Phoenix to Seattle to Denver

Denver, Colorado

39.73 North 104.99 West / Elevation 5276

December 22, 2012

     I don’t normally include dates on my blogs but today is a very special day; it is the first day of the new age of Aquarius, the first day after the Winter Solstice, the first day of the new Mayan calendar and the first day I have felt like writing since Thanksgiving.
     I have had many odd small adventures since last I wrote my previous sad blog, most have included re-evaluating who I am and what I want to do, opposed to that which others would like to see me do.
     As last wrote I was at my Brothers place and I spent the next week and a half with my Brother and his wife eating lots of food and drinking too much alcohol, gaining weight and feeling terrible depressed with my current situation, causing me to really want to evaluate what I was to do after my mini vacation in the middle of my Journey.
    I promised my Mom I would be back in Seattle in time for her birthday on 12/12/12 when she would be turning 79.  I also have plans with a friend in Everett to get together in Denver for a New Year’s Eve party so I booked a three way ticket and left Phoenix on December
5^th, going from seventy degree sunny weather to forty degrees misty rain that fell for a total of 8 out of the 11 days I was in town.
     I was picked up by my ‘Tallest’ friend who drove me to my Sister’s place in Everett where my Mom lives and where I would stay the entire time I was there.  I was thankful for the comfortable twin bed and the privacy of a bedroom yet I awoke daily with a neck ache due to the different pillows I kept trying, but I was unsuccessful in finding a comfortable one.
      My Mom has emphysema and sits in front of a large screen television breathing with the help of an oxygen machine, reading the closed captioning due to her bad hearing.  She is not doing as well as when I left in August, matter of fact, a lot worse.
     My Sister at one point cornered me in her kitchen, whispering over Mom’s loud Nebulizer machine that Mom uses four times a day, that she wants me to come back to Everett and find a place for Mom and I to move in together and to get Mom out of her house.  
     I made no commitment but understood my Sisters desire to free herself up from Mom and her constant medical problems as I sympathized with her. 
     In my heart I knew that it is not going to really happen, Mom and I moving in together.  Over the years, experience has demonstrated that my Mom and I are incapable of maintaining a livable situation together.  Not that I do not love my Mom dearly, for I really do, but we are two very different people and we both have come to an understanding of allowing each of us to love one another without trying to change each other.  I am loud, she is quiet, I am opinionated, she is quiet, I am quick to frustrate, and she is quiet.
      I approached her with the proposal and she said she would think about it, giving me time to step back from the situation I felt I was being pressured by, by ‘having’ to return to the Northwest. 
      For pressure I did begin to feel, at first, as I talked about when I did return and all things I might be able to do for a job and a place to stay.  Friends were glad I was coming back and wanted to make plans for when I did return but, the more I thought about it the more I felt depressed about returning to the cold and rain, the jacked up rental prices and the unreasonable requirements to qualify for the most menial of jobs.
      I put the problem on the back burner and continued to enjoy myself during the short time I was back in the beautiful Northwest including when I went out on a friends sailboat to check the crab pot he had put down the previous day, pulling up the catch of two fine male crabs that fit the requirements for Washington State, taking them back to his place where we proceeded to enjoy the Dungeness delight.
       I ended up going out with another friend to Whidbey Island where we accomplished a few of his personal errands that he never found time to do during his work week while he is delivering organic bread to the various stores along the Island. As we drove around Whidbey we explored places I had never been before and indulged in an eggnog chai tea while we caught up on each other’s lives.
       On Mom’s birthday my half Brother (Mom’s second Son) his Daughter, (Mom’s granddaughter) and her Son (Mom’s great-grandson), came up from Kent and the five of us went to Anthony’s Restaurant in Everett where Mom had her standard favorite meal; ling cod fish and chips and black berry cobbler for desert.  Afterwards we went back to my Sisters house where Mom and my Niece, whose birthday was also 12/12/12 and turning 24 this year, opened up their birthday gifts. 
      After my Brother and his family left I took Mom to the Tulalip Casino where she loves to play the slot machines.  She received her birthday points she acquires on her club card but did not do well at the machines at all, so we left early, stopping off at Baskin and Robbins for Mom’s birthday cone. (You have to go on line to get the coupon)
      I had an interesting dining experience with another friend of mine as we ventured into the odd world of ‘The Grouchy Chef’ in Mukilteo, a 'must do' experience if you love food.  The plethora of flavors that bounced around my taste buds made the unique atmosphere and strict rules of the establishment even more of joy, creating one of the most memorable dinners of my life.  I highly recommend looking it up on the internet before you go, so you know the rules and restrictions, but do treat yourself.
      I was able to see a couple more friends while I was in town, spending minimal time with each of them as the time flew by trying to accomplish visits with chores that needed to be done. 
      I had to move my things from my friends garage to a storage unit and ended up using the help of my ‘Tallest’ friend as we spent the day driving many long miles to the rental truck place, the garage of my friends, and then to the storage unit where I placed my worldly possessions in a 5X5 unit seventy-five miles from my nearest relatives, before driving back to Seattle to drop my friend off, thankful for the help he gave once again.
      I spent long hours with my Mom and tried to work out her meals and her needs, all before I was to leave, with not a lot getting accomplished as she still needed time to think about the offer to live together.  We parted with tears in our eyes and hugs as I left my Sisters house and rode with my friend to Seattle where I was to spend my last night in town.
      My ‘Tallest’ friend cooked a wonderful meal before we headed out to the theater and saw “The Hobbit; An Unexpected Journey” in 3D.  The movie ended at 0200 (my plane for Denver was to leave at 0730) so we actually caught an hour nap before heading off to the airport where I had various incidents that made me smile for the added time I had included, causing me no stress as I was shuffled through the air transportation service.
      My most amused times were when ‘we’ (my fellow waiting travelers who were paying attention) were entertained by a juggling Elvis on a unicycle, Frosty the Snowman, and the Ice Queen who wandering around the place, or my favorite; the talking water fountain (artist Jim Green) that perplexed the masses within earshot of the gurgling apparatus. 
      My plane ride was uneventful as I landed in a dry, fifty degree Denver where another good friend picked me up and drove me to his place where he lives with his girlfriend and their new six month old puppy, Roxy and where I was trained into Roxy’s routine and training words that she was to obey while they were away in New York State for the holidays.
     The next day it snowed two to three inches and covered the entire city and surrounding areas with a white blanket of cold dry powder while my friend, who had just put studs on the tires of his VW Westphalia, drove me around the neighborhood showing me where to take Roxy on her walks and where to get groceries while I was alone in the city.
     The following day, at three in the morning, we all arose and drove to the airport where my friends left me alone with Roxy and the freezing cold weather of Denver.
      It is here that I have to say I am not a dog lover, although I do like animals, I do not appreciate all that goes into tolerating and loving the gentle beast that became my unwilling companion for seven days.  I do not understand their constant need for attention, food, shedding, and to shit heavily while I dig out more plastic bags to scoop the smelly stuff.     They sleep less than two hours at a time, do not appreciate the fact you must bundle up into every piece of warm clothing you have, just to take them for a walk in twenty degree weather, or that you are not their sole entertainment. 
      Needless to say, I would not own a dog if given a choice, as I truly must be a bird woman, preferring the feather molting and obnoxious squawking over any of these dog things.
       I spent the last day of the 13^th Bak’tun getting myself ready for the huge end of the Millennium Masquerade Ball that was being held in Boulder, a mere thirty miles from where I was staying. 
       Remembering to pack the dog food as well as warm clothes for myself, Roxy and I took off and drove the distance through various townships and small cities on our way North.  I had three stops along the way and each one of them was accomplished and completed by the time I found the venue for the concert.      
       To my surprise it was being held in a building that was part church and part community center hall along a major road under construction.  After finding a parking space and taking Roxy for long walk before I went inside, I was again surprised to see the venue looking more like a wedding chapel in decorations, with a twist theme of New Age Consciences.
       Along one wall was a display table lit with color changing lights underneath various skulls, ranging from crystal to alabaster, soap stone to plastic, each a different shape and size.  Along another wall was a statue of a fairy seated in a meditative pose while LED candles burned throughout the place.
      The wooden dance floor with old Victorian couches and chairs lined up along most of the walls as well as a huge table sized drum near the skulls added to the surreal feel the venue held. 
       I didn’t stay as long as the forty-four dollar ticket was worth as I lost interest when they spent three hours in prayer and drumming until a dinner break that led to a DJ playing Indy-New Age music.  I felt bored and disinterested so I wandered over to the skulls and put my hand on the only crystal one there, picking up on the tremendous vibration that emitted from the top of the skull, before deciding to leave the place.
       To Roxy’s excitement she bounced around on the end of her leash for our little walk, glad I didn’t spend the next six hours going in and out of my Millennium Ball.  Deep down, so was I.  The show seemed more like a high school prom night than a New Millennium celebration. 
       On the way back to my friends’ house I drove by a movie theater that had 24 separate theaters screens, so feeling the need to see a particular show, I pulled over, fed Roxy dinner and went into the theater where I watched “Life of Pi”.  Having heard the audio book I was ready to be thoroughly entertained by the visual concept over my imaginary envisions I had indulged into while listening to the story.  
        Two hours later I walked out of the theater with salted, butter filled popcorn lips and a feeling of being disappointed at the screen version of the book I so admired and recommended to my friends to read. Typical for most books to movie productions.  
        I drove back to my friends’ place and played on the internet until after midnight when it became official that the world did not end on 12/21/21 as so many, including myself, pictured it could have.
        I said my prayers to the Great Elders and became grateful that ‘We’ as the Human populace were able to continue on living on without an apocalyptic ending to us (yet?) and that I was able to spend time writing and filling up pages and pages of good times and happy thoughts.
       I still have a busy end of the year to accomplish as Christmas brings to Denver one of my most beloved friends, while two days later, the return of my other two friends who miss and love Roxy.
      There is still music shows to catch and beer to be drank by the time New Years’ Eve rolls around and before I fly back to Phoenix to pick up my van and my little bird, Herbette along with the decision as to where I will go next while Traveling Thru The Tonda Zone!
          ~Peace~

PS: I still have no camera so I cannot post pictures...sorry~

 

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day: Arizona City, Arizona

        I woke up at three in the morning wondering what I was doing other than lying in bed awake.  I wondered what I am going to do when my money runs out and I am forced to go back into the workforce and which occupation I would be choosing to continue on through my retirement. 
       I pictured myself going back to my old job of being a courier and instantly I could picture putting my gun in my mouth and pulling the trigger; bad idea, both of them.
       I have not written a single word since my initial arrival in Arizona City, not one.  I began to wonder why, as I reminded myself that one of the main reasons I was on this Journey was to write until my fingers bled, only to find I do not have the solitude I need to accomplish this simple task of putting my fingers to the keyboard. 
       Reflecting back on the last six weeks I have flashes of an invisible hand holding me back from the road ahead as I stumble around in the desert dust trying to find the time and space to be myself.  I questioned whether it has been forty days and nights…and find the answer to be yes.  Why forty days and nights?  If Jesus could wander that long in the desert, than maybe I too could survive the temptations that have been placed before me and move past all of this indecisiveness that plagues my mind.
       They say time flies when you are having fun and I don’t really know if that applies to my life and lifestyle right now…I mean the having fun part, but the time is flying by and I find that very soon I will be getting on a plane and returning to Seattle to visit with friends and family and to absorb massive amounts of rain for my parched body.
       I spent the first couple of weeks waiting for my Brother to arrive; my time wasted as I lounged in front of the huge 46 inch television and pigged out on the mass amounts of groceries I purchased, gaining all the weight I had so proudly lost before my arrival. 
      When my Brother arrived it became a whirlwind of activities that included me driving back to Sedona for the lecture and the meet and greet with David Wilcock.  The event did not go as well as I had hoped and the disappointment at what developed stopped me from recording it onto paper and sharing it with those who actually read my blog.
        His lecture was interesting and yes, I did learn a thing or two but, the meet and greet was a huge let down as he used up the time talking and not really meeting with us until he was pushed to ‘hurry’ the greetings.
        Sixty people, including myself, were allowed one single minute in which to spend with him, cramming five thousand words into a jumbled mess as I handed him a picture of my ‘alien’ while quickly summarizing the situation behind the photo. It seemed to me that he was interesting in it and yet he quickly discarded the photo onto a table with the other gifts people had brought.  I had hoped that I would hear from him via an email as all of that information was clearly written on the back of the photo, yet as of this moment, have not had a single word about it.
        When I arrived back in Arizona City the next few weeks took on a lethargic lifestyle based around eating lots of food, drinking too much alcohol and learning how to deal with family members I have never really known.
       Raised as an only child, I do not know my other eight half siblings, and time spent with most of them has always been minimal throughout the years.  Spending long periods of time around each other proved difficult for my Brother and me as we realized that we have different opinions and beliefs on many aspects in life, causing friction where I had wanted only bonding and friendship to bloom.
       I paid my Brother three hundred dollars to cover my ‘living’ with him and then tried to fit into the lifestyle of the snowbirds that swarmed the desert city during the month of November, failing miserably at it when I realized that the main source of entertainment was alcohol, food, and football.
      It was during a particularly bad week of bickering with my Brother, when a door of opportunity arose for me in the form of someone needing help and I could fill that position.  An 84 year old lady from New Mexico moved into her son’s house a few blocks away from my Brother’s place and she needed someone to drive her around and help her out with doctor appointments and occasional shopping.
      Within the first week she ‘insisted’ I stay with her and to keep her company as she didn’t want to be alone in an unknown place, so to ease the tension in my Brothers house, I accommodated her request and moved myself, my Herbette, and all of my junk, to her place.
      The next week was filled with eye doctor appointments and cataract surgery, prescriptions getting filled and shopping at Wal-Mart every other day.  She has hearing problems and I found myself having to yell most of the time just to have her hear what I was saying, when I was given an edge in on her conversation, for this woman could talk making me seem mute.           
       Telling me her entire life story and then adding in her angered opinion of politics, unions, and religion, I had ears full of her loud voice yelling at me as she talked of many negative aspects of the life she had led.  She rudely cut me off mid-sentence when I would try to talk, making our conversations more like her ‘soap box’ than any real communication.
       Within two weeks of being around her she became comfortable enough with me to show her true personality of bigotry upon the lower classes of people, which obviously had included me.  Her words went half listened to in my brain until she started to demonstrate them physically when she began treating me as a servant, demanding that I preform duties for her that I did not want to do, a laugh coming from her as she felt I ‘had’ to do as she bade me to.
       It came to a head two days ago when she treated me as a sub-servant and disregarded me as human, becoming overbearing in her demands of my volunteered time spent with her.  I decided I did not need someone disrespecting me in such a way and moved out early in the morning before she awoke.
      I returned later in the day and had a simple but firm talk with her, telling her that although I found her to be an interesting woman with a history of achievements to fill a whole book; I could not tolerate someone who is disrespectful of me and of others.  (She used the “N” word over and over again, even in front of African-Americans)

      In the meantime, my two half Sisters arrived in Arizona City and the five of us (my Brother, Sisters, and Sister-in-law) spent three days touring the various attractions of southern Arizona, wearing me out after long days and nights of eating, drinking and sightseeing.  I enjoyed my time spent with the family members I did not grow up with, each one unique and for the most part, happy people. Yet, they are still strangers to me, even after all of these years.
        We journeyed to the township of Eloy to watch parachute jumpers coming out of planes and landing within feet of us, followed up by a trip to the Rooster Cogburn’s Ostrich Ranch where we rode on a monster truck learning about the desert and the various animals of the area, including petting a dead refrigerated rattlesnake and fishing for ostriches.  We fed goats, deer, donkeys, ostriches, and lorikeets after our truck ride, the day one of laughter at the time shared together.

         The following day we ventured to Old Tucson where we saw two gun fights, rode a carousel, had a train ride, and ventured down into the old mines with Terrible Tom as our guide who insisted we ‘follow the light’.  The day was capped off with T-bone steaks, bacon wrapped shrimp from Thailand, and too much wine as we tried bonding as a family.
      

     Hung over but still on schedule, the five of drove to Tombstone where we ventured through the ‘Boot Hill Graveyard’ and down Main Street taking in the western town established in 1877.  After our Bloody Mary’s and a filling lunch we drove to the Kartchner Cavern State Park where we took an hour and a half tour down into the huge Caverns that were discovered in 1974 but not open to the public until the early 1990’s, keeping the beautiful place preserved from the hardships of human tourists.
       We stopped on the long drive home having Mexican food and two pitchers of margaritas, everyone concerned as to what my plans were once I returned from my Seattle trip home. 
       I was surprised yet touched, by this concern by these family members who really know very little about me, my life, or my beliefs so I tried to ease their worries by telling them words they wanted to hear, giving them peace of mind as to what would happen to me.
      Knowing that the following morning the four of them would be departing for San Antonio Texas to spend Thanksgiving with their half-brother they grew up with, my one Sister hugged me tightly whispering in my ear that I needed to get out of my Brothers place soon, as I was overstaying my welcome and causing him great stress.  I assured her that as soon as I returned from Seattle, I would be continuing on my Journey and leaving Arizona City.
      Today is the 40^th day since my arrival at Arizona City and it is Thanksgiving Day.  I am alone today after many cancelled plans for this holiday, causing me to celebrate with chicken, boxed stuffing, and canned gravy.  My van is broke down needing a starter and my camera is broken so I cannot post pictures I took (pictures are from the web) and while I feel like I should be thankful for so many things, I find I cannot smile nor cry over where I am and what I am doing, as it is all part of my Journey.
       Have I learned any lessons that are life changing? Not really.
       Have I figured out what I want to do when I grow up? Not really.
       Have I discovered where the ‘old’ Indian is who called me to Arizona in the first place? No, not really.
        I am still wandering in this vast desert…Traveling Thru The Tonda Zone!

~Peace~

I am thankful for: My friends, My Family, My Health, My Smile, My Perseverance, My Herbette and Matilda, The Great Elders of the Planet and My Guide; Enoch. 

         

         

 

 

 

 

 

Arizona City, Arizona

Arizona City AZ
32.77°N 111.67°W (Elev. 1499 ft.)

       When last I wrote I was heading out for Desert View campground which was twenty-five miles East of Mather campgrounds which is where I drove towards early on my third morning of being at Grand Canyon National Park. 

        I arrived at the campground around 0900 and found the perfect shaded site and went up to pay for the next two nights, only to find a machine as my pay agent.  I followed the instructions on the machine with the voice prompting me along until I wished to pay $25 for a $24 stay (I did not have any ones so I put in a five dollar bill) and the machine went on tilt.  Shoved my fiver back at me in the most rejected way and repeated doing so, over and over again, (as I continued to insist it take my damn money) “That amount is unacceptable.  Please pay the correct amount.”  After my third attempt the machine informed me I had run out of time leaving me staring at this huge box that refused my five dollars but kept my original $20.
        Not overly dismayed at some modern technology, I jumped on my bike and rode the half mile back UP the hill to the gas station to get some help.  What I really needed by the time I arrived there was oxygen, and lots of it, as going uphill at 7000 feet really zapped the hell out of my lungs and gave me one hell of a cardio workout. 
       The attendant gave me change for my five dollar bill as he called the Ranger who met me DOWN at the campground and to my embarrassment I had been trying to not only feed the machine extra money in which it does not give change but, I had been trying to occupy someone else’s campsite. 
       The Ranger was very nice as he helped me find an appropriate site that was vacant and left me there while shaking his head at my multiply mishaps.  I laughed at myself as I began setting up my campsite in Unit 47 and settling down into the cheapest campsite I had yet to find in Arizona at only $12 a night. The site was full of Jaspers that filled the camp with shade for most of the day, which is always a goal when I pick a site but, this time I was woefully wrong on needing all that shade as I would find out over the next two days of camping there, as the winds howled twenty-four hours a day with gust up to 25 miles per hour. 
       In the meantime, I would never let a little wind get me down so I headed off on my bike and rode over to the Watchtower lookout and repeated my steps up the tall tower built in 1933 and took pictures of the same artifacts I had taken pictures of in January when my family and I were hanging out, trying this time to get them in focus and clear, whereas last time a lot of them were out of focus or just had the shaky hand syndrome.
        I spent the next day and a half being blown around the campsite that even Herbette complained enough that at one point I had to put her inside of the van to keep her from being blown off of her perch.  By the time it came for me to add more money to the talking machine by the restrooms or to decide to move on to somewhere else, I chose to head out because the wind had finally gotten me down, making everything about Desert View seem like a battle, instead of a vacation.

       I made sure I showed the Grand Canyon to Herbette, who was less than impressed with the huge hole in the ground with the magnificent colors, so I took her picture and we drove southeast towards Flagstaff.
       Once I was in Flag (as the locals call it) I fueled up and began heading south on Interstate 17 with a goal of going to a fancy RV place complete with pool and all the amenities in a little town called Camp Verde approximately sixty miles away. 
       As I drove south I watched the temperature rise in the cab of the van even though I had both windows down, the heat overwhelming me the further I went.  I was pleased to see the exit finally appear and pulled off the interstate turning right as the sign indicated the direction of the RV Park. 
        The park sat directly off of the freeway and had trees less than five feet in height, the spaces in the park filled with the huge diesel motorhomes that each had their own air conditioning units atop of their semi-truck sized rigs with their expanding awnings, given them cool air and shade.  I on the other hand have no awning nor air conditioning causing me to turn right back around and followed the signs for Montezuma’s Castle National Park that was on the opposite side of the freeway on the very same exit.
       To my amazement I found a parking space at the monument that was partially shaded.  I put Herbette into the back of the van which was already at 95 degrees and quickly walked up to the information center only to find out that it was a $5 entrance fee and you stared out of a window onto the ancient Native American ruins and that there was a line to get inside. 
       I turned right back around, going to my van, putting Herbette in the front seat and away we drove, the heat causing me great concern for my little bird.  I snapped a couple of pictures from the parking lot and pulled out of the canyon area, glad for the hot breeze that circulated as I accelerated up the road towards the main interstate.
       I continued south on I-17 for another two exits before heading west again on highway 89 taking me into a city called Cottonwood which is the hub of all the major shopping stores for the Sedona valley area.  Every major named store is there from hardware to groceries, from phones to plumbing, this place is packed with store after restaurant, after store and through all of it I remembered I had looked up a few of the RV parks that advertised monthly rates.
      I found three out of the five parks and was quickly educated as to why they had such cheap monthly rates; they were ‘dives’ in the RV world.  There was an abundant amount of shady trees in all of the parks as well as people.  There was not one of those places I felt I could trust that my things would not only be stolen but, that I myself could be in danger there as well.
       Unsure of what I really wanted to do I drove north on 89A and found myself in the heart of Sedona twenty-five miles away, the vortex sucking me back there once more.  I added up the miles I had spent getting from Flag to Cottonwood and back again to Sedona and realized that the Interstate was a much longer route around the valley than was the side highway of 89A that took me up Oak Creek Canyon and back to Flagstaff, which is what I did.
        I arrived back at Flagstaff five hours later and over a hundred and thirty miles later, where I finally checking into a chain hotel on the east side of town.  Another mindless move that did not go as well as I had hoped.
        I used a coupon from a local magazine and got the room for fairly cheap, happy that although they don’t take pets, they did accept Herbette.  I went into the room with anticipation of escaping the heat only to find that the air conditioning unit was not even on and the room was about fifteen degrees hotter than outside.  I turned the wall gauge onto high fan and the coolest temps I could find and stared at the grate along the ceiling praying for a blast of cold air.  There was none.
        I called the front desk and they sent the maintenance man into the room where he reached up putting his hand next to the vent and said that it was running just fine as a trickle of air came out.  He mentioned it was a water cooled system and the water was turned onto fifty degrees but that he could turn it down to forty.  After he left the room took another two and half hours to cool down.
        Once the room felt cool enough I was not fanning myself and grumbling loudly I decided I could handle a shower and proceeded to unload my shower supplies into the tub area and to take my shower.  When stepping in I noted there were no skid guards on the floor of the tub and reminded myself to be careful, only to slip once the shampoo was in my hair, causing me to strain my right leg and hip as I corrected my slipping foot, trying not to fall while realizing I did not have a hand rail to catch me even if I were to fall.
        Carefully finishing my shower I knew right away I had hurt myself when I slipping as my right leg and hip were burning and aching as I exited the tub.  I carefully dried and dressed myself before going out to the front desk where I asked for an accident form to fill out after explaining what had just occurred.
        The Clerk offered to call me an ambulance and I explained I was not injured that badly but that I was sore and hurt and wanted the incident recorded.  He handed me a blank piece of paper and I proceeded to fill it out with what had occurred before handing it back to the Clerk and asking for a copy of the paper, which he photocopied and handed me the copied version.  The maintenance man was standing at the counter as I made my complaint so he told me he had a box of skid guards for the tubs and he would bring some down and apply them to the tub.  I said the tub was still wet and maybe he could do it in the morning upon which he agreed would be better as he was getting off of work right then and the tub needed to be dry to apply them.  The hotel clerk apologized again and I hobbled off to the local restaurant where I had a burger and onion rings.
         The evening air outside was dropping quickly as I returned to my room so I turned the air conditioning off and settled in for an evening of television.  Around 10PM I decided the room was now too cool as the outside temps were dropping down into the forties so I turned on the ‘heat’ part of the control panel and waited for the warm air to flow.
       After a half an hour of cool air coming through the unit I called the front desk and was told by a woman that only air conditioning was available through the hotels’ system but, they issued heaters for those who were cold and that one would be brought to my room right away.  Within moments a knock came at the door as the desk clerk delivered a space heater to me.  Surprised by this, I plugged the unit in and tested the it in case I knocked it over, which it did turn off once the base was completely off of the floor.  Thankful for the warmth I used it while I was awake and turned it off during the night as it was noisy and I knew it would wake me every time it would turn on. 
         The following day (I paid for two nights) I decided to swim while I did my laundry so I put on my suit, grabbed my dirty clothes and headed down to the laundry room where I put in my two dollars’ worth of quarters and proceeded to go out to the swimming pool.  To my surprise the pool was drained half way down and the gate had a padlock on it.
         I walked to the front desk and asked if the pool was being cleaned and was told that as of that morning the pool was now closed.  I questioned why they would close the pool on a seventy five degree day, on a Saturday, and was again apologized to and given an eleven dollar and fifteen cent refund on my hotel room for the night.  Shaking my head I just walked away thinking how sorry I was I had checked into this hotel as the pool was one of my main reasons for even pulling into their parking lot. 
         Discouraged I went back down the long hallway to the laundry room to switch over my clothes only to find they were gone from the machine and now the machine was running with someone else’s clothes in it.  Dropping my head in disbelief and shaking it back and forth a young hotel employee came up and asked if he could help me so I told him someone took my laundry.
        Just then another employee came walking up carrying a large black garbage bag and handed it to me explaining that one of the washers was out of order so he (an employee) had taken my clothes out and bagged them for me so the other guest could use the washer.       
        I took the bag and verified it was my clothes before putting them into the dryer, paid the dollar in quarters and stepped back out into the hall wondering what more could possibly go wrong.
        I wandered down the hallway and found the Jacuzzi room with a large sized tub that looked inviting after all of the weirdness going on.  I adjusted the gauges on the wall so the jets were working and boy did they work; the whole pool became alive with the force of the water jets to the point the entire decking around the tub instantly became soaked as the water shot up and out of the pool.  Laughing I crawled into the bubbling tub only to find the force of the jets overwhelmingly rough and not therapeutic at all.  Relief came when the timer ran out on the jets and the water became calm and soothing.
        A gentleman came into the Jacuzzi room and questioned whether the jets worked and I laughed as I said only seeing would make him believe so, he turned on the jets and I moved to a ‘safe zone’ and laughed as he got into the Jacuzzi and found out for himself how ‘non-relaxing’ the jets really were.
       When the timer ran out on the jet system again, the gentleman did not go and start it up again, instead we talked about general things like the drought and apples.  He was from Indiana and he began telling me about the prices of apples he purchases along his ‘trips’ and that the drought ridden states are charging up to $21 a bushel whereas in other parts of the state he found them as low as $13 a bushel. 
       I was smiling when I asked him what he does with all of these ‘bushels’ of apples upon which he told me his Aunt was the apple cooker in the family and that she bakes and cooks all types of apples he brings from all over the country when he travels.  He also mentioned he himself kept a ‘peck or two’ for his own personal eating as he loved the taste of apples.
       After my soak and conversation with the pleasant gentleman I went and checked on my laundry only to find that although it was still in the machine, they were still too wet to take out and so I had to feed the machine another dollar, cleaned the lint screen and walked back to my room to get my van keys so I could go out and get some dry clothes to put on instead of my wet bathing suit.
       The next time I went to the laundry room my clothes were 95% dry (my jeans and two cotton shirts were still damp) and I was pleased I would not have to spend another dollar on the laundry service as four dollars seemed expensive for a single load of laundry. 
       Just goes to show you pay laundry machines must be a good business to be in because if you were to put three or four dollars towards your laundry at home, each time you did a load (take away a dollar for water and electricity), imagine the vacation you could take within a single year…good money I am telling you.
        During that day as I came and went I kept checking the tub to see if the maintenance man had been in yet or not.  When we had talked the evening before I had mentioned Herbette and how I was concerned he didn’t scare her coming and going and he told me his partner raised birds and that he was very comfortable around them. The rest of the night went undisturbed by incidents or people.
         The following morning I thought I might stay another day as the weather outside was still blowing (three days later) and I had not made a decision as to where I would head out to next.  I thought about taking another shower before I left, changed my mind because the maintenance man never did show up to put down the skid guards, so instead I began packing up my things as I still was undecided as to what to do.  I disconnected the heater from the only available plug near the bed, as I needed to plug the light back in so I could see better, when suddenly I was shocked by the lamp cord when I plugged it in.
        This upset me greatly as I got dressed and went to the front desk and reported the ‘shocking’ experience and the fact the tub was still not done.  The woman apologized profoundly for the electrical cord and said the reason the tub had not been done was due to my ‘do not disturb’ sign that hung on the handle of the door.  I shook my head as I had put the sign out once while I had been taking a nap so I obviously had missed my opportunity.  The clerk said she would send the maintenance man over immediately and have both issues taken care of. 
        I never did see the maintenance man during the rest of my stay which became a third night when the hotel offered it to me free of charge for all of my inconveniences.  I stayed mainly in my room on the third day hiding out and trying to figure out my next step along my journey. 
        I was on the internet and looking at my FB page when my sister-in-law wrote on a message; “you can stay at our place in Arizona City…it’s just sitting there.” I stared at the message and then thought about the message and then wondered if it was sent by ‘the flow’ as I had not considered hanging at my brothers’ home down south until next month when I am supposed to hook up with the whole clan of siblings and share Thanksgiving. 
        I called my brother and we talked; “yeah sure, the place is empty and it would be good to come down there and not have to do all this stuff.” He gave me a list of things I would need to know and what to do to get the place up and running for day to day living as the house is completely shut down during the six months they are in Alaska.  Writing as much as I could while he talked, setting it up for me to go to his place and three phone calls later, it was set up and a done deal; I was driving to Arizona City in the morning and staying at Casa Thibodeau.
         The following morning I cautiously took a shower as the tub was still ‘skid guard’ free with no hand rails, somehow or another I did slip again, although only slightly and of course it made my leg and hip hurt all over again.  Cursing at myself for being careless and at the hotel for not having safe standards, I carefully exited the ‘slip tub’ area and proceeded to pack up my things.  
         I was not shocked by the light cord as I had disconnected the clock when I needed the heater again, and when the room was finished being cleared of all of my things I sadly shook my head at the many mishaps I really had had in the room, wondering if I had been too long on the road with camping to be able to safely live indoors again.  With a chuckle I closed the door on the room and left the hotel without even mentioning slipping once again.
         I grabbed a quick breakfast and determined I had gas enough to aim towards Phoenix,  I drove onto I-17 southbound again, retracing my steps from four days earlier determined that this time I would not get stuck in the vortex of Sedona.
         I had a half a mind to stop and try to find an old RV park I lived in as a child, the first one we ever stayed at when we arrived in 1971 and the temperature on the flashing bank sign across the highway read it was 118 degrees.  My stepfather parked the trailer in our space at the RV Park and drove off in the truck only to return an hour later with a swamp cooler, which he put on the trailer before dusk that evening, cooling the trailer down enough to finally fall asleep in.
         As I continued south on the highway the road dropped in elevation from 7000 feet down to 2000 feet when I finally saw the exit I believed my childhoood place was on.  I needed gas and pulled into the station to put forty dollars into Matilda when the attendant began a conversation with me about Washington State and how he had a bunch of family up there and that he grew up on Mercer Island.  By the time I had pumped the gas, purchased two cold drinks and got back in the cab of the van the temp inside was 110 degrees. 
          I stared at Herbette who was sucking down water and shook my head deciding that now was not the time to be driving around looking for old haunts in a place that had overgrown with the memories I had, as I looked around at the shopping centers and streets filled with urban city life, not the desert flats that were yet undeveloped forty-one years ago.
          I pulled back onto the interstate and drove the additional seventy-five miles past Phoenix and Casa Grande to arrive at Arizona City, half way between Tucson and Phoenix, finding the stucco home of my brothers amid all the other homes in the development.
        Pulling up into his shaded driveway I turned Matilda off and stared at Herbette before finally opening my door and stepping out and looking around.  I had fallen in love with my brother’s place when I came down from Seattle in January to celebrate my 50^th birthday and enjoyed calling it Casa Thibodeau when I made my slideshow movie of my journey, but to be standing outside of it without him or my sister (in-law and my heart) the place seemed empty.
        I was struggling with my new phone trying to reach a friend of my brothers who was to come over and let me inside so instead I called my brother who talked me through a few of the major reconnections of the house, water and the security system until I was finally able to reach their friend who came over and let me in and past the security alarm. When she left, the place just echoed of emptiness.
       I spent the next couple of hours getting the place uncovered from its plastic capes and vacuumed, plugged in that which was unplugged, and swept up the huge amount of dead crickets in the garage and on the walkways. 
      I proceeded to spend the next couple of days putting out the patio furniture that had been stored inside of the garage (with the exception of a large glass table) and I have sprayed down weed killer on the unwanted plant life creeping along the manicured landscaping, hoping that when my family does finally get here, the only thing left for them to get set up and running for the season is; the hot tub.
      You have no idea how hard it is to not be able to use that hot tub as hot tubs are right up there with hot springs and Jacuzzi’s as a favorite, but after all the open hospitality my brother is showing me, I will have patience until they get here in eleven days (and counting) before indulging in a private soak.
        Well, I am caught up and ready to post again…I hope all is well with those who do read these ramblings.
        Until we meet again ‘Traveling Thru The Tonda Zone!’

          ~Peace~

PS: Found this inside of the house...how sad :(

 

         

         

 

 

I stubbed my toe and was courted by an Elk

N:36.04798 W:112.11990  Elevation: 7000

   I am sitting at the Mather Campground at the Grand Canyon National Park, surrounded by wild elk with this one male who is constantly calling on the other females and marking his territory (rubbing his antlers on the trees).  He has a seven points on his rack and he is huge.   I shot some video of him and he is very handsome.

          Speaking of attractive, I saw the most unattractive moment when a raven was carrying a dead chipmunk in its beak, looking for a place to hide it from his other raven buddies.   I thought raven were like the crow and only ate dead things they found, not hunted.  Now I do not know for sure that the raven hunted it but the limp body of the chipmunk let me know it was a fresh kill.

          I saw all of this after a wonderful mid-morning of taking the free bus system through the park that took me to places I had never been before on the Canyon Rim.  I saw viewpoints that cover the western and northern edge of the Canyon, whereas during my January trip to Grand Canyon, we mostly followed the mid to south rims.

          I decided to come to the Grand Canyon after I had a dream a few days ago, one that told me ‘he’ was lost at the Grand Canyon.  Then after I decided I needed to be on the ‘Blue’ line bus, I was going to meet ‘him’, whoever he was, but that was a dead end dream as I did get on the ‘Blue’ bus and although there was one man my age equipped with camera and hiking clothes who sat across from me, nothing happened the whole trip except the fact I took some awesome pictures and had a nice time being away from camp.
         See, I was in a conundrum as to what to do with Herbette.  The temps are around 75 today but to leave her locked in my van where I would need to protect my computer and my gun, she would have been dying of the heat.  To leave her on the picnic table would mean she would have been in bright sun for about two hours, again not an ideal situation for my little girl.  As it turns out I used a scrub oak Juniper and hung her from the lowest branch and locked her doors with clamps so others critters could not get in, nor could she get out.  Feeling she was cool enough in the shade of the scrub Juniper  brush and the ongoing breeze, I left on the free bus outside of the campground and did about a three hour tour of the west side of the Grand Canyon Rim.
        Returning back to the campground I proceeded to chow down on a turkey breast sandwich and left over soup from last night’s dinner and a wonderful beer that a friend from Ewok Village gave me made by his friend Ruth McGowan’s at her Brewpub in Cloverdale, CA.   Although, more of an IPA that I like, for a warm afternoon at the Grand Canyon, it was a wonderful tasting addition to the turkey sandwich and soup. 
       I have done a lot of walking today and bike riding…both of which took away my breath for short periods of time as this 7000 foot elevation takes its toll on these old lungs.  Although, when the breeze blows and the air is crisp, on this warm October day, it truly does feel good to have this scenario as my current living space.
       There are a few things I have noticed being here at the Canyon that set it aside from most places I have been camping at.  Other than the wild elk that have been close enough to pet, most of the people at the Canyon are RV or Van renters.  There are a couple of large van company’s through California that rent out the van with the logo “everything, including the sink”, while other people are renting from the major RV rental companies.  I have seen maybe two civilian cars other than my own while seeing many more rentals than personal owned RV’s or camper homes as well.  I am surrounded by the ‘corporate campers’ of America. 
         Next I have notice that not many ‘Americans’ are coming to the Canyon, as most of my conversations are with people from European or Asian cultures, filling not only the bus with an International spectrum, but the general conversations within the campground also.       
         Across from my space are a German couple with her sister, next door to me are a French couple who have been entertaining to me as the gentleman last night, strung a synching strap between two trees and proceeded to perform an acrobatic show of balance and precision that would rival any circus performer out there.  Behind my camp is an Asian group that laughs a lot, despite the fact I have no idea what it is they laugh about, and many people who ride by on their bikes talking in languages I have not a clue as to what they are saying or where they are from.

          How did I end up in the Grand Canyon from Sedona a few days ago?  I did a complete ‘Tondazone’ moment when I believed I was going to see David Wilcock and have a meet and greet with the man.  Joke on me, the event is one month away, at the end of October, where I will need to repeat the same steps I took this past weekend; pay extra to stay in town, pay for a pet sitter, and then spend the twelve hours in the lecture hoping to show David the alien picture I have.  What picture, you may be asking, as I have never brought this up in this blog before.  Well, back in October of 2011 a friend came over to my home in Maple Leaf and took an odd exposure of my home.  The exposure is one that his new expensive camera does by taking three shots within a short time frame, combines all three light phases together to give an all-true color spectrum depicted at the time of the shot.  All was great until I saw that reflected back through the window of the picture, is an Alien woman with a small child looking over her shoulder, both caught in a three-dimensional time frame of a parallel moment, showing them in great detail, including a floral shirt, pointed ears, and green pigmentation of the skin.  I am pretty sure David Wilcock will be interested in the photo as it confirms his belief in the parallel world and three dimensional time configurations, I think he will want a copy of the picture and hopefully in kind, will introduce me to like-minded souls who will share ideas and concepts with me. 

        This is to be a year of collective conscience levels rising to an all-time peak that should begin the changing of the planets overall negative to a more positive and hopeful outlook that has not been seen on this planet since before around 2500 B.C. 
       It would be awesome for the planet to remember its past so it could rectify and build a better future for the Humans who live upon Mother Earth.  Just the internet alone has pushed millions into the realization that we are a united world with general needs to be met and that there are many still today who lack the essentials of food and clean water, and that as a ‘whole’ we do have the opportunity to change this situation and start caring for the planet as ‘one’. Instead of individual needs, the need of ‘All’ will be seen, heard, understood, and remedied so that the future generations will be able to concentrate their collective energy on educating the masses with a more ‘Macro’ point of view. 
        In the meantime, the world of tourist seems to be gathering here at the Rim of the Grand Canyon and I feel the desire to become as one with all who walk this planet, not only in one of the most prestigious parks in the world, but in everyday life, in everyday places.

        I will be heading out of this campground and heading to the Desert View campground on the southern Rim of the Canyon and have a night or two there before I start heading further southeast towards San Carlos.  After all, the southeast sections of the state are still heating up to the 90’s while I am so comfortable in the mid-seventies that I have a hard time picturing me leaving such a beautiful place as this.
      I had an incident after writing this and need to add all the excitement for anyone paying a bit of attention to this blog. 
       On the way up to the Canyon I had stopped at the store along the way and somehow, even with my sandals that only allow four out five toes to show, I managed to slam my little toe on my left foot and tore the whole toenail off of it.  Now, I thought it would be fun to take a picture of the bandaged toe when suddenly through the trees came the male Elk stomping through my camp stopping long enough to ‘bellow’ at me with his mating call.  Having camera in hand I snapped pictures until he continued to come towards me while I was still sitting in my chair so I lowered my eyes and looked away, he turned at the table and continued on past me, going away into the trees. He gave me quite the scare as I thought he was going to attack me as I sat there snapping pictures of him.  That is the closest to an animal that big since the Moose incident when I was eleven and if it was the last, it would make me feel better.
         Well, off to get ready for sunset and for the cool evening it will be. 

          Until I write again, hope you have enjoyed ‘Traveling Thru The Tonda Zone!”…

          ~Peace~