Mexico Road Trip Part 3

About 9 or 10 miles south of Tucson on Highway 19 the lands of the Tohono O'odham Nation begin. These Native Americans were once referred to as Papagayo's but in 1980 they officially changed their tribal name. On their land not to far off of Highway 19 stands a remarkable structure, The Mission San Xavier del Bac. This Mission was started by Father Kino in 1692 and has been continuously administered by Franciscan Fathers since the beginning. The construction of the present cathedral began in 1783 and was completed in 1797. Today it is still the fully functional spiritual locus of the local Catholic Parish community. Catholic Masses are celebrated seven days a week.
This structure is included in the National Register of Historic Places. If you are ever around Tucson, take a couple of hours and drive out into the beautiful Sonoran Desert and visit this wonderful place. 
The following is a picture tour of the mission. Tana and I took all the exterior shots. We were not allowed to take pictures inside so the interior photos were taken from the Internet. Please remember one thing as you look at these photos........there is no mention in the historical record of any designers, architects, engineers, or professional builders employed in the construction of this magnificent edifice......the local Indigenous People did everything inside and out under the direction of the good Fathers and, I'm sure you will agree, Divine Intervention.....!! 

The main entrance.....impressive, I'd say....

I think this structure might have been the parish mortuary.......

The choir loft............

This panorama shot off the Internet is really fuzzy but it gives you an idea of the beauty and magnificence of this place..!!!

Well, that's the tour of our visit in Tucson.....next stop Mexico...hope you'll come along with us...

until then....take care my friends....

Mexico Road Trip Part 2..........

From the Arizona-New Mexico border to Tucson is an easy 150 or so mile run.....no sweat! We blew into town late morning on Sunday August 3, 2014 and checked into the historic Congress  Hotel in downtown Tucson right across from the old Amtrak railroad station that was built by Southern Pacific in 1907. The hotel itself was constructed in 1919 in conjunction with the Rialto Theater which is still located across the street. Probably the greatest claim to fame for this hotel is that in 1934 John Dillinger in his gang were hiding out in 3rd floor rooms under aliases. A fire started in the basement and when it reached the 3rd floor, somehow the gangs identity was found out. The FEDS rushed in and surrounded the place in an attempt to capture them.....but, alas, the fugitives all escaped via aerial ladders. It is local lore that the firemen fighting the blaze retrieved the gangs luggage and returned it to them! During this period of American history John Dillinger was regarded by many to be somewhat of a Zorro-Robin Hood-Jesse James outlaw folk hero. The restaurant is excellent, the bar not-so, the tiny, tiny rooms are just like they were in the 1920's except they are air conditioned and have WIFI. Small, double bed, minuscule bathroom, no TV, and yes there are ghosts in the place. Tana sensed their presence. She is a ghost whisperer or whatever you call them. The only ghost I know is Casper! But I believe....yes sir, we have ghosts in our Mexican place ....but that's another story.....
The live entertainment on the Hotel patio on this trip was terrific....! A local Bluegrass group. The lead guitarist told me that he and his pals have been playing the Congress every week for over 20 years.... 

This place exudes coolness....doesn't it?

 Awesome group with a fantastic Bluegrass sound...

Mandolin player was one of the best we have ever heard....!

..I'm guzzling the Negra Modelo's and Tana is elegantly quaffing the Cabernet....It's all good...!

We didn't take too much time to sight see in Tucson because we were anxious to get our business done and head into Mexico. We did, however, stop at two awesomely fabulous places that I would recommend to anyone visiting Tucson.

The first place we visited was the very old and elegant Pima County Courthouse. This Mission Revival-Spanish Colonial architectural masterpiece was constructed in  1928 and is still in operation today. 

Some things are beautiful forever......

This is a must see if you ever go to Tucson....

 This is incredible....if you ask me....go ahead ask....OK OK..."Rich, what do you think of this dome?" you ask. "It's Incredible I say!

That's all I can do for now, gotta run down to the OXXO and get some beer and something for dinner. Next time we'll visit a place thats on the way into Mexico and is even more awesome than the courthouse....just wait! you'll agree......until then ....

peace to you my friends....

On The Road To Mexico

We blew out of Houston around 8am on Saturday August 2, 2014 and headed West on I-10. The truck was a packed up with our stuff, full of gas, oil change, new tires and a thumbs up from the Ford guy....so off we went. 

See the little bin on the left side up front by the KOLBALT toolbox? ....that's my stuff....all the rest is Tana's!!

Goodbye Houston Freeways....!

One good thing about this trip is that no GPS was needed. Once on I-10 there is only one left turn necessary to get to our destination and that turn is 1300 miles down the road. 
I don't know how long we were on the road but the temperature gauge was still reading cold when Tana commented "I gotta pee...pull over at the next place." "What!!" "I gotta pee...you don't want me to go in my pants do you?" "Pee in that empty paper coffee cup" I said. "You don't love me" was the retort. "Ahhhh crap" I thought and pulled over at the next Shell. A little while later we're on the road again...then I hear "I'm hungry pull over at the next  clean looking place." "Can you wait until we get to the Bucee's?" I ask. "How far is it."  "161 miles" I reply. "You don't love me" comes whimpering from her lips. "Ahhhh crap" crossed my mind again. We pulled into an Arby's at a truck stop and snagged a couple of breakfast biscuits and some coffee.. Its now 10 am. We've been on the road 2 hours and we're about 20 miles outta Houston.
Finally we got rolling down the highway.

Houston countryside about 70 miles from downtown....

Moving through the Texas Hill Country....Home to Willie Nelson ...many people say that this is the most beautiful part of Texas...don't know if I agree with that but it is very beautiful..

Still in the Hill Country West of San Antonio near Junction heading towards Kerrville, Texas. About 250 miles from Houston....

Out of the Texas Hill Country rolling onto the vast desert of far West Texas. We are around Ozona, Texas with still 350 miles to 

El Paso and the state line.

Davis Mountains in far far West Texas near Balmorea. Two years ago Tana and I spent a week hiking in them and swimming in the crystal clear, freezing cold natural springs that this part of Texas is known for. About 200 miles on the  other side of those mountains is the Texas Big Bend Country which many people argue is the most beautiful part of Texas. I agree. 200 miles to El Paso.

Finally....!! The Land Of Enchantment....New Mexico.....

New Mexico about 20 miles from El Paso....

Shortly after getting into New Mexico we picked up this summer thunderstorm that followed us for a couple of hours....

You can't see it but this was a double rainbow that was with us for about an hour after the thunderstorm....

The Grand Canyon State....Arizona...

Still on I-10 entering Arizona from New Mexico heading for the first rest stop a few miles in....

Tana stretching her legs at the first Arizona rest stop heading West on I-10......

Well guys, the first leg of our trip to Mexico is over with no problems or issues.....As they say "went smooth as a baby's behind"

Thanks for riding along with us and I'll catch up with you again in a few days........

Peace to you all my friends....

Miles and Miles of Texas

Some of you might remember the old Asleep At The Wheel Song...
Miles and Miles Of Texas...... Next Thursday, 7/31/2014, Tana and yours truly will be leaving Galveston, Texas and driving to Tucson, Arizona then to our final destination about 300 miles south of the Mexican border..... where I've rented a house for six months. We plan to chill, think, write, screw off, sight see, travel around Mexico, drink beer, study Spanish, fish, spend alotta time at the beach, and generally just hang. Most of the trip getting there is spent crossing this Lone Star State of ours.
"How many miles is it across Texas?" Tana asked me. Not knowing.....what did I do? You all know...Google it!!......
Did you know that the distance from.....
     London to Paris = 289 miles
     Los Angeles to San Francisco = 382 miles
     Paris to Madrid = 781 miles
     New York to Chicago = 791 miles
     Galveston, Texas to El Paso, Texas 794 miles !!!!
     El Paso, Texas to Tucson, Arizona = 372 miles

Now we know what Asleep At The Wheel was talkin' about !

We'll be leaving in a few days and plan on taking you guys with us..

Until we leave........take care and peace to you....don't forget to hug your kids today and tell your luv bunny how important they are in your life and how much you love them.....

seeya

When is out of the the box.....in the box?

It's Saturday afternoon and I got a cold Corona going and feel like visiting with you guys for a while.......
One thing that all of you will probably agree on if you have spent any time hanging around marinas is that they usually harbor a few unusual types mixed in with the ordinary folks, the well heeled yachties, and the visionary romantic dreamers. Mine does!
Got up this morning at the crack of 9:30 and headed for Starbucks for my usual "Venti Blonde Roast with room for cream". To get out of the marina, you wind your way around various waterways, channels, small lakes, and sloughs. These are all favorite haunts of local fishermen.....oh sorry!....fisher persons because they all connect into Galveston Bay which is one of the most productive estuarine ecosystems in the world and it is full of fish.....trout, redfish, flounder, mullet, and hardheads. 
I was noticing these folks out enjoying the morning, bonding with friends and family on the water all anticipating a bountiful fishing expedition. It was a perfect morning for all....men, women, kids, pirates, philosophers, voyeurs,  and everyone else. Being a boat addicted sort, the boats themselves were of particular interest for me. When my sailing days are over, its a fishing boat for me. but that's another story................. Meanwhile back at the marina....

A 18 or 19 foot Mako....T-Top.....rod holders......live bait wells.... fish boxes.....fightin' chair.....trolling motor.....rocket launchers...

Big Merc.....a real nice rig...

Nice 16-17 Vip with about a 115hp Johnson.....not rigged as nice as the Mako but a good all around fun boat....

Another nice 19-20 foot fishing rig with good power....hydraulic jackplate for thin water....trolling motor....a fishin' machine...!

Another nice 17-19 foot center console fishing machine.....

"OK! OK!....nice boats but where you going with this Rich"... you must be wondering..........remember my comment about marinas usually having a few unusual types in their tenant mix that see things a little differently than most?.......

This guy is out there....on the edge.....wouldn't you agree....?

No motor....guess he paddles it? It's square....! You can't row it or sail it......!!

I see this guy all the time.....out fishing. One time he was about a half mile out into the bay.....another time he was in the middle of Clear Lake.....!!

I swear this is true and not just something that I put in here to be clever.......this dude is the only guy that I saw catching any fish !! I wouldn't lie to you my friends.....

Its time to say goodbye for now and for another Corona....this one I'm gonna toast to all of you out there that live on the edge but don't know it.....

Until next time...........Peace to you all my friends 

Down Mexico Way................

Once again, Tana and I confront that Axiom of Life that suggest we are concrete beings encompassed in a fluid existence and no matter what we plan for our life's journey, its all subject to change. So it is with you and so it is with me. Some say whims of fate. Others lean towards Divine Intervention. Many of us become unnerved at the thought of  existence without some modicum of a life predictability. Others are uncomfortable with certainty and embrace serendipity and can't wait to see whats gonna happen to them before they die. Some thrive in an ordered existence, others whither. Us? We are pretty much skewed in direction of the latter. No right or wrong here.....we all are simply life forces trying to seek happiness and fulfillment while making the way to our ultimate destiny.   

You must be thinking by now....What the heck is this dude babbling about? Well, here it is......we are tying ZOSHA down good and tight, getting her hurricane prepped and then driving down to the Sea of Cortez on the west coast of mainland Mexico where I've rented a house for six months on a mountain overlooking the Sea.

The plan is to come back in six months and get ZOSHA provisioned and geared up and head for Florida and the Bahamas and ?????

We are leaving Galveston around August 1 and heading to Mexico...and, yes of course, you are invited to accompany us via this blog. I'll be touching base with you guys in a week or so when we will all embark.................until then..........

Crystal clear....

About 10 minutes from the house......only seven cars on the beach on a Saturday afternoon about 2 pm.....90 degrees with high 70's water temp!! Why no people you ask? Sharks? No!  
NO Tourists....the place is not overrun with touristicas. Why? there is no airport here. To get here you gotta drive from the states or grab a Mexican bus at a border town and cruise down. Most people don't want to do either which is fine with me....oh you can sail your boat 1000 miles from California....pretty nice huh?

Again, no peeps.....10 minutes from my house.....this will be a good place to hang for six months..!

Peace to you all my friends until next time....

Volvo MD 11c oil change....ZIP Ching.......!!!!

If you own a boat with an inboard engine whether diesel or gas, you probably hate to change the oil!! Why???? First is Access. Unless you have a big boat, the engine compartment is usually cramped and everything is next to impossible to get to..... next we usually have to pump the oil out thru the dipstick hole which can be a PIA and slow and messy.....more often than not the oil filter is screwed down tight and impossible to get a filter wrench on so we end up hammering a screwdriver thru the filter to act as a handle to get some leverage....which works, usually, but typically leaks about a pint of dirty oil into the bilge....add to all of this numerous skinned knuckles and gouges in your perfect body and blood dripping on the sole.... this is why so many of us procrastinate when confronted with this recurring maintenance task. Most of us dread oil changes ....yours truly is no exception. ZOSHAS trusty 1978 vintage Volvo MD 11c needed an oil change. I've been putting it off for months. So today was the day...... 
First: got my stuff together...........

Got this great transfer pump from Harbor Freight for 6 bucks. West Marine has them for $59.00 if you want a MARINIZED version!

OK.....let the games begin....First try to access the oil pan thru the dipstick port.....

Here it is.....now lets try and screw the BIG cap off....oh joy!! guess what....zip ching its off!! It was finger tight like it was supposed to be....off in about 10 seconds !!!! Whoa...this is too good! 
Set up the transfer pump....sorry forgot to take pics of this!! I was too darn ecstatic over the access port coming undone so easily!!!

The 1/4" OD diameter transfer hose slides into the access port...
 zip ching.....it took about two minutes to pump out three or so quarts of old oil into an empty 1 gallon milk jug.....no mess either...
.

Here is the whole dipstick assembly....like I said screwed out very easily.... old oil is out.....lets get that filter off....

This old filter doesn't look good......trembling I reached down there and softly grasped the perfectly smooth grooves and tenderly twisted it towards my anticipating body.....and guess what?...it came loose....ZIP Ching Baby!!! It unscrewed in about 5 seconds and the new filter was on in about another five seconds....Yes, the old filter was on finger tight like it is supposed to be!!  

This whole oil change took about 15 minutes to perform.....! 
Zip Ching!!!!
or as our British pals often say......
"Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy"
Thank You! Thank You! Guardian Angel of mine.....

Take care my friends.......seeya soon....