Well, you have been saying showers with increasing probability, however nature is yet to let loose with your forecast. Last night into this AM was high chance of showers. I chose to stay at the paved overlook to avoid slithering in the mud. At bed time the skies were star filled clear. Today clouds are lowering as they move in, still nothing to make the windshield wipers work. Forecast is still calling for showers. Rain rain come today. CA is experiencing mud slides because rain there is falling on burnt ground which lacks vegetatin to slow gravity down. The ground here is covered with parched plants eager to drink what falls. The possible rain fall affects where I park for the night. I do have permission to city camp in west Sedona.

Yesterday my van was serviced up in west Sedona. I drove up to the garage then I went for a ride out on Skywalker scorpion etc. I rode Skywalker out then down Scorpion and climbed out of valley on Old Post finishing on Herkinham which is a hump with several walk spots. Riding Skywalker back has about the same elevation drop as riding towards the high school. No other riders, just several hikers to share the trail with. During the ride the KS LEV post lost its ability to remain extended. The Turbine won’t come up and the LEV won’t stay up. I have a Reverb as my last back up. I drove to Fat Tire seeking a fix or installing the 3rd post. Dave figured that the problem was caused by cable tension. He identified a tight radius that might be the binder. It cycled well in the parking lot. Next ride will be the test.

Today I had a PT appointment in the afternoon to start work on my twitching left thigh. Healer became the one needing rest causing a reschedule to tomorrow back up here.

Boeing stock price. A bunch of years ago Phil gave employees some stock. I garnered 31 shares with purchase price about the same. Yesterday share price was $310. Might pay for the well and utilities on my property. Forecast there is wet and below freezing at night and 40s high.

New oil and filters in the van and a nothing to service report. I seek knowledgeable shops to check it over to identify things either need attended to now or will be needing attention sometime soon. I just want to keep traveling the highway under the van’s own power versus riding a low boy to a service garage.

Traffic has abated making the drive between VOC and Sedona just a 35mph swerve around the rotaries and you are where you want to be. More enjoyable and the store lines are short.

Sat is another trail work day.

Watched the first half of the college football game. Alabama was behind but they won in OT. I bought propane in Tuscaloosa which is right near lake Lurlien which has a nice mtn bike trail network. Can swim in the lake.

Hot dry dusty sunny. Repeat. However, weatherman is tempting forecast with showers later this week. Sure would like to hold him to forecast.

Today Dave and Mikelle and I rode Soldier wash trails. Amazing we had trails almost all to ourselves just hikers. Dry and loose red dirt, Rode from city park out the road to Soldier Pass. Road is gated and locked at the TH preventing vehicle traffic which cuts down on people. Devils kitchen etc was deserted. No other bikers either. What a road closure and a non holiday winter weekend makes: no traffic back ups.We rode up the Tea Cup reroute that I helped build last spring. Sustainable trail rerouting fall line trail which was fun to fly down hucking off waterbars. New trail is a singletrack climb or descent. Loose still, not ridden hard. AZ Cypress forest.

Yesterday Dave and I rode around hogs sort of. Llama to HT to Chicken Point to High on the Hogs to Twin Buttes, down to Broken Arrow connecting to Hog Wash then down Peccary to Mystic thru the neighborhood, HT, Breezy, descending Shades. Again, mostly all by ourselves. Dave is a skilled rider, watching him climb stuff leaves me in admiration. I want to do the same but I am timid.

Been spending nights out at mp 4 on beaverhead. I walked a bit in the desert from parking. Just shriveled up plants. No green.

Hibernating animals are having it tough. Hibernation is a way to sleep thru a seasonal scare food period. Guy explained that rattlesnakes swallow their last prey in August which is to allow enough time to digest the food before hibernation. If not completely digested sepsis occurs which kills the snake. I haven’t learned desert life. But, with above normal temps which don’t drive the snake to sleep keeping them up past their last meal. The stored fat to keep them thru winter is being consumed while awake.Nature is being baked.

Forecast calls for showers starting Monday night. 14.35″ rain for the year. Last spring was wet. Dry Creek was running hard enough to discourage my crossing.

Last night there were periods when the furnace didn’t turn on. Warm cloudy night.

Sedona is much more enjoyable when tourist crowd is gone.

Friday Floyd cut my hair and beard, he cuts so well to make hair length look not cut. Look tidy. Bought a second hand hat at a second hand store. This hat had never been worn. Serratelli 5X beaver. Grayish color. Pretty spiffy. Back to wearing Bedrock sandals.

There is a curse

Sunny shirt sleeve weather down here in 4,500′ Sedona high desert. There has not been measurable rain since August. DRY DRy dry. Nature is extremely stressed. The dust is so deep that when rain hits the dirt will turn to slop. Trails have a lot of loose rock as the clay that binds the sand grains together to rocks has lost its stick’em because water in the activating agent. Just saying that you readers that are being severely frozen now know that all is not idealic here. I have not researched another place to be. I learned today that Crested Butte is hospital to riding.

I am making the rounds of familiar trails. I run into riders I have met from here locals or somewhere else.

New issue of Bike mag, the Bike Bible, reviewed bikes ridden at Marquette, MI. I enjoyed my time there and will prolly return.

Chuck Wagon trail out to the devil’s Bridge junction is heavily hiked, the most hikers and other users I ever see on any trail. Rode with Mikelle,

Shared the ride with mountain bike patrol riders.

Encountered a woman rider standing almost 2′ off the trail heading downhill. She was wearing non bike specific soft goods to me indicating a person who does not practice Trail Love or hadn’t learned. I stopped for an education moment explaining tread on tread and yielding to uphill rider. I am speaking up more often to inform of the love to be had. May she internalized the knowledge.

Wed drove up to Flag for one of my primary care DRs. Drove I17 up and back. Flag is at 7,000′, VOC is around 4,000. Interstate climb. Van mileage is down to 22mpg for the last 2 tanks. Past running average was 25. Van service day on Monday to run their savvy hands to learn of health.

Today I performed volunteer trail work with the USFS and volunteers. I chose lopping work. We hiked Broken Arrow to Chicken Point continuing to Hogs then down Twin Buttes. Just a nip around the edges. Dirt has no moisture so no dirt work. Did laundry.

D & K pick a camp spot past where I liked to stay. Still traffic noise but nobody on our bumpers.

Developed a click while pedaling. determined that the bottom bracket needs to be replaced. Soon to be.

Tomorrow I will receive the neatening up trim of my hair and beard by Floyd working with 8 months of growth since his last trim. He trims my beard the best of any previous cutters.

Living quarters from back to front

Zags are on XM.

Good Bye