I stopped here when it struck me that I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do this kind of thing or see these kinds of sights. But they’re out there, waiting.
I sheared off all the storage stuff on the Aurora e-bike the other day, and went out for a ride on a trail leading north. Rather than blather on about it, I’ll just show off the snaps here.
Ditto on this one. You know, you sure don’t see much of this in northern Illinois.
It’s done…for me!
Well, I had scheduled my trashed campsite cleanup for today, since I had a trip to Glendale AZ yesterday, and I didn’t want anything to complicate that. Lo and behold, my earlier blog post about the messed-up campsite here on State Trust land apparently turned into a call to action for one long-time traveler and new reader, known here as Roger.
He saw the posted pictures and went out yesterday to have a look-see for himself. He noticed that the three large buckets had already been scrounged, but was appalled enough at the remainder, that he loaded what was left into his own pickup and took it into the waste recycler just outside of Wickenburg! Boom! Gone! While he was at it, he also picked up some cardboard in the main area, and some beer bottles left at the entrance by locals. He told me that tidying up the various sites he visits is a pretty common practice, since he and his bride appreciate having so many sites available to us at all. Kind of drives home to me the difference between yammering about a problem and just quietly taking care of it, doesn’t it? All thanks be to Roger!
Ah, the beauty o’ Nature.
I went out for a walk a couple of days ago. (Yes, I do walk occasionally.) I went by a campsite that had until recently been occupied by a tenter for at least as long as I’ve been here. I’d seen his newish silver Dodge pickup depart and arrive a few times.
The tent.
It took awhile for all the riders to pass by.
The Desert Caballeros Ride is an annual event that departs Wickenburg, Arizona for several encampments in the surrounding area for 5 days. Ridership is about 120 each year. Here are some of the snaps I took.
There are few things nicer than shade in Arizona.
The System, ready to deploy.
After much work to make an excessively long and tedious information page even more so, the Evelo Pack Mule page is finally complete – for now. That page is tabbed above, right beside Contact Me, About, and Mailing Addresses. It’s about the volume of a mid-sized novel, which makes it a slow-reading reference to the why and how of transforming a very competent e-bike into a Beverly Hillbillies version of a unique fixer-upper.
But it does spell it all out as to why I needed an e-bike, what I decided I needed it to do, what I did to make it suit my oddball purposes, why I chose the componentry I did, and how it’s all working out. It’s also one of the more comprehensive reviews of the Evelo Aurora out there, but from a viewpoint slightly bent toward my own eclectic schemes and needs.
Frankly, it’s a page that won’t fly for Read more…
Clip-clop, horse-flop… Suddenly the joint is full of horse trailers!
Today is Sunday. Thursday, a couple of horse trailers rumbled into the State Land Trust parcel I’m on. Friday, many more came. The three campers here were soon surrounded by maybe a dozen horse trailers, and I’m not talking about one-horse or three-horse. We’re talking the bigger ones that range from a two-horse with bunk ahead, to huge travel trailers with slides, and horse stalls in the rear. They’re no doubt here for the Desert Caballeros ride, an annual invitation-only men’s ride out in the boonies that lasts for five days. The departure day is Monday. These people tend to come from all over the West.
Yep, I was impressed. I assume that fencing tape is electrified.
I did a walk-through on the way to a short trail hike as Read more…
I’m just an ORDINARY man!
I believe that whom we listen to and what we take in as a steady diet can have a large impact on who we become as people in the long term. When the difficult times in life come, an inner storehouse of reflections gives us something to draw upon. The nature of the reflection, whether inspirational or dark, defines us as well as the source. The saying “Life is too short to…” has many interesting variants (most of which now come from advertisers), but I believe that time is too precious to squander on toxic waste served up as helpful guidance, and that managing our focus is even more important than managing our limited time. In this post, I limit the topic to what we take in as entertainment, what we read in print, and where we gravitate to on the Internet. As far as worldly influences go, who do we regularly choose as our mentors or our inspirers from around us? From where do you learn new truths? From where are you drawing your water?
“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you Read more…
Rachel Tsang, the creator of the blog Sunset Boulevard, “Writings of a Cinephile”, has a deft and insightful way of turning classic movie reviews into a reflective journey. So when she decides to kick out and have some creative fun herself, it bodes well for the viewer. Below is her tribute to Bette Davis, an adaptation of music and imagery revealing glimpses of the actress at the height of her powers. Enjoy “Bette Davis Eyes”.
What glam the Aurora lacks when coated with dust, it makes up for in utility.
I’ve spent quite a bit of time modifying my Aurora e-bike since I got it last summer. Why so long? Other projects, calamities, shipping of parts, bad weather trimming back evaluation rides, and unsuccessful mods trimming back evaluation rides and requiring respite. But I think I’ve finally got it nailed, and I’m doing what I hope will be the final-final-final testing. General interest in the result should be pretty limited, since the stock Aurora, properly optioned, can take care of 95% or more of the people who would buy it. A few people replace the mountain bike handlebars with cruiser bars, and that’s pretty much all they need. The stock seat’s quite decent, for what it is.
As an explorer, the 500-watt Evelo Aurora is agile and powerful enough to work well.
What I’ve been doing in concert is to build a dedicated Evelo Aurora Pack Mule page, which outlines what the features were that made me choose this brand and model for the starting point, and why. And what type of service the e-bike has been pressed into service to do (and why). And a complete list of parts and mods, complete with explanations and links. Oh, the things I do for the two readers who will at least make a token effort to start sawing their way down that page! And oh, my pity for them!
Can an affordable urban commuter fun e-bike handle this? Barring falling into a rut or launching the front tire bucking bronc-style, yes, if it has mid-drive.
Thing is, that page has been squirming all around, successfully slithering away from the “Publish” button, because of trying to keep up with the ever-changing bike. The page just never really settled down enough to Read more…
Surprise! I’ve noticed rabbits and birds using the Defiant as cool shelter from the hot sun. This was a wake-up reminder to “stay in the now, man!”
I tend to always be preoccupied with something or other when I’m outside, which is not the best possible mindset when camping in the Great Southwest. I had just returned from a hub test on the Aurora, followed by an impromptu exploratory ride further south along Vulture Mine Road to check out some recently closed campsites. I parked the bike and stowed my sun gear, then shuffled toward the trailer door, key in hand. No, I did not scream like a little girl. Not loudly, anyway. I was still about 5 feet away, and was surprised at the effectiveness of its camo. Once I moved further right, toward its rear, it Read more…
Strolling Amok 