Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Retirement

RV Shopping

trailer.jpgWe drove to El Mirage today to look at RV trailers for rent. Not mentioning any names, but when we pulled in the lot and started to inspect the trailers, Damsel noticed quite a few things that were below par for her taste in travel accommodations. I won’t go into details, but we packed up and headed back up the road to an RV Dealer we know about. I actually planned for this eventuality, and had the GPS already programmed for the dealers lot.

Image: 26 foot RV we’re considering (courtesy Damsel). Click to enlarge.

Damsel and I walked around the lot looking at the different sizes and flavors of RV trailers. A very nice salesman, “Bob,” answered questions without being pushy. He left us to wander through the models and talk amongst ourselves. Damsel and I both liked the trailer shown in the image. It has a nice floor plan and lots of features we like.

Now for the hard part – getting all the numbers crunched and to come up with a plan to get financing, insurance and whatever else in place. We’re still committed to get to the great annular eclipse of 2012, one way or another.

29 Feb 2012 by Retirement Travel

A New Camera on the Way

sx40.pngIn 2011, I had to “guess” at the rate for Federal and State withholding. It’s a long story, but in 2010, we had some unusual situations due to building a house and the finances associated therewith. So in the 2011 tax return, we got quite a large refund. We’re happy to have the money, but sad to have loaned the government interest-free cash.

Image: Canon SX40 HS – Click on the image to enlarge.

I have a couple of old Canon PowerShot cameras, both of which have their shortcomings. One is beat up from several drops and the other has a malfunction in the download software. So, having looked at that, I decided to get a middle-of-the-line Canon SX40 HS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 35x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-inch Vari-Angle Wide LCD. Damsel already has the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi SLR camera which, as regular readers know, does an excellent job.

So the new camera is on the way and should be here in a few day’s time. I’m looking forward to some of the advanced features that improve on the older cameras capabilities. With some travel dates in the not-too-distant-future, I think it will work out well.

28 Feb 2012 by Photography Retirement Travel

The Arizona Welcome Sign

welcome

We are always glad to see this welcome sign when we head back home after a few days in California. Within 30 seconds of passing the state line in the center of the Colorado River, we pass the welcome sign located at the first exit in Ehrenberg, AZ. Click on the image to enlarge.

12 Feb 2012 by Arizona Photography Retirement Travel

One Year Ago Today

Last year, February 6th was Superbowl Sunday. It was the first time we watched the big game in our new Arizona home. At that time, we had yet to acquire much furniture and we watched the Packers defeat the Steelers while sitting on folding chairs and using a picnic cooler for a table. I grilled up a couple of tenderloin steaks on the little portable charcoal grill. We ate the meal and enjoyed football afterwards. Click on the grill to see the tenderloin steak, baked potato and asparagus meal we ate that day.

06 Feb 2012 by Arizona Food & Dining Retirement Sports

Rodeo Practice Session

rodeo.jpg

After target practice today, we pulled over to the Everett Bowman Rodeo Grounds where a practice session was underway for an upcoming rodeo event. There are a couple of cowboys in the photo that are doing some calf roping practice. Click on the image to enlarge.

03 Feb 2012 by Arizona Critters Photography Retirement

Planning for the 2012 Annular Solar Eclipse

path.jpgAs Jack Horkheimer used to say (before passing) “keep Looking Up.” That’s why we’re starting to plan for a fairly short trip in May to witness an annular solar eclipse. The path of maximum eclipse extends from Asia, across the Pacific and then through the western United States. The path in Arizona will pass over Page and continue into New Mexico to Albuquerque.

Image: Path of maximum annular eclipse. Click to enlarge

Our target destination will be to go to Chinle, AZ, adjacent to the Canyon De Chelly National Park. In the image, you can see that the red path goes right over Navajo land and just along the southern part of the national park. Our plan is to tow a travel trailer to the area and find a place to camp after the eclipse that will occur on May 20, 2012.

I’m ordering some eclipse shades and a solar filter for each of our two cameras for the event. We are hoping for some excellent pictures of one of the most spectacular events to happen on Earth.

01 Feb 2012 by Astronomy Environment Retirement Travel

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