Apricity West 3

October 21, 2022 - Friday

Line dancing today was good - still making progress.

Put the top down to go into Wickenberg this afternoon to drop off Rich’s bike at Bike Shop, deliver more of his cards to Ruth’s Bunkhouse for consignment,

and lastly, to the Elks for their popular chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, salad and a roll. I brought half of mine home for tomorrow’s lunch.

The whole band was here tonight.

October 22, 2022 - Saturday

Happy 17th Anniversary to daughter, Shannon, and David Clark 💞

Went back into Wickenberg today for groceries - 8am is the perfect time to go as it is NOT busy at that hour. After putting it all away, I took a walk (stroll) with Lu. We did more talking than walking, but caught up on important stuff. 

Pomegranate tree in someone’s front yard…

Then took the laundry over to the clubhouse and worked on a jigsaw puzzle while waiting. Leftover lunch and then worked on Ancestry.com stuff. 

The wind is whipping about and the air is 10 degrees cooler than it has been. Lily is lazing about as I work on my laptop.

October 23, 2022 - Sunday

Nancy and I took a walk/talk around the neighborhood. The weather is much cooler here now - windy and 67 degrees. A lazy day indeed to lounge around until 4pm’s Sunday’s Ice Cream Social...

October 24, 2022 - Monday

Nancy joined us for line dancing and will stay on. It was her very first time trying it and she did just great! We had a last minute puppy break - male and female. Mom is a Toy Australian Shepherd and dad is a Shih Tzu - very cute offspring.

October 25, 2022 - Tuesday

Went swimming again and after warming up in the hot tub, we got in the lap pool and began one hour of water moves - Nancy swimming the entire time and me swimming, walking and squat walking! My goal was to keep moving the whole hour and I did! Here is a different shot of the pool area.

Rich and I went into town to pick up the repaired bike at Vultures Bicycle. Nice shop...

Very big bike with super FAT tires…

October 26, 2022 - Wednesday

Line danced, jigsaw puzzled, went to the Sizzling Wok for lunch, worked on Ancestry - have tracked down the Thurlows of Raymond, ME back to the 1500’s in England where I hit a brick wall. You have to $ubscribe to research foreign countries and I'm not doing that at this time.

October 27, 2022 - Thursday

Ukulele with Joanne in the morning and jam session in the afternoon. 

I am featuring Denny, Joanne’s husband, who plays the dobo (steel guitar).

He also edits the online service from their church back home in Michigan - it is broadcast around the entire world except for 2 islands that have no inhabitants.

When we came back to our site, we have 2 new neighbors (a motorhome and a fifth wheel) who are traveling together from Washington state. They are here until the first of the month next week. Always meeting new people…

Another gorgeous sunset / 💤 

Apricity West 3

October 14, 2022 - Friday

Line dancing - accomplished all Beginner dances plus 3 Intermediate dances. Success! Several of my fellow dancers are turning 80 this year! One is a young 82 years old… gotta keep up.

We got a new neighbor today - a youthful senior single woman, Nancy from Montana, in her van. She is not towing and is a small rig so a good neighbor to have. She has been camping in this van for 22 years and it looks like brand new. 

Went into Wickenberg Elks Lodge tonight for Fish-fry Friday. The evening meal is far better than the lunch - we had fried fish and baked potato. The Desert Heat band is still playing there, but the female lead is sick tonight. Sandi Dalton is the greeter tonight. 

October 15, 2022 - Saturday

Laundry day today and while processing, I enjoy working on the community jigsaw puzzle set up in the clubhouse. Volunteers are working on organizing the library and putting returned books away. In another room, two tables of bridge were going on.

 

It was a stormy day in the desert with thunder, black clouds, high winds, and occasional downpouring rain. Rich took the American flag in and put the lawn chairs under the rig. 

 

I finished listening to my book, American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins (Oprah’s Book Club) recommended by Fran (thanks). It was a riveting story of a forced migration by the cartel from Acapulco, Mexico into Tucson, AZ. 

October 16, 2022 - Sunday

Went to online church today at First Congregational Church of Lee, MA. With a 3-hour time difference, it works out that I am just finishing my breakfast when the service starts (10:30EST). 

It was still cool from the rain all through the night, so I took a walk through the Cactus Garden again. Yellow Barrel Cactus still has moisture within its bright yellow thorns. 

 

Speaking of thorns, there is a plant thorn called a goat-head which is extremely hard, sharp and painful if stepped on. You can accidentally bring them into the rig on the bottoms of your shoes. 

October 17, 2022 - Monday

Keeping in step with the line dancing.

 

Went into Wickenberg today for lunch at the Elks and a stop at CVS. I got a spiral notebook to document what I am discovering about our family through Ancestry.com. Fascinating!

 

Practicing the ukulele with Bernadette on YouTube. I like her style of teaching. 

October 18, 2022 - Tuesday

Happy 37th Anniversary to sister Terri & Jim Parsons!

 

We exchanged cups of coffee with neighbor Nancy this morning. She brought over a cute little tin cup of espresso and Rich made her a French Roast. We had a great visit - she is from Whitefish, Montana and had lived in Big Sky as well. She is building a new home at Wickenberg Ranch - a huge community of new homes and forever growing. She has her membership card and goes over to swim in their luxury pool regularly. She invited me to join her some time which I will do for sure. Her daughter and son-in-law just bought 10 acres of land very near to this RV park - they have horses and ride in the roping contests, she is the header and he is the heeler. 

 

October 19, 2022 - Wednesday

Progressing nicely with line dancing - even taught a familiar dance today. Our Beginner’s teacher, Theresa, is asking dancers to teach on Wednesday’s as her knee is in a brace waiting for surgery. 

 

Went for a short bike ride as Rich’s gears weren’t working. Some wire must have jostled loose on the rack-ride here.

Went to Ramblin' Dan’s’ for dinner tonight. It’s a small bar in Congress where the cowboy music was blasting and a rodeo was on TV. We will definitely be going to the Two Man Roping again soon.  

October 20, 2022, Thursday

Full day today - ukulele practice with Joanne in the morning...

 

Took Nancy up on swimming invitation at Wickenberg Ranch… It was awesome to swim/walk laps there. She is amazing and swam 23 laps - no walking. 

Fire pit overlooking golf course.






Nancy’s home in progress…

Last book club meeting with Pastor Jay before dinner...

 

Beautiful end to a full day…

Author’s Note: This is the third year I have been traveling/blogging. Long time readers may notice repeat pictures or stories, but there are a fair amount of newbies on my distribution list and I want to bring them up to speed. Please remember to sign your name if you send Comments so I know who you are...

 

 

 

 

 

Apricity West 3

October 7, 2022 - Friday

Got on Interstate 10 for a 3-hour trip to Tucson for a 2-night stay. Grateful to spend a day or two with sister, Terri and bro-in-law, Jim on our way through. 

 

Steins, NM - small ghost town

Dust storms prevail here…

Signs are spaced as you drive:

• Pull off the road
• Turn off your vehicle
• Feet off Brakes
• Keep Buckled Up

Thankfully, a hard lightning/thunderstorm came through last night and there are literally small ponds of water covering the dusty areas. 

 

Crossed over into Mountain Time Zone - now 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

 

Texas Canyon Rest Stop 

Once we set up at Crazy Horse RV Park, Jim picked us up in Pearl, the new pearl white hybrid Kia Sportage to meet up with Terri after work for dinner at Brother Johns BBQ - 500 flavors or bourbon and 50 various beers. 

Small taco appetizer for the table!

October 8, 2022 - Saturday 

Went to Le Buzz for breakfast with T&J. Decided to take a guided tour in Pearl with our concierge, Jim. He can always come up with someplace we haven’t been to before. This time it was a former workplace of his, Ventana Canyon Resort - he worked here about 35 years ago so we went there to check out the changes.

Loading the smoker…








THE STORY OF VENTANA CANYON:

IN 1982, JONATHAN TISCH MADE A FORMAL COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY OUTREACH IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOEWS VENTANA CANYON RESORT. CREATING A SUCCESSFUL HOTEL CHAIN MEANT MORE TO HIM THAN TURNING A PROFIT. CONSEQUENTLY, JONATHAN TISCH'S GOAL WAS TO BUILD A WORLD-CLASS RESORT WHICH INCORPORATED THE EXTREMELY FRAGILE PLANT AND ANIMAL HABITAT, RATHER THAN DESTROYING OR OVERPOWERING THE DELICATE BALANCE.

FROM THE PROJECT'S INCEPTION, EVERY ASPECT OF THE RESORT WAS CONCEIVED, DESIGNED AND BUILT WITH THE IDEA OF APPEARING TO BELONG IN THE DESERT. TRUE TO THE PLAN, NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THE 3,500 SAGUARO CACTI WAS DESTROYED AND ALL RIPARIAN HABITATS WERE KEPT INTACT DURING CONSTRUCTION.

ONE DAY, TISCH WAS FLYING OVER THE SITE TO FINALIZE THE FINAL PLANS, SHORTLY AFTER A MONSOON HAD WASHED THROUGH THE DESERT CREATING AN 80-FOOT NATURAL WATERFALL IN THE LOWER CANYON. IMMEDIATELY BILL ESTES & KIM RICHARDS SHIFTED THE SITE OF CONSTRUCTION FROM ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION TO INCLUDE THE WATERFALL AND SAVE A 300-YEAR-OLD SAGUARO CACTUS. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING A SPECTACULAR BACKDROP TO THE RESORT, THE WATERFALL PROVIDED A STABLE WATER SUPPLY FOR OVER 130 SPECIES OF BIRDS.

TO ALLOW GUESTS TO EXPERIENCE THEIR SURROUNDINGS, UTILITY NETWORKS & ELECTRICAL LINES, WERE BURIED UNDERGROUND, HIDDEN FROM VIEW. ROOMS AND PUBLIC AREAS WERE DESIGNED WITH SUCH FEATURES AS FLOOR-TO-CEILING WINDOWS, LARGE BALCONIES IN ALL GUEST ROOMS, AND SOOTHING, RELAXING COLORS THROUGHOUT.

TISCH RESPECTED THE LOCAL RESIDENTS COVENANT WITH NATURE, AND COMMISSIONED PAINTINGS, SCULPTURES AND CERAMICS FROM ARIZONA ARTISTS TO ADORN THE PROPERTY.

WHEN LOEWS VENTANA CANYON RESORT OPENED IN DECEMBER 1984, LOCAL CITIZENS, ARCHITECTS AND TRAVEL WRITERS AGREED THAT LOEWS HAD COMPLETED ITS MISSION. ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST NAMED IT, "THE FIRST ENVIRONMENTALLY CONCEIVED RESORT IN NORTH AMERICA." POLITICIANS EVEN TOOK NOTE. "THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO HAPPEN IN THE COMMUNITY FOR 25 YEARS," RAVED THEN GOVERNOR AND CLINTON ADMINISTRATION SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBIT TO USA TODAY.

FROM THE TIME THE RESORT OPENED ITS DOORS IN DECEMBER 1984, IT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE FINEST FACILITIES OF ITS KIND IN AMERICA.

 

October 9, 2022 - Sunday

7am Mountain Time and we are headed for our final stop of the trip west in North Ranch RV Park, Congress, AZ. As we get into the Phoenix area, it is amazing to see how much of the farm land has been overtaken by construction of huge warehouses and lots of new houses.

October 10, 2022 - Monday

Happy Indigenous People Day! Today was my first day back to line dancing and all went well. I was happy to remember the Beginner dances and learn a couple of new ones. Also, did Intermediate dance to Runaway which was my goal from last year. 

 

October 11, 2022 - Tuesday

Happy Anniversary to son, Randy and Kristie!

 

I went for a very brief walk today with hopes of starting a regimen of daily exercise. Wound up walking through the Cactus Garden here at North Ranch.

Went to Nichols West for dinner. Rich was disappointed as they do not have Stella on draft or anything on draft for that matter. And Cindy, his waitress for 10 years, has retired. 

October 12, 2022 - Wednesday

Line dancing again and I did ALL beginner dances and 2 Intermediate. By the time we get past beginner, my legs are feeling like 100 pound weights. 

There is a display case in the clubhouse of North Ranch artists and I thought Dick Driver’s was a great way to illustrate the beginning and end product.

The Elks for lunch and to renew membership. Then to Ruth’s Bunkhouse, where Rich left cards on consignment last year when we left. He got a decent check for those he sold. This is a new location for Ruth’s which offers more display room, but less parking. These are a few of my favorite pieces:

Stopped at Safeway for a few groceries and 2 flu shots. We each get a 10% discount on our order for getting shots - used mine today.

 

October 13, 2022 - Thursday

Pretty busy day with a midmorning meet up with Joanne to "catch up” and pick up the ukuleles and play! It ended up being a lot of conversation and a little playing - one song (Summertime). We’ll get better…

 

1-3pm jam session at the clubhouse with some new faces, familiar faces, and a few empty spaces in this early season. 

We are in a site that allows us to sit outside in the shade and see all the people (and dogs) come and go - walking or in their golf carts, Razors, bikes and trikes. 

Can’t wait to see what next week brings. Until then, tata…