Apache Junction for Repairs

 I left Lake Roosevelt last Monday for Apache Junction.  I had scheduled repairs there a month ago, the typical lead time for RV repairs. When I reached Apache Junction and stood up, I discovered I had some annoying leg pain. With no stress or injury to my leg, I thought it could be blood clots.  It  persisted through Tuesday, so Wednesday I went to the local emergency room. 

Rhawnie using ultrasound to take pictures of my leg. 

She is a AZ transplant form Fremont, CA

It takes a radiologist to make any sense out of this, he pronounced my leg clot free. 

Serenity has been dragging her tail, the motorcycle rack, when negotiating dips. 

Spectrac Part & Services in Gilbert AZ recommended heaver leaf springs.

The old 4 leaf spring

The new 5 leaf springs gave her a 3 inch boost in the rear. 

We'll see how that works

Theodore Roosevelt Lake

 I have been up to gorgeous Roosevelt Lake, but there was not enough bandwidth to post my blog. The lake was created by Roosevelt Dam that was personally dedicated by Theodore himself in 1911. It is the oldest of six dams that impound the waters of the Salt River. 

We had a good storm roll through with some 40 mph gusts that rocked to rig

Gary Jerry and Adrienne play rainy day games

The ström bought a magnificent rainbow

and a great sunset

The rain created some great wildflower blooms

How did he get into that top hammock?

Roosevelt Dam

Heading down the Apache Trail

It was  30 plus mile to Tortilla Flats. Today the road is closed beyond Apache Lake due to a landslide and a dangerous overhang. There are to plans to open the road agin until the overhang falls. 

I have read about the Swedish fire log and we decided to make one. Robin make the cross cuts with his chain saw. The idea is you start the fire down in the grooves which creates a self feeding fire. You can put a pan on top for cooking.

Pat and Robin 

Where's the fire

There is fire down there

Finally a good flame. Our conclusion that this wood burned too show. Also next time we would drill a inch, inch and a half down the center and then make the cross cuts. That would allow us to get more tinder down to the bottom.

Wild flowers abound

We took a nice drive up into the hills above the lake

Life is good.

Art Art until You Drop

The historical town of  Tubac is chock full of intriguing art galleries and excellent dinning. Tubac was the original Spanish colonial garrison in Arizona. It was one of the stops on the Camino Real from Mexico to California. Apaches attacked the town repeatedly in the1840s, forcing the Sonoran Mexicans to abandon Tubac. In the 1930s - 1960s Tubac became an art colony.

Adrienne and Larry

Adrienne and some writer.

Whirligigs 

That is one huge dung ball

There is something for everyone here

This was cattle country at one time

Beautiful lighting 

I just love getting my art fix in Tubac

Pima Air & Space Museum

Tucson's Pima Air & Space Museum has nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres. There are many docents to talk with that will share their deep knowledge of the aircraft on display

Pat, Larry, Gary, Ken, me, Adrienne 

The Wright Flyer (copy)

First in flight, first up in the museum.

The Bumblebee was built for the sole purpose of taking the recordf as the world's smallest aircraft. It had a wing span 6 feet 6 inches and a range of 20 miles. Its first flight was Jan 28, 1984 and the record held until August 1984. Adrienne thinks she can fit.

Aircraft everywhere

The two person 1953 McCulloch HUM-1 

The F-14 Tomcat 

Think Top Gun

The Pentecost E-III Hoppicopter was designed during WWII as a parachute replacement. The fatal flaw was if the paratrooper stumbled during landing he would be cut to pieces by the rotor blades

PBM Mariner

A-10 Thunderbolt, affectionately known as the Warthog.

Not the prettiest aircraft ever built, but is is extremely good at its job: killing tanks.

The entire plane was designed around its massive nose mounted 30mm rotary cannon 

capable of firing up to 4,200 rounds per minute.

Don't stand here while engine is running

B-17 heavy bomber

Period correct jeep with 50 cal machine gun

A look inside the tail gunner position. 

Kind of cramped.  

The plane on the left was Kennedy and Johnson's Air Force 1

The plane on the right was for VIPs

Convair Peacemaker Strategic  bomber

Interesting paint jobs

This Apollo command module is a mockup used by Walter Cronkite

 during his reporting of the Apollo missions.

One of only three advanced space shuttle orbiter simulators used to train NASA astronauts

Consolidated B-24J LIBERATOR

PBY Catalina

What a terrific museum.