I camp out rt180 to the first piece of FS land to town. I drive a short ways on rd 164B that is surfaced w/ cast in mud ruts. Lurching picking my way for the smoothest line. Amazing that cabinets haven’t fallen apart or allowed gravity to seek its lowest level. Someone told me that stutter bumps smooth out over 30mph. Not me to try.

Flag is at 7,000′, Sedona 4,500′ Today the temp forecast was for 96 in Sedona and just 80 here. Enough written. AT night I sleep under the down blanket and wish for the furnace to ward off the night chill.

Sat. I hiked from camp. Forest cove is mostly P-pine: open. Ground cover is volcanic ejects from Mt Elbert just above me, highest point in the state. The trail tread is loose cobble: there is no organic material to resist erosion. Dusty. I hiked trails to a turning point then bush bashed down thru the open forest. Dead reckoning nailed van. I sat in the sun reading barechested turning red. My left arm is tanned, my right is beet red from lack of exposure while in the sling. I drove back into town to an Anytime Fitness for a shower, a benefit of my medigap policy.

Today I made box pancakes w/ frozen organic blueberries, I ate them all. Cleaning up is more difficult because I have just part of a second hand. Cleaned up. Today I am driving over to Schultz creek TH where most of the riders leave from: I am seeking human interaction. I hiked Rocky Ridge trail which was the first trail I rode here back in ’09: nasty. 4 riders met me going against my flow: it was Darrell from Form cycles, and Tom a nurse attending to me post surgery, and 2 others I did not know. Hard tail riders.

As I approached the TH I saw the rear quarter of a VW Westy. It was danny from Sedona up for a ride. We chatted a bit before he left. We made get together plans post ride. We had dinner in the saw mill district where there is an REI and Whole Foods. Social interaction. I sat in my Strongback chair in the sun sans shirt reading soaking up more red. I saw myself in the bathroom mirror later before my shower. Lobster has nothing on my chest. Sun burnt.

Just about a full moon tonight.

My youngest sister, Lise, is quickly dieing from cancer. I am flying back to Ohio for a 2 day visit.

My last PT is June 11. I am taking a 2 week break from PT. I built a schedule which includes the Ohio trip. First stop is the Zunis east and above Gallup, NM. from there I drive to Albuquerque for airplane ride. You can’t get there from there: 1 stop each way going away from my destination. From Albuq I drive to Salida to visit Mark who does the heavy lifting for this web site and his wife Brenda. Then drive to Sun Valley to visit Steve. Next stop will be Bend PT.

55 degrees outside is cold.

Tomorrow I drive back down to sedona for a PT session and stay till after Thur’s session.

Oh, My lower back started really hindering my movement from the sit down fall on Monday. I needed a chiro adjustment. On Friday I drove I-17 down to VOC. I arrived just after he left for his 3 hour lunch break. I sat on his concrete porch in the shade reading Mtn Bike Action. Hot. He put bones back where they belong allowing me to smile. I drove back up to Flag via I-17. I wanted out of the heat.

Route 66 goes thru Flag. NAU is here. Hopping town, I stay in old town. Several brew pubs.

yesterday I drove up to Flag for the 6 week checkup from the surgeon. I told him about my hard fall on monday. said if I really hurt myself it would be several days before I would really feel it. The PT earlier in the day said she didn’t think I damaged my repair. Per the surgeon’s protocol today which marks 6 weeks since repair that I ditch the sling. I free of the sling today. I am able to 2 hand type now. I am doing several exercises to stretch to gain range of motion

I spent the night up outside of Flag which sits around 7,000′ compared to Sedona’s 4,500. Ponderosa pine forest cover and cooler. I tried being a tourist yesterday walking around downtown. I drank a beer @ Lumberyard then returned for dinner. I drove out to Fort Valley trail head where I had previously camped. Road beat up w/ cast in ruts when driven on when wet. Chilly comfortable night.

I jammed my back from the Monday fall. Today I had difficulty doing a sit up just to get out of bed. Need chiro adjustment from Dave down in VOC. I drove I-17 down arriving @ chiro just after their 3 hour lunch started. 2:00 is when he reopens.

forecast for VOC is in the lower 90’s, flag is about 10 degrees cooler. I figure I’ll get adjusted then drive back up to cooler temps.

Yesterday I bought a local potter’s coffee mug from a shop. I drank out of it this AM. SHIT: either he didn’t cure the glaze well enough or it is what it is of a strong chemical smell and taste. I went back to the shop this AM and waited around till 10 which I suspected was the shop opening. Not so. I called the shop and asked to speak to the potter. Can’t. I gave my name and number for her to give to him for me to inform him of my experience.

The foot bones in my right foot are still sore from hiking in the Rockport deck shoes. Today I switched shoes to low cut hiking shoes after I learned that I could tie the shoelace. More padding.

I made PT appointments till june 11 which I plan on being my departure date. Allow 2 weeks to make Bend, OR and new PT. That’s 5 1/2 months spent here. Well past time to have moved on.

I visited the used bookstore in Flag and bought 2 books, a Steinbeck, and Hemingway.

beaverhead camp areas never maxed out. was able to score my favorite spot each night.

sunday evening features a turkey dinner @ mileys. real roasted turkey and lots of it. maxed belly expansion. no pie or ice cream for dessert. i am nibbling on a pint of vanilla hagn dazz topped w/ butterscotch topping. freezer keeps spoon dipping soft.

today drove up tp west sedona leaving bh just after 8, wanting to be ahead of the tourist rush. worked.

i told the pt that i am feeling the same pain as before the surgery causing me to fear tearing. she said that my scapula pain is caused by my guarding the shoulder and that the rotator cuff repair is not involved. i am working on letting my arm sink into the sling to eliminate guarding. so, good news. my shoulder is very tight.

filled the propane tank, 4.2 gallons. just using fuel to run the fridge and cooking. furnace isn’t needed.

was a customer @ java jive which is to be a sedona treat. perhaps it was an off date as it appears that most of us were accepted norms.

drove down to carroll canyon trailhead to hike out ridge jumping onto sketch, a social trail in the exclusion area, then returning on ridge at the end, then return. wearing rockport shoes, discovered the ball of my right foot is bruised from hiking on rock. hiked thru gentle shower. saw no one the entire hike. place on ridge was pitched downhill and covered w/ small gravel size pieces of red rock sand stone. my feet slid out from me. i landed hard on my but and right elbow. fuck. evaluating for damage, no memory foam cushion. no do overs. the chunky trails mostly lack the small slippery rocks. i landed hard!

taking showers up @ snap using my silver sneakers benefit from my medigap policy.

ate dinner @ picassos. left for camp before sundown.

drove out rd 525, turned left at the y just beyond where i stayed previously, drove several more miles till i noticed a primitive road to the right. i turned in. willing to drive in to this cool spot

staying out here till wed. thurs is another pt in the am then up to flag for 6 week check up. per his protocol i get out of the sling. i plan on staying up there until mon pt back down here.

juniper gnats have been scoring nutrition from me. she bites creating a wound then spits in the hole which acts as an anticoagulant. she sips and spits. i am left w/ bumps that itch. i am taking benyadryl to systemic relief as there are many bumps to apply a topical anti itch cream. still waiting relief.

read till late last night to finish “paradise alley”. well described living conditions circa 1863. took military to finally quell the riots. black population dropped significantly leaving irish controlled labor jobs. outhouses, water hauled by bucket to the house, pigs running wild eating garbage thrown into the street, etc.

starting “shot down” a history of a b17 crew shot down. son wrote it about his dad who was the bomber pilot. author is local. factual dry reading.