Saturday, March 22, 2014

WELL SPINDLE McVINDLE WE HAVE US A KINDLE:))

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Noticed while hanging out my laundry this morning we had us a nice cooling breeze coming in from the West.  Also noticed my energy levels were up.  Excellent combination for doing a little work outside I had been putting off.  Move our umbrella clothesline.  Of course that idea didn’t materialize until after I had hung up all my wet laundry on it.  No matter, out came the shovel.  Start a hole around the base of the steel pole buried in the ground, add water, & wait about 15 minutes.  Repeat this process half a dozen times but not before I clued into the fact I had better take my wash off the clothesline first.  Oh I am such a smart fellow sometimes.  Moved my wet laundry to another clothesline tied between 2 trees.  I had anticipated the steel pole had probably been originally set in concrete.  Sometimes it is just so nice to be wrong about something & this morning I was wrong about the concrete base.  Having dug down about a foot I was able to wiggle & pull the laundry pole loose.  Bonus, it had just been stuck in the ground.  So confident was I that I would actually get this laundry umbrella clothesline out of the ground that I had already pre-dug a new hole for it over close to our backyard fence.  Carried the laundry Umbrellamagator over to the new hole, stood it up, kicked dirt in around it, tamped it down with the end of my shovel handle, added some water to harden the sandy clay dirt, & used my level to get it leastways standing up reasonably straight.  Amazingly enough everything went as smooth as a loose load of teetering bricks & I had the job successfully completed inside an hour.  How nice it is for people like me when things work right the first time……:))

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POURED WATER AROUND POST THEN DUG IT OUT MOVING CLOTHESLINE BACK TOWARDS OUR FENCELINE

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In Canada we do not have postal service on Saturdays but here in the States they do.  Kelly returned from the Post Office this morning with a small cardboard box.  Our new KINDLE PAPERWHITE had arrived.  She wasn’t long unpacking it & plugging the little device into our Acer laptop to charge it up.  Let the reading begin:)) 

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NOT EVEN OUT OF THE BOX YET

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YES, IT IS AN ORANGE CASE WE HAVE FOR IT

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Spent some time pouring over my Arizona, New Mexico, & Colorado, Benchmark Atlas’s today.  Also Mapquest on the computer.  Still figuring on a run up through Monument Valley but am now leaning towards an easterly route through Northern New Mexico rather than Southern Colorado.  Might just take the same route out across the Plains we took coming down in the Fall last year.  I’m starting to monitor long range forecasts & we’ll see how the weather begins shaping up for places like Flagstaff & Tuba City Arizona, Farmington & Taos New Mexico, Raton Colorado, Dodge City & Salina Kansas.  Maybe Lincoln Nebraska & Davenport Iowa.  If the weather goes into the dumpster up in Northeastern Arizona or out on the Plains in a couple weeks we’ll have to consider a more Southerly route.  It’s a wait & see game now…………

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I thought Paul from R SANITY RV ADVENTURES in a blog comment did a good job in summing up my Friday paragraph about ‘Blog Mode.  Paul said, “Even though I don't blog every day, I do enjoy writing posts. I find blogging makes what I do during my days and travels more enjoyable, it gives me a new perspective on life and helps me keep my eyes sharp for interesting things to share with my readers”…..Well said Paul:))

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My photos of Alamo Lake’s slot canyon a few days ago pale in comparison to what Sue over at THE MOHO AND OTHER TRAVELING TALES has just seen.  She & Mo were fortunate enough to visit the Slot Canyon of all Slot Canyons.  Near Page Arizona lies a gem hidden away on ancient Navajo lands.  ANTELOPE CANYON is visited by people from all over the world.  Sue not only has great photos of the swirling Canyon but her narrative gives one a feeling of the Canyon as well.  Be sure to drop over & see Sue’s ‘ADVICE FROM A CANYON’.

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AND HERE COMES ‘SPEEDBALL McPUG ROUNDING TURN FOUR & COMING DOWN THE HOME STRETCH

Antelope Canyon is definitely on our ‘must see-must do’ list for next winter.  Page Arizona & Antelope Canyon is an easy day’s drive for us at 328 miles.  It will make for a nice week long side trip out of our home base here in Congress Az.  We did pass through Page in the late Fall of 07 on our way to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim but we didn’t take the time to stop & see Antelope Canyon.  I have read where the biggest problem at Antelope is the crowds of people & many tour groups going through.  Things sound rushed.  No doubt I will have to steel myself against the throngs of people.  Thinking about that this morning I came to a conclusion of why I become so irritable with so many people crowding around historic & scenic sights.  And it has to do with my photography interests.  Thought occurred to me if I were to leave my camera gear at home when I visit these especially scenic places I would probably enjoy the experience of where I was much more.  Photography & maybe Arts oriented people will understand when I say, it is so maddening trying to capture & compose the beauty & feel of a place when one has hordes of people milling about obstructing views.  It is that plus all the noise which is so frustrating for someone like myself.  Figure I could maybe wear ear plugs to muffle or eliminate the noise of so many people going on at once.  People carrying on in foreign languages is like fingernails on a chalkboard for me & extremely annoying.   I don’t know why that is….it just is.  I understand their need, want, & desire to be there just like myself but it doesn’t lessen my annoyance.  If I didn’t have my camera along I’m sure my irritability would be much lessened.  I would just walk around with my ear plugs in enjoying what I could see without getting myself all bent out of shape trying to photograph things.  But then again I would be kicking myself all the while there that I hadn’t brought my camera.  It is the way with me…..there are always 2 sides to everything & I am always in a constant flux between the two.  Anyway, I’ll deal with all that next winter when we get to Antelope Canyon…..or other great spots along the highways & bi-ways of this big beautiful land so many of us are so very fortunate enough to travel in:))

CAN YOU SEE A MAN’S PROFILE IN THIS PHOTO >>>

DSC_9067GROANER’S CORNER:((   Last summer, my husband, took me camping for the first time. At every opportunity, he passed along outdoor-survival lore. One day we got lost hiking in the deep woods. He tried the usual tactics to determine direction -- moss on the trees (there was none), direction of the sun (it was an overcast day), etc., etc.
Just as I was beginning to panic, he spotted a small cabin off in the distance. He pulled out his binoculars, studied the cabin, turned and led us right back to our camp. "That was terrific," I said. "How did you do it?" "Simple," he replied. "In this part of the country all the TV satellite dishes point south."

20 comments:

  1. Paul would like a Kindle Paperwhite. I am very interested in reading how Kelly likes it.

    I love photos of flowering cacti! Gorgeous.

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  2. Hope she enjoy's her Kindle, we are not ready for one yet, still enjoy the paperbacks too much.

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  3. Congrats on the Paper White,nothing compares as far as being like a real book to read indoors or out.

    I hope your local library allows book check outs. That is how Kathy reads so many books. We found some new ones we want to read at a box store today BJ's. Now we know the title and author and will request it from the Anchorage library, if they do not have it, they will buy it.
    Check your library and get signed up for online check outs. We love ours.

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  4. I see the mans profile! Crowds are hard to deal with sometimes,we avoid weekends and go early.

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  5. Congrats on the new Paperwhite Kindle. You are going to enjoy it. I have the basic Kindle and plan to upgrade to the Paperwhite when I wear this one out, except it's just too danged reliable! ;c)

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  6. re profile:

    Are you calling my Grandma a man? ;-)

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  7. You're going to love the kindle. I regularly get my books from the library, but amazon also has free books. I also like that the paperwhite is small enough to tuck in my purse when I go to the doctor's office or any other situation where I have to wait, plus you have lots of books at your disposal wherever you are in one small package.

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  8. Congratulations on the Kindle! We too are like you Al, in not liking crowds in those beautiful places we all want to see. Yellowstone in the summer comes to mind--chaos!!

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  9. I have a Kindle and never use it..I don't like it when reading out in the sunshine and I have trouble hanging onto it and keeping the screen clean...Give me my real books. We are watching the weather in the Midwest as well..leaving here Wed. AM, but it's only 2 nights on the road and we're there...not like you and Kelly...

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  10. I can so relate to your writing about the camera. If I don't have it I am miserable and if I do have it, I am consumed with using it rather than just relaxing and enjoying where I am! Of course I do enjoy the excitement of downloading the pictures. Posting some on the blog is a scrapbook for us. I love going back and revisiting all the beauty we have seen and reliving our adventures thru the posts.

    I do have an older Kindle. Now i have an app on my iPad so when I order a book, it goes to both places (no extra charge). My kindle didn't have a back light so I prefer to read from the iPad.

    I love hanging out the laundry! Especially sheets and
    towels!

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  11. Al, I agree with you 100%. We went to Mesa Verde one time and it was crowded. We did NOT do the tour...we left. The Grand Canyon now gives me headaches. Even Joshua Tree can be crowded. And, I do NOT like people in my photos! EVER! I'm as bad (or worse) than you!!!
    Cheryl Ann

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  12. I both loved and hated Antelope Canyon. It's amazing, but so are the crowds.

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  13. thanks for the compliments, Al, I appreciate it a lot! Here is a suggestion, one I thought of after visiting the canyons. Don't do it just once. visit the first time for you soul, no camera, and then go back again for you camera eyes. Earplugs might be a problem because the guides have a lot of good information and you need to be able to hear them. If you choose to photograph just one, I would definitely recommend Lower Canyon. The photo tour there for a tripod is only 46 US and it isn't quite as rushed or crowded. Yes, for sure, don't miss it. I am surprised at so many folks, who like myself, passed through and didn't take the time.

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  14. I so enjoy your writing and photos of your and Kelly's travels and home(s), plus those of your fur babies - love the Pheebs! However, Mr. Clean [ahemmm] -- photos of your laundry out on the line are supreme. Not because it's your laundry [I am not a weirdo, promise...lol]; it's the image of clothes flapping in a breeze that conjures up nostalgic feelings in me. Just wanted to say 'thanks' for taking the time to share your days/fun with us! Save travels when you return to your northern home.

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  15. Pheebs looks like she is in full-force today! Glad she is OK. So scary when our fur babies have something wrong. I have the Kindle app on my Nexus 7 tablet and my husband has one of the earlier Kindles and we love them. I especially like the whisper sync where it knows where I left off no matter what machine I am using phone, tablet, Kindle, or PC.

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  16. Love the flowering cacti but the photo of Pheebs rounding the clubhouse turn with all four feet off the ground is the absolute winner for me today!

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  17. Some of these days i will get a Paperwhite. I have learned that I can download and read books on my smart phone and have been doing that. The increased size of the Kindle just might be better.

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  18. If you don't want to do Antelope Canyon in a group of noisy people, you can spend more money and go as a professional photographer. This will probably be a conflict for you, but choose your preference and pay your money. Also, lower Antelope Canyon is significantly less expensive that the upper canyon, and we liked our results from the lower one.

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  19. Hey "grumpy guy who writes this blog".....it is time for a photo of your new face/look!

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  20. So agree with you about the camera dilemma and the irritation of all the crowds of CONSTANTLY talking people. Maybe I could like them better if they would just SHUT UP and experience the wonder with their mouths closed. Call me Ms. Grumpy or maybe just Ms. Cranky.

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