Burger Party

Just another beautiful day, temp was 75. Ken went golfing 9 holes with the guys again today. Yesterday we were invited to a burger party given by our neighbors, everyone was to bring something. Ken microwaved some smokies with BBQ sauce and we also took some chips and dip. It was fun. Our neighbors are from small towns near Witchta KS.

Earlier we went to an Indian Art Fair nearby, there were about a dozen tents and a band. The pottery was beautiful but we have no place to display it. Of course, there was the jewelry and silver work, I just enjoy looking at the lovely pieces.

Only in Arizona...there is a state law making it illegal for burros to sleep in bathtubs.

You can call yourself an Arizonian when..you realize a swamp cooler is not a happy hour drink.

Birding

It was a short sleeve day for me today, oh so nice! We went back to Gilbert's Riparian Preserve.

There were about 90 egrets large and small. Several kinds of ducks and wading birds. Again you have my point and shoot photos, Ken took some good photos!

We can add a couple more birds to our list, the green heron, Brown-crested Flycatcher, American Wigeon, White crowned sparrow and Verdin. Below to the left is a green heron.

Our park hosted a mini RV show this morning, LaMesa RV brought in 4 RV's for us to tour also brought donuts.

Yesterday Ken set up a computer for Mom's friend and she took us out to lunch. We also got afew more lemons from them so I juiced them last night so I now have fresh lemonaide. Just in time for the warm tempertures.

I finally finished reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I found it fun and interesting read, and learned alot about Italy, India and Bali. I've been reading other books of local interest too, as mentioned in earlier blogs.

We just had the news a couple of days ago that Ken is to be a grandpa again, his son Tyson and wife Liz are expecting their 5 child due in July.

You were given life; it is your duty (and also your entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight. from Eat Pray Love

A warming trend

The sun has come out and the temps are getting warmer, today was 64.
Ken went golfing 9 holes with the guys from the park this morning and I had breakfast with Mom. Here is a photo taken at the Lost Dutchman's State Park entrance.

Mom bought herself a Kodac digital camera and Ken is setting up her computer so she can download and edit her photos. Now to talk her into getting e-mail.

Did you know...Arizona is roughly the size of Italy. It's the only place in the nation where you can stand in four states at one time. It also has more parks and monuments then any other state, more mountains then Switzerland and more golf courses then Scotland. It is also the youngest continental state - only being granted statehood in 1912.

Rain and snow

We've had a cool and wet day today, we had another inch of rain. Yesterday was just veg out day in front of the TV with the golf tourney and the Super Bowl, I did catch up with my family scrapbook and sort my digital photos for printing. Ken went up to the clubhouse late this afternoon and looked over and saw snow on Superstition Mtn and so we got in the car and tried to get some photos. The snow will probably be there tomorrow so maybe we'll get better photos.

We have leak and here is my collection containers. The rug got wet over nite.

Here's the clearing sunset after a rainy day.

Did you know...the hottest recorded day in Phoenix was on June 26, 1990 when the temperature hit 122 degrees. Or that Phoenix started out as a lowly hay camp for the Military at Fort McDowell?

You can call yourself an Arizonian when...you think 60 tons of crushed red rock makes a nice front yard.

Orange Grove Golf

It was a beautiful day temp 65, I didn't need my sweatshirt today when we went to Mesa Golf Center to hit a bucket of balls and play the little par 3 that is set in an orange grove. (Yes, we did pick a few oranges, we haven't tried them yet.) Most are still in Ken's golf bag. We had breakfast at the RV parks club house, for $4 we had sausage, 2 french toast, hashbrowns, orange juice and coffee. It was a bit chilly to sit outside, inside the clubhouse they had a few tables of arts and crafts for sell by the talented RVers in the park.

Yesterday, we had breakfast with mom and her friend Julie than went and picked up Ken's repaired golf club.

Here is Mom's house, Ken and Muffin standing in front. The saguaras seem bigger this year maybe it is all the rain this winter.

Did you know.....

That here were once wild camels in Arizona? The Army used them as experimental pack animals but they scared the horses and were turned loose. The last ones were seen in the 1900's.

You can call yourself an Arizonian when....

You can pronounce Saguaro, Cholla, Canyon De Chelly and the Mogollon Rim

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.