Picto Diary - 22 to 24 May 2023 - Octillo
Above: Excursion. Washington, County. 22 May 2023.
Ivins. Octillo.
Gunlock. Gunlock Falls.
Pine Valley Reservoir. Bishop 'n Freddie.
Above: Back Yard. Ivins, UT. 22 May 2023.
TiMDT and Freddie.
Above: Octillo. Ivins, UT. 22 May 2023.
After pestering TiMDT for some days, she finally got me an Octillo to complement my Joshua Tree. Note the bloom atop the Octillo. It will probably take two or three years for it to produce leaves.
Above: Meme, 23 May 2023.
Over the last twenty-five years of my retirement, I have relentlessly been seeking to befriend people who know how to do stuff. These are the highest on the real-world social hierarchy. "They" are few and far between these days. They will be essential to rebuilding civilization after the mud hits the fan. I want to be able to camp on the front lawn of one of these people when it does.
Above: Casablanca Casino. Mesquite, Nevada. 23 May 2023.
Out and about on the Duc. Eighty-mile tri-state round trip. Other than just getting on the bike, I wanted to spec out the access point in Mesquite to the I-15 frontage road between Mesquite, NV and Beaver Dam, AZ. The back up due to bridge construction on I-15 can be from twenty to forty-five minutes when heading northbound from Las Vegas/Mesquite towards St. George/Salt Lake City. Using the frontage road, at fifty mph and no obstructions, eliminates most of the delay of staying in I-15. Also, from Beaverdam, I can take Old US 91 to Ivins, so, if desired, there is no reason to get on the freeway at all between Ivins and Mesquite.
Casino. House wins big time at slots played mostly by seniors. I've stayed at Casablanca many times over the years as the start point for winter motorcycle trips. It hasn't changed a bit, though its much more worn down. Time for a refit? Kathrines, the best restaurant in the area, is still there.
Above: Shivwits Gas/Convenience Store. Old US 91, Washington County, UT. 23 May 2023.
Out and about on the Duc. Gas here is forty cents a gallon less expensive than off the reservation. Tax free cigarettes and tobacco as well. Is this what we call... err... reparations?
Addendum:
When I was a child, our family gig was a Sunday Drive after church. My dad's curiosity (and attention to ongoing events) took us to reservoirs, geysers, hot springs, etc., around the state. Not surprising, then, that I watched the Echo Reservoir and Wanship dams emerge. With intermittent drive-bys over the years, we saw the preparation of the sites for damming, the earth-moving and tamping as the dams grew, the flooding of some fabulous farmland (and the buildings, trees and hedges); and in my teen years, I went on ward parties to both. At the time Jordanelle was underway, retreats and conferences took me to Heber and Park City often enough to relive those observational excursions of my childhood.
Diana,
Mayfield, UT
Very impressive – I will add to the “bragging rights” my twin granddaughters that just graduated UC Berkley- both 4.0 students- Sydney had double honors and was offered a position in London this summer doing research. Both are in the school of micro-biology. I just returned from the graduation of the class of 2023- It made me feel more secure about the future of America.
Montage,
Marina del Rey, CA