Show Low, Arizona

It's July 11th and I've been spending the last three weeks in Show Low, Az. with the family.

After reaching the border and spending a few hours in Tijuana, Nevada and I drove back to San Diego and the following day drove down to San Felipe, B.C. to spend some time on the beach. Her father and his wife also live down there so we had a place to crash. It's a small, no-where town that is on the verge of coming up- American Style. Big half built housing developments for tourists and snow birds line the road miles before the town center. It seemed like the first pieces of property to go up were the overprotective concrete and iron barriers guarding the green grass patches and completely out of place water fountains. Almost no homes were in sight, only the billboards foretelling the future.

On our way back into the states Nevada's car began to overheat in the line to cross over to California. We scrounged up a few dollars, a bit of change, 2 lighters, and an apple to give to the men gathering water for the radiator. We barely made it to an auto parts store and I have to think that we had little chance of making it another mile without destroying the engine.

I met up with my Dad and his partner Nancy following our return to San Diego and the next day we began the seven hour drive back to Show Low, Az. We passed through some ares of lower Az. that were hosting some intense heat. 118 degrees in one town. About six hours into the drive we stopped for lunch and when we went to leave the car wouldn't start. The Heat had killed the Battery. Luckily we were able to get a drunk Indian with a Fiery, self-important attitude to give us a jump and we were on our way with our fingers crossed that the battery also hadn't killed the alternator. We made it home but the the next day the battery was toast.

It seems that I'm the unlucky common denominator in these motor excursions and tomorrow I leave for Florida. Hopefully the bad Juju has burned itself out and I can have an incident free trip which takes me by small commuter plane from Show Low to Phoenix Intl. where I'll catch a bigger jet to Houston, Tx. and then over to Orlando Fl.