Started out this year with a new Hans Olson wall calendar, a calendar I make each year with photos from Hans Olson gigs. I've been doing this since 2008 and this was calendar #11. This was the last one made with the Apple printing service as they discontinued that service in September of 2018. See calendar cover below.
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| Above: 2019 Hans Olson 13" x 10" wall calendar. |
January 6: Finally finished
Skunk Works book by Ben R. Rich. This book was a gift from long-time-Florida friend Jimmy Jeffers, he sent me this book in November of 2017. I had a copy of the book from 1995 from when it first came out and had already read it. But in December of 2018 I decided to reread the book, but didn't finish it until January of 2019.
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| Above: Skunk Works book from Jimmy Jeffers. |
January 20: Photographed the 2018 Arizona Blues Hall of Fame (ABHOF) Induction Ceremony at the Rhythm Room. Inducted this night were Tom McMillan, Freddie Cisneros, and Delmar Stewart.
Click here for all photos.
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| Above: Tom McMillan after receiving his ABHOF plaque |
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| Above: Freddie Cisneros receiving his ABHOF plaque. |
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| Above: George Bowman accepting the ABHOF plaque for Delmar Stewart. |
January 26: Went to 30th Annual Mesa Old West Show & Auction in Mesa, AZ with Rodd Wolff, and later stopped by Rodd's place and saw his horse Ebbie.
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| Above: Part of the 30th Annual Mesa Old West Show & Auction in Mesa, AZ |
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| Above: Rodd Wolff and his horse Ebbie. |
February 5: Went to a free Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) presentation by Jon Fuller who did a a 196-mile (15-days) canoe paddle down the Verde River in 2017. I’m also bought a copy of his book
Verde River Elegy: A Paddling Journey to the River's End.
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| Above: Jon Fuller starting his presentation. |
February 9: Sold the 1968 Yamaha DT-1 250 cc dirt bike that I've had since 1972. I always wanted to get it running again but finally realize that was not going to happen, so I sold it via Craigslist for $200, mainly to declutter the garage.
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| Above: 1968 Yamaha DT-1 250 cc dirt bike (shown without the engine). |
February 13: Went to the Time Out Lounge in Tempe with Bob Ray and Jack Shell to catch a Hans Olson gig.
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| Above: Hans Olson on stage at the Time Out Lounge. |
February 20: Jean and I saw 3 bobcats out by our pool area, a mama and 2 younger bobcats.
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Above: 2 of the bobcats by our pool. Photo taken from inside, through our kitchen window.
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| Above: The 3 bobcats drinking rain water out of pot saucer. Photo taken from inside, through our kitchen window. |
February 22 & 23: Had snow on McDowell Mountains, plus snow in NE Scottsdale, Cave Creek and Fountain Hills. "Snow fell at elevations as low as 2,000 feet in the Valley, with 8 inches accumulating in some parts"-Marvin Percha, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Arizona.
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Above: Snow on McDowell Mountains, zoom photo (9X) taken from inside our house through the kitchen window.
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| Above: Zoom shot (66X) of Thompson Peak in the McDowell Mountains, photo taken from inside our house through the kitchen window. |
February 26: Went to a free Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) class on "Preparing for Havasupai Falls," presented by Stefan Dudzinski. Main topics were (1) The Nation and Permits, (2) Getting There, (3) the Waterfalls, (4) Train & Prepare and (5) Gear. Since this is a 3-night minimum and not for backpacking beginners, I assume it's probably something I'll never do as I think my backpacking days are no doubt over.
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| Above: REI employee Stefan Dudzinski, a very good presenter. |
March 1: Finished reading Jon Fuller's book
Verde River Elegy: A Paddling Journey to the River's End. An excellent read on canoeing one of the last rivers in Arizona that still flows year round and includes the state’s only Wild and Scenic River segment. This trip was made in October 2017 Wrote a review for the book on Amazon.com.
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| Above: Jon Fuller's book Verde River Elegy: A Paddling Journey to the River's End. |
March 7: Jean fixed a birthday dinner (my birthday) for us tonight, Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork with baked potatoes. She put a rub on the pork consisting of paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard & salt.
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| Above: My birthday dinner by Jean, pulled pork with a baked potato. |
March 21: Finished reading
My Life-Sunrise to Sunset (published 1989) by Rex Allen, The Arizona Cowboy, as told to Paula Simpson-Witt and Snuff Garrett (1939-2015). Book loaned to me by Rodd Wolff.
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| Above: "My Life" "Sunrise to Sunset" by Rex Allen (1920-1999), book published 1989. |
March 27: Went to the Time Out Lounge in Tempe with Jack Shell and Bob Ray to catch a Hans Olson gig.
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| Above: Hans Olson on stage at the Time Out Lounge. |
March 31: Kayaked Salt River from Phon D Sutton Recreation Area to Granite Reef Recreation Area, about 3 miles.
Click here for all photos.
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| Above: Put-in point at Phon D Sutton Recreation Area. My green inflatable Intex Challenger K-1 kayak in front. |
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| Above: Heading down stream of the Salt River. |
April 19th: Had lunch with Ed Guerra at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse in Mesa. After that I got a ride in Ed's 2002 Corvette.
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| Above: BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse in Mesa. |
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| Above: Ed Guerra in his 2002 Corvette. |
April 20th: Finished reading
Silent Hoofbeats by Bobby J. Copeland. Book loaned to me by Rodd Wolff.
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| Above: Silent Hoofbeats by Bobby J. Copeland. Book published 2001. Copeland died October 5, 2016 at age 81. |
June 2: Went kayaking with the Phoenix Kayak Club on the Lower Salt River, a 9+ mile paddle from the Water Users Area #1 to Phon D Sutton.
Click here for all photos.
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| Above: Some horses crossed the river directly in front of me. |
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| Above: A zoom shot of kayakers going through a riffle on the river. |
July 3: Went to the Hans Olson annual Birthday Bash at the Rhythm Room, photographed the event.
Click here for all photos.
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| Above: Outside smoking area of the Rhythm Room |
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| Above: Hans Olson Band with Special Guest Chuck Hall |
July 25: Went kayaking at Saguaro Lake, my first time kayaking there, launched at Butcher Jones Recreation Site. Only paddled about 90+ minutes, about 2.4 miles. I definitely want to go back and kayak a little further. Click here for all photos.
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| Above: Launch site: Butcher Jones Recreation Site. |
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| Above: Kayaking on Saguaro Lake. |
August 7: Went to the Time Out Lounge in Tempe with Bob Ray and Jack Shell to take in a Hans Olson show.
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| Above: Hans Olson on stage at the Time Out Lounge. |
August 11: Went to the Hans Olson 50th Year Anniversary (of performing in Arizona) at the Musical Instruments Museum in Phoenix
. Click here for all photos.
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| Above: Hans Olson at the Musical Instruments Museum Theater. |
October 11: Motorcycle ride to Payson, Arizona. Had breakfast at the Crosswinds Restaurant at the airport, rode to the Tonto Natural Bridge, stopped by the Payson Rodeo Grounds and the Payson Casino
. Click here for all photos.
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| Above: Picked up the Yamaha V Star 650 the day before the ride. |
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| Above: Not my photo but I saw this natural bridge. |
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| Above: Part of the Payson Rodeo Grounds. |
October 19 & 20: Took a 2-day sailing class from Go Sail Arizona on Lake Pleasant, from out of the Pleasant Harbor Marina
. Click here for all photos.
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| Above: Catalina 22 Capri used for class |
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| Above: Under sail in Lake Pleasant |
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| Above: Pretending to be a helmsman |
November 9: Took the final sailing test from Go Sail Arizona from out of the Pleasant Harbor Marina on Lake Pleasant, under Captain Xa Johnson
. Click here for all photos.
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| Above: At the helm. |
November 13: Had lunch with two Clarksville High School classmates (Mike Calvert (class of 1958) & his wife Kathryn, and Dave Chaney (class of 1959) & his wife Betty) at the BeDillon's Restaurant in Casa Grande.
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| Above: BeDillon's Restaurant in Casa Grande |
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| Above: Dave Chaney, Mike Calvert and Lowell |
November 24: Had lunch with Walter Cress at the Rock Springs Cafe in Black Canyon Arizona. Walter was driving from Calexico, California to Sturgis, South Dakota to visit his oldest daughter Lisa and her family for the Thanksgiving holiday. Stopped at the Anthem Veterans Memorial on the drive up.
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| Above: Anthem Veterans Memorial, dedicated in 2011 to honor the sacrifice and service made by members of the United States Armed Forces. The five white pillars represent the nation's military branches |
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| Above: Walter arriving at Rock Springs Cafe in his 2006 Toyota Tacoma truck |
November 28: Finished reading Alone Together: Sailing Solo to Hawaii and Beyond by Christain Williams. Williams made a solo round trip sailing journey from Los Angeles, California to Kauai, Hawaii in 48 days (20 + 28) and covered 6,000 miles. He did this at the age of 71 in 2014 in a 32-foot Ericson 32-3 sloop named Thelonious. He endured gear failure and seasickness and took refuge in Hawaii from two massive hurricanes. See 30-minute YouTube video on this trip at CLICK HERE.
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| Above: Book published in 2016, two years after the journey |
December 4: Went to the Time Out Lounge in Tempe with Bob Ray and Jack Shell to take in a Hans Olson show, 4th and last time this year.
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| Above: Hans Olson on stage at the Time Out Lounge. |
December 5: Received new Garmin inReach Mini Satellite Communicator to use for Motorcycle road trips where there is no cellular coverage.
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| Above: Garmin inReach Mini Satellite Communicator |
December 10: Received new Osmo Action camera to be used primarily for motorcycle road trips. Bought this for $282 from B&H to replace (or use with) the DBPOWER N6 action camera I bought for $59 in 2017.
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| Above: Osmo Action camera |
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