Out for a drive

It was a cool and windy day again so we decided to go for a drive up the Apache Trail to Tortilla Flat. We didn't know how far we could get because of the rain Sunday, there still was water running over the road at Torilla Flat as seen below. But we decided not to go any farther on the Trail today, the water wasn't that deep others were going through but it was 1:30 and it takes another 2 hours or so to finish the drive, we'll do it another day.

We of course had lunch at the restarant at Torilla Flat, it is a must. I had BBQ chicken sandwich and Ken had a Bullrider burger, both were very good. Notice the dollar bills on the walls and business cards and foreign currency.

It is just a tourist place!!! We did pick up a gift and postcards.

Here's the fun art in the ladies restroom!

We pass by Canyon Lake on the way up to Torilla Flat, it is a beautiful drive. The Lake is closed because of all the rain, too much floatsum in the water.

Ken has to climb out to take a panaramic photo.

We stopped at Goldfield on the way back, another tourist spot, for ice cream and photos.

It was a fun day! I now have another book to read The Apache Trail (a Storybook guide to Arizona's Historical Highway). I did finish the book on Apacheland, fun to read about the movies made and the ups and downs of the of a movie and tourist western lot.

So many feelings fit between two heart beats

so many objects can be held in our two hands

Don't be surprised we can't describe the world

and just address things tenderly by name. Zbigniew Herbert

A beautful sunset

It was a windy and cool day, 57 and tonight it is going down to 33. This is Superstition Mountain as it looked tonight just a half block down from the RV park. We hopped in the car when we saw it was going to be a great sunset to get photos.

This is looking at the sunset same place.

We went back to the Gilbert Riparian and I got a closer shot of the love bird.

We found the egrets and great blue heron there too today. Ken got photos of a pretty warbler.

We ate all meals in today, the first on our trip I believe, mostly the leftovers Mom gave us.

Today a new sun rises for me, everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion everything invites me to cherish it. Ninon de Lenclos

This is our big Boo, loves to help.

After the rain

We've just been out and about the last couple of days. Today we drove up Hy88 a little to the Weaver's Needle overlook and the trail looked like this. There is still water in some roads and you can tell where the water went over the roads and the mud had been cleaned off. We visited the Superstition Mountain Museum today, the part most interesting to me was the two buildings that they brought over from the Apacheland Movie Ranch. The church and barn didn't burn in the fire that took the rest of the ranch in 2004. I have visited the ranch and had a lot of fun there a few years ago. Of course, the museum covers the usual Lost Dutchman Gold story and some Indian artifacts.

We then went and visited mom and went out to the Feed Bag for dinner. As usual, Mom had a care package for us to take home cakes, jello, nuts and oranges plus some leftovers; so our refrigerator is full.

Yesterday, we took Ken's golf club to Golfsmith to be repaired, it broke back home a few months ago. Then wouldn't you know across the street was a In and Out burger place so we had lunch there. Then checked out the Camper World store in Mesa and stopped at Trader Joes for another bottle of wine. We had a few short showers last night. The temps are cooler 59 but the sun was shining so it feels nice in the sun. Unfortunately though the pad for our chairs at our site isn't in the sun at all so to sit in the sun we have to sit at the back of our site.

My reading for tonight will be The Queen and Her Court: A true story of Apacheland Movie Ranch.

Rain in the Desert

It is a very rainy day here today, I believe we are getting 1 or more inches of rain. In the desert that means flooding so you have to watch for water in the roads. We went to a movie today, we saw the Bucket List with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, it was very good. On the way home we had the fun of driving through some deep water in the intersection of Meridian and Southern. We didn't have that far to drive either who knows what some other the streets had! This is Squeekie looking out our windshield. No one was looking out today, they snoozed all day.

Yesterday, we went with my mother to help celebrate her friends birthday. We went to I Hop to eat then to a arts and crafts show at a resorts clubhouse. They had some very nice things, hand made jewelry, art, and handicrafts. Then went to their house and Ken was invited to pick and take home some lemons and grapefruit from their trees.

Anyone who limits her vision to memories of yesterday is already dead. Lillie Langtry

(I've been reading some newspapers that tell the stories of the old west, Lillie was a famous actress of those days.)

1st day in Apache Junction

We had an interesting day yesterday settling in to the Meridian RV Resort. We arrived around 12 and it is cool and sprinkling rain. We are shown to our space and spotted as Ken backs into it. We level it, it doesn't like it the front in sloping down and the left side is in soft dirt and our jacks sink down into the ground about 6 inches. So we go to office and see what can be done and we change to a more level spot. Now our electricity has been set up for site 113 not our new one 220, so I call and get sorry we can't make the change til Monday, I say why, she says it take one business day and the next is Mon. I say but this is Thurs. oh, she thought it was Fri. Later we catch the hookup guy and says sure he'll change the hook up if we call to check to see if we have a work order for Fri. This time Ken calls and gets another girl, she works it out quickly. So it all works out OK by 5. This is the moon this morning looking out our windshield, a pretty site, worth waking up early for.

This is the clubhouse and office of the Meridian RV resort. We have a pool, hot tub, workout room, laundry, showers and activity room where they have some classes and Fri. Happy Hour.

My mom treated us to breakfast at Dreamland G. C. restaurant. Ken loves to watch the golfers tee off across the street.

We then went to Gilbert Riparian for a walk to see what birds were there. We caught the Mesa Love Birds there. Many of the ponds have been drained so no egrets were there.

More from AJ later.

Work day

It is a cloudy day and this afternoon we even had some sprinkles. But the temp was 65 and low 40, still better than home. It was a work day after bkft at the Stockyard. I did 4 loads of laundary in the little laundary room and Ken tried to fix the water pump. We had a water leak under the shower too this morning so he had to look at that, I just figured the grey water tank was full when I showered this morning, it was but we still shouldn't have had water on the ground as least we don't think we should. Good thing we didn't try to use our own washer/dryer last night. We then went to the In and Out again for lunch/dinner, it's Kens favorite burger joint and that is all they serve burgers and fries.

Ken ordered the double double burger today. We then went to WalMart for more tasty frozen dinners and cat treats and I got my hair cut. So we are getting set to head out tomorrow.

We will miss the quiet of Marana and the country roads. We just learned what roads to take to where. I will miss the Stockyard Cafe and the real cowboys who have breakfast there, today one came in wearing chaps wish I had the nerve to take his picture.

I will also lose the free wireless internet and will have to share Ken's Verizon excess card . Wireless would cost us $12 extra at the new place. Just as we will have to pay for electricity, Ken called today to set up an account with SRP and we pay a $28 new user fee.

So tomorrow news from our new home in Apache Junction.

Golf Tucson

Just another beautiful day in Tucson, 67 and low was 38. So out we go to AAA for Ken's maps. Then to In and Out Burger for lunch, then to hit golf balls at Silverbell Golf Course. We go in to ask about tees times and fees, today is the last day of their low twilight rates $20 for as many holes as you can get starting at 2:00. So we decide to play, this rate includes cart and we get 18 holes in well almost we didn't quite finish the18th.

I thought this an interesting cart barn for their extra carts.

There was a beautiful sunset and moonrise on the way home but I didn't get a good shot out of the window of either, point and shoots are not up to that.

This is our usual dinner, a frozen dinner with (Trader Joes wine) or beer. MMMM!! We have our favorite that way, though.

One more day left here in Tucson before we move north to Apache Junction.

Looking for birds

Another beautiful day here in Marana, AZ temp 66 low was 37. Here Katie and Tigger have found a warm spot on top of our heater. We went bird spotting today at Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson. It is a pretty spot in middle of town, it took us awhile to find it. Saw our first yellow head blackbirds, no photos they hide in the reeds. There were lots of ducks, I'm not up on ducks but they are fun to watch.

We then drove to the opposite side of town to go to Camper World, Ken got a kit to fix our water pump and some laundary soap for our washer/dryer. Then we heard there was an accident on I-10 and lanes were closed so we drove through Tucson again. We saw a Trader Joes and stopped to get their $3 wine to try. We were hoping to stop at the In and Out burger spot for dinner but missed it on our way back. I mentioned to Ken we wouldn't do very well in the Amazing Race as we are always on the wrong road but we do get to our distinations and see alittle more of the area.

It's the adventure on the way to the distination that defines the traveler. Me

Visit to Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

It was a beautiful day today, temp 66. We decided to visit the Desert Museum here in Tucson, it is on the edge of Saguara National Park. I have never visited the museum in all the years I've been coming to AZ. It took us about 5 hours to take walk through it, they are making some repairs and some of the reptiles are hibernating but they have a nice exhibit on minerals and local animals such as big horn sheep, javelina, bobcat, river otters and birds.

They have a walk-in aviary and a seperate hummingbird aviary, this is white eared hummingbird.

They also conducted a flyover demonstration with 4 Harris hawks. This we enjoyed the most.

There was a crowd there as pictured here. They have 4 snack areas and we did stop to enjoy an ice cream cone.

More from Tucson tomorrow.

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. Albert Einstein

Trip to Mesa

Here's our site in Marana, AZ, there are mtns there in the far background. No roadrunner today. We went to Mesa and had lunch with my mom. We then looked around for a spot to stay up there, we found one that has only RVs no park motels. So we have reserved a spot for two months in Apache Junction at Meridian RV Resort starting next Thursday. They gave us a nice tour of the facilities the only place that the office was open. It seems most parks the offices are closed on weekends.

Here's Tigger checking himself out this morning.

A Birthday Greeting to Lara!! (Ken's daughter)

The mere sense of living is joy enough. Emily Dickinson

A new site

We left Deming, NM in the cold, so cold we pulled out the winter coats and hairdryer to thaw the faucet to unhook the water hose. I think we are learning not to hook up the hose over night when the forecast is 27 or lower. It didn't help that the wind was blowing and rocking the RV all night.
Here we are stopped in a rest area 60 miles east of Tucson having a Subway sand and calling for a space in Marana, AZ.

We have made it to AZ. We arrived in Marana just north of Tucson yesterday afternoon. I have not figured out how to get a nice photo, it is a combination Rv and trailer park. We have decided to stay here a week and tour Tucson area. Marana is a small town in a big area, we have a cotton field next to the park. We were greeted this morning with a roadrunner outside our door, but no camera handy. Maybe he'll be there tomorrow and maybe we will be camera ready. We had breakfast at the Stockyard Cafe, it is a real stockyard and auction barn. Good food! I will take inside photos when we go back.

We then stopped at the tourist info and got maps etc. Then off for a drive through Saguaro National Park and stopping at a few trails


More from Tucson tomorrow.

On the road again

We are on the road again, decided to leave Carlsbad because it was getting cold tonight and tomorrow. We left around 12:00, we had a little trouble with the getting the lights to work on the Focus after hooking it up, but Ken tweeked the cable and got them working.

This is Guadelupe National Park, we drove by on our way to El Paso. Picture turned out pretty good shooting out the RV window.

We stopped and set up here in Deming,NM , Dream Catchers RV park.
We went to WalMart to pick up a wine opener, the one I bought earlier for the Rv broke on it's first try. We are enjoying the wine my brother and sister-in-law gave us for Christmas. Goes well with Stouffer's Mac n cheese. It is to be 27 tonight I believe.

On driving through we passed a huge diary farm, I've never seen so many cows, bigger than any feed lot I've seen going through Texas. Then more pecan orchards, Ken wants to pick up some other than the few he picked up from the golf course.

My friend Cheryl should be settled in the Florida Keys for a few weeks by now, enjoying the surf and fish and mojitos.

We would like to wish Shirley a fun and fantastic time on her cruise.

A little golf

What a beautiful day, warm, sun shining with little wind. We played 13 holes on Lake Carlsbad par 3 golf course late in the afternoon. It is between the Pecos river and a road so it was challenging not to hit passing cars or joggers. We both put a ball in the road, luckly no cars were passing. We see pecan trees everywhere, on the golf course and in the RV park, nuts for the taking at least Ken has.

Earlier in the day we took a drive to see Sitting Bull Falls. The water comes from a spring. It was a really nice area. It is a National Forest area, and there were self service pay areas. So we learned how they worked from the volunteer working the area.

We received our first mail package on the road.

We see these rigs all over the landscape, this one is natural gas and then there are many oil wells as well. So we smell petroleum everywhere.

My favorite shots are the practice swing and the conceded putt. The rest can never be mastered. Lord Robertson

Back to the Cavern

We went back to Carlsbad Caverns and spent 5 hours taking photos. Ken took his tripod this time so hopefully he is alittle more satifsfied with these photos. We then took the ranger tour of the Kings Palace section and it was unbelieveable. We were on a tour so it was harder to take photos, you can only visit this area on a tour.

I bought this book as my souvenir, Jim White discovered the cave in 1902 and brought it to the worlds attention.

Today we took the elevator in or down 700 ft. This is the rest area and food court down in the cave.

They serve packaged sandwiches and candy etc. also have a few souviners.

It was a lovely day, a cold start of 28 but I believe it reached 58 but there was very little wind and the sun was bright.

I love being part of the beach of life-I like being one of the grains of sand. Dr. Margaret Mc Farland