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Abbie's baptism was an excuse for a family gathering and, as usual, I enjoyed visiting with everyone. Abbie, however, was a bit under the weather, so from her perspective, it probably could have been a little better.

My Geo is pretending to have problems, so I had Wyatt look at it. As you might expect, I was completely unable to duplicate the problem in his presence. Murphy strikes again.

On the way home, I stopped by to visit Mark, and was impressed with the changed look of the Woodruff Butte. When I was a child visiting my Grandparents in Woodruff, I figured the Butte would last forever. Since then, I have discovered that there is absolutely nothing on the earth's surface that is permanent. Geological features outlast me, but in the "lifespan" of the earth, 100,000 years is only a passing fad.

This is a news report from the local media: On Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 9:14 a.m. the Pinal County Sheriffs Office responded to a reported plane crash at the Smelter Wash near the San Manuel Airport. The wash is located approximately 2 miles north of the airport. When deputies arrived on scene they located the plane which had caught fire after crashing. According to a witness, the plane was being flown by its pilot when the pilot reported over the radio he was having oil pressure problems and was returning to the airport. Suddenly, the plane went into a spin and crashed into a canyon known as Smelter Wash. Seventy-seven year old Max Wood from Oracle was the only person on board and he was killed instantly. The plane was described as a single engine Mustang II FB. While the investigation by the NSTB is not complete, I have no doubt that they will find the cause of the crash to be, "Pilot Error." They always do...

I have spent a little time unsuccessfully attempting to locate the crash site, but given the sparse description above and the lay of the land, it has eluded me. I need more daylight hours and/or a flying vehicle of some sort. It is evident from this photo, that the canyon is narrow enough, and the walls steep enough, that a person walking down the canyon bottom could pass within a few yards of the wreck without seeing it. And there are so many side canyons feeding into the main one, that walking along the canyon rim might be a 50 mile hike.

When I first looked at these photos, I was somewhat skeptical about the report of the plane entering a spin, but upon reflection it appears that it might be difficult for a plane to reach this position at the end of a shallow glide. I would like to see the wreckage and the surrounding topography. So much to do, so little time...

Speaking of geological change, the other week I took the opportunity to again climb what I think is called, "El Capitan." I usually walk up the road that goes almost to the top, but this time I took a shorter, steeper route (visible in this photo). Without my walking crutch, I just about didn't make it. What a decrepit old man I have become.

The fossils are all still in place. At some point, I would like to undertake a study of geology. I couldn't stand the thought of studying it in college, but have come to rue that mind set in my later years.

I am at a loss to explain exactly why, but I have always enjoyed standing on a mountain peak and looking around. Maybe it is because of the different perspective. Photos don't capture the breath taking steepness of the cliffs. Can you see my shadow?

I have experienced a rash of bicycle problems. After many miles of service (and over 75 thorn punctures), a tube on my suspension bike went into retirement (when I grew weary of pumping it up once a week). I replaced both the tire and tube the tube with new ones, inflated the tube to the appropriate pressure, and hung the bike on the car rack. As I walked away, there was a loud "pop," and I owned one less functional tube. The cost per mile was pretty high on that one... So, I started riding my old ("Classic," is the vernacular used on Craigslist) Peugeot (so old it only has ten speeds). That went well for a few weeks, and then I experience a blowout--a slit right down the center of the tread. I got to walk the 2.3 miles back to work. Finding a 27 inch tire and tube has proved somewhat problematic, (mainly because I try to avoid frequenting over-priced bicycle specialty shops). I may hold out a bit longer, but when I finally give in, I expect to to pay as much for a replacement as I used to spend on a car tire. And, for some odd reason, I'm having a problem with that...

The next casualty was my old Mt. bike--you remember, the faded blue/white/turquoise/rust colored one? Attached to the crank are three chain rings. The smallest of these somehow snagged the chain as it was coming off, and managed to get bent--even to the point of interfering with the crank turning. The walk back to work was only a couple of hundred yards this time... For awhile, I thought the bike was dead, but then I located two other old bike frames in my yard that had the same type of cranking system. While the parts were interchangeable, they were not identical. I went from a large chain ring having 52 teeth to one having only 50, so my top end speed will be lower. On the other end, I went from one having 36 teeth to one having 30, which means hill climbing should be easier. There are always compromises in this sort of a deal. In spite of all my mechanical problems, I have been able to do a little riding. For starters, I left my car in San Manuel (by transporting the motorized bike there and then riding it back to Oracle), and rode the suspension bike to San Manuel via the trails that start on Mt. Lemon Highway opposite the turnoff to Campo Bonito. The suspension bike is heavy and seem reluctant to roll, but once I reached the washed out roads and trails leading across the desert to San Manuel, it performed admirably. The ride was a bit challenging, but very enjoyable. I have too many bikes, and I was thinking that maybe I should get rid of the suspension bike. Unfortunately, this ride cured me of that thought.

On another weekend, I rode the motorized bike (round trip) to the Dairy Queen at Picacho Peak. I had spent a couple of days correcting a few minor bugs, and this trip went reasonably well (if you don't count the three times the gas tank slid around the tube on which it is mounted and splashed gas/oil down my pant leg [a problem I later corrected with a few turns of a retaining nut]). The literature says the tank holds 2 liters. This is obviously a round number with the exact volume depending on how you define "full tank." On this trip I burned two "full" tanks, and assuming an even 2 liter volume, I got 84.2 mpg on the first tank and 80.4 on the second. Not being content with those approximations, I took the bike to the relatively flat section of road heading southeast from San Manuel. There I emptied the gas tank (by running it dry [as evidenced by the motor stopping]), then added a measured amount of fuel using a graduated cylinder and recorded the distance the bike ran before stopping again. I repeated this process four times and calculated the mpg values at 101.7, 95.2, 102.0, and 95.9. This wasn't a prefect measuring system, as establishing gravity fed flow through the cutoff valve, fuel tubing, and filter was problematic. Further, on the other end, the motor sometimes sputtered for perhaps as much as a tenth of a mile before dying. But, it is the best estimation I have, and after averaging these values, I am going to claim 98.9 mpg. I had hoped to ride this bike from Oracle to Eagar, but summer ended before I made the attempt. I regarded this proposed trip as a major feat to be approached with some trepidation, until I realized that round trip ride to Picacho Peak, was just three miles less than half the distance to Eagar. I now suspect it would have been a piece of cake...

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