Mormon Crickets

My friend, Keith, sent me this note and photo of a swarm of Mormon crickets in northern Nevada...

A plague of biblical proportions

Here's a video that gives you a better idea of the scope of the infestation: https://youtu.be/lsZqXkts2fk

Hall of Flame Museum

The Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting in Phoenix has the largest collection of fire fighting equipment in the world. It starts with a pumper built circa 1725 (I believe my older cousin, Chris, helped design it) and continues up to modern, motorized fire engines. I tried finding a photo of that world famous firefighter, Terry Averett, but apparently, they had not gotten around to putting it up yet. Here's a slideshow of just some of the equipment...

 

If you would like to view the slideshow via a fullscreen, click here

Slinky T-Shirt

Huh?

When government gives you directions...

Musical Instrument Museum

Keith, Jayne and I visited the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix this morning. This is an extremely impressive facility with over 4,200 instruments on display from every corner of the globe. I would recommend it to anyone who is in the area. One of the unique features of the tour is getting a set of headphones at the front desk that allows you to automatically listen to the instruments while looking at a television monitor showing people playing them...

Click on images to enlarge

The vast majority of instruments I had never heard of much less seen. I played the trumpet in high school but never saw one like this...

There is even an area where kids can play on their own including the 25-foot-wide "Apollonia" orchestrion...

There is no way you can see it all in one visit, so I would suggest allotting several hours at the minimum. We were told that they are continually adding items to their collection which means there will always be something new to see. 

Heart Attack Grill

When I lived in Las Vegas, one of the most unique places to visit on Fremont Street (particularly, with friends from out of town) was the Heart Attack Grill which is known for their extremely unhealthy high calorie/fat food and drinks. A competitive eater that I occasionally follow on YouTube recently ate there and here is his video...

Political Divide

Here's a post from 2021 pointing out that here in Arizona a couple could collect $94,792/year for sitting home doing nothing! That's probably more money than most people were making when employed.

Return Of The Toads

Recent rains have brought the desert toads back out....

My air conditioner has created a "toad spa"

Tough Decision

This guy had to choose between getting a new OHV or a new pair of underwear. Clearly, he made the right choice...

Prostate Cancer

Late last year, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Fortunately, it was detected early and had not spread beyond the prostate. This allowed me to undergo a procedure called brachytherapy where radioactive seeds are surgically implanted into the prostate which in turn kills the cancerous cells.

I chose not to post anything about the problem until I had a better idea of what the outcome might be. Yesterday, I learned that my prostate-specific antigen (PSA) had dropped from 9.1 to 1.2 which indicates the seeds are working well. I will continue to be checked every six months, but hopefully, this is the end of it.

As you might imagine, it has been an emotional roller coaster. When you first hear the words "you have cancer", your mind kind of goes blank. It takes a while to process and of course, there is that immediate fear of the unknown. Once I learned more about prostate cancer and my options, I began to feel more comfortable that it could be treated successfully. The key is to catch it early before it metastasizes to other parts of the body.

My Kind Of Diet

I used to eat 6 slices of pizza, now I eat only 3...

Crazy Gas Prices

If I drive 15 miles west to Apache Junction, gas is $4.99/gallon. If I drive 18 miles east to Superior, gas is $3.79/gallon. Both towns are in the same county and less than 40 miles apart, yet there is a $1.20/gallon difference. Guess where I filled up.

Apache Trail

One of my favorite drives was the Apache Trail (Route 88) from Tortilla Flat up to Roosevelt Lake. Unfortunately, landslides closed the road several years ago. I had heard that the state was not going to re-open it and now, after looking at the following drone video, I can understand why...

Umbrella Drinks

While my next door neighbors are enjoying those fruity, umbrella drinks in Cozumel, Mexico, my other neighbors and I are having our own "umbrella drinks" here in the park...

How Not To Get Your Ass Kicked By The Police

McDonald's Job Interview

RV Park Humor

Snow In The Desert

Woke up to 35 degree weather with snow on the mountains...

Can You Decipher This

More Cold/Wet Weather

One of the reasons for spending the winter in southern Arizona has traditionally been the warm/dry climate, but not this year as we are having the worst weather I have experienced in the 11 years I have been coming here. If this had been my first winter, I am not sure I would have returned.

It's getting harder and harder to avoid "cabin fever"

RZR Accessories

Now that I have a RZR again, I am always looking for ways to improve the looks of the machine...

Click on images to enlarge

Raquel Welch

Raquel Welch has passed away at age 82. She was the quintessential sex symbol in my younger days. The poster of her in a fur bikini from the movie "One Million Years BC" was almost a prerequisite for most college dorm rooms. Here's a photo taken in 1966 at UNC, Chapel Hill...

Polaris RZR Trails & Rocks

I just purchased a 2019 Polaris Trails & Rocks from a friend here in the park. I had been thinking of buying another side-by-side for a while, but could not justify the price for a new one. Finding a used, well maintained machine made the decision much easier.

The Trails & Rocks model was made for rock crawling and comes with a lot of options that are add-ons for most Polaris vehicles including a winch, rock sliders, skid plate, gps, etc. Plus, the original owner put a lot of extras on it as well. With the Jeep and RZR I have the best of both OHV worlds. All I need now is some warm, dry weather to go off-road again.

Click on image to enlarge

Golf Cart Racing

In case you were wondering what senior citizens do for fun at the Arizonian RV Resort...

Amish Powerball