What I've learned in Arizona

 which is a lot. So how about one of those lists with a few things I've learned, just in case you're thinking of a trip to AZ for a slower and healthier life.

1,  The desert is damn dangerous, mucho peligraso. There's sharp stuff everywhere. On our very first hike in the desert my ankle just kinda brushed a short kind of hairy looking thing and 6 weeks later my skin is still uncomfortably irritated. The cure...duct tape. Yup, you stick it on hard after you've already tolerated removing your hair with it and walla, out comes the invisible little spikes .

2.  The roads are damn dangerous ! mmmmm,,,,how to say it....well, most people my age have dealt with family or friends who have gotten to that point in their lives where they shouldn't be driving, it's a tuff deal but it's scary true. Most towns have some of these folks cruising around from time to time but Grass Valley AZ with a medium age of 74 has thousands of them. I've seen the oblivious run right through stop lights and I'm not talking about trying to 'beat' the stop  light, I'm talking full blown dodge the dummy at the light...

3. It's a slower life because the guy in front of you at the store takes 10 minutes to write a check and then 10 more minutes to balance his check book and ask for  double bags.

4. The way to catch fish is to know where and when the stocking is done.

5. If you want to make money either open a pet store or buy an ambulance.

6. It's pretty here and amazingly affordable.

7. It's like Mexico light...We've been living off a real Mexican Tienda where I get my Menudo on Sunday and fresh tamales, pico de gallo and wonderful and I mean wonderful Chili Relenos. We even got Mexican shrimp the other day just like the ones we subsist on in Maz. 

8. Road Runner birds aren't rare.

9. Rude people are everywhere.....for instance

Every morning since we've been here at 8:00 a.m. people wave flags and yell on a corner just a block away and in the middle of a huge retirement complex. I don't care what the issue is or who you are it's damn rude. I grew up with a Colonel for a father that taught us that your rights end where the other guys nose begins. So this nicely crafted note was put up where they could see it...and ignored. The worst part is that after so long we've heard people to tell them to go home and then blocks away you can hear the F- Bomb and insults that follow. 

Like I say, you can claim acid rock sounds better than I do singing Country music...I don't care...but jeez, be civil and do it without embarrassing my wife...OK ? Kapeesh ?... So one morning this guy was finally out there on an opposing corner and I told him I was proud of him for standing up...he said they were scaring his dog so he had to do something. Yikes.  Did I mention the part where they were loud and vulgar on Christmas and New Years morning as well as every Sunday ?  I'm with you buddy , ENOUGH alright already.

We went to Nogales to investigate crossing the border to buy cheap Omeprazole that me , MP and Sam all take. It's a ghost town, all closed up. You can see that under normal circumstances there is a vibrant economy and a shopping vibrancy that we love...but....covid.  So if you're reading this Phil and Diane we'd really appreciate a little air drop from Mazatlan in a month or so.

Me and Bob went fishing to Parker Canyon Lake right on the border. You don't here me bragging. Of course I have an excuse with all the wrong fishing gear. But it's a gorgeous spot and very popular, so popular in fact they have high security.

I came with bass gear and of course they were fishing for trout as the water is to cold right now for bass. We hiked and enjoyed the outdoors...does Bob look like he's throwing a shot put ?

But you know me, I found the highliners and introduced myself. One guy was exactly like a lot of my competitors, had everything perfectly organized and plenty of it...Thanks for the tip Matt, next time I'll have the small wire hooks and 10 different colored Power Baits...or I might just wait till it warms up for bass as they're my favorite lower 48 fish so far...maybe because it's all I've caught . But, I will continue with dignity.

Quietude

 Welcome to my first blog entry of the year 2021....First thing I wanted to do is post this link to my friend Keith's Blog, he posted a pic of Mile 14 that all my Kenai friends will want to see. He also said some nice words about us and how life moves along....thanks  Keith.

https://www.beavercreekcabins.com/uncategorized/change/

Quietude....Now I was so impressed when MP used that word when she was basically telling me to shut up for the 14,237th time. We were watching birds with her new binoculars when she used it to tell me what people expect when watching birds. The mystery was that I'd never heard he use that word and even though she's a Mensa smart woman I figured she made it up....well, nope. I looked it up and sure enough she surprised me again with her vocabulary and right here in writing the southern bureau of Mile 14 apologizes of accusing her of  getting word lucky. Sorry baby😎

But if it's quietude you want, watching Sandhill Cranes at the Whitewater Preserve is no place to go...I guess somebody forgot to tell the birds because 30,000 of them in  one place is a sensory experience.

The G-man who was watching over the place told me it was the most ever in the 20 years he had worked there. I told him it was nice to see the planet is doing something right.

So MP has new bino's for watching and I decide to get my old super zoom Minolta camera out and only got one good bird pic on the whole trip with Bob and Dana...I guess my old camera does better with dead fish being held by people in a black boat.

As we went from spot to spot looking for different flyers we came across Arizona's oldest tree...So here a pic of Arizona's oldest tree and Arizona's second oldest Kenai guide ( hehehe, Chick is here )

If you're in this neck of the woods you can't drive by Tombstone or Bisbee without stopping. Tombstone is...well...just a tourist trap and rather uninteresting if you're a person who reads. But I did get to talk with Ike Clanton and sure enough he's got people on the Kenai and is going there to fish next summer. I told him he'd fit right in.

Bisbee is a really cool little town. It's full of old mining footprint and in a non-covid world it would have been fun to wander the streets that are full of history and local art , you know the kind of town you'd spend time in eh ? so as I searched for the coolest pic I settled on this.

For some reason we were having CNN news syndrome and had to get the hell away from the TV...I was starting to think that maybe it was me going crazy instead of the country. SO, as we drove aimlessly across the desert we decided to go to Mt. Lemon only about 40 miles away. MY goodness ! it is gorgeous and even at Glacier and Denali Parks I don't think I've ever driven to 8,000 ft.  These pics were just when we started up from the desert floor and took in the view of Tuscon.

And then it happened , again . A couple ladies who were sisters about  our age noticed the Montana plates and told us they were from Helena Montana and had graduated in 69  and 72. MP told them she was a 73 grad and I was 71. Then one of the gals said their other sister was a 71 grad and had been married to a guy named Terry Murphy....mmmm.....one of my best friends and I replied "you're Linda's sisters"  and MP said this is Jeff King and they looked real good and laughed " we know you, you're the one that went to Alaska"!!! Here's my old/new friends Dee and Diane Meyer. 

What a wonderful example of life's convergences you meet with an open heart. Diane and Dee are retired snow birding and enjoying RV life in Tuscon. We talked about life's changes and the early days in Helena as we all started to head for adulthood and of course we talked about Linda and Terry ( Buck ) Murphy who we lost at way to young an age...so we're doing it with your spirit Terry, one of the most naturally talented people I've ever known. Dee said he had a certain confidence that made everybody feel safe, warm and welcomed. Thanks for finding us Dee and Diane, it's just what I needed, as I told you I've been feeling a bit anonymous lately...even lonely...I shouldn't moon, I suppose with all things going on a good part of the world feels ....ah....lonely. Love you guys and we hope our trails meet again. 

So after seeing Dee and Diane we spotted something on our next stop. MP said it was the strangest looking Birch bark she had ever seen so I looked closer...It was a message tree and fit exactly how I was feeling at that moment...You see what I see ?

At the top of the mountains is the town of Summer Haven, so I guess it gets a bit hot around these parts. My pics don't do it justice but the views down are awesome.

The rock formations are so unusual. They are called Hoo Doo's and they look like they could fall anytime. You drive under around and even through hundreds of them. If you come to Arizona you MUST go to Mt Lemon. With the exception of maybe the Grand Canyon it's the most beautiful scenery I've been around....but then again in Jeff's world the best is always the one you're doing now 😉