Kim n Karen....On the Road: March 2020

Monday, March 30...Snake Man (Doobie Brothers)

Put some pennies on the railroad track at the crossing last night. Went out this morning to check the status. Couldn’t find any of them. Ding Dang! There are three rails over in Picacho...a side rail, rail #1 and rail #2. I know this because they were labeled as such. I wasn’t ready to give up on my experiment so I put out six more coins...three on rail #1 and three on rail #2. A couple of hours and several trains later I went to check on them again. All of them were still there on the rails but not flattened. How can that be?! Not ready to give up yet so maybe I’ll pick a different place to put them next time.

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I had a video call with the KY WonderKids today...actually 2 calls because the first was right before naptime and Dylan was a bit grumpy but then very heartbroken when we were ready to say good bye because “I didn’t get to talk to dem.” When I missed a call from Callie a few hours later, I quickly called back figuring Dylan was probably in a talking mood...and he was. Callie distracted the girls so I got to walk the boys around the camp with me. Ryan and Jason are laying some sewer lines so I showed the boys what was going on there, I walked them over to Grampa’s telescopes, showed them the hummingbird feeder, etc.

Then a little later I suddenly had a video call request from Grady. So then I talked with the TN WonderKids for a bit. And when I say talked I mean that Ashlyn, Grady and I played around with the stickers on Messenger. Cullen did give me an update on the coronavirus...how many cases in Williamson County, how Detroit had the most cases in Michigan and that they don’t have to go to school and his dad is working from home. All important stuff to my favorite 11 year old. 😊 A couple of days ago I talked with Finley and Leland, the NC WonderKids. Did my heart good to check in with a few of my younger people.

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It took several laps around the park for Kim and I to come to a decision about heading back to Michigan. Went over the pros and cons of both leaving and staying...even sought advice from trusted people back in Michigan. When it came right down to it staying put seems to be the prudent thing to do even though we’d all love to be in the comfort of our own homes right now. We’ve been thinking of Saturday as our new departure date but we’re certainly open to the possibility of it being longer. Michigan is such a hotbed right now and we don’t want to come back in the middle of it when we don’t have to. However, the entire COVID-19 picture is so fluid right now that we’re trying to remain flexible as well. We have a plan for travelling that will keep us fairly contained. So we literally sit and wait.

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We have attained the trifecta of Arizona wildlife: scorpion, javelina and rattlesnake. That’s right we saw a live rattle snake wriggling its way across the road while we were out walking this afternoon. It was about 3 ½ feet long and before we could get a picture of it all stretched out a truck came along, crossed the center line to give us a wide berth and clipped the snake. It managed to finish dragging itself across the road where I’m sure it crawled into the weeds and died. Kim was distraught about it. He wasn’t dramatic about it; it was more of a ‘I should have put an injured animal out of its misery’ distraught. He didn’t want to see it suffer. A rattlesnake has always been on Kim’s list of things to see in Arizona...on my list only in the sense that I wanted Kim to see one. It took 5 years but we finally saw a live rattlesnake...for a moment.

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On the way back to camp Sam Elliott came along on his bike; he kept pace with us and talked for a bit. And the more he talked the more I realized his voice was on par with the real Sam Elliott’s. There’s a few houses across the road from Nutt Road and he lives back in there. Makes some super duper ball bearing used in most dirt track and snow racing machines. Also used to work as a maintenance man at this park long before Jerry and Frankie owned it. Interesting guy...

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Arizona is going into shelter-at-home mode Tuesday at 5 p.m. It’s being labeled as ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected’ and obviously the purpose is to slow the spread of COVID-19. While Arizona’s numbers are growing, they’re not anywhere near the top 5 states on the list. Kim watched an online town hall meeting with Governor Whitmer where the public could submit questions. One of those questions dealt with whether riding a motorcycle was allowable under the shelter-in-place order. Her answer was ‘No, that is not allowed under this order.’ I’ve also read that riding in the car just for the sake of getting out of the house is not allowed. Don’t know the reasoning behind not allowing either of those activities but she reiterated that shelter-at-home means stay at home except for essential reasons.

So far Governor Ducey hasn’t been as specific. I’ve read the order and the list of essential activities is open for interpretation. So, we don’t know if it means we’ll have to curtail our motorcycle riding under the Arizona guidelines. We are certainly following social distancing guidelines on our bikes and that seems to be the key focus to the ‘essential activities’ portion. And, who knows, maybe this order will be fine-tuned as time passes.

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Mom allowed Kim to put a compression bandage on her foot today; when she took the wrapping off tonight the swelling was down and a tiny bump out could be seen at the side of her foot. It was very tender and there’s a lovely shade of purple spreading around her foot/ankle. Methinks perhaps she broke it. She is adamant that she’s not going to any kind of healthcare facility to have it checked and says she’ll just deal with it. She went for a couple of slow walks around the park but otherwise rested it with some occasional elevation today. Her walking is improving so there’s that.

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No bike riding today but I got 15,466 steps.😎

Sunday, March 29...Cut My Hair (The Who)

We took a morning run to Coolidge...pictures from Walgreen’s and groceries from Safeway. Still no toilet paper at Safeway. Out of curiosity I asked the cashier if the shelves had ever gotten restocked with toilet paper after the first frenzied rush. He said that yes, it’s a morning stock item but it sells out fast. What he didn’t specify was how many times a week it’s stocked. Fruits and vegetables were available this time and so was water, limit 1 gallon or case per customer. Looked like there was also more meat than the last time we were there.

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Kim and I went for a ride this afternoon while Mom snuggled down for a nap. She’s walking better but says her foot still hurts. She is resting it and elevating it so that’s something. Not sure ice would help at this point and she’s still thinks wrapping it would be a waste of money, although it does feel better if her shoe is tied tight. I’m just glad it’s showing improvement.

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We rode out to IR 15, turning around before we got to the border patrol checkpoint. Neither of us wanted to make it a long one but I really needed to get out on Zeus. If Kim hadn’t come along I would have gone by myself because it soothes my soul and clears my head so I can think. And I discovered a new crested saguaro on IR 15 on our way back to camp. Bonus!! 👍

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More coronavirus thoughts:

I’ve heard from a couple of people who’ve been able to return to Charlevoix without any problems. They found plenty of services open along the way. That’s comforting to know. We still haven’t made a decision on when we’re heading home. I think this just might be playing out day by day for us. What Arizona decides to do will definitely be a factor as well as the outcome of a couple of phone calls tomorrow.

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Local news: On Friday, March 27, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero announced that as of 8 a.m. Saturday (March 28) all non-essential businesses were to close. She ‘strongly advised’ barbershops, hair and nail salons to close also. Wait a minute! Why do they get the option? Why isn’t she closing them also? It didn’t take long to figure out the reasoning. Seems that individual cities can’t close or restrict businesses that Governor Ducey has deemed as ‘essential’ during any government-ordered closures...and he deemed that barbershops, spas, hair and nail salons are ‘essential’ businesses despite the fact that all violate the accepted 6 ft. social distancing rule. Most of his list of essential jobs made perfect sense but some of these left me puzzled:

*Other businesses included as "essential" under Ducey's order are: liquor stores, gun stores, taxis and Uber/Lyft drivers, day care for employees of essential service businesses, building trades and maintenance workers, golf courses and outdoor recreation such as parks, and funeral-related businesses.

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The new Fitbit challenge is proving to be a good motivational tool to get moving instead of just sitting in camp. Just have to time my walking so the bulk of it isn’t in the heat of the day.

I finished the book I was reading...it was an actual hold in my hands and turn the pages book. But since there is nowhere to buy another book, I downloaded several to my Kindle. Less satisfying way to read a novel but it works.

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Sky cleared up so Kim is out imaging something new...The Antenna Galaxies. He says it’ll put his equipment to the test because of where it’s located but is willing to take on the challenge of it. It was low on the horizon so he had to wait until it cleared a nearby motorhome to start getting pictures of it. I hope it works because it looks intriguing.

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Bike miles today: 88

Total miles: 2081

Marilyn miles: 689 (no change)

Sunday's route x 2

Saturday, March 28...Should I Stay or Should I Go (The Clash)

Window shades pulled down last night...slept later this morning. 👍

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More thoughts about the shelter-in-place mandate in Michigan:

I saw an article about Lower Northern Michigan communities wanting the downstaters to stay home...in essence, don’t flock to your summer home in our town just because you want to avoid COVID-19 in your hometown.

What does that say about those of us who just happened to be out of town when the shit hit the fan? Are we expected to stay away? Will we be vilified if we return to our home...the only home we have...the home we live in 11 months out of the year? Because, really, coming from outside the community is coming from outside the community...no matter where you’re coming from.

It’s true that not all who were interviewed shared the ‘stay out of our town’ mentality but I’ve seen negative comments about the subject on FB. Agh!!

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Anna invited us to a new type of Fitbit challenge...Get Fit Bingo. Don’t know exactly how it’s played but it’ll give my walking a new focus. Want to see those tiles flip.
Update: I figured it out and am currently in the lead. Might not last long but I'll bask in it while I can. 😎

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There was one more restaurant that we wanted Mom to experience...Arizona Pizza Company, maker of the largest calzone ever! Today was another truck day so I ordered take-out from AZP so we could have a picnic at Saguaro National Park East. Saguaro Nat’l Park is split into very different sections...the Tucson Mountain District is near us and the Rincon Mountain District is on the eastern side of Tucson. We’d been there once before and knew that it had a driving loop which would allow Mom to see the sights without having to walk around...still resting that foot.

Picked up our food and soon realized that I’d over ordered...2 calzones and 1 slice of pizza was just too much for the 3 of us to eat. The slice came home with us...it’ll make a good breakfast or lunch for tomorrow. Mom was impressed with the calzone...not only the size but the tastiness too. And eating outside on a picnic table is a definite upgrade from the cab of the truck. 😏

There were lots of people biking, hiking, and driving in the park; there was no problem with social distancing, though. As expected the visitor center was closed...I didn’t expect the bathrooms to be closed but oh, well, the need wasn’t crucial. Drove the loop, stopping for pictures and binocular opportunities. One scenic overlook was closed because Africanized Bees are a presence in the park and this is the time of year they swarm up to find homes. No, thanks! We’ll just be movin’ along now. No animal or roadrunner sightings today. However, I did find another crested saguaro near the picnic area.

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Jason and Angie, our neighbors across the road, are from the state of Washington; their governor has issued a 2 week Stay Home, Stay Healthy order. It reads like Michigan’s shelter-in-place mandate. They’re weighing their options same as we are.

Staying here for the next week or so makes sense; the draw for us being the weather and the fact that we can still take bike/truck rides. We’re taking all appropriate precautions: hand washing, using gloves for pumping gas, using Clorox wipes on everything and before/after we touch anything, social distancing, etc. However, a recent poll of Arizonians think that Governor Ducey should issue a shelter-in-place order. If that happens and the mandate is that we stay in the campsite then sitting at home seems more appealing. Our reservations are through the 31^st and we intend to stay until then; beyond that it’s truly up in the air.

And what’s truly amazing to me is that I’ve come across people who still suspect the response to COVID-19 is too much. With the number of cases going up daily, I don’t even know how to respond to that mindset. 😧

Friday, March 27...I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (U2)

**Note to self: Remember to close the shades at night. You know that you’ll not appreciate being woke up at daybreak because the room is suddenly light. This is what I’m sayin’ to you, Karen: No matter what time you go to bed, 6:15 is too early to wake up.**

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Oh, my, my...walking outside this morning was a cool start to the day...cloudy, in the high 40’s. I was tempted to go back in and put jeans on but stayed with shorts in the hope that it would warm up. (It eventually got into the low 60’s.)

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Walked to the bathroom to find Felicia, Ryan, Jason and Angie (our neighbors) were all up preparing for the cement truck to arrive at 7 a.m. Jason works in cement back in the state of Washington so he’s been lending Ryan a hand with various projects. Today’s project was the cement pad in front of the cabin which is just down the way from us.

Early on in the day walking was the best way to stay warm outside, so I made a couple of trips around the campground...watching the progress as I passed. On a trip to the clubhouse I stopped to talk to Ryan and Jason and the three of us were literally sitting and watching the cement dry. The fact that I thought it was interesting might speak to the level of entertainment left to me these days.

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Kim and I went to check out another bird nest in a cactus but the opening was just too cleverly hidden among the cholla branches to get a picture. We tried many times but just couldn’t see the opening of the nest. It wasn’t as easy as the raven nest in the saguaro...the cholla was trying to grab the phone, the saguaro doesn’t do that. The good part is that I learned that my phone can take timed pictures so I don’t need to bring the selfie stick. Of course, I learned that because I forgot to bring it this morning. Tool kit is down to tape, walking sticks, and phone.

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Mom’s foot is doing better...the fact that she could put weight on it upon waking this morning is a big improvement over yesterday morning. She is also walking most of the time without wincing....not saying she’s ready to walk a mile but greatly improved. She’s been saying it’s just a sprain but based on where the pain is located I’d say bruised bone or hairline fracture. Based on what I found online either could be a possibility...treatment of a bone bruise is rest, ice, compression and elevation with meds for pain. She’s agreed to the resting part and will elevate it if I nag her, but not so willing to do ice or compression. But she’s doing better and that’s the main thing.👍

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After a late breakfast we left for a truck ride. Decided to head to Sedona for no other reason than the red rocks are always great to look at. However, on days with only a general purpose we are open to change. We didn’t make it to Sedona because we got sidetracked by the Agua Fria National Monument. I saw a sign for it and wondered aloud if anyone else was interested in seeing what it was and just that quick we were taking the exit. Ten miles down a twisty, bumpy gravel road and we were still wondering exactly what the National Monument was and if there was anything to indicate that we’d arrived. We weren’t the only ones out there; saw several vehicles on the way in and out. We saw the Agua Fria National Monument sign ½ mile after exiting the highway with a gravel road beyond the sign. That was it. We kept following the road thinking it was going to lead us somewhere. Well, it did; it lead us up, down and through some mountains and desert grassland and across a couple of flowing rivers. No bridges, just warnings not to cross when flooded...I figured it was pretty much up to the individual to define flooding. Kim’s definition was different than mine...we crossed.

I honestly thought there’d be a closed visitor’s center within a mile of the sign. When I realized that wasn’t going to happen, I looked on Google to see if I could determine what we were looking for. Couldn’t find much info on my phone; Rapunzel didn’t even know we were on a road. She indicated we were off in a field some distance from the road. So we bumped along for about 10 miles completely ignorant of what the Agua Fria Nat' before we called it quits and turned around to bump and twist back along those same 10 miles. We eventually figured out that we were surrounded by the Agua Fria National Monument...there was no grand visitor center, no informational brochures. There was just land, almost 71,000 acres of land.

Found this on the website alltrails.com: Adjacent to rapidly expanding communities, the 70,900-acre Agua Fria National Monument is approximately 40 miles north of central Phoenix. The area is located on a high mesa semi-desert grassland, cut by the canyon of the Agua Fria River and other ribbons of valuable riparian forest, contributing to an outstanding biological resource. The diversity of vegetative communities, topographic features, and a dormant volcano decorates the landscape with a big rocky, basaltic plateau. The Agua Fria river canyon cuts through this plateau exposing pre-cambrian rock along the canyon walls. Elevations range from 2,150 feet above sea level along the Agua Fria Canyon to about 4,600 feet in the northern hills. This expansive mosaic of semi-desert area, cut by ribbons of valuable riparian forest, offers one of the most significant systems of prehistoric sites in the American Southwest. In addition to the rich record of human history, the monument contains outstanding biological resources.

The area is the home to coyotes, bobcats, antelope, mule deer, javelina, a variety of small mammals and songbirds. Eagles and other raptors may also be seen. Native fish such as the longfin dace, the Gila mountain sucker, the Gila chub, and the speckled dace, exist in the Agua Fria River and its tributaries.

We didn’t see any of the prehistoric sites or pueblos. That would have required a hike and not only were we not prepared to hike it was 50^o, cloudy and very windy...and I was wearing shorts. But we saw some beautiful scenery and that road will be seared into our memories forever. Also just before we exited the monument we came around a corner to see two little butts go scurrying into the brush alongside the road. Javelinas!! Kim quickly backed up, stopped so I could jump out and then he joined me. We watched as they rooted around, panicked a little as they took off running but were relieved to see them stop a short distance away and walk into a clearing. Perfect photo op!! Despite the chilled air we stayed out there watching and snapping pictures. For 5 years we’ve been hoping for a glimpse of a javelina...mission accomplished! So we didn’t get to see the red rocks of Sedona but we got to watch two javelinas. Not a bad trade off. Now if Mom could just see a roadrunner....

Trivia: Agua Fria means ‘cold water’.

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No packed lunch today...we were just hoping we’d find a local place that offered take-out. After we bounced out of the National Monument we headed back toward Phoenix. Black Canyon City was the first little burg we encountered...we took the exit. Beni’s Pizza was open...take-out only. Our pizza was delivered to the truck and we got directions to the nearest park. Sat in the truck because there were no picnic tables and stuffed ourselves with a meat lover’s pizza. Yum! 😋

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Then it was back to camp where Mom and I hunkered down inside the trailer and Kim wandered over to the telescope. It’s a clear but chilly night.

Thursday, March 26...Top of the World (The Carpenters)

My day started with a hang-out session with the hummingbirds up at the office area. I was trying to count them which wasn’t easy as they flit around so fast. I know I saw 6 at the side feeder and at least 4 more at the feeders in front of me so, although I think it was more, I can legitimately claim to have seen 10 zooming around at the same time. It was like being in a swarm of big flies that were squeaking instead of buzzing. So fun to watch, almost impossible to photograph.

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Marilyn’s day started with her limping out of bed. Last night she twisted her ankle and today it’s making her aware that it isn’t happy that she did that. So no walking this morning or bike riding today. And she’s not a model patient...doesn’t want to ice it, resisted elevating it and thinks an ACE bandage would be a ridiculous waste of money. 😐

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Kim’s day started with a drive back to the dealership to retrieve his phone...left it in the loaner car. He knew it as soon as he got back yesterday, called to verify and decided to wait until today to get it. That was about 1:30...he was without his phone for the rest of the day. It was too cloudy to image so he stayed in the trailer playing on his computer. The biggest inconvenience of not having a phone was playing solitaire on his computer last night instead of World of Warcraft. He uses his phone as a hotspot to play...no phone, no hotspot, no WoW. So he spent the evening trying to figure out a game he’s never played before. 😏

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Today was supposed to be on the cooler side...65^o being cooler than 80^o...so we decided to make it a truck day for all of us. That would give Marilyn’s ankle some much needed rest time.

The first year when Kim and I left Picacho for Holbrook, AZ, we took Hwy 77. Not a wise choice when pulling the bike trailer because we switch backed our way into the Salt River Canyon before switch backing our way out. Not so fun. However, today we weren’t pulling a trailer; and I remembered a spot at the bottom of the canyon where down meets up and thought it might be a nice place to have a picnic. So I packed a lunch and we got on the road about 11:30.

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Stayed on US 60 East up through Superior and beyond; surprised when we came upon the little town called Top-of-the-World and what appears to be its main commerce, the Trading Post. We stopped at the Trading Post on a ride in 2018 and from a discussion with the owner learned that he sold a lot of items on consignment for disabled veterans. I assume that’s still the case. We pulled in so that Marilyn could get a good look at all the treasures for sale in the yard. I wasn’t surprised to see that the 4-liter Jaguar engine with new belts was still there. I imagine that this little town with a population of 231 (2010 census) is not the first place a person in need of such a thing would look. Anyway, the Trading Post was closed due to COVID-19 but according to the sign the owner lives nearby and if someone needed something from the yard he is willing to make it happen. Kim did see an interesting tractor that he’d probably like to have but we don’t have the room for it. Maybe next time... 😉

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From Top-of-the-World we drove into Globe, AZ, where we picked up Arizona State Route 77. US 60 and SR 77 run together from Globe up to Show Low, traveling through the Tonto National Forest. We didn't go as far as Show Low. We were definitely in the mountains but I was unable to determine specifically which mountains. Nearest I can tell we may have been somewhere in or near the Superstition Mountains. Mom was amazed that Arizona has these incredible mountains...she thought it was all desert. Nope!

Reached the Canyon bottom where there was a conveniently located rest area with picnic tables. We ate a late lunch then spent a few minutes getting closer to the river. Time to head back the way we came. Switchbacks are not my favorite type of road but it wasn’t as scary going up as it was coming down. When we got back to the town of Globe we took 77 toward Oracle. Took Tom Mix Hwy, then Park Link Dr. and cruised into camp about 7 hours after we left. It was a good day!!

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Stopped to peak into the raven’s nest as long as we were passing by. So amazed to see 5 eggs in it now! So two more eggs were laid since we saw the three on March 22. What fun!!

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We have reservations here at the KOA through March 31...we’ve started discussing what the best course of action might be for us. While I know that we can travel to Michigan, from what we’re hearing we need to assess the situation and decide if that’s really prudent. If Michigan is under a shelter-at-home mandate what’s the downside of staying here? I’ve heard that the governor is giving an update on the situation tomorrow morning so maybe what she has to say will factor into our plans.

Wednesday, March 25...Times They Are A-Changin’ (Bob Dylan)

Up and at ‘em early...took a walk down the road and discovered the water pumps are busy filling up the canals for watering the pecan groves. We have the time to notice all the little changes in life. 😏

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Went to the Eloy IGA because Wednesday is delivery day for the Mexican pastries/bread. Lo and behold! the shelves are stocked again!! Hot dogs, lunch meat, baby food, eggs, JIF peanut butter...it’s all there again. But none of us walked back to find out the status on the toilet paper. Next time....

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We had a plan for take-out lunch...got notice that the truck was finished...called to reschedule the take-out. Kim got back and shortly after we jumped on the bikes to go pick up lunch.😎

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The Plan: Back in October when my mom said she was thinking of flying out to Arizona in March and then riding home with us we thought it was a great idea. I started thinking of all the things we could do and see while she was here. Take her to some of our favorite places: Organ Stop Pizza, the Pinal County Fair, Saguaro National Park, the Spring Arts Festival in Tucson, Gu-Atchi Trading Post, etc. Or we could go to Biosphere 2, the Miniature Museum, Old Tucson Studios or many other touristy places in Tucson that we haven't done yet. I could introduce her to the piggy cookies and other Mexican pastries that we like. Maybe we’d go to the hot dog stand. Ooh, this will be fun!!

The Reality: COVID-19 made an appearance and most of those plans went out the window. Every event and place where people would gather has been cancelled or closed and that includes restaurants. We’re still having fun, just needing to use the social distancing filter when planning the day’s activity. We still go to Saguaro Nat’l Park and the Trading Post...social distancing isn’t too difficult in either of those places. When we go to the IGA for the cookies we try to keep our distance from people and use sanitizing wipes. It’s not at all like I had planned in my head back in January when we made the plane reservations but it was a great idea and we’re making it work.

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Today, thanks to take-out, I was able to introduce Marilyn to the #1 BLT on my list, made by De Marcos Pizzeria in Oracle. Yay! I called to see about their status...open or closed. So glad to hear that they were open; however, take-out only. No problem. Called in our order then jumped on the bikes to go get lunch which was 57 miles away.

When I went in to pick up and pay, I asked if it would be okay to sit outside to eat our sandwiches. No, you have to leave the property. It’s the rule...you can’t eat it on site even outside. Then he told me about how bad it has been...that they’ve lost 75% of their business and don’t know how they’re going to do this if it stays this way. The inside of the restaurant was roped off just beyond the counter. So sad to see an empty room...we usually see most of the tables full when we’re in there.

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Since we had to leave the premises with our food we opted for a roadside table area back on the Tom Mix Highway. It wasn’t far and we could sit at a picnic table. Sandwiches were still warm when we started in on them. Marilyn declared the BLT to be delicious...I already knew that but it was good to hear that she liked it too. 😋

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Oracle might be considered to be in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains...we gained about 3000 ft. in elevation from Picacho to Oracle. Temperature went from about 80degrees to 71 in the course of that climb...the wind also picked up. By the time we were back on the Tom Mix Highway, the temperature was rising again but the wind was still present. Back at camp it was breezy but just the right amount of warm.

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Most of the stores I’ve been to in the past 24 hours have put tape on the floor to help customers maintain the 6 ft. social distance recommendations while standing in line. Cashiers, baggers, etc. are wearing gloves. At Safeway the carts are being wiped down before they’re brought back into the store. Re-usable bags are no longer welcome. Walgreen’s has shut down all but one of the photo kiosks in order to help with staying 6 ft. from others...online photo ordering is encouraged. One thing we’ve learned: it’s not easy pumping gas using a paper towel to prevent direct contact with the nozzle handle. Also read about ways to sanitize my groceries when I bring them home. We sure fell short of that mark when we came back from the IGA today.

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Kim figured out today that as of this my mom had ridden 555 miles. So I’m going to start including her miles too. He’d really like her to get 1000 miles under her butt before we head back home. It’s doable if she’s agreeable to ride.

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Bike miles today: 134

Total miles: 1993

Marilyn’s miles: 689

Wednesday's ride....

Tuesday, March 24...Wallet (Regina Spektor)

It’s about impossible to move around the trailer without notice because it jiggles a slight bit with movement. Not so noticeable during the day when everyone is noisily moving around but at night when all is still and quiet, rolling over in bed does not escape notice. However, I’ve only noticed it when I’m in the process of waking up. I can sense when my mom is up and getting ready because of the trailer jiggle. Today it started about 7:15 a.m. and she was out the door to get a shower at about 7:30. Kim was up late last night so I tried to keep the jiggles to a minimum when I got up so he could sleep longer. Didn’t work.

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The truck had to be at the Casa Grande Ford dealership today at 10 for a check-up...it has a very slow coolant leak. We’ve been smelling anti-freeze occasionally but there hasn’t been any puddles underneath the truck. And Kim has been keeping an eye on the coolant level, adding some when necessary. For peace of mind we decided to have the truck checked out before we head home. Talked to Kim just after they finished...they said no problem was found although the mechanic did want to keep it overnight to do a pressure test. Since they don’t have any loaner cars, Kim said no, thanks, this is my only ride back to camp. Now that he’s back here at camp he sees anti-freeze dripping. Right now he’s on the phone leaving a message for Guido asking why there’s a leak when they couldn’t find anything. To be continued....

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Put this in the “Things That Could Push You Over the Edge” category:

When Kim was getting ready to head out this morning, he couldn’t find his wallet. We both looked in all the usual places...had the ‘where did you use it last’ discussion. Called Lowe’s because that was the last place he used it...no wallet. He drove to the dealership for the appointment without his wallet....Mom and I were just hanging at the campground still looking for the wallet. When you’ve looked everywhere you think it could be, start looking in the places you don’t think it could be. Using that as our guideline we looked in some fairly ridiculous places...refrigerator, freezer and medicine cabinet to name a few. When Kim left this was what we’d decided...Plan A: If he could get a loaner car then he’d drive to Lowe’s to check the area where we parked or Plan B: If he couldn’t get a loaner then I’d get on my bike to drive up to look. He called...this dealership didn’t do loaners so it was time to put Plan B into action.

I quickly changed clothes, jumped on the bike and took off, not really expecting to find a wallet in the parking lot but for peace of mind it had to be checked out before we started the process of replacing a license and a debit card. As I merged onto the highway and pushed on the throttle I felt a new identity emerging. I was wearing a tie-dyed t-shirt instead of a blue western style shirt; I was wearing a helmet instead of a cowboy hat; I was wearing googles instead of a mask; and my noble steed had wheels instead of legs but darned if I didn’t feel like the Lone Ranger riding to the rescue! Hi-ho, Zeus! Away!!

I retraced our path into and out of Lowe’s parking lot and saying a prayer started looking under and around bushes near where we parked and then along the sidewalk as I walked into the store. Told customer service that my husband had already called about his wallet but I thought I’d check also as long as I was there. Has a little brown wallet belonging to a Kim Bakker been turned in? It took about 10 minutes for the associate to make contact with an actual person. That person appeared in seconds to check a drawer...Nope, it’s not in here; let me check the safe. She returned carrying a brown wallet but needed to see my ID to see if my name matched the name in the wallet. Names matched and lost wallet was found!! Hallelujah! And, yes, I know that there was a much higher power than the Lone Ranger involved in this rescue! 😎

*Note: I don’t need this kind of excitement in my life.*

I called Kim to let him know I had it and brought it over to him at the dealership. The Lone Ranger feeling was gone and now I was back to being me...taking the long way back to camp and stopping for pictures when necessary.

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Truck Update: Not having any luck reaching Guido on the phone, Kim jumped in the truck to head back to the dealership. The truck left a big puddle in the parking lot so it was obvious that ‘nothing wrong‘ became ‘something big’ rather quickly...the truck needs a new radiator. Kim said he could see the liquid seeping out of a seam in the radiator. Turns out they did make an allowance for him to get a loaner...a 2020 Ford Escape; the truck will be done sometime tomorrow. Par for the course for a Kim n Karen adventure. 😕

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So when I set out on my rescue mission today I forgot to sunscreen...I am paying the price now. The inside of both my arms are sunburned as well as the back of my hands and my nose. My arms can’t decide if they want to be hot or cold. This hasn’t happened in a couple of years...frustrated at myself for overlooking something that works so well for me.

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Synopsis of our day: Marilyn spent her day hanging out at camp...Kim spent most of his day at the dealership...and I got a short but enjoyable ride.

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Kim went out to image but high thin clouds started making an appearance. Last night's sleep was on the short side but maybe he'll get more hours tonight. No imaging = more sleep.

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Bike miles today: 69

Total miles: 1859

Tuesday's ride...

Monday, March 23...What’s Happening?!?! (The Byrds)

Morning musings:

Woke up early, had a good breakfast, went online to read the latest on the coronavirus only to find out that Michigan is shutting down for 3 weeks effective midnight tonight. Shit!! Not really sure what this means for us. We’re over 2,000 miles from home...and suddenly it feels like we’re might not be able to return home in the foreseeable future. I haven’t had any fear about COVID-19 to this point but the uncertainty of this latest turn of events is making a knot in my stomach. This is going to take some processing on my part.

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Processing my thoughts: Everything I read mentions maintaining distance from those outside your household. No problem there because the three of us have been a ‘household’ for 10 days now. But our current ‘home’ is mobile...another plus with this trailer vs. the bike trailer. We have a kitchen, a bathroom and beds. Might have to beef up our non-perishable food supply but, again, that’s doable. If we travel there’s no need for a motel...we already know how we could make that work even with the bikes on board. Gas stations are remaining open as an essential business.

Are we stuck in Arizona for an untold amount of time? At what point is getting back home considered essential travel? I know it feels essential to me but that may be more because I feel disconnected from my ‘real life’ back home. I’m all about spontaneity, rolling with the flow...but this doesn’t feel like that...this feels so out of control. Aghhh!

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10 a.m. update: Just watched Chip’s message from yesterday...went a long way to easing that knot in my stomach. It’s still there just not tied as tight.

We’ve been getting texts and phone calls from people telling us of the recent lock down development back home. Are they trying to tell us that we can’t go home...that we’re not allowed to travel into Michigan? No one is coming right out and saying that but is that part of the plan to slow the spread of COVID-19? Arizona has been a great place to ride out the isolation gig and we’ve been adhering to all the precautions put out by the CDC. But there’s always been the thought that at the end of March we’d be heading home taking all the precautions with us. I need someone to tell me what this means for us...does lock-down equate to lock-out? It’s the unknown that is so unnerving. It’s not like I can call the Governor to ask her to clarify. Hel-lo...can anybody tell me what this means? This is driving me crazy! 😕

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1:45 p.m. update: Kim just read the entire list of lock down ‘Can do’ and ‘Can’t do’ items put out by Governor Whitmer...I didn’t know there was such a list but I'm certainly grateful for it. He simply said, “Return to Michigan to a home or place of residence from outside the State is on the ‘Can Do’ list.”

Yay! What a relief to know that we’re not being exiled, disconnected from the Mother Ship, uninvited from the party, stranded or whatever. I realize everything is fluid...that nothing is set in stone as far as COVID-19 is concerned and that travel restrictions might still occur. However, right now, the knot in my stomach has been untied. 👍

Went to town this morning...Kim wanted to stop at Family Dollar to replace a broken solar light. We noticed a milk truck in the parking lot; Kim didn’t find the light but he got a half gallon of milk. Next went to the IGA to look for eggs. Yes, they had eggs, limit 2 cartons per customer. Bought milk and eggs on the same day. What a score!😎

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Today was sunny, in the mid-70s, with a warm wind blowing...perfect for a ride. Marilyn decided to stay in camp and read...Kim and I were on our own. We decided to start on Indian Road 15 and then turn at Indian Road 42 which led to US 8. From there we’d cruise on back to Picacho. A loop we’d done before. However, this loop included a detour into Casa Grande because Kim was on a mission to find a particular type of solar light. Up until then we’d stopped at every Family Dollar or Dollar General on the route. C-A-L Ranch in Casa Grande didn’t have it but Lowe’s did. At that point we jumped on I-10 and boogied back to camp. It took longer than we’d originally estimated but that was okay...it was a good ride.

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As we pulled in the Lowe’s parking lot a couple wearing riding gear walked out carrying a couple of 2x4 boards...each of them 8 feet long. Kim went in the store and I sat in the parking lot watching them try to figure out how to carry them home. A truck came along and stopped to talk, maybe to offer help because the woman said that no, they were fine...that one time he carried a kitchen cabinet home on the bike. What?! Anyway, I was intrigued by how they were going to do this. I really couldn’t imagine his first attempt was going to be very safe...he had the boards laying horizontal from the handlebars to the back seat. Dude! How are you going to turn with those boards on your handlebars? In the end, he stood them vertically in the saddlebag, strapping them to a crate on back which enabled her to hold onto them as they rode. As we were waiting at the stoplight they passed in front of us...sure looked strange.

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Got a quick walk in tonight but a lot less steps today than normal. The concern of the morning put me off my game. Tomorrow is predicted to be hotter than today so walking will have to be a morning thing and I just won’t read any coronavirus updates until after I get back from walking.

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Kim checked the sky chart and tonight is predicted to be clear and dark...great for imaging. About 8 p.m. he was still waiting for a few wispy clouds to move out but other than that it was all systems go.

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Bike miles today: 105

Total miles: 1791