Phoenix Phollies

I know that this is confusing, but yes, we are in Phoenix.

Hey Donny, we just read your last Post, and you were in Vermont! It was like yesterday! How’d ya do that?

            Well, the answer is quite simple, I didn’t finish that Vermont Post until I was already down here and there were only three days between me landing back in Houston and then the two of us taking off from the same three days later.

            Oh. Ok…..that ‘spains it.

Now that we have that settled, yes, we are in delightfully nice and sunny Southern Arizona visiting Steve and Phillis who we were supposed to visit in Montana (along with a bunch of other folks along the way) this past September when our usual Far Western Foray was severely truncated as we needed to get back to Texas more sooner than later for raisons mèdicales. We are the proud consumers of services of Doctor’s Unlimited because we have full access to the Phine Physicians of both Texas and New Jersey! And Medicare is accepted no matter where we go!

So we are down here for a few days with Steve and Phillis, just catching up. But have no fear…..I do have a few tid-bits for you!

First, I thought that I had informed you all that I have a nifty new lens for my camera, but looking back over the past few Posts I see that I have neglected to inform you of this Highly Significant Procuration! It is a Canon 100/400 Zoom with Image Stabilization, and it is the variation that is at the top of their quality tier. I obviously don’t need this for regular landscape pic’s, but it sure has been a boost to some long-distance critter pic’s that you will soon see! Having the Iceland/Svalbard trip coming up in July, with the extremely good possibility of some good Polar Bear and Walrus sightings…… well, hopefully it can make the difference between a fuzzy “Is that a smear on my lens?” photo and a “Holy Smokes! I can see the reflections of those screaming tourists in his eyes!” photos.

            We (the collective we) shall see.

Until then, here are the fruits of the past few days.

Another Adventure of Measurable Proportions was our experience with WAYMO. This is one of those driverless/taxi/Uber type vehicles that you summon with an app.

This spooky thing arrives at your doorstep, invites you into its lair, locks the door and cackles evilly as you pull away at breakneck speeds and it doesn’t even wait for you to put your seatbelt on as it takes corners on almost two wheels because it needs to get you to your destination in order to quickly eject you from its innards so that it can zoom away in a cloud of dust and smoke in order to arrive to where it gets to trap its next victim.

Well….. something like that….. except no high speeds, no adverse cornering, and no cackling, just nice music playing that she asks you what you’d like to listen to while she navigates the crowded city streets in perfect safety, anticipating every move several steps ahead its initiation.

In other words…. Boring.

If you are looking for an exciting transit of a metropolitan area do not take a driverless vehicle. For an adventurous ride may I suggest a jaunt in a good ol’ Yellow Cab on the streets of NYC! Now we’re talkin’!

“Hey! I’m walkin’ here!”