We are veering East, headed to Oklahoma and visits with Marianne's family. Watch out sisters, big sister is headed your way! And about the desert...when they say it's hot, just believe it. We camped in Patterson and Needles CA 111 to 114° and I'm not kidding. I could see the heat from the comfort of our air-conditioned happy breadbox RV; it had presence. And walking in it was something else, something dangerous and a reminder of the power of nature.
And it's not one desert, not one color or shape, or form...amazing. And on the miles and miles of flat stretches we would see miles long freight trains crossing the horizon and disappearing into...where? (John saw one disappearing into a tunnel on the side of a mountain.) I just loved seeing them.
In Needles CA we stayed at Feders River RV and Motel. The river was there, but the motel was out of
commission because a pickup truck caught fire and they are waiting for insurance stuff to happen. I liked the place; there were lots of permanent residents and a good vibe; the fire story is a good one, too. Just some guy up at 6 am to start work and having a cigarette outside by his truck. However, when he flipped his cig. butt into the butt can in the back of his pickup, it missed the can and ignited the truck and the motel while he was back in his room taking a leak. This is a stock photo. Everyone was OK. the moral of this story is...
We love staying in the National Forests (half off with senior America the Beautiful pass). Getting above the heat in Flagstaff, we got one of the last two first-come-first--serve spots at Canyon Vista Campground, part of the Coconino National Forest. Beautiful trails, and a climbing option called The Pit/...and cooler air. This photo is of the San Francisco Peaks; the tallest peak to the left is the tallest peak in Arizona, and when John was in high school the top of his head was (momentarily) the highest spot in Arizona, because he was in a National Science Foundation summer math program at Arizona State College and his group hiked to the very top of that mountain. (He remembers losing his glasses when he slid down with some rocks on the way down but came out OK.)
I even took a picture of our campsite in the National Forest. Ah, now I'm wondering if I've exceeded your boredom quotient! 
We are having fun, meeting interesting people if only for a moment in time. One of those folks was Patricia who was moving from place to place and living in her pickup with a cab-over. She has been doing it for years since she lost her home. She used to be a wilderness backpacker and when she says "I have skills" I believe her. She takes advantages of services, but explained how you have to stay in one place to get appointments. We all shared funny life stories and talked about our kids.
December 14, 2023, is Patricia's birthday; she will be 90 years old. She wondered if she would have a party; it seemed to her that 90 would be worth a party. We all agreed to have a party on that day to celebrate her. And so we will.
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