2019 Plans Beginning to Take Shape

I have been back here at my home in west central Florida for almost a month now.  The weather -- until yesterday -- has been Chamber of Commerce type stuff with highs in the mid 80s and lows overnight in the mid 60s.  But a plunge in the Canadian cold has reached even here with highs yesterday only in the mid 50s and lows overnight in the upper 30s.  Ya, I know .. I'm a wuss.  But I moved here to FL for a reason!!

But not to worry as the forecast has temps back in the mid 80s this weekend -- woo-hoo!

It has (almost) been boring with little to do each day other than ... whatever I want.  Then add that I live where everyone else comes to vacation .. especially during the holidays .. and it is an effort to resist the urge to go out and party every night.  The beach is free but the water temp is in the 60s and working on my suntan has become a no-no since my dermatologist visits have become more regular.

So I've had a lot of time to research where I want to travel in 2019.  I have also been checking into a Class A motorcoach as I consider upgrading my housing situation.  My search for places to go and things to do led me to an opportunity in Eastern Europe, of all places!  Obviously this would NOT be a situation where I have my RV or motorcycle.

Actually, this adventure is going to be a five week, backpack adventure beginning in mid-March.  I've booked a direct, overnight flight from Tampa to London Heathrow for less than $200!  I will have about 4 hours to take a bus from Heathrow to another airport (Luton) 35 miles away.  From there I catch a plane into Warsaw putting me on the ground about 6 PM local.  I have a 1-Bdrm apartment thru Air B&B reserved for the next 3 nights.

I will be picked up about 7 am Sunday morning and driven some 50 miles north to a resort hotel where I will spend the next five days -- room and board provided.  I will be one of about 15 other native English speaking people interacting 1-on-1 with locals wanting to fine-tune their English speaking skills.  Learning 'text-book' English is one thing. Learning 'conversational' English (for work or school) is quite different.  My job is to participate in various skits and role-playing for 5 days and nights speaking ONLY English.

I will be taken back to Warsaw on Friday afternoon where I will head for Brno, Czechia some 600 miles away.  Transportation is on me, as is my housing, on Friday and Saturday.  Then Sunday the process repeats at a different resort.  After that 5-day event I will head about 350 miles further south to Istanbul, Turkey.  Transportation and housing is at my expense again for Friday and Saturday.

After completing my third assignment near Istanbul, I will have almost 2 weeks on my own to get back to London for my $230 return flight to Tampa.  I still have a lot of details to work out but the general outline is in place.  This adventure is way outside my box .. but .. what the heck.  You only live once, right?

November .. and back to Florida

This has been one of the most amazing years in my life -- my first year of 'retirement.'  And (as usual, apparently) I have been irregular in my posts to this blog.  Some things just don't change, despite my every intention.  But enough of the self-deprecation and let's play 'catch-up.'

I left Florida in late February and headed West.  My first destination was near Benson, AZ -- about 60 miles southeast of Tucson -- along the rim of the Texas Canyon in the Sonoran Desert.  I worked 3-days/week in a gift shop along I-10 selling Native American jewelry and crafts. Details of that 3+ month stay are highlighted below -- see March 11, 2018.

The perfect work schedule allowed me to do some extensive sight-seeing.  The Chiricahua National Monument, the Coronado Trail, The Grand Canyon North (my favorite) and South Rims, Mount Lemmon, and Route 66 are just a few of the amazing places I went. 

From Arizona I went north to the Black Hills of South Dakota.  I ended up finding perhaps the most-fun job I have ever had. I drove the tour bus from the Welcome Center at the Crazy Horse Memorial to the base of the monument and back -- about a 30-minute round-trip.  Besides being incredibly fun interacting with 30-40 people on each of my rides, I learned a lot about our American history during the late 1800s as the European-Americans moved west.

I have been to the Black Hills multiple times in the past 24 years.  It has always been one of my most favorite places to ride my motorcycle.  Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Iron Mountain Road, Needles Highway, Spearfish Canyon, the Badlands, and Devils Tower are but a few of the sights to see.  I was there for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally this year.  I must be getting old because the gathering of 4 or 5 HUNDRED THOUSAND motorcycles in one place for a week was a pain-in-the-butt this time for me.  Riding the roads of South Dakota was WAY more fun after they left town.

On Sep 23rd, after a 2 1/2 month stay in the Black Hills, I was off to the Red River Valley of North Dakota -- about 100 miles north of Fargo -- for the Sugar Beet Harvest.  I had never even heard of a sugar beet until reading about this workkamper opportunity.  Of course I knew what a red beet was .. but a SUGAR beet?  I soon learned that it is a 'root crop' (think of a potato or carrot) grown for it's high sucrose content and used mostly in commercial applications as a sweetener.

The harvest lasts 12-15 days and is very dependent on the current weather conditions.  This years harvest produced about 200 MILLION TONS of beets -- thousands of truck loads!  The farmer owned processing plant is unable to handle that volume at one time so they put them into piles when they come out of the field.  These piles can be 20-30' HIGH, the width of a football field and a couple of football fields in length!

There were eight such piles in the yard I was working.  They had several other locations up and down the valley with just one or two piles.  Some of the piles are set for 'long-term' storage.  Large fans blow cold air into the bottom of the pile thru 24" perforated culverts allowing the pile to freeze without rotting (composting).  It will take until April or May to process this years harvest. 

The work itself is not very difficult but the conditions can be difficult.  This year was very wet and there were several mornings the temps were in the 20s.  And there is a degree of risk working around some very large equipment .. not all the workers have construction or farming experience and their sense of awareness was questionable at times.  But the Co-Op is very focused on safety and seemed to do as much as they could to make the situation the best possible.  They've been at this for 27+ years so they have a pretty good idea of what needs doing.  And the pay is quite excellent, other than the weather-delayed days you're on-call for but not paid.

My motorcycle never came off the trailer in ND.  The 12-hour shifts left little time for fun and games.  Not too mention the weather was not very friendly.  When I finally got my release after almost a month, I was quite anxious to get back south!

And now I'm back on the west coast of Central Florida .. where it's been in the mid 80s all week.  I will spend the next couple of months here.  I'm not sure where I am going to spend the winter -- but probably someplace here in FL.  I am also looking to make some changes in my travel method. 

Presently, I pull a fifth wheel RV with my motorcycle on a small utility trailer behind that.  This "double-pull" setup is not legal in all 50 states.  So I'm shopping for a small (28-32') Class A motor coach that I can put a trailer behind with my toys.  I think I will be back at Crazy Horse this summer sometime.  Probably the Sugar Beet harvest also.  The rest of 2019 is still under construction.

Photo Album Update

Somehow, the link I had to my photo album quit working (some time ago actually) but I think I have a fix (sort of).  I use to have a link that you just clicked on to open a new window and my photos (left corner of this page).  The best I've been able to do is post the link but you will have to either 'right-click' and then 'go to' that page or 'cut and paste' the link into a new window.  But it's worth the effort, I think.

I have my 'good' camera with me this trip so the picture quality is nice.  I have two folders on the home page.  Bowlins TT contains photos from around The Thing - where I'm working.  There is a major remodel going on that will double the existing showroom floor space and then add a new 11,000 sqft building for the museum -- a tribute to aliens and dinosaurs ... and The Thing.

The other folder -- Arizona 3.2018 -- has multiple folders inside with pictures from each of my side-trips.  While each pix is NOT captioned, I typically include pictures of signs at the location that describe what's there.

The folder labeled 'animals' is a collection of photo's of the wildlife (mostly birds so far) that I have 'baited' into camera range.  Yes, I feed the birds.  Then using my bird book, I research what I'm looking at.  One of the more unusual visitors has been a covey (10-12) of quail.

I will continue working on the link and perhaps figure out a way to make it work like it use to.

I spent a small amount of time in Tucson back in 1974 when I flew into Davis Monthan Air Force Base a couple of times.  One of my memories was going to nearby Mount Lemmon early one day to sight see.  It must have been in the spring because I remember there being snow on the ground at the summit, although it wasn't particularly cold.  Then later that same day we sat around the pool back at the motel in town for Happy Hour -- in our swimming suits!  The temperature range from the mountain to the valley was dramatic.

Today I am about 65 miles south and a bit east of Tucson, sitting on the rim of Texas Canyon at about 4900 feet elevation.  The temps here have gone from the mid-30s in the morning to mid-70s by afternoon ... and then back to the 30s again!  I moved from southern Illinois because I do not like the cold.  (My definition of cold is anything below 45 or 50)

And then there is the wind.  OMG!  Yesterday was one of the worst -- 30 MPH steady winds with gusts to 45!  Today it's 18 MPH and gusting to 25; but it's still early yet.  They don't get much rain here either.  In the 6 weeks I've been here about all I've seen was Virga -- rain that falls from the cloud but doesn't reach the ground because the air is so dry .. it just dissipates.  A typical day has 10-12% humidity.

And let's not forget the dust.  It's EVERYWHERE; including my nose.  Cleaning my camper is a full-time job.  I quit opening the windows.  I run my heater early in the mornings and then my AC from late morning until sunset.  About 20 miles east of me, they have shut down the interstate twice lately because of dust storms creating zero-visibility situations.

I've decided (at least this part of) Arizona is not for me.  But I talk to people everyday that wouldn't live anywhere else.  And that's GREAT!  I did spend two days further north in Phoenix and that seemed more to my liking.  But AZ just get's much colder than I thought, at times.

If you can get past the temperature extremes and the blowing dust, this is beautiful country.  I have enjoyed the rock formations (Chiricahua Monument #1) and the different mining operations (silver, copper and gemstones).  There is also a lot of history here both new (westward expansion of the settlers in the mid to late 1800s) and old (this area was underwater some 35 million years ago which has led to these incredible rock formations ).  I have a lot of pix in the photo album.

I am hopeful the weather starts warming up in the next few weeks, particularly in the mornings.  There is a lot more of AZ (and NM, CO and NV) that I want to see before going back to FL in early June.  I should probably be careful what I wish for.  I understand the summers can be quite brutal also with afternoon temps in the 110s or more.  And I don't care to hear about how it's a 'dry' heat.  Hot is hot!

Three Days ON and Four Days Off -- Perfect!

The job may not be what I was expecting but the schedule is exactly what I wanted, so what the heck.  Other than the part of dealing with other people's body fluids, I very much enjoy where I am here at The Thing -- a roadside attraction along I-10 in SE Arizona (you will have to do your own research to figure THAT one out).  I am on Day 3 of four days off -- after working 7 days in a row.  But I think I am on a set schedule now.

Today is overcast and cool again -- mid 60s for a high after mid 40s overnight.  I'll probably hang around here; at least for the morning.  But Friday and Saturday I finally got out and rode -- almost 400 miles.

Fridays trip, after a late start, took me to Tombstone where I toured the OK Corral, Boot Hill Cemetary and an old Silver mine.  It is extremely touristy but you kind of get the idea -- if you believe "Bonanza" was realistic of the Old West.  It felt like I was on a movie set with all the people walking about in clothes of the period (1880s) -- including Colt pistols on their hip and Winchesters resting on their shoulders.  I'm not so sure my $4.50 Hot Dog was representative of the dining opportunities 130 years ago.  But it was very good.

Boot hill was a common name for cemeteries in the Old West because there were so many violent deaths where cowboys "died with their boots on."  Hays, KS was probably the first to coin the phrase but the Boot Hill in Deadwood, SD; Dodge City, KS and Tombstone, AZ are best known.

The original Tombstone Cemetery was used from 1878 until about 1886 and has perhaps as many as 300 graves.  But it fell into disrepair when the new cemetery opened on Allen St.  Mother Nature reclaimed most of it and many of the wooden markers were stolen as souvenirs.  But it has been greatly restored now, thanks in large part to Emmett Nunnelley who spent much of his last years on the project and was the last person to be buried there in 1946.

(Billy Clanton and others killed by the Earp brothers and Doc Holiday at the OK Corral)

One of my favorite parts of Boot Hill were some of the hilarious epithets on a few of the markers .. like poor George Johnson .. "hung by mistake."

My Saturday outing started much earlier but I was in full leather -- chaps, insulated vest, leather jacket, ear muffs and my 'gauntlet' leather gloves.  The temps never got above the mid 60s and the most I ever took off (while riding) was my vest.  It was a cool but comfortable day with the right gear.

My first stop was the stronghold of Cochise -- the great Chiricahua Apache Chief who made the Dragoon Mountains his base for some 13 years beginning in 1861.  The Apache were friendly to the Anglo-Americans when they first took over what's now known as NM and AZ in 1850.  But in 1861, a young US Army officer -- Lt. John Bascom -- mistakenly accused Cochise and several of his relatives of kidnapping a young boy and had them arrested.  When Cochise escaped, Lt. Bascom hung the other Apaches sending Cochise into a guerrilla war with the white man.  A peace treaty was eventually signed in 1872 that allowed the Chiricahua to remain in their homeland.  Cochise died peacefully -- having never lost a battle -- in 1874 and is said to be buried somewhere in these hills.

My first impression of the stronghold -- or as close as I could get to it on my motorcycle -- was how rugged and (probably) original everything is.  It was the exact opposite of Tombstone with all it's restored buildings and 'Hollywood looking' characters walking about.  The last 5 miles or so of road getting to Cochise's hideout is a deteriorating dirt road.  I came up about 1/2 mile (I think) short of the end of Ironwood Lane because I was hesitant to cross a stream.  It appeared only 4" or 5" deep but the rocky bottom was too unstable to risk a motorcycle crossing.

It is easy to see why Cochise picked this spot as his camp.  There appears to be only one way into this dead-end canyon and it would be easily defended on both sides of the entry.  The back and sides are protected naturally by mountains and cliffs.  From looking at Google maps, it appears that his hideout was part way up the mountain, inside a naturally formed 'bowl'.

(about 5 miles of dirt road .. into these mountains .. leads to Cochise's Stronghold)

From what I've read .. because I never made it past that second stream crossing .. there are hiking trails within the Stronghold the traverse the area, one of which is 5 miles long.  I want to go back with a 4-wheeled vehicle next time, so I can at least get to the parking lot where these trails emanate.

From here I went west toward the town of Sonoita, also know as the wine country.  Unfortunately, I ran into rain just as I pulled into town.  After a quick check of the weather radar on my phone, I jumped back on my bike and did a 180 and began a race back to the safety of my camper some 60 miles back northeast .. and dry.  I made it with just a few patches of slightly wet pavement.  The ride out there was great.  But it will require another visit.

So many things to see and do .. so little time to do it in.  Everyday is new.  I love it!

It’s Sunday night and I’ve just watched my sixth sunset here in Arizona – some 65 miles east of Tucson and 18 miles from the nearest town.  The door-side of my camper faces west – and the setting sun.  There is also a small, prominent range of mountains to my southeast that catch the last light of the setting sun.  It is interesting to see the shadows creep across the valley floor and then up the mountain side without seeming to move.

(Full moon risin' to the east just after sunset Saturday night)

First off .. a bubble-burster.  This is not a tell-all gossip rag about Tales From The Thing; although perhaps I should copyright that title – catchy.  But sorry – no National Inquirer here.  But this has been a very interesting, different and fun six days.

First of all, I haven’t had a W-2 job in 25+ years.  I have worked for myself or been the boss (as much as my kids would allow me anyway) for a long time.  Now I’m one of the four maintenance guys at a souvenir/gift shop/museum along I-10 in remote AZ – workamping. I cleaned someone else’s poop out of the handicap porta-potty this morning.  Apparently they missed the hole while ‘hovering’ in relief of their intestinal distress.  I can only hope they got some on their pants. A big change for this ‘Office Boy.’

I have spent 20+ years in the corporate environment as a mid-level manager and now I’m just a maintenance /janitor at a roadside stop. I was thinking earlier that this is where the idea of the TV show “Undercover Boss” came from.  That’s the one where the owner of some big company with hundreds of employees takes one of the more menial jobs but in disguise.  They then chat up their new-found workmates about upper management.  Perhaps I should reach-out to this corp and see if they’d like a ‘secret shopper’ consultant’s review.  Heck, maybe I’ve just started a new business.  Now I need business cards!

This has been .. for at least the first two days .. a physically demanding job.  I’ve been reaching for the bottle of Aleve three nights in a row now.  This place is huge.  And there’s a lot of walking and some of it is not so steady.  There is extensive remodeling going on and much of the back is a construction zone.  They have a target .. I’m told .. of Memorial Day .. less than 3 months.  It seems like there is a lot to do but we shall see.

And it’s also a routine that starts very early – 6 am – outside taking fuel pump and tank readings.  It’s been dark and cold – mid 30s – but daylight isn’t far behind and there is warmer weather forecast beginning tomorrow. 

It will also be interesting to see where I am on the next schedule .. due up Monday evening, I think.  I wasn’t on this past schedule ..  just given days and time to show up.  And a shirt.  My corporate printed name tag seems to indicate that I am a sales person.  But I have been a janitor these past few days.  It doesn’t make a lot of difference to me.  I’m here for a good time; not a long time.  If they give me the schedule I’ve asked for .. and been told was possible .. then I don’t much care what the job is.  I hit the bottom this morning anyway, I think.

This adventure began a week ago today.  With one exception  -- I knew I’d forget SOMETHING – this has gone about as well as it possibly can.  I made it to Grand Bay, AL where my camper was stored just about sunset last Friday.  I pulled the camper out to the street, manhandled the small cargo trailer with my bikes onto the back and settled in for a nites rest.  Too my chagrin, the refrigerator would not turn on under the propane leaving the ice chest full of frozen and refrigerated stuff overnite.

Fortunately Johnies RV Repair and Supply was three blocks away and opened at 9 am Saturday.  The wonderful folks there .. including Clyde the mechanic who diagnosed the faulty igniter within 10 mins – got me in and out  and I was westbound for the first time EVER with my double-pull train!

I stopped a lot that first day.  I climbed under the camper where the receiver was welded to the bumper, looking for cracks.  It’s a bit unnerving because I can’t see the second trailer tucked behind the camper from my driver’s seat.  Even going around curves, I maybe catch a glimpse of the tail end for a second.  I was able to determine it was tracking steady and straight from watching the shadows in my mirror.  Plus, each time I stopped I was touching the tires and hubs to feel how hot they were getting.  I was EXTREMELY safety conscious.  I did not want to see my motorcycle flying off into the median .. or worse.

But all was perfect each time.  Other than getting freaked out once in a while because I couldn’t see the small trailer when I was expecting too, it went great.  Eventually I learned; and gained confidence.  I only got 350 miles that first day.  The late start and frequent stops didn’t help and I didn’t need to push it.  I wanted to stop before dark.  I have more time than money.

Day 2 went even better, other than the rain thru LA and east TX.  That pretty much trashed my motorcycle.  But at least it was still back there.  And to my amazement – and pleasure – I was getting almost 13 miles per gallon pulling TWO trailers!  I did have a slight wind assist .. but still .. I am extremely pleased.  My original guestimate was 12ish .. I hoped.  Overall for the whole trip I got 12.4 MPG and am tickled to death.

I landed here in Benson, AZ on Tuesday.  There is a significant remodel going on here and the RV spots are still a work in progress.  I believe there will be 13 camper spots eventually.  Five are just now available with water, sewer and propane (first time I have EVER seen LP gas available at each individual parking spot).  The electric posts are done at the camp site but they have not been tied into the main panel yet so NO ELECTRIC for about two weeks.  Or so I thought (was told.)  It has been quite chilly here – 27 last night.  And it’s only been 60s during the day, so AC isn’t needed – yet.

 I was here first, a second camper (married couple) moved in Wednesday and a third camper (mother and son couple) moved in today.  We each have a heavy duty 115V extension cord. Two run to the power pole – with a separate 20 amp plug for each – and the third goes to a wall plug in a warehouse that is little used electrically. 

And now for a TEASER – What do you know about “The Thing” in Benson, AZ?  I know a little.  I am about to learn a whole lot more.  I begin work tomorrow morning at the Museum where “The Thing” is displayed.  I can’t wait!

Tune in next time for an update.

D-Day is Tomorrow

That would be "D" as in Departure.  My camper is now near Mobile, AL.  I took it up last week and parked it in a storage facility about 10 miles from the MS/AL state line.

I planned that trip to go thru Apalachicola (again) at the same time one of my best friends -- from Illinois -- was also visiting.  This part of Florida (the Panhandle between US 19 and 231) is one of my favorites (besides the beach where I live).  If you are into nature -- this is a top 10 place to visit.  Bring your fishing pole, binoculars and your kayak.

Today is final prep and packing - mostly kitchen stuff and my motorcycle -- and then leave by 9 in the morning with my Harley and my Schwinn on the utility trailer.  It's about 8 hours back to the camper. I'll likely just spend the night there -- I already have a parking place -- and then put my 'train' together and head west along I-10 Friday morning.  This will be only the second time I have pulled this combination although I have many miles pulling each unit separately.  But it works on paper -- as long as I don't have to back-up.

As I've watched the sunset here the last few nights -- one of my MOST favorite things to do -- I have had mixed emotions about my pending travels.  I'm going to miss this place.  A lot.  I am where I have always wanted to be when I retire.  But I also want to get back to traveling the USA, like I did 10 years ago as a truck driver.  So for foreseeable future -- 2, 3, 4 years??? -- I will travel with my toys ... but Treasure Island will ALWAYS be my home (hopefully).  Because I'm not giving up my TI residence, I am not really a full-time RVer.  That's okay -- I have the best of both!