Bearizona!

[sawhorseray]

After being in lockdown for over three months now we've decided tomorrow will be our first big outing to Bearizona Wildlife Park!

Bearizona | Arizona's Drive-Thru Wildlife Park

Visitors will drive through more than three miles of Ponderosa Pine Forest, viewing North American animals in natural habitats when they visit.

bearizona.com

It's a 3-hour drive to get there and we never have to get out of the truck. The whole show will be viewed from the seat of the truck, and of course Bob will get to go and bark at all the wild animals thru the windows. This morning I Vortexed up some teriyaki chicken legs and SBR thighs

I've got the battery charging for the good camera and we're just giddy with excitement. We're big believers in social distancing and staying away from cooties, and also think an outing per week may assist in maintaining some degree of sanity. Up after this trip might be out to the desert with some guns and bullets, pop a few caps! RAY

 

[chopsaw]

Ray , those thighs are perfect ! Getting ready to throw some boneless thighs on the Genesis .
Enjoy that trip . I need to go to " Covid - Depot " Dang faucet leaking . Can't stand it anymore . I'm with you , been in the house for 3 months . So might go in the morning , or shut the water off !!

 

[sawhorseray]

Thanks Rich! I went to HD a couple of weeks ago right after they took off all the restrictions, what a difference a day made! None of the employees were wearing masks anymore, nor were 80-90% of the customers. We're setting daily records here this week for reported cases and deaths, it hasn't even peaked yet. Don't let your guard down amigo, this crap hasn't gone anywhere, and certainly not away. Personally I believe it's here and here to stay until there is a vaccine, and that they'll rush a vaccine into mass production without proper testing of the long term effects. We live in a different world now. RAY

 

[thirdeye]

Thanks Rich! I went to HD a couple of weeks ago right after they took off all the restrictions, what a difference a day made! None of the employees were wearing masks anymore, nor were 80-90% of the customers. We're setting daily records here this week for reported cases and deaths, it hasn't even peaked yet. Don't let your guard down amigo, this crap hasn't gone anywhere, and certainly not away. Personally I believe it's here and here to stay until there is a vaccine, and that they'll rush a vaccine into mass production without proper testing of the long term effects. We live in a different world now. RAY

My Home Depot does not have a mask policy either, but they have Plexiglas shields at the check outs. If you are a contractor or member you can order and pay online, then call the service desk and they deliver to your pickup. On the other hand Menards employees are all masked up, they have sanitizer stations all over the place and unless they have changed in the last two weeks, they don't allow kids under 15 in the store at all.

 

[chopsaw]

. On the other hand Menards employees are all masked up,

THANK YOU for that info . Lowe's and Home Depot around here have been ignorant to what's going on . I'll check Menards in the morning . Glad I saw this . Thanks again .

 

[tx smoker]

HA!! And to think that when I saw the title to this you were cooking a Bear style PA meal in AZ. Good to hear that you are getting out. Bob's "Buns of Steel" regimen may be relegated to the front seat of the truck but I'm sure he will love a road trip. Have fun and stay safe. Looks like you have some good victuals to take along for nibbling purposes.

Robert

 

[HalfSmoked]

Yea I could handle that as a meal. My favorite part of the yard bird.

Warren

 

[Steve H]

Great looking bird! Have a good time on your trip. But don't let your guard down. This isn't over yet. All stores here still require masks. We are getting away for a week too. All we've been doing is work and home. We really need to a break. We all do.

 

[sawhorseray]

Trip cancelled, Covid-19 is running rampant in AZ and Jan doesn't want to chance having to use their restrooms. We're setting a new record for reported cases every day for a week and a half, hospitals are beginning to fill up according to the morning paper. Better safe than sorry. RAY

 

[Steve H]

Good choice Ray. We are watching events here as well. And will cancel if we don't feel safe.

 

[sawhorseray]

You bet Steve! With so many of the people who test positive for Covid-19 not showing any symptoms but able to infect others it just plain not worth the risk. Airplanes, casinos, and the bargain matinee are all things of the past as far as we're concerned. RAY

 

[Smokin' in AZ]

Ray, Sue and I have been watching the numbers and it is very unsettling. We both said it was going to happen, I am sorry we were right on this occasion.

But you made the right decision though. We still do curbside pickup as a first choice, if we have to go out.

Nice lookin' meal though.

LIKE!

John

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Ray,

At least you guys have those delicious looking drums and thighs to gnaw on.

Yep, it is better to be safe and not risk it.

Last week, my wife and I ventured into our local Safeway for only the second time since all this started.
Every employee was wearing their masks. Kudos to them!

I can't say the same thing about the customers though, nearly 75% were maskless.
Our Safeway down here has one way aisles and the checkout lanes have place markers and signs to ensure people stay a safe distance apart.
As we were unloading our cart, some guy who was not a wearing a mask, got right up behind my wife. I very politely explained to him that we are in the high risk group and that we would appericate it if he stepped back to the spot marked on the floor.
The man acted annoyed as he shrugged his shoulders, rolled his eyes and stepped back. WTH?!!

After that incident, I told my wife that we will go back to ordering online and doing curbside pickup only.

End of rant.

 

[Smokin' in AZ]

Wait till they start cussing at you for telling them they are going the wrong damn way in the isle.....

You have a couple of serious fires down there SecondHand.

Fingers crossed they get a handle on them.

John

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Wait till they start cussing at you for telling them they are going the wrong damn way in the isle.....

You have a couple of serious fires down there SecondHand.

Fingers crossed they get a handle on them.

John

John,

The funny thing is, our fist time at Safeway, I didn't notice the one way arrows.
Another gentleman pointed out the one way arrows to me.
I thanked him because I truly did not see the arrows.

Luckily, those fires are way north of here. Unfortunately, with the low humidity and stiff breezes yesterday and again today, it will be a challenge for the firefighters. That is some pristine desert going up in flames.
When we have the red flag warnings down here I don't do any grilling or smoking. I know the chances are slim, but I don't want to be known as that a**hole who started a wild fire.

Stuart

 

[tander28]

Strange times we are living in for sure. Sorry your trip isn't going to work out, but glad you are staying safe. The chicken looks great too!

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

Sorry your trip didn't work out Ray. Cases are going up here as well. Think protesting with 4000 people in close contact has anything to do with that?

Work and home has been about it for the last 3 months. Had to go to HD a couple days ago and only about half of the people here were wearing masks. We live at the base of the smoky mountains so we take the kids to the river to swim all the time but now the swimming holes are getting crowded. Crazy!

 

[sawhorseray]

Now I've been directed to get the boat off the side yard and back into the garage so the camper can come live on the truck, and then be off loaded behind the RV gate. If the biggest concern to travelling anywhere is the potential for having to use public rest rooms I'm just taking that right off the table. Gee, that'll save another $80 a month too. Bathroom, shower, TV, oven, stove, AC, fridge, freezer, and no cooties! RAY

 

[tx smoker]

Ray....very much appreciate you posting the pic. Now I know what (and who) to look for when you come rolling into the driveway. I have a special area to the left of the house that looks like national park land and is beautifully shaded. We can even get you electricity to the camper so no need to run a generator. The beautiful part about that location, in addition to the way it looks, is that it's just a very short walk to the patio (where all the cookers are) and the pool. We even have a big fenced in back yard so Bob can have run of the place and a doggy door so he can go inside whenever he wants to get out of the heat. Sounds like a perfect excuse to load up and head to TX my friend!!

Greasing the skids,
Robert

 

[sawhorseray]

Thank you Robert, I'm gonna have to take a couple of little trips just to get back into the swing of things before tying on a 1000 miler. Jan called Bearizona and they let cabover campers into the park, so that's right back on the menu, maybe next week. I started digging around and there are some decent trout lakes up that way, I've got electric downriggers on my boat and love to troll for trout. If it weren't for the pandemic today would have been the day we were to head for Wyoming for a week of kokanee fishing. Gee, it's always something. RAY