Flying Fun?

This past weekend I took my first flight since December 18, 2019. For me that's a long time not to fly. The flights were uneventful...TSA was another story. TSA was a nightmare. If you fly, be aware that TSA is going to invade your privacy, decency and your good humor. They did all three to me. I hope I was an exception, but you never know...just be aware.

First problem: I checked in with TSA and the agent said in FULL VOICE.."Next year you will not have to take off your shoes as you will be 75." I don't mind being 75 but did she have to tell the whole airport. 

Second problem: I put all my stuff in the assigned basket and went thru security. I'm wearing a necklace and I was told to wear it on my back. I did...but I was still frisked within a inch of my life for something. Since I'm almost 75, I would like to know what contraband I would be hiding? Of course when I asked, that was not revealed.

Third problem: The detectors found an item in my purse. The agent goes thru my purse and finally discovers a teeny tiny Victorinox "knife." I put knife in quotes because the whole item is about 1.5 inches long and the knife is smaller and it's considered a weapon. The knife has been living in my purse for about 20 years, has gone thru numerous flights during that time and it has never been discovered or considered a problem. Of course it had my name on it and it was a gift from my publisher. It was confiscated because I could hurt someone with it. When I asked if I could leave with them at the airport and pick it up when I returned, the answer was a resounding NO. So TSA got my little knife which I really liked and had some sentimental value.

Fourth problem: The detectors found an item in my one suitcase, which I had decided to carry on. The same agent now gets to paw thru all the stuff that was in the suitcase until finding the offending item, which was a tube of toothpaste...a brand new tube of toothpaste that was sealed and was prescription. Two agents felt that tube of toothpaste like it was a bomb or something and finally relented and said I could take the toothpaste. Now I was left with a suitcase that had to be put back together. 

Now these were problems I could have averted, IF I had remembered to A) remove the knife (which I had forgotten was in my purse) and B) not brought a full tube of toothpaste but a sample size. That was my fault as I completely forgot about the 3-1-1 rule. I've not been flying for over a year. 

On the other hand, TSA could have been polite, which they were not. I was treated like a criminal from the get go. I was frisked, stolen from, and then told to go on my merry way. Welcome to the new world of flying. It's no wonder that folks are on edge in an airplane because passing the TSA test is enough to put you there.

Rocky Mountain Views--Early Spring Edition

It's early spring in this part of the Rocky Mountains. Every few days we get a very light dusting of snow that does not stick but keeps the mountaintops white. The aspens and cottonwood trees are just beginning to leaf out so the forests have a haze of light green leaves adorning the landscape. The streams was swollen with muddy water. The ground is soggy. 

The skies are changeable. Some days we have our famous bluebird blue skies, other days they are gray and ominous. Yesterday we had the "ominous" variety, but a storm never came and it was 71 degrees!

The newly leafed trees are getting "dressed" for summer. The cottonwoods are near a stream, while the aspens cling to the sides of the mountain.

A muted sky with aspen trees amid the conifers. It's a pretty time of year as things are beginning to wake up. 

Most mountaintops are still snow-covered, but the snow will melt soon...

...and the fields will get greener. May is the time to enjoy the change of the season in the Rocky Mountains.

 

In a Real Kitchen

 Don't get me wrong, our fifth wheel trailer has a real kitchen but it's small. It has a three burner stove, a microwave/convection oven and a regular oven. There's a large island for food prep as well as a 12 cubic foot refrigerator. However, a trailer is different from a house; and we're in our home right now. To that end, I've been enjoying cooking again. I've made some veal parmesan; a yummy short rib stew and tonight I made focaccia

We call it pizza (much easier to spell)

Snow in May

 Guess what? It snows in May in the Rocky Mountains! 

Highest temp we've had is 56 degrees...after 102 in the desert, it's a big change.

In the Tetons

We visited my favorite mountain in the world this weekend. This is Mt. Moran and the Oxbows...and if you been following my page for any amount of time, you will see countless photos of this scene taken at different times of the year or day or hour. This is the place where my soul lives and it does not get any better than that.

A "boutique" mountain range, the Grand Tetons, do not compare with the huge mountains you find in Switzerland, but they have a special beauty all their own.

And, I yearn to be here when I'm away. And when I'm nearby, I need to take weekly visits and bathe in their wonder. 

In The Mountains

 On my last entry, I posted a picture that indicated the temperature was over 100 degrees. Today, heat is not the issue, cold is!

The mountains in western WY are covered in snow and the temps are in the low to mid-50s during the day and falling below freezing at night.

The difference is the elevation. Eastern Nevada is at 1600 ft. and Western Wyoming is 6350 ft. The desert country of Eastern Nevada is entering summer, while the Rocky Mountains are entering spring. The aspens are bare, the grasses are brown, and due to the snow melt, there is a lot of mud.

Our poor truck is testament to the mud. That is supposed to be a white truck--mud season is upon us.