One week, two AZ National Parks

This past week I celebrated my 43rd birthday!  I can't think of a better way to spend it than visiting a National Park that is especially special to us - Petrified Forest.  Long ago - gee, 23 years ago to be exact, when Husband and I moved to AZ, we stopped at this park to stretch our legs and see something of this new Western land we were calling home.  It was a hot day and we were two Michiganders out of our element in a foreign land.  We've visited a number of times since then, but each time it is different because we are different.  While it is amazing to see new sights, sometimes "old" sights are impressive for different reasons.  We can live in both the past and the present as we consider how humanity has changed, how we have changed, how our family has changed, and we can imagine the future.

Every National Park experience has the potential to transport you beyond yourself.  You get to time travel - in this park the kids pursued the Junior Paleontologist badge and were transported back millions of years. We also love to consider that this region of the country once had a climate like Costa Rica when it was part of Pangea.  The long arch of pre-history is alive here.  More recently Ancient Peoples called this home and made rainbow homes (Agate House) from all of the hardened timber.   

This park is about an hour from our land and we too have found evidence of ancient people in pottery shards and spear points.  It is likely the same ancient peoples lived in and carved the petroglyphs near the Puerco Pueblo (below).   

Lastly I was so impressed by the many wildflowers in this harsh high desert.  I don't think we have ever visited at this time of year and it was really beautiful.

The day after we  visited the park we drove down the mountain so that Husband could work his two in-person days.  What we did not expect was a freaking blizzard on the way down!

Nevertheless, we arrived in the valley safely and because it was so cold in the mountains the valley was cool and enjoyable in the mid 70s.  

The kids and I spent a nice day visiting friends on our first day.  On the second day we visited Casa Grande National Memorial.  Again we have visited this park before, many times, but the last time Sister and Brother were both a year younger.  Sister is getting a lot more out of the Junior Ranger program - so we decided to complete a second badge!

The Ancient People of the Sonoran Desert built an impressive compound and system of canals which fed the agricultural efforts of the community.  Apart from the vandalism of visitors past, the structures are well preserved and protected by the NPS.  According to the video in the visitor center the NPS has forged partnerships with the Native descendants of the community who hold ceremonies and festivals at the sacred site.  I found this aspect of the living history of the place very positive.       

The last thing to mention is that when we returned to Snowflake and our trailer - our heat wouldn't work.  We ended up calling a mobile repair service and he was able to fix it after one cold night.  Life is unpredictable and when you are living in an RV you have to roll with it!  So... that is a report of our busy week!  More adventures are on the horizon!

weBoost RV Connect 65

We received our weBoost about a month ago.  The box it ships in is rather large and bulky.  It was stored in our bathroom in front of the second door for a few weeks and then when we moved we unpacked it and stowed the components.  Today we set it up for the first time.  This is a cell signal booster and we purchased both a omnidirectional and unidirectional antennae.  We did get a really good result after we set it up correctly.  The best possible signal you can get is -65 dBm.  Without the booster we were getting around -110 dBm and with it we were in the mid -70s.  We went from two bars to four (out of five). 

The pole can reach as high as 25' and it comes with a 30' cord.  There is an 8" flat cord that is meant to slip in a window or a slide to bring the signal into the RV.  We were able to insert it in an emergency window.  With the cord inserted we could still put the screen back on and the window can fully shut and latch.  So the flat cord works well to bring the signal in.  The pole is awkward and it comes with two fasteners which can be adhered to the RV, but we didn't use them.  Instead we used velcro straps and strapped in twice to the rear ladder (once low and once up at the top).  We were not able to extend the pole the full 25' and still have the cord reach the window (located in the front on the driver's side). 

Inside there are two components that hook up inside, the power supply/booster and the indoor antenna.  We didn't finish mounting those components because we wanted to get shorter cable wires so we didn't have to deal with so much excess (they supply you with two 15' lengths).  Though we picked up the shorter cords this evening, we didn't finish connecting everything.  However, this is where the indoor antenna will be mounted (with command strips):

 You can also see the flat cord sticking out of the middle of the left side of the window.  The power supply/booster will also be placed along this wall closer to the outlet. 

Clearly this is something that has to be taken down and set back up at each site.  We got a good result from the unidirectional outdoor antenna and we didn't test the omnidirectional antenna.  We will have to play with that one next time.  We did download an app which points to the nearest cell tower so that you can position the antenna in the correct direction.  The app we used is called Signal Strength. 

Overall I think this will help us when working from home on the road.  We certainly can see a benefit in this location and I think we will have to keep trying it in new locations to get the full benefit.  One thing that is concerning in this location is that it is sensitive to wind over 25 mph.  This area can be really windy, so we may have to lower the pole to stabilize it if the wind picks up. 

Something we tried that didn't work was using the prewired coax cable outlet at the docking station instead of using the 30' cord -  we didn't get any signal using the RV's prewire.  I'm not sure if the wire is different or what the reason is.  We only saw the signal boost when using the wire that it came with.  When we bought shorter wires for indoors we made sure they had the same label - but we haven't tested them yet...so I will let you know how it works!

Life in the high desert

After we settled in last night, left the drama of parking the rig behind us, and determined that this RV park has pretty decent WiFi - life in the high desert started looking up.  Yes it was raining and cold, but it was also silent.  In the valley we live near the freeway and in the direct path of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport - we hear city noises (helicopters, sirens, engine breaking of semi trucks, jets, and the general city bustle all the time).  In the rural areas there is no noise pollution.  The peace silence brings is palpable. 

Today we visited the Land to see if all was status quo - it was.  The rain clouds and storms in the distance made a lovely horizon.  The rain has helped all of the wildflowers bloom.  It was a pretty drive.  We were not prepared to stay long, we even forgot jackets, but it was good to check on things.  We also put down some rodent poison in the pump shed - our main goal for this trip is to reclaim our well and get the water flowing again.  More on that later...

Though our Mesa Ridge home does require a bit more set-up than the Hideout - it is so comfortable once we are set up!  One of the best things about moving is that everything gets organized and cleaned prior to moving, so when you get set up you are in a clean house!  However, the driving and take-down/set-up are time consuming, so it is best to minimize them. I am glad that we are staying a week at a time in each location we are visiting this summer - even more time would have been good.  In thinking about what a remote working situation would look like, I think living month-to-month in different locations would be ideal.  We could see the country, follow good weather, and visit the National Parks! 

For anyone who is curious, staying a month in a park is usually the way to get the best deal in terms of price.  At this park the monthly rate is currently $345 + electric.  I think that is a reasonable price.  I'm going to take pictures of this place and give a review before we leave.  I am going to try and do that at all the places we stay this summer. 

So, while we are here for a month Husband is going to return to the valley for two days each week to work in-person.  He will stay in a hotel.  We will go with him 2/4 weeks.  The last week we have to go to take back the car and park it at our lot in Mesa.  His plan is to leave Monday afternoon, stay Monday and Tuesday nights in hotels, work Tues and Wednesday in-person and then return here on Wednesday evening.  The kids and I will go on some outings in the weeks we stay here.  One of them will be visiting the Petrified Forest National Park.  We've been there before, but there is always more to see.  I am going to find a short hike that we have not done before.  We will also spend a day or more at the Land.

Today is Mother's Day and I am taking it easy.  I think I'll go now and dive into a video game for a while - something I never do during the school year - it can be really fun once in a while when I don't feel like I am neglecting anything else! 
 

Summer 2019 off to a rough start...

Leaving the valley the sky was clear and blue.  We took both vehicles on this part of the trip so I got to watch the rig from behind.  Our new Shiro kitty rode in the car with me and one kid (they switched at the halfway point).  He was really good - we had a litter box, food and water available, though he did not want any of it.  He sat comfortably next to Brother and then Sister as we drove.

As we climbed in elevation the weather turned sour.  There was a fair amount of rain and wind as we drove through the mountain passes.  It was the first time driving the rig on mountain grades.  I am sure Husband was glad I was not sitting beside him stressing out.  He did a great job managing the weather and the rig safely.

When we arrived at the campground we had an unpleasant experience parking the rig.  This rig is a bit more challenging to park as it is five feet longer than the Hideout.  Additionally the truck is bigger and seems to need more room in the front.  Husband and I clearly do not have a good system of communication worked out for this backing in situation.  We have had some success in the past when I drive and he directs me, but today he drove and I tried to direct him - but it didn't really work out that way.  Additional challenges included the fact that the sites are very narrow and not level.  After great difficulty backing in the rig into the first site we were directed into, we were unsuccessful in leveling it.

If you don't know, you have to level the RV at every new site so that everything works as it should (water needs to flow and the refrigerator will not work if not level).

The first site had about six inches of fresh gravel.  The leveling blocks were being pushed by the tires into the gravel instead of sitting on top of the gravel and supporting the tires.  There was no way to get leverage to keep the leveling blocks from slipping.  Also the truck tires were spinning in the deep gravel and having some trouble when not in four wheel drive.  Ultimately I went and asked for a different site (the one right next to us looked a lot better) so we had to start the whole backing up process again - which was just as emotionally draining as the first time.  After two hours (it seemed like 4) we finally were set (and level) and then the rain and hail began....yes, rain AND hail.  Awesome, I know.  I am sure Husband enjoyed setting everything up in the rain.  I was indoors making dinner.

The least fun aspect of the rig is back-in parking.  I also get stressed at gas stations.

Tonight the low is 41 degrees - we certainly don't have to worry about the heat here.  We did have to dig out our winter PJs.  When it is raining hard it is SO loud inside!  At the end of this video you can see the ruts in the gravel of our first site.  This is the first video I have ever edited - I shortened it to lessen the file size so Blogger would accept it.

Ok, so we are here for the next four weeks - this location is close enough to Rancho Status Quo to get some work done.  The rain makes getting back to the land very difficult - so I hope it is going to clear up!  I'll keep you posted! 

Summer 2019 is here!!!

Wow...sorry for the long pause on posts!  This has been a crazy busy month.  I was asked to take on a small administrative role at ASU, so I teach one less class each semester and instead have some new responsibilities.  It is an enjoyable new challenge, but I have had a lot to learn and so. many. meetings.  The official end of my academic year is next week.  Convocation is Friday, which means we can leave the desert behind us on Saturday!  I am teaching a class online in the first part of the summer.  Summer classes are optional for me, but are a good way to pick up some extra funds.  So this week I have to get the class ready to go...so...workwise, I still have a lot to do.

 

In other news, we adopted a new kitty!  He is Shiro (named after the pilot of the black lion in Voltron - thank you Brother).  He's been with us for about five weeks now and is adjusting nicely.  Sister has been kind and gentle with Shiro and he has been sweet in return.  In preparation for leaving we purchased kennel for the car so that he can safely ride in the cab with us.  We installed a kitty door into the underneath storage where we keep the litter box.  He's adjusting nicely and we are happy to have him!

We are getting the outing itch!  One day last week while Husband was at work the kids and I checked out a culture pass from the library and visited the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.  It was an awesome field trip - especially the butterfly exhibit! There were so many it seemed that you really had to walk lightly to ensure you didn't accidentally injure one.  We were so delighted to see such a diverse assortment of butterflies.  We also saw all stages of the life cycle from egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and even the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis!  It was a special treat.  This was not our first visit to the garden, but it was our first time to the butterfly exhibit. The kids were excited to put on their junior ranger / explorer vests and grab their new hiking sticks for the day.  Of course they received many compliments, questions, and comments from other garden visitors about their travels. 

It was over spring break that I decided I could no longer purchase patches because I ran out of room on the vests!  I worked on sewing their last two new patches from Chiricahua National Monument and Kartchner Caverns State park today. I finished 3/4.  I think we all love collecting something from these places.  While in Boyce Thompson Arboretum I stumbled upon the next round of items to collect for summer 2019 - hiking stick medallions!  Boyce Thompson didn't sell a patch and so I just grabbed two of the medallions and later I realized that this was the answer for summer 2019!  They already have amazing vests - time for a decked out walking stick!.  So, the goal for this summer is to fill their hiking sticks with medallions.  The absolute best part about this plan is that Husband can attach them and I don't have to poke my fingers sewing on any other patches!

So...what is the plan for this summer? Well like most RVs, we felt our last summer covered too much ground.  Our goals are to stay out of the desert heat for as many weeks as possible, see some National Parks, and work on our land.  I may have mentioned we before that this year we will spend a month near our land in Northern AZ doing some projects to make our "cabin" more livable.  This brings me to another reason why this past month has been so busy.  Three weekends ago we drove up to our land to meet a contractor so that we could get a quote to improve the interior.  When we arrived we realized our building had been burglarized.  This is the first time in 10 years that anyone has ever broken into the building.  Things were stolen.  It was disturbing for us all - especially the kids who were really upset and crying and shaking and scared.  They kept thinking someone was going to come back and hurt us....it was really sad because our land has always been fun for them.

Though we did not leave much of value in the building the theives did miss the most valuable items stored there and so we had to make a plan to move things from the building.  We returned to the valley and in the intervening week we purchased a 5x10 cargo trailer.

The next weekend we drove back up and packed up as much as we could and headed back down the mountain.  We then rearranged our 5x5 storage and filled that baby to the brim!  I don't think we could fit one more box in there, it is packed full.  Now that we have "emptied" the cargo trailer we can take it back up with us and fill it once more to further empty the building to facilitate the projects we will be working on this summer.  So the stuff-shuffle (AKA "the stuffle") continues - we continue to pay for storage and now we have this 5x10 trailer to serve as our shed/added storage at our site in Mesa.

In other news we switched from TMobile back to Verizon and our more than doubled our monthly bill for the same service - but we should have better nationwide coverage as we travel (we hope).  We also purchased a cell signal booster - which I will write more about when we set it up and I can take some pictures.

During the next month Husband will return to the valley and stay in a hotel for two nights each week so that he can work two days a week on site.  When we leave the state he will work completely remotely for eight weeks and when we return the agreement (with his employer) was that he would work in-person one day a week.  I have changed all of our reservations to accommodate his work schedule - meaning we will not travel on any of his work days and we will be located in a spot that Verizon claims to have 4G coverage (according to their map).  Basically we are staying a week at a time in each location.  The trip this summer is two weeks in Utah, two weeks in Wyoming, two weeks in Colorado, one week in New Mexico and a week or two in the mountains of AZ (if we can find a place in a higher elevation that will allow Husband the ability to commute in the second week).

Finally - I have to share a final amazing experience we attended in the past month that was free thanks to our public library!  Another Culture Pass experience!  Brother and I went to the symphony to hear Romeo and Juliet & Porgy and Bess.  These tickets would have cost us $160! Thank you Public Library System!

It was my first time to the symphony and I absolutely loved it.  Just seeing and hearing so the cumulative effort and practice of so many professional musicians is an inspiration.  But also, I have never listened to a story that way before - in other words. listened to the instruments tell the story of Romeo and Juliet.  Though I knew this was the idea, I never took the time to sit and listen and it brought chills to my body and tears to my eyes.  It was beautiful.  The Porgy and Bess performance featured an amazing soprano and baritone as well as a fantastic choir.  Whenever there are singers, my attention is drawn to them, so I did not focus upon the symphony as intently as I did during Romeo and Juliet.  It was all beautiful and I can't wait for Sister to be a bit older so that she can enjoy it with us.  Brother and I had a wonderful time. I am so thankful to Husband for watching Sister, because I know he would have loved it too. Here is one picture I snapped before the performance!

Ok, folks I am going to document our adventure so I will keep the posts coming - also I plan on having better cell/data this summer so I should be able to keep you up to speed!  Write you again soon!  Hope you are all planning amazing summers as well.