One big thing remaining on our list was a "test tow" of SuziQ with the new fancy-schmancy hitch. I had been rather avoiding the "test tow" in case there was something amiss. Well, time passed and we ran out of ample time to test the tow rig. We finally got around to the test a little before 5 pm tonight. Thankfully, everything worked like a charm and the Samurai towed like a dream. Susun followed behind in the Nissan and we used two-way radios to consult on how it all behaved and performed. There was no sway in the rig whatsoever. Everything's tight and nice and fits together like a hand in glove. We both let out a big WHEW after our test.
Now it's time to begin to pack the Skamper and the Nissan and power down 2nd Chance Ranch. Tonight's our last campfire of the season so we will make it a medium decent white man fire.
If you are reading this post soon after it was written, think positive thoughts for Joshua W. He was scheduled to give his Senior Exhibition at 5 pm today so he's in the thick of it as we write this. We sure are pulling for him.
The Tuesday Target Shoot was a real hoot yet again this week. That's a really superb bunch of guys and gals there. It's been great going there as often as possible. I can hardly wait to come back and join the group again in November. Thanks to everyone who made it so enjoyable.
This afternoon I spent way too much time learning to program my HAM radio as well as loading GPS coordinates of repeaters into our Garmin. After way too much time, we have Navajo Mtn, Blowhard Peak near Cedar City; Utah Hill at St. George, Mt. Dutton near Panguitch, Frisco Peak at Milford, Levan Peak near Levan and the Kanab repeaters all loaded and ready to go for our trip. That will pretty well covers where we might roam on our way home this year. It sure is comforting to know we can reach out and communicate deep in MOAN Country.
April 18 was my late Dad's birthday. I forgot to mention that yesterday. Ten years ago on April 18 we did a great road trip out of Kanab on the Skutumpah-Cottonwood Loop. As we were driving back to Kanab from the Paria River on Highway 89, we crested the high rise of the North Kaibab Monocline. I looked in the rear view mirror of our '87 Samurai and there was a B-2 Bomber fully framed in the mirror BELOW us and behind us. It looked like it was going to go out in the passing lane to get around us. We jammed on the brakes and jumped out of the truck just as it flew overhead perhaps 200 feet above us. We both saw the pilot staring at us. Susun somehow actually snapped a photo of it. As it headed west, it dropped down below us once again, hugging the undulating slope of the juniper-studded earth up there. We stood quivering in awe of our nation's military might and skill on my Dad's birthday ten years ago. After we leave Marble Canyon this trip, we think we might go hang out in Kanab just so we can do the Skutumpah Loop again as a Tenth Anniversary of that trip.
Life is good! Many Cheers, jp
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