We Found the London Bridge and Ticklers

From Steve: Ticklers

Here in the desert of Arizona there are no mosquitoes. The temperature got up to 107 yesterday and I suppose that’s not good for mosquitoes. Aside from a jack rabbit or two we have flies. They don’t seem to bite as much as tickle. It makes me understand why the desert people wear long white robes and cover their heads: it helps with the flies.

We are novices at dealing with the desert heat. In fact we noticed that yesterday we were the only people outdoors in the whole campground,except a few people in their air-conditioned campers.  We spent most of the day sitting in the lake and nearby under a shade tree. The temperature when we went to bed was 96. The fan that cools our camper has either been blowing out hot air or pulling in hot air. Debbie usually whines when the bedtime temperature is above 72°, but she was a stalwart trooper with her ice packs and wet scarf. Luckily we got rescued around 10 PM by a downpour and we had a pleasant night. 

For me the weather is just the backdrop to the inner experience. Two months on the road changes you inside. When you don’t have the usual anxieties it’s a good time to look at all your anxieties. At 74 I am seeing more and more deaths among contemporaries. Hmmm, am I next? 

To me that isn’t the scary part. The scary part for me is what does it feel like to take the last breath. I’ve had a few dreams where I wake up in panic and seem to be grabbing breaths as fast as I can. I wonder will I be able to let go and stop breathing. 

The answer came to me this morning. It is an illusion that we control our breath. In normal state of calm we are being breathed so when the body let’s go we will no longer breathe. 

Just one more thing I don’t need to control. We drop easily into that consciousness of infinite Space and Time No more cell phones, busyness, fears and human drama.

From Avett Brothersong “No Hard Feelings“”

When my body won’t hold me anymore

And it finally lets me free

Where will I go?

Will the trade winds take me south through Georgia grain?

Or tropical rain?

Or snow from the heavens?

Will I join with the ocean blue?

Or run into a savior true?

And shake hands laughing

And walk through the night, straight to the light

Holding the love I’ve known in my life

And no hard feelings

Lord knows, they haven’t done much good for anyone

Kept me afraid and cold

With so much to have and hold

Under the curving sky

I’m finally learning why

It matters for me and you

To say it and mean it too

For life and its loveliness

And all of its ugliness

Good as it’s been to me

I have no enemies

I have no enemies

I have no enemies

And from Debbie. We Found the London Bridge!

Okay, we are not highly rational or predictable travelers. We signed-up for a pickleball tournament, but didn’t play. We got entrance tickets and camping at Yosemite, but drove on by. We drove through Napa Valley and drank not even one glass of wine. And what happens? We end up in the desert and find the London Bridge. Really, the actual bridge. Re-assembled here in Arizona. With flags of both countries flapping in the breeze. 

This picture was taken from my bed in the Little Guy this morning around 6:00 am. Beautiful, right?  Yesterday it got up to 109*. Last night we had a rare and delightful BIG STORM. Winds, thunder, lightning and rain to cool things off. 

It’s 7:00 am and I am sitting in the shade of the Little Guy looking across Lake Havasu. In case you missed it, the temperature yesterday was 109*. Since we’re right on the beach we just go in the lake…fully clothed, and let the dry desert heat and constant breeze keep us cool-ish. It’s really beautiful here and I’m glad for the experience. But it takes a great deal of ingenuity to function. There are water spigots and showers but the water coming out is hot. This is generally way beyond my ability to be kind and gentle. Heat makes me crazy! But truly, here we are for two days and the challenge is like a game for me. How to stay hydrated? How to cook fresh food when the campstove is an unwelcomed additional heat source? How to ignore the flies? How to nap on top of picnic tables under a shade tree?

We managed quite nicely until 5:00 pm when the heat/fly combo led me to scream

 “it’s 5:00 somewhere. And someone is drinking cold beer in a cool sports bar”. 

I want to be that person! I want to be there!!! So off we go in search of Burley Brothers and that is when we crossed the London Bridge. And found a great sports bar. With delightfully cold beer and endless glasses of water with lots of ice. I understand the importance of an oasis!

Necessity breeds invention. Time to buy a bag of ice to create some cool water to drink and ice bags to sleep with. Yep!

When you adjust your thinking it’s just like dealing with cold weather camping. But different. In cold weather you add layers and easily create enough body heat to sleep snug. With extreme heat you choose one layer, get it completely wet. Make a ziploc bag of ice. Cool down your tennis towel. Wrap your head with the towel. Place the ice bag on your wet-clothed belly. Turn on the blessedly reliable ceiling fan. And think happy thoughts.  😜

Today we will use the skills we developed yesterday to not just survive, but enjoy this desert experience!  

AND, we will also go see a movie in an air-conditioned theater. And get beer and ice water and tostados in the air-conditioned pub by the London Bridge.