We did it.  We went to Arizona in the summer.  Good lord, how do they get that many people to live in one spot given the temperature range of 116 to 125 during the months of March thru October.  It wasnt but around 116 when we went thru going and coming.  We were headed to the cooler climes of Sedona, AZ.  I was looking for an energy vortex and I think I saw several of them.  We stayed at a very nice spa hotel and were pleased with the facitlities.  Room service needs some work as I ordered breakfast 5 mornings and never did they get the entire order correct.  They smiled when they delivered it, but I am sure they were smiling, knowing that they had left off the coffee, left the jelly in the kitchen, etc.

When we arrived I tipped the bell hop a $ 20.  Each time I got my car out of valet parking I tipped again.  By Friday, there were several bellmen fighting to get to be the one who got our car.  One of the guys tried to introduce me to one of his sisters.  Dorothy wouldnt let me meet her.  When we left to return to Phoenix I mentioned that we would be staying at a certain hotel.  The bell captain informed me that it was where he actually worked; he was up in Sedona training, and that I should ask for Leo when I got there.  When we pulled up to the valet parking in Phoeniz, well, when I mentioned my name was Cowan, I was told that they had been expecting me.  Tim had called ahead and advised that we were coming.  In the room was a tray of beer, chips and dips and other tasty things.  A card, signed by the staff, advised that Tim had called and advised that we were really good guests and that we should be treated with the proper respect.  Damned surprising what a $ 20 bill will do.  We had fun with it.

Sedona was a shoppers mecca.  I saw no stores where a regular person could shop.  You could buy any type of crystal or magic rock that your mind could comprehend.  You could buy Trannsval sausage from a Hungarian Deli.  What you couldnt buy was a pair of socks.  You had to drive to Flagstaff to go to Walmart.  While we were shopping for some things to bring home we went into a shop that had crystals.  I bought a smokey crystal which would be good for bones, hips, self worth and a few other things that I wasnt sure I had.  While browsing I saw a tray of round, marble like rocks.  I asked the lady if she knew what they were. She advised that they were sandstone marbles that were in their natural shape and could be found in certain secret locations.  I advise her that they were actually Comanche dog rocks.  After some lively discussion we had gather a crowd of other employees.  I told them that the Comanches kept a pile of those round rocks inside the flap of their tepees so that when the camp dogs got to acting up, well they would rock the dogs.  They tarot card reader lady almost choked.  The clerk blessed my smokey crystal inside a singing bowl.  I have felt blessed since.  At another store I purchased a genuine native american spirit pouch.  I can wear it around my neck, it is made of real deer skin, and contains my blessed crystal and will allow me to add other items as I find them.  I have got to do a bit or research to see what else I can put in there.  I know an owl bone is part of the spirits but I just dont have much access to an owl bone.  I bought a package of chicken drummettes so maybe one of those will work. 

Our day trip to the Grand Canyon was grand.  That is one big gash.  It is magnificent in every respect.  I would have loved to been able to come and see it at a time when I could have walked down in there and been able to walk back out.  I am not sure when that would have been but surely at some time in my life I could have made it.  We saw elk, a couple of giant condors, about 2.5 million asian people with about 3.5 million nikkon cameras and 2 squirrels.  Big sign warned not to mess with the squirrels as they carried fleas which carried plague.  I wasnt messin with the damned squirrel but it kept comeing up to me and begging.  Nobody has the heart to kick a squirrel.

We had a time.  It was relaxing.  I could live in a luxury spa hotel if they could get their room service staff to check my order.  When I order wheat toast, I do not want to eat russian rye bread with cinnimon butter.  Always got to be unhappy about something. LOL

Gary