For the first time in our travels, I had a complete tourist geek out. When I was old enough to drive my best friend and I would listen to music far louder than we should have. One of our favorites was The Eagles Greatest Hits. I don’t even have a guess how many times it was played on repeat, but I know it was enough that the tape began to warp from overuse.
Torta spent the week at Homolovi State Park just outside of Winslow Arizona. When we went in to have dinner one evening I had to stop and get my picture taken “Standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona”. They had a flatbed Ford parked in front of the sign. It is surprising how much joy I have from such a silly happenstance. If you look at the reflection in the glass behind me you can catch the front of the flatbed Ford.
It was a lovely relaxing week hiking the ruins, and catching the local tourist attractions. Meteor Crater was close by, so we cruised over to get selfies with a giant hole in the ground. This part of Arizona is certainly worth spending a week at.
Landing in Homolovi 
Griddle with coaster levelers 
Found some shade 
Distant storm 
Arizona has amazing sunsets 
Really fucking amazing sunsets 
Really neat plant. 
Another sunset 
Tired of sunsets yet? 
This beast was our neighbor. 
Quicksand! Big part of Saturday morning cartoons, first time seen. 
Pretty moth 
Tom playing with depth of focus. 
Meteor Crater 
Tom contemplates big hole 
Really big hole 
Own an expensive selfie stick, still use big ass arm for selfie. 
Kendra never met a museum she doesn’t like. 
What a picture window!
Friday we pulled up stakes and moved an hour into Flagstaff where we finally installed solar. We moved ourselves and the pets into an AirBNB on my lunch break, then I finished the workday at a tiny desk with a stool. My back does not care for trying to work from a stool!
As soon as the workday was over we moved Torta a mile to the installation location and met Luis, who was amazing. Friday night he took measurements and began working on a board for the components. Saturday morning we hit the ground running. Luis had me drilling holes and attaching brackets to the solar panels while he continued on wiring the components.
When I completed that we went out and pulled Torta apart figuring out how to run wires where needed. I learned a lot about the RV, I drilled holes, I cut holes, and I twisted my body into shapes I didn’t think possible to pull wires through sections of the vehicle. We hoped the thirty plus mile per hour winds would drop off, but no luck. We had to stand on top of the vehicle holding large flat panels while trying not to get blown off or damage my shiny new powergrid.
Just before 7 PM on Sunday Luis informed me he had no more tasks I could do so I took my sore body back to get some sleep. Just before 11 PM he wrote that the entire system up and running. It was so exciting I made an actual squee sound.
Positioning first panel 
Next two panels 
Control box covering new hole in roof. 
Luis wiring the first two panels. 
Luis deep in thought 
Three panels in place 
All panels in place 
Control box going in. 
Wires passing through vent area 
Batteries installed in front of control panels.
Next week, we try out the solar in the mountains near Flagstaff, then visit friends on the way to Tuscon.
May peace find you.
Torta Log 
Standin on the corner is a right of passage for all full timers. Congrats and safe travels.
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