Not Ready For Them To Go

It seems as if Jane and Rich arrived only yesterday yet they have been here about two and a half weeks.  Jane and I have both been a tad weepy today—it’s been so many years since we spent any extended time together—we’ve truly enjoyed their company!  They head toward Salt Lake City tomorrow—Rich has appointments at the VA on April 1. 

Yesterday was a yoga day but most importantly it was Jane’s birthday!  We spent the afternoon checking out some North Ranch properties for Jane and Rich then celebrated the birthday.  A delicious dinner with homemade chocolate birthday cake!! YUM!!

After lunch today Michael took Rich out in the CanAm to see one of the crested saguaros near us—he thoroughly enjoyed his first side by side ATV ride! 

and Emmi got to go too!  Speaking of Emmi—she doesn’t play with other dogs and is in fact quite standoffish to say the least!  But she loves Lacy—Jane and Rich’s little rescue pooch—the two of them rip and romp across the desert until they are exhausted!

Here are a couple more photos from our forested ride on Monday:

A Ride To Palace Station

Our Easter weekend was spent visiting with friends—Jane and Rich live in Wyoming and before we all started traveling to Arizona for the winter months we would meet in Red Lodge, MT for Easter brunch every year.  The last 2-3 years it just hasn’t worked out and we’ve missed that tradition.  Well, this year we were once again all together enjoying a wonderful brunch/lunch at Nichol’s West in Congress.  The weather over the weekend was perfect for sitting outside and talking.  We also did a lot of dog walking in the desert!

Today the cowboy and I headed up the Yarnell hill with the rest of the ATV gang to Wagoner Road.  Tom was going to show us some beautiful country—mountains, flowing streams, tall trees and some wildlife I could have done without!  

It’s another world up there on the mountain—tall trees, evergreens, water and one of our favorites—manzanita trees—the trees with red bark.  We even spotted some Indian paintbrush!

As we were riding along I spotted this guy beside the road—he was very sluggish and probably cold as he didn’t move much—he was huge!!

Lunch was eaten beside a little creek and then it was on to Palace Station--

The little cabin is used as a residence by USFS personnel. 

And back down the hill we came stopping to explore some old mining remains on the way.  Last stop was at the T-Bird Cafe in Peeples Valley for pizza.  The wind has been howling today and the temps are not as nice but will warm up again in a couple days.

Hope you all enjoyed your Easter weekend!

Wood Turning

Our friend Bonnie is an expert wood turner using a Jet lathe.  Thursday afternoon she gave a demonstration during the woodcarver workshop.  She made a beautiful spinning top, a tiny goblet and presented a very interesting talk.

Bonnie used some sort of tool to make the ring while she was turning the rest of the goblet.

Thursday I spent some time on the phone talking to friends—it had been too long.  I checked in with Nancy and Fred—some ATVing North Ranch friends who are in Oregon right now with a very ill family member.  I also checked in with our long time friend Mary hearing about all the trips she has taken this winter—a European river cruise, Hawaii and Mexico—she’s a busy lady!

As the day came to a close with Jane and me walking the dogs the sunset began.  Grabbing the camera and jumping in the golf cart I managed to catch some of the color--

And here’s what the cowboy has been working on—amazing!!

Life is good.

The Cactus Are Blooming

The curtains are finished—finally!  Now we can sit in our chairs every morning without the sun blinding is!  Yesterday was a “finish projects” kind of day plus Jane and I went to the grocery store.  Michael completed some routine maintenance on the CanAm and today he painted—I love the one he’s doing this time!

Yoga was outside again this morning—we chose the sun over shade today as our temps coupled with the wind made things a mite chilly!  I am glad to see those 90 degrees temps leave!  Neither of us has ever had a “swamp cooler.”  Michael grew up in Montana—no need for air conditioning of any kind and the south where I grew up is too humid for using swamp coolers.  This house has both an air conditioning unit and a swamp cooler—this time of year we raise the windows and use the swamp cooler—so pleasant!!

I tackled the Chromebook again today and was successful in getting my HOA work done—I’m even getting comfortable with the keyboard.

There is a woodcarving workshop happening at North Ranch this entire week.  Michael went yesterday to check out the activities and came back to say, “you have to go up and see the cowboys they are carving—one of them could be a dead ringer for Jim (a good friend from Montana).”  So back up to the Activities Center we went and when I stepped up to the table of woodcarved cowboys there was no doubt as to which one Michael thought looked like Jim.

These are some talented men and women--

Our friend Bonnie carving an owl.Tom helping one of his students—Tom carved the “cowboy” for me.

Robert showing Michael the flute he has carved.

Isn’t this roadrunner stunning—even the base is wood.  Just look at the detail!

The Easter cactus in the park are blooming—just in time!

Sunset In The Desert

Yoga outside again this morning—the woodcarvers are using the Activities Center for the week.  It was a beautiful morning and we had a lively practice in the shade of Bill’s motorhome.  Right after returning from yoga Jane and Rich were off to Surprise for a spring training baseball game—the Colorado Rockies were playing someone?? I was the designated dog sitter taking the pooches out for a couple walks while they were gone.

I made a run to the post office and Michael went to watch the woodcarvers in action.  Sandy dropped by with a little package for me—a thank you for leading yoga and offering our home to the ATV gang for gatherings.

This little “dress” hangs on the oven door—it’s too pretty to wipe your grubby hands on, don’t you think!!!

And this useful little item lets you remove a hot bowl from the microwave without burning your hands—thanks a bunch Sandy!!

While Sandy was here, she suggested we all go out to Sunset Point this evening—and the sunset did not disappoint.  When the sun first went down one person said, “I want my money back,”—she shall remain nameless Bonnie.  It first appeared we were going to be disappointed but the colors became so fantastic we suggested she should pay us for letting her watch the sunset! 

Sunday Jane and I made a run into Peoria to Target—it was so hot in the Phoenix area!  I am thinking any additional big city trips will be made up the hill to cooler Prescott!  We are headed for a major cool down over the next few days with more seasonal temps to come.

Navajo Code Talker

During yoga last Wednesday, Christine announced that a Native American Code Talker would be speaking at the American Legion in Wickenburg this weekend.  Jane and Rich decided to go and brought back a pamphlet about Samuel Tom Holiday who lives in Kayenta, AZ and served as a Marine in the Pacific.  The pamphlet states: “unlike most languages, Navajo was unwritten at the time and is practically impossible for an adult to learn.  Every syllable carries meaning and sometimes a single word can have four or more different meanings depending on intonation.  Dialects vary from region to region even within Navajo clans.  In the thick of battle, they would send messages nonstop for up to 15-18 hours, passing vital information about enemy fire, troop movement and to request medical help.  Military historians note that during the first 48 hours of the invasions of Iwo Jima, Navajo radio units sent and received more than 800 messages with 100% accuracy.” 

Michael and I just spent the day hanging out—he worked on our taxes and I finished one panel of the curtains I am making for the huge window we installed last fall. 

Friday evening the ATV gang gathered at our house to feast once again.  Geri asked me at the beginning of the week if I would consider cooking prime rib for everybody—everyone donated money to offset the cost of the beef and also brought side dishes.  I grilled the prime rib roast and it was delicious!  Poor Geri was under the weather and didn’t get to come but we sent Larry home with a plate for her.  Delicious food and great friends!

And there’s Emmi—always the center of attention!

Larry and Michael went to a garage sale late yesterday afternoon and came home with a new grill for me—an Ironware Great Outdoors and it’s RED!  It has a large grilling surface with two burners and a deep lid—I was brave and used it to grill the prime rib. 

Life is good!

ATVing Once Again

During the month of March there are two activities—Bead Week and Woodcarvers Week—here at North Ranch.  These events take over the Activities Center forcing the exercise folks to find a new home.  One of the yoga participants—Bill—has a large concrete patio and Wednesday morning we practiced our yoga outside under the blue Arizona sky. 

During our Savasana “corpse” pose at the end of the session when we lay flat on our mats for ten minutes with our eyes closed we joked about the buzzards thinking we were all really corpses!!

Emmi stayed with Larry and Geri while we headed to Surprise and Sun City Wednesday afternoon.  The day went on much, much longer than we had planned or could control getting us back to North Ranch at almost 10pm.  We are not night owls and are rarely out and about at night—and we like it that way!

Today it was time for another ATV ride.  Our temps have been steadily rising again so we headed up the Yarnell Hill to Wagoner Road where we then traveled about 20 miles to the staging area.  It’s a different world at that elevation—no saguaros, lots of live oak and cottonwood trees just starting to leaf out and cooler temps.  It was a beautiful day spent with great friends!

Bridge over the Hassayampa River.

Life is good.

North Ranch Life

Monday saw Geri, Cathy, Kathy, Sandy, Sharon and me climbing aboard a big bus heading to a casino in Chandler, AZ.  No—we are not gamblers but the casino is located next door to a nice outlet mall.  The bus ride cost us $5 each and on arrival at the casino we each received $20 in gambling credit.  The majority of the bus riders gambled I think but our group didn’t spend much in the casino—for one thing, I can’t take the cigarette smoke and I just don’t like the odds!

We were gone all day—the cowboy and Larry were tractor shopping.  Jane and Rich spent the day getting acclimated, finding the grocery store, hardware store and setting up their TV dish. 

Today the homeowners association systems manager brought over the new Chromebook I will be using as the HOA secretary.  Getting used to that keyboard may take some time to say the least!  And I most definitely will have to have an external mouse—I’m not a fan of the touch pads. 

Michael and I joined Pam and John at Nichols West in Congress for lunch—thanks guys for treating us!! 

Geri and Larry came over joining the four of us for happy hour after which Jane and I took the two younger dogs for a walk.   They have an elderly cocker spaniel, Hunter who doesn’t have the stamina for a long walk.  Lacy is a rescue pooch with boundless energy and standishoff-ish Ms. Emmi even played with Lacy as we walked along.

Our citrus trees are blooming and smell heavenly--

A beautiful day in North Ranch.

Wyoming Visitors Arrive

It was good to be back home in North Ranch with Michael and Emmi.  I arrived in Phoenix at Sky Harbor airport right at 5pm Friday evening—not a good time for the evil Phoenix traffic.  But luck was with me and I cruised right along with only one minor slow down as I approached I-17 from Highway 101. 

Saturday was the bi-annual North Ranch garage sale—we both found a few treasures but nothing big—this spring sale is small compared to the one in the fall.  I spent the rest of the day cleaning the motorhome—we have visitors coming!

Our friends Jane and Rich arrived late this afternoon to spend some extended time in our motorhome out in the backyard.  Prior to marrying Michael I lived in Powell, WY—Jane was one of the nurses at the hospital and Rich worked in the lab.  When I divorced, Jane, Rich and their two children Jonathan and Elizabeth took me into their circle—welcoming me with such open arms.  Lately life hasn’t been kind to the two of them and we offered them a warm weather respite.  They are huge baseball fans and will attend some spring training games while here.

The cowboy has been painting and Emmi is just hanging out.  Her world was turned upside down today when Jane and Rich arrived bringing Hunter (a cocker spaniel) and Lacy (a mixed breed). 

And, the cowboy treated me to breakfast this morning at the Ranch House up in Yarnell—I could get used to that but would have to buy new jeans!!