Redemption Run - Part III

Victory!

The Las Vegas Rock -n- Roll Marathon 2018 is in the books.  I finished in 4 hours, 44 minutes and 26 seconds – exactly 23 minutes and 23 seconds faster than last year!  I finished with no digestive issues, no leg cramps, and with energy to spare.

The changes I made from last year to this year definitely helped.  One change I didn’t make:  my choice of running buddies.  Sue was amazing – as she was last year.  She kept me on pace, jogged backwards to stay with me when I slowed, and cheered me on the whole way.  She beat the Boston Qualifier time for her age group by 10 minutes and took not only her age group but the group ahead of her.  Yeah, she’s that good.

It’ll be a while before I hit my Boston Qualifying time.  I’m counting on my better times to intersect with an older age group by 2021.

In the meantime, Sue and I are scheming on our next marathon – 2020.  Destination:  Hawaii!

Redemption Run - Part II

The race is in two days!!  At this time last year my stomach was churning with anxiety.  What had I gotten myself into?  Were my friends and family members correct in accusing me of being crazy? 

The day before a race you’re supposed to seriously carbo-load.  That means at least four grams of carbohydrates for each pound of body weight.  For me, that’s 408 grams of carbs the day before the race, and since the race in question is run at night, about half that on the day of the race.

This is a lot of carbs!  To put it in perspective, my go-to nutrition bars contain 30 grams of carbs each.  A bottle of sports drink contains 55 grams. A Science in Sport gel contains 22 grams.  Add that to some real food and it’ll be a great day to eat!

If only…  Some people eat under stress.  Some people cannot eat under stress.  I fall into the latter group, and last year I literally couldn’t eat all the nutrition supplements I’d packed.  Nerves!  This was the one time in my life that I wished I were a nervous eater.  Because my lack of food intake bit me about 3 and a half hours into the race.  It’s so cliché to say “I hit the wall” but that’s pretty much what happened.

This year will be different.  I’ve trained well – with my longest run being 4 and a half hours.  I’ve done it before, so I know I can.  And I’m counting on my stomach to willingly accept the massive amounts of food I’ll be eating in the next two days.  Wish me luck. 

Redemption Run - Part I

The Las Vegas Rock and Roll Marathon – my second marathon ever – is a week away.

I’m calling this my redemption run.  Yes, I finished the first time, but it was a poor finish in my mind.  I ran out of steam at mile 21.  My legs cramped at the end of the race, and I had to take a nap before I could even enjoy my post-race mimosas!

I can do better.  As I evaluated my failings in last year’s race, I realized that I was tripped up by two things:  nutrition and nerves.  I’ll address nutrition in this post.

My nutrition plan for last year was Clif Bloks – with caffeine – during the race.  I guessed that one block an hour would be good enough based on my body weight and the number of carbs per block.  I also counted on the caffeine to keep me energized during the evening run.  I was wrong.  At about the 3 ½ hour mark I hit the proverbial wall, and unfortunately, the caffeine caused a major digestive issue.  Thank goodness there was a real bathroom at that point in the course.

I am going to talk about poop.  I hope you’re not too offended. 

Runner’s bowels are a thing.  According to a post from the Mayo Clinic, “The cause of runner's diarrhea isn't clear. Contributing factors likely include the physical jostling of the organs, decreased blood flow to the intestines, changes in intestinal hormone secretion, increased amount or introduction of a new food, and pre-race anxiety and stress. What is clear is that food moves more quickly through the bowels of athletes in training.”

Anyway, what was I thinking?  Of course caffeine makes me poop.  It’s part of a time-honored morning ritual that works for many people.  I needed a new nutrition plan, and I needed to test it well before the next marathon.

First test – raisins and orange juice.  Hey, ultra-runners eat real food, so I thought, why not?  I tried this combination a few times and came to the realization that a) raisins make me poop, and b) orange juice makes me poop.  Scratch that…

Science in Sport to the rescue.  As a marathon participant I received an offer to try “what’s on the course.”  I’ve never been a fan of gels, but I needed something better and the offer price was right.  I was surprised by the size of the packets – they’re much larger than the more common gels.  I guess this makes sense – they advertise that you don’t need to take them with water.  The water is included.  I was also pleasantly surprised by the texture – it’s more like Jell-O that hasn’t quite jelled than the sticky goo I was used to.  I’ve used these on several training runs now and they’ve kept me going with no digestive effects.

According to Science in Sport (SIS), your body (liver and muscles) can store about 2000 calories. According to my trusty Garmin, I burn about 480 calories per hour.  If only I could finish a marathon in under 4 hours.  Not going to happen, so I’ll need to supplement. One SIS gel contains 90 calories.  One per hour worked in training, so that’s the plan.  Wish me luck.

AARP Tax Aide

AARP Tax Aide offers free tax preparation services to low and moderate income taxpayers.  Now in its 50th year, Tax-Aide has helped 50 million taxpayers – and counting.  You don’t have to be an AARP member, and there’s no age requirement to get tax help from IRS-certified volunteers.

Those IRS-certified volunteers include us.  When we moved to Beaver Dam for the winter, we volunteered for Tax Aide, primarily because there was no Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in Mesquite.  Makes sense – there are a lot of seniors in Mesquite and the surrounding areas. 

The Tax Aide program requires the same certification as VITA, plus a senior-specific training that we learned a lot from.  VITA’s focus is on getting low-income taxpayers their Earned Income Credit, where Tax Aide focuses on the needs of seniors.  We learned how to calculate the taxable portion of annuitized pensions and how to give a retired Public Service Officer a well-deserved tax break.  We also learned how to advise our clients who really don’t need to file a tax return at all.

In many ways, Tax Aide is simpler.  We saw no disputes over which parent gets to claim which child, and very few penalties under the Affordable Care Act.  Most of our clients have Medicare.  But in other ways it’s more complicated.  The more well-to-do clients are receiving Required Minimum Distributions from their IRAs, and taking capital gains and losses from their stock portfolios.

In two days working at the Mesquite Senior Center, I saw more W2G’s than I’d seen in six years in VITA.  What’s a W2G?  It’s a report of gambling winnings.  Casinos are required to report winnings of $1200 or more to the IRS.  Most players who report significant winnings also report significant losses.  Here’s the rule:  Winnings are considered income and are directly taxed.  Losses can be deducted if you can itemize deductions, but only up to the amount won.  Not a very favorable situation for the gamblers of the world, and they usually tell us about it. 

When we worked VITA it made me happy to see a single mother supporting her children get an earned income credit of $2000 - $3000.  Now, working Tax Aide, it makes me happy to see the 70 to 90 set bringing in a good income in retirement, enjoying their lives, and not having to worry about their taxes.  So far my oldest client is 93.  Hoping to see him again next year!

Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument

When we rode out of Mesquite, Nevada into Lime Kiln Canyon, we had no idea that the road was one of the gateways to a little known national monument.  The Grand Canyon – Parashant National Monument is located on the northern edge of the Grand Canyon in northwest Arizona. The monument was established by Bill Clinton’s Presidential Proclamation 7265 on January 11, 2000. 

Per the National Park Service web site, “This national monument is a very remote and undeveloped place jointly managed by the National Park Service (NPS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The 1,048,325-acre monument is larger than the state of Rhode Island.  There are no paved roads into the monument and no visitor services.”  Visitors must be prepared to leave pavement and cell service behind.  Pets are allowed, as are off-road vehicles.  A high clearance 4x4 vehicle with off-pavement tires is strongly recommended to handle the rocky roads.  You can get visitor information at the BLM office in St. George, Utah.

Near the Lime Kiln Canyon Entrance

According to the Grand Canyon Trust (www.grandcanyontrust.org), “Much of the monument remains unexplored, with only five percent of the protected land having been surveyed. You can see remnants of ranching, mining, and timber cutting at sites like Tassi Ranch, Nixon Sawmill, and Pa’s Pocket Line Shack. But human history here dates back much further. Thousands of archaeological sites—petroglyphs, artifacts, agave roasting pits, pueblos—document the cultures and lifestyles of the Ancestral Puebloan and Southern Paiute cultures. The monument’s name derives from an early translation of a Paiute family name “Parashonts,” meaning “elk or large deer standing in water.”

Jacob's Well

Grand Canyon – Parashant is one of the 21 National Monuments to be evaluated under President Trump’s Executive Order 13792.  So far, its acreage has not been reduced – at least, not as far as I have been able to find online.  Maybe it’s too remote for mining and timber cutting to be economically practical.  We saw evidence that grazing is still permitted at a site marked “Jacob’s Well.” 

The nearest towns to the monument are St. George, Utah, Fredonia, Arizona, and as it turns out, Mesquite, Nevada.  The road into the monument from Mesquite is completely passable in a 4WD vehicle.  I don’t recommend driving the sedan.  But if you’re a fan of beautiful desert wilderness, I do recommend Grand Canyon – Parashant National Monument.

The Mesquite Senior Center

This year we’re volunteering as tax preparers for AARP Tax Aide.  Tax Aide uses the same IRS-sponsored certification tests, the same process, and the same tax software as the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that we’ve supported for so long.  And since it’s a program to help seniors, what better place to meet than the Senior Center? 

When I started this blog by researching fun things to do in retirement, visiting a Senior Center didn’t make the cut.  Somehow I had it in my brain that I would never be old enough to go to the Senior Center. 

Turns out I am.  According to the Mesquite Senior Center newsletter, patrons 60 and older qualify for the reduced lunch price of $3.50, and are welcome at all events.  Who knew?  So I read through the newsletter.  In January they had a line dancing party; they had a Valentine’s dinner in February, and a murder mystery dinner in March.  They offer several crafts each month for a minimal charge, and several exercise classes including low-impact Zumba.

We were told by our Tax Aide colleagues that they usually eat lunch on the days they work.  We tried it on training day, and it was actually very good.  Coffee, lemonade, and punch are available at no charge all day long.  I am absolutely amazed at the efficiency of the center.  They cook the lunches on site and package them for the Meals on Wheels program.  When lunch hour starts, all you have to do is sign in, pay your $3.50 and sit down.  The staff serves you with a smile.  Of course, we’ve eaten lunch there every time we’ve worked.

The center is open 5 days a week from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  Classes are available during these times, as are tables to play cards and do puzzles, or just have coffee and visit with friends.  They also schedule field trips to exotic places such as Las Vegas. 

So, while I’m still not old enough to spend my days at the Senior Center, I’m pleased to know about the services offered, and count me in for lunch.

Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is?

Does anybody really care?

Beaver Dam is in the northwest corner of Arizona.  If you go eight miles west you cross into Nevada, which is in the Pacific Time Zone.  If you go twenty-three miles east, you cross into Utah, which is in the Mountain Time Zone.

And Arizona?  It’s in the Mountain Standard Time Zone.  Always.  Arizona is one of two states in the U.S. that does not observe Daylight Savings Time.  Half the year, Arizona is on the same time as Utah.  The other half, it’s on the same time as Nevada.

This can make life interesting.  Since there’s almost nothing in Beaver Dam, if we want to do anything, we’re either driving to Utah or driving to Nevada.  And what time it is where we’re going is almost more important than what time it is where we are.  If we were going to Utah, we plan to leave normally.  If we were going to Nevada, we’d leave 45 minutes later than the time we were scheduled to arrive.  Weird, I know, but we got used to it.

Just as we had pretty much figured out our regular routine, Daylight Savings Time hit.  Utah and Nevada dutifully changed.  Arizona dutifully stayed the same.  And now, instead of being on the same time as Utah and an hour ahead of Nevada, we were on the same time as Nevada and an hour behind Utah.

This hit us pretty hard last weekend when we commuted to Hurricane for the Tri-State ATV Jamboree.  We had to be at the Jamboree Headquarters each morning at 6:30 AM – challenging even when you don’t have to adjust for time zones.  We had to leave the trailer at 4:30 AM to make it on time.

Then there’s the TV schedule.   Our trailer antenna picks up one station from Phoenix.  Everything else is from Utah.  So the Channel 4 news at 5 is on at 4 here.  And clocks?  The trailer clocks are set to Arizona time, which is effectively Pacific Time.  The car clocks are set to Utah time.  My watch is set to Utah time.  Thankfully the cell phones change with the location, so if I ever get confused, I have an authoritative source.  Verizon really knows what time it is, and apparently, they really care.

Valley of Fire State Park

Balanced Rock

We took Sue, Helen, and Bill to visit Valley of Fire State Park, located south of Overton, Nevada.  Valley of Fire is named for the red sandstone formations that permeate the desert landscape.  It was designated as Nevada’s first state park on March 26, 1935.

The park covers approximately 42,000 acres.  The roads and trails leading to the better known features were developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps beginning in 1933.  Many features are visible from the paved roads and viewpoints, but to see some of the features, you have to get out and hike.  I was excited to have company on the short hikes, as usually I’m walking alone.

I am completely and totally out of practice as far as hiking is concerned.  I am fine going the distance, but when the terrain becomes steep I become hesitant to the point of fearful.  Hindsight being 20-20, I should have brought one of Paul’s many walking sticks – some of which are actually designed to be hiking sticks.  Thankfully, Bill was sure footed and helped me both up and down the final climb to the Rainbow Vista.  And yes, the view was worth the angst.

The view from Rainbow Vista

The Mouse’s Tank trail featured several walls covered with petroglyphs left by the ancient Anasazi that once occupied the area.  The drawings were all rather high on the rock faces, leading us to wonder if there were once shelters built that high.  I remembered being told once, in Mexico, that “you only need to take a picture of one iguana.  The others look the same.”  That said, I was never even tempted to pass on taking a photo of a petroglyph wall.  Yes, they looked the same, but yet each wall was different. 

With Helen, Bill and Sue at Atlatl Rock

They made it really easy to view the petroglyphs at Atlatl Rock.  There’s a metal staircase taking you eye level with the drawings.  What’s an atlatl?  It’s a notched stick used to throw primitive spears.  You can see a drawing of an atlatl at the very top left of this photo.

We took the long way around to see Arch Rock.  We parked on the side of the road and walked all the way around to the back, where we got a glimpse of the arch.  As we continued around the rock and back to the road, we realized we could see it from the road – if only we knew where to look.

We spent most of the day and over 14,000 steps visiting Valley of Fire, and still didn’t see everything.  I guess we have a reason to go back.  And yes, I’m still living vicariously through Sue’s Fitbit.  

Arch Rock

Driving a Subaru

One year ago today I bought my first Subaru. 

I can’t pinpoint the exact reason I wanted a Subaru.  But when it was time for me to shop for a new car, it was the one that caught my eye.  Of course, I tried to be fair.  Nearly every car manufacturer has an all-wheel drive Sport Utility Vehicle similar to the Subaru.  “Look,” I would say to my husband as we drove past one, “there’s the Ford wanna-be.  There’s the Nissan wanna-be.”  Etcetera.  But when it came right down to it, I didn’t want a “wanna-be.”  I wanted the real thing.

Subaru definitely has a culture.  I guess there are other cars that have a culture.  I just haven’t owned one.  I mean, seriously.  What do you think of when you think Buick?  Old???  When you think Subaru, you think of the outdoors, of adventure.  In fact, when I told my daughter and her then-fiancé that I was considering a Subaru, they told me I wasn’t “granola” enough.  They issued a challenge – make it to the top of the climbing wall to get their blessing on buying a Subaru.  I was game – and I succeeded!

My Outback has been a great road trip car.  Since buying it, I’ve taken it all over the Western U.S. – to the tune of 18,000 miles in the first year!  First oil change and 6000 mile checkup!  Check.  Second oil change and 12,000 mile checkup!  Check.  Third oil change and 18,000 mile checkup!  Check.  The Subaru dealer’s service department waiting room has been all that I expected.  Free water, sodas, juices and popcorn.  Recycle bins.  Dog biscuits and a water bowl for the best friend who rides in the back.  The technicians and service representatives are top notch, and they even give me a cookie on the way out. 

My Outback also does quite well off the beaten path.  We’ve taken it off-road several times, and the only problem is getting all the dirt off the back windshield.  There’s a spot at the top of the lift gate that car washes just don’t reach.  Oh, well.

In case you’ve heard the rumor that the Subaru Outback is a “lesbian” car, let me set the record straight.  In 1995, Subaru of America became the founding sponsor of the Rainbow Endowment, a 501©3 charity that contributes to non-profits serving the LGBTQ community.  So our LGBTQ friends support Subaru because Subaru supports them, and has done so long before it became fashionable.  Now we know.

According to Wikipedia, the word “Subaru” is the Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters.  According to tradition, one of the sisters is invisible; hence there are only six stars in the Subaru logo.  I’m convinced the stars aligned for me when I made the decision to buy a Subaru. Love it!!!!

The Logandale Trails

The Logandale Trailhead

The Logandale ATV trails are a short drive southwest on I-15 from Beaver Dam – not close enough to ride the back roads but not far to trailer.  The road to the trailhead is a little tricky – we saw tire tracks of many other trucks that crossed the railroad tracks in the wrong spot and had to turn around.  For the record – you follow the road to the right and cross at the second crossing.

The trail is relatively well-marked.  I say relatively because it is marked in relation to a map that we did not have when we started.  The overall map showed a loop that had trail markers throughout.  As we examined the trail markers, there were numbers and letter which meant nothing to us, and even though there was a place on each marker for the GPS coordinates, they were not filled in.  We ended up taking a few wrong turns.  How is it that we can get lost on a well-marked trail system?  Yes, we’re that good.

I have never seen an ATV trail area complete with rest rooms and picnic tables along the first few miles of the trail.  I suspect that if we were to ride these trails during spring break, every possible spot would be filled with campers in tents and smaller trailers.  There’s even a group camp site.

Much of the area we rode through reminded me of Lake Powell – minus the lake, of course.  High red cliffs above, red rock and red sand under our wheels.   The parks perimeters were more reminiscent of Southwestern Wyoming, with its green-tinted mountains.  

When we found our way back to the main trailhead, we started exploring a few of the side roads.  We found a road to an abandoned mine – complete with warning signs.  It didn’t look that interesting so we turned around.  We found the road leading to the sand dunes, and Paul had waaaaayyyy too much fun bouncing up and down the dunes.  He hit one bump that reminded me of the old adage:  passengers fly – they just don’t land too well.  That one hurt and I was done.

All in all, the Logandale trails are a great ride.  There’s enough challenging terrain to keep the most expert riders entertained, and enough beauty to keep the fussiest passengers in awe.  After the ride, I highly recommend Sugar’s Home Plate in Overton – just a few miles up the road.  The wings are awesome, and I hear the carrot cake is to die for.

Happy Trails!

The Dam Trails

In the Beaver Dam Wash

With a minimal amount of riding on paved roads, we can ride out of Chief Sleep Easy RV Park and find ourselves on several ATV trails through and near the Beaver Dam Wash.

The trails in and around the Beaver Dam Wash all have one thing in common:  the combination of wind and water on sand and rock in a river bottom results in really rough roads.  I’ve started wearing a sport bra when we ride, to avoid “boobies – bouncing boobies – bouncing boobies – bouncing boobies on the trail.”  Sung to the Game of Thrones theme.

And speaking of boobies:  not far out of the wash on the south side we found the Thelma and Louise

Thelma and Louise

monument – complete with the exit sign leading over the cliff.  I have yet to make a contribution.  Not sure what to contribute, as I do not own – and will never own – a large enough bra.

Although we had directions from the BLM on how to find the Tri-State Monument, we found it on our own on the back roads through the wash.  The monument marks the spot where Arizona, Nevada, and Utah meet.  Here I am, standing in three states at once!

Tri-State Monument

Did you know you can ride the back roads from Beaver Dam to Mesquite, Nevada, and end up in the parking lot of Dotty’s Casino, overlooking the Eureka and a short ride on paved roads to the gas station?  This ride, however, is a one-and-done, as it is quite challenging.  For the first time ever, we hit a hill the Polaris couldn’t climb.  Thankfully, Paul was able to back us down and we found another way.  Next time I go to Mesquite, I’ll be taking the car. 

Did you know you can ride the back roads from Beaver Dam to the Virgin River Canyon Recreation

Overlooking the Virgin River canyon

Area campground?  That was a beautiful ride over the mountains and into the Virgin River Gorge.  We did have to use the main road to cross over I-15 into the campground, but having lunch at a picnic table with restrooms nearby was well worth it.

As you come out the north end of the wash, you come into what can be called a Joshua Tree Forest, as the trees are everywhere.  We learned in a John Sandford novel that the early Mormon pioneers gave these trees their name – as they reminded them of Joshua raising his hands toward heaven.

Joshua Forest

There are miles and miles of trails out of the wash, so we still have lots to explore.  And  I still can’t get that tune out of my head.  Dam.

Beaver Dam, AZ, U.S.A

Beaver Dam Station and Dam Bar

Beaver Dam is an unincorporated community in Mohave County, Arizona, located along the pack horse route of the Old Spanish Trail from 1828 and the later wagon route of the Mormon Road between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles from 1847. The town was named for a beaver dam that occupied and held back the waters on the wash when the first Mormon party under Jefferson Hunt established the wagon road through the area in 1847.

The Mormon Road was used by Forty-niners in 1849 and Mormon colonists and other travelers from then on.  The road passes southward from the Beaver Dam Mountains to the Virgin River along Beaver Dam Wash to where it met the river. From 1855, the road was a major wagon freighting road until the railroad arrived in Nevada in 1905. Beaver Dam was first settled by Mormon colonists in 1863.

The Beaver Dam Wash from the Bridge on Main Street

The town is built on both sides of the Beaver Dam wash – an impressive feature that you can cross at the bridge on Main Street.  Otherwise, you’re traveling through on ATVs, which, by the way, you can still do on the old Mormon Road.

The town is about as small as they come.  It features a golf course with a lodge and the town’s only restaurant.  There is a small convenience store which adjoins The Dam Bar/Dam Deli – an inaccurate sign as there is no deli – just a bar with a couple of pool tables in the back and karaoke on Wednesday nights. The Mojave County Fire Station and Driver’s License Division are located in Beaver Dam, as is the Littlefield post office.  Beaver Dam features an elementary school, a junior high, and a high school.  I know the high school has a cross-country team, as I see them running sometimes when I’m out in the afternoon.  The only thing Beaver Dam has an abundance of is trailer parks.  I’ve found six so far.  I suspect the population more than doubles during the winter months.

There is a car dealer in Beaver Dam, but there is no gas station in Beaver Dam – yet.  One is currently under construction, but according to the locals, it’s been under construction for several years now with no completion date in sight.

So why is there always so much traffic in and out of Beaver Dam?  Two words:  lottery tickets.  Beaver Dam – and its nearby neighbor, Littlefield, have the distinction of being the only towns in Arizona on I-15.  All those travelers between Salt Lake and Las Vegas have to buy their lottery tickets somewhere. The Lodge, the convenience store, and the Dam Bar all sell Arizona lottery tickets.  When the jackpot was over $400 million, cars were parked up and down Main Street and the line in the convenience store was out the door.  Alas, the winner came from Massachusetts!  Maybe next time…

When winter season arrives, the locals keep things hopping.  There’s a Flea Market every weekend, lawn mower races on the second Saturday of each month, and of course, the Beaver Dam Jam scheduled for May 6.  So much to look forward to…

Snowbird 102

Happy New Year!  In October of 2017 we pulled the trailer to Beaver Dam, Arizona for our second attempt at being snowbirds.  Taking the major lesson learned from our 2016 snowbird adventure, we knew we needed to go further south than Hurricane.  It was just too cold there in the winter and our trailer is too poorly insulated.

Why Beaver Dam?  Our first inquiries were in Mesquite, Nevada.   Two of the RV parks in Mesquite were glorified blacktop parking lots with hookups and the occasional tree.  And the one we were interested in wouldn’t take us because our trailer was more than 10 years old.  It’s official – we’re trailer trash!  So we turned to the Arizona Strip – just eight miles east.

Chief Sleep Easy RV Park in Beaver Dam was almost empty in September when we drove through. 

The parking was gravel with a few trees, and the parking spots looked really close together.  As we drove through, we selected several spots that we would ask about.  But when we met with the park manager we learned that they were almost completely full for the winter season.  Almost.  She had recently had a cancellation.  Site 32 was open if we wanted it.  We took it. 

By November the park was full, and the gravel drive strips came alive with trailers, carpets, bistro sets and plants, and of course, people.  Many of the residents knew one another from years past.  They welcomed us with open arms.  Paul joined right in with the guys drinking their afternoon beers, and even recruited a couple of them to repair our roof. 

Chief Sleep Easy hosts weekly activities and several potlucks during the season – all with the idea of helping the residents get to know one another.  And while there’s not much in Beaver Dam, Mesquite is only 8 miles west, and the Beaver Dam Wash offers dozens of trails to ride. 

Why is the park called Chief Sleep Easy?  Looking up from the clubhouse, you can see the Chief lying down, sleeping peacefully with the knowledge that his park is well cared for.  His head is at the right, nose protruding.  They say that when the thunder roars, the chief is snoring.

I have my planter boxes in front of the trailer, and a new bistro set graces the front entrance.  We are here for the winter.  Happy New Year!