The End of Another Month

I tore the November page off of the little calendar on the wall of my computer desk this evening. I am positive that I just uncovered that page a couple of days ago! I used to chuckle at my mother-in-love when she commented about how fast time was flying by...

We had a high light covering of clouds this morning which gradually cleared off as the day went by. There are rumors that that the big rain storms that are supposed to hit California early this week are also going to be hitting southern Arizona. It's been over two months since there has been any rain in the Phoenix area, so it would be very nice. Everything is so dusty.

After seeing quite a few Christmas lights up as we drove home last night, we started thinking about decorating for Christmas. We have a string of foot-long icicle lights that we usually put on the front of the RV. Since we are in the Southwest, I would really like to put luminaria up around the RV. I've seen some that actually have electric lights in them instead of candles. I checked at ACE hardware when we were in town, but they had none. The lady suggested I had best look on-line. So that's what I will do.

A Trip to Cave Creek

Our friends Dennis and Colleen had a show this weekend in Cave Creek. We knew that with their plans to visit their kids in Florida and Georgia over Christmas and their vending at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas over the  the next week or so, that we would most likely not see them again until they come back to Scottsdale for the National Arabian Horse Show in February.

So we drove over to Cave Creek this afternoon to meet up with them for a visit and dinner. There were THREE art shows going on this weekend in the little town of Cave Creek! We went to the Stagecoach Village venue first, but they were  not there. (But I did spot a $90 pair of earrings that I really liked!) A quick phone call sent us on to Pioneer Village where they were set up in the parking lot.

Compared to the last show we saw them at in Fountain Hills, sales were not going nearly as well. Lots of lookers, but not a lot of buyers. I did find a few stocking stuffers plus we now have a javelina to join our road runner outside. It was dark when we got home, so I'll have to get a picture tomorrow.

We went back to Harold's, a barbecue joint we ate at last year when Granddaughter Havela was here. I had some luscious baby back ribs that were every bit as good as I remembered. It was a good day and a good day trip.

Pumpkin Pie

I don't know what they did to the pumpkin pie at the buffet yesterday, but it just didn't taste right. I think maybe they used a commercial pre-prepared pumpkin pie mix. I've tasted pies people have made using canned pumpkin pie mix and that's what it reminded me of.

Anyhow, I wanted some pumpkin pie that tasted like it is supposed to (in my mind anyway!), so I dug a can of pumpkin and one of condensed milk out of my pantry drawer (where they've been for more than a year. I bought them last year when I was going to take a pie to the resort potluck, then was told they didn't need any more pies...) and actually made a pumpkin pie.

But, I had no whipping cream in the house, so we had to make a trip into town. We needed a few groceries, so I ended up with a bit more than just a can of whipped cream. The pie turned out just fine -- and it tasted just like it is supposed to! I've always used the recipe on the Libby Pumpkin can and I guess I am just conditioned. Hmm, I wonder if I should write it down somewhere...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Give Thanks! That's  a loaded statement. We probably spend as much, if not more, time complaining about little things then we do being thankful. But, it's funny, that when we stop and think about it, our list of thanks runs off the page!

I hope that all of you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. Son Sean was busy this morning roasting his turkey. He hosted a couple of his friends for a "fancy" dinner. Daughters Mary Mae and Dawn and their families (minus Havelita who is still in Kansas until December 10) along with Sister Roxy and Rich, are all down on the Oregon Coast. Last I heard, there was an incredible amount of giggling going on...

It got up into the eighties here today -- I understand it broke the record for the warmest day on this date in Phoenix -- but I've been told to quit talking about our wonderful weather. (Tee Hee)

Today's Walk

My walk today took me down to the other end of the perimeter fence towards the south. From that end of the fence, you can catch a glimpse of the pond. I don't think it's water from, or part of, the river. I think it's the effluent from the treatment plant.

Down at this end of the fenced off area, there is another mesquite tree that is heavily infested - or cohabiting - with cacti. The prickly pear cactus has grown into the tree and makes an almost impenetrable barrier. The hoofprints of the cows and horses stop here, so I don't think they even attempt to go through where it is.

From what we've heard, the banks of the Verde River are heavily undercut and  deemed dangerous. The whole area is closed. It's on the Yavapai Reservation and we've noticed a great deal of the reservation is closed off...

It's a shame, as it looks like there could be some nice hiking in the valley...

We got some new neighbors today, just on the other side of the trees and bushes. They seem like nice people, but unfortunately they are only going to be here through the weekend.

On My Walk

It was cold again last night - down to 33 degrees - but nice and warm by this afternoon. Typical 24 hours in the Sonoran Desert. I have been taking my daily walks along the back perimeter fence that faces the Verde River valley. This old saguaro cactus has obviously had a tough life, but has not hesitated to send our new limbs. -

Further along the fence is this mesquite tree. It is full of seed pods that are now dry and beginning to fall. You can hear the pods rattling in the trees when the wind blows.

The other prevalent shrubs are the many creosote bushes. It's said that they smell like creosote when they are wet from rain...

 

It is actually quite amazing how green this part of the desert really is. It is not the stark landscape you might think of when you think of desert.

I Like Surprises (sometimes!)

After I had gone for a walk this afternoon and Forry had gone for his two mile trike ride, we sat for a bit outside. Then it occurred to us we hadn't checked for mail for a few days, so Forry got back on the trike and rode over to the office. He brought back, not the Bourbon Smoked Pepper and Salt I had ordered last week, but a surprise package!

My Sister Roxy is not only quite the quilter, but she is a very good seamstress as well. She also has the patience to make multiple copies of a project. I don't know how many hundred of these reversible over-the-shoulder bags she has made. (She's given me several over the years, but my daughters have always conned me out of them...) I don't think they'll be able to talk me out of this one, however. Roxy found some incredible RV fabric --

It's a perfect fabric and bag for a full-time RVer!

Not only are the bags reversible (this one is red inside), but they have multiple pockets. Wrapped up inside the bag and hidden in the various pockets were all kinds of little surprises. There were at least four different peace doves, a peacock pin, some vanilla beans from her trip to Bali, some tea and a little lipstick holder, also from Bali and a darling felt star Christmas ornament with a red cardinal on it.

What a lovely surprise "Happy Day Goodie Envelope!" Thank you, Sister Roxy!

Memories!

In another life, Forry and I did a lot of flying in small planes. If my memory is correct, we've had a total of seven small aircraft ranging from a Piper 180 to a couple of twin-engine Aztecs. Much of our children's early lives revolved around trips we took with Flying Farmer organization. One of our favorite destinations was Baja California in Mexico. We would rendezvous in Las Vegas or Reno and wait for everyone to arrive (always depended on weather!).

Vic Franz, who has an early two digit pilot's license, served as a mentor for many of our early flights. He made sure that we too, took safety as a top priority. He sent me this picture last week that I think was taken in about 1971 in a trip I had organized for the Flying Farmer group. Vic is on the left in the photo. Next to him is Bob Kramer, whose Cessna 310 we are all standing in front of. With Forry and I are our children, Mary Mae, Sean and Dawn.

I think the picture may have been taken at the Meling Ranch airstrip, about half-way down the Baja  peninsula. In those days, there was no paved good road that went to the tip of Baja. You either sailed down the Pacific side to Cabo San Lucas or you flew in a fairly small plane - no jets in those days!

Oh what a bit of nostalgia this picture brought back! Thanks, Vic!

Out For a Walk

When I went out for a walk this afternoon, I was looking for foot prints on the other side of the fence. It's very obvious that there have been frequent visitors. There is multiple evidence of both cow and horse traffic. We've seen cattle three times in the three weeks we've been here, but we've never seen the horses, though they've left many deposits behind. I did hear whinneying one afternoon when I was sitting outside, but that's been about it. Only twice have we seen critters in the daytime.

Even when we have heard and seen cows, it isn't easy to see them for very long. There are lots of mesquite and other shrubs that head down the gulch towards the Verde River valley. We watched a couple of cows as they appeared and disappeared into the brush, but we very quickly lost track of them.

Forry went out on the trike for a ride when I got back. He's been making a loop back and forth and around the RV park. It's marked out as a mile if you make the whole trek.

A Trip to Town

It was overcast this morning. We didn't get any rain today, but I think there may have been some on the other side of the mountains. It was also VERY chilly. I actually went back to the bedroom and put on a pair of socks to go along with the sweater I already had on!

By early this afternoon when we went into town, it had warmed up a bit. There were bits of blue sky showing here and there. We were out of breakfast stuff, so made a trip to the grocery store. I asked the butcher about purchasing a duck, thinking I might roast one for Thanksgiving dinner for two of us. I couldn't find any in the meat cases, but I thought they were so full of turkeys - they were heaped high - that I just couldn't see any. The butcher told me that "some guy" had come in and bought every duck they had. So much for that idea. Guess maybe we'll go to Plan B. We've been thinking about going over to the casino. They have a pretty nice buffet advertised.

I don't know what's floating around in the air around here. I started sneezing shortly after I got up yesterday. When Forry got up, he started sneezing as well. We both sneezed off and on all day. Today it was the same thing. I don't know whether it's something from all the wind that's been blowing the last week or ? Neither  one of us feels bad or anything, at least not yet, but we sure seem to sneeze a lot.

A Sunny Day

Today was the first day this week that it was both sunny and windless. There was a bit of a breeze, but barely enough to move the peacock's tail. I was able to go for a short walk and then take my iPad outside and read for a while as I watched the hummingbirds. Forry went for a trike ride. I think he rode all the way around the park.

I talked with Sister Sherry for a while. It has warmed up a bit on the Farm and she said it was nice there today too. Although they had had a brief stretch of freezing rain this morning and the schools in the Tri-cities were closed due to black ice.

Daughter Mary Mae said it was fairly nice in Mount Vernon as well. She was at work when I called her and got caught up with the g-kids.

In the meantime, I got four loads of laundry done (I think I've neglected it a bit...). Then made some mini-meatloaves for supper along with some yams. All in all, it was a nice day.

People Watching

Sometimes, I just have to shake my head (couldn't be that I'm getting to be an old fogy...) as I watch people. Airports are a good place for seeing people at both their best and worst, especially when there are long  delays from bad weather or mechanical issues.

RV Parks are another good spot to observe people. Of course, everyone loves to watch others back into tight spaces. People vary so much in how they go about it. Some couples use their cell phones to communicate, others use walkie-talkies. Other like ourselves, just use hand signals. (It definitely helps to have been married to a former farmer who is used BIG machinery.) You can tell the people who have been at it for a while. There may be a bit of adjusting and maneuvering, but it's over quickly and the rig is in place. For others, there is a lot of backing and forwarding and often a great deal of yelling.

Then it's interesting to watch people set up. Water and electricity have to be hooked up and rigs leveled. Some people do it in tandem. Some people (mostly ladies) will wait in the truck until everything is done, then they will go inside.

People with pets are also fun to watch. For example, the couple a few doors down have a very big furry dog. He usually walks it early in the mornings. Then later in the day, the dog walks the lady. He pulls her along at a pretty good clip. Another neighbor has three little sort of Yorkie dogs. She's fun to watch as the three of them never want to go in the same direction. One of them always wants to go a different way. Often, she gives up and picks up one or two of them in order to continue her walk.

If you enjoy people watching, life is never boring.

Another Quiet Day

It wasn't near as windy today, but it was still chilly. I really feel guilty about complaining too much, especially as I watch the news and read Facebook posts.One of our church family posted a picture this morning with her thermometer showing 0 degrees in eastern Washington!

When we were in Albuquerque at Tom and Juni's last year, we watched several episodes of The Big Bang Theory that they had recorded. We ended up hooked on the show and have been watching it ever since. Of course, Forry insists that he's not really watching, just turns it on for me. But, there's an awful lot of chuckles coming from his side of the room.

It's interesting that it's only mid-November and many of the TV shows are advertising their Season Finale. Shows like Dancing With the Stars, Scandal, The Voice, How to Get Away With Murder. I guess just about the time we got the schedule figured out and know what we want to watch, they're going to be changing it all.

Saying Goodbye

Colleen and Dennis got themselves organized this morning, pulled in their slides, emptied their tanks, hitched up their trailer and headed on their way back to Tucson. We got our last hugs and watched them pull out the drive of Eagle View RV Resort. It was sad to see them go, but they'll be back for the Arabian Horse National  Show in February in Scottsdale.

The Polar Vortex which has the rest of the country shivering, hasn't totally missed Arizona. It got down into the thirties last night. It's still awfully nice, but not warm enough to be comfortable sitting outside.We were outside for a while after waving good-bye to our visitors. We dumped our tanks, but soon retreated back inside.

It was a better day to be inside with a book!

Chili and Cornbread

It was a gusty day today. The wind was blowing when we got up and it blew in gusts most of the day. A couple of times I saw the hummingbirds almost blown off of the feeders. We had thought about going back into the Art Show in Fountain Hills this afternoon, but just didn't feel like going out on such a chilly gusty day.

I started thinking about our friends being out at their booth at the show all day. I thought it would be a good thing to fix dinner for them tonight. I was sure they would be tired after breaking down their booth after being out in the wind all day. I checked my pantry drawers and figured that I had enough tomatoes and beans to make a pot of chili. I thawed out a package of hamburger and chopped the leftover steak from a couple of nights ago into small pieces and threw it in the pot too.

Later this afternoon, I mixed the dry ingredients for cornbread. Then when Colleen texted that were packing up, I added the wet ingredients plus a small can of green chilis and stuck it in the oven. The cornbread was ready just about the time they walked in the door. I think they were glad to have a got meal waiting for them. Dennis and Colleen will head back to their winter home base in Tucson in the morning. We're going to miss them. It's been fun having them here!

The Recycled Spoon

We didn't do much today except wash the sheets, but later this afternoon we went into the Art Show at Fountain Hills to pay Dennis and Colleen a visit at their Recycled Spoon booth.

 

I have been checking their collection of necklaces (I covet the one Colleen wears) the last few times we've seen them and today I found one that I really like:

The booth next door to Dennis and Colleen was selling carpeted dog and cat steps and also had some neat raised dog bowl feeders. I gave Sister Sherry a call to see how tall the upside down crock she puts Keikosan's feed bowl on was. They are going to ship her one of their taller stands. We'll see how that "spoiled" dog likes it. I only walked through about a quarter of the show, but later Dennis was talking about one of his buddies down the way that sells belts. It was already closing time, so we may have to go back tomorrow to see about a new one for Forry.

After they closed down for the day, we went over to a place called Phil's for dinner. Good food!

Auntie Violet Gets ???

We have twice bought wheel covers for Auntie Violet's wheels and have twice taken them back because: the first ones were too small and the second ones were so sleazy that when we opened the package, we knew they would not last through the winter. We finally found a set last year at Camping World that were big enough and looked actually sturdy enough. As is our usual pattern of behavior, we got them home and they sat in their lovely container and never got put on last winter.

We decided today was the day. We are well settled in our site for the next several months and it was time. It actually didn't take terribly long. The toughest part was reaching around the back for the strap that holds them on. I think they will look better after a few days in the sun when all the wrinkles smooth out.

Dennis and Colleen got back from their first day at the Fountain Hills Art Show a little after five this afternoon. They were in a good mood as they had a very good day. We went with them over to Cafe 87 at the Fort McDowell Casino for supper. It was sort of funny because we all ended up with some kind of shrimp dinner. They fellows had shrimp fajita salads, Colleen had shrimp linguini and I had fried shrimp.

Company!

We were excited this afternoon to see our friends, Dennis and Colleen, pull into the entrance of Eagle View RV Park with their van and new trailer! They will be here until Sunday, so we'll have a nice chance to visit.

Dennis and Colleen will be offering their wares at the Art Show in Fountain Hills this weekend. They arrived early this afternoon. Sandy in the office assigned them a site just two spaces down from us, which is really nice. Colleen did a very nice job of backing their trailer into the  site. We left them to finish setting up, then they came over to our place and relaxed for a bit. They had to be in line at the Art Show by 3 PM, then would be able to set up their booth, The Recycled Spoon, in preparation for tomorrow.

I stuck some potatoes in the oven to bake while they were gone setting up and seasoned the steaks. I also trimmed some Brussels sprouts and got them ready to brown with some pine nuts.

It gets dark quickly when the sun goes down in the desert, so we ate inside when they got back. We had a nice visit before they headed back to their trailer. They will have to leave early in the morning to finish setting up, so we won't see them again until tomorrow evening. It's so nice to have company from home!

A Mid-Week Day

Not a lot going on today. Showers this morning, then over to the office to pick up the mail with Forry's meds. They should have been here yesterday, but it was Veteran's Day, so no mail. Sandy was working today, so I took over the silverplate wind chime I had brought for her. (She had admired it last year when we were here. I had replaced it with a neat one that looked like Aladdin's lamp that our friend Dennis had made, so I gave the sugar bowl one to her...) I think she really liked it. It has such a pretty sound.

Later this afternoon we made a quick run into the Safeway store in Fountain Hills. We were totally out of breakfast sandwiches -- and even more importantly -- out of ice cream bars! We noticed there were a lot of signs up talking about the Art Fair which is this weekend down in the park by the town's namesake fountain. Our friends, Colleen and Dennis will have their booth, The Recycled Spoon, there. The best thing about that is they will be staying here at Eagle View RV Park in their new trailer!

Dropping Temperatures

Everyone I talk with, whether it's on the telephone, or on Facebook, or listening to the news, is talking about how cold it is where they are, or how much snow they've had, or how much they're expecting.

This Polar Blast that is hitting most of the United States is nasty. The news tonight was full of pictures of car wrecks, of vehicles sliding off the road, and all kinds of snowy roads. Usually winter comes on a bit more gradually, giving people a chance to adjust to colder weather. This year, many places had not even had a killing frost yet. It's been a long Indian Summer for most areas.

Here in southern Arizona, we may get a bit of the cooler air. The temperature at almost nine o'clock has dropped to 60 degrees, It's not that unusual to see a twenty to twenty-five degree drop in the evenings. It is the desert after all.

Auntie Violet's Spa Day

There's an entrepreneur located here at Eagle View RV Resort. Alan has a business called A.N.S. Detailing RV Wash and Detail. He's located here in the winter time (October to May) and in Spearfish, South Dakota from June to September. We met Alan last year when we first arrived and we watched him and his crew all winter.

Auntie Violet and Toad II had an appointment with ANS early this afternoon for a wash, wax and polishing. Alan and his crew of three start on the roof and work their way down, sudsing, scrubbing, rinsing. Then they waxed and polished. They even took razor blades to the tree sap on Auntie Violet's windshield that Forry had not been able to get off.

In the meantime, the hummingbirds were NOT happy! I had taken the hummingbird feeder down from its place on the mirror so that the guys could do their work. The birds kept flying by the mirror and "chattering" their annoyance.

Forry and I had gotten busy this morning and washed the inside of the windows. It is amazing how bright it is in here now! Tomorrow I will go ahead and put our shade curtain up on the inside of the windshield. That will drop the temperature in the front of the rig a good ten degrees.

Later this afternoon, we went on into Fountain Hills to the Ace Hardware store to pick up some 2x4 wood blocks that Forry wants to use for the supports he wants to use under our big slide. While we were there, we bought another hummingbird feeder (a neat antique looking bottle), some large spikes (to make holes for my bird waterer) and some ant bait.

Lazy Day

It was another beautiful day here in Arizona. It actually got a bit on the warm side this afternoon. The Palo Verde tree gives us nice shade in the morning and early afternoon, but by late afternoon the sun has moved far enough around to ensure there is no more shade on that side.

I sat outside and read for a few hours. Forry suggested using the plug-in on the site pedestal for my iPad. That worked well and I didn't need to worry about running the battery all the way down. I did come inside in time for the Seahawks game. (It was so neat when the mascot hawk flew into the crowd and visited for a bit...)

Laundry Day

Another beautiful day in Arizona. I finally got busy and tackled the laundry. It was so nice that I set the drying rack up outside the door and hung the first couple of loads outside. There was enough of a breeze that everything dried very quickly.

The hummingbirds kept flying by the windows acting like they were hungry. We hadn't seen them before today, but they were incredibly persistent. Forry got the little feeders out of the car and I made some sugar water. The minute I filled the cups, the birds were right there to eat. Last year it took a couple of weeks for them to find and use the feeders.

The grackles showed up a couple of days ago as well. There were none here when we arrived, but now we hear them walking along the roof in the morning. They keep pretty busy along the path in front of the RV. I don't know whether they are eating seeds or finding bugs.

We had a bit of a commotion on the other side of the fence tonight. There were a couple of cows going up and down and bellowing loudly. Of course, it all happened after dark, so who knows what had them all excited. One of our neighbors had a pretty strong searchlight, but all he could do is highlight the cows as they came by. It's Open Range country, so who knows what was going on.

The Costco Odyssey

There is a very nice Palo Verde tree in the little group of plantings next to where Auntie Violet is parked. I noticed this morning that the tree is beginning to bloom --

We saw a few later on this afternoon that were almost entirely yellow. It will fun to watch to see if our tree continues to bloom out.

This afternoon we made the long overdue trip to Costco. I had been putting it off because I knew it was going to be a major one. For several reasons, I have become very leery about purchasing meat at grocery stores. I think that there have been just too many horror stories and meat recalls in the news. I have a great deal of faith in Costco's buyers. I have been contacted by Costco when I have bought a product that turned out to have problems.

I suppose part of it has to do with growing up on a farm and living on one most of our married life. We were used to having and butchering our own meat. We knew how it was raised and how it was butchered, cut and wrapped.

It's one thing when you live in one area and you can get to know your local butcher and meat markets. However, when you are as mobile as we are, you just can't do that. So, we rely on a large company that we trust. Today I bought a large pork loin roast (that I cut up into six small roasts to freeze), a package of four beef rib steaks, six pounds of hamburger and a large package of beef stew meat. When we got home, I broke up all the packaging into meal-size portions for us.

Now my little freezer is stuffed!

Gradually Settling In

We are slowly getting settled. Forry finished emptying Toad II today. He unloaded the trike and put it together, but it looks like it is going to need to have its tires pumped up before it can be ridden. His comment after he finished with the car was about how big it was with the back portion empty!

I am very disappointed with the Arizona Republic. For the second day in a row, we did not have a paper delivered! When I called to find out why, the lady said she didn't know. But she said that she would have the manager call me. Well, no phone call and no paper. They certainly were fast enough getting the payment deducted from my bank card though...

The weather is getting nicer every day. It was chilly and in the high fifties when we came. The temperature has gradually been getting higher - it was up to 80 today. It's been breezy in the afternoons, so it has been very comfortable and nice.

I'm Tired!

I think the traveling and getting settled caught up with me today. I had a hard time getting going this morning and I must say, we didn't do a whole lot today. We did unload part of the stuff in the back of Toad II, but the trike still has to be gotten out and put together. And we need to get the folding chairs out of the topper. We're still discussing where exactly we want to set up our canopy. I'm thinking it may be fairly close to the side of the rig. We did notice when we were unloading stuff today how nice the shade is from the Palo Verde tree next to us.

This was the view out our front window late this afternoon as the sun was beginning to set across the Verde River valley.

It ended up being an absolutely beautiful sunset!

 

After a supper of toasted gruyere cheese sandwiches and basil tomato soup, we are enjoying the Country Music Awards show.

Stocking Up

I do like our new site. The view out of Auntie Violet's front window is really nice. There is a wide walking path about twenty feet wide between us and the three-rail fence that delineates the edge of the park. The park is less then half full at this time of the year (many snow-birds don't come down until after the holidays), so there isn't a whole lot of walking traffic yet. I know that last winter when I walked around the park perimeter for exercise, there were always lots of people on the trail.

I did hear a horse whinnying this afternoon, but never did spot it. It is Open Range country all around the park. Last year we saw both cattle and horses on the other side of the fence.

We did not go shopping before we left Oregon nor did we stop to shop enroute. As a result, the larder is very empty. Today we drove into Fountain Hills for just two things. The first - and probably the most important - was to go to the post office to mail our ballots back to Washington State. It is sort of frustrating for the counting in Washington that the ballots must be postmarked by Election Day. (Many states require ballots to arrive by Election Day.) The entire state of Washington votes by mail, so sometimes it takes a while to really know how an election turned out.

After the post office, we headed for the Safeway store and groceries. I spent over three hundred dollars -- and didn't even buy meat or have a full cart! And then of course, when you get home you have to haul everything into the house AND put it all away!

We're Here!

It's so nice to be back at Eagle View RV Resort, Fort McDowell, Arizona. As we drove down the road into the park, it like we were back at our second home.

It was such a pretty drive today. People talk about the desert being boring, but it is anything but. We started out on I-40, then turned east on Highway 93 towards Wickenburg. There was an incredible variety of color along the way. We began to see Joshua trees. In fact, there was a sign saying that this was Arizona's Scenic Joshua Tree Byway. A few miles past where I took this picture, the Joshua trees were so dense, you almost couldn't see the desert floor.

There were sagebrush, rabbitbrush, bitter brush, and creosote bushes. We saw staghorn, cholla, beavertail and ocotillo cacti. And finally, we began to see saguaros. There were lots of palo verde trees, mesquite, salt cedars and eucalyptus trees. And a whole lot more I couldn't identify! Such and incredible variety of shapes and colors.

We took Highway 60, then the 101 Loop around Phoenix, finally getting to Highway 87 which led us to Fort McDowell Road. Two miles up the road sits the RV Park on the opposite side of the road from the Casino.

We technically are in Site 101 the wrong way. Instead of backing in, we are facing the fence and the Verde River valley. Since it is next to a small cluster of bushes and trees, our front door is not facing anyone elses. Fortunately, we have an extra twenty-five feet of electric cable and several water hoses, so we were able to run them underneath the coach to the hook-ups.

Before the night was over, we experienced a power outage and a trip to Denny's for dinner. But, I'm tired and it's time for bed.

Blake Ranch RV Park and Horse Motel

It was so nice to sleep in this morning -- if you call eight o'clock sleeping in. Arizona does not participate in Daylight Savings Time, so there was no changing clocks around last night. And it was CHILLY! I think the warmest the temperature got to today was sixty-eight degrees. The sun was shining though, making it a beautiful day.


There was a great deal of bird activity just outside the fence of the RV park. Most of the birds were too quick to hide in the trees to identify, but we did have a little downy woodpecker visit the tree next to Auntie Violet.  Last year when we were here, we saw deer on the hillside, but haven't seen any so far.

It was the usual Sunday fare on TV. Football game after football game. The Seahawks game was blacked out (darn Mount Vernon billing address!), but they're going to re-broadcast it tomorrow at eleven...

We've got another fairly long day tomorrow. We've been trying to stay under 250 miles a day. That's a good days run for us.

Arizona At Last

We couldn't get the satellite to log on due to all of the trees at the RV Park we were at last night, so we went to bed quite early (I think I was asleep by ten o'clock).  As a result, I was slept out early, I think I was awake by 6 AM, more then early enough to watch the sun come up a little after seven. I sent Sister Sherry an email asking if her phone was working yet. Since he knew I was up, she gave me a call (they fixed the phone line last night) and we had a chance for a nice talk before it was time to wake Forry up.

As it was, we were on the road by 9:30 this morning. It had rained for an hour about early this morning, around 1 AM. It was still a bit cloudy most of the day. We followed Highway 58 most of the morning, then turned more eastward on Interstate 40. Finally, we reached the Colorado River, which marks the border between California and Arizona.

It is always a good feeling to finally see the Welcome to Arizona sign -

At this point, we are now seeing staghorn and cholla cacti, some Joshua trees and other yucca along with an occasional ocotillo. About a dozen miles on the other side of Kingman is the turnoff to Blake Ranch RV Park and Horse Motel. We've stayed here before and will take a rest day here tomorrow.