New Year, New Blog

I finally figured out how to create a new blog to reflect the new year.  Going forward, I will post to this one.

And now a few updates:

Here's why you don't go four-wheeling in the desert by yourself:

O dear...

This is essentially a game of follow-the-leader.  In this case, the leader forgot to mention that there's a big hole to the left of the lip of the wash.  From the bottom of the trail, you can't see where the leader has gone after he has cleared the top.  Sooooo, I got to the top, drifted left, and dropped into the hole.  Fortunately, after everyone stopped laughing, the guys got me out and we continued.

Weather has gotten beautiful again.  Day before yesterday (3/9 Monday) I went out with a different group.  My passenger was a neighbor, 88-year-old Marge.  Usually she rides her ATV but she said her hands were bothering her and she was concerned she would have trouble with shifting.  She's a hoot.  I look forward to having her for a passenger again in the near future.

I hiked up to the top of a ridge to see more petroglyphs and caves but I forgot to bring my camera.  O well, I will undoubtedly get another opportunity.  As we were coming back from the petroglyphs, a huge storm front was moving over the mountains to the north of the park.  Fortunately we got back before the storm broke.  Like Kansas, weather here can change in a heartbeat and you'd better be watching the sky.  The last place you want to be in a storm with lightning is on the desert floor.

On an unrelated topic, I signed up another park resident to build a screened porch onto the Hitchhiker.  Last summer/fall I was consumed by flies and mosquitoes every time I stepped outside.  I loved the screened porch on the Leawood house so I decided to have another one.  He will probably start it this week.  Photos to follow.