Heading Home

I am cutting my summer trip short and heading back to the Arizonian tomorrow. I have not had any success in getting a contractor to come out to give me an estimate for repairs and I want to make sure that section of the roof where water could enter is patched before another storm arrives.

Update (8/22/2021): Arrived home safe and sound. No damage inside park model. 😀

Update (8/30/2021): Finally found a contractor to repair the carport awning. He indicated it might be a couple of weeks before he could get the needed materials due to the widespread wind damage in the area. 😟

Update (9/8/2021): It has been a frustrating process, but the carport awning has been repaired. 😀😁😂😃

More Storm Damage

I received a text message this morning informing me that a severe storm had swept through the Arizonian last night doing extensive damage to the park and my carport...

I have filed an insurance claim and am currently waiting on the adjuster to get back to me. In the interim, I am trying to arrange for someone in the park to clear away the loose debris to prevent further damage (another storm is expected tonight) and to see if there was any damage to the park model itself.

Keith, whose carport was damaged back in July, called to say he lost some more panels. He also indicated there has been so much storm damage in the Phoenix area this summer that it could be quite a while before we can get someone out for repairs.

Update (8/18/2021): Mike was able to remove the loose aluminum panels that could further damage the park model. He sent me some photos and this one concerns me most as it appears water could enter the home if they have another severe storm with heavy rain and wind...

Click on photo to enlarge

I am currently waiting for three contractors to return my calls so that I can get an estimate and a date for them to begin work. The good news is I have spoken with the adjuster and she has already cut a check for the repairs.

Rimrocker Trail

The Rimrocker Trail connects a bunch of individual roads to make one continuous 160 mile trail from Montrose to Moab. We drove as far as where it intersects Highway 141 before heading back to the campground. Click on photos to enlarge.

I would have done this trail but I did not have a bucket

Old mine on the side of a cliff

Imagine commuting to work here every day

Overview of the canyon with the Hanging Flume

Woods Lake

We took a Jeep caravan to Woods Lake, a picturesque mountain lake west of Telluride...

Smoky Mountains

No, I am not writing about the Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina, but the mountains here in the Montrose/Ouray area. Yesterday and today, smoke from the wildfires has blanketed the sky. Normally, you can see the San Juan Mountains about 30 miles from the park, but now I can just barely see the outline of mountains only a couple of miles away...

Click on image to enlarge

Flamingo Swingers

Last night at dinner with friends, I learned that a flamingo outside a RV is a sign that the occupants are "swingers". Well, I have always known that my neighbors were "party animals" but this came as a bit of a surprise...

Ugly Side of RVing

Sunny sent me some photos from friends who experienced an engine fire that totaled their motorhome. Fortunately, no one was hurt and they were able to save the motorcycles they were towing.

Yankee Boy Basin

Some of Ken's friends wanted to drive up to Yankee Boy Basin, a very scenic trail in the San Juan Mountains south of Ouray, Colorado, so we loaded up the Jeeps and headed to the mountains...

Tailings from an old mine

White water from all the rain

Getting ready for lunch with a view

I won't say Dave is cheap but occasionally, he lifts one or more tires off the ground just to save the tread...

Centennial RV Park

My site at the Centennial RV Park opened up yesterday so I moved from another park about two miles away into a space between Ken & Faye and Dave & Bev. The mature shade trees and lush green grass make it a great place to camp...

"Happy Camper"

For the first six months of this year I did not see any significant rain in southern Arizona. For last two weeks it has rained at least part of every day in New Mexico and Colorado. Unfortunately, some of the areas where wildfires destroyed the ground cover this summer are now experiencing severe flooding. The good news is some parts of the southwest are beginning to recover from what has been described as an "exceptional drought".