AZ shack sejourn | FindPenguins

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Trip start
October 6, 2024
AZ shack sejourn Traveler
Mt Wrightson
October 13, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Nice early start on the BMW off to Madera canyon. I had scoped it out two days earlier. I knew right where to park and got going up the trail. It's a 4000 foot climb to the top of Mount Wrightson.

The trail is super easy and nice, just a few rocks here and there and some steps. It's a nice and cool morning and it never heats up because the trail was in the shade. There were a few other guys hiking up as well. All of us in our '60s and '70s. Jarrold who I got to meet on top, is a 75-year-old strong man who has been hiking these trails since he was a kid when his father took him out here. He was a wealth of information.

When I got back to the shack I was quite pooped and took a nap.Read more
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AZ shack sejourn Traveler
BMW service & botanical garden
October 15, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 28 °C
Brought the beemer into Ironhorse BMW for a full service it also needs a new front tire I got 10,000 mi on that one that's great.

I was looking for a coffee shop so I could study the AIM. Instead I found the botanical garden as there were no coffee shops anywhere near. It was a former private home that was donated to the city of Tucson and converted into a botanical garden. There's a small orchid and butterfly pavilion.

The service was very well done and the bike rides like new.
I got home in plenty of time to make dinner on the roof and enjoy a nice evening early to bed again. I'm really catching up on my sleep.
Chuck called and we talked about the comet.Read more
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AZ shack sejourn Traveler
Sunday home stuff study
October 20, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
I dug up one more cactus and moved it to my yard and I worked on cleaning up the rest of upstairs with the camera gear that is all set up I did that later in the evening and I did not leave here at all.

I did get started studying and I'm trying to wean myself off of the HOA stuff.

In the afternoon I got a bike ride in on powerline which was a good thing because I could even feel my legs after that.

I'm getting back on the upswing of things working on PPL and pretty soon I will get started on a business online that I can do from anywhere.

While I was looking at motor gliders, the Glastar really does fill the requirements that I have for an airplane the best. It has a good gross weight sufficient to be able to bring extra stuff and probably enough for a bicycle in the back. It's also fast enough even though it isn't quite STOL the way that I think of STOL. I could still go with a Highlander or a superstol XL. The advantage being an extremely short landing but the disadvantage is the slow speed and I do need some speed to get to where I want to go. I guess the thing would be to figure out what the true landing distance is for the Glastar. I love the red swoop on this one and could see that in orange and light blue.Read more
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AZ shack sejourn Traveler
1
Madera Canyon
October 26, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
I needed to get out on foot again because it allows me to have my body move and that is what's required for my mind to be still enough to be able to listen to the YouTube videos about the required maneuvers for the flight test. For a while I got to hang out with the wild turkeys they put on quite a show just gaggling all around the forest.

So I rode back out to Madera canyon and I hiked all around for about 6 hours while I absorbed information. One of the last hot days at 98 degrees, I'm going to miss those It's just fabulous to ride through the oven on my motorcycle in a t-shirt and shorts.

Dinner on top of the roof again in totally toasty conditions absolutely wonderful. I'm sure I'll have another air show by my neighbor Jeremy. Indeed, but first there was a bunch of hubbub on the runway, apparently a Cessna 150 had some trouble with an aborted takeoff, pilot is fine, plane is fine. I have no other details.Read more
Traveler nice morning for a flight.
10/28/24Reply
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AZ shack sejourn Traveler
Sedona hike and Tucson ride
October 28, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
Got up early and hiked the teacup trail to soldier pass for almost 8 miles round trip. There were quite a few people on the trail especially on the return. Sedona is a very busy place and quite touristy, I had looked at a lot there and I am so glad that I bought where I did instead. Sedona just isn't very peaceful though it is absolutely beautiful.

For lunch I stopped at the crosswinds Cafe at the Payson airport for a very nice omelet. The owners are incredibly good at advertising other people's businesses on both their tables and on the menu for an additional source of revenue.

The rest of the ride was uneventful and I was glad to have some warm air blowing through me as I approached Tucson. Long day in the saddle.Read more
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AZ shack sejourn Traveler
Wed ho hum
October 29, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 16 °C
I had a few phone and online conversations with people, nobody in person today. It's the first cold day, woke up to 39° and it never went warmed up a whole ton. I did get to sit in the sun for a little bit and actually got warm, but the air stayed cool. Felt that on the short bike ride too.

Sitting on top wasn't exciting either as a cold breeze and 55° made it less pleasant in light of the memory of all those warm days that I had.

Weh call the ambulance, oh well. Have a little fiddle with your whine. But that's how it feels and the shorter days and colder weather are pushing me inside earlier and it takes away the magic of being on top, looking at the stars under a blanket.

But in all honesty, I really need to start pushing the PPL. I have exactly 6 weeks left and a few days of that are in a car and in Crested Butte for Thanksgiving. Although my motivation for absolutely anything is completely lacking, I don't quite get why it's like that.

Oliver contacted me, which was great and he was excited about his flight in the decathlon, and that's why I attached a picture to this post. We had a nice exchange. Highlight of the day.

Another dinner salad on the roof, but I got chased off before the sunset due to the chill. Later, I step outside to find that the crickets are quiet, I hope they will start up again on the next three warm days. Maybe I'll get to hear them just a little bit more. I miss them. Their sound drowns out the jet engine tinnitus in my ears and makes my heart happy because it reminds me of the good days on the boat in the Mediterranean back in the '70sRead more
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AZ shack sejourn Traveler
Hang out
November 13, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
A cup of tea and a good couple hours of funny talk with Ethan and Sandy, it is such a classic conversation to hang with those two guys full of laughter.

Then Wocnis' joined us and we went to the cafe at the Marana airport for a nice breakfast of eggs.

Back at Ken's and we're all dispersing to do some of her own stuff. I'm reading the Arizona revised statues to get ready for the legal call. Got legal call out of the way and all of it was as I expected for Ron I don't think he knew what hit him.

Another great short session outside and we went inside for fantastic lasagna super delicious. Now we're playing some more.Read more
TravelerThose birdies!... 😍
11/20/24Reply
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AZ shack sejourn Traveler
Wocnis car shopping
November 16, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Cold day and we spend some time sitting and bird watching over a cup of coffee and then Wocnis is going to look at Jeeps. Ethan and I go along to help him figure out which one is good. Since I have my new Moto and want to check some things in town I ride behind them. It is stone cold for being in the desert, just 60°.

We check out two Jeeps and the bike is drawing attention. Always nice that people notice what you ride. We do a super big checkout on the red Jeep which I think is a very good one for five grand and would suit the mission really well. But Ken is still going to wait and not make a decision just yet.

I ride back over to the Honda place and get less than satisfying advice on my wheels which I just want to swap out with the shop and let them deal with the profit they can make on it.

Back at Ken's I find a full house with musicians ready to play and Steve is there who I haven't seen in 10 years. He has cancer but he looks really good and sounds and act strong. He sticks around for about an hour and then dashes and we play into the evening and make a nice dinner and then it's off to bed and the fall asleep fast. In the middle of the night I changed my return plans from Southeast Asia to early April so I can be here when it's just right temps and all the cacti are blooming.Read more
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Trip end
November 25, 2024