slow roasting chilis

Feeling like wax in the oven we just pedaled across the scorching mojave. Glad to be rid of Barstow we rode out and around to Joshua Tree and 29 palms. We had planned from there to do the 100 mile stretch of open desert to the Arizona border in two days but the lack of shade and the draw of swimming in the colorado river lured us on like cycling zombies. I think I heard a "pssst" like a match being extinguished when Hubert dove into the cool waters that met us in Parker. We swam, swam some more and then went back and swam again before plowing out across the flats of Lapaz county Arizona. In Congress, the extremly nice and talkative Stephanie Martinez invited us into the cool of her home for cokes. Against our own will we did not stay long. The trees, shade and red rock canyons we'd dreaming of were not riding towards us. So we rolled through Prescott, climbed out the other side and got the reward of a 17 mile decent through Jerome and out to Cottonwood. The next morning we reached Sedona and its fantastic scenery.
My mother and her sisters do a once a year reunion and this year just happen to be in Sedona and this week. It was nice to see my mother again and my aunts for the first and last time for a while. Thanx to all of you for the amazing hospitality! Hubert and I after a bit more hiking and swimming are planning to head toward the north rim of the Grand Canyon next.