Arrrgh!

Bill has been attending the music jam Saturday afternoons at Rock Shadows since we arrived. He knows that it has many players and singers but today there were 20-25 so he only got to sing one song in 21/2 hours!!!!

Fortunately, one of the jam players invited him to join an "Arizona Room" picking group on Tuesday afternoons, so perhaps he will stick with that - they only have about 5 musicians.

Hike to Garden Valley

What a marvellous day we had with Jeanne as our guide through the Superstition Mountains to visit Garden Valley and walk through First Water Ranch. For three and half hours we hiked up and down along sandy, rubble-strewn and rocky trails that only an experienced hiker like Jeanne could find.

Garden Valley was farmed by a small group of Hohokams, probably some one thousand years ago, when the climatic conditions were more favorable. This large valley flat had more than 200 acres of arable land when there was a sufficient supply of water; we saw where they had built ditches and tanks to capture and store water. Today the area, a bowl surrounded by rocky hills, is home to cactus, in part due to overgrazing by cattle ranches?

We also saw a housing ruin located in the center of the valley. The population of the development seems open to conjecture even today although perhaps housed twenty-five to thirty individuals, while small caves on the fringe of the valley contained other families. Prior to discovery in 1930, the valley floor was covered with stone tools used by the ancient inhabitants who cultivated this special parcel of land.

First Water Ranch has been abandoned but fences, a windmill, a loading chute, a covered shelter and a bare-rock road leading up the hill out of the valley location remain. Couldn't find out much about this ranch but it seems unbelievable today that cattle could graze in this area despite water from wells and a couple of (seasonal) rivers in the locale or that trucks could navigate the road out of the site!

Beautiful trail view

Looking towards Garden Valley

On the ridge between Garden Valley and the ranch site

The next valley laid out before us

Coming 'round the mountain...

Entering the ranch site

Looking down on the corrals, tin roof shelter at centre

What a wonderful Christmas Day we had here in Apache Junction!

First thing we had a Skype experience with our son Tyson and his gal Veronica where they live in Toronto. Then, our nextdoor neighbours (from Tisdale SK), Joy & Spencer, joined us for brunch. After chatting with them we decided that we had better check out the Prospector Park here in Apache Junction. The Park is well-equipped with b-ball courts, ball diamonds, tennis and pickleball courts, playground and picnic areas. We checked out the facilities and then followed a desert horse trail for a stroll in the wild. The weather was warm (high 60s F/hi teens C), calm and sunny. It seems that in most parts of Canada it was well & truly a white (and cold) Christmas Day....

The main event - Christmas Dinner - was held in the main hall of Rock Shadows. Like Thanksgiving, we were in smaller groups with each setting cooking the meat provided by the Park (Ham) and the other fixin's were potluck. We did not go hungry!

Hope your Christmas Day was just as satisfying for you as ours was for us!

Life has been a Blur!

Our trip to Yuma was everything we predicted...full of food, music, games and fun! We also got in a bike ride and even the drive there was interesting as we had never before arrived in Yuma from Apache Junction. It was essentially a flat drive across the desert, always with mountains in view on the horizon; only at Dome Valley did we pass through mountains.

Typical drive scenery

Our friends Walt & Jan 

with their daughter Mel, visiting for the season from Calgary 

To Yuma with Friends

We're off to Yuma to spend a few days with Calgary friends, Walt & Jan. There will be food, music, games and fun....

Los Noches de las Luminarias

 (Christmas light event #5)

Another delightful evening with Ron & Elise, our son-in-law's parents. While it is called luminaria* night, the musical acts at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix were the main event for us four - we listened to mariachi, a brass quintet, a bluegrass group and the blues/gypsy jazz fellas known as "Mother Road Trio" seen below.

*  never thought to explain what a luminaria or farolito is; it is a small paper lantern (commonly a candle set in some sand inside a paper bag) which is of significance in New Mexico and throughout the southwest and Mexico, especially on Christmas Eve.

Desert Delight

 

We were awakened in the night by thunder and rain. 

It was still raining when we got up and now the sun is trying to shine!

It hasn't rained in this area for months....

More Christmas Lights at Night (#4)

 

After a late afternoon cycle around Gilbert (south of Mesa) and a lovely outdoor meal on a patio, we strolled around the lake in Water Ranch Riparian Preserve. Luminaria (tealights in paper bags) lit the pathway and the electric displays, themed especially for families, were in the park area. There was also a performance area and we heard carols sung by a Victorian-costumed group.

Superior Date Day

After doing a few chores we escaped to Superior,  east of Apache Junction; an article in the local paper "Arizona Republic" got us enthused to spend the day there. How could one miss with dramatic scenery, a hike, historic buildings, an interesting lunch place and a sunny day?

We started with lunch at Porter's (lower left), your basic burger joint with furnishings reflecting the history of Superior as a copper mining town. Then we took a stroll around town, admiring murals, restored buildings and ghosts of the past.

Our next challenge was to find the start of the Legends of Superior Trail (L.O.S.T.); it was not at the corner of Main and Magma streets as mentioned in the article. Asking around we found the trailhead off road, south on Magma St and across the Queen Creek bridge. It was well worth the hunt as the trail is on the original 1920s location of Hwy 60, built to link Superior and the town of Miami to the east. The trail was a steady climb on a firm surface in the canyon along Queen Creek underneath the 1950s orientaion of Hwy 60.

To enlarge the interpretative board for easier reading,  hold the control key and roll the mouse up

Trail runs under the new bridge

After our hike, we got back in the truck to drive the road we had just walked under! We went a few miles towards Miami and the roadway scenery was breathtaking.

One Month Update from the Trailerhood

It was a month ago today that we arrived at Rock Shadows.
 

We’ve spent the past weeks sampling some of the activities offered in the Park; Aquacizes, chickenfoot dominoes, poker, euchre (as we’ve already mentioned), weekly coffee/info sessions, Crazy Quilters (a group making scrap quilts for a family abuse charity) and, of course, the Saturday afternoon Jam are some of the things we’ve tried. There are about 12 players & singers at the Jam so Bill was disappointed to get to sing only two songs in 2 1/2 hours! There were some fun musicians that he hopes to do some front porch pickin’ with as time goes on.

Some activities that we want to try (e.g. bridge, line dancing) won't start until the New Year. 

We are thrilled to have a growing group of like-minded cyclists - 7 went out yesterday so that bodes well for the rest of the season.

There have also been to several special events like the Thanksgiving Dinner, a trip to Organ Stop Pizza*, a dance, gospel group and a Christmas dinner show. Another dance, Christmas Dinner and New Year's Eve are ahead of us! Slowly we are getting to know folks in the Park and they have been welcoming and inclusive - especially our neighbours.

*Organ Stop Pizza History

Another Christmas Light Event

At dusk, a few golfcarts decked out for Christmas paraded through the Park playing Christmas music to get our attention. The final vehicle was a motorized recliner containing Santa, being pulled by reindeer (animatronic reindeer lawn decoration); so exciting to see that we didn't get a picture! Oh, well, there is a contest to vote for our favorite decorated cart, so you know who/what will get our vote...👍

On a desert hike with Jeanne

It was a great Saturday for us. Jeanne (a friend we met through other friends, Mike & Betty) is staying in Mesa for a few months and came to have lunch at our place. Then she took us into Tonto National Forest for a walk through the cactus - the views were spectacular.

In the evening we enjoyed a Christmas Dinner Show at the Rec Hall. Food, fun, (new) friends and music - does it get any better than that?!

We’re Not in Texas Anymore...

(and it's a good thing today!)

At noon we had texts from Calgary and Yuma asking if we knew that it was snowing in Brownsville? A quick text to our friend Kathy confirmed that they had had snow on the roofs overnight and that it was still snowing lightly at 35.2F / ~2C.

Dec 11 - forgot to mention what a rare event it is to have snow in Brownsville. It last snowed there in 2004 (Christmas Day!) and the previous snowfall had been 105 years earlier!!!!

 

Brownsville this morning (thanks Ted, on Face Book)

Today in Apache Junction it was dry, sunny and 6C/ 42F when we got up.

Electronic Laundry Services 

( Ain’t Technology Wonderful? )

What a thrill to be able to pay for washing and drying using a credit card rather than plugging in quarters! Furthermore, there is an app to determine machine availability before arriving in either of the two laundry locations in this Park!!!

Cool Day for a Ride 

Today, Renaud joined us for a ride out of Tempe. We rode on pathways for over 40 km/ 25mi through the Indian Bend Wash into Scottsdale and around Tempe Town Lake (a recreational reservoir on the Salt River).

It was grey and only 54F/12C when we started just before 10 am so we weren't gone too long before it seemed right to stop for coffee and hot chocolate! The day did warm up somewhat but we were happy to come inside, once again, for a hot lunch!

 Bill & Renaud pose at the Watermark Sculptures in Scottsdale. 

The art is a functional part of the drainage system; water flows in from behind the horses and out of their mouths during heavy downfalls, fountaining into the catchment area to the left.

Rose Lynn & Bill

The blues skies and palm trees make it seem warmer than it was!

Rose Lynn Has Fun with Bill

Rose Lynn couldn't resist this sign - she was inspired at a $ store after a neighbour had introduced herself to Bill and observed that he spent a lot of time in this chair!

Early morning view (~7 am MST) of the Super Moon setting in a clear NW sky;

 it was about 13C/ 55F, a little cooler than usual.

Saturday Evening / Sunday Morning

On a warm December Saturday evening we joined our neighbours Joy, Spencer and their visiting son Ian, to enjoy the Apache Junction Christmas Light Parade. There were lots of lights on everything from people, instruments, goats, horses, dogs, vintage vehicles and the traditional floats; Santa showed up at the head of the parade, perched on a fire engine!

Sunday morning was a fine day for a ride. We were happy to be joined by Renaud a fellow from BC living in the same park as friends Gary & Luci. Renaud introduced himself from his bike when he saw us on our way out riding with G & L; he is "our kind of rider" so we will do lots of exploring as a group.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Our grandboys Zachary (4) and Magnus (6 months)

with Santa Claus