It was a mixed bag today. In the morning we accomplished two dreaded tasks; we took Charlotte to Lake Powell Ford to get the oil changed and then we also went shopping. Neither of these tasks can be enjoyed in an environment where the daytime temperatures frequently exceeds 100 degrees F.
At Lake Powell Ford, the staff was very nice and they dress in attire unseen in other locales. Mechanics and service writers wear shorts due to the inability or unwillingness to air condition their working spaces. Lots of water receptacles are strewn about to tempt them to keep hydrated in the abundant warmth and negligible humidity. Today the temperature was 101 F and the humidity was 3. After relieving us of $121, we departed with Charlotte’s transfusion complete.
We then drove the short distance to a Scab-Mart where many Navajos were both shopping and operating the registers. They all had wonderfully luxurious black, shiny hair and nobody seemed to be in a hurry. Maybe it is their adaptation to living and working in the torturous climate here in the summer. After being very successful with getting all the stuff we needed, we parted with another $160 and headed back to the Barbarian Invader to re-stock our larders.
The sun was blazing down on us in the RV park so we climbed into the trailer and pumped up the air conditioning. I had no idea that two air conditioners on one trailer were a good thing until today. I thought we were merely hauling around another rooftop compressor because that is how the trailer was outfitted but today I realized the wisdom of multiple units. Both of them performed flawlessly and provided the elderly inside a delightful oasis from the outside. I think I might have even napped in the cool.
Soon it was 4:30 and we emerged from our Nirvana to take a very short drive down to the Lake Powell Resort and Lodge to board a boat for a cruise on the lake. Despite the withering environmental conditions, the Lake Powell area is absolutely beautiful and from the lake the scenery is maybe even better. The azure blue lake below, the bright blue cloudless sky above and the horizons on all sides filled with yellow, orange and red bluffs of extraordinary height and texture. The scenery is stunning. It costs $58 a head to take the cruise but I believe we got every penny’s worth on this jaunt. There is one caveat: many Oriental persons were also on the cruise and, despite them all having a seat on the vessel, they seemed to believe it is prudent to almost immediately abandon their seats and stand alongside the deck rails and block all views of the scenery for others while taking many selfies and otherwise obscuring the panoramas that would have been enjoyed by those not getting in the way. It must be a cultural thing or perhaps they have nothing to see where they live and they have instead endeavoured to make sure nobody else will either. They were not unattractive folk but they make for picket fence views of the surroundings. I am glad I do not hail from where they come from because it must be ugly.
After two hours of partially obscured views of the beautiful surroundings, the boat returned to the dock and disgorged all it’s contents for a tram ride back up the steep hill to the Lodge. The Orientals must not have understood the tram workings because they all trudged up the hill while the better informed and shaded passengers sharp enough to board the tram instead of blocking access and views rode to the top. Of course the fully occupied tram had to dodge around the miserable-looking idiots blocking the narrow road to the air conditioned Lodge who should have been waiting for the second tram under the shaded arbor on the dock. Serves ’em right.
We returned to our trailer and awaited the sun’s retreat over the western horizon before we emerged for some outside cooking and star gazing. The sunset was gorgeous and a welcome relief from the blistering daytime brilliance. The skies here are very clear at night and suffer little from the effects of light pollution. The stars were brilliant and Peggy and I laid back in our chaises trying to be the first to identify passing satellites while waiting for dinner to cook on the barby. It was great.
We took some pix out on the lake and you can see them if you click here