This is the Wukoki ruins in Wupatki National Monument. Wukoki is a modern Hopi word meaning “big house.” I took this image today as we went through Sunset Crater and Wupatki on our way from Flagstaff to Page, AZ. The ruins in the area are very well preserved and to my delight were accessible along a short foot path. Unlike Casa Grande (also meaning “big House”) near Coolidge, AZ, I could walk directly into this big house that was built over 900 years ago. Click on the image to enlarge.
Today’s the first leg of our excursion to Page, AZ to witness the May 20, 2012 annular eclipse of the Sun. We had a good trip that took us from our Wickenburg home, through the Saguaro forests along AZ SR 74 to I-17, thence north to Flagstaff, where we set up camp for the night among the tall conifer trees. Tomorrow, we head towards the ultimate destination with a few scenic stops along the way. Click on the image to enlarge.
When we went to our friend’s house on the Colorado River last week, we encountered a little problem when towing the trailer down the drive to the road in front of the house. The last dozen feet or so of the road, it sloped downward a bit abruptly. There was no damage to the trailer, but the rear leveling jacks dug into the one-inch gravel for several feet.
Image: Before and after for the top of the drive and the end of the drive. Two feet wider at the top and flared at to bottom for more room. Click image to enlarge.
It just so happened that Kevin, our contractor (the gentleman that built our house) stopped by the day we got back from the river. I mentioned the problem on the RV drive to him and he agreed to bring his Caterpillar multi-purpose tractor and smooth out the grade to a gradual slope.
Today, we got the work done. Kevin ran the tractor and Damsel and I moved rocks, raked up gravel and helped a bit. It was a bit of work. Earlier in the day, Damsel and I widened the road at the top near the wash to make it easier to get the trailer around the curve. With Kevin’s help, we also widened the bottom of the road to enable a sharper turn when towing the trailer out.
Tomorrow, or maybe the next day, I want to hook the trailer up to the truck and tow it down and around to see if any more work is needed. Judging from the result from today’s work, I believe it will be just fine.
I’ve had the new Canon SX40 HS camera for over a couple of weeks now and I am still getting used to all the features. This camera is just enough different from the old PowerShot that I have to think about how to operate it.
One thing I like a lot is the camera’s ability to zoom in on distant objects and get a clear image even though the camera is not on a tripod. The cottontail in the image above was sitting under a cholla about 25 yards up the wash behind our house. The red-eyed black bird was a bit closer, about 10 yards up in a mesquite tree across the road.
The viewfinder is sort of interesting; it’s not optics but rather there is an LCD display monitor behind the eyepiece. It acts as though it were a viewfinder on an SLR like Damsel’s Canon XTi. It takes a little getting used to it, but it works OK. If you open the flat panel display, it becomes active and the viewfinder is disabled.
Later this week, we’re going to take a trip across the Arizona Outback and head to some friends that live on the Colorado River near Parker, AZ. I plan to take a lot of pictures during the excursion. It will be our first trip in the new mobile home.
Click on the image above to enlarge.
I took this photo yesterday of an eighteen-wheeler transporting what appears to be an Armored Personnel Carrier. The truck was northwest bound on US 60 in the general direction of Nevada (?). Perhaps this load is destined for one of the areas up there where war games are played. We saw the vehicle as we were pulling our new travel trailer home.
I checked the PO Box today and lo and behold, the custom Eclipse Shades had arrived. The minimum order for this item is 25 each. No problem – if there are people at the campground that need a pair, we’ll hand ’em out. We will also hand out some to our Wickenburg neighbors who will get a partial eclipse that day if they stay here in town.
I tried to hold one of the lens filters in front of the camera today, and that didn’t work out, so I’ll be in the market for a lens filter. I’ll also need one for Damsel’s SLR. Since the eclipse will occur near sunset, perhaps a filter may not be required.
Meanwhile, the new travel trailer will be ready for us to take possession tomorrow. We will probably tow it home and park it in our RV drive while Damsel and I get it ready for the eclipse trip. We’re also planning to tow it later this month to our friends’ place in Earp, CA, down by the Colorado River near Parker, AZ. That will be a good shakedown for us.
