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Adventures … but strange things are happening

There’s always another adventure just around the corner, and this trip, to date, has been no exception.

I arrived in Phoenix, Arizona, Thursday morning, July 17.    Joe was picking me up at the airport and he’d said if I didn’t have too much luggage he could do it on the bike.  I made sure I brought only camera gear, my computer, my phone, medications and make up.  It did not take up much room. 

As I wandered to baggage claim, I was texting Joe to find out where he was.  I was just finishing up and I looked out the window and there he was parked next to the curb, the big silver and copper-toned Ultra Limited motorcycle, my ride and my chauffer awaiting my arrival.  Too cool.

It's nice to be picked up in style.

We loaded my stuff, then I loaded my butt onto the bike and off we went.  What a glorious day to ride, even on the back.  We headed home to drop my things off, pick up my bike and go do some shopping, including getting Systane eye drops.  Later I found out I didn’t really need them as I already had two bottles in my belongings at their house.  Oh well, I can always use them.  (Of course, I lost that bottle for a while, too.)

Later at the house we awaited Verlie’s arrival (from work).  Their plan was to leave in their motor coach the following evening after she got off work as they were going to Colorado to visit her mom, then to a family reunion in Oregon.  Part of the reason to leave at night was so the bus wouldn’t have to work so hard to go up the hills like it would during the heat of the day.  That evening we loaded some, did a bit of cleaning up and readied ourselves as best we could for the following day.  My plan was to follow them to Payson, or wherever they chose to spend the night, stay the night in the coach with them, and then head to Sun City on Saturday to visit with the Peeps for the weekend.

We be loading and getting ready to rock and roll.

On Friday Joe was busy loading things into the motor coach, I helped him wash it, and when Verlie got home we did some last minute loading.  We were quite the caravan … the 45-foot-long, 45,000-pound coach (loaded) pulling a loaded 4,500-pound pickup truck and me following on the bike. 

Washy, washy.

If I don't look while I'm rinsing then if I get Joe he can't complain to me, right?  Sorry, didn't see you  Ha ha.

 

The pickup adds something to the caravan effect.

I'm loaded up and ready to get on the road.

Out of town we went, leaving maybe 8 p.m. or so.  I followed behind, sometimes close, sometimes not so.  Once we hit Highway 87, it was pretty nice, no stoplights.  But when we hit the hills, I finally reached my point of having to pass them.  They were running about 30 mph, so naturally, with it being a good road with nice easy sweeping turns, I needed to get by and ride, even if it was night time.  There wasn’t much traffic so it was great, and I kind of wasn’t fearing animals too much, but I was very aware that I needed to be watchful. 

At one point I pulled over to wait for them to come up the hill.  They didn’t come, they didn’t come, they didn’t come.  It was dark with no traffic and I could see a long ways, but there weren’t many lights.  A vehicle passed me and pulled over to the side of the road in front of me, maybe 10 car lengths away.  No one got out, no one backed it up, no one hollered out of it.  Time for my left turn signal and an entrance back onto the road.  I didn’t like that. 

I ran slow, and when cars came up behind me I’d use my flashers to make sure they saw me.  Still no motor coach or Joe and Verlie.  Wow, that honking big thing is sure slow.

A car was pulled over to the side of the road with a guy out by it … and he hollered “broke down” as I went by.  Hey, sorry, I don’t know you and I’m not stopping.  I’m not mechanical so it’s not like I could help anyway … and I’m highly suspicious of things like that.  I kept on going as I’d decided to get into Payson and call them to find out where they were.  A car went by (the same one broke down by the side of the road).  A guy was hanging out of the window and he said, “Your friends in the RV are broke down back there.”  Oh.

I stopped and they stopped.  They told me Joe and Verlie were broken down about Mile 217.  I was at about 230 or so.  I went down the road looking for a place I felt safe so I could pull over and call them.  I found it … some buildings, businesses.  So I pulled into the parking lot and pulled around facing out.

Verlie answered the phone and told me what had happened.  The bus overheated, and went black.  Nothing was on, no lights, no flashers, no power steering.  Joe was able to get the coach pulled over toward the side of the road but the back end of the pickup was in the other lane … no flashers and people whizzing by narrowly missing the vehicles and hollering at them horrible things and telling them to get the vehicle off the road, like they’d intended to park in the middle of the highway?  Good grief!!!

A man in a vehicle stopped behind Joe and Verlie’s vehicles and put on his flashers.  From what I heard he was wanting people hollering at them to come back so he could kick their a$$es.  That’s kind of funny.  NOW!!

Verlie and I decided I’d go on to the Walmart in Payson and wait in the parking lot as that was where they would try to get.  I wandered in to Walmart and got a few things, and sat on my bike outside.  It’s quite friendly with a community of motor homes gathered there.  I got to meet a Harlequin Great Dane named Hercules who had ears nearly as soft as a Beagle’s and a man and his son who ride.  So it was not bad and actually entertaining, and the bus pulled in probably an hour after I’d gotten there. 

I got on my bike and over to the coach and we hugged and were glad everyone had made it safely although they’d had to stop several times coming up the hills to add water and let the engine cool off.  Joe said he was glad I’d not been there when the bus broke down as they’d both thought someone would hit their vehicles and they’d be killed.  What a night.  We finally got to bed, but it had been quite an adventure with a lot of excitement … and it wasn’t a good kind, only the kind that stresses you out.

Joe is a mere fraction of himself.  He's been bicycling 30 miles a day.  Wow.

Their Yorkie, Jazzy.  She's a sweet baby.

 

Perked coffee, yum.

The motor coach kitchen, one side, complete with decorative flowers.

On Saturday morning we got up and I eventually headed back down Highway 87 to go to the Peeps (Judi and Ken) in Sun City. 

Packing up ... goodbye Walmart parking lot.

It was a great ride going down through the big curves in the day time.  But I had to stop at Joe and Verlie’s because I’d gotten up and remembered I’d forgotten to bring a jacket and I’d probably need it going to Minnesota.  Crap.  I picked it up, and then remembered I hadn’t put on any sunscreen.  Too late.  Burned.  And I’d forgotten my Spot Tracker that is in the house.  I can’t get to it.  Guess I’ll just have to post on Facebook.

I got to the Peeps about 2 p.m. and spent a couple of nice and relaxing days.  We had some wonderful meals (including at the Cheesecake Factory, wish we had one), and had Auntie Lavon with us.  We played cards, a game that Ken beats us at every time, and I slept in. 

Mama and baby quail ... they're so cute.

Hummingbirds are always around sipping from the fountain.

We watched hummingbirds and quail and their babies and other birds.  And Judi and I talked for hours on Sunday, never getting dressed until late-afternoon.  Yahoo.  But then it was time to get on the road again.