Home is where you hang your helmet!

Back, back, back in the U.S. of A.

After a 13 hour day, leaving C'Town late, then the same experience in Toronto.  An hour late, getting off the tarmac, I arrived at Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix Arizona right around 9 local time, which by then was after midnight for my body!

It was after 10 when I popped the key in the door and walked into my home.

Took just a few minutes to get the lights and water up and running, and by midnight I was in bed.

This morning I got up at 6, and began the task of getting the Adventure 150 running.  Drained the carb, put the battery back in and after about two dozen kicks, there was enough fresh fuel in the float bowl to run smoothly. 

I had to get food, there wasn't even a can of salmon in the cupboard!

Before I could get the bike out the door... I had company! 

Little Boo showed up under my fence!  At first I thought this must be one of her kittens from the summer, but no, I called her name and she trotted right on over and began rubbing against me, standing on her hind legs to get a lift.  She was soooo excited, wheeling about me like I'd never left!

She's been here ever since, even though I took her back to Judy's earlier in the day she trotted back with me.  In fact she is laying here on my coffee table as I write this. 

Under cloudy skies, temperature in the mid 70's, knapsack on my back, I headed to my favorite nearby Safeway only to find the door boarded up!  When was the last time that's happened?  I looped around to WalMart, picked up two bags under the seat, two in the trunk, two in the back pack and one each for my elbows!  I was fairly voracious by the time I arrived home, as was my company.  I got chicken and Boo got Salmon in beef stew!

During the next few days, I will be back several times to stock the larder, get the outdoor furniture set up and inventory the bikes.  Next on the list will be getting the 350 geared up and useable, it may need a part or two and of course I have to completely go over the Ascot from last year.  Not sure what it will require, a headlight assembly for certain, new tires brake fluid etc.  I likely won't have it up and ride-able by the end of the month, but hopefully before this trip is done.

I feel quite at home here, people are generally friendly and the service is good, and the cost of things like gas and groceries is substantially less than (other) home.  Dozen eggs... $1.77, banana's 56c a pound and a loaf of unsliced French bread... a dollar each! 

Oh yeah, gas under 3 bucks a gallon!