A Cold Boil

Since Erin lives at 8500 feet the coffee doesn't taste right. The high altitude lets the water boil at about 196 degrees. Normally in Hazen water will boil at 208 degrees. So the coffee is colder and just not the same. In the old days when Kadizzle worked at the power plant the water in the boiler would not boil until something over seven hundred degrees since it was under pressure. Now that would have made some good coffee.

Playing with Deaf Kids

Kadizzle loves kids and cannot resist romping with them. Easter Sunday Kadizzle found himself having a meal with some relatives and friends. Holly, Rob and their two little boys are deaf. Before long Kadizzle and all the children were all in the back yard playing "Get Me". Kids love to be chased caught and let go. It is easier to sneak up on deaf children. Riordian, the smallest of the two was shy like all kids are. He wanted to be caught but when he was caught by some stranger he was a little scared. So Riordian would make the sign for "where is dad" every time I caught him. Kayan had to be the interpreter. In frustration Kadizzle said to Kayan "That doesn't make any sense". Kayan replied "I told you a thousand times that is what he is saying, even if it doesn't make any sense." It did make sense when you thought it out. Riordian would periodically go in the house get a boost of courage from his dad and then come back out to join the fun. At some point Riordian scraped his leg. Now, how does Kadizzle comfort someone he cannot talk to and explain he meant no harm. Riordian ran in the house crying, but soon came out. Somehow Kadizzle managed to convey his concern by getting Riordian to come over and let Kadizzle examine the scratch. Things were back to wildness soon. It was amazing how well all the kids knew sign language. It seems like the most simple logic, but it took awhile for it to sink in to Kadizzle that you cannot communicate with deaf children unless they are looking at you. Deaf kids are used to adults that know how to sign, so constantly they were signing to Kadizzle with no results. They must have been thinking this idiot has no vocabulary what so ever. Which of course was true. Children without hearing must be more sensitive to facial expressions than most children. They seemed to immediately be able to detect a fake mean face from a real one.

Matt Taibbi, How Wall St. Riiped Off Main Street

Rarely does Kadizzle laugh out loud from reading something, but if anyone can do it it is Matt Taibbi. He has to be Kadizzle's favorite writer. Here is example when Taibbi discribes one of the crooks "Blount is a stocky, stubby-fingered Southerner with glasses and a small pinched face - if Norman Rockwell had ever done a painting titled "Small Town Accountant Taking an Enormous Dump," it would look just like Blount."

After reading the article you can see that Wall Street is just a bunch of sophisticated gangsters, that never go to jail. Of course the Republicans are fighting any kind of real reform that would keep the Wall Street crooks in check. Read the article it is a wonderful example of how all those people on Wall Street are getting bonuses for destroying our country.

The Lizard Lounge

Now that the southern hiking season is over all we have to live on is memories. After a long hike in the Paria River area we would often end the day with a drink at the Lizard lounge. Around the campfire on the old couch one can sit and drink a beer in the warm sun. As you sit you can watch the lizards that have made the furniture their home peak out from under the cushions. Next he will peek out somewhere else. Life is good.

Powdered Water Popular in Southwest

The Kadizzles hauled the Earth Module over the Rockies yesterday. It is always a tense trip and with The Commander for co-pilot there is even more tension. Apparently The Commander thinks Kadizzle is blind. "That car put its brakes on", "Did you hear the wind?", "Go around that truck", and "Don't go around that truck". Kadizzle would love to have one of those old deals they made for kids that you could put on the other side of the care with a horn and steering wheel. Anyway we made it to Erin's to marvel at our granddaughter who is just learning to stand.

Now, back to the powdered water. Water is always an issue when traveling in your RV. In a supermarket near Tuscon Kadizzle was wandering through the isles bored. In the isle with the bottled water a vendor was stocking shelves. Kadizzle with a serious face asked him, "Where is the powdered water". Without hesitation he said "If they have it, it would be in this isle". Two days ago in the little store at an RV place there were two people behind the counter. Again Kadizzle asked if they carried powdered water. Both looked at each other and then one said "I don't think we have it". If anyone knows where I could get some it would be the perfect product for hiking, RVing, and a host of other uses. It seems to exist, stores just don't want to carry it because it would compete with the bottled water.

Awake at 6,000 feet

What is left of the Kadizzlites have awakened to a cold morning at 6,000 feet. The coffee water boils sooner and not as hot. First, we have to heat the joint up a little. Hopefully nothing froze. Today Kadizzle guesses The Commander will insist on a forced march. No doubt it will be down into some vast canyon. On our short hike yesterday there were many little sites where you could see ancient people had been crafting arrow heads. Kadizzle was hopping to find something interesting. The wife of the camp host found a seven inch spear point. The best Kadizzle could do was a arrow head with the point broken. There is a letter in the Bismarck Tribune today by a preacher who is a bit upset about Glenn Beck coming out against social justice. Glenn Beck is as close to Hitler in his techniques as anyone you will see in your lifetime. It is very scary that people actually watch and believe such a delusional maniac. If you watch him very long you can see he needs treatment. It seems like our country is slipping into the McCarthy era once again. The simple minded always like someone like Glenn Beck to scare the beJesus out of them. Glenn fits in so well with the Fox News crowd. News on Fox and entertainment cannot be separated. No other news organization manufactures its own news. Only Fox has the balls to whip up some organization like the teabaggers then pretend it emerged on it's own.

Weather Clears at Canyonlands or Where's Waldo

If you look closely you can find Lord Kadizzle in this picture. Pictures can never capture the immense size of the world. The Commander insisted we hike into some hidden arch. We never saw the arch, but had a nice hike, I guess it was hidden. The weather showed a little mercy on us. Got into a bullshit session with the camp host. According to him he has been attacked three times by black bears, and each time shot them. Something about probabilities makes me wonder. His stories were good, and it could have happened, just a little skeptical. Every time it happened he just happened to have a gun an shot the bear. I would say he is either a liar, or a lucky man. Also noticed the bears kept getting bigger. The last black bear that attacked him was nine feet tall. Perhaps this all was a tall tail on his part.

Life in a small box

The Kadizzlites have been living in a small box with wheels for about three months. From the living room to the bedroom is about four steps. The views are usually magnificent. Heat can be a precious commodity. To have heat you need electricity. This means the battery, or the generator. The battery will not last to long running the furnace. So the routine is to get up warm up the module and begin the day. Since the module is self contained, all water must be carried on board, and after it is used stored on board. Living in a module makes you very conscious of how much water, electricity, and fuel you use. Periodically the module has to be recharged and discharged. The trick is to go as long as you can between refills. This means turn off the light right away. Don't run the water. Close the door. If more people could readily see their impact on resources, the world would be a better place. Living in the urban environment people don't have a clew how much they consume. In an Earth Module every drop counts.

Earth Module Settles in Canyonlands, Utah

Water is scarce in this part of the world and procuring it was a major hassle. Lord Kadizzle played the part of the Palestinians and The Commander was in the role of Israel. Needless to say it was not a pleasant day. To make matters worse the weather is slowly deteriorating. The wind is gusting, and it would not be a big surprise to see snow in the morning. However, it was not so bad we could not drive around and see the incredible views. Tonight we sit up near 6k feet deep in the heart of nowhere. Slowly we are moving one checkerboard square at a time back to North Dakota.

Butler Wash

The Commander and Lord Kadizzle had a nice hike in good weather up on Cedar Mesa today. We had the good fortune to find a lot of Indian ruins we had never seen before. Many of the ruins were of superb quality. Several were in immense caves. Another had very well preserved rooms above the floor of the canyon. We found many pertroglyphs and a lot of rock art. The shear volume of habitations in the Cedar Mesa area is astounding.

Thoughts from sister Kate

Food For Thought




A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up.

He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.


He said, 'I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him.' I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday-School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk; naturally...I assumed you had stolen the car.'

This reminds Lord Kadizzle of all the Christians who want to make sure Obama fails and we do not have health care for everyone.

Jesus was in a bad mood

Yesterday Lord Kadizzle stopped in Page, AZ for groceries with The Commander. As Lord Kadizzle disembarked he noticed Jesus coming across the parking lot pushing a shopping cart. There before Kadizzle was a man with a traditional Middle East head dress with a gold band above his ears that circled his head. He had the eyes, beard and face of what the old Sunday school pictures of Jesus looked like. However, from the neck down he was dressed in a cowboy shirt and blue jeans. In Kadizzle's mind there was no question the man wanted to be perceived as Jesus. So Kadizzle greeted him by saying " How is Jesus doing today?". Jesus scowled back at Kadizzle and did not respond. Who knows? It is very possible Jesus knows how bad Kadizzle has been and was pissed off, but it was nice to see him.

The Longest Slot Canyon in the world

Yesterday we did an eight mile hike into Buckskin Gulch. In no time at all you are looking up 900 foot wall straight up. Lord Kadizzle barely made it through cheeseburger pass. One cheeseburger too many and you will not squeeze through.

Find a Way Out

Ruth and Rodger split off from the wagon train this morning to find a safe passage back to the Dakotas. They will try to go south and east without hitting snow and go up through the plains on hopefully clear roads. The Earth Module will try to sneak across the Rockies when a window of opportunity opens. The Donner Party ended up having each other for lunch with such a plan. Tonight the Kadizzles are at the Cadillac Ranch, plugged in with complete hookups. Bluff is a nice little town with a lot of the best Indian sites in the country nearby. The Kadizzles are hoping to go up on Cedar Mesa and explore some good sites, but weather may be a problem.

The 17th Canadian Couple

Today Lord Kadizzle had to dump the sewage from the Earth Module at an RV Campground. While there he met Canadian couple number 17. Kadizzle has been interviewing Canadians since last June about how they like Canadian health care. Of the 17 couples Kadizzle has talked to 16 said they love Canadian health care. One gentleman had some doubts. All the Canadian are amazed about the lying Fox and other right wing news outfits do about their system. Consistently they have said pretty much the same thing. You may have to wait if you do not have a serious problem. Many told Kadizzle stories about the good care they got and how they would have been bankrupt if they had been in the United States. One Canadian told an interesting story about his grandson. When born the child had a serious heart defect. The Canadian health care system had special surgical tools made to work on the small heart. Now they have a healthy full grown grandson. The man told me if it had happened in the United States they would still be bankrupt and paying. Kadizzle heard many stories praising they system and the care in Canada. Two days ago on the trail couple 16 had the best summary of the difference between the two systems. The gentleman from British Columbia said " There is an infinite demand for health care, and a limited supply. In Canada we give priority to those who need help the most. In the United States health care is rationed by giving the rich all they want, and letting the poor do without." He went on to say "In Canada we believe in government and trust our government, in your country everyone thinks the government is evil". If you meet some Canadians do your own experiment ask them how they like socialized health care. Sadly the United States is one of the only industrialized countries in the world that will let young couples go bankrupt while the wealthy refuse to pay the taxes necessary so everyone can have health care. The real irony is that the countries that do have socialized health care spend considerably less than we do as a percentage of their GDP and get better results. Don't let reality get in your way if you want to believe, Rush, Glenn, Hanity, and the rest of those who seek to make sure the less fortunate don't get adequate care. The Canadians have a system, the system works well, and our politicians promote lies about it.

Mean Jean, the Hiking Machine

For many years Lord Kadizzle has been looking for the magic place the Spanish and of course the Indians crossed the Buckskin Gulch. There is only one place it is possible. Buckskin Gulch is the the longest continual slot canyon in the world. Today as we finally found the right place we ran into an eighty year old man, Jean Glenn. Jean was making the same hike. Jean slept under a tree last night up on the mesa. Jean said he would go down the very dangerous drop into the canyon if we would help pull him out. The Commander was adamant the Kadizzle not make the attempt. It is always a thing that puts you in your place when someone like Jean comes along. You think you are hot stuff at 61, and then you get shown up by a guy eighty who just got a new knee. When Kadizzle gets better net service he will add a picture. Tomorrow we will hike into Bucksking Gulch from the bottom.

Valley of The Gods next stop

Ruth and Rodger are doing the Wave on this windy day. There is sunshine. Sunday, or Monday we will move to Valley of the Gods or over around the Bluff area. Maybe the Navajos will be having the Ye Be She to start spring when we get there. Yesterday we made the jog up to Yellow Rock, pictured above. Tomorrow we will go into Buckskin Canyon

Earth Module Landed at Head of Parie Canyon

Ruth and Rodger are at the dude ranch living large with electricity. They just took a shower, with unlimited hot water. The gang found some great petroglyphs down in the canyon yesterday. Today we did Yellow Rock. Ruth and Rodger won the lottery and got a pass to The Wave tomorrow, so with some luck the weather will hold and they will get there. The Wave is probably the premier rock formation in the United States only ten people per day are allowed to hike to it.

Earth Module Set to Launch today

Try as she might The Commander had been defeated. The Earth Module will leave for the Paria River today. Communications will be poor in the heart of nowhere. The biggest challenge will be the pack rats that ate the wiring of the truck last year to the tune of four hundred dollars.

Bob Herbert tells it like it is in the NYT

Bob Herbert wrote in The New York Times today "For decades the G.O.P. has been the party of fear, ignorance and divisiveness. All you have to do is look around to see what it has done to the country. The greatest economic inequality since the Gilded Age was followed by a near-total collapse of the overall economy. As a country, we have a monumental mess on our hands and still the Republicans have nothing to offer in the way of a remedy except more tax cuts for the rich." You owe it to yourself to read the whole article to see how the Republicans are destroying our country

Tryin to leave Zion

The Commander is begging to stay one more day in Zion, but the Earth Module must move on. Yesterday was one more day in Paradise. Lord Kadizzle turned 61 and Ruth and Rodger took Kadizzle and his wife to dinner. The combination anniversary and birthday dinner was excellent. The Whipped Tail Grill right by the gates to Zion National Park had once been a gas station. It was the best meal the Kadizzles will ever have in a gas station.

Fear Strikes Out

Paul Krugman shot an arrow through the heart of the Hoopleheads. You must read his article in the New York Times Today

Kadizzle Cleans Birthday suit in Zion Pool

Riding the Unicorn

Unicorns flourish in Zion National Park. They are considered an endangered species here. This local woman has captured and tamed one to ride.

Green Jello Eaters

The adults drink green beer, and the kids eat green jello.

Ruth and Rodger assualt Observation Point, The Commander leads the way

The Commander with unlimited energy made the second arduous hike up Observation Point in three days. Due to a gravity attack Kadizzle stayed at the bottom

How communities develope.

A sociologist would have a great time studying the life of the RV crowd. Each little campground is a community. The speed that people become friends and share stories is many times faster than your normal community. Everything that happens in a little town happens ten times faster in a campground. Traveling people are quick to give one another a hand or advice. Start working on your camper, your solar panel, or anything else and in no time someone will be there to help. Someone will show up with the tool or potion you need to fix anything. You get to know people very quickly. People band together to solve problems. Meeting people is very easy. Just about everyone seems to be in a good mood. Back at the Goldfield campground everyone came together quickly to help Bud when his wife died. The speed travelers get to know the town folks also is much faster. People seem to respect each other in campgrounds, they pick up after their dog, they try to follow the generator rules, and generally do the right thing. If there was an equivalent of the old wagon train it would be the modern RV crowd. Just like the old wagon train days the news travels up and down the line. Someone pulls in who is coming from where you are going, and vice versa. What are the roads like what is the campground like, do you know a good dry camping spot?

Campers can probably be divided into three distinct social classes. On the top are the people exuding cash who have to travel pulling everything they own. These people have huge diesel rigs with multiple TV's and make sure they never have to experience the least discomfort. Usually the upper class will not stay anywhere but fist class RV places with all the amenities. The next notch down dry camps and uses the less fancy parks and is not afraid to get wet or step in a little mud. Polishing and shining are the favorite passtimes of the upper class. Another group are somewhat purist about peace and quite. They like to live entirely on solar and don't mind being without hookups. It is a good exchange for a better natural experience.

Campers are very much like sailboats, everything is a compromise. If you get bigger and better stuff, you are excluded from many places because of your size. In sail boat terminology the little boats can gunkhole. That means they can get in and go places the big boats cannot. The same is very true for RV's. The smaller ones have access to many places the big guys cannot get too.

The number of nice people you meet who often become good friends is astounding. When you make the same general circuit every year you run into a lot of the same people and catch up. Life always has it's little ups and downs, but moving around where it is warm is a great improvement over freezing your ass off bored out of your gourd.

Observation Point

Sun and Gravity liquify snow

Kadizzlites hiked off trail into the back country of Zion. One great hope was to see big horn sheep. Although tracks were abundant, the only one we saw was from the truck window just as we entered the Zion Tunnel on the way back to camp.

Brave Naked Girls

Girls have either been the greatest blessing for Lord Kadizzle, or his biggest bane, or should I say pain? Yesterday as Kadizzle descended from high in Zion he looked below to see two little naked girls six and nine playing in an icy mountain stream above the waterfall in the picture. The kids were on a hike with their parents. Now getting in the stream in and of itself would be more than most kids could do, but these two topped it off by getting out of the stream and rolling in the snow. To survive girls have to be tough in this world. Kadizzle admires parents who raise their girls to take on the world. Prior to seeing the kids with their parents Kadizzle had heard voices down below him. Kadizzle puzzled how small kids could even be within voice range. The climb to get that close would be very difficult for small children. After talking to the parents it became clear these young girls had already had experience doing some serious climbing. The parents told The Commander about how the girls had hiked up another difficult Zion trail. As Kadizzle came down the steep incline one of the kids scrambled up it without hesitation. (by now they had manged to get dressed). The girls reminded me of my own. Our kids were not raised to be wimps and whiners, and it was refreshing to see these kids taking on life with bravado. Girls can do anything.

Commander Compares Kisses

The Commander Kissed Kadizzle and then the dog, The Commander preferred the dog.

Cooking Kadizzle

Deep in a Canyon North of Wickenburg some Indians invited Lord Kadizzle and The Commander for dinner. The Chief suggested we might want to enjoy his hot tub prior to dinner. Everything was going fine and we offered the chief wine. As the water seemed to get hotter in the tub some of the lovely Indian women started peeling onion and potatoes. When they started tossing them in the tub and adding seasoning, we became suspicious. The chief left and said he was dressing for dinner. When he returned he had an apron on. When the Chief returned Kadizzled asked what the main dish was. The Chief said it was "Treaty Breaker Strew". "What is in it?", I asked. "A lot of white meant and some vegetables", the chief replied. When Kadizzle and The Commander asked for some shampoo they were a bit dismayed to find salt and pepper coming out of the shampoo, and conditioner bottles. It seemed like it was time to go. Kadizzle did not want to be impolite so he explained both Kadizzle and The Commander were vegetarians and had to leave for treatment to their cancerous infested bodies. With a hint of anger the chief said "You took all our good land and left us with desert, now you offer us nothing but cancer infested meat, leave, it looks like we are vegetarians too now"

The Commander captures Sunset at Zion

Hiking in Zion, Angels Landing, and Emeral Pool

Today we took a quick hike up to the Emerald Pools. With plenty of run off the falls were in full glory.

Angel's landing death spot

If you click on the picture above it will enlarge. If you examine the picture closely you will see the most deadly spot on the trail. Far ahead on the trail is a person with blue on. Behind him is another person with blue. Between them is a very narrow spot where you could fall either way to your death. Apparently a woman fell last year. After you cross that spot you have to go right up the spine of the rock in front of the first person on the trail. Everyone in our family except Erin has done it. Kadizzle has done it several times. Yesterday however that spine was covered with snow. It always amazes Kadizzle that anyone would be allowed to do it when the trail is snow covered. Far and away Kadizzle would rate this the most dangerous hike open to the general public in the United States. The fact that two people per year get killed here proves that. However, and article claims the odds are 1 in 79,000 you will get killed. So that means roughly 160,000 people make it out there and back every year, which is amazing. The most incredible thing is to see people take small children out there. To the best of my knowledge no small child has yet made the 1,000 foot plunge to their death. When that day comes things will change.

The picture above is where you go up the spine ahead of the fist person in the first picture, however yesterday it had about six inches of snow on it.

Around the Firepit at Zion

A day never goes by on the road that you don't meet more nice people. Jim and Tracy from Oregon joined as at the fire last night. Jim took the nice photo above. Tracy brought some wonderful bread. A food devil infested Lord Kadizzle and he almost ate it all by himself. The Kadizzlites made the traditional hike up Angel's Landing. Kadizzle did not make the very last part of the ascent. Although he made it half way hanging onto the chains his bad knee was not up for the whole trip. Snow on the final part made it extremely dangerous. While on Angel's landing Kadizzle got a call from the assistant park manager. That is a whole long story in itself, but he did say at least two people per year are killed falling from Angel's Landing. Today with Jim, Tracy, and the gang we made the trek to the Emerald Pools. With the amount of moisture in Zion the stream was running well and the waterfall was spectacular.

Lord Kadizzles Marriage Service

In my home town of Wheeling, West Virgina, my sister Kate checked my records at the Ohio County Court House. My sister said the country records show Lord Kadizzle is still bonded as a minister. This means Lord Kadizzle can perform marriages under three legal concepts. Kadizzle is a municipal judge, a sea captain, and a licensed minister. Each of these certifications entitles him to perform weddings. So why go to Las Vegas, if you need a quick marriage. Why not get the triple special? It is customary to tip the priest, or Judge for that matter, so Kadizzle will accept generous gratuities for placing a couple in bondage. Kadizzle originally became a bonded minister in order to perform a marriage for some friends. The ceremony never took place. Additionally his eminence Lord Kadizzle has yet to perform a marriage under his authority as a judge. It would be nice to get this on his resume, so please someone step forward and marry the one you love.

Stymied at Zion by restrooms, or The rectum rules Zion

Kadizzle is a hard core liberal, but his experience at Zion National Park today certainly gave him insight into why conservatives think the government cannot do anything right. Prior to our drive to Zion today we checked the Zion web site. The web site indicated we could stay in the Watchman campground without a reservation. However when we reached the campground we were told it was full. After visiting Zion for five years at this time of year with no problems this seemed perplexing. A little investigation indicated there where sixty unused camping spots that were closed to the public because there was no one to clean the rest rooms. Kadizzle volunteered to clean the rest rooms, but this was to no avail. Campsites at Zion are $19 a night. So if the campground was open Zion could potentially make roughly $1,200 a night. It would seem like this would be enough to clean the rest rooms. Only the government could come to the conclusion the best thing to do was close the restroom and turn away campers. Of course when people are forced to leave the park because no camping is available it hurts the little towns like Springdale that rely on tourist for income. This is all being done when we are trying to stimulate the economy.

Often when these strange management decisions are made that make absolutely no sense, there is a hidden agenda. In this case it seems the National Park Service wants to irritate the public. The net result in the eyes of the Park Service is to get irritated citizens to complain to congress that the Park Service needs more funding. In other words if you give us some money, we can clean the restrooms, and you can camp. This is how the mind of a bureaucrat works. According to various park personnel there were a variety of reasons the campground was closed. All seemed suspicious. One person said they had to close the campground to spray weeds. In past years they would just rope off a couple of spots at a time and spray the weeds. Another person said it was due to irrigation. We have been here before and the irrigation ditches were running with no problem for the campers. Now, back to the restrooms being clean. Our camper has it's own restroom, like most campers do these days, so we could camp there and not even need the restroom. They could open the campground for self contained campers only. The audacity of the Park Service to so blatantly disregard the people they are meant to serve is astounding. Kadizzle likes to have faith in his government and the people who work for it, but this experience is making the most hard core liberal into a Rush Limbaugh lunatic.

At one time Kadizzle sought a career in Park Management. To this end he was in graduate school in West Virginia. To his amazement they actually taught him in graduate school the ins and outs of carefully pissing off the public. The first instance of this tactic he ever saw was at Bear Tooth Pass in Montana. The pass is a popular tourist place. At the top of the pass is a restroom. Almost everyone stops at the top of the pass to take advantage of the view, and use the restroom. One summer when we reached the top there was a big sign on the restroom. Guess who put it there? Yup the park serviced said the restroom was closed due to lack of funding. Later we found restrooms in very remote locations being taken care of and cleaned. It was evident this was a political move. One thing they taught us in graduate school about park management was that parks revolve around restrooms. People insist they are clean and available, and apparently they are the key political weapon. The park system does not have me by the balls, but apparently they have found something nearby that works equally well.

A Narrow Escape

In order to continue the trail at the Valley of Fire Ruth and Rodger had to sqeeze through the same narrow passage The Commander and Lord Kadizzle negotiated. The Commander made it with little effort, but Kadizzle made it with only two cheeseburgers to spare. Had Kadizzle eaten two more cheeseburgers he never would have met the challenge.

Pinned Down by weather

The Kadizlites have been pinned down in the Valley of Fire waiting for weather to break at Zion. The tribe almost decided to go to Death Valley yesterday, but cooler heads prevailed. Although the weather is almost perfect here today, it will be Friday or Thursday until we move north. The amount of snow and moisture has set records in the southwest this year.

Big Horn Sheep at Valley of Fire

As many times as we have been here, this is the first time we have seen big horn sheep high in the rocks here. It is amazing to see these sheep go straight up and down. In a minute they are a place it would take us an hour to get to. Next big move will be to Zion as soon as the weather breaks.

Today's Hike Just Ten Miles from Mexico

From the top of the mountain we could easily see into Mexico. Currently we are in the thriving metropolis of Why. A little West of Why we are in a park by the sorriest casino you have ever seen. There are about twenty propane slot machines with a couple of old ladies on respirators playing them. Any Indians that were not killed by the early diseases introduced by the white men are slowly being killed by potato chips and pop. The Indians here have a terrible diabetic problem. In the rest room the biological hazard container is full of needles that needs to be emptied. Tomorrow the band will head North toward Wickenburg.

What is the difference between right and left?

This is a must read by one of the best. Paul Krugman writes in today's New York Times about how a Republican wants to make sure everyone can inherit over 7 million dollars tax free while the same senator wants to deny unemployment to working people. If you want some serious insight into why our country has stopped working read the article.

Where are the Europeans?

Most years when we travel the Kadizzles meet some Germans or other European campers. For some reason they don't seem to be about this year. Could it be the economy? The Europeans have figured out a lot of things we are slow to learn. One thing they know is life has an end. Most Europeans are assured five weeks of vacation for most of their life. This enables them to travel and become more worldly at a younger age. Europeans value knowledge of the world. Americans seem to be very self centered and think the United States is the center of the universe. One thing Kadizzle always enjoys when meeting the Europeans is getting their view on our current politics. Universally they all had no use for Bush. Kadizzle has not really had a chance to have any discourse on their view of the current administration. Yesterday Kadizzle did meet one Dutchman. Typical of many Europeans we have met he owns a motorhome which he keeps in this country. It is a good way for Europeans to return year after year and visit. Traveling always presents an opportunity to open ones mind and meet people who see the world differently. What do Canadians or the French of the Dutch really think of their healthcare or social system. Nothing works better than to ask them directly. Does everyone on the planet envy us and want to move here. No, not really. We like to go to France, but most of us don't want to move there. We think we live in Nirvana, but that view will only persist until you find out other people live in different Nirvana's. One recent phenomenon that has invaded the United States is the round-about. Americans used to come back from Europe and remark about this crazy system for handling intersections. Now, Americans have gradually come to see the benefit of round abouts. Statistics show it is actually a safer way to build an intersection. Why can't we learn about health care the same way. European health care works, the statistics show it works, but we refuse to admit they have a system of taking care of their population that is successful. Someday we will do what works even if we did not invent the solution.

San Xavier Mission

When you needed houses, schools, a sewer system ,roads, irrigation systems and a host of other things, why would you spend thirteen years building a Mission? It just seemed like the right thing to do. So here we stand admiring the result. The Spanish were always very nice about enslaving the Indians to get their assistance building the Missions. The Indians always enjoyed building these things. Once to show how much they appreciated the entertainment, they rebelled and killed most of the Spanish in the Southwest, but it did not bring happiness for long. The Spanish came back. In many cases the Spanish cut off one leg of every male Indian just to show how nice Christians could be if you did not want to help build the Mission. Now, the Indians have embraced the idea of Missions and are out front making fry bread to help pay for the maintenance. Although the homes are still not that great, the roads are poor, and the school system is in shambles there is good fry bread available to all.

Out on the plains of Narnia

The sun comes up on the mountains and The Commander cleans up from breakfast (please don't notice Kadizzle is doing nothing useful) she is reflecting on the wonderful bike ride she took yesterday. On this vast plain between two mountain ranges there are wonderful roads perfect for a nice bike ride on a sunny day. Anything that put The Commander in a good state of mind is a gift from the Lord. The roads run through shallow valleys sparsly lined with giant Oak trees with perfect shapes. The sand forms a nice road bed which makes for a pleasant ride. The peace, the quite, and the total lack of humans combine to make the problems of life disappear and let nature come to the forefront. Returning from her ride The Commander encountered Ruth and Rodger with their new neighbors. The Chukars moved in Mom, Dad and four litte Chukars were scrambling around their Earth module.

Today the Kadizzlites break camp and head for Gilbert Ray park west of Tucson.

Fun at the sewage dump

There are two magic moments for couples during the camping experience, dumping sewage, and backing the camper into a tight spot. Either almost always results in a verbal explosion. Usually the male has the wonderful job of letting sewage splash all over him while his loving spouse harasses him with every detail of how he should do it and how he is doing it wrong. Next fun game is back the camper. Turn right, Turn left, no a little more this way, What way, what in the hell do you think I am doing, damn it you get in here and try it. If a person could secretly record these great performances it would make a good reality show, it cold be called Backing and Dumping with the Bickersons.

Border Insanity

The massive amounts of money going up in flames on the border is total insanity. Here you see pictured one shift of the vehicles used in the Sonoita area. Yesterday Lord Kadizzle asked a local person why they had so many vehicles sitting still. The gas station mechanic explained that each border patrol agent had his own vehicle. This was necessary because if they exchanged vehicles they could not know who was abusing them. So good old uncle same has to have two vehicles sitting for each one in use, since there are three shifts. 900 million is being spent for fencing along the border. It simply does not work. The whole system has proven over and over that it cannot defeat crime, drugs, and Tyson Chicken. As the left hand tries to stop them, the right hand pays them to cut meet in the packing factories. Lobbyist make sure there is no effective way to keep the cheap labor out of our country. Mexico is so corrupt it is hopeless. Mexico had one brilliant idea, build tourism in Mexico. The idea was a splashing success in Cancun, and Mexico would like to try it elsewhere. Why not take the 900 million we are sinking into the border fence and loan it to Mexico to develop resorts along the West Coast of Mexico? Let the Mexicans develop their own economy. Would you rather go to Las Vegas or be on the beach in Mexico getting your pockets cleaned? Kadizzle would take Mexico any day. The daily cost of the giant hide and go seek game on the border is beyond belief. When the Vietnam War was in full bloom the United States was spending $150,000 dollars in ammunition alone to kill one North Vietnamese. Someone made the observation that we could bring them to the United States and send them to an Ivy League school cheaper. There has to be a better way to handle the border mess. China is kicking our ass with cheap labor. Mexico is the poster child of cheap labor, why can't they be our next door China? The other day when Kadizzle had a chat with the young border patrol kid from Kansas. The young agent said how much fun it was driving around in a truck chasing people. He loved it. It may be great fun, but it is a great waste of money for a country deeply in debt. Sitting here in the heart of the border game one wonders about the logistics of the silly game. As we hike in the very area where the problem is one can see that a person stationed on each little rise could effectively watch several miles of land. There seems to be no logical approach to this mess. When the communist countries were in the midst of the cold war somehow they managed to keep their borders secure. No one came in or out. How did they do it? North and South Korea have perfected the game. Where is all the electronics in this game? Why not have American Military bases here on the border and let the soldiers guard us from the border crosser's? There just seems to be a phony charade going on. Isreal is at war with the Palestinians yet Isreal has found a way to let the Palestinians come over and clean the toilets. Are they smarter than us?

Elephant peeks in Window

Well, not really, but it could happen. If a person just awoke in our Earth Module and did not know where they were they might guess they were in the Serengeti deep in the heart of Africa. The plain we are camped on stretches for miles in every direction. Live Oak trees and the huge cottonwoods in the valleys however give it away that you are somewhere in the United States. Border Patrol helicopters might also give a hint. The modules are three miles north of Sonoita Arizona camped near an abandoned runway. Over on the runway there are two big groups of campers. First are the piston heads. These are the people that firmly believe man was not meant to walk. The piston heads have every conceivable motorized wheelchair that they buzz through the roads on. For piston heads they are not that bad. The piston heads must fear attack. They have formed a huge wagon circle with a giant fire in the middle. If the gasoline supply gave out they would probably commit suicide.

Next to the piston heads the dog boys have moved in. A hundred dogs are competing for titles finding birds. Quail are planted in the field for the dogs to find. Kadizzle asked the dog man how they do this. The dog trainer explained that they shake the bird and throw it on the ground. The bird is dazed and confused, but according to the trainer unhurt. The bird stays in about the same place. Kadizzle told the trainer if he was shaken and thrown on the ground he also might be a bit dazed and confused, but according to the commander this treatment is unnecessary for Kadizzle. He comes by it naturally.

Purchase Prompts Kadizzle to join Motorcycle Gang

Life on the road presents its opportunities. Today we had to go to town to have a flat fixed for Rodger. At the gas station Kadizzle was able to aquire his Hog. It will do 0 to 20 in an hour. It has the mean roar of a coffee grinder, and my Bitch has her own seat. We are getting our gang emblem made which is a marshmallow with a skull and bones symbol.

Ruth spots the Elegant Trogan

The Commander wandered into the brush with Ruth on Ruth's first exposure to bird lunatics. The group was in search of the elusive Elegant Trogan. After hours of searching the group finally saw the one Trogan known to be in the area. When Ruth spotted the bird an old time birdbrain asked her if it would now be on her "Life List". Ruth being a novice had no idea what a "Life List" is. For birdbrains a life list is the list of every bird you have ever seen in you life. The old birdbrain said "Well it is now". For Ruth this is like your first plane ride being on the space shuttle. Not that many birders ever get to see the Elegant Trogan. It is a rare Mexican bird that makes a tiny dent into the United States. Ruth's life list will now start from the top down. Ruth seems to be becoming a birdbrain in short order. Ruth is talking about working her life list from both ends, now she wants to fly to New York and see the Elegant Pigeon in Central Park to get the other end of the list started.

Kadiizzlites at Patagonia Lake State Park

Heave for Rodger will have hot showers that last for ever. Last night Rodger got to enjoy a long hot shower at the excellent facilities here. Earlier we made the trip to Nagales for a few necessities. A Wallmart on the border is another experience. There was some confusion when we checked out. The cashier did not speak English. So with some hand signs we solved the problem. As we left town there was a full size billboard offering twenty five thousand dollars for information, about who shot Gonzalas. The victim appeared to be some innocent high school kid.

Back at the lake bird watchers were thicker than flies on my underwear. Lake Patagonia is a good spot, and everyone is talking about the Elegant Trogan which has been sighted every morning. The Commander and Ruth are on the bird walk right now looking for the bright orange bird.

Last night a couple of gentleman our age or a little older invited us to their camp fire. We swapped stories and good camping sites. This morning we were laying out plans for them to do the Little Missouri. Both are from Montana, so it might work well for them. That's the news from Lake Patagonia, were all the days are warm, all the women good looking, and the hot showers let you use as much water as you want.

Mining maddness at Slavin Gulch

Slavin Gulch was a fantastic hike yesterday. A scenic waterfall appeared every hundred yards, and of course the scenery was terrific. Kadizzle was mentally set for a harsh hike, but was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the hike was an old mining road. The road wound through some very difficult terrain. The Commander and Rodger made it all the way to the mining site and The Commander claims she found gold. According to the advance team there was a fairly significant operation at the top of the road with many punch holes and one large entry. Kadizzle would highly recommend the Slavin Gulch hike. History says Cochise moved his band into that area fearing an attack by whites at the Council Rocks site. Cochise had the best Indian site Kadizzle has ever seen, Cochise had it all scenery, water, protection, and a good supply of wildlife. You can see how it was easy for him to hold out so long.

Today the Earth Modules move to Patagonia Lake State Park.

Crawl out the window, or Call Rodger? No good choice

Last night The Commander watched the temperature drop on her bedside digital thermometer. At three in the morning The Commander decided to do an inspection of the Earth Module. All the water would run but in the shower. To add to her consternation, the refrigerator seemed to have stopped working. Reluctantly Kadizzle was forced out of bed to address the crises. To be on the conservative side the generator needed to be started so the heater could work at top efficiency. In the first attempt to open the door on the Earth Module it became apparent we were frozen in. The door would not open. Faced with the prospect of damaging the door there were two options, alert Ruth and Rodger and try to get them to open the door or have The Commander crawl out the window. Crawling out the window is not a simple maneuver because the window is small and about five feet up. Waking up Ruth and Rodger seems like the best option. So we called Ruth, but she did not get to the phone in time. Then it occurred to Kadizzle that he could open the small window by the door and throw some hot water on the outside. Before this plan could be implemented Ruth called back, and Rodger came to the rescue. A little hot water on the door seal did the trick. Kadizzle also had another insight about the shower. The shower can be shut off like most showers two ways. The Commander never considered that the shower was shut off at the shower head. It turned out there was no real problem except the refrigerator. As the sun warms up the roof more than likely the snow on the vent will melt and the refrigerator vent. In retrospect there was no real problem. The Commander was fidgety all night and sleeping was not easy, but we all have awakened to a gorgeous day with about an inch of snow on the ground. Another day on the border waiting for the border patrol to make the morning rounds.

Lessons from life on the border

Just finished a conversation with one of the nice young border agents that drive by every so often. Kadizzle asked why they don't just round up the illegals at the places they work. Answer, lobbyist make sure they cannot. Tyson Chicken is the worst offender, and some other big corporate interest make sure once the illegals are there to be exploited the border patrol cannot interfere. The right wing insist we put up 900 million in fences, but we don't simply arrest the corporate people who are putting out the cheese to attract the rats. The border patrol agent told me about an agent who got ambushed and killed by illegals. Not all illegals are bad people. It is sad to see people die in the desert and border patrol agents get killed just because lobbyist can pay off politicians and make sure we don't simply solve the problem.

Next topic. Energy use. Living in an Earth module in the desert makes one quickly become aware of how much energy we use, and waste. The electricity to warm us, light us, and provide for this computer all comes from our little Honda generator. If every American could hear an engine roar when they made toast, or ran the microwave our energy problem would be solved. When you are self contained you quickly realize how much water you use, how much sewage you produce, and how much energy you need. Habits change, you are willing to be a little colder. You change you schedule to do things when the generator runs, you turn out the lights quickly, and you don't leave the water run for an extra second. Strangely life without as much waste is not that bad. If the average American could stand beside the pile of coal burnt in their name, and oil burnt in their name, they would be amazed. However, our hear no evil, see no evil life style makes us oblivious to what we actually do.

Lunch with Cochise

The Kadizzlites standing in Cochise's living room

Today Lord Kadizzle probably sat on the very rock Cochise often sat on and had lunch. Under a huge bolder that served as his home in the mountains he loved was a wonderful lunch spot. Not far away was where he signed his doom, and what was a worthless treaty. As we wandered around a maize of boulders Ruth discovered some petroglyphs. Behind another bolder Ruth discovered one of the scarce pottery pieces we found today.

The whole area looked like the classic setting for a western. It was easy to see how the area was a perfect home. In the mountains above one could find shelter, and game. Out on the prairie below it would have been easy to drive game into a box canyon.

Click on this picture to enlarge it so you can read the text on the sign. The sign is directly in front of Cochise's living spot

Let's Cheat the Indians

Today the Kadizzlites will search for Council Rocks. "It was at Council Rocks where, in 1872, Cochise signed the Broken Arrow Peace Treaty, agreeing to cease waring attacks. In return, the government granted to the Apaches a vast reservation, including the southeast corner of Arizona, including the Dragoon and Chiricahua Mountains near the Mexican border. However, in 1876, two years after Cochise died, the government broke its promise and moved the Chiricahua Apaches 100 miles north to the San Carlos Reservation on the Gila River." Cochise loved the mountains around here, and if you ever see them you will know why. Cochise was falsely accused of a kidnapping he had nothing to do with, and the whole thing spun out of control. Cochise got along fine with the local whites until they needed a fall guy. If all goes well we will find the very spot on the side of the Dragon Mountians where Cochise was tricked into signing a worthless document that allow him to be robbed. If Wall Street bankers could only have been there, to get their share.

The mail box at Picketpost Mountain

No mail delivery is more strenuous than the one the mailman makes to the top of Picketpost mountain. Roder and Kadizzle made the hike a couple weeks ago. With a hurt leg Kadizzle climbed for three hours to check the mail. The site offers a fine view in every direction, but it is one of the steepest nastiest hikes Kadizzle has taken. The mail box is sort of a geochache. If you look closely at the mailbox you will see a condom taped to the top of the box. While Kadizzle was doing geocaching elsewhere with Rodger we found two other geocaches with the trademark condom. For those who do not know the custom, when you find a geochache you take something out and put something in. Rodger is in a group called the Screw Ups, so they always leave a screw. The first geocache Kadizzle found with Rodger had the condom and a whistle. Rodger said I should put on the condom, and blow the whistle. Being a little tired Kadizzle decided not to try it, but if a pretty little thing came out of a bush it would have been interesting. However, it is also possible the sex of the respondent could have gone either way, which may have forced Kadizzle to admit he had blown the whistle by accident. Who knows what you will find in the wilderness.

A Strange find in at Cochise's Stronghold

The band of explorers and hikers set up the Earth Modules as close to the West Side of the Cochise Stronghold we could get to. Even so it was a long five mile ride over your typical high desert road to the trail head. The trail on the west side takes a steep mile and a half up to the divide. Before we got to the top the Kadizilites broke off onto a side canyon, and headed up a creek. As usual The Commander's backside was on fire and she had to run wild like a hunting dog that just got out of the car. Lord Kadizzle decided to go at a slower pace and soak in the wonderful rock formation made up of huge boulders. As Ruth, Rodger, and The Commander scrambled down the canyon Kadizzle got bored and decided to go up one side of the canyon. There is something about a big pile of boulders that attracts kids and idiots to the top. Falling into the latter category Kadizzle had to scramble to the top. On the way up to the lookout atop the boulders Kadizzle came across what appeared to be a hidden cache placed there by hikers. Sometimes people on a long hike store goods rather than carry them for the whole trip. It appeared a little strange because as far as Kadizzle could determine it was some water, a very nice camera tripod, and a tent. One aspect of the cache was puzzling. It appeared as though it had been there a long time, and gave the impression no one was ever coming back to get it. A collapsible gallon water bottle had deteriorated from the sun and was laying in pieces.

When Rodger, Ruth, and The Commander returned they came up to view the find. Kadizzle looked closer into the waterproof bags and opened the container he originally thought was a tent. The tent turned out to be not a tent, but a very nice spotting scope. This was exactly what Rodger wanted for his birthday. However, wrapped around the scope was a bright pink card that explained this material was not lost, it belonged to the Forest Service and was hidden here to observe peregrine falcons nesting. Indeed there were falcons flying high above. Disappointed the material was replaced and rehidin. Maybe in a few years we will check to see if the material is still there.

30,000 Sand Hill Cranes head for breakfast

The Kadizzlites were up early awaiting the departure of the Sand Hill Cranes. These are the same guys that fly over North Dakota. Last year The Commander and Lord Kadizzle tried to shoot at a couple of them in North Dakota. Hopefully they don't recognize us here. If they told all their friends to release their droppings over our camper we would be six feet under. No border crossers showed up this morning. We are just fifteen miles North of the Border.

A moral dilemma on the border

Americans are milling about watching thousands of Sand Hill Cranes fifteen miles north of the Mexican border. In their midst is one illegal Mexican who must have crossed the border last night. The Mexican is sitting on a park bench beside an American who has no clue he is illegal. Earlier the illegal asked Ruth for a ride north. Ruth gave him a sandwich and a bottle of water. Later Lord Kadizzle managed to procure a banana, an orange, and a piece of pizza for him. The north bound man offered Kadizzle some large bill to drive him North. Kadizzle refused. After awhile the poor man headed north across the desert. What do you do? Here is a man who probably slept last night in some very cold weather with no shelter. He is bound to get caught by the border patrol a little north of here. The prevailing attitude seems to be live and let live. What if he does not make it and freezes or dies? Should we have called the border patrol? The whole situation is sad. Amongst Americans teeming with wealth one man sits while rich Americans bird watch. It is almost like having someonne die in your midst and not noticing. There is something strangely wrong in this world. You cannot put your finger on it, but when you see it first hand, it just strike you as strange. It is like going to a hanging, and saying, "My that was a nice rope they hung him with", but you took no notice of the guy at the end of the rope. A very strange world we live in. While we watch birds a guy heads off in the distance and disappears into the desert. Will we be asked about this in our next life?

Close to the middle of no where

As Kadizzle stepped out of the Earth Module in the dark to view the star filled sky a feminine voice asked "Is that you Mike?". Kadizzle always thought God was a man, but he answered yes. God turned out to be Ruth out having coffee looking at the stars at 6 A.M. Morning was going to break soon at the Senior Center parking lot with the sun coming over the Chirichua Mountains we had hiked two days ago. The Seniors invited us in last night for spaghetti and pie. The Commander picked up some local history from the natives.

The hike yesterday too us into Chochice's Stronghold. It was easy to see how Cochise could control the area with a few key lookouts. The climb to the pass was gentle and senic. Rodger's GPS showed the exact location of the stronghold. Unfortunately for Rodger there was nothing there after he made the strenuous hike to the GPS point. From below it appeared there may have been a cave.

Today the band moves 25 miles south to a birding area. Hopefully more free camping and then on to the west side of the Stronghold.

9 Miles of Vertical Smiles

The soreness is soaking Lork Kadizzles body today after the nine mile hike yesterday through the Chiricahua Mountians. The Commander and Kadizzle had been there before, but it was nice to see it again. Finding a place to camp was a bit of a problem because the Denny camper was low and long. With a bit of luck the Park Ranger agreed to let us stay in the horse camping area. As we arrived a helicopter was just leaving the ambulance which had hauled a hiker with broken bones down from the mountain. Hiking it was easy to see how the person slipped on snow and ended up with a compound fracture. The weather was perfect and many streams were running that had been dry for years. Now the band is watching the sun come up at the Senior Center parking lot in Sunsite AZ. Looks like another great day and another long hike to Cochise's Stronghold.

Adventure Team heads to Chiricahua Mountains

If all goes well the team will head to the Chiricahua Mountains today. Hopefully we can find a nice spot to dry camp. It has been many years since the Kadizzles have been there, but the hiking there is great and there are some interesting rock formations.

North Dakota Team completes assualt of Picketpost Mountain

With severe weather conditions and temperatures in the low 70's, Lord Kadizzle and Rodger began the assault of Picket Post mountain in bright sunshine. Having been turned back in an earlier assault do to confusion about the route they were determined to make the mountain theirs. With a game leg the fate of Kadizzle was uncertain. Rodger had a plan to roll Kadizzle down the mountain if he became crippled. Rodgers plan gave Kadizzle great incentive not to injure the already weak leg. When it looked like the trail could not get steeper or harder to find, it did. On the way up the Dakota team met one despondent climber coming down who lost the trail near the summit and gave up. As the snow did not fall, and the wind did not blow the team climber higher and higher in the severe 72 Degree weather. Constantly in the back of Kadizzles mind was the fact that they would have to come down, which is always harder. Near the summit Rodger began looking for a geocache. After a little searching he found it. When we reached the summit and Rodger started to look for the next geochache, his GPS went dead. On the way down we realized finding the trail was just as bad as going up. With no spare batteries we made it by following our firm belief that the bottom was downhill. On top of the mountain the view was spectacular.

Commander Peanut leads assult on canyon

Strange Cactus

Famous cresalated catus near our camp

Music in the Campground

When The Commander and Lord Kadizzle returned from today's hike, what a pleasant surprise. Right behind our Earth Roamer was a wonderful live concert. Life is good.

Discoveries in the Desert

Rodger found the Geochache and then the Kadizzle crew went back to recover the unknown device. Pictured above who knows what it is? The strange thing has fins, but the fins are not configured in the normal fashion. Kadizzle speculates it is some kind of arming device for a rocket or missile. A lot of helicopters are tested around here and many of them are the Blackhawk type. If you think you know fire us a message.

What Did Kadizzle find in the Desert?

Yesterday Kadizzle took his first geochache hike. The hike was fun and a good way to practice GPS skills. According to infomation at the cache it was the oldest in Arizona. On the way back from the cache Kadizzle decided to take a cross country walk back. On the way back Kadizzle found a strange looking device made from stainless steel. It had fins on it in a strange fashion. It looked like a component of a detonator for a missile or bomb. If Kadizzle gets time he will put a picture of it on here today. Although Kadizzle did not bring it back, he did mark on the GPS where it is. Perhaps today Kadizzle will go get it.

Bud, Beer Cans, and Justin Time

Sally Greased her Wooden Leg

When Kadizzle was young he used to work with his brother for an old farmer. Lutrel Davis was always telling stories and singing songs. A favorite was "Sally greased her Wooden leg". I guess Sally was a pretty good dancer with enough grease. Poor Kadizzle may have to get a wooden leg so greasing it is a real possibility. Yesterday Kadizzle re-injured his left leg. The leg origionally went bad during hunting. Today was going to be a great hike for eight miles through the Superstition Mountains. Now, it looks like Kadiz will end up sitting in the library and doing chores.

Massive Bullshit in the Desert

Kadizzle got caught in a couple of cackle storms today. Usually Kadizzle accuses The Commander of getting into a cackle storm, but Kadizzle had his own today. First a round with Bud the camp host. Bud's dad was an oil field rough neck, so that got us going in all directions. Then on the way back from the morning visit to the executive suite Kadizzle ran into the old logging dozer man. Dozer man had not been seen for a couple days. Dozer explained he had ear balance problems that were making him sick. This launched into an hour long conversation into his exposure to radiation and a host of logging, mining, spying, lying, and everything else. Of course Kadizzle had an abundance of stories. The BS quota has been met for the week. Bud was up early and The Commander and Kadizzle heard the distinct squeak of the gate at 6 A.M. In not time Bud had the fire going. Yesterday while hiking with Barry he told me he called his wife the commander also. Barry, his wife, and my Comander made an eight mile hike. Kadizzle dropped them off and picked them up because of the bad leg. Barry told me what it was like to hike with two commanders. He was well instructed.

Discussing my AIDS and VD at the Library

Kadizzle is sitting at the Apache Junction Library. A very nice facility. In order to use their internet you must get a card for a dollar a week. When I got in line for my card the young woman insisted I get in line. At the time I was in line there was just one person there besides me, so it was obvious I was second in "Line". I explained to the young woman that my leg hurt, and I wanted to lean against the counter. She insisted I get in "line". Then she proceeded to explain to me people had to stand in line because they discuss very private things with people seeking to use the internet. In my mind I just wondered what could be so private. When my turn in line came the woman asked me what I wanted. I explained I wanted to discuss some private things, my AIDS, and my venereal disease. The woman who was in front of me was packing up her stuff and heard the whole conversation, she began laughing, but poor little library lady was just wound so tight she glared at me.

Wild Horses at the door this Morning

On the way to the executive suite this morning the wild horses came through our campground.

Mourning at Bud's camp fire

Soon after the sun comes up it is time to see how Bud is doing. Bud is the camp host. He gets three dollars a day and a few benefits. Bud gets up early and fires up his old washing machine tub full of Mesquite. A warm fire takes the chill off the morning. With the bright sun coming over the mountains the desert looks lush, and another wasted day begins.

Hiking the Superstitions

Yesterday the crew had a nice hike in the Superstition Mountains. With the recent rains and water running it was a very nice hike on a perfect day.