Bad Loan Crash, What a Surprise!

They say that there was a blockage in the old financial intestines keeping new food from getting through. Now where did these loans come from? Who thought it was a good idea to let people buy houses with no down payment? Who was crying the blues over people "losing their house"? If a person has nothing but "rent" invested what will make them stick around and not just walk away? This was all so predictable provided the thought crossed one's mind that all "investments" don't make money. And some even lose it.

This all comes down to what a business friend once said, "Don't ever go into business with someone who has nothing to lose." No substantial down payment means nothing to lose.

Truly Treacherous

I took a little ride out to Bartlett this morning after breakfast (don't tell Vicki!) and saw scads of bicyclists on the road. The road is two lanes wide, full of blind curves with no room to pull over, no passing zones, and people towing trailers. It is fun on a motorcycle because no one is likely to sneak up on you from behind and the lane is wide enough to share with a bicyclist. It is not a bicycle friendly place, but there they are on every fourth turn.

Surprisingly the accident I saw was on a straight-of-way on Carefree Highway. Luckily, there wasn't a need for an ambulance but the paramedics were on the scene. I can't say how to make it safe but it sure makes me nervous to see the mixture of traffic on the road.

Nightmare Before Christmas?

Imagine a railroad track with a tight turn and workers with too much time and paint. The story is that around 1900 some railroad workers thought it would be fun to give passengers something to think about as they sped toward a sharp curve on a deserted stretch of track.
Apparently someone must be keeping the paint fresh because it looks pretty good.
It is located about 6 and a half miles down a dirt road a mile or two past the wide spot in the road named Congress, Arizona. A mile or so before the climb into Yarnell watch for a graded dirt road called 62. If you turn left and go the 6.3 miles you still could miss it. Only the front and half of the side of the rock is painted so you will need to be looking to the right.

Green and Humid

This morning I took the road to Horseshoe Lake and found the lake empty. There was nothing but a huge mud plain. It had to have been planned because there has been no shortage of rain. Bartlett Lake a few miles downstream is as full as I've ever seen it, the water covers the highest waterline on the cliffs. The desert is unbelievably green.

I drove up to Skull Valley outside of Prescott for breakfast Saturday morning and again, cool and green from horizon to horizon. Motorcycles and even bicycles were all over the place. It may be the price of gas or just a fad but bring it on!