Keeping busy in AZ

Juggler at the Renaissance Festival



Jousting at the Renaissance Festival



The group at the Festival



Larry at the Viet Nam Wall



Releasing the black balloons signifying the POW/MIAs



The family at the March birthday party



Fixing and eating s'mores in the backyard



The birthday boys, Colby and Alex



Us in front of Canyon Lake (one of three lakes on the Apache Trail)
(can't really see the lake as the guardrail blocks it)



One lane bridge on the gravel part of the Apache Trail



Bridge over Roosevelt Lake by the dam



Cliff dwellings in Tonto National Monument near Roosevelt Lake



On the way to the cliff dwellings. There are eight rooms altogether.


We are back in Apache Junction, AZ for five weeks and are keeping very busy. We've seen many friends, planned and unplanned encounters, visited with family and toured parts of AZ we have not seen before. Dawn and Vince stopped by and we followed them out to the Renaissance Festival. The festival has been held in AZ for 20 years but we had never gone before. It was 'interesting' but not something we will do again.

The Viet Nam Wall made a trip to Apache Junction and we visited it just in time for the POW/MIA ceremony. It was very moving especially when they released hundreds of black balloons as a local gal sang 'Wind beneath my Wings' (very well I might add).

We all met at Todd and LaTia's home for March birthdays but one grandson couldn't come at the last minute, a real disappointment to Grandma! We still had a great time and enjoyed their firepit in the backyard by making s'mores. We are going back for a repeat in April.

We took a trip on the Apache Trail (22 miles of washboard 'gravel') from Apache Junction to Roosevelt Lake and back via 'regular' roads. The scenery was awesome with many spring wildflowers in bloom and the mountains and saguaros at their finest. We discovered there are cliff dwellings in the Tonto National Monument near Roosevelt Lake and we hiked up to them. We certainly have a new appreciation for the Salado Indians who built them and lived there several hundred years ago!

Hanging out in the AZ Desert

Pilot Knob RV Park, looking southeast towards Mexico


Larry working on the back-up warning system on the car


We're in the back corner so have lots of room to spread out


Sunset that was really much prettier 'in person'!




We spent two weeks along the Colorado River in Ehrenberg, AZ and visited Quartzsite, AZ, a place we had seen from I-10 many times but never visited before. Based on what others told us, the economy slowed many folks down and there were not as many folks as vendors there as in past years. It is basically a BIG YARD sale on sand and you need to be careful where you buy. It was interesting but not something I care to do again anytime soon.

We are currently near Yuma, AZ so we could visit Algondones, Mexico where Larry bought new glasses and had a broken crown replaced by a partial. His gum is still sore but he is hoping it will heal/toughen up soon.

The weather has heated up to the 90's in the last two days so we are grateful for air conditioning! We head back to the Phoenix area this week to see the kids and grandkids again before heading north for the summer.

Still enjoying warm AZ

Our site in Apache Junction with our 'Tweety' twirly flying high in the AZ breeze


A family friend we visited in Tucson who is 97 years young!


Eileen, my cousin's wife who hosted our mini reunion in Tucson.


Ellen's cousins, Myra and Mary, checking out the Mars calendars that cousin Alfred (arms outstretched in the background) took pictures for.


The cousins, Janet (MI), Alfred (AZ), Ellen (OR), Myra (AZ), and Mary(CO).


The birthday celebration at Spinati's Pizza in Phoenix.


Ellen after opening her gifts.


Larry and a 'self' picture (pretty good,eh?)


The birthday girls, Ellen and Jes, blowing out their candles.


We continue to enjoy the warm AZ weather although we have moved to Apache Junction. Again, we have made several trips by car to Phoenix to see family and friends and we also went to Tucson for a mini family reunion on Ellen's mothers side of the family. It was great fun seeing cousins we hadn't seen in 19-20 years! Hopefully this is something we can do in future years as most of the cousins have retired and enjoy winters in sunny AZ.

Larry has been busy with more projects and his activities have generated interest from our nearby neighbors. It is helpful that at this park we are able to have the trailer/'shop' parked next to us. Many of the projects involve modifying the trailer for when it is NOT parked close by. (Like putting a generator on the front so he has electricity for welding and running his power tools, putting a fan inside the trailer to cool him off when working, and adding a rolling jack so he can move the trailer when needed.)

Yesterday evening we met the kids and some of the grands for dinner to celebrate January birthdays. It is always fun to see family and spend time with them. Time just seems to go by too quickly and the kids and grands grow up too fast!

Happy New Year 2009

Our rig decorated for Christmas at Palm Creek RV


Our son Todd, the great chef, who cooked a great Christmas dinner


My surprise gift,a digital keyboard!


The grandkids checking out Grandma's new keyboard (they did a great job!)


The Christmas group minus one grandson (he was working)


At Applebee's for a birthday party


The birthday girl getting a good laugh at the card from her son


We really enjoy being in warm AZ. Winter time is definitely the time to be here, especially this year as so much of the country has had really cold weather.
We are still in Casa Grande but have moved to another RV park six miles up the road. We have made several car trips to the Phoenix area to see family, friends and visit some of Larry's favorite shopping places. He waits to buy many items here because he knows where the best places are to buy things.

We enjoyed celebrating Christmas at our son's place in Tempe and I had the surprise of my life! Our daughter and son-in-law gave me a keyboard!
This evening we celebrated our daughter's birthday at Applebee's in Tempe. It is always fun to be with family.

Thanksgiving for many blessings

Ellen at the waterfall near our camp site



The small waterfall we heard from our campsite. We had to hike through many reeds and brush to get a view.


Larry getting the 'stickers' out
of his socks as we hiked down from the ranger station, about two miles.


The hot air balloon that woke me up one morning


The neat rainbow that disappeared almost as soon as I took this picture because it really rained!


Larry carving the turkey and Vince filling a water glass for our Phoenix Thanksgiving


The grandkids and friends for our Thanksgiving feast


Daughter Dawn and daughter-in-law LaTia


Larry and son Todd checking out a Bible verse on Larry's PDA


We spent three weeks in Cottonwood, AZ at our 'home' park, this time in a different area than we usually stay. I could hear a water fall nearby so we hiked down to the river and found it. We also hiked up to the ranger station one afternoon (about two miles one way-coming back was EASY since it was all downhill!) One morning I was awaken to the sound of a hot air balloon and rushed out to get a picture. Larry was able to get several things done on the trailer since it was 'on site' with us. He just finished a project seconds before a downpour but I was able to get a picture of a rainbow before the 'bottom fell out'.

We spent Thanksgiving Day with Larry's mom in Prescott, AZ and the Saturday after Thanksgiving at our daughter's place in Phoenix with both kids and the grandkids. We had a very good time and it was fun seeing everyone again after 10 months.

Currently we are in Casa Grande, AZ at a new park for us. It is very beautiful and although most of our neighbors have park models or are 'annual' returnees six different folks came out to welcome us, which was very nice!! We will be here until Jan 1 when we move 6 miles up the road to another park, one we have been to numerous times.

We have much to be thankful for, even though we are not too happy about the recent election. We have to remember that God is in control and nothing happens that hasn't been 'Father filtered'.

Heading South for Warmer Weather

REALLY big farm equipment in the annual Potato Festival Parade


Queen's Court float in the Potato Festival Parade


Larry putting final items away in the trailer just before we left Merrill.


Larry's commercial sewing machine in the trailer. He had to move it forward only 1" for the car to fit in also.


The generator and new cover on the front of the trailer.


Larry putting a ladder on the front of the trailer so he can get on top of it. (We washed the trailer and the coach and the new ladder came in handy!)


Taken from Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park


Larry 'hitchhiking' in Titus Canyon (friend Gale taking his picture) located in Death Valley National Park


The ghost town of Leadfield located in Death Valley on the 4 wheel drive one way "road" leading to Titus Canyon. (There are only three buildings left standing.)


Scotty's Castle located in Death Valley National Park. (Basically out in the middle of nowhere!)


We left Merrill on Oct 20 after a wonderful weekend for the 71st Annual Potato Festival. We had great traveling weather and are currently in Pahrump, NV. We re-connected with three different folks we have met through the years in our travels. It is always good to see old friends again. We spent a day with one couple and went to Death Valley National Park. We have been there before but saw parts we didn't see in 2004 because the roads were closed then due to FLOODING of all things! Our friends drove and we traveled 30 miles on a one way 4-wheel drive gravel (more like ROCKY) road to see Titus Canyon and pass a ghost town. We arrived too late for the last tour of Scotty's Castle so we will have to make a return trip sometime as it looks very interesting.

We are enjoying the great NV weather and really like the 2-4-1 Buffets at the local casinos. I'm afraid we will have to go on a diet when we leave here since we have gone out to eat so much!