Road Trip - Indiana - Placentia to Flagstaff, AZ. 07-11-14

I felt much better this morning, so I gassed up the car, took a swing through Starbuck's and hit the road.  I left about 7am and thought I would have traffic, but other than "the usual places" everyone was moving right along.  I stopped just south of Barstow to visit the facilities at Starbuck's.  I didn't need another latte, so I just slip in and out.  The temp was about 90F and everyone seemed to come out with a cold drink rather than a coffee.  I continued on I-15 to the turn off where I-40 begins (and goes all the way to NCarolina).  Very light traffic.  Everything is extremely dried out as there  has not been rain there any more than in SCalifornia.    Next stop was in Arizona where US 95 turns off to Lake Havasu City.  It was 102F, but there was a slight breeze to ease the pain.   I gassed up for 3.69/gal,  twenty cents less than in Placentia earlier.  The picture below were taken at the Pilot station.  

This is the Red Bird Of Paradise, Caesalpinia pulcherrima.  A yellow variety is commonly known as Mexican Bird of Paradise.

 

I  like the flowers and have tried growing bushes in Placentia, but they don't survive.  However, I have seen them growing in SCalifornia.

I have six more pictures taken on the drive, but blogger doesn't want to load them, so they will have to await another day.  Don't know if the problem is the WiFi here at Holiday Inn Express in Flagstaff, or with my laptop, or just blogger up to its tricks.

I had a nap when I checked in here, but it was much of one because the motel is being renovated and they just happened to be painting the exterior wall outside my room.  All the windows were covered with heavy plastic and the painters were up on a lift  to be able to reach at least the 2nd floor.  Odd hearing them talk outside the 2nd floor window!  I had some leftovers along to eat for dinner, so once I was inside I stayed inside.  Showered now and in my nightie I am going to hit the hay.

 

2 am!   I am having a hard time sleeping.  Part of the problem is the high altitude and I am struggling with keeping a nice breathing rhythm.  And, wouldn't you know it, I seem to have left my emergency inhaler at home.  But also, there is a busy RR track practically outside my window, so I am wearing earplugs, which really do help.  At any rate, I thought I would see what blogger was willing to do and, voila, here are the rest of the pictures.

 

In the early part of the day the clouds were ragged and wind whipped.

 

In the afternoon they had turned into fat little sheep.

This road cut is just south of Kingman, AZ.  It is one of my favorites and I made a quilt from my pictures.  I will look up a picture and share it with you.  But not tonight.

Here is another colorful road cut some miles north of Kingman.

 It is on my "some day" list.

 

I don't know why yesterday evening's blog post didn't post - it was just there as a draft when I went in to write this one. 

#   #   #