Farewell 2013

I've learned a couple of sayings from the people we've met.

Cocktails for 6

Dinner for 4

Sleeps 2

That's what living in a motorhome adds up to. Space is limited.

This time lapse occurred within minutes.

When the mountain is pink

It's time to drink.

This happens in the desert at happy hour.

Christmas

It's just not the same. Not because it's sunny and warm and beautiful. Christmas in San Diego is always that way. No, it's because we're not with our families. We're only a 6 hour drive away and shame on us for not making it happen, but it is what it is. We had a plan and unfortunately it did not include going to San Diego for Christmas - and not going home to WA either. I miss the crisp air and the possibility of some snow to play in during the holidays. Everytime it snows I get so excited.

Next year there will be no excuses. Thank you to Mom and my sisters,nieces & nephew

for the Christmas candy you made in the old family traditional style. Thank you friends & neighbors for the Christmas cards and phone calls.

I was not prepared for all the wonderful and thoughtful gifts we received from our newest friends on the road. Thank you everyone for including us in your holiday with your homemade goodies. I'll be better prepared next year. I'm so happy I brought our little fiber optic Christmas tree along!

Go Hawks!!!!  We're in the playoffs!!!

Tonto National Monument

Kay and her brother Jeff took us to the Tonto National Monument. These cave dwellings are open for adventurers to hike up and feel what it's like to be a part of their homestead.

We had also visited there a couple of years earlier when we drove the entire Apache Trail past Tortilla Flat on the one-way dirt road along the Salt River to the dam. 

The Salt River dammed up becomes Lake Roosevelt which is used for agriculture purposes. 

Potluck: Soup & Jello Shots

What a fabulous idea for an afternoon gathering. It's overcast and a bit chilly. The holidays are upon us. In addition to RV's at Canyon Vistas there are Park Models. These are manufactured homes that snowbirds live in rather than driving their home on wheels 1000's of miles to stay for the season. We were invited to a unique holiday potluck at a friends park model along the desert-front.

Everyone brought a homemade soup in their crockpot and a plate of jello shots to share. All eight soups were tasty and each jello shot was a different flavor combination.

Note the unique jello shot made in the skin of an orange and a margarita jello shot in the lime. I realized a whole new dimension has been added to dial-a-shot. Brilliant!

That night CV had their Christmas Carol sing-a-long in the ballroom. We had so much fun with that. Our group filled two round tables. The karaoke host started the 12 days of Christmas. When they got to our table we weren't very cooperative with the script. Our 3 turtle doves and 2 french hens were substituted with 3 in the ditch and 2 for the road........... Really, it wasn't my idea this time. I knew we were in the company of our peers.

Canyon Vistas RV Resort, Gold Canyon, AZ

We're here at Canyon Vistas RV Resort on the Fall Special. For the price of one month plus utilities you can stay from Sept 4 to Jan 1.  Who in their right mind comes here the beginning of September? Early fall, in my opinion, is the best time just about anywhere in the USA, except for the desert. We arrived here Oct 30 and stayed for two months.

There are many things to do at this resort: swimming, bocce ball, pool tables, state of the art gym, softball, expansive library, shuffleboard, pickleball, tennis, ping-pong, golf, woodshop, carving, sewing/quilting, pottery, stained glass, dice, singing, cards and other games. All these activities are free; just pay for supplies if you use them. There is a hosted happy hour every Monday and Thursday with live music. It's not my type of music and the line dancers take over the dance floor. I guess I'd better change my attitude about country music if I'm going to fit in with the crowd.

I was going to do some wood carving but Tim doesn't think I can afford to lose a finger. True dat. So Jackie and I decided each to make a stained glass mosaic piece. I really enjoyed my project.

Everyone gets around Canyon Vistas on their bike or golf cart. It is an active 55 & older place - so what are we doing here? Well, once I got over the "everyone is so old" factor I began to have a pretty good time. We met great people from all over the US and Canada. We've met nearer to our age. Most of the others are really not that old.

We went to a dinner show called the Arizona Opry for a fantastic performance with Jim & Penny; Brad & San; Terry & Leslie; Dennis & Jackie. A large group of musicians played old time rock and roll on multiple instruments. The lead singer performed his hit song: The Lion Sleeps Tonight. I recognized the song from The Lion King movie, but everyone else remembered him from The Ventures.

Jim & Penny

Brad & San

Terry & Leslie

Dennis & Jackie

Boyce Thompson Arboretum

This lovely day hike was a surprise to find. The trail around park branches off to many interesting side exhibits. It's hot in the sun and cool in the shade. Water keeps plants green and alive in an otherwise barren environment.

Many interesting things can be found in the children exhibits. I tried out this sundial to see if it was accurate. Just stand on the current month tile and raise your arms overhead with your hands palms together. The round tiles at the top represent the daylight hours. Where the shadow from your fingers land is the current time. It worked! I would like to have one in my yard. That may take some doing because we would need sun for that. Haha