Sister Lynn visited Sat to Mon in Sedona where i became a guide to local flavors enhanced by her seeking the vortexes which made for day hikes and time to look around.

Friday I bought a Seniors’ pass for $10, lifetime free access to most federal rec sites.

Friday i drove down to Black Canyon trail  @ Bubble Bee interchange off l-17. Cloudy windy day. I rode N on trail to Treasure Mine turn around point. Did not encounter a soul. Going out north I had the strong wind @ my back. Bad condition for return into head wind. The ride times were all but the same @ 1 hr 27 mins. However, coming back the was less climbing  by 350′. Rode the piece I helped build 3 years ago.

Drove down to Black Canyon city KOA for shower, first paid for in months. Ate a piece of jack Daniels pecan pie a la mode then drove back to TH for the night.

Plan was to ride Sat b4 picking Lynn up. Weather was chilly and more windy in the AM. I allowed the weather to dissuade another ride. Parking lot rigs were mostly from racers who got snowed out @ a Prescott race.

Weather forecast for Sedona called for snow.

Lynn arrived @ Rock Springs cafe w/ her old HS friend Carrie.

Lynn and I headed back north to Sedona. She was after vortexes. First we toured Montezumas’ castle, an entry fee site. I showed my card that allowed the 2 of us free entry. At Sedona we hiked out to Bell rock and slithered a ways up the rock seeking the vortex there. She said she felt changes. Me, I was staying out of the mud. We enjoyed a wonderful sucker hole that closed as we returned to the van.

I motel camped Sat & Sun. Both mornings I fixed oatmeal for b-fast.

The weather steadily improved each day w/ Monday being the normal intense cloudless  blue sky.

Sun was more vortex hunting @ Buddah Beach @ Boynton Canyon.

Monday I bid Bike and Bean goodbye on our way out of town.

Carrie invited us to dinner Mon night. My plan was to drive Lynn down to their house in Scottsdale then leave for NM around 10:00. I ended up taking her to the airport. I dropped her off @ 11:00PM then headed east. Phoenix is such a megalopolis it took forever to get onto 2 lane road. I made Globe, NM @ 1:00AM looking for a city camp. The motels were filled w/ company rigs. Ended up searching GPS for hospital. Made their parking lot 1:30. I parked out a ways and crawled into bed. I woke up @ 8:30 sweating in the bright sun. Cars were parked around me but nobody woke me up.

I packed up and left w/o b-fast. I continued on rt 60 looking for a desirable place to pull over for b-fast. Took a while till I found what i wanted. Even had some tree shade. Desert is devoid of shade trees.

Made Silver City & found Gila Hike and Bike shop. I connected w/ the shop and learned of local rides. I will be joining them on their 5:30 shop ride today.

More trees here.

NM is mountain time. I crossed the Continental divide, I am now east.

My Sedona home is being put to rest allowing others to enjoy my primitive camping spots. Tomorrow I leave for Black canyon trail for a ride and a night out. Sat i pick up Lynn then return to Sedona until Monday when we will both leave.

Today i squeezed in a ride b4 my 1:15 DR appointment. Winds kicked up but blew away haze. parked @ Cultural center. Rode Ledge N’ Airy to Last Frontier, back on Ledge to Girdner and back. Quick short ride manging my time. Mistake of making the appointment early afternoon. heart rate was high. My breathing is better in that I have less gasping shortness of breath, now I just have i got no breath from exertion. Great riding conditions.

Saw a plant that looks so much like poison oak. Took pics, will stop @ FS and ask about.

DR appointment, CRP still elevated, same as last draw. I might have a chronic sinus infection that maybe explains high level. I asked to have her check my ears after I had used Debrox. NP said ears are plugged. She irrigated them flushing out chunks almost as big as the beans kids put in their ears. Hear better.

Hung @ BnB for awhile, groceries, propane, dinner @ PJs, then camp out @ Beaverhead ready for drive south.

Yesterday winds picked up loading the sky w/ particles. drove to dentist for crown. I was dreading the novocaine shot. Tamara did the work. She said that she was trained to inflict little pain to patients. she scored. I would have another novocaine shot from her. She used a computer to shape the crown, the data was sent to a milling machine that milled the crown from an uncured block of ceramic. After machining the crown was baked for 30 mins. Installation was a snap. Porcelain can break. $1200. Ate my monthly SS check.

Went to Johnny’s garage for Johnny to install the replacement nylon rollers for the swivel seat. We installed then successfully, the seat is w/o wiggles. Turning the seat takes more effort.

Drove out to Deer Pass rd camp, scored my favorite spot.

Night time is getting no heater warmer, sometimes almost to hot w/ single down blanket cover.

Today i am to meet Danny @ 9:00 then take off for Flagstaff. made Schultz creek TH mid morning. we rode up Schultz to a cutover to Dogfood climbing to Arizona trail over to Schultz tank then down Schultz creek until we hit snow causing us to jump back on the road down until we felt we were free of further snow patches. We still found several in the deep shade. A bit of mud also that I slowed down for. I now have like gray mud splatters over the red rock dust. We started just over 7,000′ topping @ 8100′. I managed my breathing however I had nausea that just spoke of hurling. Horrible effort. Quite different riding a big constant uphill and a constant downhill. Riding in Ponderosa pine forest. The sound of the wind passing thru the needles. Extremely dry. Undergrowth is spring dead. Wonderful. It’s about an hour drive up canyon from Sedona.

Washed the mud off @ Danny’s then headed back to Deer Pass where an RV has squatted @ my preferred spot.

Should take tomorrow as a rest day. Wed is crown.