Thursday, March 30, 2017, Satellite Targets

Joani's research of "things to see" in Casa Grande, AZ, revealed a long-held secret hidden (in plain sight) in the desert near our park, Sundance 1 RV Resort.  The Corona Satellite Calibration Targets are abandoned relics of the Cold War of the 60s.

I could not help but feel the huge concrete "targets" were probably a waste of money.  There must have been a better way to calibrate satellite instruments.  Like visiting a desert ghost town, I imagined all of the people working on this project many years ago and wondered what they thought of the effort.

While researching "must see Casa Grande" I ran across an article about the Corona Satellite Calibration Targets.

The article gave the location for two of the crosses. I looked on Google Earth and, sure enough, there they were.

While trying to find our way back to paved roads, we found another one.  At one time there were 144 targets spread out in a grid across the desert.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017, Mexico Dental Wrap-up

Overall, I will say my experience with the Alamo Dental Group (Yuriria Tellez Barrera, DDS) in Mexico was positive and we will return (if possible) when we need to see a dentist again. I learned from this experience it is important to be clear about the schedule of events and allow plenty of time for the unexpected.

While we were in Yuma, AZ, for a month, I thought I would get two crowns and be out in two days - NO, not even close.  If it were not for the "crown lengthening," a procedure that needed three weeks to heal, it might have been about a week.  But we had two rallies scheduled and left Yuma with plans to day trip back once we settled in Casa Grande, AZ, for a month.  Arizona is a pretty big state which becomes apparent when you drive to Los Algodones from Casa Grande.  It was 190 miles one way (just under 3 hours), so I had to start in the dark to make a 9 am appointment.  We didn't want to leave Sam alone all day, so I drove by myself.

Last Thursday, the dentist did some clean-up work and then made impressions.  She re-installed the temporary crowns (which had been fine for more than four weeks) and I was on my way.  Just a few miles down the road one temporary fell out.  I struggled with the decision for a few minutes and decided to return.  I had to re-park, cross the border again and walk back to the office where they tried a different adhesive.

It felt wrong immediately, but I left thinking I would get used to the feel again.  This time I was 60 miles towards home when it released again. Well, I would just have to chew carefully on one side only. Later that night I noticed the other temporary was missing and had to assume I swallowed it.  I decided I could manage with a liquid diet for a few days until Monday.

When I returned on Monday, they were ready to trial fit the metal - no porcelain crown, just the base.  There was no surprise or concern that the temporaries were missing.  I have to say, I was a little disappointed when I realized this was not going to be my last trip. Tuesday, I made the long, long solo trip to Los Algodones for the third time.  Although I felt like it might have taken longer than it should have, the permanent crowns were cemented in place and felt good.  I cleared customs for the last time confident that everything was finally finished.

We have no reservations about the work that was done. The substantially lower cost ($1,340 total, a $7,000+ savings) offset any inconvenience I experienced (which was mostly due to my misunderstanding of the process).

On a completely separate note, we finally took our toad in for repairs. You might remember the car was hit in Hemet, CA (see Jan 21st). It was more than a month before the insurance agreed they were obligated for repairs. Then we had to wait until we were somewhere long enough to complete the job. We decided that would be now while we are in Casa Grande for a month. The repair shop only took in new work on Tuesdays (and we missed last Tuesday), so today we took it to Service King. I tried to get them to quote doing a few extra things like repainting the hood or repairing a little dent in the driver's door, but they did not really seem interested in anything not covered by the insurance claim.

I have to keep reminding myself just how lucky we were that everything turned out as well as it did - no one was injured and the car remained driveable. State Farm rented us a Nissan Versa to use until the Fit is finished - I just have to get used to the jarring bright blue color.

Sunday, March 26, 2017, Cacti in Bloom

Sundance 1 RV Resort in Casa Grande, AZ, had a race track for Radio Controlled (RC) cars.  There were quite a few racers who met regularly to see who was the fastest or maybe who had the best control of their car.  There was rarely more than one complete lap before a crash.  Any disabled car on the track would call for a yellow flag.  If a car landed on its back another would ram into its side to flip it over again and the racing would continue.

Below you see the calm before the storm when the cars almost instantly accelerate to a scale speed of hundreds of miles per hour.  It seemed like the staggered starting positions were the opposite of what they should have been, but then what do I know?

The dog park was quite the social gathering each morning as dogs and their owners met for a little exercise.  Sam was quite enamored of all the cute little girl dogs.  I had to scold him many times for giving into his overactive libido.  One morning Sam got to "sniff" more than 15 dogs. Everyone was well behaved and a good time was had by all.

A walk around the park was rewarded with a varied array of beautiful blooming cacti.  The plentiful rains over the winter meant an explosion of cactus flowers during our stay.

Can you find the dove that has nested in this thorny cactus?

I had to wait to see it blink to make sure it was alive.

I remember this guy (I think from Minnesota) from our previous stay - he still reminds everyone why they are in Arizona for the winter.

 

Saturday, March 25, 2017, Tucson Hamfest

Bill, John and I hit the road early (5:30am) to get to the Tucson, AZ Hamfest. Bill drove his big truck in case he found anything he couldn't live without. John had decided to take the Extra Class exam. He only spent a few days studying, but he was confident about passing. I felt like I was ready for my General Class exam - I passed the ARRL practice test online six times last night. When we arrived, the place was buzzing - clearly, there were a lot of early birds ready for the 7:00 start.

We milled around for a while since testing did not start until 9:00. A lot of classics were available for sale. I saw a Hammarlund receiver that must have weighed at least 75 pounds. There were a few Heathkit SSB transceivers and the venerable Drake R-4B. Someone was letting their Kenwood 830S with matching power supply and speaker go. It was a bit over my budget. There were a lot of Yaesu FT-101 transceivers still on the air, but I have no nostalgic reason to own a vacuum tube radio. This one looked new!

John and I had both completed (and passed!) our tests, but computer issues required some extra time to print out our certifications.

I wasn't ready to buy a radio, but I suspect that, given the space limitations of our home on wheels, I will end up with something similar to the Icom-718 on the left below.  There are so many choices I will have to research and fret over the decision for a while yet.

It was a good thing Bill brought the truck since he found a great buy on a vertical antenna (that he later sold to me).  John got a nice looking antenna tuner.  It was still pretty early, so we found a nearby diner where we enjoyed some breakfast before heading home.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017, Phoenix Art Museum

From Casa Grande, AZ it was a short drive into Phoenix where we could mix in with the hustle and bustle of a major metropolis. Joani found the Phoenix Art Museum was free after 3:00 pm each Wednesday, so we planned accordingly and enjoyed some fine art.

 Il Donnone, by Paolo Soleri 1972

cor-ten steel treated with chlorine and acid

There was a special exhibit on Japanese Samurai, but we had little interest and opted to skip it (extra fee).

  

 You Who are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies, by Yayoi Kusama 2005

mixed media installation with LED lights

 An article on the Firefly installation is what prompted our visit.  We had a little fun with it while trying not to bump into anyone else floundering in the dark.

 Spooky

 Phil-State, by Chuck Close 2005
This painting is about 8 feet by 10 feet

Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?, by Rebecca Campbell 2009

Avocado tree reinforced with steel and fiberglass, covered in hand-sewn velvet, hand-blown glass birds filled with Windex

 Zoroaster Temple at Sunset, by Thomas Moran 1916, oil on canvas

 Llano Estacado:  High Plains, High Stakes, by Don Stinson 2009

oil on canvas

 El Capitan and Bridal Veil Falls, Yosemite Valley, by Thomas Hill

oil on canvas

There was something for everyone in the large and sprawling facility. I think my favorite was the 3-dimensional cube composed of burned wood and wire below.

Mass (Colder Darker Matter) by Cornelia Parker 1997

burnt wood, wire and string

 La puerta y la ventana, by Francisco Zuniga 1971

bronze

Untitled, Alexander Liberman 1974-75

Monday, March 20, 2017, Hams and Foursies

I don't think I mentioned that our site at Sundance 1 RV Resort in Casa Grande, AZ backed up to a group of Hams. As I was setting up on our first day, I heard Morse code coming from one of the storage sheds behind us. I met the owner, Bill, and asked if he was into Amateur Radio. He said yes he was, how about me. I told him no and then I remembered I just got my Technician license, so I guess I was a Ham, too.

I then helped him build a 40-meter band antenna for his neighbor John who just got his General license. Pretty soon it was time for "foursies" (their term for "Happy Hour"). That's when I met John and another neighbor, Steve, who was also a Ham. Can you see all of the antennas behind our coach below? The three of them convinced me I should study for my General so I could operate on the high frequency, or HF, bands. John loaned me a study guide and I agreed to take the exam at the Hamfest in Tucson in a couple of weeks.

We enjoyed "foursies" with Bill and Connie and John and Steve and Sylvia most nights when we were in the park. Between the happy hours, the dog park and the pool/spa, we met a lot of really nice folks. I decided snowbirds in park models have a lot in common with campers and are just as friendly.

Sunday, March 19, 2017, Move to Casa Grande, AZ

A week-long stay goes by really quickly when it is a nice place. Superstition Views at Canyon Vistas RV Resort in Gold Canyon, AZ, was a really nice place, so the week zipped by. It was good that we left, so we got away from the temptation to buy a place there.  

 One last romp at the Canyon Vistas dog park.

 Once in a while, a cutie pie will make Sam act like a puppy again.

 A kiss goodbye, it's time to hit the road.

Our next stay was in Casa Grande, AZ,  where we returned to Sundance 1 RV. It was again a short drive, 59.7 miles (81,804.7 total). I found it relaxing to take deserted back roads and avoid the Phoenix rush.

 We opted for taking the back roads through Florence, AZ.  The town seemed deserted.