195 Scary ride!

While our recent guests returned to Apache Junction and Minnesota we spent a couple of afternoons working on our little caravan.  We understand that sometimes our friends shake their head at some of our little projects however most of the time we feel they turn out well.  Purchasing some 1/4 inch flat iron to modify our goodwill

office chair arm rests to fit the Valkyrie trike.  Ruthie and I cut the metal pieces and set them up in a jig as Sterling volunteered to preform the welding for us and also weld a receiver tube to the bottom of our little trailer that would serve as a hitch for our little carrier.  With everything we had brought with us on our trip and a few purchases to supplement our tiny home living we figured we would need all the room we could for our move to Arizona.   One of Wes's comments on our little pull behind trailer prompted us to do a paint upgrade.   A trip to home depot provided sand paper, body filler and red spray paint close enough match to our trike.

    Under "Bobbies" supervision Ruthie prepared the trailer and applied the paint.  We have been careful not to mention our exit date from the ranch in front of her however I think she knows.  She seems to be staying closer to us these days probably fearful that with our work on our trike and trailer we might be leaving in the dead of night.  I'm having trouble looking her in the eye lately and I find myself avoiding being alone with her to avoid prying questions.  With the exertion today I started to feel some more unwelcome discomfort in my left side it seems that somehow the surgery last summer had not reached the source of this nagging pain   I hope it doesn't lead to something serious. 
     A little bad news as we received a note from Michelle that we weren't going to be able to share her rental in Arizona.  Her friends were going to concentrate their efforts on selling the residence and wanted to have it empty.  With that in mind I put a horse training\work ad on Craigslist trying to find replacement lodging. 
     February 20th did not turn out well. It started as a fun get together with some of our Hemet friends for breakfast at Farmer boys restaurant. Afterwards it was a little overcast and I was ready to call it a day and go back to the ranch. Unfortunately Ruthie was ready for a ride. Trying to think of a route to ride and not knowing if the weather was going to clear I headed out Sage road past the ranch a few miles, a few miles down the road I cut east up a windy (okay is that a curvy road or is it breezy road? A message to my thesaurus friend Deanna schooled me that us "farm" folks had said a windy road when we should have said winding. Now you have it. ) okay fine, it was a winding road, actually a very winding road that I had explored a few days earlier while searching for a welder advertised at the bottom of the hill. Never did locate him, however asking directions from a huge man living off the grid with only a solar panel to charge his phone reminded me that one can survive with almost nothing if you have a mind to. Sometimes we don't realize how fortunate we are. We weaved back and forth up the hill admiring the view of the valley and Diamond lake in the distance. Reaching the peak we followed the ridge road in a Southwesterly direction. We were surprised at the number of residences tucked in among the huge boulders and rocky ground on this crazy mountain road.

Pretty happy with our "goodwill store"
custom arm rests. 


     Every once in a while there was a hint of sunshine and I thought I could make a enjoyable ride for my co-rider.  I remembered our friend Nick at the winery mentioning the view and winding road up to Palomar mountain.   With that in mind I put it into the digital map and headed out.   A short pleasant ride later we went around the edge of a lake and started up the East side, we were getting a little hungry and some fog was rolling in.  As we gained altitude the temperature started dropping and it started to mist.   The cold was getting uncomfortable, my hands were wet and I wished I had changed to heavier gloves.  At some point I should have realized that the journey was useless as we could not longer see far enough to enjoy any sights that may have been available to us on a clear day.  As we neared the summit it was no longer comfortable or enjoyable.  It was now to foggy to see the scenery and due to the fog and traffic we didn't feel safe pulling off the narrow mountain road to rest or change to more comfortable gear.  Near the peak we found a road that headed down the South side, the rain and fog coupled with traffic coming up the mountain made for a dangerous situation.  At times I found gravity was allowing us to pick up speed to fast and more than a few times the trike started to skid as we were forced to brake on a curve, some of

Master Painter?

the corners were inclined away from the rock wall to our right side and it caused the weight of the trike to shift to the outside and resulted in a loss of traction.  This was not going well at all.  Anxious to get down and warm I pushed the speed a little to much for conditions.  The hairpin curves seemed to come up fast, braking for the curves the inside tire started to slide.  Suddenly Ruthie shouted "rocks", I couldn't see them at first my face shield was wet and blurry.  The rain and rushing water had washed them down from the hillside to our right, I seen some dark spots on the roadway and swerved,  I missed most but hit one rather large one with the right tire, the right side of the trike lurched up in the air, almost immediately it settled back to earth on three wheels and I proceeded a little more cautiously down the mountain.  Ruthie said she was almost thrown off, was she being dramatic???   I don't think so.  We had been put in a bad situation, we had survived however neither of us wish to repeat it.  We found a place to rest, warm our chilled bodies and calm our nerves.  Note to self;  I need to be more aware when conditions change and not allow gravity and inertia to put us in dangerous situations.   At some point I should have listened to that nagging instinct when your subconscious tries to save you.  I'm sure tomorrow will be a better day.    

194 Tiny home guests

     Returning from a cruise out of Los Angeles Warren and Barb our neighbors from the prairie arrived before driving back to their winter home Apache Junction Arizona.  Brave souls they were about to share our 185 square foot tiny home.  
     Four people I think we were close to oxygen deprivation.   Truth to be told I think we could have got 4 more occupants in here.  Warren chose the train berth.  Barb chose the automatic queen bed lower, the upper berth remained empty.   Ruthie and I slept on the couch conversion.  We got this licked, "goodnight John boy".

Kind of like being at a camp with good friends we made the best of it.   In a desire to show them the best experience we tried to give our guests options as far as sightseeing and side trips based on our pre-ride.
     I don't know if we have discussed Ruthie and her obsession with the "copper kettle as seen on TV".  It is now a part of our cooking experience and friend Tom from the prairie delights in calling and although he doesn't talk to Ruthie he has me pass on information to her on the latest TV infomercial,  he loves teasing her. 
      A fun evening Ruthie made a delicious lemon chicken hot dish using her copper kettle the highlight of which was finding out where capers come from.   She did a remarkable job for the space. Later a card game ensued, we found out our good friend Warren is a complainer.  Every hand was worse than the previous. 

      The next morning I resisted temptation or more accurately Ruthie stopped me from grabbing Barbs exposed toes sticking out of the covers above us.  I still think it would have been a great way to start the day.  Our first stop found us at Mount Soledad just north of San Diego.  A huge cross and military recognition overlooking the ocean.  It was obvious from the time Warren spent looking at the military plaques that we had hit a home run with this stop.

   On the way home we took them on Deluz road so they could experience the wonderful mountain scenery. 
      We had a great time and enjoyed their short visit.  A note from Barb a few days later saying she was still trying to get the chicken manure out of her floor mats, my words , not hers, hers were a bit more country flavored .  I guess that's the drawback to sharing a yard with chickens.  

Wes with his new friend.  Hope this
doesn't get on their floor mats.

     Our next guests from the prairie were on a automobile road trip and weren't so anxious to put on a huge amount of miles sightseeing.  After visiting with Wes and Brenda we decided to do some of the scenic roads and of course Deluz road. 

Wes is known for not smiling,  I think we almost got one here.  

 A fun relaxed day we ended it with dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Hemet.   

No trouble getting these two to smile.



        Wes and Brenda headed to Arizona to see a few more friends before returning to Minnesota.  Wes was less than impressed with the high prices and traffic in California.  After an experience with freeway traffic he commented "and they call me crazy for ice fishing, no this is crazy."  

 ,  
 

193 the other half

     Its always hard to leave family however if plans go as expected we will be back in Arizona in a month and probably sharing this home with her.   Michelle shot a picture of us as we left this morning

    We only had one confirmed stop on our circle back to Hemet to visit our new prairie neighbor Karen in Arizona city.  She had purchased one of the trailers by the Pioneer club and we had gotten close in a short time.   We delayed our departure to allow the Phoenix workers to clear the free way.  A short 90 miles from Michelle's in Rio Verde to Arizona City put us there early afternoon.  Karen was busy at her part time job in the golf proshop.   What we assumed would be a casual evening of visiting and catching up was not on the agenda.  

Karen had reserved a table in the bar/grill/dancehall and we rested and enjoyed a beverage while she finished.  During  dinner at our table a small band set up on the stage.  A few of the older members at our table were unable to read the specials posted across the room.  Trying to be of assistance I took a picture and read it to the table.  Okay fine I couldn't read it either.  The music they played was enjoyable and easy to dance to.  No relaxing tonight, Ruthie was on a roll, old country, rock and roll they played it all.  From Coeur d' Arlene Idaho with a cowboy boot for tips this little troupe subsidized their winter travel by playing for the winter Arizonans.   They certainly had Ruthies approval and I have to admit I enjoyed them however perhaps a few tunes just sitting and listening wouldn't have hurt.  Although I tried my best to catch her she did fall on the dance floor once.  I think she said it was the floor or her shoes that caused her fall and that's the story she's sticking to.  We rested well in Karen's condo next to the golf course and the next morning thanking her for her wonderful hospitality we resumed our travel.
   A group of prehistoric replicas by a fuel stop at Gila Bend gave me an excuse to text Sterling  a picture that his comment during his dinner grace thanking God that the dinosaurs were gone was premature.
     Maybe we were anxious to get back to the ranch or perhaps the highway from Casa Grande to Yuma is boring.  What ever the reason Ruthie occupied her time taking some shots of the scenery and the long freight trains  that crossed the desert. 

    

     A motorcycle couple in Yuma had graciously accepted our request to spend the night.  John and Heidi are not ordinary motorcycle riders I will call them hard core riders riding the desert and Heidi is an Iron butt rider.  Iron butt riders cut their teeth on completing trips of 1000 miles or more in a 24 hour period.  Like long distance riders they get satisfaction of churning the miles away as they ride on their stripped down efficient steeds carrying extra fuel to avoid gas stops.  Pulling into a gas station and refueling while still in the saddle and roaring back onto the asphalt.  Pulling beverages and nutrition from their bike and eating while they ride.   The wheels have to keep turning or you are wasting time.  Rides to the 4 corners of the United States are quite common.    Ruthie and I once did 1160 miles in a 24 hour period once with 3 minutes to spare. 

     The next morning we were on the road early.  As we passed thru Yuma we were surprised that on many corners where a gas station once stood was now replaced by an ice and fresh water dispensing station.  We were told that the local water has a bitter alkaline taste and many choose to buy their water supply.
     Crossing into California highway 8 starts to climb and wind its way up the mountain and once we reached the peak it was downhill all the way to the center of San Diego, probably all the way to the ocean. 
        In motorcycling we call it a pre-ride, checking roads, detours, refreshment stops and sights.  The ride leader is responsible for their guests and we had visitors expected so we needed to check out some of the tour possibilities to make their trip enjoyable.   Today we checked out several possibilities before heading back to the ranch. 
   Carrillo monument overlooking the San Diego bay was impressive however due to having to bring our guests thru the heart of the city excluded it from our travel plans.  The road to the monument was lined on both sides by a military cemetery.  Thank all of them for their service and sacrifice. 

     Completing the second half of our 2014 mile circle we arrived back at the ranch later that evening.    It was February 2nd and our first guests would be arriving tomorrow.  

192 Sunshine and motorcycles.

    Early the next morning the sun was already warming the spacious transient home.  After her morning workout ritual Michelle was working at her heat press catching up on Bandana orders. 
     It was Sunday and Mike the home owner arrived with two of his riding buddies.  They were going for a ride and asked us to join them.   



The café reminding us that
it's just a pet and not some
ones lifeline.

    We rode up along the carefree highway and cut north on Highway 17 to a favorite motorcycle destination.  Take exit 242 on old Black Canyon highway you will find a family owned business since 1918.  Early travelers from Flagstaff to Phoenix stopped at the natural springs that still exist to this day.  Rock springs café, a quaint little spot with memorabilia and great food known for their pie.  

Not a great first date, but
she did have free drinks.

 From there the fellas were heading up to Wickenburg Arizona while the three of us headed back to Cave Creek.  We knew it would be busy as people that didn't ride all week would have their cycles out today


. 


Evidently related as their drinks
look the same!

Cave Creek is famous for Motorcycles and horses.  There are several tourist favorites in the little town from olive oil tasting to art and souvenir stores.  To keep up the western theme some even had live rodeo events.    One of the favorite stops for bikers is the Hideaway bar.  By now the parking lot was full and at the turn a guard was motioning the cycles to go past.  Signaling Michelle to go in with the comment "you, we will find room for" what! are we chopped liver?  Reminds me of famous 


Michelle belting out
the blues! Sing it girl!

night clubs. 

    I guess Michelle and her "Indian" have celebrity status.   Good for her!   Have you heard the one about a man that walked into a bar?  Or maybe a man walked into a bar sign?  Well here is a little twist on it.   Ruthie and I went to find a parking spot and comfort the feelings of our not so celebrity trike.   As we approached the area leading to the bar we seen Michelle visiting with one of her vendor friends.  Rather than walk around I cut across a small raised area with large rocks under the sign for the bar.  I had to duck to get under the sign (not a normal movement for me) and was turning to help Ruthie under the sign.  Unfortunately the sign was made into a "Vee" so traffic could see it

Donna?

from both directions, who knew?  I came up under the unseen sign and almost went to my knees, my God that hurt.  I think Ruthie made an unkind remark like "are you trying to kill yourself?" Even the perhaps naughty joke Michelle's friend was telling about his watch and the two lesbians didn't help.  Evidently this was not Michelle's first trip to the bar as she was acknowledged by many patrons and sang a couple of songs with the band to her mothers delight.  Not wanting to ride across the desert to Rio Verde after dark we called it a night early. 
     The next morning while the ladies were getting ready I rode to Scottsdale to pick up Ruthie's sister Donna.  She had flew down with a friend from Minnesota that was attending a workshop in town.  Ruthie was anxious to see her and had planned a day of riding to help her pass the time.  I should probably apologize for the picture above as Donna is actually much more attractive than the picture indicates.  Earlier I had found the "Freddie mask" and pulled a prank on Michelle, fortunately she has a strong heart and survived.  Hey, no one was hurt.  So get over it!  Finding it on the counter Donna not fond of having her picture taken used it as a shield. 

  Soon the ladies were ready and we headed off into the desert.   I felt pretty lucky escorting three pretty ladies.  Michelle has rode the area several times and led us out to Saguaro lake dam and marina for lunch.  A scenic area within 50 miles of the home we were occupying.  It was a great ride and I think Donna enjoyed being chauffeured around by her "little" niece and her Indian companion.  As often happens when we return to the bikes people were admiring what Michelle refers to as her "shiny bike".   I guess over 20,000 Swarovski crystals will do that.  It usually takes a little bit to get mounted wait for pictures and explain "why all the glitter". 

Hey! watch where
your putting your
hand!

It had been a great day and one more stop on the way home at "The hitching rail" just outside of Apache Junction was all we needed.  A photo opportunity inside their jail with some friendly tourists and we returned Donna to the motel and called it a day. 
    The possibility that we would be able to return and share Michelle's house made it even better.  A larger quarters to finish this years winter trip seemed very inviting.  I don't know if I have the heart to tell "Bobbie".  Tomorrow we leave to finish the other half of our circle ride back to Hemet.  After all we have guests coming to visit.  I do hope they like our tiny house.

 

Superstition Mountain. 

 

191 A circle ride

      The plan is simple.  A circle ride going East on interstate 10 to Phoenix Arizona see as many people as we can in a short time, drop down to the bottom of the state and return by another route.  However the frequent rain might make it a challenge.  

A quick stop for dental records and this car
from Idyllwild confirms why we
winter in the valley.

    Wednesday the 25th we bundle up against the cold knowing it won't be long before we are warmed as we pass thru the windmill pass and into Coachella Valley.

 

     Leaving Hemet valley the rise and fall of the road gives us glimpses of the Big Bear mountain and just before we enter the freeway by Beaumont it comes into full view, pretty impressive. 

         With freeway speeds it doesn't take us long to enter the pass between the mountains we have nicknamed windmill pass.  Both sides of the valley lined with windmills to catch the wind coming between the mountains.  On the other side temperatures ranging form 10-15 degrees warmer.  Feels good! 


      On the way to the Phoenix area we stopped at Indio and stayed over night with our vendor friends Larry and Lee Annette. They were making their signature thank you meal to the local moose lodge and we were invited to join in. A seafood feast. What a treat. And the best part we got to sit back and listen to Larry tell stories about his life. Lee has them to but she has to say “shut up Larry” to tell hers.

Reminder to drink your orange juice.

     One time I interjected that it was my turn to talk, I don’t recall that working.  For the most part we just relax and listen.  At one time one of them said he has told his stories so many times he has them numbered and on cue Lee says #98 and they both burst into laughter.  Fun couple.  A couple of days later.  Yeah, it takes me a while, I remembered the rest of the joke.  A man walks into a bar and people are yelling out numbers and the crowd is laughing.  After the bar tender explained what I just told you the newcomer thought he would try it and shouted out a number.  The bar was deathly silent. Looking puzzled the bar tender explained “some people can tell jokes and some cant”. 

      Both of their lives are filled with events that people not living on the edge may not understand. The ups and downs have made them what they are today. From the rolls Royce they owned that got 3 miles to the gallon, a pilot in Viet Nam, owning a motorcycle dealership to the time he almost rode the bucking bull. On a whim riding a dirt bike on a cross country track . Perhaps showing off a little on a jump spinning the handlebars cockeyed at the height of the jump apex for the traditional photo opportunity, that being the last thing he remembers of that ride. Waking up in the hospital broken ribs, broken arm, skin missing from his hand, said they cut a slit in his stomach to put his hand in to avoid infection. His comment on not being able to use either arm “Now that was inconvenient”.  
     Neither of us slept very well that night and after breakfast at Sloan's in Indio we were soon up to freeway speed on interstate 10.   Passing thru Quartzite with the qypsy RV'ers scattered across the desert almost made us feel normal.   The desert floor rising as we head East is offset by the Sun rising and it remains comfortable to us as we fly toward Phoenix.   About a hundred miles from our destination it warms as we lose altitude.   I feel a little strange mentioning that the cactus's that now appear in the desert give me a sensation of home coming.  How can a cactus give you comfortable feeling?   Got to be something wrong with me.  However ever one is different, some like the Mormons Joshua trees seem to have their arms (is that what they are called?  I would feel strange calling them appendages.) outstretched as if to welcome us.  Is the heat getting to me?  However there were 3 over by themselves that in my opinion had their arms displayed in an inappropriate gesture.  
     Arriving at our North Dakota friends Rod and Linda it felt good to get off the trike and relax.  Always friendly and caring it felt good to be among friends.  Linda is a great hostess and planner and today was no exception.   Today relax dine and play cards until late.  The 27th we hit the Mesa flea market, a traditional stop for tourist and bargain hunters.  At least a block or more of vendors offering wonderful deals and aisles of goodies to wander thru. 
     Prairie friend Wes comments often when planning a ride with Ruthie wondering how many people she will talk to.  So here we are a couple of thousand miles from Minnesota in a Valley with around five million people.  What's the chance.   Of course a shout of  "Hi Ruthie!"  across the crowded market space and Jackie approached  giving her a big hug.  A school mate of mine from Dover-Eyota High school.  We spend a few hours at the market.  Again more great food and cards until the wee hours.  Linda wisely retired early informing us of the next days schedule.   I believe there may have been a cautionary warning in there for Rod just to make sure he didn't stay up to late and miss tomorrows roll call.

January 28. Let's title this day Thrift shop marathon Saturday.

And the instructions said leave the house at 8:30 as there will be a line at Goodwill trying to make use of the 50% off sale. As soon as the doors open grab a cart, scatter thru out the store, fill your cart, text when your done, we will meet and sort our items. Then on to the next thrift store. Are you serious? We were on a trike filled to 110% capacity, there were only a couple items I wanted and one brought skepticism from our hosts. I mean seriously what are the chances of finding passenger armrest for a 1999 Valkyrie trike. Well that's what Ruthie wanted and by gosh I was going to find them. Since they weren't manufactured for them my plan was to manufacture a set for it. I remember seeing office chairs with arm rests on a single piece of metal that went straight down and then curved and bolted to the bottom of the chair. I figured if the metal strength was sufficient I could bend them to go down beside the seat and bolt to the fender underneath it. Its 8:30 ready set go! Not real good at following directions. I didn't think it was necessary to grab a cart. Trying to be a joker I tried to sneak some extra items into Rods cart, didn't work, evidently when you are in a thrift store you need to be vigilant and monitor your cart. I'm sure if we had been in a grocery store I could have put a couple of boxes of breakfast cereal in there and he would have paid for them and not been the wiser. But no, try and sneak one 6x18 inch decorative plague into his cart and Rod becomes Mr Security guard. So much for some fun. Checked out the office chairs, no arm rest. Found one to sit on until every one was done. A reprimand from Linda, you were supposed to text me when you were done! In my defense I thought before we entered the store she had said to tell her when I was done and I replied "I am done". Should have been sufficient I thought. Okay fine off to the next thrift store. This one was already open, I headed directly to the unsuspecting and unmarked Valkyrie arm rest section. Eureka or some other shout of joy. They had choices, a faded green office chair with cigarette burns on the seat and a tear on the side, however the arm rests were adjustable and the metal holding them was substantial. The other one was a safety hazard as I sat in it and almost went over backward to the delight of a couple of fellow thrift shoppers. Again the metal uprights were substantial. I phoned my co-rider for her opinion since they were a gift for her. I told her I was back by the furniture as the Valkyrie accessory section was not clearly marked. I didn't know if she would like the extra thickness of the one with the adjustable height or go for the sleekness of the solid ones. She went for comfort. It was half price day, of course that's why the hordes of shoppers were here today. I grabbed my prize and started pushing it to find an employee. It pushed like a shopping cart with a broken wheel. Avoiding several near collisions with my half tag shopping associates I finally found a blue shirted saint. Explaining that I wanted to pay for the chair, remove the armrests, and re-donate the chair back to Goodwill. He didn't seem to think it was as strange as our host did. I didn't think it necessary to tell him it was for a motorcycle. A hex head wrench a little monetary tip for his generosity snuck under our blog card since he wasn't suppose to accept tips and we were at the checkout. Half price brought it to $2.99, probably the cheapest motorcycle add-on ever.





Eureka!
I was done, went outside bought some Samoa cookies from the little girl scout outside, walked to McDonald's for some coffee, around the block to a bank for an ATM, back to Rods truck and relaxed for the next store. Ruthie was out almost immediately followed by Rod. After a crushing blow at the initial store I think poor Rod was a little disillusioned with todays mission. Even though he had rejected my addition to his precious cart he had managed to select several key items. However when he met for the prearranged group meeting to sort the items the group leader made him put every thing back. Evidently there was an undisclosed guide on what was an acceptable purchase. Perhaps the antique wall phone missing the speaking horn for $49 cut today to less than $25 that he had to put back was the deal breaker. He seemed crushed and although he tried to smile I'm not sure if he will ever be the same. He tried to joke that there was probably someone in there right now buying it with the idea of selling it to American pickers for $500 I don't think it helped. I couldn't look at him anymore. He was a broken man. I had hoped that the next store would lift his mood however I have to confess that my happiness with my purchase didn't help. In retrospect I should have just hidden my Valkyrie passenger armrest in the bag and kept quiet. I will have to make it up to him. The three of us visited, watched parking lot traffic and commented on the line of vehicles dropping off donations while smiling shoppers came out the other door with their purchases. Its going out as fast as their bringing it in. Soon, almost immediately, within minutes, before we knew it, after awhile Linda returned to the vehicle. We only had time for the two stores as they had golfing plans and we were headed to Cave Creek to visit daughter Michelle.










I can't believe I missed the

quilt display.

I was made aware of a change in our schedule, Michelle and her friend Bruce had invited us to go with them to a blue grass festival. Since it was South of the area by Casa Grande we met them not far from Rod and Linda's, abandoned the motorcycles and rode In Bruce's vehicle.


I don't believe I have ever been to a blue grass festival. Toe tapping, Leg slapping, hand clapping fun. American fun, and the home of the smallest metal bleachers made. Get to know your neighbor, if the seat is empty in front of you it makes a great footrest, if it is occupied spread your knees on either side of the strangers shoulders. I think there should be a rule that if you bring kettle corn to the bleachers you should bring enough for your new neighbors.






Dwarf car?
A miniature railroad display, hayrides, a car show, food vendors and the air filled with lively music. A great day. Now on to Michelle's quarters. A generous Facebook friend was renting her a huge home they were trying to sell. Sparsely furnished with a bed, card table, a couple of chairs and her bandana business supplies and work station. She seems to make do with what she has.



Michelle is a gracious hostess and we soon had a delicious Rib eye dinner complete with wine. An effort to use the phone's timer to capture the moment turns into a comedy event as I misjudged the timer. Our bellies and hearts full Ruthie and I settled in one of the rooms on a plush air mattress. Half circle complete we will spend a couple of days with Michelle before moving on.

190. Giving Notice!

Fancy personalized key fob courtesy
of Sterling, other side says Action
Actuator! Thank you very much!!

      With rain still around us and a pretty intense cycle ride planned in a few days I figured it was time to give the Valkyrie some attention. Shouldn't be too difficult, oil, filter and a few adjustments. What do they say about the best laid plans? Stopping at my motorcycle parts source, okay Walmart, I picked up my supplies. Pulled the Valkyrie into the barn just a few feet from our tiny home I changed the oil. With 129,827 miles on our trike it needed some attention. Normally we try not to ride after dark however a couple of miscalculations of daylight had brought the headlight adjustment to my attention. 

Bobbie and me,
a selfie.

I had also noticed a little vibration in my front fairing.  This brought to mind our initial trip to Hemet this year.  In an effort to keep up with traffic several times we had flirted on the high side of the speed limit on interstate 10.  Who am I kidding, we couldn't even see it anymore.  Keeping up with traffic on the highway track across the desert and a little acceleration at times makes it easy to run 85mph.  Just seems like the thing to do.  That day as we were coming down the decline to the Coachella Valley a pretty fierce wind was facing us and I detected a flutter in my windshield and fairing.   We were on a tight schedule that day so I reached out and held it with my hand and by the time we slowed at the valley floor it was out of my mind.   Now removing some panels for the headlight adjustment I find the two are related.  Evidently the vibration had stripped a couple of support bolts.   Okay not going to be an easy adjustment here.  Putting it back together enough to make the trip to Hemet I picked up some new bolts, nuts and star washers.  With my ever present sidekick "Bobbie" lurking near I made the necessary repairs.  Not that I don't trust her however since she constantly has to touch every tool I use and that one time when she touched my ear while I was laying on the ground, well let's just say I keep my eye on her.  "We" adjusted the headlight to the height of the blue painters tape I had put on a barn door and "Bobbie" and I stepped back to admire our work.   Better than new, we were both satisfied.  

     It seemed with the passing of the holidays that the joint activities we had enjoyed with our wonderful landlords was on the decline.   Lynda stopped updating their/our calendar and we had some time to access our situation.    Ruthie had been disappointed with the primary bed arrangement on arrival and with a couple of other daily inconveniences it was time to move and explore elsewhere.   But where?  Sterling had already suggested Vista California as an ideal spot and we had an economical lodging offer there, Michelle and friends were in Mesa AZ and we knew we had more areas to explore in Arizona.  Well we had a month to decide.

     Ideally we had wished to give our 30 day notice as a couple however our landlords schedule, the rain and month end pending prevented it and ironically I informed Sterling standing outside in a heavy rain (has it been seven months already?) while he changed propane tanks on our tiny home. 

Mamaaaaaa! They sound
just like a baby crying!



And the rain continues, this certainly has to be what our Coachella employers were warning us about, how did they know.  Record rain, mudslides, over 200% rainfall for the period.   On rainy days we played a lot of cribbage in our tiny home, I don't know if its the rain and lack of sunshine or if Ruthie is just to competitive, my goodness how she hates to lose.  I really didn't know she swore that much.  I try to be a gracious winner however it doesn't help.  Its late, I win again and she doesn't even ask if I want to play again.  "We're playing again".   She says in a commanding voice.  Am I a prisoner here?   "Trapped in a tiny house, forced to play cribbage."  Read his epitaph.  Fortunately our trip is coming up. 


With a hug like this who isn't
going to stop crying!

     January 23   We start making our plans for our little trip, Ruthie wants to see her sister Donna who is going to be in Mesa Arizona for a few days.  We decided to combine it with a little residence hunting, sightseeing and visiting.  Our goal is to be back in our tiny home by February 3rd to meet and. entertain guests.     During the evening hours the rains increased in intensity and evidently my 

I think I can fly!

Thesaurus friend Deanna had some concern about our safety as we were very close to the Diamond valley lake reservoir. 
We both have odd sleeping hours, so while our spouses were resting peacefully we carried on our conversation by texting.   Reassuring her of our safety and texting back and forth she found out we had a slim summer planned and said we might be "living on belly button lint and weenie water."  Certainly a new phrase for me.  She said her mother used to say that all the time.  Kind of made me wonder about her mother.   Who would say that to a child.    Of course now this morning after some thought I realize what weenie water is.  I apologize!  

   

189 It never rains in Southern California???

On our route to Temecula, we finally
took some time to get a picture.  Life size
pretty cool.

     Except this year, Lynda claims we brought it with us.  Rain and cooler weather hit the Southwest this year.  I'm not sure if we can lay claim to ending the drought in California.   however here are the facts, we arrived,  the rains came to the valleys, snow hit the mountains, the lakes and reservoirs are filling up, the aqueducts are flowing with fresh water.   Need I say more?   Coming from Minnesota where water is plentiful I have been intrigued how the area copes with infrequent rainfall.  While in Indio last year we were told that the water that nourished the large date groves was from the Colorado river.   Seemed impossible to me.  And now within a couple of miles of our tiny base camp is Diamond Valley lake formed by damming up the ends between two mountains is supposedly filled from a pipe filled with the same river.  Seems impossible. 
    Evidently there is a "Law of the River". Which sets rules for the amount of water each state can actually consume.  As of last year 60% of California's water supply came from the river. Using 20% more than they were entitled to.  Last year on our trip we had seen news coverage of fire departments rationing out drinking water to residents, seems impossible when Minnesota boasts over ten thousand lakes.  As far fetched as it seems to me the delivery system was originated in the early nineteen hundreds to procure water for the growing population of Los Angeles and the neighboring communities.   The water originates from the Colorado river at Lake Havasu in Arizona with several lift pumps it is raised to over 1800 feet above sea level flowing thru pipes, tunnels, mountains and open aqueducts to Lake Mathews in Riverside county California.   From there distribution lines disperses it to Southern California residents.  It is hard to imagine the planning and cooperation the system required. 
    Fine, you are welcome, glad we could help.   Using our heated gear we were still able to get some quality riding in between rainy days. 

The Stars!

     January 13 Lynda contacted us that a change in the scheduled activity for the evening.   One of her friends was performing at a local winery with a Latin dance club.  Unfortunately our landlords delayed their departure to long and we missed their friends performance.  The  winery parking lot was full, evidently a popular event.   A live Latin band provided the music and we danced and listened until the drizzle increased in intensity forced us away from the open air venue.

     Saturday 14th. Topless tasters?  The name of the convertible club they belong to.  Get it?  No top on their car, we were invited since our trikes has no top also.  And they do wine tasting.  However one of the ladies in the group (a smart Alec obviously) suggested that the "topless" was because the men had thinning or missing hair.  Not very kind in my opinion.    Nice cars Mark and Lisa showed up in their Porsche convertible, Gabe and Eva the Hungarians arrived in a Mercedes sports car and since we rode with Sterling and Lynda our steed was a Nissan sedan.
 Meeting at a Starbucks in Temecula we traveled down interstate #15 to the Belle Marie winery.  Nick from the winery spent a lot of time helping us with wine information and also places we should ride.
  

Lots of good information from Nick

      From there the caravan avoided the interstate and wandered along the scenic side roads to the Firehouse BBQ in Fallbrook,  from the back seat we enjoyed the view and then as we passed thru Vista California Sterling mentioned he thought it was the best place to live in California and would like to retire there.   Good climate and riding roads, I made a mental note to check it out.  We finished out the day playing Canasta and enjoying chocolate cake in honor of Lynda's birthday month. 

Claudine and Dominique,
with their grandchildren.

     Sunday a breakfast 
invitation from Anthony and Juliette to join them and her parents at the "Hangar One" café at the Hemet airport.  They were returning home for the summer back to the Dominican republic.  The conversation was laborious due to their heavy accent and background noise in the bustling café.  They were a joy to be around and at one point we were able to communicate how long we had been married.  He mentioned he and his wife were married in 1966, almost immediately he realized his mustang car was a 1966 and then in broken English he said they were both very comfortable.  His wife and Mustang that is.   I still smile when I think of that comment and the way he punctuated his sentences using mime techniques to tell his stories.  I wish I could spend more time with them.  
     Sometimes it is worth your time to visit the bathrooms on your trips.  You never know the humor that may be hidden there.   The hangar was no exception.   One wall hanging advertised that you could purchase plans for two dollars from coincidently a Mr White (I'm sure no relation to our landlords.) to build an airplane using a motorcycle engine. Another one above the urinal had a more urgent message.  Notice:  Old PT-22 pilots with short stacks and low manifold pressure please taxi in a little closer.  Certainly useful information for all of us. 
     After breakfast we headed out to explore some more.  A few miles away we stopped at the Winchester Arena one of the suggestions from our biker freind at Hells Kitchen.   As we drove down the lane beside the rodeo arena we were wondering if it was open today.  We had come this far we might as well check it out.  A single motorcycle and a couple of cars and two people sitting on the patio were the only signs of life.  Dismounting and heading up the side walk a voice rang out across the distance. "Its the Minnesota trikers"  now this is scary, turns out it was Nick evidently following his own suggestions.   It seems the bar had burned to the ground and was in the process of rebuilding.   The owner extended an invitation to attend a party they were having to watch President Trumps inauguration on Friday.  Not to popular an event in the area.   Might be interesting.


     Our next stop was a weekly Mexican flea market on the way to Temecula.  A couple of square blocks filled with vendors of every description.  You could purchase every thing from a parakeet to a taco, not at the same booth of course, that just wouldn't be right. 

Ruthie seemed interested in the clothes and jewelry.  I just wandered taking in the variety, spending a little time at the tools, new and used. 

       It had been a very busy week, the better part of the day had expired and returning back to our tiny home seemed prudent.  There is always tomorrow.