One Less Trailer

Jack listed our small pull behind trailer on Craig's list on Friday. We wanted to try to get it sold before we left to come to Arizona but didn't get it done. So we thought this would be the time people would be looking for one for the summer. We had all kinds of calls on it. Yesterday we showed it once and today twice. The second couple today, drove from Wichita, KS to look at it and they bought it. Goody - Goody. We don't need two trailers.

Last night our 7-year granddaughter, Emma, came over and spend the night with us. So we got our grandparent's fix a little with her. She is such a "hoot" we always enjoy having her with us.

Safe travel to all that will be leaving Arizona City this week. I'm sure everyone will be anxious to get on the road. Hope to see you guys on the road sometime.

Busy Day

Today Jack and I started early getting the fifth wheel completely cleaned out and the outside cleaned up. We had enough bugs on it to start our own bug farm!!

Since we left K. C. the day after Christmas for Arizona, we still had Christmas decorations to get down and put away; I did laundry all day long; and organized the clothes again. Boy we are tired tonight. We took the fifth wheel back to storage. So we have got things looking a little more like normal. Still have to organize all the paperwork to get our taxes figured. Maybe after a couple more days we will have time to put our feet up and relax a bit.

Brandy slept most of the day. I do believe she was so glad to get back to her house she just relaxed and slept the day away.

We're Home - Brrrrr!

Well, we have arrived at home which is not like Arizona weather!! It is cloudy, cool but at least it is not snowing or icing.

We had an uneventful trip to Missouri - which is great. We stayed the second night in Santa Rosa, NM at the Santa Rosa Campground. It was a pretty nice campground and easy to access. It even had a restaurant on site so that was nice we didn't even have to unhook the truck. Then we headed out on Thursday for Wichita, KS. That was a long day. We finally got into Wichita around 5:00 p.m. Jack was pretty tired from driving and me from helping him! We stayed at Blasi Campground which is right on Highway 54. It was all right but it sure wasn't as neat and clean as Quail Run RV Park. (They must not have had a Rick and Wendy in their housekeeping!)

We got to KC around 1:00 p.m. today. It was sure nice to get home. We visited with the neighbor for a while and then we started unloading the fifth wheel. Oh boy, I didn't realize how much "stuff" we had accumulated over the last three months. But anyway we got it unloaded in about 3 hours. We are tired now.

Tonight our youngest son, Chad, and his wife, Cathy, and our youngest grandson, Bronson came over to visit. I was so excited to see them. Bronson has changed so much and is growing up. He is now 17 months and changing everyday. He is at a cute age with his expressions and trying to say lots of words.

I'm sure we will sleep good tonight.

Heading Home

Well, we have been busy and I haven't had time to blog for a while.

Easter Sunday we went to church at the park's church services. Don did a terrific job on the sermon. We had a real nice crowd for the Easter Service. After the services, we had a fellowship with an Easter Brunch. The food was very good and the conversation even better. We told our friends, Tom and Sharon, goodbye as they were going to be heading home right after church. They are headed back to Oregon via California to visit Sharon's sister. Here are a couple pictures from the brunch:

After the brunch, Jack and I went home to start organizing the trailer for our journey home. We got most of it done in the afternoon. LaVon came down also Sunday afternoon to help me with my blog - we made some changes to the states visited map. Thanks LaVon. Sunday night Wendy and Rick Fury came by to tell us goodbye and safe traveling. We are going to miss all the nice people we met while at Quail Run. Had a fun three months!!

This morning we were up and going early. We actually didn't get off until 9:00 a.m. or so. Don and LaVon came by to tell us goodbye and give us a "safe travel prayer" which was great. Also, Buddy stopped by to tell us goodbye. We made it to Deming, NM tonight. We will head out in the morning for our next scheduled stop - Santa Rosa, NM.

P.S. - Thanks LaVon for sweeping the street for us this morning!! Glad we didn't get a flat tire before leaving the park.

Sedona & Oak Creek Canyon Country

Jack and I left Quail Run Thursday morning heading towards the Sedona area. We dropped Brandy off at the Casa Grande Animal Clinic. She wasn't too excited when we dropped her off but I took her blanket and toy so she would feel more at home.

We got on I-10 and headed North. I had seen in the newspaper about a month ago a restaurant that was at Exit 242 that sounded like a great place to have lunch. So it worked out that it was the right time to stop. Boy, did we pick the right restaurant!! Jack said it was the best food he had had since coming to Arizona - that was it was his type of food - home cooking! It is at the Rock Springs exit and it is called Rock Springs Cafe. They are known for their home baked "pies" and of course we had to try one of those. We would definitely recommend this cafe to anyone.

We came into Sedona on Highway 179 and was definitely impressed with all the beautiful scenery. Sedona is surrounded by all these massive red rock formations. We definitely don't have anything like this in Missouri. They are beautiful! We drove out on the North side of Sedona along the Oak Creek Canyon and the Coconino National Forest. Jack 50 pictures at least of all this area. Here are a few:

After we drove around this area, we went back into the town of Sedona. We stopped, got out and shopped around. They have some beautiful galleries and unique things. Here was a horse statue that was just on the sidewalk.

Went to the hotel and checked in for the night. We were pretty tired so just "vegged" out for the night.

Next morning we headed out to see some sites on the way out of Sedona. We decided to come out a different route. We took the West Highway 89A out of Sedona towards the town of Cottonwood. This was a nice drive but soon ran out of the red rock area. This area is called the Verde Valley area.

I had seen an outlet center on the way up so of course we had to check this out on the way back (right DeAnn). Then we headed on back to Casa Grande. It took us over an hour to get through Phoenix yesterday. I guess since it was Good Friday there were a lot of people off work and the kids out of school so they were all on the road. We got back to Quail Run around 4:00 p.m. after picking up Brandy. She was very excited to see us. This was a great trip. So glad we decided to do it before we left Arizona.

Apache Trail & Superstition Mountains

Yesterday Jack, Don, LaVon and I left Quail Run around 9:30 a.m. to head towards the Apache Trail. The weather was just beautiful - sunny and in the low 80s.

We couldn't believe just how pretty this area trail was. There were all kinds of the wildflowers blooming all along the road and up on the mountains. We had decided sometime back to wait until towards the end of our time in Arizona to take this particular trip, as we thought the flowers would be blooming better, and this was a good decision. I believe this was the prettiest area we have seen while in Arizona. DeAnn and Bruce had told us that this was a beautiful area to see and they sure were right!

The main thing we wanted to do while in this area was to ride the Dolly Steamboat on Canyon Lake. Don had make our reservations on the Internet so that good as there were a lot of people there to ride the boat. We sat on the top deck so we could see everything. The ride was wonderful. Jack and LaVon took many pictures of all the beautiful landscape, etc. We were a little disappointed because we didn't see any wildlife except for some birds.

Here are a few of the pictures took while on the boat:

After we left the boat ride, we drove over to Tortilla Flat to have lunch at the Stagecoach Saloon but there was too many people waiting and we were too hungry to wait that long, so we drove back down the mountain the the Goldfield Ghost Town.

Here is a picture we took on the way down at the lake lookout:

Here are a few pictures we took at the Ghost Town:

After we left the Ghost Town, after a good lunch, we saw this little church that was located with the Superstition Mountain Museum. LaVon thought it would make a good picture and she was right.

Jack saw this old building next door to the church and he thought it would make a good picture.
We had a wonderful day with friends!

St. Patrick's Day

We had a quiet weekend. Saturday we worked around the trailer in the morning and then in the afternoon we went up to the Pool Area to listen to Tom and Rusty. They always do a great job. We had a good time listening to their music and talking with friends. Snookie and Bonnie even took a dip in the pool!

The weather was partly cloudy but while we were at the pool the sun came out and it turned out to be real nice evening.

Sunday we went to church. There seems to be smaller crowds due to people leaving the park to head home. It was real cool in the morning and then we had some showers in the afternoon. Next Sunday, after the church service, we are going to have brunch.

It was still pretty cool this morning but it warmed up in the afternoon. Tonight Jack and I went to the St. Patrick's Day Dinner and Dance. The food was good and we enjoyed the evening. We didn't stay too late as Brandy, our dog, wasn't feeling too good so we came on home to check on her.

Don and LaVon stopped by to discuss our plans to go to the Apache Trail. We wanted to ride the Dolly Steamboat at Canyon Lake so Don had checked out the availability and it was sold out for Tuesday. So we are planning on going on Wednesday which might be the better day as the weather is to improve as the week goes on.

Phoenix/Mesa Trip

Thursday evening, Jack and I joined a group at Rick and Wendy's to have a cookout. We had good food and good conversation.

On Friday, Jack and I went into Mesa to the big flea market. It is always fun to go to it. We looked for a few things to take back to Missouri. Jack picked out a small southwestern pot and a variety of cactus to plant. He did a great job putting it all together. He has much more patience than I on things like this. After spending a couple of hours there we went to lunch.

Then I wanted to stop by Arizona Mills to make a couple stops for shopping. I really like the shops there especially the Chico's Outlet Store. We don't have one of these in Missouri (at least I haven't found it).

We were back to Quail Run by 4:30 p.m. We had dinner and then just settled in for television.

On a sad note, while we were at the Mesa Flea Market, DeAnn called me to let us know that Bruce's Mother had passed away yesterday morning. She has been in bad health for almost a year. DeAnn had called me the day before to let me know that the doctor had called them and told them they needed to come to Iowa because she was not going to make it much longer. So please put them in your prayers and thoughts over the next few days. The funeral will be on Monday afternoon in Centerville, Iowa, which is Bruce's hometown. If anyone would like to drop them a card, here is their address: 12115 S. Blackbob Road, Apt. 303, Olathe, Kansas 66062.

Saguaro National Park & Desert Museum

Yesterday Jack and I went down to Tucson to the Saguaro National Park and the Desert Museum. It was a beautiful day to be outside.

We got to the Park around 10:30 and went to the Visitor's Center first to see what we needed to see and get a map. Oh by the way, Jack went to pay the fee and told them he would be 62 in a couple of weeks and they let him get the lifetime card for entrance into all national parks!! See it does pay to be old!! DeAnn, Bruce, Bill and Donna had talked about this card but we weren't familiar with it but now we know. We took the scenic Bajada Loop Drive first. We stopped for a picnic lunch and visited with some people who were originally from Iowa (Iowa City). They have lived in Tucson for many years now so they told us about things to do and see around this area. We saw some beautiful sites on this drive. Here are pictures we took on this drive:

Here is a very large Saguaro cactus - it even makes Jack look little:

After driving through the park, we went on over to the Desert Museum. This was quite a surprise to us. I guess I was expecting a regular museum type setting. Well, how wrong this was! This is more like a zoo and botanical garden, all in one setting. You can see more than 300 animals and 1200 kinds of plants - and all this is in their natural settings. I think that is why it is so impressive.

It is a lot of walking so make sure you wear comfortable shoes, hat, and sunscreen. There are three major sections - you can see the large outdoor animals, i.e, mountain lions, bears, wolves, and deers; then water animals - beavers, otters, & big horn sheep. One of the areas we really enjoyed was the hummingbird area. You could walk right into this area with the hummingbirds flying all around you. We even saw a nest with young ones. You wouldn't believe how small the babies were.

Here are a few of the pictures we took:

This is Javelina - desert pig:

These are some flowers from the Pollination Garden area. Don't remember all the names of them but they were beautiful.

This was a very enjoyable day and we would recommend it to everyone.

Baseball Spring Training

Yesterday was a great day for a baseball game!! We had great weather for the baseball game - low 70s, sunny and a slight breeze. We had good seats, third row back from the field. The game was pretty exciting had over 20 hits - Seattle Mariners won so that made Tom and Sharon happy. After the game, Jack and I stopped at Texas Roadhouse and had dinner.

Here are a couple pictures Jack took at the stadium:

Today we got up and was at the laundromat by 7:30 a.m. so we could get the laundry done before it got busy. SKYMED came into the Cantina to make a presentation on their product and brought in donuts for the occasion. The rest of the day we just hung out at the trailer and rode our bikes.

Tonight we went out for Pizza with Wendy, Rick, Don, LaVon, Darlene and Dave. Had a great time with these guys and had good pizza, too. Would you believe there is a new restaurant in Arizona City! I think it just opened either yesterday or today. It is located on Battaglia just pass the Dollar General. We will have to try it out before leave.

Luau at Quail Run

Wow, what a day yesterday! It was a busy day for me. I went up to the Cantina around 9:00 a.m. to help the Activities Team with the preparations for the Luau. We were really busy. That team is a well oiled machine!! They knew what needed to be done and when to do it. I helped them off and on most of the day. I know they are one tired bunch of people today!

We went back up to the Luau around 3:45 p.m. as Jack and I were greeters by the back gate to the pool. We passed out the leis and shell necklaces to residents. Then we joined some friends to enjoy the Luau.

The Luau was a hugh success!! There was all kinds of food, drinks, and entertainment for all to enjoy and I believe everybody had a great time. I know Bud and Shelley are glad is over and done with.

We talked yesterday with some family and friends from Kansas City and all is well with them. I am getting excited and anxious to get back to Kansas City as it has been a long 3 months not seeing my grandchildren and other family members. We have another 2 - 3 weeks before we head back that way.

Today Jack and I are going to go to Tucson to the Diamondbacks and Mariners baseball game with Sharon and Tom Peterson. It is a beautiful day so I know we will enjoy it.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Today started off on the cool side. I think it was around 40 this morning. But the sun was out and it warmed up to be a nice day in the mid-60s. Jack and I took our walk around the park.

Then around noon we left to drive into Tucson. We went into the Beaudry RV Park and enjoyed their Mexican Festival Luncheon. We had a nice piece of pork loin with rice and beans. The chocolate cake was delicious. Then we walked over to Camping World and made our usual run through there.

Jack had made an appointment to get the oil changed in the truck with the Dodge dealership. So he dropped me off at the Tucson Mall while he went to get the oil change. I would much prefer being at the mall than sitting in the dealership waiting on the truck to get done. This is only the second time we have had the oil changed on this truck (only had it since last August) and the first change was free. We couldn't believe what they charge for oil change for diesels!!

We hit the Trader Joe store before we left Tucson. We don't have Trader Joe's in Kansas City so we have really enjoyed having them here. Their wine is good and very reasonable. DeAnn got us started on it!! Speaking of DeAnn, I talked to her today and they were leaving Oklahoma City this afternoon before the next snow storm hits. She said it was freezing cold and snow was forecast to be there tonight, so they were driving on to KC tonight. DeAnn told us they had just passed a sign showing diesel was $3.97 - they kept on going. She said she was sure they would find it cheaper on down the road. Hopefully they did!!

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Tuesday morning I went to line dancing here at the park. I have really enjoyed the line dance sessions and have actually learned most of the dances. It is fun and is good exercise. We still have quite a number of participants. Afterwards came home and set out in the sun for a while.

Last night Jack and I went to a presentation from a representative from Medical Air Services Association (MASA). This is a medical emergency service offered to people who travel and could possibly need medical transportation. After the presentation, we had pizza and cupcakes provided by MASA. We had good conversation and food with Bud, Shelley, and Wende.

The computer has not been working properly for about three days. So today I went up to the office and talked to Barbara and Jeannie to see if anyone else had complained about it. Jeannie was aware of the problems and see contacted RV WIFI and by mid-afternoon it was working much better.

This afternoon Jack and I went riding bikes to see if we could get some pictures of the quail but they were not to be found. So we played a game of mini-golf and Jack took some pictures of flowers here in the park. Oh by the way, I won the game!

Here are a couple pictures Jack took around the park:

Tonight we went into Casa Grande to get a few things at Wal-Mart. Don't know what we would do without Wal-Mart!!

Early Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Didn't blog last night as the computer didn't cooperate so just gave up. Don't know if it is our computer for if it is the WIFI not working properly. So I'll try again.

Monday was clean up the trailer and do the laundry day. So that kept us busy most of the day. The wind died down Sunday night and the day turned out to be a pretty nice warm day. We sat outside while we did the laundry and enjoyed the sun. We took a walk earlier in the day and saw the little owl again by the holding pond. He must be getting more accustomed to the people around as he just sat and watched us.

DeAnn called yesterday and said they survived the storms in Oklahoma but it was really cold and windy. She should have stayed with us the month of March!!

Later in the day, Jack and I went into Casa Grande to go by the cleaners and get a bite to eat.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Jack and I went to church services here at the park today. We always feel better after hearing Don's sermon. After church I went into Casa Grande to do a little shopping. Didn't buy that much but good to go, look and feel.

Talked to DeAnn around 12:30 p.m. and they were in Texas heading to Oklahoma City. She said the wind was really blowing there too. The wind in Arizona today was the worse we have had since we have been here. It was sunny but the wind has blow all day and is still blowing tonight. Hopefully it will die down before morning.

DeAnn called around 5:30 p.m. and they were in Elk City, Oklahoma, sitting out a terrible storm. There are tornado warnings out for a large portion Oklahoma tonight. They were going to wait in Elk City for an hour or so to let the storm move on East. She called me around 7:45 p.m. and they were at their RV park in Oklahoma City, but the tornado sirens were going off. She said they probably wouldn't sleep much tonight. Say your prayers tonight for them to be safe.

Jack and I were going to take a walk but decided it was just too windy to enjoy one. We decided to just stay in the trailer and watch the NASCAR race. Carl Edwards, a Missouri boy, won today. So that was good.

Saturday, March 1, 2007

Picacho Peak State Park:

Today started with a sad note as DeAnn and Bruce left the park today to head back to Kansas City via Oklahoma City. We had such a great time with them over the last two months. We ran back and forth between their motor home and our trailer - ate together, visited morning, noon and night. That is something I will definitely miss. DeAnn called us around 4:00 p.m. and they had gotten to Las Cruces, NM. They are staying there tonight. They were going to go to dinner with some of their friends that live there. Here is a picture Jack took right before they left this a.m.

Jack and I were pretty lazy today. We messed around the trailer; took our walk this a.m. and then a bike ride later. Around 3:00 p.m. we decided to drive down to Picacho Peak State Park to see the wildflowers. They are beginning to bloom. Probably will be in full bloom in another week or two. We saw the Mexican Gold Poppies, Coulter's Lupine, and Brittlebush. Jack took some pictures of them. The first picture is the Mexican Gold Poppies and the second one is the Brittlebush.