June already? How did it get to be June already?

30 June: Grand Canyon, El Tovar for breakfast. Espresso in front of world traveler Miss Smoochie. Bike is packed. We missed the early morning thunderstorm as we rode to the canyon, but one is planned to welcome us to Kayenta - Monument Valley Inn: After a wild, windy, wet ride under ominous black clouds we arrived In Kayenta only to discover we were booked into the wrong hotel. Thankfully, the hotel we wanted actually in Monument Valley had space available with a rainbow view from our balcony. We hiked into Box Canyon after dinner. While we were both weary feeling the effects of Bright Angel Trail, only Cynthia went to sleep early. Ron listened to her sleeping sounds and commenced recording receipts and packing. Good night!

29 June: Grand Canyon - Breakfast at the Best Western in Tusayan was perfect. We had forgotten we had stayed at the Red Feather Hotel and dined at the BW during another stay. Ron hiked six miles roundtrip down Bright Angel Trail making 20,000 more best friends until he was whipped by wind, drenched by rain and frozen to the bone - accomplished in a brief 2.5 hours. Cynthia hiked down 40 minutes returning about the same time. We were very hungry by the time of our dinner reservations at El Tovar; Ron wore his rain poncho for warmth. After finishing lemon and then raspberry sorbet he was shaking from the cold. The temperature leaving the canyon was 63 degrees; by the time we reached our hotel it was 76 degrees with a lovely sunset. Tomorrow we depart for Monument Valley for two days. Thanks to Roxanne for lining up reservations. We arrive in Taos the 14th of July.

 

28 June: Grand Canyon - Breakfast at the Grand Hotel is a buffet without a chef to cook to order. They tried to scramble egg whites. Oh, well. We parked at the South Kaibab parking lot and walked to the trailhead. Ron completed a good distance down while Cynthia went back up because sciatica kicked in and rain began in earnest. Oh what fun we had getting lost hiking across the backcountry going back to the parking lot, but Hero Ron walked us into the back side of the parking lot. We spent the wait time for the El Tovar to open by walking the Rim Trail and touring the Kolb Studio. The wait was worth it - not only is the food fabulous but our waiter ago remembered us from three years ago. With our dietary restrictions, who wouldn't? After dinner, tired and sufficiently full, we strolled the Rim Trail waiting for sunset so we could drive back to the Inn alongside another spectacular sunset. Ron spotted a magnificent bull elk with a huge rack of antlers and did a U Turn for another viewing. We saw more elk and a deer. We are both very tired.

27 June: Sedona, AZ to the Grand Canyon: First, the recycling completed, second, box mailed to Texas, Third. The rental car returned and our last breakfast at Red's Sedona Rouge, to the post office to mail Ron's letters, then the DMV in Flagstsaff to get permanent plates. Ooopppssss! We had a two hour wait at DMV AZ. But wooHoo!!! We licensed the bike for five years. And AZ does not require any annual renewals or annual inspections that Texas requires. Ohmygoodness does that feel fabulous. Lunch at Oregano's Bistro was mighty fine. Hot leaving Flagstaff, cooled off when rain started and very cool at 8000 feet needing jackets, rain stopped without getting us wet, sun appeared and we got warm again. Deer. Well! We arrived at our lodging with two days days of Grand Canyon hiking ahead of us including the super meals at El Tovar lodge. We took a ride to the canyon, walked for 45 minutes, ate a delicious Ono Wahoo at the Grand Canyon hotel, returning at peak time for a magnificent red-orange sunset spotting three elk along our route.

 

26 June to Sedona, AZ. Dinner at the Olde Sedona Bar and Grill. Packing completed

 

25 Jun: Las Vegas. Temperature before breakfast was 90 degrees; www.weather.com says it is 105 at 3:42 pm. Re-organization and re-packing our motorcycle saddlebags is proceeding well. We took a break to enjoy a FroYo next door. Ron is hurrying so as to have time to visit the adjacent Hooters with Cynthia's blessings and promise to administer his last rites. Whatever doesn't fit on the motorcycle will go into a box to ship back to Texas. We enjoyed a fun swim and soak in the hot tub tonight. Tomorrow is the final 200-mile leg to Sedona and the end of our trip to Sacramento to visit Aunts Betty & Jo. It has been a great trip with excellent visits and fantastic scenery. The heat vindicated the decision to rent a car in only three places on three days; Hoover Dam was 100 degrees on day 2 & Las Vegas was hot; Sacramento and points north along the coast were comfortable or cool; much of the last two days has been over 95 degrees. Sedona and Flagstaff will provide a welcome return to cool.

 

24 Jun: Here we sit in Beatty, Nevada, temperature of 104 degrees; Ron desires a photo of his Beatty self standing in front of the Beatty senior citizens center, but alas, we could not find it. (We did see signs for the Beatty Brothel and the Beatty Airport, but no senior center.) How startling to see that sign for the brothel on the side of the road, advertising Nevada's oldest legal profession. We did enjoy cold water, a coke and one blueberry pancake at the Denny's restaurant in Beatty; it cohabited with a smoke-filled hole-in-the-wall casino. The ride between Bishop, CA and Beatty, NV was a delightful smorgasbord of desert scenery and exceptional roller-coaster twisties on California 168; that relaxed into 65mph sweepers on Nevada 266. The final leg south to Lost Wages and Henderson on Nevada 95 was straight and hot with substantial traffic. We arrived in HENDERSON at 6:00 PM after driving on I-15 right through the center of Vegas at rush hour. What a fun day!

Ron in front of museum named in his honor.

If I could have jumped the fence, I woulda posed atop the flat-tired tractor.

 

Photo op too good to believe

 

23 Jun: We hiked a few feet on the John Muir Trail and to the Tolumne Grove of Redwoods in Yosemite was quite a joy. The only wildlife we saw was us and we were pretty wild. Ron hiked about two miles further than Cynthia. The giant sequoias are magnificent. Mountain climbers were scaling a wall close to us. The views of snow-covered mountains indescribable. The idiot drivers were also indescribable, but God loves them, too; he must, he made so many of them. We arrived in Bishop, CA in time to buy bread at Erick's Bakery. After dinner we met Pacific Coast Trail hikers in the hot tub. Fun day.

Another lady said it gave her the shivers to watch Ron's pose. (Needs work.)

Beautiful !!

 

We were above snow fields many times in Yosemite

Lookie the two climbers. There was another one just right of the picture.

 

 

 

At one point we were close to 10,000 feet.

22 June: IHOP has the right approach: live chickens and roosters on the lawn! Great views en route (with an interpretive walk) and we discovered a very funny sign by a home made camper in Truckee, CA. Our lunch at Bar of America in Truckee was terrific! Ron found a nicely landscaped neighborhood on the north side of Lake Tahoe seeming to invite us to walkity, so we did. Again, at a pullover viewing spot we walked down to the lake to take a video. Ron was certain the nude swim team was practicing and needed spotters. The view approaching Carson Valley was marvelous; they had a Walmart but they did not carry the right bread or Pretzel's although the stop gave us another opportunity to stretch our legs. We arrived at the big city of Lee Vining with rustic lake lodging for the night: http://www.bwlakeviewlodge.com/index.php. We hiked down to Mono Lake and around the visitors center not quite reaching our Fitbit goal. And a fun time was had by all of the survivors.

 

21 June: Morning has broken: The view from the room is beyond words. Breakfast at the Laurel Deli was a treat - fine food with a train engine in the dining room. The restaurant is in the train museum. Foodified early, we drove north to the end of the coastal highway twisting and turning with amazing views in both directions. We returned the same route to have lunch at Silver's on the Wharf before heading east on CA 20 to Yuba City, CA. The twists and turns were relentless until we entered a magnificent, lush verdant valley with wineries, walnut and fruit trees. Dinner at Sizzler's was a good experience. We haven't tried it before because we don't eat beef or fried food, but we discovered the salad bar is excellent.

Gull giving Cynthia the eye. Cynthia took video for granddaughter Fyn.

20 June: We are off to explore the wonder of our world driving north on the California coastal highway arriving Fort Bragg late afternoon. Napa Valley reminds us of Scotland. The ride on CA 1 was splendid - reminding us of the north coast of Ireland. We walked the beach after a marvelous Salmon dinner at Silvers on the Wharf.

Sunset on the West Coast.

19 Jun, Sunday: Oh what fun visiting 93-year-old Aunt Betty and cousin Margie! The fun continued watching the NBA playoffs. Both teams are so incredibly good they each deserved to win. Ron called Walter to congratulate him. The sunset was magnificent.

Aunt Betty and Margie

Granddaughter Kira sent a picture of her new birthday dress

18 June: Aunt Jo celebrates her 88th birthday in six weeks looking mighty fine. She and cousin Terry had lunch with us at the Pheasant Club in West Sacramento. Fireworks tonight. We are sleepy.

Aunt Jo, Cynthia, and Terry. It was a fun afternoon.

17 June: The temperature in Bishop, California at 8:00 AM was 46 degrees! The forecast of high temperatures was our reason for renting a car instead of taking the motorcycle, but, even Death Valley was only 81 degrees. Bishop, CA would be a great place to live for numerous reasons, including Erick's Bakery with its astounding array of no- fat marvelous breads; the Bishop area is noted for outdoor activities. The scenery driving through the Sierras was astonishing: Mammoth, Yosemite, snow-capped mountain grandeur! The roads were anything but less-traveled; left hand drivers were a pain in the but (But, God loves them, too!). I don't. Our arrival in Old Town Sacramento was without incident.

 

16 June: After an enjoyable sleep we were out of Las Vegas on I-15 North to US 95 North by 10:30 AM en route to Bishop, California, arriving by 4:00 PM, amidst an incredible kaleidoscope of color, compelling contrasts, and curves. Wind stirring sand and dust created a hazy backdrop at times, but the immediacy of Joshua Trees, sage, pastel and blackish volcanic mountains was magnificent. Jaw-dropping. The sign to Beatty, Nevada (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatty,_Nevada) proudly boasts it is the gateway to Death Valley (https://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm); it even has a Denny's Restaurant and a Subway. A sharp left turn onto NV 266 was a surprise out in the middle of Death Valley taking us for 60 miles of twisties like the motorcycle's "Tale of the Dragon," one tight hairpin curve after the next quickly climbing to 7000' elev. At an old mining pull-off the spectacular snow-capped Eastern Sierras burst into view. The desert became alive with desert blooms and Bristlecone Pines; but the best view was at Big Pine valley with the Sierras soaring on two sides and the Whites on the third side. Our lodging at Clearcreek Inn is quite pleasant; our balcony overlooks the creek. Jack's Restaurant has tasty, grilled Salmon. We walked a most pleasant city park replete with creeks, duckies and sports equipment. Ron enjoyed the hot tub. All moments are key moments: life itself is grace.

15 June: By 10:30 we were Gone With the Wind. The rest of the recycling is hidden in the car where Cynthia won't see it. We had fun trying to figure out how to open the car's fuel tank and discovered it just pushes in on the side. The views at Hoover Dam were spectacular but Ron's pacemaker prohibited taking the tour. Ron took over driving at Kingman, AZ finding our way to the hotel in Las Vegas thinking we had a couple of hours before dinner but it took that long to walk from the hotel garage to the room. It is a huge hotel. Dinner with Cynthia's sister Merrilee, niece Kelly and her husband Steve Plus grand niece Jayden was most enjoyable.

 

 

14 June: The weather is gorgeous with more of the same predicted tomorrow. Packing is almost finished. A box was shipped back to Texas, the fax sent to confirm our room for the October Sweet-Trenbeth wedding, the rental car picked up after getting an upgrade, the house is vacuumed and the piles of stuff are smaller as we load the car. Imagine: we even had time for a last hike! We had an enjoyable dinner tonight with Pastors David and Gwen at Judi's except our split Walleye entree was about 2 ounces apiece. Whoda thunk Walleye was such a little fishy. Granddaughter Lauren is having fun in Cozumel:

13 June: Whaaaat??? For some oddball reason the June blog has reproduced in triplicate. A busy day unfolded with unanticipated changes due to extreme heat in most directions. We rented a car to drive to Sacramento to see Cynthia's elderly aunts when we check out the 15th having found a safe place to leave the bike for a week. We haven't accomplished much here but work on the SCS orders for family group sheets.


12 June: The good news is we woke up. Today is pleasantly cool on the way to Sedona summer warm By noon. Worship at Christ Sedona was a joyful experience. Ron had an epiphany at church when Pastor David forgot a line and everyone laughed: "it helps us laugh at our own foibles." Eating breakfast is a good thing, too. We like eating, especially at Red's. Today's sudoku is a challenge and that's very good. We hiked to the Ridge Trail despite all of the people in the park. Life is good despite the hate that resonates and rocks our world.

11June: Ron researched a genealogy puzzle until two AM discovering the family group sheet for Martinson (with the circle above the a - sounds like o) was filed as Mortinson. Nothing more can be done on the order for Family Group Sheets because of packing tasks at hand. First things first, after breakfast we hiked two hours getting our Fitbit buzz, then Ron joyfully attended to a massage for Smooch.

10 June: A fun day, a fun lunch at Judi's with a fun genealogy cousin Cheryl H. who drove from Sun City West for an afternoon of genealogy gabbing. We headed home at three for hiking fun four miles followed by not so fun bag packing. Frustrating that the TX DMV insists the new bike has to be brought to the county of our residence or to get a temporary registration and licensing in AZ. The closest DMV is in Flagstaff which is conveniently close to our hotel next Wednesday. Tomorrow we get to sleep late. Shhh!

9 June: We will be in Sedona for Cynthia's cure: mani, pedi and hair, the Works! Lunch at Judi's was pleasant and delicious even though it was 3:00 PM. A long day was followed by a brief nap to settle a too much over-filled stomach. A hike was needed. And now we figure out how to pack up and ship our stuff back to Texas with a remnant remaining for six months of touring.

8 June: We managed a nice hike late morning through the woods and met a lovely, lively artist who was also born in Iowa. Ron is preparing the recycling for tomorrow's trip to Sedona in preparation for next Wednesday's departure to Flagstaff, then the Grand Canyon and onto the Colorado mountains to escape the heat.

7 June: Arising very early for usn's, we were able to hike in somewhat pleasant weather making it to the Ridge Trail and a Fitbit buzz by the time we returned at eleven AM. The decision to forego California was sadly passed along to Cynthia's aunts in Sacramento. The heat in Scottsdale, AZ reads in three digits for the next 15 days. Alaska might be cool? Ron's weight increased to 174 deeming it necessary to do a very hearty long hike late afternoon. A second great granddaughter is expected mid July to be named Elenore Elise bringing our total of grandgirls to 9 outnumbering grandguys by 5. Ron never imagined he would inherit such a large family.

6 June: After breakfast we commenced hiking by 9:22 AM; a fun conversation ensued with two sisters - one celebrating her 72nd birthday - and the other from Fargo, ND. A Frenchman, swimming in the creek, got out to visit with us. Walking back through the woods felt almost cool after the heat on the open ascent. We saw a hummingbird and a shiny coat (harmless) snake. A nap was necessary. Son Jon said the TX storage unit was completely dry despite flooding nearby. Our motorcycle registration papers arrived; Jon will get the permanent license plates at the DMV tomorrow.

5 June: Heat warnings prevail through the week. The forecast for the west coast has changed to a fiery furnace making it unlikely we will travel to Sacramento. Where to go to escape the heat? Worship at Christ Sedona was marvelous; thank God. We are thankful and fortunate to be together for 8 years (almost 24-7) without conflict other than making certain the other eats enough protein - conjuring up the possibility we will make it a few more days. We hiked tonight, but even at dusk it was very hot.

4 June: Hot - but we managed a decent morning and evening hike, surprised at how cool we were at 7:00 PM after a high of 105 at 6:00 PM. Cathedral Rock was quite a splendid sight in the sunset. So was the great blue heron on Oak Creek.

3 June: Returning early from breakfast gave us the incentive to hike before being beat by the heat. Ron wounded his left thumb on a sharp stick; it bled profusely because of blood thinners. We had a pleasant quick hike at 7:00 PM. Ron continued hiking on alone to Canyon Road to phone friends returning with the news Dick R. traded in his Corvette for a Lexus RX hybrid SUV. Cynthia misses hers but doesn't plan to buy a car to sit in a rental storage unit.

 

2 June: Heat warning through Sunday with temperatures to reach 108 degrees in Sedona and 115 in PHX. We scorched at 100 degrees today, but we were cool indoors with a delightful visit with Bankston cousin Colleen who shared her lineage of Bankstons Unknown to us. No food left in the refrigerator for munchies so we boogied into Sedona for dinner at the Olde Sedona Bar and Grill - Ron's buffalo burger sans bun was too dry. Ron hiked to Elbow Rock at 6:30 to dark thirty through the park and shade not feeling the heat. Cousin Colleen visiting the Smooches:

1 June: I been good, why am I rushed through 2016?? Slow down time?? Smoke from the fire in Salt River Canyon filled the air this morning. Too bad the deluge in Texas can't reach the canyon. We hiked to the Ridge Trail at ten AM getting our Fitbit fix, then we had a short hike tonight at 6:30. Tonight's sunset on the red rocks was not as spectacular as last evening. The house is clean because we are having a Bankston cousin visit tomorrow.

Posted with Blogsy

 

May Rocks, and Sedona's Red Rocks are awesome

31 May is hot: 80 degrees with a real feel of 96 - but we hiked to Canyon Road at noon-thirty anyways. We managed another short hike at dinner time to spray poison ivy with the "cheap, natural sure killer formula." Ha! Three weeks of spraying barely distresses the buggers. The return walk at sunset was spectacular. Cathedral Rock was burnt orange with hot pink clouds that faded too quickly for a photo. Haze from a fire in Salt Water Canyon has blocked views the past two mornings. No word from the IRS regarding the audit; It may have been postponed because of flooding in Houston. And here we are at the end of May but not the end of red rocks. See you next month.

Casket pall at niece Pam's funeral 31 May 2016

30 May, Memorial Day 2016: Thankful, we are, for the fallen who have kept us free. Sedona's 82 degree temperature, with a real feel of 95, means we aren't exactly running out to hike hot rocks. We did clean the house, Ron's clothes were washed for another month and we have returned to our never ending computer projects until late afternoon cool-down. Granddaughter Zoe was one of two freshmen from her high school to be inducted into the National Thespian Society Sat. PM; she plans to attend Texas Lutheran U to become a drama teacher.

 

29 May, Sedona is filled with visitors, the park is packed with photographers, parties and picnickers, hikers and swimmers, too. Worship at Christ Lutheran Sedona (Memorial Day liturgy) was meaningful with celebratory fireworks (bubble wrap). We hiked the Secret Sliprock Trail and promptly needed a nap. It is a beautiful day and a happy life. Ron received two more orders for Family Group Sheets. We have only two weeks remaining in Sedona and each set is taking two weeks.

 

28 May, Wishing everyone a safe Memorial Day weekend. The AZ thermostat is rising; although the day is pleasant now, the sun's intensity will be felt mid-day. Our first stop was Verde Valley ER to have Cynthia's stitches removed. Why do they need to update the chart every time we return? Ron phoned a genealogy cousin In Texas and learned Anders Bengtsson was an orphan at age 16 when he set sail for New Sweden on the ship, "Mercurius."

 

27 May, Another good day with warmer temperatures in Sedona. Ron is updating Vol. 3 of the Rambo Tree; Cynthia recovered the corrected 1785-1805 Wilkes County, Georgia Tax Records from Raquel. The owner of our storage company phoned to let us know there was flooding into one of our two units. The high water has wreaked havoc in the wider Houston area with tragic flooding near Brenham and CONROE. Thank the Lord the house was sold. How really incredible that the house sold at our asking price the minute the buyer walked in the door.

 

26 May, We are healing. Ron sweat with chills again last night but awoke this morning without an elevated temperature. The weather is fabulous: sunny skies with gentle breezes made for hiking weather. After shopping at Basha's we hiked almost to Elbow's Rock excited that the FitBits buzzed 3/4 from finish of the hike. We have explored and hiked many of the really good Sedona area trails in years past; now, the easy fix is the trail a half block from the cottage every day. Looking ahead at the calendar departure is three weeks away. Ron, captain of destinations, asking, "Will it be Sacramento? It may be too hot to cross the Mojave mid-June. The most likely scenario is through Santa Fe to CO and maybe UT returning to Santa Fe mid-July." Cynthia is officiating at a baptism July 15th. From there who knows?

 

25 May, Ron awakened through the night with chills; he is allergic to seeing a doctor. Our fitness regime is to feed a cold and feed a fever, sage advice from Dr. Bro Dean. We look like fifty year old recycled Halloween costumes.

 

24 May: Our Sneezles/congestion is very wearing; yet, we ate happily and went to work on our projects straightaway. Today's fitness regime was measured by making the ascent to Canyon Road without stopping. One of us was successful; the other one stopped to munch on almonds and jelly beans. One of us feels significantly better than the other one due to positive attitude. Ahhhh! Choo!!! When we climbed we met a college senior from NAZ hiking ever so slowly; when we came down mountain, we met a young woman from N. CA hugging a tree that reminded her of home. People watching is ever so fascinating. Photos by Ron from the Ridge Trail overlooking Cathedral Rock:

23 May: We hab bahd cohds! Ahhh! Choo! But, we hiked beyond our Fitbit buzz.

 

22 May, Sunday: We hope to wake up, God willing. I love my Smooch Smooch. And her response is, "Awwwweeeee!" We did awaken, but it was too late for early worship so we resumed sleeping. Once launched, we ate breakfast at Red's, rode to Oak Creek for Chevron fuel, puzzled that the engine light came on, tried to locate the bread bakery that made fat free bread (it moved), tried the Hike Shop to buy parts to the Camelbak bladder and different laces for Cynthia's hiking shoes with no success, shopped at Basha's for food and sorbet, tried Cannon Outfitters to no avail. We are home with colds but happily in love forever. Amen.

 

21 May: The weather is marvelous, cool and breezy with the sun shining brightly. Ron delayed our breakfast run by first initiating the disk utility "verify and repair" for a file system problem that has been slowing down the Mac. Fortunately the computer still works ... and is much faster now. We enjoyed a leisurely morning and a cool ride to breakfast. After a bit of housecleaning (sorely needed), we spent the day on computers, and Ron left at 5 pm to hike briskly to the airport and back, arriving home just before dark (as usual). At the suggestion of Bro Dean, Ron began building a cairn where Cynthia fell, naming it "Elbow Rock." The many recent rainfalls have greened the mountains with blooming prickly pear cactus and ocotillo and a whole schlotta of unidentified green things, many also blooming. The house is clean, laundry done, bandages are changed on the poor wounded girlie's arm, and she is gone to bed. My turn now that an "I love you" is placed where Cynthia can easily find it. Salt water gargle, pills, tooth brushing and bed. Goodnight.

 

20 May: The weather is a delightful 79 degrees with partly cloudy skies. We are deep at work in Bankston revisions, but we stopped long enough to get in today's hike, starting at four PM and returning home by 7:30, enjoying cool breezes at the last. We Love it when our FitBits buzz with only 3/4 of the hike completed. Ron decided to gargle salt water since his sore throat is getting worse. Photo is a surreal view of Sedona from the Ridge Trail the night Cynthia slipped and fell.

Cynthia took this lovely picture high above West Sedona whilst hiking on May 16th

19 May: Ever-bashful Ron met a delightful young couple from Kentucky as they rode towards the park on a newer R1200RT BMW than our traded-in 2009. We all hiked together up the Oak Creek Trail to some good views and repaired to the Old Sedona Bar and Grille for dinner. That young couple seemed inclined to relax and enjoy their day - great way to spend the second day of their summer adventure. Ron is busily updating the Bankston Volume inclusion in the Swedish Colonial Society's package of Vacher's 1947 Genealogy of the Bankston Family.

 

18 May: Our first stop was Verde Valley ER to follow up on Cynthia's poor wounded elbow and probable early bronchitis. We enjoyed the very delightful RN, 80% Norwegian from Fargo, ND, whose face lit up at the story of Ole and Sven discovering the Grand Canyon. Actually, her face lit up at every opportunity. After breakfast we boogied to Walgreens for RX and bandage supplies; Ron was caught in the act of searching for the perfect belated Hallmark Anniversary card for Smooch Smooch. (What a deal !! He showed her all the cards that were "almost good enough," and got lotsa points !!) Rain fell gently at the terminus of our ride home. Ron spent the day doing a project for the SCS and is dejected that some critical Bankston updates are not easily remembered. Cynthia napped and worked on DNA.

 

17 May: Happy Settende Mai, Constitution Day in Norway. See photo of Granddaughter Lauren waving her Norwegian flag. Raindrops fell as we returned from breakfast in Sedona. Cozy in our down jackets, we are sitting on the porch of Creekside Cottage enjoying an eerie stillness broken only by the cracks and bellows of lightning and thunder. A breeze has begun to stir the leaves. Winds up to 40 MPH are forecast for the afternoon's approaching storm. We didn't wait for the excitement, but instead we napped the afternoon away. At 6:15 PM we ventured forth to check the poison ivy and the creek. My goodness, the swollen creek was a muddy red with debris from upstream. The great blue heron was patiently watching for dinner. Up creek, the young poison ivy showed signs of distress but the bigger plants looked quite healthy. IRS audit material is complete for the end of May audit.

Lauren's Settende Mai selfie

16 May: This is written in the Sedona ER while waiting for the doctor to sew up Cynthia's elbow. We were so proud of our longest hike this year, but coming down the mountain, Cynthia slipped on pebbly rocks and landed on a flat rock with her elbow, tearing it open. Ron sacrificed napkins to make a compress, and Cynthia applied pressure to halt the bleeding. Ron steadied Cynthia by holding an elbow, and we were able to get down mountain to our cottage in another hour and a half where he dressed it again. We rode the motorcycle to the hospital. Nothing is broken; it is just a large, open wound in need of repair. The wait in ER was long, but the the doctor quickly irrigated the wound and inserted 7 stitches. The elbow is safely bandaged, and there is no pain. As misfortunes go, this one is wonderful.

 

15 May, Sunday: Pentecost Sunday at Christ Lutheran Church was a marvelous service; Ron wore red. The prickly pear and barrel cacti are blooming. Our grandniece Erika (Sistah Carol's granddaughter) is one of 40 high school drill team participants in the US selected to perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. First the pictured at her first prom a few days ago.

My sistah says that Erika uses a gun in her cartwheel

14 May, Sat: Life is good. We hiked to the canyon road and back through the woods appreciating the shade. Weekends, the park is bustling with people, young and old, some cavorting in the creek, some on horseback, photographers, artists and even a large scale baptismal ceremony was in progress. Upon our return we napped. Filled with new energy, Ron hiked almost to the airport. Cynthia is preparing a baptismal service for Moses, a 7 year old Pueblo Indian boy, who lives with his mom in a semi-cloistered ecumenical community near Taos.

 

13 May, Hiking was scheduled after breakfast: http://www.sedonahikingtrails.com/boynton-canyon-trail.htm. The temperature on Boynton Canyon Trail was 91 degrees; Ron is very fit from maintainance walking. Cynthia deemed herself miserably unfit to hike 2.5 hours mid-day, even this moderate trail we have hiked many times; Cynthia was too hot to do more than 2/3 of the trail. We should start hikes early morning but that's not usually an option for us. After a long nap and food, Ron hiked the Oak Creek Trail this evening; nope, the recipe for poison ivy killer isn't working. Ron put aloe on Cynthia's scalp because it got too much sun. May 13th is the birthdate of Cynthia's son Scott who died from Leukemia in 1998; it is always a difficult day.

 

12 May, Hooray, hooray for the 12th of May, it's Ron's birthday and our fifth wedding anniversary, our "birsary." Happy birthday to granddaughter Fyn Rose Forde and to niece Robin. At 7:15 we were picked up at Staples for what we thought was a day long helicopter tour; instead the shuttle drove us to the Grand Canyon to board the helicopter tour there followed by lunch at El Tovar. The shuttle tour continued around the canyon to the south rim, to the watchtower and on to the little canyon for sights of Elk, the pastels of the painted desert, and a stop at a Navajo Trading Post. We had dinner at Red's remembering dinners are very pricey at night riding home against the magnificent rainbow hues of an Arizona sunset. Ron enjoyed birthday phone calls from family and friends.

11 May, We arose early; after breakfast at Red's, we drove on I-17 to GO-AZ in PHX to have the new AeroFlow faring installed, in addition, the 600 mile service was done. GoAZ loaned us an R1200RT so we could spend the time with cousin Jewel in rehab. Her son, Jim was there, too, making for a most enjoyable time. We were so tired with another very early morning tomorrow we did not stop at Donna and Dan's lovely home. The views riding into Sedona on AZ 179 takes our breath away.

10 May: Sedona, AZ is a great place to be. After an early breakfast we enjoyed spectacular views riding twisties through Oak Creek Canyon on 89A to Flagstaff, then reversing the trip traveling south to Oak Creek Village marveling at the magnificent red rock formations before returning to eat at Whole Foods in Sedona to feed Cynthia. Ron ate a box of no fat/sugar ice pops and pretzels. We stopped at our cottage for sunblock and drove in wind to Wally World in Cottonwood. UPS delivered a gift for Cynthia from children/grandchildren that hadnt made it before Mother's Day. Roxanne sent Ron a recycled very funny card, very apropos. The forced march through the park to canyon road and north on the Ridge Trail commenced at 4:30 PM. The poison ivy isn't dead yet, but the leaves look a bit wilted with signs deer have been eating the salt on the leaves. Photo from the Ridge Trail today:

9 May, We went to Basha's to buy vinegar to make a cheap poison ivy killer; our bill was $93.00. Life is full, days are whizzing by, the SCS family group sheets are 99% ready - apart from making the indelible watermarks really indelible. A DNA "kinda" cousin wrote (from Ireland) she is traveling with a professional genealogist working on common Agers lineage; we should hang out a shingle, "Genealogists available to travel." The 2013 IRS audit saga: Walmart's online RX history is only available for 24 months; a phone call to the Walmart pharmacist, "We don't have it, but call corporate." Chat with corporate, "The pharmacist is incorrect, we don't have it because of privacy concerns." The IRS will receive a copy of chat instead of RX history. The forced housecleaning project was accomplished by hiding a few items.

8 May, Happy Mother's Day Y'all, especially Sistah Carol who is raising our precious little Carole Anne to be a chicken farmer. Ron delighted Cynthia with red roses; pink roses from children/grandchildren brought oohs. We saw many familiar faces at Christ Lutheran Sedona; the building has undergone a marvelous renovation for the growing congregation.

7 May, Very cool 46 degrees on this morning's ride into Sedona for breakfast. Red's restaurant baked Ron sweet potato French fries thanks to Claudia, our favorite waitress. Sedona is fascinating: the eclectic affluence is readily apparent with the abundance of exotic health food items. Sedona is touted to be the global center of spiritual energy - we could use more energy having hiked to Canyon Road and across the Ridge Trail. See Ron on Ridge Trail:

6 May: Cooler temperatures and some rain will prevail over the weekend. The ride to Wally World in Cottonwood was mighty windy. We hiked to an upper trail, pushing further every day.

5 May: Feliz Cinco de Mayo. Ron completed some of the documents for the Swedish Colonial Society. Cynthia (locked out of the SS website) impatiently endured thirty minutes being "on hold" waiting for a national social security representative to request copies of 1099s for the 2013 IRS audit. Thankfully, the rep agreed to send both of them to our PO Box. Our 2013 blog provided documentation for the IRS medical miles summary and gave Cynthia much laughter. She laughs at all of Ron's jokes believing him to be extremely witty. And brilliant.

4 May, National Star Wars Day: "May the Fourth be with you." We didn't need a jacket for the ride into Sedona for breakfast, the weather is warming up. Ron spent the day working with SCS documents, while Cynthia lost her patience trying to log into Social Security online because her data didn't get recognized so they suspended her from further attempts. Tonight's walk was short because it was late. How to celebrate our 5th anniversary and Ron's 69th birthday? It's a surprise.

3 May, Tuesday is bright with sunshine and warmer temperatures. Up we rose, rode and ate, returned and wrote. Adobe Acrobat has been a pain. Ron had to re-do many documents. Yo Heave Ho, another day of forced marches to the canyon road checking out the poison ivy. Ron plans to bomb said Ivy with a home-brew recipe of Dawn soap, vinegar and salt. Sedona had major flooding in January, hence the grasses are tall and green is everywhere but red rocks. The floods brought a picnic table down Oak Creek rescued by our neighbor to enhance the trail. Now we are weary.

2 May: Sedona, Arizona: We arose at 8:30 (after the most delicious sleep) to tune into Good Morning America. Cynthia was disappointed only the spokesperson for Stash Bags made the national TV segment with no mention of the purses. ABC Houston GMA did use the entire interview of Paul and Cheryl with purses represented. Here is a link to Stash Co.: http://www.stash-co.com. The cutie in the Tinker Apron is granddaughter Fyn Rose born on Ron's birthday. We fed our faces and bought groceries to do more of the same.

The new BMW K1600GTL motorcycle is pretty incredible, but it will take Ron a while to get used to it. It glides through corners & floats through sweepers, but the throttle response is so quick it makes me nervous about a twitch in a tight corner, and it is trivially easy to over-rev it for downshifts etc. Lots of power, quick response, great handling, no negatives. - except that reverse is a challenge. Backing it under the lean-to beside our Creekside Cottage wears me out; it is waaay too heavy. I'm used to a turn indicator button on each grip and an easy-to-hit cancel. This one is a little knob on right side only; push right for right, left for left, and push in to cancel - not nearly as foolproof & convenient, and it seems likely to break much more easily. The 600 mile break in is going by very quickly - 240 already today. I'm not to red-line it during break in, so I haven't tried full-out acceleration, but what little I've done is impressive, especially in second & third gears. First gear seems too low for acceleration, but it may just pull from idle; I've been experimenting with that. I'll need to read the manual to find out recommended procedures for starting, gearing and shifting, not to mention all the electronic options. So far I've been ignoring all that and just trying to get comfortable with the bike. It seems amazingly light and nimble - at least until I try to engage reverse. I'm still tentative in corners, somewhat unsure of trajectory and traction, especially since I wandered solo onto double yellow paint in a 90-degree corner immediately after a rain and the rear tire slid a foot or so. No spill, but certainly a quick little thrill. (Yes, I DO know better, but remember that I mentioned trajectory earlier.)

Right now I'm looking at cottonwood fluff dancing in bright sunshine after a few minutes shower. The red rocks are awesome; we went for our first stroll uphill and realized our lack of physical conditioning. Huff and puff and the legs don't want to cooperate. No more showers in the forecast, so it is time to ride into town to feed Cynthia. Photos from our hike and the spectacular view on the ride home:

1 May, Sunday: We enjoyed breakfast on Pinnacle Peak Road with cousin Kay and hubby Tom. After that we checked out of the hotel and rode 100 miles to Sedona, arriving at Red's Restaurant by 2:30 PM. First impression riding north was that recent rain certainly has turned the desert green. That soon faded, and as we rode north on Interstate 17, it was amusing to see the omnipresent acres of Saguaro cacti quickly diminish and eventually disappear as we gained elevation to over 4,000 feet. The day started out overcast and cloud cover quickly thickened until the sun disappeared, too. The comfortably cool ride quickly became quite chilly. Some kamikaze hard-shelled bug suicided against Ron's hard head, no apparent damage to said head. The scenery changed once again on the outskirts of Cottonwood after we started north on 89A and traversed the last 17 miles into Sedona. The sun is now appearing. It's good to be "home" in Sedona. It was indeed fun to recognize our favorite waitress, Claudia, at Reds. After our early dinner we walked across the street to discover that Zainey's is no longer, replaced by "Sweeterie," still offering fat-free frozen yogurt and sorbet, but out of sugar-free flavors. Good thing Cynthia was unable to fill her stomach with cold stuff because she became chilled during the walk, and the 4-mile ride to the Creekside Cottage did not improve her temperature. Imagine !! We arrived at this beautiful location and went straight to bed to warm up. We did get up and about in time to catch sunset colors in the clouds

 

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