Back in Sweltering Flag!

Howdy Folks,

Wow it is warm here in Flagstaff, but even warmer in this really hot apartment. I'll be glad to move to my new Condo next month. At least it has flow through air (but not air conditioning). But I am glad to be back home after 10 days on the road.

I jammed a lot of activity into those days. My first couple were in Cedar City at the Utah Shakespearean Festival. It was over 100 degrees each day! Although the plays were good and performances, for the most part, excellent, the two in the evening in the outside Adam's Theater (a replica of the "Old Globe in London) were extremely uncomfortable in the heat. I am not one for perspiring while watching a play. The best of the 3, in my opinion, was "The Comedy of Errors," which I had already seen twice this year in Flag with Natasha playing Adrienne. Even though I may be prejudice, I liked Tasha's interpretation of the part better. Another prejudice for this performance may have been because it was the only one I saw inside (with air conditioning) at a matinee.

Next year I want to go back and see only two plays. Three were too many for me in such a short time. They are doing MacBeth, which I have never seen live, and Much Ado About Nothing. Both are ones I want to see.

From Cedar City I drove 550 miles to Lander, WY to see my friends Ron and Brooke. It was hot there too. We hung-out catching up on our lives with each other and waxing philosophically over "OB1 Ale." We did hike in "Sink's Canyon" along the Popo Agie River. Brooke made us two great meals and we ate at the Lander Bar and Grill my last evening there.

Then, it was on to my old stomping grounds, Grand Teton National Park. I spent the next five nights sleeping on the floor at my friend "Old Ranger" Bob's. The first evening we spent at the Signal Mountain Lodge restaurant getting pretty smashed on their killer Margaritas (actually only had two but they are 2 shot ones). The next day, and a bit hung-over as I do not do this often, Bob, Ben (his son and a ranger too) and I headed up to Yellowstone for the day. We left at 7am and returned at 5pm. It was a long, but good day. I did a couple of hikes while there (solo, as everyone was working), one relatively short and the other longer, on my last day. I went up Cascade Canyon. The hike I did was about 8 miles. It kicked my butt since I am not in the best hiking condition.

While in the Tetons I got to catch up with my friends and acquaintances. That was probably the best part of the the trip for me. Although I love living in Flagstaff, I have more friends from my summers in Jackson Hole. Bob Hoyle and Laine Thom kept urging me to stay longer. But, now that I no longer work there, it is difficult for me to stay more than a few days. I am no longer a National Park Service "insider," I'm just another visitor!

Sorry to say I have no movies to report. I did not sneak in any during my trip. The only one's I would have wanted to see are playing in larger cities. I am not a Harry Potter fan so that holds no excitement for me. So, guess I'll have to wait for a while.

Until next time, Adios!

More Saturday Morning Musings

Good Very Early Saturday Morning,


Some of you already know this via e-mail, but I want to reiterate for others who don't, that I just took the first steps in purchasing a Condo here in Flagstaff. This is a monumental decision for me in several regards. First, and maybe most important, is the change of my attitude when I retired and moved to Flag. I never wanted to own a place again that would tie me to a location. The idea that I could move to wherever suited my fancy was what was appealing. I contemplated such places as Bozeman, Missoula, and Kalispel (funny they were all in Montana). In the end though, having visited all of those places several times, I found I did not like them more than here.


Other considerations for making a commitment like this have to do with the fact that I am not getting any younger (pretty obvious since none of us are), and it would seem likely that I will no longer be running off to ranger for 5 months of the year. Besides, I like the clean air, cross-country skiing in winter, the mountains, having a University in town, and the fact that it is located on major arteries taking you to Phoenix and Southern California.


Flagstaff has limitations for many folks. This has become clear to me in many ways lately, most notably through my youngest daughter and her husband's attempt to live here for the past year. There are not many opportunities for persons of their age in their chosen professions. However, it is far from a retirement community as Prescott was becoming with their 54% retired population. Weather in the winter is limiting factor for some, you know all that snow in good years. Some say there are not enough "cultural events." That to me is a bogus criticism. There are plenty of various activities going on, but many like me, have chosen not to engage in them.
The only major downside for me is the relative lack of movie theaters and good independent and foreign films at the theater complex we do have.


Before closing on this new abode in August I will be heading out on the road for a couple weeks beginning next Thursday. With the move and it's concomitant expenses this will probably be my last trip until early October or so. As I believe was mentioned in previous blogs, I am headed to the Utah Shakespeare Festival to see a couple of the bards works. Then it will be on to Wyoming for promised visits with friends and some hiking. I will return in time to do a "walk-through" of my new place and close on the 10th of August. Yahoo!


Movies: I drove to Sedona yesterday to see an independent film that I knew would not make it here. As an aside, I took Tasha and Jason with me and dropped them at Walnut Creek, near where they got married, so they could swim while my activity was inside and more sedentary. The film was Away We Go. It was a nice little movie chronicling the wayward search of a young pregnant couple for a place they would feel comfortable living. They make the decision to explore possibilities after they find out his parents are moving to Belgium for two years before the baby is born. The parents played by Catherine O'Hara and Jeff Daniels are hilariously goofy, as are all of their strange friends and family as they visit Phoenix, Tucson, Montreal, and Miami looking for a suitable place to live. Along the way they explore their feelings about becoming parents. This is a good but not great film.


And so it goes . . .

Independence Day!

Happy Day After the 4th!



I had fully intended to write a blog yesterday but really never got around to it. I am not use to having these summer holidays off. For the past 10 years while working the ranger job I cannot remember having the 4th off. There must have been at least once but cannot recall. At any rate
most days were pretty much the same except for your days off. Most of us liked working holidays because it was double pay. Plus, I have never been much for fireworks . . . of course during the middle to late 60s that may not have been true.
Working during Ranger days!


The day itself, here in Flag, was commemorated with many activities that I did not attend. However, after watching the Wimbledon tennis, I did go down to the Wheeler Park Art Festival. Not that I thought too much about the art; it was just a chance to get out and watch people. I did hook up with daughter Natasha and Jason for a short time there. The afternoon was spent reading and talking with my friend Ed (another Flag curmudgeon) at my usual table at the cafe in Barnes & Noble. In the evening a British Mystery series, The Last Detective, was the activity of choice. I did use my DVR to record my favorite Independence Day movie, 1776.


Today will be my holiday BBQ. My friend Ed and his lady, Bonnie are having folks over and I have been invited. So it seems I will have a traditional activity over this summer holiday. Back in my first years in Prescott they had wild and woolly celebrations on the Square and in the bars on Whiskey Row. Those were fun times. Of course I was a lot younger then. I wish you all a happy holiday weekend.

Movie report: Saw a much anticipated summer film this week. I was hoping for great things but it turned out to be only good. The movie, with all its good actors, disappointed me. The acting was fine but it was one of those films where you feel like something is missing. The movie was Public Enemies, with Johnny Depp. I liked the acting but cannot put my finger on why it did not "blow me away." If you like true crime movies and Johnny Depp go see it.