The White Night

Bought a van, a BIIIIG van, a 2009 Renault Master (a perfectly good French name) with 42000 km (25,000 miles) in early June. Had windows put in on one side and the two back doors and took possession June 30. So now we’re in the midst of the renos…insulation, a bed, a place for the three bikes inside, storage, fridge, stove, a place to hide our drugs …and like that. We certainly hope to find room for a mandatory wine cellar. If we can’t, we’ll just have to drink it all as we buy it…frankly, Dawn does not consider that much of a problem!! We had to give our home for the next two years a name. Take a look at the picture. In a soft tone of voice, I suggested “Snow Flake”. In a forceful tone of voice, Dawn suggested “The White Knight”. After much discussion…and drinking…we agreed on, “The White Night”…no K on night. A bit of a play on words what with the fact that it’s white, and it’s where we’ll be at night.

While spending time in car dealerships, one sees the info shown on a card for each car; price, gas consumption, etc. And something we don’t see…CO2 production…are ya listening North America?

And there is something where the French are waaaaaay ahead of us. Getting around the “I lost my driver’s license” issue. France allows the so-called Smart cars to be driven here without a driver’s license. So…you’ve had too many speeding tickets? Caught drunken driving? The result is no driver’s license? No problem. Forget the pricey lawyer. Buy a Smart car for which you do not…repeat…do not need a driver’s license…and away ya go. “Wave, wave. Bye, bye. Have fun now.” Don’t forget to send your comments to www.go-figure.dum. And, while watching the Tour de France, a comment was made that the diameter of lentils in France are regulated to specific and allowable diameters. There you have it…France is now officially the most bureaucratic place ON THE PLANET!!! Once again, send comments to www.go-figure.com. Probably should send condolences in this particular case. Weather has turned cooler; to below seasonal norms with more clouds and a few showers; wild wind storms. But still managing to get a few rides in. The Tour de France is so impressed of our riding styles that they rode within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of us to check out our style. We didn’t bother to go see almost 200 riders streak by in a few seconds after standing there for hours. We watched it on TV instead. We found an excellent red wine sold in 5 liter boxes. This “Chateau Cardboard” works out to $1.70 Cdn per 750 ml bottle. We’re accepting orders now, in boatload quantities only please, and we DO accept credit cards (or direct access to your bank account, whichever you prefer). We’ve found an equivalently amazing rose (pronounced “ROSE-EH!!) for a similar outrageous price. The problem is that Dawn is not always satisfied with the size of glass given her or the amount in the glass. Oh well!!

On a more sober (no pun intended) note, and a true story… The last lines of an actual poem written by a Japanese soldier just after World War II just a few days before being executed for a war crime for which he was wrongly accused:
“Certainly some day, as I look back over my past,
I will quietly see my life with a smile.”
The point? Simply be as good a person as you can be, and create a life for which you can be satisfied.

AND HERE WE GO AGAIN...FOOD & WINE - FRANCE

AND HERE WE GO AGAIN…FOOD & WINE - FRANCE
June 1, 2011


Final touches in Canmore? Stashing the car at friends, saying goodbye to our cat buddies…getting ready for warmer weather. We didn’t spend the winter here but the winter of April 2011 alone was enough for us! A few days before our flights we brought the three bike boxes, jammed with bikes and stuff and things, to Air Canada Cargo in Calgary for their shipment to Paris the day before us. Yes, Air Canada on the passenger side has a bad reputation but the folks at Cargo are incredibly friendly and helpful. Even put the bikes on priority with a 40% discount off the standard rate! Thought seriously of booking another box with Dawn in it.

Then it was our turn. Shuttle from Canmore to Calgary, overnight, a large glass of wine to prep us for the coming efforts of professional wine drinking in Europe. May 2 to 3, Calgary to Toronto, Toronto to Paris; 11 hours flying plus all the fun one would want at the airports, security, super expensive fast food, etc, etc, etc. Slept on the flights? Not a chance. Sat next to a young guy from Vancouver going to Europe for the first time. His plans for two months included all the major areas and cities on the entire continent! We suggested he come back again. The following morning, we were met by good friends (who had come to see us in Canmore in 2009) with a van and trailer for 4 large duffle bags and the 3 bike boxes which we had to get from Air Canada Cargo at a different location near (not really) the airport. Clearing customs was a snap and only a small fee was due. We were so tired that once we went to bed later that day we didn’t rise till 1:30 pm the next day! We had just missed lunch and the accompanying wine. Not a good start!! Training had to continue!

For May till the end of July we’ll be in the same small apartment we were in for a year in 2005/2006. In the picture the main house is behind, the church you see (not part of the property) is XIth century, and the part we’re in is the upper floor of the building closest. It’s in Areines, near Vendome, some 200 km (120 miles) southwest of Paris. We know the owners well, it’s peaceful, and…more importantly…we have a place to stash our wine(s). And the place comes with the use of a car. The little pink sign in the left side of the back window reads “Baby On Board”. We’ve decided to hold off. The license plate ends with “EH” (pronounced like “may” without the “m”). If that ain’t a Canadian, EH! Plate, I don’t know what is! Mark…that one’s for you! Areines is also close to my uncle, aunts and friends in the area. Dawn says she feels “at home” again, not just in the apartment, but in France as a whole. May have a tough time getting her out this time. She insists again on going to the local farmers’ market every Friday where over the years we’ve come to know some of the merchants. Many know us as “The Canadians” and were shocked to find out that we were not British. Sorry.


We’re right back into the baguette, wine, cheese and salted butter. Wine during lunch? Of course! A drink, called an “aperitif” before dinner? Of course! Wine during dinner? Butt uv coarse! (By now things tend to get hazy.) To work it all off we’re cycling again whenever the weather is right which this spring has been most days. For those of you who have cycled through France, you know that the riding here is amazing with winding roads, flat or rolling terrain, and full-on climbs in the Pyrenees or Alps, wheat fields, vineyards. But…this spring has been the warmest since 1900 and the driest since 1950. The crops are in bad shape and some farmers are forced to sell some of their herd because they have nothing for them to eat. There’s an even bigger potential problem. France produces something like 90% of their power from nuclear plants which use lots of water for cooling the reactors. Many of these plants were built near rivers to provide this water but some of these rivers are drying out. In one case they may have to truck in additional water to prevent a meltdown. Not good.

However…and there’s always a “however”…we are in the throes of French bureaucracy. We’ve managed to quickly get into the French medical system…a big plus. Understanding how vehicle insurance works? Not so simple. And exchanging a driver’s licence so that we can drive here longer than one year? Pure Hell! It was much simpler when we lived in Indonesia. Need something done? Fill an envelope with small bills…hand to person in charge…receive services required. Done! In France a classic example of doing things by the rules, which seem to change daily, was when we went to the medical insurance office to be signed into the system. We were the only ones there. We sat to wait. The clerk called us up to her desk. We were asked to sit in other chairs across the room. We were given our number. It was 001. We waited. At the appropriate time, our number was called. “NUMERO 001 !!” Looking around at the totally empty waiting area, we said, “Guess it’s our turn.”.

Some of you may recall from our blog on our 2005/2006 stay in France that we made friends with donkeys just down the road. Yes…real, live, donkeys. This time there are three adults and two babies. Once in a while we leave a bag of carrots by the gate for the owner to give to them. We met the owner the other day and he said…“Oh, so you’re the carrot people. You can come see them anytime.” We will.

Went to a live theater show in Vendome with friends and acquaintances the other night. The artists played many instruments interspersed with funny dialogue and props. It was a gas. It was called “Out of This Earth Fantasy”…kinda like our life has been. A few days later we went with friends who were taking a funky “heelo” ride. We took pictures.

So now we’re in the process of looking for a van we can set up inside with a bed, fridge, stove, etc…(did we mention the wine rack?). We may have something by next week at which point the work inside can start. We’ve looked locally and in other parts of France so we’re looking forward to this next stage. As part of it all, we’re looking for things we’ll need…cooking stuff, linens, and the like. During the hunt we found something called a “Croch Phone”. Not certain it’s something we actually need but the ringer alone could prove enjoyable.

And as always, we started buying our wines in the grocery stores. Then we quickly progressed (not sure that’s the right word) to buying from a vintner in volume, this time in 10 liter “chateau cardboard”. Same people we bought from when we were here previously.

But the French story of the day is about the radars throughout the country. (Jean…what do you think of this one?) Fixed radars were set up just a few years ago. They originally took a photo of the front license plate. The pic and the fine were then sent to your home. When a few politicians received a fine with a photo of them and their mistress in the car, this envelope being opened by the wife, the radar cameras were quickly changed to take a photo of the rear license plate. The radars also had a warning panel, some one to two kilometers before, to indicate a radar was coming up. “Why?” you may ask. Cause this is France. The government finally figured out that wasn’t smart so they recently announced the removal of the warning panels. “NO FRIGGING WAY!!!” was the immediate response by the opposition and the populace. “IT’S NOT FAIR TO HAVE RADARS WITHOUT BEING WARNED AHEAD THAT A RADAR IS AHEAD!!” Anyone receiving this blog wanting to comment please sent a note to www.go_figure.com. Welcome to France.

CATS AND SNOW, BC & ALBERTA

CATS AND SNOW, BC & ALBERTA
April 30, 2011


Even though it was always in the plans, leaving Fountain Hills was no easy task. We simply loved the town, the area and especially the people. Who would have thunk we would miss Starbucks? (Rob even suggested we auction off our seats outside. Instead we engraved our names on them.) Four months was just too short. April 1 we said goodbye to all the cactus people and pointed north at 7 am…it was sunshine and 20C (70F). Fast forward to Canmore, Alberta a few days later, we arrived in snow and 2C (34F) in the afternoon. Ow!!!!! But not to worry Fountain Hills, we will be back!


Further up Highway 93, punched through the continuing desert of the southwest, we drove through an area of unique flora. The things looked like a tree/a big bush/a sprawling cactus all in one. But they were Joshua trees. At first a few. Then a large area where they were as thick as a forest. Some 10 meters (30 feet) high. An amazing sight. Shortly after was a large parking area just off the road. Next to it was an old beaten up building, nothing more than a big beaten up old shack. The building was called “AllMart” and a sign on the building said “NOTHING”. These people were obviously not fans of WalMart. Further up…Hoover Dam…Lake Mead…Las Vegas.

April 1 was “moving day” for many of the snowbirds who were now flying north. License plates from Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Illinois…all going back, too early most said. The hordes were in cars, campers, motor homes…even on motorcycles, all making mental notes for the return trip in a few months. Going north was only temporary. The look on their faces showed that.

With little traffic and a high speed limit we made good time. Until… To continue our chosen route we had to turnoff onto another road. A large sign read “Extraterrestrial Highway”. Were there aliens about? Suddenly, from around the next corner came a black object going as fast as a spaceship with lights and sirens suddenly exploding! What the hell was happening? Just as suddenly our worst fear was confirmed…we…okay, I…was being stopped for speeding by a state trooper. Might have been cheaper if it actually had been an alien!! $92 lighter, we were on our way…at a slower speed.

First night we stayed in Ely, Nevada, a dusty town of mining origin now secluded from the rest of the world. But nonetheless, there was a Chinese restaurant. Ely may actually be used to simply fill a blank space on a map. A few years ago I worked in Peru with someone from Ely; now I know why he was there.

Just after 7 am the next day we were on our way. This time to confront gale force winds all day. Hard driving and hard on gas. We were even pulling tumbleweeds out of the front of the car. The winds continued through northern Nevada, southern Idaho and southern Oregon. When blinding dust storms, which forced us to a crawl, or snow squalls hit, it was even more fun. Anyone walking was at a 45 degree angle just to stay upright. Hats? They were in the next county! Into northern Oregon, the reflective green fields of spring blasted the eyes with harsh brightness, an indication they had received ample rainfall.

The next day saw the Canadian border by noon. Forty-five minutes with just a few questions and we were through. We stopped at our storage unit in Penticton to drop off Arizona gear and pickup pre-organized Europe gear. In Vernon, British Columbia we had dinner with friends we hadn’t seen in 20 years…and it felt like old times slipping right back into the smooth and easy conversation with people we had missed. Don and Andrea…let’s not wait so long next time. (As an aside, we were given a well-deserved “shot” by an old friend of ours from Vernon about not stopping in to see him. We apologize to him and other equally good friends in Vernon, Kamloops and Canmore. We had thought that one month between Arizona and Europe was going to be enough to do everything…it wasn’t. We bow to you all in deep respect and appreciation for your continued friendship. And to Dan’s sister…a doubly big sorry.)


The next day we drove through the stunningly beautiful spine of the Rockies to Canmore, Alberta, our home base. Lots of snow and cold. The gravel spread in the winter to make the streets safer to drive is abundant and makes the air dusty whenever a car goes by or the wind kicks up. We had arrived after 3000 km (1800 miles) and 32 hours of driving. Two days later came another storm 15 cm (6 in) of snow. It’s been lightly falling off and on since. The temperatures are not going up and both of us are whining, pure and simple!!

April must have been a very happy month a few decades ago. The result is a few birthdays within a few days of each other. So Rob and Val thought it would be a good idea to have a combined birthday party. Good idea! Taxied (cause we knew what was coming) to their place during a full-on snow storm (AGAIN). Had lots of laughs and drinks with friends…until 2:30 am! We had to beg a ride home the next morning into the waiting paws of the cats we’re staying with. Didn’t seem to bother them though we did get the feeling that they wondered what two old people like us had been doing out so late. It’s not the aging that gets harder…it’s the celebration of that aging that gets tougher!


April 23 and 24, we drove to Hinton, Alberta. Both days were beautiful sunny skies which made the drive on the spine of the Canadian Rockies even better than usual. With a heavier than usual snow-fall this winter, the mountains looked even more majestic than ever. The road goes from Lake Louise in the south to Jasper in the north, a distance of 230 km (140 mi) and is one of the most beautiful sights on the planet. It is stunning! In my climbing days it was part of my stomping grounds. And of course the area is full of wildlife. We were lucky enough to see elk, big horn sheep, deer…and a grizzly…from 30 meters (100 ft) away!! He was probably the biggest grizzly we’ve
ever seen! The close-up was taken just as Dawn was about to pet him (NOT!!!). He was rooting out things to eat wherever he could sniff them out.

Not hard to dig when your claws are 10 cm (4 in) or longer!!


The reason to go to Hinton, not your highest rated tourist destination, was to see our son and his family. We usually get to see them only twice a year so we were really looking forward to this. Our grandson tried his patience by showing Dawn how to play a video game. Not a resounding success and the humiliation for our grandson was enough to hide behind her. Our granddaughter didn’t even want to be on the same couch! Our son…well…he just laughed.


We’ve almost finished the packing for Europe…two day packs, four duffle bags and three bike boxes (the partridge and the pear tree will have to wait)…all chocker-block full. The bags are flying with us while the boxes will be shipped via air cargo.

This next chapter is a dream of Dawn’s…see lots of Europe we’ve not been to, buy a camper, and bike when and where we can. Oh…and help reduce the wine inventory on the entire continent. Maybe that will help her video skills!!

NEWS FLASH: Canmore, Alberta, Canada…April 30, 2011…35 cm (14 in) snow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ponies and People

PONIES AND PEOPLE
Mar. 29, 2011




On Feb. 10, the Pony Express, the precursor to today’s iPhone, had a celebration ride of 160 km (100 miles) right through the center of Fountain Hills where part of the original route was when stamps were … well … cheap. Six riders were dressed in full gear with chaps and mail satchels on horses that were having more fun than the riders. The riders and horses alike leaned into their destination without realizing the crowd was even present. They didn’t seem to notice the media and digital cameras; it was as if they had come through a portal from the past. Or had we gone through a portal to the past? With the famous 500 foot plus water fountain in the background and a Thursday open-air market to the side, it was a sight.

Two weeks later, the same avenue, closed to traffic, saw an artists’ fair to beat them all. Over 500 white canvas booths had the place looking like a mushroom farm on steroids. From paintings to plants, beads to beer, hammocks to hats…it was all here. Three days saw thousands come from everywhere to see artists from all over the United States. The second night saw a major windstorm come through and cause the most damage to the booths ever seen. The same storm saw tanking temperatures, snow flurries here and snow on the local mountains. But the next morning everything was up and running like nothing had ever happened. Amazing what you can do when your livelihood is on the line.


In early March two good friends, Rob and Val from Ontario (part-timers in Canmore) spent a week with us. They had heard we had too much wine and were here to help resolve the issue…or so they said. We didn’t have too much wine but they did help resolve the issue!! The four of us visited the Phoenix Botanical Gardens, an amazing collection of area plants all on 145 acres. During one visit we managed to see about half. An incredible array of cactus and all things picky! A must see for anyone visiting the area.

Soon after, friends from Vernon, British Columbia, who were staying nearby, came over for a day to visit Fountain Hills. Greg and Dorothy found it every bit as amazing as we do.


We’ve mentioned the fountain here. For St. Patrick’s day, a boat-load of colouring was added to turn it into the greenest fountain on the planet. Made it look like one huge 500 foot broccoli.

With only a few days left to our stay in this magical place, the temperatures are in the mid to high 20C with a light breeze and sunny skies each and every day…hard to take.

But soon we head north to cold, snow and cloud much to the delight of Rob and Val who have been sending us almost daily “Reality Check” updates as to what we should do to prepare ourselves for the inevitable such as…“find mukluks, find shovel, take ice cold shower, stick head in freezer” while adding the week’s weather forecast for Canmore…all to oh-so-kindly prepare us for our return to Canmore. Ain’t friends great?

So what has this past winter been like for us here in Fountain Hills, Arizona? Nothing short of magic! The weather with warm, sunny, cloudless skies…the scenery of mountains and cactus, scrub brush and sand…the quietness of the town with easy and quick access within twenty minutes of a major city…the riding areas both road and backcountry…and mainly, the people. This is a friendly, laid-back place and it came across in the people we met and became friends with, some close. Hats off to Harlan and Donna, bike shop extraordinaire…Caitlan, the give-it-and-take-it iced coffee specialist…Bill and Anna, side-car motorcyclists…Catherine and Richard (with Majya, the coolest dog around) comedians all…Roger and Rose, neatest of neighbours…Cindy and Bruiser (provider of and consumer of whipped cream)…and especially Darv and Caroline, the best of the best.

Long live Starbucks!!!

Frozen Arizona

FROZEN ARIZONA
Feb. 6, 2011


Now we’ve begun to explore the area a bit. Some 20 kilometers from Fountain Hills is Saguaro Lake. The scenery is stunning with rolling hills, sage brush, cactus of all
shapes and sizes. The center piece is the lake which is popular for fishing 15 to 20 kg catfish.

Separately we also drove to Payson, a small town about 100 km east of here. It’s much higher in elevation than Fountain Hills; there was 20 cm on snow left on the ground after a large storm had blown through. If it had not been for the fact that it was lunch time and we were hungry, we would have blown outta there ourselves! The scenery between Fountain Hills and Payson is simply awesome turns from rolling hills t
o mountains going over a high point where huge, rounded, smooth boulders suddenly appear as if thrown up from the center of the earth itself. The flora changes from cactus to evergreens…and the temperature drops accordingly. “Crank up the heat, Martha!!” Lots of hawks in one area, many perched, though very gingerly, on the top of tall Saguaro cactus to oversee the landscape for their next meal. The cactus are so numerous in places it looks like a dense forest.

In Payson an old man ahead of us comes into a round-about…and turns the wrong way directly into oncoming traffic. Luckily traffic was light. The first vehicle meeting him was a postal truck whose driver gets out to explain to the old gentleman that the world has changed since cars were invented. The driver continues to insist “But I just want to go there! I just want to go…there!!!” We thought it appropriate that it was a postal employee giving directions. And could the driver have been from England??

We finally saw a road runner. No…not the lets-go-the-shortest-way-in-the-round-about-driver. Road runner…the flightless bird that when in danger just puts its head down and floors it. This guy was crossing a four land street in Fountain Hills. Willy E. Coyote was nowhere in sight.

In our last blog we mentioned Bill and Anna and their 1937 replica BMW purchased in China. Here’s a photo of them. Just a few days ago they told us they were in the
process of buying a brand new Harley and planning to go across the country. They’re in their seventies. “Come on you young whipper snappers…keep up!!!”

Some 45 minutes north of here is Carefree (how great is that?), a small town which once a year hold an art festival. One street blocked of for the displays was Easy Street (how great is that…again?). Over 175 high-end artists from around the world were showing, and selling at high prices, beautiful pieces. Funky blown glass, totally differently decorated gourds, incredible photography, and all types of painting including cowboys and horses done by Chinese artists. The neatest pieces were two meter tall metal fountains where the water came out of tiny holes near the top and totally disappeared in tiny holes near the bottom with not a drop reaching the ground! With this being outside in sunny weather and embraced by southwestern desert scenery, it was magical.


Last week was the Bead Museum in Glendale part of greater Phoenix. This is something Dawn really wanted to see. It turned out to be very interesting with displays of bead work from all over the world and times, some as old as 3000 years.

And closer to us we found out at an open house of a jewelry store that some of the best and most beautiful amethyst stones in the world at mined near town part way up a mountain called Four Peaks, a key landmark in the area. The miners, a small group, hike in 15 km one way and stay two weeks before hiking back out again.

With this much touring we gave in and purchased a GPS. They are fantastic to use and Dawn the Map Reader can now lift her head to see the scenery. The added bonus…Dawn doesn’t get us lost any more.

We’re still riding lots though Dan broke a spoke on his road bike at the start of a climb. Sounded like a gunshot and because a broken spoke will distort the wheel, his ride was over for the day. We did stay off the bikes for a few days because of the crazy cold weather that’s just hit the area. The rest of the US and Canada were
getting boatloads of snow followed by cold weather and that pushed below freezing air our way. Yup…that’s snow on the Four Peaks! Cold enough to freeze the water in small fountains around town. A cactus with a layer of ice is an odd spectacle. The temperatures were the coldest on record for southern Arizona. Stinking Canadians!!!

FOUNTAIN HILLS, ARIZONA

FOUNTAIN HILLS, ARIZONA
Jan.1, 2011


So let us describe Fountain Hills, Arizona. It’s about 20 km east of Scottsdale/Phoenix
and linked to that major city with a four lane road which takes you past the Mayo Clinic, a highly regarded medical center in the US. A relatively new town, Fountain Hills is spread out over many hills and valleys covering a large area. The permanent population is some 25,000 but feels much smaller because of the way much of it is hidden with the hills. The main streets are all four lane with extremely wide cycling paths on both sides. The name of the town comes from the fountain in the center of a man-made lake which once an hour shoots up to be, so claimed, the fourth highest fountain in the world. The “hills” part of Fountain Hills comes from, well…all the hills in the area. The weather is normally very warm, about 18C in December, but not so this year. The mountains around us got a dusting of snow last night and a bitter wind is as biting as any in Canada. The town is at some 500 meters elevation.


And what’s the deal with this horse called “Maytag Mathilda”???

Fountain Hills has a wide street called “Avenue of the Fountains” which looks straight at the man-made lake and the big fountain. Every year the street is lighted up with Christmas decorations and what seems like the whole town shows up while the local stores offer free food and wine. We didn’t eat much. Man-made snow was brought in for
the kids. Dawn found herself a new beau though his tights could be changed! Check out the picture.

While there we ran into our neighbours in the next condo, people from Wisconsin. He offered me a candy bar. I took it. I brought it home. I ate it. I placed the empty wrapper on his door handle. The next morning there was another candy bar. “Hmmm…this could be productive.” I thought. At which point an empty bottle of wine was placed by his door. And voila…like magic, a full bottle of wine appeared by our door! Maybe next time we’ll put our empty check book by their door. Or maybe even our car! To say the
least we’ve had lots of laughs with Roger and Rose, two really nice, down-to-earth good people and more than a few bottles of wine have been consumed. Bummer!! So far it has escalated into a card from them with our rebuttal. Oh, where will this all lead!?

Part of the reason for this town being so quiet is that there are few stores though there are three large grocery chains here. Other major purchasing runs can be made in the Phoenix area with everything there if you want to wear out your credit card. We try on stay in the Scottsdale area simply because it is closer, is easy to get around and it’s a very nice area.

The city has been hit hard by the recession. Housing is incredibly low in price with a huge number of places on the market. We’re also seeing lots of vehicles with hardware store “For Sale” signs in the window. That may not be that uncommon though when you see higher end cars such as Mercedes and Jaguars being put up for sale in that manner, you just know things are not great. Want a motorhome? Take your pick…at rock-bottom prices.

The area has no forests but zillions of cacti of all shapes and sizes remind you of where you are. Many of the tall cacti, the saguaros, have arms growing upwards which makes them look to be waving as you go by. Out of friendliness, we wave back. They look friendly enough to hug but we’ve been advised against it. Not far from where we are the land goes up to 2200 meters and, with the storm that just went through, saw lots of snow, closed roads and loads of accidents on the ones that were open. It is warm enough year round that there is a large commercial orange grove only 8 km outside of town. In town itself, some have producing olive trees on their property.

Thanks to Dawn’s hard work, we are in a comfortable two bedroom condo in a quiet area, although nowhere in Fountain Hills is it noisy partly because the traffic is so light.

This is a town and area for road cyclists. Not much is flat. Dawn is getting some riding in while I’m roaring around with my road bike over all these hills. One hill on the edge of town is 18% and is guaranteed to give you a stroke, make you cry or cause you to fall over cause you just ain’t pedaling fast enough!! And coming back down? Well…just don’t fall. But cycling is one of the main reasons we came here so that is certainly working out well. And did we mention the cheap wine??


We’ve also met another couple, Bill and Anna, in their 70’s who roar around town in a 1970 built, 1937 replica BMW motorcycle complete with sidecar for her. He heard about this rig, sent his money and waited. His friends told him he would never see the motorcycle or his cash again. Why? Because he bought it sight unseen from an individual in China…over the internet! Can you say “scam”? But lo and behold…the thing appeared…spotless. Being a retired fireman from New York City, you would think he would have been a touch more sceptical. He’s glad he wasn’t.

So far we’ve been on the road since mid-June and this is the first, but not last, New Year crossed. To all out friends and family, we wish everyone a

Very Happy New Year!

And to do that…just keep smiling.

To Arizona

TO ARIZONA
December 4, 2010


On our way through Vernon, B.C. a bad thing and a good thing happened. We got a sizeable stone in the windshield from the gravel laid on the roads after the winter storm which meant we had to stop in Kelowna for repairs. Turned out to be quick and inexpensive. The other thing that happened in Vernon was that we stopped in a store to pick up a few things. While there we bumped into people we hadn’t seen in twenty years from when we had lived in Vernon in the late 80s and early 90s. We often thought of them as Dan had worked with him and both are great people. Coffee ensued with an exchange of information and off we were laughing that those two friends could only be the ones we would encounter outside a toilet!

The drive through Washington was good until just before Moses Lake where a large storm hit the western US. Heavy snows and strong winds forced us to stop there. We were stranded the next day as well. Even the snowploughs were going off the road! When we did leave the temperature was -25C (the car did not start easily) and never got above -13C all day! Temps continued cold through Idaho (-18C) with icy roads. The weather was not helping a bad cold that Dawn had caught somewhere (we decided to blame our refound friends in Vernon). The roads improved as we approached Salt Lake City, Utah though the traffic was very heavy during the Thanksgiving weekend. The traffic speed was over 120 km per hour when suddenly the entire three lane highway came to a screaming halt. Just ahead three cars had collided which forced us all to jam on the brakes while hoping not to be rear-ended!



Utah is very arid but beautiful. Utah also has some of the most incredible scenery in world famous national parks. We detoured to visit Bryce and later Zion. Both are the result of erosion but are totally different. You look down on Bryce’s cones and steeples while you look up at Zion’s wildly colourful cliffs. Of all the natural beauty we have seen around the world, Zion may just be the most amazing. We certainly plan to spend more time in both these parks in the future. One thing that surprised us was the crush or tourists in Zion. Every turnoff, every parking area, every road was jammed. And that was the end of November. The road itself needs some care to drive being narrow, very crooked with severe drop-offs.

Then it was off to the Grand Canyon. It is as majestic as you’ve ever heard with a massive depth and width and unbelievable erosion. The Colorado River looks very small in the bottom. As impressive as the Grand canyon is from above, it may be best seen and experienced from the bottom. Finally though, the temps were nice. Though windy, +7C was in the right direction! We tried to push it through to Fountain Hills but made it as far as Sedona, about 2 hours north of Phoenix. It is a full-on tourist town with scenery to match.

The next day…ah…Fountain Hills with sunny skies and temps ranging from 18C to 25C. Hotel for two days until we could get into the condo we rented for the winter. Fountain Hills is some 20 km east of Phoenix/Scottsdale. A relatively new town of about 25,000 people with probably half being snowbirds in the winter months. It’s in the desert with dryness, cactuses of all kinds, palm trees, newer homes, rattlesnakes and a type of wild pig called Javelinas (pronounced ‘Havelinas’) which showed up just below our balcony the first evening we were in the condo. We saluted them with our glass of wine already in hand!

The road biking has already started. The off-road biking has to wait until we have our mountain bike tires “slimed”, a process using a new bead on the tire rim and a liquid to seal any small hole. The reason to do this here? Cactus needles are everywhere off-road and will flatten you in…well…no time flat.


We were posed an interesting question by our real estate/insurance contact here. One of the questions on a questionnaire was whether we had ever been arrested or had a criminal record. Before we could answer she asked if that was the reason why we were travelling so much and didn’t have a permanent home. We must have given the right answer cause no one has come to the door yet. Which, by the way, is something you prefer not to happen here. The local sheriff has a reputation for making his convicts stay in tents (remember it gets screaming hot here in the summer) and…wait for it…makes them wear pink shorts!

‘Nuff said.