruggedness of the west end of the Catalinas.
The cliffs on the north side
of Pusch Ridge are formidable indeed.
The house looked great and
the photo above shows the nice job that was done on the kitchen
remodel.
The color and pattern of the
granite play well against one another.
The best part of the
remodel, in my opinion, is the "officer's club" area (bar) done
in a WW-II theme. My father was a Spitfire/P-40 pilot
during the war.
The fireplace in the living
room was done in southwestern motif.
While we were in Divide, CO
our friends gave us a sample of their sourdough starter that had
survived the trip from Alaska many years earlier. Katleen
utilized the starter to cook some sourdough pancakes.
Above is the batter as it is fermenting from the starter.
After a couple of days, it
was time to roll on to San Diego. We passed Picacho Peak
near Red Rock, AZ. The peak is a volcanic plug that has
been exposed from weathering and is one of the major landmarks
in the region.
Past Gila Bend, AZ we
encountered a solar farm under construction.
Outside Yuma we passed these
fields being burned.
To the west of Yuma, we
crossed the new All-American Canal that diverts a major portion
of the Colorado River to the Imperial Valley for irrigation of
crops. This portion of the route has to pass through the
Buttercup Dunes.
Buttercup is a major sand
play area and offers tall sand dunes and steep faces.
There is a camping area near the freeway as well as a Customs
and Border Patrol facility. It seems that the illegals
find that crossing the fence just to the south of the visible
ridge is quite convenient so agents are posted to intercede.
Just to the west of
Ocotillo, CA at the base of "Mountain Springs Grade" on I-8 we
encountered this big rig who had jack-knifed. His ass end
was nearly over the cliff. When the CHP arrived, they
provided guidance to him and he pulled himself free without a
wrecker. This was good because after suffering the boring
freeway to get here I was in no mood to withstand an extended
delay waiting for a wrecker from El Centro.
We crossed over the Tecate
Divide near sunset and could see the Pacific Ocean in the
distance. The colors were nice, but not award-winning.
We were happy to return
home. After
being gone for 5 months, the first walk through the door was a
shock. We had been gone sufficiently long that
we forgot that we had completed an interior repainting action
just before our departure. My brain was pleasantly
surprised to find new paint on the walls and the place clean and
in good repair.
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Photos and Text
Copyright Bill Caid 2012, all rights reserved.
For your enjoyment only, not for commercial use.