Day 5 at Second Chance Ranch

Well, it's been quite an amazing trip to 2CR. Who would have guessed I could get into so much fun? First, a little about the Ranch. Mr and Mrs Montezuma own this lovely spot right next door to a unit of the Park Service. No people on that side at all. They live at the end of the road that dead ends into a wash, that is washed out and no bridge any more. The mesquite trees are lovely and you can see the south end of the Mogollon Rim that runs through Colorado, Utah and Arizona. I'm living in their Skamper pop-up for the week. There is a nightly campfire that I've yet to take a photo of. Gary and often Robin, come over most evenings for the fire and to chat about all things lively and interesting. There are amazing stars with very little light pollution, so you can just be in total awe, each and every night. The mini bar is great set up by the ranch palapa. You can't want for much when you have the company of Johnny and Susan here at the Ranch. And their friends are awesome. They joined us post canoe/kayak race for a wonderful shindig.

My First Flight Experience

I grew up in Illinois and as a child of the 1960's took my first flight with my parents when I was about age 7. That flight on Ozark Airlines set in motion a lifetime love affair with flying off to farflung places around the world. But this very first flight was particularly memorable and some of what I learned then has served me well to this day.

The Stewardesses were beautiful, perky, polite. The Captain of the plane was like a god-like man who commanded everyone's attention and respect. Just like Peter Graves does in those silly movies with Leslie Neilson like "Airplane".
Out family flight was from Springfield, Illinois to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where my dad was to have some kind of pow wow with GM execs in charge car dealerships and financing through GMAC, the branch of GM that most middle class Americans for four decades used to finance their auto purchases through. I was going to get to fly on a huge prop jet, see the Land of Lakes and go to a Minnesota Twins baseball game. What could be better?
The Stewardess showed me the plane and let me hand out hard candies to the "guests". Wow, they actually called us guests then. She gave out chewing gum, too, so we could make our ears pop. And then there were the free drinks and a hot meal on the plane, too. Wow, this was really living. But the real coup d gras was when I got to meet the pilot and go into the cockpit. He gave me little airplane wings, something that to my knowledge only Southwest Airlines still does for kids.
I don't remember much about that baseball game, but I remember the flight coming and going. And I remember my dad asking me shortly after the trip home what I wanted to be when I grew up. I announced happily that I was going to be an Airline Stewardess and see the world. Well, I never put in for the flight attendant part, as they are now called, since men also do this job. But I have managed to jaunt around the world to countries as far flung as Scotland for college, Nepal, Thailand, Croatia, New Zealand, Fiji, Peru, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Canada among others.

Thank you Ozark Airlines for helping give me the life I've come to know. If only Airlines could inspire folks today in the way they did back then, this would be a better world for it.

Later this week I'm headed off to Airyzona to visit Johnny Montezuma and SusannaBanana. I bought my round trip Prescott Transit Authority shuttle bus ride to the Chevron Station about a half hour from their place and they'll pick me up there. Saves them a trip to Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix. And I'd rather they spent the gas money on good beer and wine, actually. I found it odd how Prescott Transit laid out their outgoing and return itinerary. It was counter intuitive for me, but I got it worked out and charged it and we’re good to go. I used Johnny's recommendations. The only possible glitch would be if the plane is late and I missed the 3:30 shuttle to Cordes Jct Chevron and had to take the 4:30 one, but if that is the case, they'll be getting the emergency "help" phone call.

So here’s story for you. As luck would have it, a guy I just recently met, and I do mean recently, like last Wednesday March 16th, invited me on a Grand Canyon trip that leaves late this week. He left March 18th from Boise to start driving to Airyzona. But of course, I had to tell him I couldn’t go because a) I’d be at Montezuma Well with Mr Montezuma and wife, and b) it was such short notice and being the stupidly responsible person that I am, that I probably couldn’t unload my kid on her dad on such short notice. Well, the real catch was I couldn’t actually go with him until Phantom Ranch and would need to hike in there when two other people came out. That really sounded enticing, because that would have been like April 2. Figuring how to get to Phantom Ranch and the Rim to hike in was just too much a brain taxing challenge for me, and it still would have meant cancelling my trip to visit Johnny and Susun. And then there was this saga of getting into the Verde River Canoe Challenge race on March 26.

So when it was all said and done, I said no, but my new friend and I started planning a Lower Salmon trip. Now here’s the other kicker. He grew up in Phoenix and went to U of A and got his hydrology and fisheries degrees there. He knew exactly where Montezuma was and asked me if my friends lived near Cornville. I mean, how many people would know that? He knew about the winery, too. And the Verde River race, which I told him I had planned to do, but due to unforeseen circumstances (whereby I told him the story of limited entries and how they shut down the registration early) I was not competing and would instead eat, drink and maybe go boating on Sunday after the race instead. This guy works for the Forest Service and was in Boise for a meeting I was putting on. Well, it was river love/kindred souls at first sight. Though supposedly he has a girlfriend, but I don’t think she’s very worthy since she's not going on the trip and is taking care of his dogs—tells me there is a flaw in that relationship from the get go. And he never mentioned her. Geez, anyways, we definitely connected big time, and I suspect we will get to be great friends. One thing about river people. It changes lives for a lifetime.

So, in the meantime, my good friend Mark came over for the weekend from Ketchum/Hailey to visit. He just returned from the Antarctic via Christchurch, where he was in town the day of the earthquake; and then Hawaii. He’s trying to find work for the spring and summer up in Moscow--Idaho, that is; and it’s not looking too good. The job he's had for some 20 years was made a full time job instead of seasonal and given to some non descript youngster who probably doesn't know weed sprayer from a weed whacker.

That’s all the news that’s fit to print before I head to land of cactus, red rocks and desert springtime. And as luck would have it, I get to kayak in the river race afterall. Between my email and phone calls to the USFS in Prescott, and whining to the Verde River Ranger and also to the race sponsor, they are letting me into the race. Ya hoo! Oh, and lastly, another one of my friends, named Mike Glasgow, put on the Grand March 17 and had the audacity to send me a photo to my facebook page from his cell phone from the put-in. Dirt Bag.

Sandy River Flood - Oregon (MLKing Holiday, 2011)

Sandy River Flood from alexandra erickson on Vimeo.

Winter Reading

One of the things I love most about winter is it gives me the chance to read by the fire, have a nice glass or two of wine and enjoy a good book. Or in my case, several. I sometimes draw up a list of books by authors I enjoy and hit the Boise Public Library and pick up those books. Other times I peruse the Idaho Youth Ranch bookstore, Costco's books on sale, or the Hyde Park book store that sells used books.
This winter's reading is almost exclusively fiction, and either humor or espionage type thrillers, with a few quirks thrown in.

Here's the authors and books I've either read or am currently reading:
Bill Bryson-I'm a Stranger Here Myself; A Walk in the Woods
Carl Hiaasen- Sick Puppy; Lucky You - What can I say about Carl? He is the quintessential environmental mystery writer with a twist who has influenced my view of Southern Florida bubbas, crooks and religious nuts with humor and wonderful character development. I haven't read a book by him I didn't enjoy. And I've read at least 8 or 9 by now written by him including two of his three kids books including Hoot.
Barbara Kingsolver - The Lacuna --I confess, this book hasn't done much for me, and I've set it aside. Could be my mindset, but this may be my least favorite book by her. I loved The Bean Trees, and Pigs in Heaven. Less so did I like The Poisonwood Bible.
Mary ann Shaffer & Annie Burrows - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (awesome story taking place during World War II on the tiny island and post War)
David McCullough - Brave Companions - Great short stories about people who made an impact on America that you've probably not heard of.
David Baldacci - Deliver us From Evil - I enjoy all his mystery thriller/espionage books. They are totally mindless entertainment, easy to read, good character development and perfect for plane rides, too.
A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest, Third Edition - I always wanted this book to own and found it updated and better than ever, so I snagged a copy at Costco.

That's it on the current reading list. Go visit your local library and pull up a chair, an ottoman, a glass of wine or nice cup of tea, and READ ON!

What a Difference a Day Makes

You know you're getting old when you spend so much time ruminating about the weather. But, let's face it. This has been a very odd winter indeed. Things started off like gangbusters at Thanksgiving here in Boise with nearly a foot of snow over a handful of days. And it didn't stop. It pretty much snowed some most days for the next 7 weeks. Snow on the ground the entire time, too and temps that rarely if ever topped the freezing mark. Whether you count in celsius or farenheit, it was way chilly. Then the Pineapple Express showed up, an odd weather phenomena that afflicts Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. Warm Pacific monsoons rained on our parade up to 8500 feet, washing away the snowpack, stabilizing the avalanche danger once it settled and making skiing pretty much such after awhile. It hasn't done much since MLKing Holiday mid January when the Express showed up. In fact, it's been downright mild. Last Saturday I went for a 17 mile bike ride in 61 degree weather. Then on Sunday I raked out 9 bags of pine needles, finished trimming broken branches from the earlier storms, pruned the fruit trees and enjoyed the fruits of my labor with a very sore back. Monday it was 68 degree. Well, it's Thursday morning and what a difference 24 hours makes. We're back to winter, and I love it! Nice bright clean snow on the ground.

Oh and in the midst of this, my daughter had her 8th grade winter formal dance; which simply put, means they dress up and don't look like gangbangers, like they do much of the time in Jr. High. It's a good thing it's been warm because these kids wear shorts all through the winter and typically no winter coats, either.

Next up is off to Bogus Basin to teach snow science to 4th to 6th graders. And there is 5 new inches of snow. Life is good, indeed.

Exploring Idaho-Whitewater Film Fest Teaser

Now here's some things I love--Idaho boaters and boot beers. These are some of the rambunctious punks I've met from the next generation. Click on the Title to view the movie