I have been scratching for a reason to write a blog this week. Friday evening is a good time: My Parkinson’s symptoms are under control so typing is not challenging this evening. God knows that there has been plenty of excitement in our lives. For example the two hour ride over to the Arrowhead Mercedes dealership in second gear “Limp Mode” to meet and chat with the assistant service manager, Jared. We are set up with an appointment sometime next week to replace the rear brake rotors and speed sensors. I must make sure the parking brake is not partially set whenever we tow from now on. So I will be setting that sucker tighter than a drum whenever I park it. We won’t be able budge the van until it has been released.
So we are doing without the van for a week. That means we are doing without tools for a week. That means nothing is getting done for a week. Now we are starting the weekend and of course there is no open campsites. We are in dry camping, “Cheek to Jowl” ( as Ed D. would say) with our neighbors. In a small parking lot by the gate. Somehow I think we were placed here to help a new friend. A young gal who goes by “Noel” was seated by her luggage in one of the RV parking slots as we returned from a trip to see Saguaro Lake. Prominent in her pile of luggage was a guitar. I struck up a conversation and we were soon playing together. Also prominently missing in her luggage was any sign of camping gear at all; and where is her car? We were upset about our missing van, Noel just sold her car as scrap with a bad transmission and needed to wait overnight for friends to come from New Mexico in the morning to help her get to Oregon. Soon one of the park volunteers showed up with a small tent and we helped her set it up. Over the course of the evening we played a lot of songs, and had supper together. And chatted about Oregon. I have to admire Noel, she is handling this crises with calm demeanor. I am afraid I would be trying to control everything that could happen and worrying about the details.

Some things we haven’t tried to befriend are the two rattlesnakes we have met on our hikes. The first was a sidewinder and Lynda, Judy and the dogs almost walked right over this snake. The second was a diamondback, a rather large one. This fellow quickly gained the cover of the roadside brush so we didn’t get a photo. There is lots of hiking trails in this park, Usery Mountain Regional Park, but we are really hesitant about hiking. The weather has been warm and delightful for most of two weeks now, hence the snakes are coming out. We did get the Catrikes out of the van so we are riding a bunch. I have a slow leak in one tire so I must pump it up daily. Yes! the good floor pump is in the Sprinter, I have the little roadside hand pump. It works but it takes a while.
Meanwhile I will gather a couple photos to include and get ready to post this blog from just outside Mesa Arizona.
It is now Saturday morning, and Aye ‘tis a wonderful beautiful day. We have walked the Samyoids, Lynda and Dave’s dogs, wheedled some photos from them and now I can publish. Photo credits go to Lynda and Dave Campbell. Thanks guys. The second Diamondback is by Judy not that far from our campsite in Flying Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction. He was a healthy 4 footer with 9 or 10 buttons on his rattle.