Mesa, Arizona Sunset

7:20PM  5/6/13

Last evening in Apache Palms RV Park in Mesa, Arizona.  Will leave tomorrow AM for Indio, CA or thereabouts.  I emailed about a reservation in Indio but when the man returned my call he said that the site would be $50 for one night - a little steep I'd say, especially for May.  I declined and said I'd check out some other RV Parks.  I'm thinking I won't bother with a reservation but just drive in to Indio and hope my luck holds out.  Other parks advertise $36/night.  And, I really don't think they'll be very full; about 3/4 of the rigs that were in this park left today.  Weekdays shouldn't be busy while schools are still in session - and this is desert country practically all the way to Playa del Rey.

Here're a couple of sunset pix taken just a few minutes ago.....

 Today was a beautiful day - not too hot - about 84 degrees - no high winds but a nice breeze.  There are some clouds with a possibility for rain within the next couple of days.  Remember that in this desert clime, July and August are the big rain months of the year; whereas in Northern CA we'd be pretty surprised with any rain from May or June until about November.

Taken looking west from the RV.  See the airplane below the clouds?  I've seen lots of air traffic heading in and out of Sky Harbor Airport - but there's certainly not much noise.  Yeah!

More Mesa with Betsy .... and memories of a talented daughter!

8:40AM

Tried to talk with George this morning but our calls kept being dropped - will try again later.  Also called Kari to see how she did in the triathlon yesterday - she'll call me back.  So, at this point I don't know nothin' about nobody!!!

Oh, she just called - and of course, is so busy she couldn't talk much but it sounds like she did well and will call me back later to give me details.  Kari is my "SUPER WOMAN" daughter who was never really interested in sports and / or traditional exercise as a kid; but, after birthing triplets 13 years ago, found that she loved swimming daily laps in their health center pool.  [This was to get exercise, and, maybe more importantly to her sanity, she realized that nobody could talk to her - there was such quiet serenity - while she was swimming - noise and confusion are ever present in the life of a triplet mom].

Well, she started swimming a few laps a day, gradually increasing to maybe 45 minutes or an hour of straight swimming.  She was regaining a level of fitness both physically and mentally.  Then, David bought her a bicycle, as he thought that would be another way for her to get off by herself or with friends and exercise.  Well, my daughter, whose choice of exercise had been cheerleading (nothing wrong with that) found that, not only did she enjoy swimming and biking, but she has incredible endurance and loves just about every minute of it.  Well, fast forward a few years .... In August of 2009 she completed her first Ironman in Louisville, Kentucky ..... with more than 20 members of her family and friends cheering her on.  I'll never forget the excitement and wonder I personally felt when she crossed the finish line (I believe it was in under 15 hours) at about 9:45 that evening.  She was crying tears of joy and self-fulfillment as were all of her supporters.

I remember I asked, "Kari, how do you feel?" through my tears of pride; her response was, "Oh, I'm a little tired but I feel great!"  Incredible!!!  She didn't have any untoward effects of that long day of WORK - no blisters, blackened toenails that are very common after so much footwork, or even really sore muscles.  She's a natural!

Now, four years after that first go, she's done all kinds of endurance events - including the Markleeville Death Ride  http://www.deathride.com/.  She owns Epic Tri Club http://www.epictri.com/ in El Dorado Hills, California and is currently, among other things, searching for young athlete to become an Olympian triathlon contender.

I couldn't be more proud of her as an athlete - but that doesn't compare to the esteem I hold her in as a woman, a wife, a mother and a member of the community.

 This is Kari the day before the Ironman in Louisville

Proud Mamas - Betsy, David's mom, Kari and MP - evening before the event!

[I'm currently spending a few days visiting Sam and Betsy here in Arizona]

And here's part of the cheering section with Kari right after she finished.  I didn't mention earlier that the triplets were her 4th, 5th and 6th children!!!!  Mother of six - what an accomplishment!

4:00PM

Betsy (Kari's mom-in-law) just brought me 'home' to the RV park after having taken me to lunch with some of her school teacher buddies - all of whom have now retired and meet once a month for lunch.  I enjoyed putting faces with the stories I've heard about some of them throughout the years.

Now it's time to get organized to take off tomorrow morning for Indio where I'll spend the night tomorrow and then head on to Playa del Rey for the weekend festivities.  After all the shopping with Betsy I feel like I have some decent choices of what to wear to the various graduation functions.  My RV wardrobe is a little lacking in appropriate attire for a university graduation ceremony and parties.  And, thank you God, I am losing a little of the 20 pounds I've put on in the two years; so, it's nice to look at pants that aren't in the "two ton Tilly department."

Also, it's really a treat to go into an American department store - it'd been quite a while.

Sunday Morning - Mesa, Arizona - Cinco de Mayo

5/5  Happy Cinco de Mayo to all

10:45AM
Just got off the phone after a long long conversation with my friend, George.  We met a couple of months ago at Hacienda Contreras in Valle de Juarez, Jalisco, Mexico - and have since become great buddies with lots in common.  We seem to be able to begin a conversation - and then PRESTO, two hours have gone by with nary a lull.
George will be traveling to California early next month, but unfortunately we won't be able to connect. Oh, well, we'll just continue as we are - email, blogpost and phone friends - we seem to crunch an awfully large amount of information exchange in our phone and email conversations.

I also just received an email from a high school friend of mine - I've reconnected with several girlfriends from high school - wow - over 50 years ago - after not having seen or communicated with them for 50 years!  When my HS reunion occurred a couple of years ago, I decided to drive from Roseville to San Jose to attend, knowing full well that nobody would remember me!  RUBBISH!  As I entered the conference room of the hotel where the luncheon was being held, I heard, "Hey, Ryan [maiden name], how're ya' doin'?"  It was like a time warp - I was Ryan and they were Gorman, Jackson, Kayser, Byrnes, etc., etc.  I 'knew' each one instantly and they felt the same about me!

It appears that, as time goes by, everything and everybody changes AND everything and everybody remains the same!  I am really pleased and am enjoying how, as I get older, I continue to learn so many new things - and I can revisit old experiences with a new perspective.  That's how I feel about rekindling my friends from my teen-aged years.  Certainly we'll all led different lives, had different education, experiences, families, etc.  But, within, we not only recognize one another, but can kind of pick up from where we left off - AND we can do it with the acceptance of the differences as well as the similarities we share.

10PM
Enjoyed another day of galavanting throughout two or three malls with Betsy, the mother of my son-in-law, David.  We commented today to one of the sales ladies we spoke with, that mother's-in-law are really not supposed to 'get along;' you know the mother of the wife (Kari) thinks the son-in-law (David) is not good enough for her daughter and the mother (Betsy) of the son-in-law feels the same about the daughter-in-law (Kari).  Well, in our case that just IS NOT TRUE.  We each hold the offspring of the other in high esteem - wow, that feels good.  I feel so blessed to really really love my children's chosen partners.  My oldest son, Jeff, has been very happily with Alice for over 30 years now!  And my daughter, Kari, and David have been married for going on 23 years.  Now, youngest son, Spencer, my world traveling vagabond is showing signs of having a lovely partner whom I haven't yet met.  But, I feel in my bones that she will be a wonderful addition to the menagerie - if that should come to pass.  I do hope to meet her sometime this year.  Spencer and Rachel are currently in Berlin; my understanding is that she's from Paris.  Who knows where or if they might settle down!

Spencer has always 'marched to a different drummer;' he decided very early in his life that he neither wanted to work for anybody else nor work a routine 8-5 job.  He's been very successful at avoiding either of those conditions.  I believe 2013 may be about his 12th year of continuous travel.  Earlier in this odyssey, he kind of used Bogota, Colombia as his base of operations.  In recent years that's not been the case; 2012 -13 has seen him spending , I think, most time in Germany - Hmmm, a woman?!
I am proud of all my kids and I support how they choose to live their lives.  I wish I could see them more often, but we all seem to refuse to change our individual adventurous ways; so, we do the best we can with what we've got!

I am so looking forward to seeing Jeff and Kari and their families - all of whom will be at Addison's graduation next week.  I only wish Spencer could be there too - Who knows?  He could surprise us!!!!

My then husband, John, and I agreed years ago - and I still believe it was the right decision for our family - that we wanted our children to become strong and independent people.  And, that's just what they've done.  Each of the three lives life differently that the other two; but each is doing well in his / her own way and is happy with the choices s/he has made.  I didn't mention that also attending the graduation will be all eight of my wonderful grandchildren - I am so lucky, blessed, happy, content .....

Saturday in Mesa, Arizona

8:00AM

Yesterday the 'kids' and I left beautiful Kartchner Caverns State Park and drove about 160 miles to Mesa, a suburb of Phoenix, where we're staying at Apache Palms RV Park for three nights.  From here we'll finally return to California and will probably stay in Blythe and then San Bernadino before ending up at Dockweiler State beach RV Park in Playa del Rey to attend all the festivities for addison's graduation from Loyola Marymount University on the 11th.

The drive yesterday was an easy one; boy do I have a new appreciation for the freeway system in the US.  Probably the biggest positive is that generally four or six-lane freeways are divided with a sometimes very wide medium strip so the two or three lanes heading in one direction are not right on top of the lanes heading the opposite direction.  And, most importantly, there is a shoulder on both the left and right sides of the traffic lanes - for emergency stopping with safety.  In Mexico, many of the highways are well-paved and in good condition (this fact alone was welcomed after having traversed Guatemala by car - another story for another time).  But, more often than not, there is either no shoulder area at all, or, if there is, it's fraught with danger - holes, rocks, broken glass, etc.  Now that I'm back to using my iPhone's google earth for navigation, it's delightful from time to time to be able to pull over and check my bearings - without fear of taking my eye off the road while doing so.

This brings me to a thought:  I haven't found many disadvantages to traveling alone, actually there are many ADvantages; but one is the fact that, although Lacy is a smart Standard Poodle, she's neither a map-reader nor iPhone savvy!  I'm even enjoying the computer voice delivering instructions as I drive along!

 Apache Palms is an RV Park that I'm sure is mobbed during the Winter season.  It's essentially completely paved; each site has been well-leveled and has a cement pad - most with built-in barbecue.  They offer complete hookups for all sites, cable TV and free wi-fi.  They have all the amenities:  pool, laundry room (only $1 to wash a load) and are directly on the light rail system, a fact that is beneficial to folks, like me, who don't want to drive their rig once they're settled - and don't have a vehicle other than the rig.

I am staying here a few days to visit my good friends, Sam and Betsy, the parents of my wonderful son-in-law, David.  Today, betsy and I are going to 'hit the mall' for a ladies day of shopping - hopefully finding something decent to wear for Addison's fiesta weekend - next.  The 'kids' will remain in the air-conditioned RV for the day - no, I don't feel guilty - they also cannot tell time - so they'll sleep through the entire time I'm away!

Kartchner Caverns State Park - Thursday May 2nd

May 2, 2013 - either 7:45 or 8:45AM!

I wasn't aware that the time had changed until I turned my computer on this AM.  Arizona is, I think, the only State - in the West, at least - that doesn't observe Daylight Savings Time; so, I'm now on the same time as California (Pacific Daylight Savings Time) - but only at this time of year.

See my post on Daylight Savings Time (DST) - posted May 2, 2013

This is yet another beautiful morning in the desert.  I feel like I repeat this almost every day of this adventure.  So much of Mexico and the southern US are desert - it's fun to compare climates, dryness, winds, sunrises and sunsets.  I'm also reminded often of the fortitude of those pioneers traveling from East to West across this Continent.  What adventure!  What danger!  What satisfaction!  What sorrow!
What pain!  What exhilaration!

I also have really brought into my thought process of world exploration and discovery all the beneficial and detrimental effects modernization has had on the indigenous peoples of the World.  Here in the southwestern desert country I'm very conscious of the great American Indian Nations that existed for thousands of years before the onslaught of European civilization on these North and South American Continents.  I am descendant from Northern European ancestry.  My lineage is responsible for much of what has occurred in the conquest and development of this part of the World.  I am proud of much that's been accomplished.  I am ashamed of much harm that has been done.

Our culture, civilization, history, politics, religion, ethnicity, etc. are so complicated.  At times, I yearn for a simpler way.

Early this afternoon I have a reservation to tour one of the Kartchner Caverns.  I understand that cameras aren't allowed on the tour but I hope I'll be able later to adequately describe the wonders I'm sure I'll see.....

3:00  Returned from the tour about an hour ago.  I'm sad that they didn't allow any cameras as the caverns are so impressive.  But, it excited me to brush up (or learn for the first time) on my geology.  There's evidence here of 'life' from 13 million years ago.  The caverns actually started as a sink hole that is still visible at the ground level.  It's the passage through which bats enter the caves, etc.  The is an underground 'sea' that's only about 30 feet below ground level that's actually an oozing mud sea.  As water seeps into the rock below this 'sea,' and travels through to the open cave areas it picks up minerals and eventually forms stalactites that 'hang' from the ceilings of the caves.  Then, as the water / mineral flow drips to the cave floor it forms stalagmites.  And, in the case of "Kubla Khan," the only named formation in Kartchner Caverns, the stalactites and stalagmites have come together over the millennia.

The large 'column' in the center is named Kubla Khan - the photo shows about one third of its height of 58 feet - from the floor to the ceiling of the cave.

Kartchner Caverns are warm caves - the temperature and humidity do not vary.  Throughout the year the temperature underground in the caves is 72 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity is 99%.

The caves were originally 'discovered' by two 20-year old students at University of Arizona, Randy Tufts and Gary Tenen, in 1974.  The story of how they kept their discovery 'secret' for 14 years is very interesting.  Here's a link to their description of the history of the discovery and the development of Kartchner Caverns State Park.

http://www.caves.org/pub/journal/PDF/V61/v61n2-Tuffs.pdf

Daylight Savings Time - Useful: Yes or No!

5/2/13 - Mimi's Treatise on Daylight Savings Time (DST) - goes along with my blog for today

Let's take a look at World Geography with respect to DST

The Earth revolves on its axis one full turn every 24 hours.  The Earth revolves around the Sun one full time every year.  How does this effect the hours of daylight and darkness in any given latitude on this planet?

At the Poles, the extremities of light and darkness are such that DST really would have no benefit or detriment to speak of at all.  And at the Equator the same would be true as there really are no extremities of light and darkness; the hours of each are equal throughout the year.  So, we're left with the middle of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres where there are differences in light and darkness dependent on the time of the year.

Much of the Northern Hemisphere (from the Equator to the North Pole) - North America, Europe, large portions of Asia - is 'modernized;' hence, electricity, coal consumption, candlelight, etc. aren't much of a consideration for the continued implementation of DST.`

As for the Southern Hemisphere (from the Equator to the South Pole) - much of the area of South America, Southern Africa, Indonesia, Australia and thousands of islands -  is third world and not modernized in terms of industry, etc.  It's much more affected by natural diurnal (daily) and seasonal increments in light and darkness.  Of course,  modern cities of South America, Africa and Australia would necessarily be considered as would much of the modernized Northern Hemisphere.

Modern History of DST

The modern concept of daylight savings time (DST) was first suggested by a New Zealander, George Vernon Hudson, in 1895.  It seems Mr. Hudson was an entomologist (bug guy) and thought it would be nice if he had more daylight time in the Summer to collect insects after he finished working each evening.  So, he presented a paper [oh, the ingenuity of some folks!] to the Wellington Philosophical Society.  after there seemed to be considerable interest in his proposal, he then had the proposal published in a paper - a popular way to communicate to the masses in those days.

The English, not to be outdone, often credit a gentleman, William Willet, a well known builder and outdoorsman in early 20th century england, who independently thought that many Londoners slept through a large part of a summer's day - time that could be occupied playing golf, his passionate avocation.  He also 'published' his proposal in 1905 and the concept was taken up by a member of the British Parliament, Robert Pearce, who proposed the bill - but it was never accepted up to the time of his death n 1915.

Now, fast forward to World War I:  Germany and her allies were the first to implement the practice of DST on the 30th of April, 1916 - as a way to conserve the use of coal during wartime.  They called it 'Sommerzeit.'  Britain, most of its allies, and several neutral countries implemented the concept soon thereafter.  The United States followed not far behind in 1918.

Observance of DST throughout the World*

Although not used by the majority of the world's countries, daylight saving time is common in the Western World

  DST observed

  DST formerly observed

  DST never observed

What does DST do for us in the US?

Added daylight - with the beginning of DST every year - benefits retailing, sports and other activities that can be accomplished during the extended light period after normal work hours.  However,  this increase in daylight can cause problems for types of entertainment and occupations that use natural darkness as an incentive - for instance, the Summer camping marshmallow roasting campfire, fireworks on the Fourth of July, being able to sleep later in the morning when school's not in session.

Detrimental Effects of DST

DST clock shifts complicate timekeeping, computerized adjustments in timing, can disrupt meetings, travel, billing, record keeping, medical devices, heavy equipment and sleep patterns.  

History of the concept of DST

The modern concept of daylight savings time (DST) was first suggested by a New Zealander, George Vernon Hudson, in 1895.  It seems Mr. Hudson was an entomologist (bug guy) and thought it would be nice if he had more daylight time in the Summer to collect insects after he finished working each evening.  So, he presented a paper [oh, the ingenuity of some folks!] to the Wellington Philosophical Society.  after there seemed to be considerable interest in his proposal, he then had the proposal published in a paper - a popular way to communicate to the masses in those days.

The English, not to be outdone, often credit a gentleman, William Willet, a well known builder and outdoorsman in early 20th century england, who independently thought that many Londoners slept through a large part of a summer's day - time that could be occupied playing golf, his passionate avocation.  He also 'published' his proposal in 1905 and the concept was taken up by a member of the British Parliament, Robert Pearce, who proposed the bill - but it was never accepted up to the time of his death n 1915.

Now, fast forward to World War I:  Germany and her allies were the first to implement the practice of DST on the 30th of April, 1916 - as a way to conserve the use of coal during wartime.  They called it 'Sommerzeit.'  Britain, most of its allies, and several neutral countries implemented the concept soon thereafter.  The United States followed not far behind in 1918.

The MPS / Mimi Opinion

I don't think there's any benefit to continuing the practice of 'changing our clocks' [Spring forward, Fall back] in the US of A.  And, although I'm not part of the majority, most people would rather live on DST all year 'round and not recognize Standard Time (ST) at all.   I personally enjoy the natural benefits that occur with 'natural' time that follows the sun and the rotation of the Earth throughout the year.  I love the outdoors and the fun of late evenings with friends at barbecues and other social activities in the Summer months.  I also love curling up with a good book for the evening when it's cold and rainy / snowy outside.  I like changes in weather / wardrobe / foods / activities.  I love the 'newness' of Spring - flowers, baby animals, a new beginning.  But I also love renewed vigor / crispness / re-initiation of indoor activities / football of Fall.

Benjamin Franklin published his opinion - that has become a well-known idiom:  "Early to bed, early to rise, keeps a man healthy, wealthy and wise."  Let's use our natural world with our modern conveniences, to enjoy life.

Questions:

How does the US (I can't use "America" now that I've become aware of how much geography the word "America" includes!) benefit from its non- unilateral use of the concept of Daylight Savings Time?

What's better in your life because of of lack of DST?

Comments?????

* Information collection from wikipedia

Happy MAY DAY!

5/1/13

May Day  -  throughout the ages:

Roman:  "Festival of Flora," the goddess of flowers
Germanic:  "Walpurgis Night" in Germanic countries
Gaelic:  "Beltane"

Many pagan celebrations were abandoned or Christianized as the Northern Hemisphere became converted in Northern Europe  But a more secular celebration continues to be observed in Europe and America and it's best known for its tradition of dancing the 'maypole' dance and crowning of 'Queen of the May."  And, May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii ..... kind of like a minnie Valentine's Day when young men give a lei their girls.

8:00AM - May Day

Beautiful morning in the desert - no wind - just the chirping of birds and the crickets have gone to sleep for the day after rubbing those hind legs together all night!

Here are  a couple more pix of Rock Hound SP - this gigantic cactus is right next to my site.  It looks kind 
of like a bear with a bad hair day.  I asked in the visitor's center what it's called and she told me it's the Soaptree Yucca, deriving its name from the soapy material in its roots which made this plant a  popular substitute for soap.  It most often only has one stalk but this, and several around here, have branched out to become quite broad.  Interesting!

Here's another soaptree yucca in a flower bed with other native flora - outside the shower rooms

I REALLY NEED A BIRD-WATCHERS' BOOK!  There are so many species and their calls and chirps are so interesting .... I just wish I could figure out what is which!

My new organization has proved to be valuable in terms of getting ready for a travel day.  Most of the interior prep was done while the coffee brewed.  Now I'm relaxing with a cuppa and looking forward to today's adventure.  I'll be heading to Kartchner Caverns State Park in Arizona and I'm sure I'll have lots of beautiful pix - it's supposed to be a magical place.

Heading west on I-10 -coming up on Arizona rocks!

4:50PM  Kartchner Caverns SP

We arrived here at about 2:30 after an easy, albeit boring, drive on I-10 - straight, hot, windy, lots of rocks to look at, very few inhabited areas.  Here are a few introductory pix:

 This is a very healthy opuntia cactus, also known as 'nopales' (very common cooked vegetable/fruit in Mexico - the produce department in large stores, like Wal-mart, have an employee who de-needles the nopales and slices it into julienne strips), or paddle cactus.  I think we normally call it 'prickly pear' in our supermarkets

 This closeup shows the flower just developing - they become very colorful when many bloom at the same time

 This is yet another type of desert - Kartchner Caverns is a well developed SP - with shade and more greenery than I saw in Texas and New Mexico

 Not very busy with RVs at this time of year

 Shade!

Lacy taking her first walk around.  All State Parks have signs stating that dogs must wear a leash.  But, the signs don't say you have to hold it - so Lacy generally walks with the leash hanging!

When I checked my email this afternoon I'd received two missives from my high school friend, Carol Smith (now has another surname), who is very involved in genealogy and has done a little research on my grandmother, Agnes Kuus (Carol found the spelling 'Kuss' - but who knows how many typographical errors there may be in historical records).  I'm very anxious to reconnect with my wonderful classmates from Notre Dame High School in San Jose and it was wonderful to get her message.  She's living in Florida - I'd love to visit her when I do my sweep of the southeast, which is on my bucket list!