I want some coffee!

The easy answer is "Arizona". More specifically Fort Bowie is a desolate piece of land which the US Cavalry took from the Chiricahua Apache in the early days of the Civil War because they wanted to suppress the Apache in the Apache Pass area and they wanted an edge against the Confederate Army who had already taken Arizona and made it a confederate state. And also because there was water there. While the site of the fort is desolate, the view along the trail back toward the Willcox basin is nothing short of spectacular. This photo (from the National Archives) was taken before monsoons started- probably spring time. I'm writing this mid-September which is toward the end of monsoons. Right now the green is overwhelming. One of those 'you had to be there' kind of things. View from the site of Fort Bowie National Historic Site looking North (thank you National Archives!). Well... sort of North. It's located in what is today named Dos Cabezas Mountains. This shot ...

 That bit of trivia from some movie or other that probably got the announcement muddled. The gist of the announcement was to reassure the masses of continuity in the reign. I like the photo cuz it fits how I choose to remember her- big smile which betrays a good sense of humor and (importantly) a dog lover. According to Helen Mirren's 2006 portrayal of Elizabeth, when she took the pack for a walk she would announce "Walkies!" and off they all marched. My kind of pack leader. So things move on. Prince Charles is now King Charles III (or maybe he has to be coronated first). The corgi above is long gone and no one bothered to mention his name (disappointing but that's history for yuh!). I don't have first hand knowledge but I strongly suspect that I would have had an issue with QE-2 - she was very probably a tea drinker. I'll forgive her that indulgence, but how does anyone live to 96 without coffee?!

That's a line in one of the songs in the musical "Kiss Me Kate" by Cole Porter. And he got it right for this transition summer of 2022 as global warming takes over every aspect of our lives. This is what is projected for the EU for the summer of 2022. I expect roaring hot temps here in southeast AZ but... London?! Ireland and the Alps look rather inviting as do some coastal areas. I have serious doubts how we can continue as a species on the current trend. And with these temps being forecast I have to worry about our future coffee sources. There's only so much high elevation available for growing. And the higher you go the less surface area is available for growing (think of a cone). It's my understanding that the robusta varietal is most tolerant of high growing temps. But frankly I don't care for the taste unless it's part of a blend. And it has 40% more caffeine than the arabica varietal I prefer- not a good thing for Mrs. B's little boy! So... o...

We voted early beating the deadline of 26 July 2022 for mailing our early-voting ballots.   All was fine except the state info pamphlet contains no info on nor statements by the candidates for US Representative and US Senate. We know the names for the senate but for someone running for the House seat it was a crap shoot. Poor job by the office of the Arizona Secretary of State. I ended up doing a Google search for the names and hoped for the best! It was so much fun I think we'll do it again in November.

... sort of!   Last time I said our Vegas is getting closer to 'ready' and I had a long list of things that we had finished. Well, ok- it was a short list, but those items are done. Off the list. Fini . The biggy this time was supposed to be getting the Vegas over to Shannon's on 7 July to have the cab AC refrigerant topped up. That didn't happen. Well, it did happen but it was not a magic cure. Thanks to info from Dana at Lightning Fast RV Repair (apparently a very good mechanic!), I'm fairly sure the low pressure safety switch has been tripped (several times!). And I also suspect that switch also set a latching relay on the fuse/relay board in the engine compartment so that if you turn power off and back on the safety switch is still tripped. That switch (+ latching relay) apparently keeps the compressor clutch from engaging so the compressor doesn't run when the system is low on refrigerant. It could be that the switch is defective but I've convinced myse...

I found this critter hangin' out in the street looking pretty horny. It's a horned toad or horned lizard- take your pick. Horned toad/horned lizard

#VanLife traveler Michael Beattie, fresh back from Mexico, caught this guy hangin' out waiting  for dinner. Check the original image on his Conchscooter blog for 26 June 2022 .     Well done Michael!