Thursday, March 10

Blog Thursday, March 10, 2005

The good weather can get boring. Can you imagine intentionally staying out of the sun for fear of burning; in March yet? We are not talking about the Caribbean here…this is CONUS. But that is exactly how I am feeling. I spent the morning out reading and by 11:00 that was enough. Gary and I talked about when you head in doors due to the sun. He said it is about 100 degrees. Once it gets that hot it is not pleasant. Up until that the humidity is low, so you get the feeling of warmth, not oppression.

I was concerned about the dogs’ feet when walking on pavement. That could be a problem. I carried Rose across the new blacktop last August in Michigan for fear of burning her feet…I was trying to imagine what it might be like here. Oh well, it is a beautiful way to spend a spring day.

Pebble Creek is in the pattern for F-16s out of Luke AFB. This is where pilots come to learn how to fly the Viper…so there is the sound of jets constantly from about 7:00 a.m. on into the evening. Military jets are much louder than airliners due to the mufflers they put on commercial aircraft. AF jets, of course, are made to go fast…period, so that makes for a distinctive sound. The noise, of course, reminds me of the days on FDR forty years ago when the planes would turn up on the catapult before launching. I recall three elements…sound, heat and smell. Booming, crackling noise…the blast of hot air deflected by the JBD going mostly skyward and then the smell of JP-5 or kerosene-like odor.

This has been a most enjoyable holiday. Jan and Gary were glad to see someone from the north country...and show the Southwest off. After all the rain this winter, the desert is as I have never seen it. Aleene and Jan are at the pool and Gary is umping a game. I was going to go along, but it is hot and Penn State is actually ahead of Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament...so I am a member of the pack (of dogs). I think I am the Alpha...male, for sure...but one does not know what three dogs might decide. I give them snacks to bribe them. I think I still rule. Actually all three of them are sleeping...what a bunch of tile floor hounds :-)

We are making plans to leave early tomorrow. The plan is to get up at about 5:30 and bring the MH over here. It has been parked in a designated area near the clubhouse. We will plug it in here for as long as it takes to get ready (eat, wash, load) and then head west at about 8:00-8:30. All the tanks are empty, save some potable water with which we will charge the toilet…gotta have that. I think there is about ¾ tank of fuel so we will get down the road 200 miles or so before we have to stop for gas. We should be in El Cajon by 4:00…no problem. From there we will play it by ear. We have a call into Carol and may connect…may do the Midway…or just vegetate at the resort. Monday we will swing toward LA and do the best we can to get on I-5 north of there. We plan on at least three days to get to Oregon.