Two scenes from this Thursday morning.
Life In Motion.
Non Storm Chasing.
I went on a solo road trip yesterday while Earl and Jamie are in Phoenix for baseball games.
I approached the trip like a storm chasing trip. While it was windy, there were no storms to chase. There haven’t been many storms in these parts since last year’s monsoon. I’m hoping the shift in weather patterns will give storm potential a boost for the rest of this year.
In the meanwhile, while I was out exploring I was in full “storm chasing mode” around my mentality and approach to the trip. I have lots of photos and videos to share in an upcoming blog entry, in the meanwhile, here’s some shots that encapsulate my storm chasing mentality: open road, power lines, an awesome vehicle, and supper in a local bar.
And as a reminder, always be responsible in the local bar.
Guthrie Mountain Hike.
Today I did a solo hike to the top of Guthrie Mountain. The round trip hike was a total of 7 miles on the nose, and I climbed just shy of 1900 feet in elevation on this hike.
It’s been a couple of weeks since my last hike, and my knees were especially feeling it. I had a bit of a struggle with the last 30 or so feet, which is a scramble up rock to get to the peak, but I did it and I felt a sense of accomplishment.
I’ll be releasing a video of the adventure in a few days. In the meanwhile, here’s some photos I snapped along the way.
Peralta Regional Park.
We are back from our 24 or so hours in Phoenix. We had a very nice overnight getaway and now I’m getting settled back into my routine so I can get the work week off to a great start.
We took backroads to Phoenix yesterday because Interstate 10 northwest from Casa Grande to the outer suburbs of Phoenix is a nightmare to drive. Woefully over capacity most of the time, the two lanes in each direction are often clogged and drivers wondering why the road was narrowed across the Gila River Indian Reservation. Apparently it’ll be widened soon, but with the U.S. Government doing very odd things these days, who knows if that will come to fruition.
Anyway, the back roads brought us to a sign for Peralta Regional Park in Golden Canyon of US Route 60. We ventured the four or so miles of dirt road to check out some hiking trails.
The Serenity Loop in the Superstition Mountains is an enjoyable, easy hike that clocks in around 1 1/2 miles. Earl isn’t used to hiking, so we picked an easier spot.
Highly recommended.
Creative.
I’m feeling my creative streak return. It’s a good feeling. I’m probably feeling this way because I’ve been purposely avoiding most social media and the U.S. news in general. I’m not embracing ignorance, I am protecting my mental health.
Good mental health is what’s going to get us all through the day.
Moody.
Yesterday’s hike in Saguaro National Park East was enjoyable. It had rained the night before, so there was a little more humidity hanging around than what we’ve seen in quite a while.
I snapped a few photos to try to capture the moody vibe of it all. I found it delightful.
Just A Hint.
A week ago we had dinner with my brother- and sister-in-law and family while we were back east. Mother Nature gave us just a taste of winter as we left the excellent restaurant in Newtown, Pa.
Terminal D.
For some reason I was expecting Philadelphia airport to be busier when we passed through on our way home yesterday.
Our flight home didn’t leave until mid afternoon, but to keep the hotel happy we checked out on time and was at the airport by 12:30 or so. I was able to get over two miles of walking in by walking Terminals A-D in their entirety.
Another fun little ditty was arriving and departing from the same gate in Denver. That kept things simple.
After seeing family as we paid our respects for my mother-in-law, it was good to have the aviation gods on our side and have an uneventful flight home.
United gets a bad rap but I very rarely have a bad experience flying the airline. It’s the only airline we fly these days; the trend was established when we lived in Chicago, since United has a sizable presence at O’Hare.
Walk.
It’s a brisk morning in Bucks County, Pa. I was in the mood to get a bit of exercise, so I went for a walk around the hotel. We’re in an industrial area which wasn’t particularly walkable, but I did find an old road that led down to railroad tracks owned by Northern Suffolk.
Video: The Quiet Hike.
I decided to try a different approach with my latest hiking video. This episode has no music track, it’s just me walking or hiking and talking. All the sounds of nature (and local airports) and my breathing and my steps and everything are in this video. The whole experience feels a little more ‘raw’ to me.
