Game changer . . .
2012 Annular Eclipse Trip Update
Since February, we have modified our plans to view the Great Annular Solar Eclipse of 2012. We originally thought that we would like to view the eclipse from Chinle, AZ, near Canyon de Chelly National Park. That would have been nice, but although the RV campgrounds in that area are nice, they don’t offer full hookups for the new travel trailer (electric, water, sewer). So, we redirected our target to another Arizona location near the center line of the eclipse path: Page, AZ, near Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam.
I called the campground and confirmed our reservations for the nights of May 19 and 20. The eclipse will occur near sundown on the 20th. If the weather cooperates, we should have front-row seats for the show. I also ordered custom eclipse shades specifically printed for for the 2012 event from Rainbow Symphony.
We also planned a few other stops to maximize our journey into Northern Arizona. Don’t forget that there are some other attractions nearby, such as Grand Canyon, Wupatki, Sunset Crater and lots of Apache and Navajo sights. It’s going to be fun.
Happy Birthday Beethoven
Today is Beethoven’s second birthday. We have had Bay Bay a little less than six months, now, and he has been a very nice little dog. It is our understanding that we are his fourth home. We are mystified that anyone would give this affectionate, intelligent and (for the most part) obedient little guy up for adoption. At any rate, he seems happy in his new home and seems to love the family and the other two dogs. Happy Birthday Little Handsome One! Click on the image to enlarge.
One Step Closer
I went on-line and applied for an RV loan from our credit union. Within a few minutes, I received an email that said the loan was conditionally approved. A couple of hours after that, a credit union representative called and we discussed some details about income sources and credit history. Tomorrow, a credit union “closer” will be in contact to finalize the deal. It looks like the travel trailer may be here within a week.
Damsel took some photos of the unit we’re probably going to get on the lot yesterday. The slide show below shows some of the interior and exterior details. Roll over images with mouse to pause slideshow – roll out to resume.
RV Shopping
We 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.
A New Camera on the Way
In 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.
Solar Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)
I just love these 3D colorized graphics that depict the motion of solar events in space. This one shows a CME directed almost directly toward Earth and Mars. Click on the image at right to view the animated CME path as forecast.
From SpaceWeather.com:
CME TARGETS EARTH, MARS:
A coronal mass ejection (CME) launched from the sun on Feb. 24th appears set to hit both Earth and Mars. According to analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, the cloud should reach Earth today, Feb. 26th around 1330 UT, followed by Mars two days later. Click to view the CME’s animated forecast track.