Crossing Paths... When RV "Circles" Intersect

One of the fringe benefits of travel blogging is connecting with new people in lovely places. Lasting friendships ensue from chance encounters as well as ones planned. This week is doubly special because Wandrin Lloyd's circle happened to intersect within a few miles of our Sedona boondock, and Itchy Hitcher/Pen Pal Claudia and her husband, Marc, motored into our camp yesterday. We have been friends for many years but this is the first opportunity Pen Pal and I have had to actually meet.

Truth or Dare

It would almost be funny if it wasn't so pitiful and dangerous... my often foolhardy solo exploits on mountains and mountain bikes.  Senior Games (that's what I call them) have a way of getting me into "situations" on "playgrounds" that cause me to wonder if this might not be a good time to have a face to face fess-up with "Truth." 

Arizona Highways and Revised RV Dreams

Camping here in the red rock boondocks of my youth stirs the coals of old fires. Some of my first memories are of coming up to Sedona from Phoenix with my parents in order to climb all over these iron bleeding monuments and play in Oak Creek's icy waters.  

Time Well Spent

Be it a day

or a lifetime...

how sweet to wander

without aim

cause

or

course...

Finally Found A Great Boondock Spot Near Sedona

It was a surprise to see as much snow in Flagstaff as we left behind in Lovely Ouray; they really got dumped on. And it was disheartening that snow stayed with us all the way down Oak Creek Canyon. Just outside the town of Sedona it was finally gone and near 70 degrees. Oak Creek was riding high and raging muddy from the meltdown.

Ahhh Spring... Old Man Winter's Back Is Broken, But He Ain't Dead Yet

Walt Disney himself would be hard pressed to top the "rides" we have within a day's drive of Lovely Ouray. So many playgrounds to choose from, so little time. And the best part is, they are Natural. No moulded plastic, no fake rocks, just Almighty God's weathered etchings... a billion years in the making. 

Arches Mountain Biking Go Pro Video

I went to the thesaurus, trying to come up with a synonym for my disease of Wanderlust. It's so overused, Wanderlust, and as we all know overuse wears things out, even words.

Eastern Utah's Slick Rock... Smooth and Creamy Soft Serve Playgrounds

I'm wearing my new "Life Is Good" ball cap... hoping the mantra will rub off on my spoiled rotten brain. This post comes to you from back in Lovely Ouray... Mouse's Chocolates, to be exact. I felt a need for comfort food on this Pennsylvania Grey day... a ginormous Scrap Cookie and an (intravenous) frothy topped, tall-boy triple shot latte... with gooey carmel and dark chocolate syrup. You say "addict;" I say "coping mechanism." 

Unplugged...

Desert Solitaire

I'm sitting in a "Made Elsewhere" wedge inducing Walmart camp-chair... feet up on a twisted Cedar footstool and gazing across a sea of Utah slickrock.  A frothy topped La Salle Mountain wave lays frozen mid-roll on a crystal clear horizon... just over the toes of my dusty blue suede Crocks. The cold IPA in the armrest's cup-holder sweats for attention as I make a field lab study of "The Now." 

She Said, "Let's Break Out The Watercolors"

BJ's Fire

And why not... we were back from our hike shortly after noon. So while Bobbie painted Arches "fire," I chose the very thing I was here to get away from... Snow! I'm afraid my skills are a bit rusted, but it was just for fun anyway... an attempt to get back on the horse that keeps throwin' me. Love Arty Things.

Slickrock Boondock

We departed The Devil's Garden Campground in Arches National Park for all the reasons in yesterday's post... plus about ten more I didn't get to. Still, if you can get reservations secured and avoid the "Musical Chairs," it is both a magical and convenient base camp for hiking and you shouldn't be discouraged by a guy who resents authority and prefers ruleless boondocks to being herded like cattle. Moooo.

A Confederacy Of Dunces

Imagine being a city dweller in a windowless cube five days at a whack... fifty weeks a year. Your getaways are precious and few; you don't need Govie messing with you on your time. Oh boy, I feel a bit of a rant swelling inside my gut; let's see how I do at suppressing this "gas bubble." 

Cavorting In The Devils Garden

Yep, Moab! It is warm, warm and warming for the foreseeable future, and there is not a speck of the White Plague to be found.

Truth Serum

These are the last snow photos you will be seeing on the BCB for a few days, so put 'em in the freezer else they'll be melted by what's coming next. Fire and Water do not mix!

Utah On My Mind

Forecast for Moab, Utah, for the next 10 days calls for mid 60's. Hmmmm, should I go or should I stay?

Proud Mary

This will come as no surprise to some. You see,  I've thrown in the towel on prostituting the Box Canyon Blog and struck a deal with The Heavenly Father. If He would but forgive my foolish "optimism," I will follow His Son's example... chase moneychangers from the Temple and restore commercial chastity to my soiled dove pages (three Proud Mary's and sign of the cross).  

Half Challenged Half Wit

I'm told a person learns more from failures than they do successes. Well then, look out Mensa there's a new kid in town! I guess that's what happens when you are a wild-eyed optimist.

Utter Destruction and Unreal Hardship

We finally woke to blue skies Saturday but the temperature hovered at one degree above zero. If it's not one thing it's another. The series of storms that pinned us indoors for several days roared eastward, intensified and spawned F 4 tornados; utter death and destruction, whole towns obliterated... just square mile after square mile of ruination.

Clouds In My Coffee

This is some doozie of a snowstorm. It drove me back into long pants, not so much because it's bitterly cold but because of the winds it rode into town on.