Cycling with Friends

We had a great day on our bicycles riding through Scottsdale with Michigan friends Peter & Anita, and Alberta friends, Donna & Drew.

Been There. Done That.

It was all good!

The birthday party on Sunday afternoon for sister Lisa was a family love-in for a wonderful person. Her four children invited four generations and both sides of her family for food, fun, and tributes at her home.

Us, Lisa & husband Robert

Mom & Lisa - isn't this a fabulous photo?

We spent lots of time with Rose Lynn's Mom playing games, eating and meeting her friends. On Monday evening, while Bill played cards and watched hockey with brother-in-law, Robert, and two others,  Rose Lynn & Lisa sewed!

Our 4 flights were all on time (even early), our luggage made the transfer from PHX/YYC through YYC/YYZ, our layovers were really fun when our daughter and grandboys had lunch with us on our outward bound lap and our fabulous neighbours, Barb & Dave, joined us for a meal on the our way back through Calgary.

The weather was pitiful - wind, rain as forecasted, temperatures just above freezing for the most part, with snow on the ground the day we left! 

Happy to be back in Arizona!

Flying Trip

Today we are winging our way to Toronto for a few days - Rose Lynn's sister is celebrating her 60th on Sunday and we didn't want to miss that!

We'll also visit with her Mom so it should all be great except for the weather which is forecasting rain for our stay😒 Hopefully temps stay above freezing.

More on our return...

Thanksgiving Day 2

Sunrise in Apache Junction

Looks like a fun day for us - the sky is now grey but we will still get out for a ride before our mid-afternoon meal with Eric and Beth* and their gang who live in this area. We'll go over early and play games with any who are not watching games on TV!

Nothing like Thanksgiving feast #2! So grateful for our health, friends and family.

*Eric is a cousin of our friend Jan (and Walt who are now in Yuma AZ)

Reunion

We had a fun reunion with Ruth (in pink) and sister Linda

Ruth, visiting here in AZ with her sister Linda, is a friend we made at Paul's Park in Brownsville, TX. She is a mighty fine guitar player and was accompanist for many of Bill's talent show performances at the Park.

Mass by Leonard Bernstein

Our son-in -law's parents, Ron & Elise, joined us for an awe-inspiring afternoon performance of Leonard Bernstein's Mass at Arizona State University in Tempe. Over three hundred students, faculty, and community members were involved - singers, dancers, musicians and technical (media, sets, costumes, sound).

It's difficult to describe our experience - almost overwhelming in its scale and message.

Amazingly, ASU gave only two performances of this massive tribute to the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein's birth. 

Read more about this piece? Click below:

MASS

Sunsets Feel Cool at 70F?!

Strange, but as the sun goes down in Arizona, we find that it feels cool when the temperature drops below 70F/21C. However the sunsets can be pretty spectacular!

Friday evening looking south

Tonight looking NW

Rural Ride

This morning we rode east of Apache Junction, into the foothills of the Superstition Mountains.

🚲 warm with light winds (headwinds both east & west!)
🚲 more vehicle traffic than we remembered
🚲 horses and fancy houses on large lots
🚲 patio lunch at a favourite place, Handlebar Pub & Grill in A.J.
🚲 smoked acorn squash, oh my! (they only grill, no frying!)



Low key exterior belies what is behind the facade
 - a charming tree-covered patio and creative food



Smoked Acorn Squash

Only in the US?

So, most of you know that we are "radioheads"; however, in the past two weeks we have begun to suffer PTSD* from listening to both CBC and NPR programming as the midterm US election cycle churns....

*Pontificating Trump Stress Disorder

Disclaimer: Rose Lynn created this version of PTSD and means no discredit to                                                  those dealing with this very real post traumatic condition.

Grandbearants

This morning, on Facebook Messenger, we had an hilarious visit with our daughter Janine and grandboys Zach, 5, and Magnus, 1; it was a day off work, school and daycare respectively! Janine loves to get a laugh for all with these disguises - can you see the crowns on them on the upper right?

"Always nice to have a call with the grandBEARants."

"Hooky" Jam Resumes

Bill sat and sang/played with Chan, Del and Greg (visiting son of our neighbour) for some fun hours this afternoon.

It seems the large Park Jam that spawned "Hooky Jam" (their small home group) may not get off the ground this year; it may be reborn for park players only so perhaps that will result in a more manageably-sized jam.

Windy Night

We're up early today after a wild night of wind; it rattled every loose bit on the trailer and occasionally seemed to rock the whole rig. A check of the weather records suggests it was gusting, but not at overly high speeds (up to 15 mph/25 kph).

The past few days have been very warm and gently breezy so we have been enjoying eating our meals outdoors in the shade of our awning!

Cycling while America Votes

Today was a treat!

We met up with Rose Lynn's cousin, Cheryl, who was staying with her son and family in Scottsdale (part of the Phoenix metro). She took us for a bike ride on some of her usual routes, we enjoyed lunch on a shaded patio and then went for a dip in the pool when we returned to the house.

This cactus was blooming behind a wall along our ride.

 A local told us it is an Organ Pipe Cactus.

Settled in Apache Junction AZ

Arrived back at Rock Shadows RV Park in Apache Junction to warm weather and warm welcomes from our neighbours.

After leaving Fillmore UT we settled in for two days at Valley of Fire State Park, NE of Las Vegas NV - it was calm and very warm, 75F/24C! We enjoyed a bike ride, some walking and the red rock scenery - a little R&R after the getaway and the driving...

Last night we were in Wickenburg at a horse camp (folks bring their "rides" - horses and ATVs for the winter!).

Dramatic, Desolate, Desert Scenes

After leaving Valley of Fire we drove through about 280 mi/450 km of varying types of desert scenery with very little population, a couple of  towns and lots of eye candy of the natural kind until we reached the metropolis of the Phoenix area. Nearing the big city we noted that the desert was very green and our neighbours report that October was unusually wet!

A bear or dog?

A Cardinal?

A sphinx?

What is this mountain sheep surviving on here?!

White Dome Road in Valley of Fire S.P.

Downstream from the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River

Green desert closer to Phoenix

Liquid Sunshine

An intermittently rainy day was bookended by dry roads, leaden skies and little wind. Tonight we are in Fillmore UT, the first state capitol of Utah (named for President Millard Fillmore).

The beautiful state building of red sandstone (now a museum) was constructed in 1851.

We walked to visit this site while the oil was being changed in the truck.

View from our KOA camp spot in Fillmore