Why did Jesus ride a Donkey?

Why did Jesus ride a donkey? After all he was God. He could have had corporate jet, a bike, or a nice dirt bike motorcycle. Two days ago we got a flat tire. Donkeys don't get flat tires. Nothing is more frustrating than flat tires, and the desert seems to have a magic way of creating flat tires. A tire with a punctured sidewall cannot be fixed. The Kadizzles have averaged about one tire per year that has to be replaced at over two hundred dollars per tire. Drywall screws, shell casings, and rocks, are all common tire demons.

Yesterday the Kadizzles took the tire to get it fixed. Finding a place that will repair a flat in this modern age is another problem. Prior to our most recent flat tire, we had to drive from Pick City North Dakota to Billings Montana before we could get a flat repaired. Luckily after one false start we found a place in Pumpkin Center, AZ that could fix our tire.

The first place we stopped two people were waiting for the place to open. Both the woman and the man fit the typical small town desert MO. Both were fried by the sun, and both were deep in the hand gun culture. In fact that was part of why they were there. Al the 75 year old inventor was going to install his invention in the little desert woman's truck. The invention was very clever. It held you gun securely until you swiped your fingerprint across the back of the gun holder. Instantly your loaded gun was available to shoot the dastardly bastard that needed to be dead. Al has a video that shows him drawing the gun from it's holder near his back door in under three seconds. The great thing is the gun is safe from children, but loaded and ready to go. Kadizzle is not an advocate of hand guns. In fact hand guns should be registered, licensed and controlled, but until the NRA is defeated at least we can have some better safety devices.

If one went by appearance one would never have guessed how smart and what a good inventor the old guy was. Kadizzle enjoyed talking with him and the discussion lead to another invention he is working on. Al is working on a heat engine that will work similar to a steam engine, but will use freon. If his idea is practical it seems someone would have perfected it. For about an hour we discussed using his idea to capture the waste heat from power plants. After seeing Al's gun invention he just may be able to perfect his freon engine. If he does he will make more than Bill Gates.

A New Adventure is about to begin.

Jasper Littlebottom and Lord Kadizzle have spent the last two weeks preparing the new Earth Module to head South.  We both miss the old Earth Module that was destroyed last year in our spectacular crash.  The new module has more room and many luxuries the old module lacked.  We have been trying to keep the module as light as possible and are eliminating many useless items we carried in the past.  Always we are faced with the "What if?" decisions.  What if we gut stuck, we will need a shovel, a chain, a winch, a rope. The plan now is not to get stuck.

If God is willing and the creeks don't rise the trip will begin on Saturday.  The Kadizzlenauts will probably make their way to Wheatland Wyoming to spend the night. From Wheatland it will be on to see our daughter in Denver.  After seeing the grandaughter Ticklepinch for a few days the wagon will go on to Chochitte reservoir.  A stop at Cottonwood may be in order to visit my Kadizzle's little sister, then on to Lake Roosevelt, North of Mesa.  So it will be changes in latitude changes in attitude.

The Lord will provide

Big ole buzzard sitting on a fence watching them chickens play
He sit with his best friend the ole chicken hawk
Chicken hawk jump up and say "We ought to invite us a chicken home for supper today

And the buzzard looks at him with a baleful eye.
Take a few seconds 'for he give a reply
Turn his neck nearly all the way 'round
Looks at the chicken hawk and says with a frown

The Lord will provide (2x)
That's what brother buzzard said "The Lord will provide"

Chicken hawk says "well I'm hungry"
"My stomach's startin' to rumble like a train"
he spies a fat chicken in the barn yard
Chicken hawk jump up and say
"The Lord helps them that helps themselves my friend"

No, the Lord will provide (etc.)

Chicken hawk starts a chasin' chicken
Chicken starts squawkin' and run
Farmer come out of the farm house
Farmer got a big shotgun

Farmer he blows that chicken hawk to kingdom come

And the buzzard looks at him with a baleful eye
take a few seconds for he give a reply
turn his neck nearly all the way 'round
looks at the chicken hawk layin' on the ground.

I knew the Lord would provide
I said "The Lord will provide"
That's what brother buzzard said
The Lord will provide
Well, there is a fine lesson about patience in that song, to be sure! Do you feel sorry for the chicken hawk, or good for the buzzard? Or are you on the farmer's side?
And here is another line, from a song by Bruce Cockburn (a professed Christian):
Speculation is a waste of time, you want to go have a glass of wine...
Don't you love the juxtaposition of those two concepts? And how much faith is really implied here? Waiting is our existential predicament. No matter what we think will come. Sometimes we get what we want, sometimes we don't.
Sometimes we can wrestle a reason, a purpose out of our situation, sometimes it's just plain difficult. The problem that things don't turn out how we wish is a key argument for atheists, and a tough nut for Christian apologists.
This need to control the future, and when the future comes, the need to explain the outcome is so very human. And by that, I mean our reach extends beyond our grasp. We can't get over the need to find meaning,and have control over Fate. Nobody wants to only play the hand they are dealt, we want to ask the dealer for a few cards.
Both philosophers and theologians have deep things to say as they wrestle with this topic. They want the crystal ball too, or at least to be the the Great Provider of Comfort, either to the head or the heart. At the core, it is a logical impossibility, though. Reaching to the realm of the Unknown. Now quoting Paul Simon,
God only knows, God makes his plan
The information's unavailable to the mortal man.
Can we leave it there? I doubt it.

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The Storms of Summer

Summer on the prairie always has it's exciting storms.  The other day the warning sirens blew and the clouds rolled in.  It did not take The Commander too long to get into high worry gear.  The radar showed a big mess coming from the west. Waiting for a storm is like waiting to get kicked in the ass.  The big storm showed up and it was a whopper.  The trees bent as far as they could.  Some went too far and broke. 

The next morning always tells the story.  Indeed there seemed to be a record number of branches down in the city.  A steady line of trucks headed for the tree dump North of town.  Strangely for the extreme force of the wind there was very little property damage.  Thankya Jeesus there was no hail.  All the Kadizzles needed was hail to pound the new camper into oblivion.   Our yard did not get hit too hard.  Two loads to the dump did the job for the Kadizzles.

After all this the good ship Sovereign headed out on the open seas Thursday night.  Every night lately seems to include a storm.  As the boats tied up to the shore in Pochant Bay The Commander was concerned about another storm approaching.  Extra anchors and shore lines were set, but after a moderate blow the boats were fine.  The storm had a classic menacing wall of wind that was very spectacular to see in the sky above.

Friday night the ruler of the winds showed mercy and the good ship spent a peaceful night at anchor in Moose Bay.  Ruth and Rodger anchored to the East of the Sovereign and both ships had room to swing.

When morning came the Sovereign headed west Hide Out  headed home to the East.  On the Edge captained by Chuck got an early start from Shark's tooth where he had spent the night with the Johnson's tied to the shore.  Sovereign and On the Edge headed west under favorable winds to Heaven Bay.  After a nice sail, and a good swim, another storm showed up on The Commanders radar.   The storm looked very nasty and was headed right at us.  Chuck and The Commander had lines strung everywhere to hold us in place.  Besides all the lines two anchors were out.   With a great flourish the storm appeared on schedule. The clouds swirled and seemed to act like they were trying to form a tornado.  After a short strung gust the whole thing went by and did not amount to much excitement. As a bonus the storm left two nice rainbows in it's wake.

The big storm that hit Hazen at the beginning of this tale did have some consequences on the lake.  Our dock with four boats was torn from shore.  In a stroke of genius a very large shoe box shaped house boat was tied to our docks.  The giant shoe box fifty feet long and 13 feet high present more than adequate surface to the wind to tear the docks loose.  The gang plank to the dock was completely torn loose, and the other stiff arm was half torn away.  Luckily the whole mess was forced ashore with minimal damage to the boats.

In a week or two the fleet will head west for the week long sail.  Surely there will be storms and Chinese fire drills.  The best Chinese fire drill happen when the storm hits the boats at about one A.M.  Half asleep sailors in a wine induced haze jump from their boats and scramble to keep their boats from turning into a pile of fiberglass. The lines are tightened, more stakes are driven, and the sailors are soaked, but it all leads to a great story in the log book, so it is all worthwhile as long as no one gets hurt.  Fun with lightening on the prairie playing a round of Dare to Be Stupid.

Upside down and backwards on I 25

The Commander and Lord Kadizzle have been married since the time of the dinosaurs. Kadizzle has always felt like he was upside down when he communicated with The Commander. On a nice sunny day 15 miles south of Pueblo Kadizzle was upside down talking to the Commander.

Metal from the the right rear trailer tire on the trailer in front of us spewed across the highway. As luck would have it one piece of metal blew out our right rear tire, and another piece probably triggered the emergency brakes on the trailer. The combination of locked wheels on the Earth module and a blown tire flipped the Earth module on it's side.

As Kadizzle tried to steer the truck he had no idea the trailer was on it's side doing the steering. Kadizzle tried to stay in front of the trailer, but it was hopeless. The trailer steered the truck at about 65 miles an hour into the median strip. Things were not good and the Kadizzles were mostly along for the ride at this point. The last thing The Commander recalled was going in the ditch. Kadizzle recalls coming up out of the ditch headed into oncoming traffic. That was the last recollection of the occupants until they found themselves upside down.

The mechanism that attaches the truck to the trailer is designed to transfer weight from the trailer to the truck. However, it also can apply torque to the truck. The truck could resist the torque from the trailer until it started to come out of the ditch. At this point the slope of the ditch made it easy for the trailer to overturn the truck. When the computer, who was a hero in this mess, sensed the truck rolling over it set off the side airbags. The computer showed it's genius by not setting off the front air bags. They were not needed because of the rate of deceleration. Airbags exploding in front of us was the last thing we needed. The side air bags did their job, but they also did one thing that did not occur to Kadizzle until later. The air bag explosion stunned Kadizzle and The Commander. The air bags acted like the flash bang grenades swat teams use to stun the bad guys. That is why neither occupant remember the best part of the ride, rolling over and spinning around. Although the truck and trailer were originally headed north on I-25 the whole apparatus ended up facing south upside down.

This is the point where the crew found themselves hanging upside down in the cab of the pickup. Kadizzle inquired if The Commander was ok, and the report was good. Kadizzle let The Commander know he was OK. The prospect of getting out did not immediately look good. Kadizzle was very concerned about the fuel onboard the overturned vehicle. In the bed of the pickup there was a seven gallon gas can Kadizzle had just filled. The motorcycle upside down in the back held about three gallons of gas. The trailer had two large propane tanks full of propane. If there was a fire, it would be a good one when you added another twenty gallons of gasoline from the truck itself. With this in mind Kadizzle shouted to The Commander to “Get out, get out as fast as you can”. The Commander is a small woman and quickly crawled out the broken window on her side. Kadizzle looked at the small opening and wondered if his massive belly was going to make it through the escape hatch. Fortunately we were quickly outside and stunned that we were totally unhurt.

As cars stopped people assumed we were trapped under the truck. Several people asked us if there were people in there. They were surprised when we said we were. When Kadizzle gained his senses he called 911 and asked the highway patrol to see if they could find the truck that caused the incident. By the time they checked the truck was not to be found. It took several hours to clear the wreck and we had to come back to the junk yard the next day to get our personal items. The moral of the story is wear your seatbelts, and when you drive ask yourself “Is this a good speed to have a wreck?” You will never wish you were going faster once you try the roll over. Over all the judges gave us an eight. We got four points for doing a 180 with the truck and trailer, and four points for doing 180 degrees from North to South. Our form was good and our final alignment with the highway was great. The only way we could have scored hirer would have to done a complete 360. Few have ever achieved this feat and walked away.

Earth Module lands at Chochiti Lake

All plans can be changed.  Instead of El Morro we ended up at Chochiti Lake in New Mexico.  Today we hiked in  the Tent Rocks National monument.  At the entrance we managed to engage a Native American employee in a conversation.  The Kadizzlites as usual were in search of little know Indian Ruins.  Quickly our friend explained the local people did not want that going on.  Also he said it was no the time of year when outsiders would be welcomed into the communities because of spring ceremonies.

We had a great discussion about local history and got to hear the native's perception of the Spanish.  He told an interesting story about a rancher in the area who claimed he owned the land via the Spanish.  The religious land owner wanted to sell the land for a nice price. The Native American we spoke with suggested to the man he give the land back to the local native people.  The man has not spoken to him since.

It is always enlightening to hear the other side of the story.  According to our friend at the gate the local tribes were not real happy about the federal government making their sacred land into a tourist destination.  When we hiked through the scenic area there were many signs instructing people to stay on  the trail, and not to climb on anything.  Of course there were young college kids acting as if the signs were not there. You could see why the locals were not happy.

On the trail we met "T"  hiking with his family.  Kadizzle introduced himself as Lord Kadizzle, but "T" kept calling me Mr. Kadizzle.   After The Commander and Kadizzle were seperated on the trail for awhile "T" said " Mrs. Kadizzle is looking for you".  Had to explain to "T" why she was The Commander and not Mrs. Kadizzle.

Earth Module scheduled to go North today.

Unable to sleep Kadizzle is up pecking on the laptop.  Soon the sun will be up and The Commander will rise with it.  Kadizzle has had his coffee, and when The Commander awakes the truck will be hooked to the Earth Module. 

The plan is to head North up to Flagstaff then East.  Perhaps we will spend the night at El Moro.  El Morro is a small park with some very strange inscriptions. 

Explorers and travelers have known of the pool by the great rock for centuries. A valuable water source and resting place, many who passed by inscribed their names and messages in the rock next to petroglyphs left by ancient Puebloans. The ruins of a large pueblo located on top of El Morro were vacated by the time the Spaniards arrived in the late 1500s, and its inhabitants may have moved to the nearby pueblos in Zuni and Acoma. As the American West grew in population, El Morro became a break along the trail for those passing through and a destination for sightseers. As the popularity of the area increased, so did the tradition of carving inscriptions on the rock. To preserve the historical importance of the area and initiate preservation efforts on the old inscriptions, El Morro was established as a national monument by a presidential proclamation on December 8, 1906.

On the way to our next destination which will be a Corp of Engineers reservoir over near Sante Fe the Kadizzlites will enjoy a fine rest at El Morro. 

Camping south of Sedona has been very pleasant.  Mornings start by watching the hot air balloons arrive while we sit with coffee in the sun.  Next a brief motorcycle trip to the model airplane airport to have a chat with the techno nerds.  Finally some hiking or motorcycling, and then back to the module for the afternoon glass of wine, beer, or whiskey.  It is a tough life to give up, but someone has to explore every inch of Arizona, and surrounding states.  The Commander insist that if an Indian ever built an ancient out house we have to find it.

The Adventure Continues

It is not hard to see why the rich flock to Sedona.  The climate is teriffic and the outdoor life could hardly get better.  Yesterday with the Commander,  Kadizzle found an Indian ruin.  When we saw a grainery high in the cliffs we started to investigate and came upon a good ruin.  This morning the Hot air balloons finally landed right in the front yard of our camper.  Today Kadizzle took another motor cycle ride up one of the worst roads known to man.  It was one of those roads where if you stopped you were doomed. 

When  Kadizzle reached the top the view was magnificent.  The Commander was not with Kadizzle, but she would have insisted we drop into Sycamore Canyon and look for Indian sites.  The view of Sycamore Canyon made one realize how much land was really unexplored around here.

On the way down Kadizzle stopped for a rest and saw a four wheel ATV starting up the treacherous climb.  The ATV did not make it any distance at all and chickened out.  Kadizzle realized the foolishness of going up the mountain side by himself after he got to the top.  There were plenty of hazards and things to go wrong, and it was not a good road for a single person to be on.  As Kadizzle went up he realized he was on another one of those dare to be stupid jaunts.  This was another ride likely to cause a mechanical disaster.  It was another ride where nothing but another motorcycle of a helicopter could get to you.  A mechanical problem would mean the cycle would have to be taken out in pieces.  This recently happened to a friend.  He had to pay someone 300 bucks to go get his cycle with a jeep.

The model airplane airport about half mile away is also good entertainment in the morning.  One gentleman Kadizzle has got to know flys a glider.   The glider gets to altitude with an electric motor and then for hours he just sits and flys the the thermals. It looks like so much fun Kadizzle is very tempted to buy one.

Searching for Tim's Cave

Off the highway where the hot air balloons land the Earth Module has come to rest.  Down the road about six miles are the two main Indian Ruins everyone and their grandmother visit when they come to Sedona.

Prior to our arrival the Kadizzlites attended a lecture on Tim's Cave.  Tim is dead, but his brother Andy gave the talk.  The story is long and convoluted, but Kadizzle will try to condense it.  Tim had cystic fibrosis.  Tim died at age 24, but before he died, Tim developed a love for Indian ruins, and culture.  Alex was eight years younger, and his brother Tim was his hero.

In 1991 someone gave Andy the gift of a helicopter ride in the Sedona area.  Five people went on the ride and all the occupants did not know each other.  Since the ride was primarily for Andy the helicopter flew over the Indian sites Tim loved.  As the helicopter was running out of the paid time,  Alex agreed to pay for 15 minutes more air time.

As the helicopter came around the bend near the red rock cliffs the sun was just right so everyone in the Helicopter could see into a cave.  The cave was in a very unreachable location.  In the cave in clear view were three very large pots, and two baskets.  Alex stood on the outside of the helicopter and got a good picture of the cave contents.

Immediately the people on the helicopter reported the find to the USFS.  However, before the Forest Service got to the cave in nine days someone had stolen a basket that was in the cave.  Withing 17 days before the contents were removed someone stole a large pot.  The total value of the cave contents could have been a half million dollars.

In honor of Alex's brother the Cave was named Tim's Cave.  Quickly the FBI was on the case and the person who stole the artifacts was in danger of being caught.  Whoever took the artifacts had to have been tipped off by one of the people on the helicopter ride.  Kadizzles suspects Alex knows who the culprit was but did not say probably for fear of getting sued.  However, someone in the audience blurted out the name.  The stolen pots were returned anonymously through the Hopi Indians and the person was never charged.  Kadizzle suspects it was someone with money and connections who was able to avoid prosecution.

There are more twist and turns to this story and you can get the full story on line.  Yesterday the Kadizzlites set out to find Tim's Cave.  Remarkably the people at the major Indian sites knew nothing about this important find with the exception of one.  It turned out the cave was not where Alex seemed to describe it.  Alex may have been deliberately misleading people to protect the cave.  Also if someone in the audience had shouted out during the lecture " That is not where it is", that person would have given away the fact they may have been in on the robbery.

If you want to see the actual pots in the cave you will have to google image for Tim's Cave.  The pictures cannot be copied. 

Zombies in the forest.

About two weeks ago Lord Kadizzle took a motorcycle ride up a very remote road and finally reached a point where the road was so bad even a motorcycle could not make it.  In a burst of common sense Kadizzle went back. However, the ride did result in the discovery of a trail head.

Yesterday, Kadizzle and The Commander set out to make the hike up 2000 ft in about a mile an a half.  To get started we had to find the trail. By mistake we wandered up the road where Kadizzle had been stymied with the motorcycle.  Six miles into the wilderness a card table was set up where Kadizzle had turned two weeks earlier.  On the card table was a very strange collection.  There were brand new Zombie books for sale,  and the table was covered with a strange assortment of dice.  Additionally there was some pellets that turned out to be Chinese tea, or perhaps something that could be smoked in a bong, who knows.

As we approached what seemed to be the strangest garage sale on Earth the nice bearded fellow in the green shirt wished us a happy St. Patrick's Day.   Quickly we explained the greeting was perfect since we were Quinn's from Ireland.  After some brief chit chat Lord Kadizzle asked about the garage sale.  It was not a garage sale, it was a book signing and none other than Mike Griffiths the famous Zombie book author was there to sell and sign books.  As a special St. Patrick's day promotion we could have a beer and get our picture taken with Mike signing one of his books.  However, lacking $13 the beer stayed in the cooler, and the book on the table.

Mike said sales were good.  A person had accidentally come up the road earlier on an ATV and bought a book.  Six miles away on the paved road it might have been wise to post a sign "Zombie book signing today".   The sign should have given instructions " Just drive until  you are forced to stop, then walk".

Doing research for this story Kadizzle found out Zombies like fresh human flesh.  After visiting the camp of the dead deep in the forest The Commander and Lord Kadizzle set off up the mountain.  The thought of returning to the Zombie camp after the hike for a cold beer was tempting, but it seemed ill mannered to partake of the beer without buying a book, so Kadizzle and The Commander left without proper goodbyes.  Now it all has become clear.  The Zombies knew the size of Lord Kadizzle and how long it would take to cook a lumper of his mass.  If they waited until he came back down the mountain he would be half cooked.  The research also indicated the guy in the green - yellow shirt was Kurt Grabow the famous large format photographer.  Of course if they were going to cook Kadizzle and do an article for The Splendid Zombie Table they would need a large format camera.

Two thousand feet above the Zombie camp Kadizzle smelled the bacon he had seen Mike putting over the fire.  With just a small twist of fate another hiker could easily have smelled the bacon from Kadizzle.  The author explained to Kadizzle earlier that the very camp they were sitting in was part a novel he had written.  After our close call we both realize these are not novels he is selling but historical accounts of hikers they have ensnared. 

Dare to be stupid

Today Lord Kadizzle took the mother of all motorcycle rides with his brother in law Ned.  North of Roosevelt Lake we headed deep into the wilderness.  This in and of itself may not have been brilliant, but as we went further and further into the heart of no where Kadizzle began to realize he was playing a classic round of dare to be stupid.

Kadizzle's motorcycle had suffered a set back two days earlier.  After assembling and dissembling the carburetor three times, Kadizzle finally figured out what the problem was with the carburetor.  The float was broken.  With some of the most ingenious repair ever thought of by man Kadizzle sutured the carburetor back together with wire and it actually worked.  Well, it worked almost the way it should.

Now, Kadizzle is busting into the middle of no where with a motorcycle that may quit or fail to perform adequately.  This could have several results.  The motorcycle and Kadizzle may end up 15 miles into the most inaccessible part of AZ in a hundred miles stranded for the night while Ned goes for help.  The motorcycle may stall out going up a 45 degree boulder strewn road.

As we get farther and farther into no where we begin to realize we may be lost.  We may be lost even with a topo map and a GPS.   Some of the roads we are on are not on the map.  We might know exactly where we are, but we have no way of contacting anyone or getting out.

The good news is we are in some very nice country.  We are getting to see sights few people ever do, but will we ever get out and report our adventure.   Near the end of the ride we do have cell service and Kadizzle leaves a message for The Commander that we will be back late or perhaps never.

After 27 miles of the worst roads on the planet that looked like something from the Mexican death drive, we made it back to the place we started.  The Commander returned from her hike with the pick up and took us back to camp.  We won this round of dare to be stupid, and Kadizzle does not need to play again for some time.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, would you, could you be my neighbor?

It is a beautiful day in the campground.  The sun is shining, in the distance snow is on the mountains, and it is warm enough to sit here with the door open.  Humans are strange.  Humans that live out in the open become friends much more quickly than those cooped up in their compounds.  When you wake up on a sailboat and peak your head out to see your neighbor ten feet away it is far different from living in an urban house with a wall around it.  When you live in a camper and wake up to see people outside all around you, it is a different more friendly world.  People walk over and talk, people stroll by and say hello.   If you act like you have a mechanical problem with your RV or truck men will show up instantly to talk and help.  If someone notices you have a problem they are instantly willing to help.

In the old days people used to live in houses that invited guest.  Houses had front porches and sidewalks in front.  As people went by you talked and interacted as you sat on your porch.  Those days are gone and most of us live in isolation.  A great virtue of living the RV life is all the wonderful, crazy, and interesting people you meet.  Pull into a campground, and you will have ten new friends by the time you leave.  Some of these people will be friends for years, and you will often see them down the road.  Humans are tribal by nature,  and part of human nature is to cooperate and get along.  The way we live today destroys our good instincts.  Now we wall ourselves off, we invent ways to keep from interacting, and we ignore those around us with problems.  If you want to go back to the time when people interacted on the plaza go on the road, hike, camp, move among people that live outdoors.  Your life will be richer, your days will be brighter, your knowledge will increase, your mind will expand.

More rain in the Desert.

Rain in the desert is different from rain on the prairie where we live. Although one would think the sandy porous desert would soak up rain, it really doesn't seem to work that way. In no time water starts running everywhere. One thing you realize quickly in the desert is what a sudden rain can do.  Rain can start rocks falling, rain can make most country roads impassible.

One danger in the desert is rains that occur miles away. You can be in the sunshine miles away from a storm, but if you are in a canyon,  or a stream, water may suddenly rush upon you, and you have a real problem.

Yesterday as we drove back from Payson to Lake Roosevelt in a downpour you could see how each stream reacted differently.  One stream would be dry, and the next a quarter mile away would be a raging torrent.  If a stream stretched up towards the mountains and had already been saturated with snow melt it ran full.  If the stream was short with a small drainage it stayed dry. 

If mother nature sticks to the plan and warms things up the desert should bloom. Hopefully we will get to see some spectacular flowers.  On the other hand the rain probably woke up all the rattlesnakes.  This will make hiking a much more tense endeavor.  The Indians say that about a week or so after the lizards start to run about the rattlesnakes show up.  A rattlesnake that has not eaten for all winter may be in a bad mood.

Pouring Rain in the Desert

A tiny leak in the Earth Module is driving The Commander wild.  The window needs a little caulking.  The monsoon has hit and it may rain an inch.  Hopefully the net result will be blooming flowers everywhere in a few days.  Rain dramatically changes so much in the desert.  All the stream come alive.

Yesterday we were way up in a mountain valley.  The road we were on was exactly like some of those Mexican death roads you see on travel shows.  The road was chiseled out of a shear cliff.  Today the road would be suicide.  Rocks will be rolling down everywhere. 

On our trip yesterday we noticed one lonely camper in the mountain valley where we started our Devil's Chasm hike.  If the poor guy did not get out yesterday he will probably not get out for some time.  Rock slides will surely block the road today.

Pissing Off the Cowboys

Kadizzle and The Commander had a great day up Cherry Creek.  The Commander has been requesting for two years we visit Pottery Point.  With the Yamaha loaded on the Toyota we blasted our way to the water crossing at Cherry Creek.  We unloaded the motorcycle and headed to Pottery Point. After finding some nice pottery shards we went on up onto the treacherous road and saw some incredible scenery one would never think existed in Arizona.

On the way back some cowboys were moving cattle. Trying to be good motorcycle people we stopped so as not to spook the cattle.  The Commander got off and approached the cowboy, no doubt to inquire about the universe, but The Commander ended up sending the cattle back down the road.  The other cowboy was up on the hill trying to get one stray back in the herd.  The  fellow on the hill apparently thought his partner was inept because he could not see what caused the problem.  Some terse words were heard.  Eventually the cowboys got things under control and we could pass.

Who was after these people?

Devil's Chasm is aptly named. If you make it to the Indian ruin and back the devil will be in your joints, your back, and the soles of your feet. With Ruth and Rodger the Kadizzlites headed up the ravine. The group reassured themselves the hike was not that far and could not be that hard, but when you gain 1,000 feet per mile that changes everything.

As you go farther and farther up the steep sided canyon more and more you begin to wonder why anyone would chose to live here. The only logical conclusion Kadizzle can come up with is someone or something was after these people. There is speculation all the Indians of the southwest were under siege by something and moved into very defensive positions. The Devil's Chasm site certainly lends credence to that idea. Anyone who attempted to attack the Indians that built this site would have a very nasty battle on their hands. One of the first major obstacles is a very large boulder that blocks the entire bottom of the canyon. The only way past the boulder is to go through a hole that just barely accommodates Kadizzle. One Indian on the upper side could defeat an army on the lower side. As each enemy came through the hole it would be a simple matter of bopping him on the head with and Indian bopper.

To get to the Indian bopper hole you must use a rope.  The picture features The Commander climbing up to the Indian booper hole.   About two hundred yards after the first obstacle you encounter another waterfall.  Again you must rope your way up.  The pools in this canyon are among the most spectacular you will see in all the southwest.  The hike would be worth the effort just for the water features.

After some more climbing you can finally see the ruin.  As always the last part of the climb is straight up.  A serious danger in this part of the climb come from rocks above. If the person above dislodges a boulder and it rolls down the trail you may become history.  Last year a boulder came rolling down at Kadizzle and almost required a change of underwear.  The was about the size of a large truck tire and flew through the air about three feet in front of his lordship.

Finally at the ruin site you have to wonder " What in the hell were these people thinking?".   Who would make this insane climb and the build a dwelling on the edge of a cliff?

At the site the view was incredible.  The gang spent some time examining the ruins then headed back. 

 

Update

Ruth and Rodger have joined the Kadizzles at Roosevelt Lake.  The net result has been some serious hiking and exploring.  Today we went to a town called Young.  Young can be reached from our current camp site by going through the absolute middle of no where for about 75 miles.  On the back from young we revisited a waterfall we found last year.  Since boulders had fallen onto the road in many places the driving was tricky.  About a six hundred pound boulder appeared to block the road, but we managed to squeeze by it.  This was one of those mountain roads where if you go over the edge you are dead meat.

The gang thought we knew where to find an Indian site, but everyone was too tired from the day before to make the climb.  Yesterday we did an eight mile hike.  Yesterday's hike started at a hippie compound way up in another part of no where.  We drove eight miles up a dry creek bed until we got to the start of the trail.  At the beginning of the trail was Peter Bigfoots  ranch.  Peter Bigfoot teaches the old hippie skills from the sixties.  The Commander engaged Peter in conversation and found out our daughter's friend had stayed there for a couple years.

The Reavis Gap hike went through some nice terrain and followed some good creeks with running water.  Rodger and Kadizzle used our new filter to replenish Kadizzles water supply.  The cold water was tasty after the long hike.

Tomorrow the gang will attempt to find a very nice set of Indian ruins at Devil's Chasm.  It will be another hard eight mile hike.  To even get to the hike we will have to drive 23 miles on terrible roads. As a back up we will take the cycle.

Crazy and enjoying it

 

The Kadizzles moved from Lost Dutchman back to Phon De Sutton on the Salt River. As we pulled in Kadizzle recognized Stan's camper made from an old manure spreader. Stan's set up is unique, and it has some virtuous you will not find in other campers. Jan the camp host had told us a couple weeks ago about Stan's adventures chasing illegals on the border.

Stan said the local sheriff and border patrol could do without his help. Stan explained to The Commander and Kadizzle that he had figured out how the drug smugglers were working their system. According to stan the people carrying the drugs over the border meet the customers on this side at a predetermined GPS point. The drugs are handed over and then the drug carrier abandons his back pack and equipment and starts walking down the highway. Before long the border patrol picks up the Mexican gives him a meal and ships him back to Mexico, since the smuggler appeared to have nothing and was harmless.

Stan was patrolling the roadside on his four wheeler checking the mile markers. It was at the mile markers where Stan was finding the backpacks and abandoned gear.

Last year Stan bought a nice BMW motorcycle that he is now selling. It caught Kadizzles eye. As Kadizzle was examining the cycle The Commander was having a conversation with Stan. Stan was explaining to The Commander that he was bipolar, had Aspergers disease, and was just generally crazy.

Stan noted that currently he was off his medication since it made him feel un human and being crazy was much more fun.

Kadizzled inquired when was the best time to buy the cycle at the cheapest price. Stan indicated you might get a better deal when he was on medication. The Commander says Kadizzle is prohibited from buying the cycle.

Kadizzle has brain replaced with green Jello

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One nice thing about being retired is the ability to think or not think as much as you want. After a little discussion with The Commander, Lord Kadizzle determined it would be best if he quit thinking altogether. The Commander agreed it would be a good decision.

A doctor's appointment was set up and The Commander took Kadizzle to a brain specialist. The specialist explained the procedure. A device similar to a mellon ball maker is inserted in the ear. All brain matter is removed. The surgeon explained that having a hollow head would drive you crazy because of the sound, so the normal procedure is to refill the brain cavity with green Jello.

Once you are a retired man and have had the green Jellow treatment thinking is no longer needed. Someone else thinks for you. In Kadizzles case it is The Commander. Most things a normal person would notice like the brake lights of a truck in front of you are no longer noticeable. The result is The Commander will say “That truck is stopping”. If you go out the door, The Commander will shout “Close the door”, before you even get halfway through it. You will be told to put your shoes on, take your shoes off, and every aspect of your life will be regulated because you are now incapable of the simplest task. This is not all bad. Someone has to make coffee for you, because now you are an idiot.

Driving is the hardest thing you can do once you have had the green Jello treatment. Now you have become totally blind. You will be told when to use the turn signal, when to turn, which lane to use, when to change lanes, and the list is endless.

The most amazing thing about the green Jello treatment is it makes you an “idiot savant”. If you don't know the term look it up, but Kadizzle will give a brief explanation. An idiot savant is the type of person who goes around bumping into things and bumbling through life, but has a special unexplained talent.

How does this apply to the green Jello treatment? Normally Kadizzle is incapable of boiling water, but when The Commander gets stuck solving a computer problem, or some mechanical device does not work, who does she call? Of course it is the idiot that had his brains removed. How can this possibly work?

As a teenager Kadizzle knew a friend who lived with his granmother. His granny was something else, but Kadizzle recalls granny Powell telling Ben, “ Don't let your little head think for your big one”. After some thought Kadizzle realized that a penis had a little brain. What granny was telling Ben was not to let that little brain get the big one in trouble. Now that Kadizzle has had the green Jellow treatment he realizes that the little brain can do more than think about sex. The little brain apparently is talented in computer science and many other things. All these years Kadizzle thought the little brain was just snoozing in his underwear it turns out, the little brain was doing a lot of homework and studying. Thank god for that extra little brain. Now, Kadizzle can sneak in some thought and decision making and The Commander will never know.

Lost Dutchman State Park, AZ

The Kadizzlites sit below the peaks of the Superstition Mountains in Lost Dutchman State Park, in AZ.  Kadizzle remembers years ago hiking up Siphon Draw.  It is one of the two nastiest hikes in the area.  Once you start up the draw you have to climb about straight up.

Years ago when we first hiked it The Commander insisted we go to the top. Kadizzle was in a fat lazy mood and told the old Commander that she could go by herself, he would wait at the bottom.  As Kadizzle sat on a rock and The Commander buzzed up the mountain and old guy 85 came along the trail. The old guy said " What are you doing here?".  Kadizzle explained he was waiting for his wife to make the hike and come back.  The old man who said he had just had open heart surgery a couple of months ago said,  " This is where all the old ladies stop".   Well Kadizzle could not accept this insult and headed up the steep incline with the old man.  Kadizzle huffed and puffed and had a hard time keeping up with the old guy.

Nearing the top with the old guy Kadizzle was amazed to see a bunch of old ladies coming down the mountain.  For the old ladies to be coming down they must have started up at six A.M.  God must have put these women on a mission to really rub it in to Kadizzle about what a slubba he was.

At the top we found The Commander and the old guy talked us into going down a way only a few knew about.  The trip down was practically vertical, but the old goat told us we would get to see the remains of a plane crash.  When we reached the point where a military jet had hit the mountain in 1979,  we found a pile of plant parts, none of which were bigger than a paper plate.

Sitting below Siphon Draw today Kadizzle reflects back on that hike and that plane crash.  It is strange that the jest should strike the mountain inside the deep canyon.  Could pilot have thought he cold fly through the canyon.

Today was an easy day??

After a tough day yesterday the Kadizzles figured today would be a moderate adventure.  Of course things never turn out as planned.  With the motorcycle loaded in the pickup just in case we needed it, we headed up the mountain to do once more an Indian site we had discovered with Ruth and Rodger last year.

The vehicles of the trail crew were at the trail head, which was about five miles up the mountain.  The trail crew was working in the vicinity of the site right along the trail.  As Kadizzle and The Commander sat at the old site, Kadizzle used the binoculars to scout for new sites.  In the distance some rocks caught his eye.  Last year Rodger and The Commander found some nice stuff in this same area. 

Kadizzle took off separately from The Commander, but they stayed in radio contact.  The Commander discovered some Indian grinding stones pretty quickly.  Kadizzle had a terrible fight through the brush, but finally emerged in the area where he had spotted stone walls earlier.  Sure enough it was a site with a nice grind stone and many pot shards.

As the trail crew worked we explored.  What was supposed to be an easy relaxing hike turned out as usual to be a pretty strong haul.  Kadizzle and The Commander have each speculated on how many early Americans lived in the area.  Kadizzle likes the figure 140,  The  Commander wants to go to 500.  You can make up any number you want.  These sites appear to be seasonal sites.  At a certain time of year the Indians probably moved up near the mountains to be cooler, and to hunt big game. There is a lot more moisture up there.  Who knows if they farmed up there, they could have, but water was scarce.

After doing real work all day the trail crew headed home.  Kadizzle and The Commander walked back with them and we all got off the mountain and headed for solar showers.

Another Adventure and another find.

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Another day another Indian adventure. Today the Kadizzlites took off to find an Indian site Faye told us about. Faye is the camp host. Faye was born around these parts and knows them well, however, Faye's ability to give directions could use a tune up.

Following Faye's instructions The Commander and Lord Kadizzle put the Yamaha in the back of the truck and took off. After the motorcycle portion of the journey was complete the search was on. Kadizzle thought the search was for a typical cliff dwelling type site. Apparently he had the wrong thought in his head, but with this in mind the adventurers started down a stream toward the Salt River. This was after a eight mile drive up Cherry Creek east of Roosevelt Lake.

As the Kadizzles got close to the Salt River the canyon got very narrow and with very steep sides. Something seemed to be wrong, and we were cut off by the complexity of the drop, with no safe way to go farther. Frustrated The Commander said it was time to turn around. Kadizzle was about tuckered out, but gave in to The Commander and we hiked up onto a Mesa. It was a tough haul up to the top, but that seemed like the only place the Indian site could be. Kadizzle skirted the edge of the Mesa hoping to find the site, but his Indian intuition told him it was probably at the highest point of the Mesa, so he sent The Commander to check it out.

To Kadizzle's amazement The Commander for once followed the “Safety Rules”. The safety rules dictate that if you are out of sight from each other for over fifteen minutes you turn on your two way radio. Of course Kadizzle obeyed the rule. Soon the Commander came on the radio saying she found the site. The site turned out to be a bit unusual. It had a wonderful view in all directions, but was very defensive in nature. It was a rare site that seemed to have a defensive wall completely surrounding it. In the middle were the dwellings. For the size of the site there was relatively little pottery.

The outer wall seemed to form a squared about 150' by 150'. Inside there looked to be about ten rooms. It was ultimately a combination of luck and good orienteering that got us to the site. The next time we get instructions from Faye there will be more detail. Our mistake was not wasted we did go into a very nice canyon and enjoyed it.

Solar Showers, and Indian sites.

Yesterday the solar shower at our campsite was so hot you could hardly stand it.  However, today it could have been warmer.  Our campground has the largest solar facility of any camp ground in the U.S.   By some magic the LED lights went out last night in the middle of a crucial moment on the thunder seat.  Left in the dark Kadizzle had to fish around the floor to find his flashlight in order to complete his office work.

Today started with an exploratory ride up the mountain on the motorcycle.  When Kadizzle returned he announced to The Commander that he had found an Indian site a short ways after the motorcycle trail ended.  So Kadizzle and The Commander headed about three miles up the mountain side to check the site out.  It looked like a watermelon and a peanut riding together.

The picture below shows some of the pot shards at the Indian Site. 

The road is treacherous and steep.  At one point The Commander had to dismount and walk.  The site had a lot of pottery shards and The Commander found a nice arrow head made from obsidian.  On the way up there was a six hundred acre area fenced in with ten foot chain link fence. Apparently it was a wildlife study area to determine how much javelina and big horn sheep eat.

Leaving the Lap of Luxery

Today the Kadizzlites hitch up and move on.  Behind we will leave hot showers for as long as you please, electricity that flows from a wire,  and water that pumps itself right into the camper. 

Our new home will be at Roosevelt Lake.  Kadizzle wants to park on the beach, but The Commander will have none of it.  Hopefully the showers there are improved since they remodeled them, but there will be no water or electricity.

On the up side there are plenty of places to explore and hike.  The biggest problem is the additional altitude.  It may be ten degrees cooler up there.  More than likely the place will be pretty vacant, but at three dollars a day you can hardly do wrong.  TV signals will be sparse or non existent.

The Earth Module was provisioned yesterday and hopefully the Kadizzlites will be well fed. The Commander just said she is making fresh squeezed orange juice for breakfast.

Yesterday a motorcycle in the back of a pickup caught the attention of Kadizzle.  Kadizzle rode his bike to check out the neighbor with a similar set up.  In no time the man came out to see what was up.  Gary came out of his camper and the conversation ensued.

It turned out Gary was on pretty much the same quest the Kadizzles have been on for the last ten years.  Gary says he has been everywhere in Arizona, Colorado, and Utah in the quest for Indian sites.   Gary does a lot of his exploring in the summer months.  This means he can go place we never could in the winter. 

One site Gary gave great acclaim was Goblin Valley.  As we drove home last year The Commander begged Kadizzle to stop there.  As you go North Goblin Valley is right before you hit the interstate west of Grand Junction.  With the horses headed to the barn there was no stopping.

Goblin Valley is so much like so many nice places.  From a distance the area appears blank and lifeless, but when you get close you discover all sorts of things.  Kadizzle remembers thinking the area was hopeless, but after talking to Gary we may hit it on the way home this year.

A Peek at the Peaks

Today the Kadizzlites went separate directions.  The Commander took off with the Canadians on an all day hike through the Superstition Mountains.  Kadizzle took his longest ride yet to the Four Peaks. That is the peaks in the background of the motorcycle.  Last year we got to the top from the other side. Cissie and Rodger just about made it to the very top.  500ft short they was just no way to go higher.

On today's ride Kadizzle hauled the Yamaha to withing twenty miles of the mountain top.  From there it was a long ride.  Almost to the top the road began to have some steep patches covered with snow.   Prudently Kadizzle had to turn back.  Shortly after he started back three young guys on dirt bikes passed him on the way.  Kadizzle stopped and shut of his cycle to see if he could hear the youngsters get through the snow.  While waiting the sheriff came down the mountain.  Kadizzle asked him if the cyclist made it all the way.  The sheriff said one took a pretty good spill in the snow, but was unhurt.  They made it, but paid the price.  Kadizzle is to old to go down in the snow and fight gravity picking up the cycle.  

Cold Feet may produce new Ten Commandments

Kadizzle does not recall the exact story of how Moses got the Ten Commandments.  Memory says he went up on a mountain and encountered a burning bush.  Kadizzle is pretty sure about the burning bush, but not the going up the mountain.

Today the Kadizzlites will go up the same mountain they have already conquered about five times this year.  Climbing the mountain is relatively simple compared to getting to the mountain. The path to the mountain is right below the Stewart Dam.  One must cross the river to begin the hike.  The river might be from six inches deep to three feet deep depending on how much water the dam is releasing.  So after we go past the palm trees and through the thickest reed bed you have ever seen that is twenty feet tall we must change into water shoes and wade the river.  Today the river will be very cold since it was down to 32 last night.  Then there is the bonus of the slippery rocks.  On the way back the water is more of a delight for hot feet.

If we do not find tablets, we may at least see some big horn sheep.  Since there has been rain in the last couple days we may get to see some very nice water features with running water.  The coolness should keep the rattlesnakes in their dens.

If we do get tablets what would the update be.  Kadizzle hopes God will clarify at least ten things.  God might address gun ownership.  God could update us on income disparity, and of course if he clarified Global Warming it would be great.  We could really use an update from God.  If God would send word about which is the correct religion it would be terrific.  So at about 11 we will be seeking knowledge from above.  Being about at the top of the mountain we should get a better connection to God's WiFi. 

Does Size Matter?

Above the complete answer to all your travel problems,  a Teardrop Camper.
 

In the current era The Kadizzles spend about half their life either on a sailboat or in our camper. Both have a lot in common. Everyone who has ever been involved with either knows there is a magic dilemma. If you get a larger camper, or sailboat you have more room and more creature comforts, but at the same time you create a proportional number of problems.

With both boats and campers the bigger they are the harder they are to maneuver. A small boat or camper will allow you to go places a big one will not. The maintenance head aches multiply exponentially with size. You can take a little camper or boat home and work on it. As your boat or camper gets bigger and you have more invested, you feel compelled to use it.

If your boat is the right size you can put it on a trailer and pick an entire new body of water. That is not practical with a large boat. Small means you can avoid the crowds, and small means you can exist independent of electricity and running water. Small means flexibility.

Like houses, once you get so big with your recreational vehicle you ask, “Now that I have all this room, what shall I do with it?”. One natural tendency is to jam everything you can think of into the big moma. That is why you see some RV's with three flat screen TV's, an outdoor grill, and every imaginable toy. It is not unusual to see a large RV pulling a large trailer. A recent dinger we ran into had a trailer behind his humongous Heffalump. In side the trailer he had room for a full size power boat, a Harley, and a professional drum set with speakers.

The poor fellow with his $500k set up ran out of his time at our campground, and the host told him he had to leave. He pleaded saying he could not “afford” to go anywhere else, and there was no place that had room for his massive collection of crap. Eventually the park police had to explain to him that his toy fatness was his problem and not the Tonto National Forest's problem. Toy chubby grumbled and left.

On the other end of the extreme of course are the people living in their car. They get the best milage for Rving, but they have to unload the car to sleep.

The teardrop camper is a unique little solution to the who travel mess. Basically you pull a doouble bed and a portable kitchen. Everything is enclosed.

Who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo?

There happens to be a town in North Dakota called Napoleon.  The people there are either total idiots, or very clever.  Years ago when Lord Kadizzle was employed at a power plant he was giving a group of students from Napoleon a power plant tour.  As the students looked over the huge scale model of the power plant Kadizzled annouced to the students.  "I will give a prize to the person who can tell me who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo".  Immediately one student replied, "Napoleon doesn't play Waterloo".   Now this was either a very clever funny comment, or the student was a complete idiot regarding history. 

Yesterday Kadizzled was wandering an art show in Gold Canyon, AZ.   Kadizzled overheard an elderly gentleman mention he was from North Dakota.  Kadizzled engaged the man in conversation and found out he was from Napoleon.  Kadizzled told the old man about the incident with the student at the power plant.  After relating the story to the man Kadizzled thought the man got the humorous part of the story, but the man asked " What sport was it, basketball or football?". 

Now the question arises, are the people in Napoleon so ignorant they have no clue that the Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon, or do they get this question so often they each have a clever answer?  No offense to the people of Napoleon, but my guess is they have no idea of what Waterloo was.  I hope I am wrong, and if anyone from Napoleon can clear this up, let me know.

I am already in great trouble with the people from Hoople, North Dakota.  I have become found of the term Hooplehad and use it often in a derogatory way.  The HBO series Deadwood made the term popular.  The people in Hoople are not happy about it.  Now all I need to do is piss off all the people in Napoleon.

The Magic water hole

The Commander and Kadizzle have been hiking the same trail in the Superstition Mountains for years.  Along the trail is an Indian site.  One things Indians need as much as anyone else is water.  It always puzzled Kadizzle where they were getting water. The streams run sometimes, but there are  a lot of dry times.

Today The Commander insisted we take an off trail exploration hike.  The goal was to find some interesting artifacts.  That goal was not reached, but the Kadizzilites decided to take a wild route back.  As the Kadizzilites walked down a canyon they came across the pool pictured above.  Unless you came upon the pool from the exact correct direction, you would never find it.  The pool was amazing.  It appeared a little spring fed it all the time.  Other times water might gush into it. 

The most unique thing about the pool was the depth. It appeared to be perhaps 20 feet deep.  It could have held as much as 15 or 20 thousand gallons of water.   If water came in even at a trickle to keep the water somewhat fresh, it would get the local Indians through some tough times.  We have hiked withing 300feet of the pool many times, so have thousands of people, but it is doubtful more than a handful have ever seen it.  You could jump from twenty feet up into the pool on a warm day.  It would be so refreshing.

When my Morning Comes

Someday we all have to go south, meet our maker, bite the dust, or be drawn up to Jesus.  The Commander and Lord Kadizzle always kid each other on the trail when we take pictures.  Kadizzle always instructs The Commander " Get a picture for the funeral album" .   In addition to pictures for a good funeral you need some good music.

In his mind Kadizzle is always picking out funeral music.  A recent find is Iris Dement's song " When my Morning Comes".    The Commander speculates she is singing about conquering a drug problem, but Kadizzle thinks the words are about moving on to the next world.  Here are the lyrics.  Find the song on the internet and enjoy it.

When my mornin' comes around, no one else will be there
so I won't have to worry about what I'm supposed to say
and I alone will know that I climbed that great big mountain
and that's all that will matter when my mornin' comes around

When my mornin' comes around, I will look back on this valley
at these sidewalks and alleys where I lingered for so long
and this place where I now live will burn to ash and cinder
like some ghost I won't remember
When my mornin' comes around

When my mornin' comes around, from a new cup I'll be drinking
and for once I won't be thinking that there's something wrong with me
and I'll wake up and find that my faults have been forgiven
and that's when I'll start living

When my mornin' comes around

In the Heart of the Sea

Last night Kadizzle finished reading "In the Heart of the Sea".    The book chronicled the sinking of the ship Essex.  A whale struck the ship in the worst possible place in the Pacific.  Moby Dick was based on this incident.  Of the 17 people on the ship about 7 survived by resorting to cannibalism.

Most whaling ships had some black sailors.  A strange aspect of the social order on the ship was that if you really wanted someone to pray and get some results it was the black man you asked to lead prayers.  On the other hand blacks got paid poorly and were usually the first to be eaten when times got tough.  It may not have been a racial thing.  Black people have less body fat than white people so often they die more quickly in a starvation situation.

If Kadizzle with his abundant fat were in the small whaling boat with six other men it could go either way.  The nice store of fat might get him to Chile, or it might look like a wedding cake to the other starving whalers.

The book is an amazing story of survival and what humans can endure.  Kadizzle wants to start a book club like Oprah,  so this is the first book on the recommended list.

Moving up on the hill

Today we packed the Earth Module and moved to Usery Park about five miles away.  Now we have all the amenities, city water plumbed in, electricity, and hot showers.   Life is good.  Of course now we have television with the three  major channels, plus a dozen crooked preachers robbing old ladies in Spanish and English. 

Jasper Little bottom is in love with the TV.   You just cannot go wrong when Jasper watches cooking shows.

His lordship did an adventure ride to find a new road in the mountains.  After many miles the road finally showed up.  It was extremely steep and rugged.  Better judgement did not prevail and Kadizzle tested his dirt bike skills.  The cycle in the picture is at the top of the incline.  The ride down was just as difficult as the ride up.  Would not have been good to have the cycle fall over on Kadizzle in the middle of no where.

The Commander took a ride with our Canadian friends along a canal toward Mesa.   We are hoping the famous designer Cheech from New York City will come down with Dead Eys Sam. 

The Nature of the Earth Module

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The Earth Module headed South from Denver on January 16, Since then The Commander and Lord Kadizzle have been housed in a space about 8' X 21'. The Earth Module can sustain itself in the wilderness under extreme conditions for perhaps a month with careful management.

The module has two 20 gal propane tanks which will easily provide heat, cooking, hot water, and refrigeration, for a month. The module holds forty gallons of fresh water, and another twelve can be carried in the truck. The generator has available about eight gallons of fuel which would provide enough electricity to last a month if used intelligently.

Since the Earth Module was built in Canada it is insulated well and maintains heat better then most of the units of it's type. One of the nicest blessing for the module are the windows. There are plenty well placed and insulated. The bedroom in the rear is surrounded by large windows and it is a real pleasure to wake up surrounded by a spectacular view.

The most important aspect of the module is the shower. A good shower is a moral booster that is hard to beat. The module has a nice shower made from fiberglass with no seams. A decent shower takes about 1.5 gallons of water. There is a shower on the outside of the module but it has only been used once.

The refrigeration has a freezer and ice can be made to keep hiking water cold. Food supply has to be carefully managed for extended dry camping in the wilderness.

Getting into the back country requires an RV with high clearance and a degree of ruggedness. Many cheap RV's would shake the cabinets right off the walls on a pot holed gravel road. Smallness has it's virtues. The Earth Module is small enough that it can get into many places other campers dare not enter.

One thing the Earth Module does not have is solar power. It would be a nice addition and eleminate the noise of the generator. However, solar power would take very careful management of electricity. It may be in the future since it could be taken back and forth to the sailboat. One nice thing about the Earth Module is that so much of the supplies can be transferred to the boat.

With a wifi hotspot on the phone the Earth Module generally has internet access. Every morning the Kadizzlites get up to date sitting in bed, and then the day begins.