It Is Really Grand: The Grand Canyon

When we reach the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, the fog was so thick we couldn't see the path. We walked along the path gingerly so we wouldn't take a wrong turn and hoped that the fog would lift in a few minutes. After an hour, we decided to get a camp site and try our luck in the morning. Once we registered our site, we went back to the rim where the fog had lifted enough so that we could see the bottom of the canyon. The fog looked like icing on a very large layer cake. 

Beth has a big smile when the fog lifts and the canyon comes into view. 

Shadows and fog over the Grand Canyon. 

Java meets new friends at the South Rim. 

Oracle, Arizona

I'm sitting on the south-facing veranda of our friends' casita in Oracle, Arizona watching the sun rise over the small orchard in the yard. The sky is a bright orange after a star-lit night. And such stars as I've never seen. The air is clear and clean and we are far from the city lights of Phoenix and Tucson. In fact Oracle is designated as a dark sky site by Dark Sky International.

On the veranda the sun is up and burning away the chill of the night. Java is basking in the sun on stones that are beating quickly. Soon, Beth and I have moved our chairs to the sun and are also basking. Java oscillated from warm stones in the sun to cool ones further away and back again. She knows how to live. I'm starting to get the hang of it. 

The casita was once a chicken coop that the gardener converted to a grand bedroom. That shed was extended to create a companion room for sitting and dining. It's a lovely space created with many local and homey touches fitting for the area. 

Santa Barbara in January

Santa Barbara has blooming flowers in January! It's hard for me to get my head around that fact. I'm used to frozen ground covered with snow. The only gardening is some pruning once a short thaw has reduced the snow cover a bit. 

Beth and Java got to play at the beach near UCSB. 

During a wine tour near Stearns Pier in Santa Barbara, we saw an Oscar Meyer Weiner Mobile—an unlikely sight, I would have thought. I lived for a time in the 80s near an Oscar Meyer facility at which an older Weiner Mobile was parked. Back then, I saw it regularly. 

The mission in Solvang, which got its mission bell in a second wave of missions. The Mexican government secularized it and eventually the ranch it was on was sold to Danes. The Danes created a folk school. Now it is a tourist village with a Danish-wine motif. 

We did sample some of the Santa Barbara County wine. 

The RV Life

We are sitting at the Mission Bay RV Resort in San Diego cleaning the mini-motor home that my generous brother loaned us to try out the RV life. We pushed from Chicago across the southern plains to get to better weather—we have it now. The temperature is mid to upper 60s with a few lazy clouds. The routine includes walking Java along the Bay, making coffee, and preparing for the day. We don't have far to go today, just to the other side of town where we are meeting our cross-street neighbors from Chicago who have taken an apartment in San Diego. Tomorrow we get to sail with them.

I met a women in the laundry room who said they had been here a week and are moving on to Riverside where there is a nice park. She's a full-timer and only stays a few days at any spot. Next for her is Lake Perris State Recreaction Area near Riverside, CA. We have not not found our perfect campsite or RV park yet. Campsites usually offer scenic beauty and natural recreation like hiking. RV parks are similar to motels near cities or attractions. In the oil-producing states, RV parks are filled with working men. In LA, filled with movie-industry workers. We've come to rely on AAA and Google reviews of sites to judge appearance and cleanliness. It's an art to read a review and get the correct image of a place. 

Meters That Use Light Versus Meters That Use Electrodes

I'm just beginning to understand the differences between meters that measure pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and other components of water. The traditional meter measures light or color. For instance in the Secchi scale, one drops a disk in the water until it just fades from view. What is measured is the length of line played out. The Secchi disk is easy to use by volunteers to monitor inland lakes  (e.g., Indiana Clean Lakes Program, and Citizen Lake Monitoring Program in Minnesota). A modification of that principle is used in the World Water Monitoring Challenge Test Kit in which the distance is controlled by the depth of the container and the clarity of the water is compared to a standard chart. Charts are also used in the Kit for color comparisons when color-activating chemicals are added.

Modified Secchi Scale controls the depth and compares the clarity of the disc on the right to a standard shown on the card to the left. 

Color spectrometry is used to calculate the pH value. The chart on the left is compared to the chemical-filled water sample on the right. 

Although the naked eye can do a good job of comparing standards to samples, there is error introduced from the light source and the human eye. Spectrometers are more accurate. Chemicals are available to colorize for many molecules contained in water (or soil). For instance, Phosphate and Nitrate amounts can be detected using appropriate chemicals and a spectrometer. An example of a spectrometer used to measure swimming pool water is the eXact iDip.

An alternative to measuring color through spectrometry is to measure electrical conductivity with a galvanometer and electrodes. Doing so requires specific electrodes and calculations, but not added chemicals. A simple device is the total dissolved solids meter (e.g., Dr. Meter TDS conductivity meter). To learn more, read about ion selective electrodes on Wikipedia. One advantage of using electrodes is the elimination of chemicals and color analysis. Another advantage is automation. For instance, an electrode-based probe can be connected to a smartphone to read, geolocate, calculated, store, and transmit automatically. For instance, Sensorex makes a general smartphone interface for its probes and pH interface for iPhone (approximately $300). YSI has an interesting multi-electrode product that is portable [Meter ($1500), assembly ($1700), and sensors ($450-$1000].

Sensorex iPhone adaptor and probe.

A Lake Michigan Cruiser Takes to the Land

Beth and I have been cruising on Lake Michigan for 8 seasons and have put about 8,000 miles on Speakeasy, mostly going from Chicago to Beaver Island, Michigan. In October, we got the chance to try a small motorhome for a weekend and since then have been to Bay Field on Lake Superior, Lake Winnebago, both in Wisconsin, Traverse Bay in Michigan, and Lake Eloise, where Cypress Gardens used to be in Florida. In a few months, we've traveled 4,000 miles. Our next land-cruising trip will be to Los Angeles via the great Southwest United States—another 4,000 miles. We'll have put as many miles on VERA in 6 months as we have on Speakeasy in 8 years.

Beth, Mark, and Java before VERA in Winter Haven, FL

We're so lucky that I have a generous brother who is willing to travel vicariously while he waits for more time off. It's his family's motorhome. The van is a Dodge Sprinter conversion by Winnebago. At 24-feet long, it is a perfect size for a couple with a dog. Like Speakeasy, it has a large berth for sleeping, comfortable salon seats, a salon table, galley, head, and fresh water. In addition, VERA has both heating and air conditioning. We're still learning about the land cruising world, but will share more along the way. 

Lakewood RV Resort in Hendersonville, NC is near Flat Rock where Carl Sandburg lived the last 2 decades of his life. 

Fort Clinch State Park on Amelia Island, FL is a wonderful beach park. 

At the old train station with old friend on Amelia Island, FL

Cruising Down the River

Each fall our crew takes Speakeasy from its mooring in Monroe Harbor, through the Chicago Lock, and down the Chicago River to Canal Street Marina. This fall we had a beautiful day—sunny and warm. I was greeted by a sunrise while on the tender to pick up Speakeasy at her mooring in Monroe Harbor. Tender Captain Mayre bid me a safe trip and pleasant off season as I stepped onto Speakeasy's deck. 

Twenty minutes later, I had the mooring bridal and ball (can) cover aboard the swim platform and was headed to the pier at Columbia Yacht Club. After a quick wash of the cover, I began taking down the foresail when my crew arrived to assist. It was 8 am and we were scheduled to cross beneath the Lake Shore Drive lift bridge at 9, but first, we had to enter the Chicago Lock. The Lock divides the Lake Michigan-Huron basin from the Chicago River and, ultimately, the Mississippi River. 

Sunrise on the increasingly empty Monroe Harbor.

The river has amazing views of Chicago architecture including Jeanne Gang's Aqua building [http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqua_(skyscraper)]—the first skyscraper to have balconies that are safe for residents from wind gusts. 

Skyscrapers along the Chicago River including one designed by Jeanne Gang in the background. 

A new feature of the river cruise this season was a barge that partially sank in the middle of the South Branch. During our trip, salvage barges were on either side of the troubled barge. Boat traffic had to line up single file to pass near the east bank. 

Barges on the South Branch, one of them sunken.  

Helper barge on South Branch. 

Broken and sunken barge on South Branch. 

The last sloop around the barges on the South Branch.

Speakeasy was first in line at Canal Street Marina to be hauled out. Straps were place beneath her to hoist her up out of the river and over to land. Once overs land, Speakwasy was power washed and set on a trailer. 

Speakeasy getting a wash down at the Canal Street Marina. 

The trailer was pushed into place near other boats for the winter. Shortly thereafter, I prepared her for a cold winter by changing oil, conditioning fuel, and winterizing the engine and water systems. 

Speakeasy's winter resting place at Canal Street Marina.