I haven’t ridden since Friday last when my heart rate stayed high. Since then  my heart has been pounding w/ slightly higher bp and HR. Last Thurs. I had a DR appointment. results from the lab work were obtained: I do not have indication for temporal arteritis which is a form of artherschlerosis, however another indicator which had been borderline high jumped up to critical which indicates inflammation of my heart. The DR is calling for a stress test. Not looking good. All my life I have high cholesterol in spite of my healthy lifestyle. Lowering cholesterol is critical thru diet and life style changes like quitting smoking, getting more exercise and not eating somethings.  Duh, I have been there for like 34 years. My body has been producing fat deposits all over my body, recently more have been appearing. My heart arteries are perhaps becoming clogged which is producing the pounding in my chest and might be the source of my head aches. Don’t bid the devil good day until you meet him is an old Irish saying. I’m saying I see a figure in the near distance.

Snow fell most of the day on Sunday. Monday it was 23 degrees when I got up. freeze thaw mud w/ moisture added made the trails too wet to ride.  Snow was still covering Special Ed which is out by the high school facing east. I used the snow cover to predict dryness of other trails. Wed the hill side was still white. Thurs morn all the snow melted off into the night. It just disappeared. Thurs would have bee the perfect day to ride for the tackiness of the dirt. Friday the sun was out and warm which evaporated thru capillary action what moisture soaked into the dirt. trails today were prolly back to dry.

Wed I decided to attack my h2o system to pull out the accumulator that seemed to exert back pressure on the check valve in the pump forcing the h2o back into the tank. I parked in the ACE hardware parking lot so I could buy needed parts. I tried to disassemble a fitting but it wouldn’t budge, I thought I might have glued it on therefore it wasn’t going to come apart. I called Camelot down in Cottonwood seeking a special Shurflow connection that I thought was glued in. They did not have the part but he said he could work on my system today which his in law relation did. Turned out fitting was not glued. My relatively new pump shit the bed  requiring me to buy a new pump. My in line h2o filter failed also requiring replacement also. Pulled the accumulator out of system now plumbed direct from the pump to the 1/4″ hose to the sink faucet. Turn the faucet handle that turns on the pump that forces h2o from 1/2 pipe to 1/4 pipe that creates back pressure which causes the pump to rapid cycle spitting h20. I called Shurflo about my situation. He said the pump produces too much pressure for my single faucet system. New solution is to reinstall the accumulator. He said the check valve in the pump is rated @ 100psi back pressure, the accumulator has only 30psi yet still allows h20 to flow backwards. Pump and heart problems.

Yesterday Aaron and Ruth returned to Sedona. They spent the night and AM w/ me out @ deer pass camp. He bought a Sprinter that he will be converting to a camper and he sought my experiences. Nice couple.

Several days ago I hiked up the 4X4 road heading uphill above where i camp. I bushbashed over bassalt chunks and around prickly pear to a high spot that overlooked Oak Creek. There were several campsites creek side. They are on the 89B, the same road I drive to my camp only further along. I prefer where I  camp because it is higher and has a better view. I hiked up a wash following fresh javelina tracks and turds, the first I have ever seen. Didn’t see any of them.

Yesterday i gave back my last finished book, Book Thief, to Joe @ Well red coyote. I needed a new book. I resigned myself to buying Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire to do justice to the desert that he liked so much. I read the book years ago while living in the lush Puget Sound, before I had even been to Moab. I had no idea what the desert was about. I read today for several hours. He starts out w/ Arches NP outside of Moab. I related to his writing having now since experienced what he wrote about albeit I have never been inside the park. great word pictures. It’s a harder read than the previous fiction books.

Tonight my heart is not pounding as hard perhaps allowing me an easy ride tomorrow.

When you have your health you have everything.

Completed my taxes using turbotax thru BECU. Tax rate is 3.8%. Poverty level. No tax on SS.

The forecasted storm arrived Sat during the day. What was comfortable open van door turned windy and low clouds. Bought a 6 pack of 1554 on the way out of town to Deer Pass, provisioned for several days in case I was snowed in. Winds picked up rocking the van parked back inot the wind meaning I couldn’t open the roof vent that opens to the back, hence into the wind. Just after I put my book down around 11:00 I heard rain smacking the sheet metal driven by the wind. Again, the sleeping pills give me about 6 hours sleep then wakey time, this AM it was 5:00AM. Still dark outside yet I saw snow landing on the windshield. Snow fell steadily on the warm ground melting. Fixed bfast and cleaned up. Not enough snow to keep me parked as I wanted to drive down VOC & BnB to have my new wheels built up. I drove out climbing up to Sedona where @ the first stop light on the west end of town about 4″of snow was on the ground. Local government having snow plows? This is AZ desert, didn’t think so. Road was vehicle drive ruts. Made it to BnB. Gonzo was in and the customers were not. I hung in shop all day while Gonzo built my wheels. Snow fell heavily through out the day but none stuck. Trails are thoroughly wetted and will be unrideable until maybe Thurs. Richard lives in VOC, he reported an inch of rain collected in his rain gauge. Rain plus melting snow should make some of the washes run, maybe even Dry Creek might flow. Tonight I am back @ Beaverhead on crushed rock hardpan dirt that remains firm after this wet.

In the desert in a snow storm. This is only the second snow I have driven in this winter, the forst being where it should be: Durango.

New Stans no tube ZTR Arch-EX rims laced back to my Chris King hubs. I rode the DT Swiss rims for 2 years. The former wheels were still true and might have lasted longer. My concern was metal fatigue from pounding that could cause the rim to fail @ some inopportune location. I mitigated that possibility by having new wheels built. I put my worn Ardents back on which I will replace w/ Continental Trail King lls first of the month.

Tapering off the prednisone chemical dependency and my adrenal glands turning back on is leaving my body in stressed condition as my heart rate  is still high. March 28 I will be off.

Hanging @ BnB today was a gathering of hard core regulars that came to socialize. Ah, my friendships.

Forecast is for 2 to 4″ snow tonight and 1-2″ tomorrow b4 clearing on Tues. Today 180 miles of I-40 was closed as was I-17 north of Sedona into Flag which got hit  by snow. Trapped in the valley. Melting snow will raise Oak Creek thru Sedona inundating Red Rock crossing.

Big wet snowy forecast for this weekend to hit Northern AZ down to Sedona. rain is sorely needed and the sandy dusty trails will benefit. Rain starting Sat night, snow on Sunday. Plan of provisioning myself and holing up here @ Deer Pass to enjoy forecasted snow.

Today Gonzaga played in the first dance of the NCAA tourney blowing out West VA. Game was on TNT @ 4:20. I crashed the Oak Creek brewery @ 4:00 and scored a prime bar seat then watched all but last several minutes. Next up is prolly OSU.

My sister Lynn shared advice from a friend of hers who said put essence of peppermint oil on my temples, forehead, and back of neck to ease headache. I have tried it several times and my headache really disappears, actually better than precacet.

Started tapering off prednisone then DR ordered an even steeper taper to get off this shit. My feet are asleep, my vision blurs sometimes, my mind is affected. No orthodox solution to headache, next up is rheumatologist end of month.

My INR blood clotting value was 4.9. extremely high. Again. DR advised against activity where I might hurt myself, hence no riding since Monday. I only hung up 3 pairs of shorts on my clothes line after wash today: 3 rides in 7 days.

Monday I rode w/ Wil out Mescal way. Short ride. Sometimes Sedona vistas become boring:

Mon I was awakened by a double nostril flowing serous fluid drain. Apparently I have acquired an allergy to something here. Took a daily antihistamine for 4 days that seems to have dried my flow.

Today I made an appointment w/ Stephen, the cabinet maker, to install drawer slides on my galley drawers. These are RV slides which require a slight lift up to clear a catch on the slide. I enjoyed the effort for the satisfaction of completing a challenge. Drawers remain in place meaning I can retire the dowel and strap thur the draw handles. Cool. I articulated in some fashion to put a range of motion hurt in my right shoulder.

Finished reading House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubos. What a tragedy.

Several nights ago i watched Broken Arrow that was filmed partially in Sedona back in ’58. Jimmy Stewart actor.

Tuesday i drove to a Norcold service center in Cottonwood to have the fridge burner serviced. Temps were getting above the normal 35 degrees during low 70 degree days. Service is recommended once per year. It is clean and maintaining 35 degrees today under 76 degrees outside.

I found a neat insurance benefit while surfing my claims. The program is Fitness Program. For $25 per month I have access to health clubs throughout the US. I searched a bunch of zip codes along my projected travel path and found enough locations that I hope will have showers to justify the fee. Have one in west Sedona I will try, Snap Fitness.

I now have full coverage on my $6,000 Turner 5 Spot.

Hi Roy form BC who picked me out of a crowd. He has been reading my blog. And to Jeff from Reno who said the BikeMag article inspired him to venture also. Met him @ The Fat tire today. 52 yo young.