Sunday, September 17, 2017
Mid-Life Crisis Road Trip 2017, Days 9-14.
Saturday, August 19. Despite drinking a lot of Fireball, I did not have a hangover. They were a number of competitions on Saturday at Rendevous. I cannot show you some of the photographs.
Panorama.
It is was so much fun sharing the eclipse experience with strangers.
The six nurses and I.
We put on our glasses. The two extra pairs I had came into use, one going to Nick from Austin and one to Jason from Colorado Springs.
Collin, George, Tom, Teddy, Abe, and Homer.
Very crowded with lots of people from Europe and Asia. Few children (yeah!). We sat down and called the car place and discovered Collin's car was totaled. Sigh. Drove back, got a hotel room, had pizza and calzone in Douglas, went to bed.
The next day I drove Collin back home to Colorado. This altered my route, I was originally going to drive through Montana and Oregon, but now I had lost two days drive time. So I ended up driving through Colorado westward. I spent the night in Glenwood Springs at a hotel under renovation.
It was snowing at one spot. The last time I drove down this road was in 1987 with Melanie, coming back from Grand Tetons, and in the 30 years since the little towns had gotten bigger as rich people buy 2nd or 3rd homes there. So much wealth, it is crazy.
Glenwood Canyon is really remarkable, the pictures I took don't reveal how beautiful it is.
Homer and Brandon.
Homer in Utah.
I bought an annual pass ($80) and then drove to the Green River Campground.
Camp site.
That night there was a program on Monarch Butterflies. I had seen the woman giving the presentation in Tucson several years ago at a Santa Cruz River Conference, and we chatted a little. Small world. Before the talk began, she spotted a Monarch flying nearby and was super excited.
The sunset was gorgeous that night. And then the stars came out. You forget how beautiful the night sky is when there is no light pollution.
Sunset along the Green River.
Saturday, August 19. Despite drinking a lot of Fireball, I did not have a hangover. They were a number of competitions on Saturday at Rendevous. I cannot show you some of the photographs.
Contestants.
I participated in the tug-of-war in the mud pit, unfortunately no photographs. My team of three men and a woman won, although we were smaller than the opposing team of four burly men. I may have tripped their lead man. I ended up being covered in head-to-toe in mud.
That night Steve Grand performed. He is one of the three gay singers (also Tom Goss and Matt Alber) that go around the country. He had been in Provincetown, where Jimbo saw him a few days earlier. He did some of his own songs and covers, a nice job. Very friendly.
Homer and Steve.
The next morning I drove north to Douglas, Wyoming. I wanted to be in the best area for eclipse viewing the next day. I camped out in Medicine Bow, again, but a long way from the unit where Rendevous took place. The camp site was 37 miles south of Douglas, including 12 miles of bumpy dirt road.
Medicine Bow, dirt road.
From my camp site.
I got bored, it was hours until sunset. Ended up driving back to Douglas, where I ended up running in an acquaintance, Collin from Colorado. We watched the Douglas Eclipse Street Festival, and then Collin followed me back to my campsite. Almost. Unfortunately, he managed to skid out in his 2022 Chevy Cavalier, ran into a dirt embankment, and totaled his car. Sigh. As he panicked I told him everything would be alright. So that was exciting.
The next morning, Monday August 21, we drove into Douglas, called a couple of tow places, and then drove back out to a spot I thought would make a good viewing area. There were a number of other people parked there- four people from Austin, Texas; six pediatric nurses from Colorado; a father, two of his kids, and three or four of their friends from Colorado Springs; a pair of men from Montreal; some people from Switzerland; and some others. Click on the panorama I took below of the crowd.
It is was so much fun sharing the eclipse experience with strangers.
We put on our glasses. The two extra pairs I had came into use, one going to Nick from Austin and one to Jason from Colorado Springs.
Collin and Homer not burning our eyes out.
Gradually the moon crossed over the sun. It became cooler and darker, a sort of pinkish glow. It was still pretty light out until the very last moment. Then totality. We shouted with excitement.
Totality as viewed from my cell phone.
I was expecting to be rather emotional, this was one of the things I wanted to do before I die. Surprisingly, it was just a fun experience, shared with instant new friends. In seven years I am going to Austin, Texas to see the next one.
We camped out at the Wyoming State Fairground with the four Austinites (Nik, Julia, Mike, and Carl[?], and their dog. Sipping beer and talking. The next morning Collin and I went over to the car repair place and met with them, and then drove off to Mount Rushmore.
Three states I had not been to: South Dakota, Alaska, and Florida. Now only two left.
South Dakota.
Nothing special about the drive. Passed through long areas with few houses. Small dying towns. Paid $10 for parking at Mount Rushmore and ate a picnic lunch on the trunk of my car.
To say Mount Rushmore is underwhelming would be to under-exaggerate how boring it is. Four giant heads sculpted on a mountain. Weird.
Collin, George, Tom, Teddy, Abe, and Homer.
Very crowded with lots of people from Europe and Asia. Few children (yeah!). We sat down and called the car place and discovered Collin's car was totaled. Sigh. Drove back, got a hotel room, had pizza and calzone in Douglas, went to bed.
The next day I drove Collin back home to Colorado. This altered my route, I was originally going to drive through Montana and Oregon, but now I had lost two days drive time. So I ended up driving through Colorado westward. I spent the night in Glenwood Springs at a hotel under renovation.
It was snowing at one spot. The last time I drove down this road was in 1987 with Melanie, coming back from Grand Tetons, and in the 30 years since the little towns had gotten bigger as rich people buy 2nd or 3rd homes there. So much wealth, it is crazy.
Glenwood Canyon is really remarkable, the pictures I took don't reveal how beautiful it is.
Glenwood Canyon.
Several tunnels, I am a big fan of tunnels.
Tunnel.
Thursday, August 24 I drove back a ways and had lunch with Brandon. That was fun, the food very hipser-ish (cucumbers three ways, the warm cucumber was gross).
I then drove north to go see Dinosaur National Monument. Google maps took me the back route (something that became increasingly common the more remote I was). I finally reached Utah.
I bought an annual pass ($80) and then drove to the Green River Campground.
That night there was a program on Monarch Butterflies. I had seen the woman giving the presentation in Tucson several years ago at a Santa Cruz River Conference, and we chatted a little. Small world. Before the talk began, she spotted a Monarch flying nearby and was super excited.
The sunset was gorgeous that night. And then the stars came out. You forget how beautiful the night sky is when there is no light pollution.
Mid-life Crisis Road Trip 2017, Days 1 through 8.
On August 11, I got in the trusty Ford Focus and drove east into New Mexico. Heading towards Santa Fe, but ominous clouds developed. I was going to the Pecos Conference near Pecos, but by the time I got to Albuquerque, it was raining hard.
Rainy New Mexico.
I ended up spending the night in Albuquerque. I went to Target and bought a hoodie, because it was cold. That ended up being a smart move. A night spent at the Super 8.
The next morning I drove north to Pecos, set up my tent, and then received an award. I made the audience laugh by telling them that after 31 years I was still excited to be an archaeologist.
Fancy clouds.
That night at the dance a young gay couple two-stepped together. I introduced myself. It was really fun to meet other gay archaeologists and realize that no one cares anymore.
The next day, August 13, I got in my car and headed north to Denver. Northern New Mexico and southern Colorado are gorgeous.
Water lilies.
The next day Craig and I went to a big park and walked around. That night I made Spanish rice for supper. Had a momentary freak out because I could not find my keys, they turned out to be in Craig's SUV. Those same damn shorts.
On Thursday, August 17, Chris was off work so we went to Rocky Mountain National Park. Very lovely, very high up. Surprised to see snow still on many of the mountains. At places we were up in the tundra. It was lovely.
Craig and Chris.
Cute chipmunks visited us while we ate lunch.
Mountains.
We ended up going down a trail and I got ahead of the guys and when I turned around they had disappeared. I ran back and discovered that Craig's chair had fallen off the edge of the trail and dumped both of them in a pond. Everyone survived, although Craig's phone died. It was an adventure.
On August 11, I got in the trusty Ford Focus and drove east into New Mexico. Heading towards Santa Fe, but ominous clouds developed. I was going to the Pecos Conference near Pecos, but by the time I got to Albuquerque, it was raining hard.
I ended up spending the night in Albuquerque. I went to Target and bought a hoodie, because it was cold. That ended up being a smart move. A night spent at the Super 8.
The next morning I drove north to Pecos, set up my tent, and then received an award. I made the audience laugh by telling them that after 31 years I was still excited to be an archaeologist.
Sunflowers.
Afterward as I was walking away a young guy named Michael came up to me and told me that as a teenager he had searched "gay archaeologist" on the internet and found my blog and that it made him realize that one could in fact be a gay archaeologist. That was an awesome moment.
That night at the dance a young gay couple two-stepped together. I introduced myself. It was really fun to meet other gay archaeologists and realize that no one cares anymore.
The next day, August 13, I got in my car and headed north to Denver. Northern New Mexico and southern Colorado are gorgeous.
Hello Colorado.
I had lunch at a Subway in Pueblo and managed to lose my wallet. First time ever. $450 cash and my cards. Discovered this in Denver. Sad face. Cancelled my cards, ordered new ones, felt like a dork, wished I had taken some of that cash out and hid it in my car like I had planned. Oh well, lesson learned. Whoever found it, I hope they had fun or paid some bills.
Arrived at Craig and Chris's place with about four dollars to my name.
Craig hadn't started working so we got to hang out for the next few days. On Tuesday, August 15, we went to the Denver Botanical Garden. It was beautiful and obviously there are a lot of rich folks in Denver. Maybe Alexis or Blake gave them a pile of money.
Craig.
We wandered around looking at the flowers. I liked the tropical exhibit. My favorite was the water lilies.
The next day Craig and I went to a big park and walked around. That night I made Spanish rice for supper. Had a momentary freak out because I could not find my keys, they turned out to be in Craig's SUV. Those same damn shorts.
On Thursday, August 17, Chris was off work so we went to Rocky Mountain National Park. Very lovely, very high up. Surprised to see snow still on many of the mountains. At places we were up in the tundra. It was lovely.
Cute chipmunks visited us while we ate lunch.
Chipmunk.
So many amazing mountains, which is why I guess they call them the Rocky Mountains.
We ended up going down a trail and I got ahead of the guys and when I turned around they had disappeared. I ran back and discovered that Craig's chair had fallen off the edge of the trail and dumped both of them in a pond. Everyone survived, although Craig's phone died. It was an adventure.
Moist.
I got my cards and Doug sent my passport, so I was able to continue my journey.
On Friday morning, August 18 (day 8), I got in the car and drove to Wyoming. There was a nice visitor center at the border, where I met my next boyfriend.
Yogi
I stopped at the Denny's at Cheyene and had the best onion rings. I then drove west through the rolling plains to attend Wyoming Rendevous, an LGBT camping event. I was supposed to meet up with Jason, but he couldn't go, so I was there by myself. I wish I wasn't so shy.
Tent.
The event was held in the Medicine Bow National Forest, although there isn't a lot of forest in this area.
Scenery.
I met a few guys that afternoon, so I didn't feel like a complete dork. That night a comedienne performed and then there was a bonfire and I drank a lot of Fireball and had fun.
Monday, September 11, 2017
How strange to learn 16 years later that someone I slightly knew at the University of Michigan died on board the airplane that struck the south World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
I came out in the winter of 1985 and became close friends with Les. I stayed at school that summer, moved into the house on John Street with Les, Janet, Paul, and Michel. Les took me out to the Nectarine Ballroom. He had many artsy friends and one of them was Jane, a stocky English woman with curly, sometimes dyed blonde hair. I remember her often saying, "Rock me hard and fast." She liked to have a good time and was stylish in vintage dresses.
So odd to learn that she died that day. I hadn't thought of her since leaving the University of Michigan.
I came out in the winter of 1985 and became close friends with Les. I stayed at school that summer, moved into the house on John Street with Les, Janet, Paul, and Michel. Les took me out to the Nectarine Ballroom. He had many artsy friends and one of them was Jane, a stocky English woman with curly, sometimes dyed blonde hair. I remember her often saying, "Rock me hard and fast." She liked to have a good time and was stylish in vintage dresses.
So odd to learn that she died that day. I hadn't thought of her since leaving the University of Michigan.
Wednesday, August 09, 2017
I traveled back to Michigan. I drove from Detroit to Michael and Greg's house in Bay City and we met for the first time in person. Michael was a blogger back in the old days. We had a very nice visit.
Then I drove north to Kingsley and arrived at Mother's house. Right before the 4th of July she fell and broke her ring finger. Apparently there was a small stroke involved. Her speech is affected, she mixes her pronouns and has a hard time thinking of certain words.
On the porch.
Mother has a horrible 3-pound poodle, Darby. The dog pees everywhere, it is gross. And it likes to molest Buddy cat.
Darby being romantic.
There were lilies blooming at Susan's house. I hadn't been back in August for a long time. The corn was growing tall.
Tiger lily.
I could hear sandhill cranes hooting every morning. I also saw turkeys, Canadian geese, cardinals, deer, a raccoon, and a skunk.
Brother.
I haven't been up there since 2002, when I attended my 20th high school reunion. Nothing really has changed in that town. The K-Mart has closed. The downtown seemed really dreary.
I had a great time at the reunion, catching up with people. I look nothing like I did back in 1982.
Then I drove north to Kingsley and arrived at Mother's house. Right before the 4th of July she fell and broke her ring finger. Apparently there was a small stroke involved. Her speech is affected, she mixes her pronouns and has a hard time thinking of certain words.
On the porch.
Mother has a horrible 3-pound poodle, Darby. The dog pees everywhere, it is gross. And it likes to molest Buddy cat.
Darby being romantic.
There were lilies blooming at Susan's house. I hadn't been back in August for a long time. The corn was growing tall.
Tiger lily.
I could hear sandhill cranes hooting every morning. I also saw turkeys, Canadian geese, cardinals, deer, a raccoon, and a skunk.
Sandhill cranes.
My Amish brother came north to Sault Ste. Marie where I went to attend my 35th high school reunion.
Brother.
I haven't been up there since 2002, when I attended my 20th high school reunion. Nothing really has changed in that town. The K-Mart has closed. The downtown seemed really dreary.
I had a great time at the reunion, catching up with people. I look nothing like I did back in 1982.
Bill, Mike, Melvin, Tom, Tom's wife, and Bill's wife.
Pennie, Homer, and Missy.
The reunion was held at the American Legion, right along the St. Mary's River. A 1000-ft ore ship passed by us after passing through the lock that separates Lake Superior from Lake Huron.
Ore freighter.
Mike and Mike.
The next morning I got up and went down to the locks to watch a couple of ships pass through. There is a 22 foot difference between the two lakes, and the ships go into the lock and the water is let out or in to raise or lower the ships.
Passenger vessel.
My brother and I drove back down and I handed him my camera to take a picture of the Mackinac Bridge.
Mackinac Bridge.
Back south I went and spent a couple of nights at Susan's house. I slept in the Fillmore bed, which once belonged to my great great great grandparents. They died in the early 1890s.
Fillmore bed.
The last day Mother and I went on a drive. We went past the house near Buckley where we lived between 1974 and 1979. The house has been fixed up a lot since we lived there, it looks much nicer. We moved to Sault Ste. Marie when my father had his mid-life crisis. The only good thing about that was that I was able to go to a much better school.
Buckley house.
Back in Arizona I got sent down to monitor heavy equipment along a creek near Nogales. Here I am waiting for them to pull a stuck bulldozer, something that took 6.5 hours.
Monitoring.
I had to stay there until almost 10 PM. I watched from a distance the heavy equipment. Fire flies blinked around me.
Heavy machinery.
Today I picked the four peaches from my peach tree (last year I had only one). This is the peach tree that grew from pits I tossed into my compost area. They aren't quite ripe, so I will be taking them along with me on my road trip that I am taking on Friday.
Peach.
Sunday, July 23, 2017
I've had a mental list of things that I have always wanted to do. Today it would be called a "bucket list," but I'm not really fond of that phrase. So far I have done the following:
1). Become an archaeologist.
2). Have a letter in the New York Times.
3). Have a book in the Library of Congress (to date, I have eight plus a book in which I have a chapter).
4). Go see the island of Santorini and visit the site of Thera. In 1972 my mother showed me a National Geographic article about the village, buried by a volcano, and that started me wanting to be an archaeologist.
5). Buy a house. I still owe $43,000 on it though.
6). Soon I will be seeing a total eclipse of the sun.
There are some things I haven't done yet.
A). Visit Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Oplontis.
B). Find out who were the parents of James Ransom and Ebenezer Fillmore.
C). Go to Africa and see elephants and rhinos in the wild.
D).
1). Become an archaeologist.
2). Have a letter in the New York Times.
3). Have a book in the Library of Congress (to date, I have eight plus a book in which I have a chapter).
4). Go see the island of Santorini and visit the site of Thera. In 1972 my mother showed me a National Geographic article about the village, buried by a volcano, and that started me wanting to be an archaeologist.
5). Buy a house. I still owe $43,000 on it though.
6). Soon I will be seeing a total eclipse of the sun.
There are some things I haven't done yet.
A). Visit Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Oplontis.
B). Find out who were the parents of James Ransom and Ebenezer Fillmore.
C). Go to Africa and see elephants and rhinos in the wild.
D).
Monday, July 10, 2017
25th Anniversary. Today marks 25 years of working for the same archaeology company. Over the last quarter century I have dug at Spanish presidios and missions, Territorial period downtown blocks, graves from historic and prehistoric cemeteries, analyzed 1000s of artifacts, researched buildings and dead people, reconstructed the past.
A couple of years ago someone said to my face, "We can never know anything about the past." Well, that certainly isn't true. The discoveries I have made over the last 25 years has helped change what we know about the people who have lived in southern Arizona over the last 4,000 years.
I wrote a blog post for our company website about what the first 25 years of my career as an archaeologist has meant to me. It is actually one of the better things that I have written lately.
A couple of years ago someone said to my face, "We can never know anything about the past." Well, that certainly isn't true. The discoveries I have made over the last 25 years has helped change what we know about the people who have lived in southern Arizona over the last 4,000 years.
I wrote a blog post for our company website about what the first 25 years of my career as an archaeologist has meant to me. It is actually one of the better things that I have written lately.
Saturday, July 08, 2017
The summer continues. Fires up on Mount Lemmon, hellish heat. At night I spend a few hours on the couch in front of the little window AC unit. The cats come and sit next to me. Poor little Puff is so skinny and he demands I sleep on my right side so he had use my arm as a pillow. If I don't, he cries loudly. I don't get much sleep lately.
The Fourth of July was on a Tuesday. I made vanilla ice cream. Then climbed up on the guesthouse roof and watched the explosions of the city-fired fireworks and the ones my neighbors were lighting. So many loud booms.
The Fourth of July was on a Tuesday. I made vanilla ice cream. Then climbed up on the guesthouse roof and watched the explosions of the city-fired fireworks and the ones my neighbors were lighting. So many loud booms.
Fireworks.
Afterward, I took the ice cream next door to Pete and Rose's and they and their friends enjoyed it.
Now it is the weekend and my house is hot. Have to figure out something to do to cool off.
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
The heat is hellish here, 115 yesterday, 111 predicted for today. Last year the same thing happened. The monsoon hasn't started yet, but the humidity is starting to creep up.
I have my fourth article in American Ancestors magazine. I have also completed two newspaper transcription books for the genealogy society back in Michigan. I'm busy working on the next one.
I have my fourth article in American Ancestors magazine. I have also completed two newspaper transcription books for the genealogy society back in Michigan. I'm busy working on the next one.
First page of my article.
I drove north to Phoenix last week to go to the State Archives and finish up some research. was successful. On Thursday night and Friday morning I made chocolate mayonnaise cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese frosting, lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting, and a hummingbird cake with a lemon glaze, then vanilla and chocolate ice creams for two co-workers who have retired. Strange to see people I have worked with for 18 and 20 years leaving the company. Then on Sunday I drove up to Flagstaff for the night before going to Fossil Creek the next morning to take the Forest Service archaeologist to some of the sites we recorded. So hot.
Agave bloom.
I got back home and saw a juvenile hawk in the neighbor's yard. There is a huge pine tree in the yard across the street and young fledglings will jump out of the nest if it gets too hot. The poor thing was busy panting and so I went and caught it. I was watering my orange tree and basically forced the hawk to drink water, which it did. After posing for a picture (it was surprisingly docile), I put it back in the yard beneath the pine tree. Its parents are busy taking care of it again.
Juvenile hawk.
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Buddy is all smiles, but he will be frowning when he gets a bath soon.
Buddy and Homer.
