It's Hard to Avoid!

Politics, that is!

We are "radioheads" as most people know. We listen to both NPR (US public radio) and, on Sirius, to CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).  This morning, tiring of impeachment and caucus "news" on NPR, we switched to CBC where there was a discussion of impeachment followed by coverage of the Conservative Party of Canada's leadership race....

😝 AARGH!😝

"The Kids"

Late afternoon on the Mammoth Saloon deck at Goldfield Ghost Town

Canal Sightings

Today our riding route took us along agricultural irrigation canals in Gilbert and Chandler. Many of the properties that back onto the waterways have acreage-size lots with a variety of livestock, but there is also a dairy operation and flood-irrigated alfalfa crops. So we always see an assortment of horses, cows, steers, calves, donkeys, goats, sheep, llama, as well as ducks, geese, and exotic birds such as peacocks. Wild birds too such as ducks and egrets.

Flora and fauna observations were unusual today as we saw a bald eagle, kildeer, a yard of blooming sunflowers and bowfishers.

So what is bowfishing? Just like it sounds, it's a hybrid of bowhunting and reel fishing - the arrow is on a line and a reel is attached to the bow. Today the bike-riding (!) fishers were catching large carp (?) in the canal! Bill knew of this sport but it was all new to Rose Lynn.

You can watch how bowfishing works here

So.... it's in AZ?! 😉

(It's just off Superstition* Blvd in Apache Junction AZ)

*

su·per·sti·tion  noun

Learn to pronounce

1. excessively credulous belief in and reverence for supernatural beings.

su·per·nat·u·ral adjective

rn to pronounce

1. (of a manifestation or event) attributed to some force beyond scientific
2.      understanding or the laws of nature

Weather is a Changin'

Weather change forming in the west Thursday evening

Followed just minutes later by this portent -

"Red sky at night..."

We have been in the 60/40 weather pattern for so long that forecasts of warming weather have been exciting. After two days of brisk winds, the warmth seems harder to appreciate and now there is a chance of rain in the next day! Stay tuned.

Jarabe Mexicano

What an evening of Mexican culture.

We drove to Chandler Center for the Arts to enjoy the cross border group Jarabe Mexicano (literally, Mexican syrup). It was more than just their concert though as the evening started with a local 5 piece student mariachi group entertaining in the lobby - terrific!

Jarabe Mexicano then took us on a joyride through a versatile songbook of Mexican folk as well as Rock & Roll, Tex-Mex, Latin Rock, and Reggae-Cumbia. There were three guitars, lively percussion from all and a "dancing" lead singer. Their wonderful harmonized vocals in Spanish and English inspired the audience to respond at fever pitch with clapping, joyful "gritos*" and dancing. The group was joined on stage twice by two pairs of colourfully costumed folkloric dancers.

Click here to experience Jarabe Mexicano!

But the party wasn't over yet ... the musicians played some more in the lobby and were joined by the costumed dancers and the audience for even more of the clapping, gritos and dancing!

*a grito is vocal interjection that takes many forms and is in honor of the shout that was said to have started the Mexican Revolution in 1810. So, it's cry, a Mexican cry, a Mexican yell. 
You may have heard of ¡Arriba, arriba!and  Ándale, ándale ! which are part of the cheer shouted by the cartoon mouse Speedy Gonzales. Arriba means go! or hooray for...! and ándale means come on! 

Bill & Mike's Excellent Adventure

(watch below)

Bill and neighbour Mike went to the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale today. For the second year in a row, they returned brimming with stories and bags of swag!

Both fellows took the Dodge Thrill Ride - a drifting adventure ride-along. Bill videoed his experience from inside the Dodge Hellcat widebody (watch here)

Watch a ground video @   Dodge Thrill Rides Short - Barrett-Jackson 2019

Bill mentioned that the tires on these thrill ride vehicles need to be replaced with every two hours of demos!

January 12 Weather Comparisons

We do this comparison at least once every winter - 

glad we're not in the deepfreeze of Calgary today

 and perhaps we might rather be in Brownsville?

	High	Low
Apache Junction, AZ ☀️	64 F / 18 C	42 F / 6 C
Calgary*, AB ❄️	-9 F / -23 C	-17 F/ -27 C
Brownsville,TX ⛅	74 F / 23 C	63 F / 17 C

*From our daughter in Calgary about the weather "situation":

"When the temperature is under -15 C, the school has a blue day and puts a sign in the door that means that kids can come in as soon as they get to school and don't have to wait in the yard for the bell to ring. It also means no outdoor recess so they do yoga and other activity videos in the classroom.

I've been wearing snow pants and my ski mitts for walking to work and walking Zach home after school.
Luckily for daycare drop off, Colin has been parking in the underground parking in the daycare building."

Hard to get a photo of these fellows - 

they sense any movement or sound on our side of the window!

2020 has been Launched!

It has been a very social start to 2020 for the Pettys.

                                    

Jan 2 we met up with our daughter's in-laws in Phoenix to dine and then attend a performance of Million Dollar Quartet. We were all enthralled with the set, costumes, story line and raw talent of the musicians playing Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins.


Jan 3 friends Jeanne and Larry  came over from Mesa to play games outside in the sun - what a treat all around. Bob and Ann, friends from Calgary who had just arrived at Rock Shadows for the season, walked with us all to a local favourite, the Handlebar Grille, where we sat outside to eat and visit.

Jan 4 we joined neighbours at the local high school theatre to enjoy an Eagles tribute band in One of These Nights. After the performance, Carol & Keith treated us to a cherry crumble pie! Yummy.

We have been enjoying the dry weather and have cycled 5 of the first 7 days. Winter activities that we enjoy such as choir, computer club and, of course, the charity quilting are resuming after the holidays... so we keep busy!

Weather Forecast is 60/40

At least it will be dry!

Happy New Year!

Youth is when you're allowed 

to stay up late on New Year's Eve. 

Middle age is when you're forced to. 

William E. Vaughn, Journalist (1915-1977)

Can't say we were forced to stay up late on on New Years Eve...

in our beyond-middle-age, we chose to attend the Rock Shadows party

 at the Hall and stayed till midnight enjoying food, adult beverages and dancing with friends