Skunk cabbage in bloom. #rivertao


The ritual that cashiers and counter servers in the PNW have about asking if you have any “plans for the day” is both charming and a little disarming to me as someone from the NE. #rivertao


Cherry blossoms on the State Capitol grounds in Olympia WA. #rivertao


It’s been a few days of long travel and getting some work done. Next episode of the podcast is pretty much in the can. Just a few more details, but I have to wait for more information. Now I can relax a little before heading back east next week. #rivertao


Not in the desert anymore. Two long days in the car can take their toll. #rivertao



Gettin' my kicks.


Colorado River ride. #rivertao


My brother lives a much different lifestyle than I do


Locked and loaded! #rivertao


Last full day in SV. On the road tomorrow morning for parts west and then north. AML and I have really enjoyed our stay here. But I think we’re both ready to see green and trees again. #rivertao


Notes from the Aisle Seat Episode 4.10 - The "Desert Spring" Edition

Episode 4.10 The “Desert Spring” Edition of the podcast is now available! All interviews for the April 2 episode of the podcast are in the can. Time to get serious about the packing.


Over the Pass

I finally managed to get in a trip over Montezuma Pass and in to the SW side of the Huachuca Mountain range of the Coronado National Forest. I wish I had done this sooner, but my planning was poor at times, and at other times the weather did not cooperate in terms of temperature. Yesterday it got up to 72°, a perfect riding temperature.

Montezuma Pass is a steep dirt road that takes you up in elevation from 4500' to about 6575'. It turns into Montezuma Canyon Drive, and is a dirt road that winds along the valley below, with plenty of twists and turns. I took the road that eventually led to Parker Canyon Lake, a small isolated Forest Service campground along the banks of the lake. The lake is actually a reservoir created by a dam at its south end. On the way home, I took AZ 83, a very picturesque paved road leading from Parker Canyon Lake north to Sonoita, and then on to I-10. I also passed by all the wineries in Elgin, which seemed to be stacked up in a straight along the road, one after the other.

The Coronado National Forest region has a number of nice dirt roads to ride, roads I can handle easily. There are a number of more challenging spurs, but I didn’t go down any of them on this ride as I had no time. If/When we come back next year, I will certainly do some exploring, but on the whole, the scenery remains the same: juniper pines, sycamores, some high grasses. There is a road you can take that rides right along the Mexican border. Montezuma Canyon Road also crosses the Arizona Trail in several locations. The area is ideal for dispersed camping.

I keep forgetting when I ride the Trail Rider that 45MPH is not 65MPH, and I wonder why it’s taking me so long to get home. Riding at 25MPH on those dirt roads is actually pretty fast, but when you’re on pavement, that 50MPH limit is something to mentally adjust to. I almost ran out of gas as well, although I always keep about a liter of gas with me whenever I drive. I’ll be looking forward to getting back and doing much more riding next year if all goes well.


Sweet ride today. Parker Canyon Lake.


One more week in AZ. Next podcast is in the can, and interviews are set up next week for the one after that. Time to start getting organized for the next road trip.


I have WAY too much free time on my hands today. #rivertao


It’s a running joke in my family that, whenever we go on vacation, it rains. We’ve barely seen a drop of rain this trip until tonight, the night of the full lunar eclipse. It is cloudy, light rain is falling, and the moon is hidden. Also windy and cool. Forecasted to stay this way overnight.


Don't Be A Sucker - US War Department Education Film 1947

Don’t Be A Sucker is an educational film produced by the US War department in 1947, shortly after the end of WW2. It presents a quite cogent analysis of how fascists come to power, and how those who are taken in by the lies and false promises of fascists are nothing but suckers. It is eerily timely in 2025. In many ways, it shows how the cycle of history repeats itself, only this time, it’s happening here, and not in another country at another time. Only a sucker could fail to see the parallels.

I have a small voice, but if you are viewing this and have a larger platform than mine, please share. Also available on Youtube. (Side note - the acting is pretty good!)


Apple Intelligence - Who Cares?

The failure of Apple to deliver Apple Intelligence doesn’t really matter to me at all, but it seems to get tech enthusiasts all riled up. I just did an update on my Macbook Air M2, and of course it let me know about Apple Intelligence on the startup splash screen. It did NOT offer the option to turn off, remove, or skip - opt-in is on by default. So I had to go into Settings and turn it off myself, but not before receiving the dire warning of how much I’ll be missing if I turned it off. I turned it off. I’m sure this will make not one iota of difference in my life. It’s too bad tech junkies can never see the issue from the side of the user. We don’t really care all that much - and in most cases, at all.


Whenever you take on the task of purging a 4TB hard drive of items that date back to 2008, you’re gonna go down some deep rabbit holes. #rivertao