HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hiking Westwing Mountain with James

King, James

Lichen on Westwing Mountain

It's green like Spring

This is one solid rock, it looks like a big lumpy rock to me

Me & "C"

Cierra is not allowed on the couch, but she's not "really" sitting on the couch if she's sitting on me, right?

"World Class Fireworks!" = James' Christmas

Give a kid a box full of fireworks and he's HAPPY!

James was happy with his camera too

Cierra's Christmas

"Woof's" Christmas Stocking

Cierra taking her booty and leaving

Alright, I'll let mom help, just a little

"I, woof, DON'T, woof, CARE, woof, WHAT, woof, ELSE, woof, IS, woof, IN, woof, THAT, woof, STOCKING, woof, GIVE, woof, ME, woof, MY, woof, CUZ, woof, BALL!!!

Merry Christmas!

We left "Loosyana" the afternoon of Christmas Eve, drove through the night and arrived home about 10am Christmas day.

I watched carefully for Santa Claus but I never saw him.


Sunrise near the New Mexico/Arizona boarder

Sunrise near the New Mexico/Arizona boarder

Cierra says "I'm home!"

Heli-Dunn in LA

PJ put this together... it looks like he'll let 'anyone' fly. In the video are PJ, Jeff - the mechanic, Me, and Cierra.

Hubschrauberhund

Cierra watching the ground get closer to her


Cierra making sure PJ does it right


Notice the cat-like grip she has on the floor :o)


Cierra, relaxing before take-off


Cierra notices something is getting ready to happen


Louisiana trees with a cloudy sky


I told you if I lean out further I could get a better photo of the tail


Andy and PJ


Heli-Dunn


Jeff the mechanic aka the other dog whisperer


PJ with the Eagle crew, and Jeff's dog Digger

Me Flying N350SB (Astar)

The Sweetest People On Earth - Ken & Jean

I visited with my dear, sweet friends Ken & Jean who live in Louisiana. It was so good to see them, talk with them, and share hot chocolate with them. Cierra was on her best behavior and made a good impression.

Four Tree Houses

Flying from the St. Landry Parish Airport in Opelousas, LA we fly over this farm field that has four old homes that remain standing in the trees. I wonder what their story would be.

More Astar photos from Loosyana

I was planning on visiting my dear friends Ken & Jean today but a change in plans put me out in the field with PJ today. I hope to see Ken & Jean tomorrow. I started and shut down the Astar today but let PJ do the flying so I could take a few pictures of Loosyana below me this morning. I lived in the Gulf South for several years, I forgot how ungodly humid it is here. I'll take my dry Arizona heat over this soggy stuff anyday.

Me and the Astar

Me in the Astar :o)

???

PJ's office, my white rental SUV is in the field by the fuel trailer

Rear view - if I lean out a little further I could get a better photo :o)

The wanna-be pilot and the real pilot

Flying an Astar!

PJ let me fly the Astar a few times... it's scary, fun = scary-fun. I suck at hovering (not hoovering - that's a different domestic duty); I can pretty much fly a straight line; today he made me turn in big circles, right and left - more scary stuff.

Tomorrow I'll be visiting some long-time very precious friends in Sulphur, LA.

It looks like we'll be leaving "Loosyana" on Monday.

Cierra and friends

Cierra has made several new friends in Louisiana. Her best friend is a mixed breed female named "Digger".

PJ with his four-legged friends

Cierra and Digger

Hoverdog and Digger playing frisbee

Urge For Going...

Today I heard a different version of this song, and while I have a few people questioning my travel plans, maybe this song will help.

I do love to travel. I don't like the endless driving so much but I have a good travel companion who has traveled many miles with me already, and she likes to hang her head out the back window.

PJ ordered a new camera for me, and I'm (im)patiently waiting for UPS to deliver it to me today, then I'll be set to take a zillion photos of my journey.

I'll be leaving in the wee hours of the morning for Louisiana.

PJ's ride in the South

PJ's working in Louisiana this week, here's a photo of his ride taken with his iPhone

Out of the Darkness, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Thank you to Mr and Mrs Alexander for opening their hearts to us and sharing their lives with us on this special day

After the walk, we rode to The Monastery for a bite to eat. It was a lovely day for a wonderful cause.
= = = =
This is for my good friend Jackson, who lost his son Chris a year ago to suicide. I will be walking with Jackson, his family, friends and my dog Cierra on December 6th. This community walk to benefit 'Team Chris A' will be held at Kiwanis Park in Tempe.

For more information please read about it on the AFSP link:
http://www.outofthedarkness.org/

Team Chris A:
http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&eventID=659&teamID=6470

Technical Difficulties

I had to move my Million Dollars Cache to a new location. Little did I know there was a premium cache 150' away from mine, and according to geocaching guidelines, that's too close. On my way to retrieve my cache from its original hiding place between the saguaros, I stopped to look for the premium cache (without the coordinates) and I found it! It was just dumb luck, but I knew my son would have been proud of me.

The new hiding place


All covered up

Microcache & the Million Dollars Cache

I hiked Sunrise Mountain today. Along the way I stopped to locate a microcache, I don't usually seek out microcaches but this one had a unique hiding place. I also placed a new cache, it's called the Million Dollars Cache, the FTF (first to find) prize is one million dollars! I hope the first finder has a sense of humor, it's a long hike.

Cierra relaxing in her back yard after her 5 mile hike (notice her ever-present ball)


A microcache (inside the cigar tube)


Cierra and I sitting near the cache site


Cierra asking "What do you mean, DON'T fetch this?!"


Me, near the Million Dollars cache site, just below where I am standing


Can you see the cache? No? Good. It's there.


One million dollars for the first finder of the Million Dollars Cache