24/7 Chat About Anything

So excited, FINALLY saw javelinas on my morning walk! There were two of them, walking down "my" sidewalk, I crossed the street to give them some space. My landlord hates 'em b/c they get into his trash but I had not seen a single one since I moved here. The neighbor two houses down leaves out food for critters, which not all his neighbors appreciate. I'm kind of surprised not to have seen any nice scenic rats, actually. One of the javes went over and nosed the food bucket but it was empty. Other than that I have seen a million bunnies and quail and almost stepped on a rattlesnake once. I heard there are wild burros around here too ... the weather here in southern AZ has cooled to mere double digits; it's heavenly.

I do have a very recently acquired late evening viewing habit on YouTube. I started watching the highlights of that evenings “late shows” the beginning of the program where the host features that days news events and helps to interpret what was being said by whom about goings on things in the news. Laughter is indeed great medicine

Of course there is always a lot of bad stuff going on in the world so I need to counter that with some happy to be alive and camping out in so many lovely places. Trees, mountains, birds, squirrels, butterflies, good books and movies have all been great companions this summmer. I have had a shortage of streams and ocean time though. Maybe next summer I will shift to a different area to get more of that.

Down she goes! The early morning temperature that is. It has now gone into the 30s hear at Tusayan,AZ. But as there is a 40 degree swing between high temp and low the daytime high is in that much desired 70 degree range. Some of the deciduous bushes and trees are just now starting to show some change in color to yellow on part of the leaves. But it is not yet the fall color viewing season. That takes a hard freeze to happen. There have been no 32 degree nights so far. Maybe in another week or two but I will be heading to lower elevation by then.

The trees are juuuuuussst getting started here too. I love the fall colors and the reason I want an early frost.

Mother Nature just turned back the clock! A week of mostly sunny, low 80s for a high is ahead! I do not have to come down out of the forest to the desert for a while longer

I finally did make it into the National Park today. No long lines at the entry and plenty of empty showers. I filled up my water jugs with the great natural spring water, got rid of my trash and headed back to camp. I just did not feel like doing any sightseeing today. But hopefully one day this week I will head out for a bit of viewing of that very deep canyon. It really is an awesome sight.

Roll call of regulars for the Chat about anything. How is it going in your life and what are your general plans for this coming winter season? Speak up!

I will start it off. I am feeling content and happy with my nomadic lifestyle. My overall health is not too bad for my mid 70s. Just the usual lifetime of “I could use more exercise” and fewer treats going into my tummy syndrome. I know the cure, it is owning an energetic dog that requires lots of walking. But I am resisting that cure for the dog’s own sanity

I will likely see some of you in Quartzsite this winter at the LTVA for a last farewell winter season at La Posa South before those rates go up to $600

I always have a list of projects and work to do if I ever begin to think I might indulge myself in that luxury feeling of being bored. Speaking of which I need to drive into the nearby town and drop an Etsy order in the blue mail box. Then to relieve my boredom I could put an ice cream treat into my tummy remembering to savor every bite of it! It is the little rewards in life that can literally make it sweeter

maki2 said:

Roll call of regulars for the Chat about anything. How is it going in your life and what are your general plans for this coming winter season? Speak up!

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Life is ok. Had a run of interesting luck that is forcing me to fix things I didn't want to fix.

My extra phone screen has been cracked but worked fine. I use it for online and local sales, as well as entertainment. The digitizer finally gave up the ghost. Had to buy a good used phone of the same model and transplant some things. Misplaced my heat gun, so my daughter has a new blow dryer lol. Got that sorted a couple days ago.

Today I realized I broke my cheap, but very needed, glasses. Can't get a new pair immediately because my optometrist is on vacation until next week. Everywhere else will take at least a 7-14 days, as my prescription needs to be updated.

So I'll have to find some plastic framed glasses and cannibalize the hinge using a soldering iron. Just hope I can find a hinge that matches. Otherwise it's tape for a week lol.

Weather peaked at 95 yesterday. It looks to be cooler the rest of the week so I'm happy with that. I really need to get a better routine down now that it's cooler and I can be busier.

I’ve been working on getting the camper trailer ready at our new home base as my wife will retire from the National Park Service before the end of the year. Park Service furnished a house to keep her around which she immediately filled with “stuff” when we were forced out of our RV spot by the concessionaire after many years, so making lots of trips! Still staying winters in Arizona but may do more summer trips in Western Colorado

Happy Camper said:

Life is ok. Had a run of interesting luck that is forcing me to fix things I didn't want to fix.

My extra phone screen has been cracked but worked fine. I use it for online and local sales, as well as entertainment. The digitizer finally gave up the ghost. Had to buy a good used phone of the same model and transplant some things. Misplaced my heat gun, so my daughter has a new blow dryer lol. Got that sorted a couple days ago.

Today I realized I broke my cheap, but very needed, glasses. Can't get a new pair immediately because my optometrist is on vacation until next week. Everywhere else will take at least a 7-14 days, as my prescription needs to be updated.

So I'll have to find some plastic framed glasses and cannibalize the hinge using a soldering iron. Just hope I can find a hinge that matches. Otherwise it's tape for a week lol.

Weather peaked at 95 yesterday. It looks to be cooler the rest of the week so I'm happy with that. I really need to get a better routine down now that it's cooler and I can be busier.

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Sorry about your broken glasses. But I highly recommend that you make a switch to Flexon titanium alloy frames. Mine are constantly on my face during waking hours and still going strong after 6 years! Just some hinge screws and nose pad replaced now and again along with a bit of tweaking to make them level as I typically take them off with one hand instead of the recommended two hands. I bought a second frame to have a spare pair of frames to send out for a new prescription lens while wearing my old lenses. Five years later I can still purchase that very same model of Flexon frame on Amazon! Surprisingly there are a lot of old stock eyeglass frame, discount dealers on Amazon. Try checking there if you get into another broken frame jam.

maki2 said:

Sorry about your broken glasses. But Ihighly recommend that you make a switch to

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Oh man that was great. I laughed so hard I almost coughed up a lung lol.

Happy Camper said:

Oh man that was great. I laughed so hard I almost coughed up a lung lol.

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Don’t you mean “I bored you to tears”? That is my real special power. Not “coughing up lungs” , that is just an occasional minor side effect of my scribbling. .

We are getting ready for our annual fall festival apple pressing party while also getting Moma and Dad into a home somewhere. Her dementia is getting worse, and Dad is in hospital again so..... Hubby is still dealing with his radiation treatments. But there is an end in sight.

We are hopping (Not Planning) for a trip to Florida this winter, but not sure yet. I want to kayak with the manatees and walk on the super soft sand and build a really big sandcastle. I need to add to my shell collection and and and

I am really enjoying my job right now. I am just a sub and I am scheduled break person 3 days a week so I get the best part of the job without much of the parts I don't like and my boss is really understanding if the other parts of my life get in the way.

I have decided the weeds in my yard have won the battle and I am enjoying the wildflowers and natural plants that are taking over and leaving seeds for the birds. If my neighbors don't like it tough!

I am hopping this is the last year of wrangling with Mom and once she is settled some of the day to day sh%$ will be off my shoulders and we can again start planning some fun stuff. I still want to do a fall to spring trip sometime soon.

The weather is just getting started to get pretty for fall and time to read some more books while the weather turns, and make some fresh made hot cider and some filberts to get cracked and time to download some good movies so I can watch. While hubby watches football and baseball. I have 2-3 favorite things to do with kidos for this time of year so I will have fun with that 1 really good book, corn husk dolls, making haunted houses out of the fort building stuff and pretending to be squirls on the playground with real nuts as we teachers have the nut crackers to open the found nuts. Shaking trees to catch leaves for wishes and making beautiful leaf crowns for all the kings and queens on the playground.

Got to do some deep cleaning and get my doggy some vet time for shots and checkup and I know that sounds simple, but anything added to my schedule right now is a big deal.

Time to get some more Xmas things done and time to start holiday cooking and since that is a big stress relief for me I am pretty sure everyone around me is going to get FAT for Christmas this year.

^^ how lovely that you are finding a lot of positives among the loads of stress caring for your parents health issues. The potential Florida vacation sounds terrific!

I am starting to feel restless and more social. That is likely a good thing to have happen as the winter is generally my more social season although last winter…not so much. This morning I did not feel in a screaming hurry to get out of the grocery store and back to camp. I actually stopped at the cafe counter, bought a muffin and a cup of coffe and lingered long enough to consume them.

I might head back towards Flagstaff for a few weeks. I need to put in an Amazon order for a business supply. No
Amazon lockers at the Grand Canyon Villiage or in the town of Williams AZ. The office supply and craft stores do not stock packages of 200 colored #10 envelopes for a reasonable cost or even an unreasonable cost.

The Kaibab and Coconino National
Forest are going to resume doing controlled burns this week. Some of them will be in the area I am currently camping. But there might also be one south of Bellemont near Flagstaff and more to the South of Flagstaff. Makes it hard to know where I should spend the next few weeks! Perhaps south of Williams, there is some good camping there if the entry into the camp sites did not get further torn up in the monsoon rains. They were unusable for my vehicle setup back in in May but the ground is dry this month. The area I was camped in during May has now been closed to camping so the antelope can roam and play. That is OK but I will miss staying there. However that area might also be smoked out by the controlled burns. Good news is they are not actually wild fires!

maki2 said:

I am starting to feel restless and more social. That is likely a good thing to have happen as the winter is generally my more social season although last winter…not so much. This morning I did not feel in a screaming hurry to get out of the grocery store and back to camp. I actually stopped at the cafe counter, bought a muffin and a cup of coffe and lingered long enough to consume them.

I might head back towards Flagstaff for a few weeks. I need to put in an Amazon order for a business supply. No
Amazon lockers at the Grand Canyon Villiage or in the town of Williams AZ. The office supply and craft stores do not stock packages of 200 colored #10 envelopes for a reasonable cost or even an unreasonable cost.

The Kaibab and Coconino National
Forest are going to resume doing controlled burns this week. Some of them will be in the area I am currently camping. But there might also be one south of Bellemont near Flagstaff and more to the South of Flagstaff. Makes it hard to know where I should spend the next few weeks! Perhaps south of Williams, there is some good camping there if the entry into the camp sites did not get further torn up in the monsoon rains. They were unusable for my vehicle setup back in in May but the ground is dry this month. The area I was camped in during May has now been closed to camping so the antelope can roam and play. That is OK but I will miss staying there. However that area might also be smoked out by the controlled burns. Good news is they are not actually wild fires!

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It was a little smokey north of Flagstaff yesterday although it had cleared pretty much by this morning. I believe the wind was generally blowing it away from the area. It was a little chilly this morning I ended up using my Little Buddy heater to knock off the chill! Was supposed to warm to 77 degrees this afternoon.

bullfrog ! said:

It was a little smokey north of Flagstaff yesterday although it had cleared pretty much by this morning. I believe the wind was generally blowing it away from the area. It was a little chilly this morning I ended up using my Little Buddy heater to knock off the chill! Was supposed to warm to 77 degrees this afternoon.

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Tusayan is often, at least in summer and early fall, about t degrees warmer than some of the camping close to Flagstaff. I
Do not camp in Tusayan in July and August, way too hot and rainy. But the 6 weeks mid May thru June and about a month or so in early September to early October are very pleasant and fairly dry as well.

The weather service is reporting smoke in Bellemont, AZ and in Flagstaff. That means I will linger where I am camped a while longer. Smoke is not good situation for me to be in. The forest service is turning the wildfire that was started by lightning into a “controlled burn” to remove excess debris on the forest floor. So that fire will be burning for a while longer. Monsoon rain season is over now so not much expectation of help from Mother Nature for a good soaking rain. But….maybe…

I have friends I worked for back in 1984 who are now living in Florida directly in the path of the eye of that hurricane that kid now arriving. . I talked to my friend on messenger yesterday. They are not in an RV but they are in a double wide house. Fortunately located inland far enough to be out of the storm surge but have younger relatives living out on Cedar Key. That family will come shelter with them. Unfortunately they do not own a generator. She said it is on their Christmas list of purchases. Maggie grew up in Florida but they were living in San Antonio when I was working for them. They were doing custom interiors on small business aircraft. They loved having bragging rights to have a real live Boeing interior installer and gabrication mechanic working for their small mom and pop company. We had a grand time! That was when I was driving my first van
I stripped out and put new interior panels, headliner, insulation and carpet into it prior to driving it from Seattle to San Antonio while I was on a year long layoff at Boeing.

maki2 said:

I have friends I worked for back in 1984 who are now living in Florida directly in the path of the eye of that hurricane that kid now arriving. . I talked to my friend on messenger yesterday. They are not in an RV but they are in a double wide house. Fortunately located inland far enough to be out of the storm surge but have younger relatives living out on Cedar Key. That family will come shelter with them. Unfortunately they do not own a generator. She said it is on their Christmas list of purchases. Maggie grew up in Florida but they were living in San Antonio when I was working for them. They were doing custom interiors on small business aircraft. They loved having bragging rights to have a real live Boeing interior installer and gabrication mechanic working for their small mom and pop company. We had a grand time! That was when I was driving my first van
I stripped out and put new interior panels, headliner, insulation and carpet into it prior to driving it from Seattle to San Antonio while I was on a year long layoff at Boeing.

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I hope they stay safe and have what they need until the storm passes. And after of course.

Happy Camper said:

I hope they stay safe and have what they need until the storm passes. And after of course.

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I won’t know if their place is OK as no doubt about it the grid power got knocked out. I do not think they have solar power and that storm likely knocked out the cellular system as well.

I was looking at some YouTube drone flight videos of damage in that area of Florida. There were a whole bunch of Tiny Homes around. Most of them seemed to be skewed very much off level. If they were up on wheels or blocks those hurricane strength winds sure pushed them cockeyed and off foundation blocks even though it did not tear them apart physically the way it does to metal sided trailers and mobile homes.