Wednesday, March 27...Weed with Willie (Toby Keith)

   Took us 1 hour and 5 minutes to do our walk today...and we even stopped at time or two to check out the irrigation system for the pecan trees.  I believe this is the 4th day that the pumps have been running, pouring gallons of water into the ditches for distribution throughout the pecan groves.  It’s quite an extensive network of ditches.  I wondered if the pumps have been going day and night...no way to tell that unless we go down there after dark.  In the truck, sure...walking, no way.
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   Still hanging in the 7000 step range for our morning walk...sometimes less and sometimes more.   Whether the Fitbit is spot on accurate or not is up for debate but having it encourages me to get walking and that’s a good thing.
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   I’m not sure it was deliberate or just laziness but after breakfast we practiced just sitting in camp.  Not doing anything isn’t my thing.   Sitting still is fine but I’ve got to read, type, talk on the phone, etc. or I’ll fall asleep.  In an effort not to do that, I wandered up by the cactuses to photograph the birds.  Sat there for a bit...Felicia came out and I chatted with her.  Then Kim and I decided to head out on the bikes.
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So this happened: 
  Earlier in our stay here, there was the distinct smell of pot wafting through the air one evening.  And it wasn’t just a small whiff that made you say ‘Is that what I think it is?’...no, this smell was strong and there was no doubt what it was and it seemed that someone in the campground was trying to get everyone high.  Kim thought it was someone in the tent section. 

And then this happened:  
  Riding through Coolidge the other day there was a car in the outer lane of traffic.  As we approached it from behind it became apparent that it was slowing down.  Then the flashers went on...uh, oh, car trouble, I thought, and it’s probably heading for that vacant lot to get off the road.  No, that wasn’t the plan at all because the driver’s window rolled down and a hand starting waving traffic to go around them.  We pulled into the other lane to go around and as we came alongside of the car, the smell of pot coming from inside that car was so strong it felt like we were in a scene from a Cheech and Chong movie.  I swear I saw a cloud of smoke also...and the only thing missing was the soundtrack of uncontrollable laughter from inside the car. 😃

   Since we’ve caught a whiff of pot at other times too, I was curious about Arizona's stance on recreational use of marijuana. The first year we were here I researched the medicinal angle because I thought I was seeing medical dispensaries being openly advertised.  Michigan dispensaries were a bit more discreet at the time.  Indeed, Arizona allows for medical marijuana but recreational use isn’t allowed...in fact it’s a felony offense.  Here are a few paragraphs from the website wikileaf.com regarding updated 2019 Arizona marijuana laws:   

   It is illegal to possess any amount of cannabis under Arizona’s marijuana laws, with the exception of medical card holders. If you are not a medical marijuana user, and you are caught with cannabis, you could face felony charges because it is classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance.

   Only medical marijuana cardholders can legally toke up in the state, though it must be done privately. Smoking in public places is always prohibited, though it is legal for medical marijuana users to consume edibles in public, so long as they are not operating a vehicle or behaving irresponsibly.

   It is illegal to drive or operate a vehicle while under the influence of marijuana. Doing so falls under the state’s statute for “driving or actual physical control while under the influence”, along with driving under the influence of alcohol. You can get busted for having any metabolites in your body as well, even if you are no longer stoned. This is not the case for medical users who will not be punished just because metabolites were found in their system. However, if you are a medical user and found to be impaired while driving, you can still be hit with a DUI.

Seems like those we’ve encountered either don’t know the law or really don’t care. 😏
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   Kim wanted to take a ride to Casa Grande to check toy haulers at an RV dealer.  Just looking to see what’s out there in a bumper pull as Kim called it.  Saw some interesting trailer set-ups.  If you want a separate bedroom with room to move around the bed, it costs more.  Most had toilet, vanity and shower in the same room...one had the vanity tucked into a nearby corner next to the bathroom.  Kitchen areas all looked about the same.  Some had couches and some had recliner type chairs in the living area which is where the ‘toy’ would be stored.  The couches folded up against the side walls but I never did figure out where the recliners were stored.  All had an extra suspended bed above the ‘toy’...some beds swung down and some went up and down with a chain system.  Saw some nice trailers that’s for sure...but bottom line is we were just looking.  The budget says so....
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   In one of the trailers we looked at today, the toilet seat had a Please Do Not Use sign on the lid.  As I was saying, “Well, that’s odd that they feel the need to tell people that”, Kim was saying “You don’t suppose someone actually used it, do you?”   Hmmmm...that scenario could explain why the lid and seat were taped down to the toilet bowl.  And the sign was in just that one trailer among the many that we looked at today.
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   All we had to do to ride out on IR 15 was stay on the road that the RV dealer was located on in Casa Grande. In town it was called Pinal Ave or Hwy 387, out of town it was called the Chuichu Road eventually becoming IR 15. And bonus! we avoided the potential backups due to road resurfacing work being done on Battaglia Rd. 
   Rode to the Gu-Achi Trading Post for a nachos snack and then continued on to the town of Sells to get gas.  Sells is about 20 miles east of the Trading Post on State Road 86...at that point it was a toss-up which way back to camp was preferable.  We opted for continuing on SR 86 to Sandario Rd. which took us through Saguaro Nat’l Park and into Marana. From there we jumped on I-10 for the 30 miles or so back to camp.  Both of us were ready to get off the bikes by the time we got back to camp...sore butts due to bumpy roads.
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   Last night as we sat outside in the still darkness, there was a pleasant smell on the air.  I thought maybe flower of some kind, Kim thought maybe somebody was drying clothes and it was a dryer sheet.  Smelled it again this morning and also out in the desert on our ride today.  No closer to figuring out what it is but I think I can say with certainty that it’s not dryer sheets. 
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Today’s miles:  206
Total miles:  2016

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