It could have been even more confusing

We almost went to the wrong campground this week. It was my (Bev’s) bad.

Jim is the big picture guy who says things like “Hey, here’s a campground we could go to.” I’m the detail person who makes the arrangements and says things like “That campground you suggested is closed.”

When we decided to go to the Phoenix area, Jim did an Internet search and found four campgrounds he liked. I checked them out. One was full, one allowed only small dogs (Cooper is in the big category), and another was expensive. The fourth campground was on a lake. Since we have our kayaks with us but haven't used then since November, I booked a spot at the lake.  

The campground sent an email confirmation. Jim called the phone number listed to ask about getting a package delivered and was told the campground had a new mailing address. I’d already planned our driving route, but when I heard Jim repeat the words “new address” I thought I’d better double check. So I typed the new mailing address into the iPhone ap we use to plan our drives.

Turns out new address is about 20 miles south of where I thought we were going. Also turns out that instead of Lake Campground I’d booked Expensive Campground.

Anyway. On Tuesday we arrived Desert Edge campground in north Phoenix. I don't think we'll be kayaking here but they do have a swimming pool. And I'll be taking a refresher course in paying attention to details.

On our way to Phoenix not far from Casa Grande, AZ: Picacho Peak in the background and blooming brittle bush in the foreground.  A hike to the top of Picacho Peak has an elevation gain of 1780 feet. 

Many of the camping spots at Desert's Edge Campground have two rigs parked "foot to foot" in a single, long parking spot.  We have a wide corner space instead, with lots of room. 

See you next year, Tucson

We've been at Tucson's Davis Monthan Air Force Base since January 5. We like Tucson -- a lot -- but it's time to move, so today we're headed north. Before we go we wanted to post pics of a few more things we've done lately:

 Visited the Tucson Museum of Art

The spring exhibit we saw included "The Figure Examined," (self explanatory) "The WPA Connection," (creations of artists who were part of the Works Progress Administration's depression-era public art project); "La Vida Fantastica,"(folk art); and "Shadow Play," (works that highlight light and shadow).  We also visited Tucson's very interesting Desert Art Museum, but photos of most of the exhibits were prohibited.

Ate lunch at Davis Mothan's Food Trucks

Twice a month food trucks offer lunch at the Air Force Base.  We ate there last week and nine trucks offered Indian cuisine, burgers, pizza, barbecue, Mexican, Italian, Canadian (poutine, anyone?) and apparently two more I can't remember but I'm sure were great.  I had chicken tandoori; Jim had a turkey avocado sandwich on Texas toast.  I noticed the sign in the second photo above and asked the server about it.  He said because the trucks were from off base they all had to post a buyer-beware-type sign.  The food was good; no food poisoning to be had.

Enjoyed the spring flowers

Tucson had a record-breaking-almost-an-inch of rain January 30 and in the first 45 days of 2015 had about 2.5 inches.  That last number is about an inch more than normal and a lot more than the .01 inch Tucson had last year in the same time frame, per a local TV station. That small amount of rain makes the desert bloom. Above are few plants blooming right now here at Davis Monthan. The yellow spiky one on the right is an aloe vera flower-- the same aloe vera used in sun burn lotions.  

Ocotillo -- which before it blooms looks like a pile of spiny sticks -- are in heavy flower all over town.  Some ocotillo are thick and full like the one above, others are thin and wavy, others are pretty bare except for a few red flowers.  Supposedly they can bloom several times a year if they get enough rain.  Without much rain, the plants usually green up and bloom in the spring.  Locals have long made fences from the sticks, which sometimes bloom and turn into living barriers.

Made return trips to a few brew pubs.

From top to bottom:  Jim at Sentinel Brewing; dark beer big sampler at Dragoon Brewing; Jim at the the bottle store of a pub called 1702 -- we'd only been there once before about six weeks ago and the server remembered Jim. Not sure if that's good or bad.

Tucson's Rattlesnake Bridge

Tucson has interesting art on walls, overpasses and underpasses along its streets. But one of the coolest pieces of street art is a bike and pedestrian bridge in the shape of a diamondback rattlesnake that crosses Tucson's Broadway Boulevard 

At one end is a huge rattlesnake head. At the other is a winding tail complete with large rattle. To get from one end to the other you amble through a long snake belly.

The body is made of a metal mesh that shimmers in the sunlight. Fortunately the snake is more artsy-looking than scary. But it is a little scary.

The snake head at one end of a 280-foot bridge that crosses six lanes of traffic on downtown Tucson's Broadway Boulevard.

Once you cross Broadway via the bridge, you exit by the snakes tail.  The bridge was designed by a Tucson artist, paid for with public art funds, and competed in 2002.

More shots of Tucson's rattlesnake bridge. Clockwise from top left:  A close up of a snake eye; bicyclists riding through the snake body; a view of the snake as it crosses Broadway Boulevard; and Jim standing between snake fangs at the entrance to the bridge .

Just a few photos of other "road art" we've seen along I-10 and on Tucson city streets.  At the top is another pedestrian bridge not far from the rattlesnake. Third from the top is part of one of several large "face collages"along Tucson's Fourth Avenue.

Walking on my tippy toes

This post isn't as exciting as our last one. Thank goodness.

Since I (Bev) have been back in Tucson, Jim and I have made a return trip to Barrio Brewing because Jim loves their fish tacos (not to mention their beer), visited Dragoon Brewing, attended an eat-street-tacos-and-meet-the-new-RV-park-manager event here at the Davis Monthan Fam Camp, and made a trip to Tucson's Fourth Avenue area. Fourth Avenue is Tucson's hipster place with funky shops, restaurants, bars, thrift stores, a food co-op, tattoo parlors, and lots of folks on skateboards. It's one national chain is Dairy Queen; the day we visited was DQ's anniversary and we each got one of the free ice cream cones they gave out.

We've also kept up our gym routine. Which we need after tacos, beer and ice cream. Monday I did a leg exercise I hadn't done for a long time and didn't think much about it. Afterwards we walked up and down Fourth Avenue. Yesterday I went to a mall and walked a lot but nothing out of the ordinary.  

Not long after getting back from the mall both my calves suddenly cramped up.The only way I could walk was on my tip toes. Today I can slowly and gingerly walk on my toes or wearing shoes with a heel. Note to self: When at the gym, go easy on the calf raises.

Below are some family shots I took while in Ohio, plus one taken in Tucson. They have absolutely nothing to do with what I just wrote -- I just wanted to include them because someday I am going to print out our blog and want to include these photo memories .

My brother Bob, Mom and me.  Bob and I both have degrees from Ohio State. Our younger brother, Don, went to the University of Colorado and says the letters on our hats could stand for Totally Hedonistic and Egotistical. That's funny, but Bob and I disagree.

My son Paul with his Grandma (my Mom).  Paul lives in Lakewood, Ohio, and plans to move to California soon. Love you, Paulie and Mom. 

Paul, Mom and me.

Not technically family, but pretty darn close:  My high school friend, Sally.

Meanwhile, back in Tucson:  The morning after I got back from Ohio, my cousin's daughter, Chris, and her family stopped to visit us at Davis Monthan.  They are currently in El Paso, where Chris's Army husband, Jimmy, is attending training at Fort Bliss.  Chris, Jimmy and their boys were driving through Tucson on their way back from a Grand Canyon camping trip. Tent camping. In the snow.  These guys are hardy.  From left to right:  Chris, sons Zak, Jake and Austin, and Jimmy. 

May contain inappropriate language

Wednesday I flew from Ohio (where I was visiting my Mom) back to to Tucson (where Jim had stayed with Cooper and the rig). On the Chicago to Tucson leg of my flight, I had a window seat. There was an empty seat between me and the elderly, dignified-looking gentleman in the aisle seat. As the plane was backing up on the tarmac, a flight attendant brought over a woman who'd gotten on late and couldn’t find a spot at the back of the full plane.

Middle Seat Woman and Elderly Gentleman had trouble deciding whose seat belt was whose. During the seatbelt-detangling process, Middle Seat noticed a pronounced bump on Elderly Gentleman's finger. She asked him what it was. “It’s caused by my arthritis,” he said. “Can I touch it?’ she asked.  

I knew then I was in trouble.

During the course of the flight, Middle Seat asked about my kids, my marriage, my job. She offered me an unwrapped sour patch candy from the bottom of her purse, and asked me to touch the “lucky rock” she also pulled from her purse. The topper was when she told me I had “great t*ts.” No lie. On the positive side, she didn’t ask to touch them.  

I called Mom to tell her I’d arrived in Tucson safe and sound and also told her about my conversation with Middle Seat.  Right away she asked “What were you wearing?” Geez, Mom. Blame the victim. (I’m kidding, Mom. About blaming the victim, not about what I told you. But I had on my gray and purple long-sleeved, high-necked T-shirt.) 

If Jim had been sitting next to Middle Seat, he would have broken the window and climbed out on the wing. Or he might have gone with it and told her he was a secret agent. I just felt bad because it’s got to be tough being her.  

But it was a long flight.