Ceilings and floors - but not much of Tucson.

February 27, 2014: I’ve seen a lot of ceilings and floors this last week, but not much of Tucson.

A week in Tucson and this is all I have to show for it – one sunset that Jack dragged me up the knoll to see earlier in the week!

My view for the last week has been ceilings and floors.

The day we arrived in Tucson I was struck with a severe attack of muscle spasms in my back.  So, in the last week I’ve seen lots of ceilings and floors.  As ceilings go, I’ve seen the motorhome ceiling from the bed, sofa, and floor.  I’ve seen the chiropractor’s ceiling and the floor through the little face peephole of his adjusting table.  And lastly, the lovely and talented massage therapist, Angel, who lives up to her name each time I have seen her this week – I’ve seen lots of her massage studio floor through the face hole in her massage table and ever so bit of a ceiling view during my last massage earlier this morning. 

Today is my first day to actually sit up for more than 5 minutes without severe pain.  Once again, life is good.   

I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck – or maybe just a motorcycle. 

Whenever I have a muscle spasm attack (I usually make it an annual or even semi-annual event during a bad year) the first words out of my mouth are, “I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.”  All these years – decades really – it has seemed like an accurate account of what I was going through until I met a man who was literally “HIT BY A TRUCK”.  Years back, Angel’s husband was in a snowmobile/truck accident.  Unfortunately for him he was driving the snowmobile and was hit by the truck.  Pain management is now a part of his daily life – not a week or so episode once or twice per year. 

The old “hit by a truck” scenario seemed accurate until this week.  I think it’s time to make a revision in my thought process.  There’s no doubt the pain is terrible, but I don’t suffer with it every day.  I’m singing a new tune.  No more “hit by a truck” for me.  My new mantra?  “I feel like I’ve been hit by a motorcycle.”  (No fun, but at least it’s not a truck!)

Enough about that.  I’m mending and there are new adventures on the horizon, so let’s get to it.

Before we leave Desert Trails RV Park I take a few pictures.

This is the good side of our site.  No one behind us, nice view, nice spacing.

And, here’s the bad side of our site.  We share utilities with the folks on this side so their outdoor area is on the opposite side of their space, which makes the utility sides of our vehicles VERY CLOSE TOGETHER.  It brings to mind the following old commercial.

Excuse me, but have you any Grey Poupon?

The RV Park backs up to Tucson Mountain Park with the access trails only steps from our door.  We had grand ideas of morning hikes into the park which also shares a border with Saguaro National Park West, but due to being “hit by a motorcycle” we were unsuccessful in this venture.  We did walk to the edge of the park the last night of our stay and I took this picture of a most unusual Saguaro cactus.  All of his arms are bent downward.  There’s probably a reason for this.  Maybe a trip to the Saguaro National Park Visitor Center or the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum will clear up this pressing question. 

We make the big trek from Desert Trails RV Park to Snyder Hill BLM boondocking site.

I get my final fabulous massage from Angel while Jack prepares the Moose for the big journey.  We drive out of Desert Trails a little after 11am and head the short distance down San Joaquin Road toward Ajo Highway (State Highway 86).  A few minutes later just before reaching Ajo Highway we arrive at Snyder Hill BLM land.  We learned of this boondocking site from Nina of the “Wheeling It” blog.  She and her husband, Paul, stayed here last year.  Nina does great campground reviews at each location they stay which can make selecting a boondocking area a really simple matter.  Check out her blog, "Wheeling It", and her Boondocking Site Review of this area.   

Our boondocking site awaits.

This looks perfect.  Near a little wash area.  Trees giving us a little privacy from nearby campers.  Awning facing east so we have afternoon shade.  A fire ring already set up.  Love it.

Awning out, sittin’ in the shade, lovin’ life.  No neighbors in sight!

We’re sitting back enjoying the afternoon when the welcoming committee shows up.

This Roadrunner struts into camp sweet as you please.

He hops up on a stone of the fire ring to make sure it’s up to snuff.  Looks good.

He checks us out.  I guess we make the cut!  And off he runs on his merry way to greet the next set of new campers.

Enough relaxing – we take a short hike up Snyder Hill.

Looking back down on the boondocking site.  We’re the closest motorhome on the right hand side.  You can barely see the Jeep (Caboose) behind the Moose.  There are about 20 campers in the area with everything from tents to large motorhomes.

After over 2 months with tight quarters in RV resorts and parks it feels good to get back out where there’s a little breathing room.

We walk part way up Snyder Hill to watch the sun set.

Another lovely end to the day.

 Until next time - be safe.