February coming to a close

I'm sitting at the kitchen table having my second cup of Starbucks Verona (french press) coffee. Dana is making muffins and Bob Dylan is on the radio "knocking on heaven's door" (he wrote all the really great songs of the 60's). We woke to clouds this morning. Very different from most mornings. This morning I will join Mike for a visit to Hohokam Park where the Chicago Cubs are holding an open practice day.

It's been another busy week here in the desert. Dana and I explored 2 new parks. Earlier this week we travelled 50 miles east to the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum. Yesterday we traveled south to the San Tan Mountain Regional Park. I won't try to compare the two as these parks were very different. Boyce-Thompson is a small State Park. It has designated garden areas displaying desert plants. Trails are groomed and well maintained for the many visitors. While not exactly "commercial", it is heavily used and thus lacks the feeling of wild, raw desert that we prefer. We did spot our first Cardinal this year and a Red Naped Sapsucker which made the visit memorable. We also came across a large group of mature adult humans decked out in nearly identical outdoor gear all carrying expensive cameras and/or binoculars. We slid past them as quietly as possible as to not to startle the herd. We later learned that is was a group from the Tucson Audubon Society on a bird watching hike.

San Tan Mountain Regional Park is a Maricopa County park. This is a very large mountainous park. While there we hiked parts of the Gold Mine and San Tan trails. At one point on the Gold Mine Trail we were up high enough to see much of the valley of the sun, from the towers of down town Phoenix to the city of Apache Junction at the base of the Superstition mountain range. It was hot and sunny this day and we were glad to have extra water with us for the hike.

On Thursday morning Dana and Darlene returned to Usery Park for a guided bird walk. They not only came home with many bird stories but with information about other flora and fauna of the desert. It sounds like the guide, Sandy, know her stuff and is happy to share her knowledge. Over the next few weeks we will put all this knowledge to good use.

As February comes to a close in the valley of the sun, the young at heart of all ages turn their attention to Major League Baseball Cactus League play. On Saturday Mike, Wayne and I headed to Hohokam Park, home of the Chicago Cubs. First of all, I am not a Cubs fan, but regardless I am a baseball fan and any opportunity to take in a free practice day was not something I could pass up. We spent about 2 hours watching pitchers practice coming off the mound to field a bunt, BP, double play and running drills. There was one player that I wanted to see and that was Ryan Dempster, the pride of Sechelt, B.C. Ryan was tagged to start the Spring League home opener against the Oakland A's.

Saturday night we attended the annual B.C. - Alberta night (dinner and entertainment) at Mesa Regal. Over 400 in attendance.

Sunday's discovery - While hiking in Usery Park we spotted a Western Screech Owl who had made a home in a hole high up in a tall Saguaro cactus. We feel very fortunate to have spotted this little bird.

March here we come. By the by, we have received a suggestion to tone down our enthusiasm of the desert and the warm sunny days. This while Victorians are freezing their little faces off. Forget it! Stay warm my friends.


Oooops. How did this photo get in here? Val Vista Drive, Mesa


Naomi - this one is for you. Ryan Dempster #46


What a hoot! A Western Screech Owl...not to be confused with Screetch(sp) from NFLD. (Click on photo to enlarge)

Jack Knox, eat your heart out!

I read Jack’s Victoria Times Colonist column this morning and, knowing Jack is an avid cyclist, I'm not making this up, I couldn’t help feeling a bit smug sitting here in the warm, sunny desert. Snow in Victoria this late is February is nearly a “pandemic”. I have been receiving emails from my cycling friends in Victoria telling me to “Stay where you are!” Friends are sending us pictures from Victoria, not of winter blossoms on trees or daffodils blooming in front yards but of backyards and decks covered in many inches of snow. Tales of heroic treks on snow covered roads to get to stores and Starbucks for essential supplies are being recorded to be re-told to younger generations who will no doubt shake their heads recalling other stories told to them by grandparents walking miles to 1 room schools in driving snow storms with only light moccasins on their frost bitten feet. Yes, Victorians are suffering today, not from the weather but not being able to call their friends in Ontario and New Brunswick to brag about having to mow the lawn in late February. And here we sit in Arizona. Today I rode my bike trainer for 90 minutes and then spent some quality time in the hot-tub and lying poolside to dry off in the warm afternoon sun working on my tan. My thoughts and prayers are with my friends in Victoria. Cowboy-up! Soon it will be warm temperatures and you can get back to whatever normal life is on Vancouver Island.

February 19 & 20 - Rain! Beautiful Rain!

Dana and I are settling into life in Arizona. I’ll address my “injury status” up front. All the swelling is gone. Although I am still wearing a sling to support my shoulder, I have no pain in my shoulder provided I do not lift anything other than a cup of coffee, a glass of wine or a bottle of beer. Life could be worse. I will wear the sling for 3 more days then toss it aside in favor of some light stretching. We’ll see how it goes.

Dana and I have been out hiking in the desert several days this week. On Thursday we explored a 5 km trail in the McDowell Mountain Park. The park is part of the Maricopa County park system, one of the largest county park systems in the U.S.A. McDowell Park covers about 21,000 acres, most of which was burned by wildfires in 1995. Fortunately the north loop trail was untouched and offers a good representation of the Sonoran Desert, although it appears to be under stress due to the lack of rain. We identified many desert plants, some birds and a few lizards. No snakes although we were told that Diamondback rattle snakes were present.

On Friday we visited the Saguaro Lake Park which is located off highway 202, the Bush Hwy. It is a large lake frequented mainly by boaters and fisherman. The lake was created by a damn on the Salt River. The Salt River provides an excellent habitat for birds. While we did not explore the riparian areas we did bookmark the area for future exploring. The same day we enjoyed a short hike in the Usery Mountain Park, another one of the Maricopa County parks. The Usery Park desert appears very healthy and has an abundance of birds and small animals. It was encouraging to see given the lack of rain in this part of Arizona.

Speaking of rain...... Given the scarlet sunrise this morning (see picture below) we knew we were in for a change in the weather. They have been predicting rain for a few days but none materialized. Today, Saturday, 1/2 inch of the stuff fell in the afternoon. Boy do they need the rainfall here! Dana and I are very excited to see what affect the rain will have on the desert, the flora and fauna. From what we hear, the effects can be glorious. We will start checking things out at first light tomorrow morning (Sunday) at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve. Warm sunny days are due to return on Monday and we will do more exploring then.

Inspite of my temporary physical limitations we are staying active. Hiking of course, but we also regulars in the fitness facility here at Mesa Regal. Dana runs on the treadmill and works out with weight equipment while I spin (boring....) on one of the stationary bikes. Yesterday we worked out for about 1 hour. As it was pouring rain for most of the afternoon, it was a great way to pass the day and get a reasonably good workout. Does "hot-tubbing" count as activity?

Social wise we have been getting out and about. Yesterday we attended the big French Toast breakfast which is a fundraiser for the softball teams here at the park. Speaking of ball, Spring MLB Cactus League starts in less than 10 days. We are in a great location to take in several major league teams home parks. The closest park is Hohocum, home of the Chicago Cubs. More on that later. (PS: Roy, your suite at Mesa Regal is still not booked but don't wait too long.....)

As a footnote to the walk this morning in the Gilbert Water Park, we saw 2 new bird species that we had not seen before. They were the Inca Dove, just a little guy and a Ruddy Duck. The Ruddy Duck has a cobalt blue bill. They were stylin....

Here are a few pictures from this week. If your computer permits, click on he photo and it will enlarge it so you can get a better appreciation of the subject. Enjoy!

View of Superstition Mountains from Usery Mtn Park


Amazing "chain fruit" on Cholla cactus.


Nest in Cactus at McDowell Mountain Park


Water on street outside our Park Model in Mesa Regal RV


Red sky in morning, sailor take warning (view from our deck Sat. Feb 19)

Rest and Recovery

Thanks to all of you who have forwarded their best wishes for my speedy recovery, and to those wishing Dana the best dealing with a husband who risks all for "fun and adventure". We are both doing well and striving to move on.

Monday was a true "recovery day". Sleep, eat, rest, eat, rest, eat.....sleep. Oh, plus we attended the annual 13th street Valentine's Day block party in the evening. Everyone on our block turned out for a pot-luck and visit. It was great to meet all the neighbours and enjoy some social activity. The next block party is on St Patrick's Day.

Today was a stunningly beautiful day in the desert. Another sunny, warm day with temperatures reaching the mid to high 70's. We spent the morning at poolside, in the hot tub and pool. Dana got a tour of the workout room by a contract fitness coach. It was after noon when we made it home for a late lunch. This evening we attended the Resort "Manager's Happy Hour" at the big pool area. We went with Mike and Darlene. We enjoyed the free beer, sunshine and social in the sunshine. A live band kept the place hopping.

Interesting story. When we were at the happy hour a fellow came up to me and said, "You probably don't remember my name". I looked at him with an obvious blank look. He told me his name and said he worked for me when we were in Calgary. As soon as he said his name I did remember him. I was, and still am amazed that he would remember me after 30 years and pick me out of a crowd in Mesa, Arizona. Maybe there is more to this story.... I will investigate.

We have Canadian satellite TV in our trailer. It is nice to catch a little of the Canucks games on the tube. I am still hopeful that I will be able to get tickets to their last game in Phoenix on March 8. If not, Spring Training (Baseball) will be in full swing and I am sure I/we will get our sports fix that way.

I am feeling much better today. My AC joint seems to be healing and the swelling has mostly disappeared. For now it's one day at a time.....

Valley of the Sun 3 day Stage Race, Phoenix, Arizona Feb 11, 12 & 13

The Valley of the Sun bike race is a three-day event in which professional and amateur road racing cyclists of different categories compete for cash and prizes. A stage is held each day consisting of a time trial, a road race and a criterium.
There are over 900 participants in 15 categories of professional and amateur riders, both men and women, ages 10 to over 60. The cyclists that have the lowest cumulative time from the three stages will win in their respective categories.

The first stage was the Individual Time Trial. This stage went on Friday. The course was a 22 km, out and back. Wind was the issue as there was little elevation to contend with. The start was on an elevated platform with racers going every 30 seconds. This was not my first ITT but it was my first using TT bars and set-up. I finished 37th out of 56 in my category, Masters 50. Of the competitors in Masters 50 over the age of 55, I finished 8th out of 16 racers. I had nothing left at the end of the race and felt that I gave what I had to give. The air is so dry in the desert that at the end of the race I felt that my lungs were completely dry. I got a dry cough as a consolation prize. My friend Chuck also had a good race and felt good about his effort.

Saturday was the 62 km Road Race. The course was 50 km south of Phoenix, just north of Casa Grande. It was mostly flat with one long hill, 4 km at an average of 6% grade. The course was 2 1/2 laps with a hilltop finish.

The 50 and 60 Masters groups started as one group, about 76 racers. The course was on a 2 lane road and if you crossed the centre line you got DQ’d so you can imagine the first part of the race was a bit crowed and hectic. My goal was to finish and so I soon found my self comfortably at the back of the peleton. As we rounded the corner to go up the hill for the first time the group split into 2 with the strong riders charging up the hill. Being at the back of the peleton this meant I could choose to stay where I was or chase the lead group. So, I chased. With a tail wind up the hill I was soon hitting 35k. I broke over the hill with one other ride, soon to be joined by one more rider. The 3 of us chased at 60 - 64 kms/hour for about 5 k. Unfortunately my compact crank had me spinning at 110, way more than I can hold for very long. My legs gave out and I had to let the 2 guys chase while I waited for help. Help soon arrived and I joined a group of 8 riders soon to be joined by 12 more. One the second lap up the hill I found myself on the front urging someone to join me in a breakaway. As is often the case in road racing, seldom do you find someone willing to do this. While the pack was more organized than other races I have attended, not everyone was willing to pull or help in any way. These are not club group rides. Given my goal I should have been one of these racers because what happened next was, unfortunate. On the last lap I found myself in the lead out position going into a sharp corner. I went wide to cut the corner but I had too much speed. I hit some very large bumps, lost control and had to overshoot the corner. I ended up in the desert, off my bike and out of the race. Dang! I crashed again. With medical assistance and help from my friends I made it back to Mesa where I sought medical attention. Outcome: Separated AC in my left shoulder, bruised head and another broken helmet. Hey kids, wear your Helmet! I’ll be off my bike for 2 weeks but will then begin training for Sardinia. I’m in race shape and the 2 week layoff will not hurt me. Chuck raced in the Masters 60 group. As a result of a mechanical and muscle issue he had to drop out leaving him also with a DNF.

Dana asked me why I didn’t sit back and just finish, as I had intended to do. I’m not sure what the answer is. It is hard not to get caught up in the excitement or the competition. I was having a good race. 38k average, a lot of it much faster. It is my fault that I did not finish. I should have been more familiar with the course. I should have slowed down for the corner. I’ll have my Trek checked out this week. I seems fine and should be ready to roll in a couple of weeks.

As I had a DNF on the road race I could not, even if I was able, participate in the Crit that went Sunday morning in downtown Phoenix. That would have been a wild race, one that I definitely would have sat in on and not attempted a break.....sure....

I learn from every race. Sometimes it is about the course, the conditions or the competition. This weekend I learned about all of that and also about myself. It seems there is no shortage of people telling me to stop racing. I know that what they are saying is “we are concerned and please be more careful”. I certainly need to do that, but I will not stop racing anytime soon.

For would-be racers I would like to pass along some advice. Learn good race habits. Train hard. Set reasonable goals. Feeling good about your effort will be about as good as it gets. Unless you are very special, winning is not something you will experience in big races. For sure follow your dreams, but please, always wear a helmet.

All but the first picture were taken by Linda Sinclair. Thanks Linda, you are awesome!

The scene at the Individual Time Trial


Chuck ready to race.....


Chuck down the ramp and away.....


Barry ready to go.....


Chuck finishing Time Trial


Barry crossing the finish line


Barry finished the ITT

February 7th - Bikes, Pools, Visiting and lots of Sun.

Oh what a fantastic day it was today. Sunshine all day and very warm, dare I say “hot”? We started the day with some extra sleep as Barry’s ride today with Chuck was not scheduled to start until 9:30. As is now our normal routine, the day began with halving ripe oranges to make fresh juice. Dana has decided that her tummy can deal with half a glass of fresh OJ. Barry adds grapefruit to his OJ. The grapefruit comes from the neighbors tree. After a wonderful pancake breakfast prepared by the “Pancake Queen” we eased into the day.

Today Barry and Chuck practiced on their Time Trial bikes. This would be a one hour ride. Dana took a picture of the boys before they headed off. Chuck’s wife Linda was on hand to send the riders off. (Barry even sported his Tripleshot-Spinnakers race kit.)

While Barry and Chuck trained Dana hit the big pool for the first time. Dana’s shoulder and wrist that she injured last fall held up “okay” and she did complete 24 lengths, which was fantastic for the first time in the pool in a very long time. After riding, swimming and lunch, we put in an hour at poolside soaking up the sun. I think there may have been some snoozing involved as well. After that we had a visit with Mike and Darlene and got caught up on news. Oh, and perhaps there was a beverage consumed....

This evening we were invited for pot luck with Chuck and Linda’s friends Dale and Blanche who are vacationing in Mesa and staying not far from Mesa Regal RV. We had a very nice visit and a wonderful dinner.

Tomorrow Barry and Chuck will train some more. The Stage Race weekend is fast approaching.

Chez McKee, Mesa Regal RV Resort

Today is Saturday. This morning Barry got in a quick 50km ride around Usery Mountain loop while Dana went birding at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve. Both had success with Barry saying he flew around the loop and Dana saying she saw many bird species flying around the Preserve. I have included a couple of pictures from the Preserve.

I thought I would share a description of our new home in Mesa Regal, including some pictures. We've pretty much settled in, no more unpacking to do. Here are several pictures of both inside and outside. The park model is about 35 feet long and 12 feet wide. It has one bedroom, one bathroom and a sitting room that is comfortable for 4 people. The galley kitchen is well equipped, although there is no dishwasher. We are happy with the accommodations and feel it will be more than adequate for our needs here in Mesa for 2 months

Coot at the Gibert Riparian Preserve (not sure if it is an "old" Coot.....)


The Preserve covers 110 acres. It is a water treatment plant for the city of Gilbert.



Galley Kitchen


Comfortable living room area


Outside view. Note the oranges on our tree. They are tasty!

Desert hike

Today was our first desert hike. I think I may have mentioned before that the desert, at first glance, is a wasteland devoid of anything interesting or alive. Not true! Today Dana and I hiked to the "Wind Cave" in Usery Mountain Park. This was a relatively short hike (3 miles return) but it was 1 1/2 miles up a mountain, then back down. We arrived at the trail head at around 11:45. The folks in the car next to us in the parking lot said the temperature was 34 F, or about plus 1 C. The sky was clear and the sun felt warm. There was a light breeze blowing out of the north which did make it seem colder than it was. After a good lunch we headed up the trail.

I have included a couple of pictures in this post. Honestly, the scope of the vista did not allow many pictures with our tiny camera. I did however get a good shot of a giant Saguaro cactus as well as one that Dana was trying to hug. She loves Saguaro cactus almost as much as our friend Jo H, to whom we dedicate these 2 pictures.

As for flora and fauna, well, the desert was alive with bird and small 4 legged animals. We saw 13 species of birds including 3 Harris' hawks, many, many hummingbirds feasting on desert Chuparosa (like a honey suckle), gila woodpeckers, etc. We also saw many Harris' Ground Squirrel. One of the pictures is a Anna's hummingbird that came within 18 inches of my camera. We think he was guarding a nest that was in the Chuparosa bush that was next to the trail.

After the hike we headed for home. On the way home we stopped at a citrus stand and picked up 2 , 15 lb. bags of oranges to use for fresh juice. We also stopped at Trader Joe's for some beverage of the vino kind.

Tonight we at the computer room at the RV resort. There are probably 36 computer stations in the room. A nice amenity considering that the wireless network in the RV resort is very, very, very sllooowwww......

All for now. Tomorrow we ride our bikes. There is a dance tomorrow night. Dance lessons are offered before the dance. We may take advantage of the lessons as I (Barry) do not know how to dance, but want to learn. Madelyn, where are you???!!!!

Ciao!


Dana's big friend "Saguaro"


Jo H - This one's for you......


Our friend Anna.

Mesa - Feels like Winnipeg

Holy smokes! Our track record for travelling with, or in, weather events continues. We arrived in Mesa, Arizona yesterday afternoon. Arizona is in the midst of record low temperatures. Some parts of Mesa recorded -5 C last night. The wind is gusting to 50k's out of the north. Everyone is blaming Canada for the weather. We have started telling people we are from Oregon.

Our house (park model trailer) is sweet, comfortable and not at all insulated. We have been told the good warm weather will return soon. In the meantime the little furnace in our rental house is working overtime.

Barry got out on his bike today, a 50 km mountain loop around Usery Mountain. The temperature warmed but the wind was still very cold. Actually it was like an average day in Victoria so no one has to feel sorry for us.

We are very excited to be at Mesa Regal and I am sure we will enjoy it even more when the temperatures return to highs of 70 by Monday.

We are experiencing some internet challenges here at Mesa Regal so I'll keep this short and try to post again soon.