On the Home Front (July 24, 2013)

Having completed the Pacific Coast ride around July 1 and planning on leaving for the "Minneapolis to Maine" ride on July 30, I have had a month of enjoying Arizona in the summer.

Tucson has been wonderful ... hot, but wonderful.  As I mentioned in my previous post, Ruth and Henry Jacobson generously allowed me to stay in their guest house.  The accommodations could not be more enjoyable and comfortable.  I have done my best to keep the water in the pool moving so that the automatic cleaning device is working properly ... not easy, but someone needs to step up and take on this job.

Spending time with friends has been great.  I have mentioned in the past the desire to see familiar faces and familiar places while out touring.  This month-long break from touring has satisfied this desire to the fullest extent.  I have also had the opportunity to do some of my usual volunteering with the food bank and Living Streets Alliance.  Good stuff, this volunteering.

In addition to enjoying Tucson, I took a week to drive north to Cornville (just south of Sedona ... see adjacent photo) and Payson to visit my brothers and sister-in-law.  Following the earlier summer theme of rain ... it rained quite a bit up north.  Of particular joy to me was sitting inside a car while traveling in the rain, as opposed to sitting on a wee bike saddle and experiencing the rain in an "up close and personal" way.  Went for a hike with Rachel and Bob ... got that "up close and personal" experience with rain at Walnut Canyon ... while ascending the 5,000,000 steps (or so it seemed) returning to the visitor center.  Beautiful area, even given the cold and wet.

Spent a couple days with my oldest brother, Dick (the Elder).  Very enjoyable time lounging around his house and the Payson airport.  Dick recently bought into a partnership on a Piper Colt airplane, so we went for an hour and a half flight north of Payson.  My passion is bike touring; flying is Dick's passion.  I could not be happier for him.

So, with today being July 24 and the flight to Minneapolis being on July 30, I am getting my stuff organized for the coming ride.  Took my bike to the Amtrak Station today with the hopes that it will be in Minneapolis come next Wednesday.  They have not failed me yet, so I have great faith in them (kinda).

Looking forward to meeting up with Kim in Minneapolis and heading east.  Life is good ... both here in Tucson and on the road.  I am a lucky man.