Boyinks4Adventure

Harrison and I helped set up for a host party on the 21st of March. There were some games; Pass the Pass, Cholla Ball Golf, Horseshoes, Raking Contest. I played two games of Pass the Pass against my kid friends, and won it both times. Somehow, I just know when to catch it. I can do the same with the football. First, I helped Mark set up the Pass the…   Read More >>

“I wasn’t going to show you this.” With these words my wife tilted her laptop screen to me and showed me a Groupon deal for a NASCAR driving experience here in the Phoenix area. I’m not specifically a NASCAR fan but I’ve long had ‘driving a racecar’ on my informal bucket list, and she knew it. So she did show me, and after an initial reaction of “yea, the time…   Read More >>

A year and a half ago, I was diagnosed with cataracts. The ophthalmologist wasn’t concerned. He told me that I would some day have to have them taken care of, just like many other older adults. I didn’t realize “older adult” meant 45. Although I knew for a while that my vision was changing, I put off going to the eye clinic until February. After several questions, chart tests and…   Read More >>

First things first: Writing music is art. Just like pitching. Those two must be added to your definition of art. Thank you. You need tools. First, paper and pencil/eraser. What’s that you say? You want to use the computer or phone since you’re already on it? Fine. It isn’t as satisfying, but if you insist, you can use it. Next, an instrument is very, very useful. If you continue to…   Read More >>

This should probably be at least three separate blog posts, but in the spirit of catching up I’m lumping them all into one. After just about four months in one location in Mesa we finally got hooked up and drove ourselves into some new views. Phoenix to Pasadena We made the drive from Phoenix to Pasadena in two days, overnighting in a private park alongside the Colorado River outside of…   Read More >>

So I know my dad has posted a pretty recent entry on me doing the saguaro cactus. I have had fun doing several cacti and desert plants since then, including the creosote and prickly pear. Mark and Lynn gave me a proposal. They suggested that I do the whole program by myself. At first, I was like, “No way! I’d freak out!” But then I got to thinking. And I…   Read More >>

Most of our time spent fulfilling our camp-hosting duties this round were in the “Monkey House”. This is the park staff’s nickname for the entrance station and it’s easy to imagine why. The front comprises mostly window and when you are inside you are on display to everyone entering and leaving the park. It’s been many years since I’ve worked in a more service-related role dealing with the general public,…   Read More >>

We had a couple of shifts in the park Entrance Station this week and both MsBoyink and I try to keep the job interesting by keeping a patter going, both to amuse ourselves and (hopefully) put a smile on the face of people coming through and doing what is otherwise a pretty mundane transaction.  Whenever I see water-related items on a vehicle I’ll crack a joke about being in the…   Read More >>

I guess I was bound to get lucky eventually. Travel around the country long enough with a camera and an enthusiasm for the “Old America”, the Route 66 feel, the memory of a tailfin, the black and white pictures of men in fedoras and women in cats-eye glasses and eventually I’d come home with some photos, do a bit of research and sit back in my chair, a bit surprised…   Read More >>

One of the upsides of being in one campground for so long this winter is that we’ve had several opportunities to welcome fellow travelers to the park. This area of Arizona is heavily-laden with RV parks that only accept people 55 and older, so being in a public park that doesn’t have such restrictions works to our advantage in funneling families and other non-traditional RV’rs to our door step. We’ve…   Read More >>