Apricity West 4

October 20, 2023 - Friday

Dancing in the morning - learning new ones, too. 

Left for Wickenburg early so we could stop at an estate sale at Miss Ellie’s house. I really wanted an item as a momento to her. Her son, Randy, was there with his sister and the driveway, garage, house, entrance and backyard was neatly packed full of her belongings. As Randy put it, “She loved beautiful, colorful things.” We bought a small box for Rich’s business cards and a Mardi Gras mask for the fun of it. On the way out, I saw a pile of jigsaw puzzles, and he gave me two. I will put them in the Club House with a note that they were hers. 

Near the end of her life, she was in Hospice and unable to talk. An Episcopalian minister sat by her side and asked if she liked certain Episcopalian songs. He then sang them to her and she mouthed them as well. She passed soon after. 

 

Program picture from earlier times…

October 21, 2023 - Saturday

My husband, Bob, would have turned 80 years old today❤️. He always believed he would die at 60 as his father did, but lived to be 74. 

 

At 8am this morning, Nola was across the street trimming a tree that has been long forgotten. It had new growth sprouting wildly out of its side and really needed a haircut. Well Nola, at age 93, took it upon herself to do just that.

October 22, 2023 - Sunday

Happy 18th Anniversary to my daughter and her husband...who is not great at selfies💕

My church back home is not broadcasting the service today because they are in the middle of a new rug installation, so this instead...

October 23, 2023 - Monday

Dance followed by lunch at the Elks with Miss Karen.

October 24, 2023 - Tuesday

Took a short walk before chair yoga to stack up more calories to eat today. 

I didn’t get to see a football game of grandson, Jacob’s, as the game before we left was rained out. Well, thankfully, there is a mother who takes a whole bunch of pictures at the games and puts them on Facebook. She had a clear picture of Jake that I love. I texted him, nice tackle! He replied, “Lol, it wasn’t a tackle Mimi. I was trying to catch a pass that was a bit off target.” Oh well, at least I saw him in action. 

October 25, 2023 - Wednesday

Line danced and then to Wickenburg for lunch at the Elks and a new haircut for me. This was my first time at Hacienda Salon and I chatted with a couple of other clients there to learn that the pedicurist is VERY GOOD and very busy so my appointment isn’t until December 20th. I’ll figure something out in the meantime for November. Also, was told that the two shops right next to each other with an open door between them is the product of two friends who wanted to open salons in Wickenburg, but didn’t want to work for each other. So to maintain their friendship, they operate right next to and have open access to each other. It works out just fine. My hairdresser, Stephanie, did a great job of listening to what I wanted and offering suggestions too. I really like this cut today, but will see how it looks tomorrow after sleeping with the CPAP strap and fixing it myself in the morning. 

On my walk back to the Elks, I passed the American Legion where a muralist was working on a huge beautiful picture of the Calvary in chase. I asked the artist how he could paint something that big. He said in his Australian accent, “Do you see the board that is white? It is a grid of 1’ by 1’ squares. I paint each inch in a square foot space on the grid.” Makes sense. Who knew?

Find him in this picture…

Did some jigsaw puzzling with Lu in the afternoon. Both of the menfolk were taking naps!

 

October 26, 2023 - Thursday

Took a brief walk before chair yoga today. Little bits of activity allow me more calorie intake during the day. 

 

Tom Kern stopped by to chat - he brought one of his treasure boxes and wood scraps that he keeps. 

The challenge was to figure something out to adorn the top of his beautiful basket box which is done with wood burning. 

 

Decided to join the jam today although there were fewer players than usual. What that means is that we have to come up with more songs to play when it’s our turn. Ugh! It started out rough for me, but got better each song choice I had. Thankfully, Harvey was next to me and would play his guitar from my music giving me more support for rhythm, etc. Rich got me a new blue tooth thingy that plugs into the uke and the amp (no wires) which makes it a lot easier for him, the roadie. 

 

Our favorite UPS driver, Jenny, delivered a package today. We are so happy to see her on this route still. She had done a little purple funk with her hair which I love. 

Our friend Bob came over to share some music he enjoys - turns out to be Gaither Brothers whom I love. It started with a “Few Good Men” and ended up with “America the Beautiful!” My heart was full. 💗

 

Another fun filled week with weather turning a lot cooler - in the 70’s - LOVE IT! We even put our tufted bed spread on. When we go to bed the window next to me is open; as it gets cooler, I shut it and eventually pull up the puff...

 

Apricity West 4

October 13, 2023 - Friday

Dancing in the morning, chilling in the afternoon, dining with the Elks in the evening (chicken fried steak this week) is pretty much what Friday’s look like for me. While at the Elks, a man asked us if we knew about the solar eclipse happening tomorrow - we did. He proceeded to offer us a pair of Eclipse Shades and introduced himself as a representative of the Wickenburg Dark Sky Association. Who knew there was such a thing? This group is committed to keep the local skies dark and starry. When I told him we were from Massachusetts, he cringed and said, "All of the northeast is ‘lit up’ and city dwellers have probably never seen the big and little dippers.” I do enjoy looking out of my window while in bed at night to see all of the stars glittering in the distance.

Wayne Elliott provided the music tonight…

October 14, 2023 - Saturday

Went for an early morning walk to and through the Saguaro Park. Take a stroll with me...

It was about 8:30am when I returned to our site and got the protective glasses to look at the eclipse in the beginning stages; it looks like a bite was taken out of the sun. The bite continues to get bigger until the sun is totally eclipsed by the moon showing a rare "ring of gold" and then proceeding to the other side. It continued the progression until 10am. The full total eclipse is in the middle of it appearing like flames. Often times one will notice cooler temperatures, birds and insects chirping as at dusk. This event happens annually but is only seen during a full moon and often it occurs over the ocean.

Went into Surprise to see Rich’s cousin, John, and Eileen and then on to the Saigon Kitchen for a delicious lunch which counts as lunch and dinner. 

 

As I was sitting on the shady side of the camper, I saw (and heard) a hang glider floating across the skyline. Later we saw a truck drive into the park with what looked like an air boat machine in the truck. Rich informed me that it was the motor that the hang glider used. 

October 15, 2023 - Sunday

Pulled out the uke to practice a little so I can play with Harvey on Tuesday. Then we sat out in the shade of the camper to enjoy the view. 

October 16, 2023 - Monday

Line dancing today was energizing and burned off some serous calories too. Went into the Elks for lunch and then shopping at Safeway. First time we’ve been into a supermarket in months as we use Instacart wherever it is available.

 

October 17, 2023 - Tuesday 

Chair Yoga today - it feels so good to stretch and twist and turn in ways that just don’t happen in everyday life. Went over to Dot and Harvey’s to practice music. I've got a long way to go, but certainly value Harvey’s talent which he is willing to share. 

 

October 18, 2023 - Wednesday

Line dancing again today and was happy to see Nancy (neighbor from last year) came. Lu is expected to arrive today too. Fun times. 

 

October 19, 2023 - Thursday

Chair yoga is affording me more calories for the day and it really relaxes me… 

 

Jam session this afternoon - a drummer, Mike, and violinist, Wilma, joined the group. Next week I plan to be there playing. Gotta practice this week. 

Sadly, I found out today that Dottie Barry had an aneurism and died suddenly! I was devastated to hear this - she was so sweet - always helped at line dancing and invited me to her home to practice ukulele. She and her husband were married in 1964 - can’t imagine how he is handling this.😞

RIP - Dottie ❤️

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apricity West 4

October 6-8, 2023

A pitstop in Tucson is always fun! Shared many delicious meals with sister, Terri and brother-in-law, Jim, starting with breakfast at Frida’s…

Frida Kahlo, a Mexican painter whose signature style honored her self-portraits, pain and passion, and bold, vibrant colors. She stayed true to herself even after being struck with polio at the age of 6 and then a serious bus/trolley car accident leaving her crippled at the age of 18. Her father was a photographer who captured her for many years, and then she painted her true self - notably with a unibrow and mustache. “I won’t curb my self-expression to meet your expectations of how a woman should look.” After having one leg amputated, she wore long dresses to hide her injuries. She died at the age of 47 without having any recognition for her work.

Dinner in T&J’s Kitchen 3 nights - grilled chicken/rice, chop chop chicken salad, blue cheese burgers/marinated green beans. Yummy - as always.

 

Brunch at Panera’s with Jim’s mom - she is very interesting to be with. 

 

A visit to DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun - “Ted” DeGrazia was born in 1909 the son of Italian immigrants in a mining camp in Morenci, AZ. While his father worked in the copper mine, young DeGrazia roamed the mountainous region collecting colorful minerals and copper ore. As a young man, he moved to Tucson to attend University of Arizona, supporting himself planting trees by day and leading a big band at night. He earned three degrees, including Master of Arts where his thesis explored the relationship of color and sound. He became famous after his paintings were first published in Arizona Highways magazine. 

To protest inheritance taxes on works of art, he hauled about 100 of his paintings on horseback to the Superstition Mountain near Phoenix and set them ablaze in 1976. This infamous event was reported in such  publications as the Wall Street Journal and People’s Magazine, becoming part of DeGrazia’s legend before his death in 1982. 

He and his wife established the Gallery in the Sun on a 10-acre foothill site which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 and still exhibits his many works today.

 

This is the home he lived in during that time.

And the Chapel nearby.

 

10/9/2023 - Monday

A four-hour drive today to our ultimate destination, Congress, AZ, the views included an ostrich ranch, two prisons, vibrant green crops outside of Phoenix with ample running water for irrigation, and farmland converted to endless, ginormous warehouses. As we travel through our beloved Wickenburg, the amount of construction is amazing. We were told last year that they would be widening the roads and constructing numerous roundabouts in an attempt to slow down the speeding crazies to Vegas on Rt. 93. Arrived at North Ranch at last! 

It didn’t take long to get set up in the same site we had last year. Rich knows so many people here that he likes to be where he can follow what’s happening and they can see him to stop and visit - and stop they did. Many of those folks already here have pulled up in golf carts, trucks and automobiles to welcome us to our “home away from home.”

 

10/10/2023 - Tuesday

You can imagine what the grill and front of the rig look like after 2500 miles on the road. We tried to get it detailed while in Deming, but they were too busy. So Rich got someone from Wickenburg who has been trying to pull away from doing RV’s and convinced him to come out. The plan was to do it at 6am!!! It was their preference, but it meant I had to be up and out of bed before then as we had to pull in the slide (where the bed is). It didn’t make me happy, but Road Runner and Gracie are both clean as a whistle for now. 

I went to chair yoga at the clubhouse for over an hour and it felt awesome - stretching, balancing, moving! I know I will be sore tomorrow, but will show up for line dancing nonetheless. Having my hip replaced on May 30 kept me kind of inactive for the better part of summer, so anxious to get moving again!

 

Dot and Harvey invited us over for happy hour. It is always a delight to visit with them and this time we met Rascal for the first time! Here he is sprawled out on their new wood and resin table designed/created by Cleve Chase.

Bill Strickler, Master woodcarver, is the creator of this beauty - amazing details.

It feels so good to sit outside enjoying the view of mountains, palm trees, saguaros, sunsets, and clear starlit skies at night.  

10/11/2023 - Wednesday

Another great thing about being in our site, is that we only have to walk 30 yards to get to the clubhouse for all of the activities. Today was line dancing! It felt soooo good to be able to walk over pain free and actually dance for about an hour. I didn’t stay for the 2nd hour, not wanting to over do it - AND I was pretty tired AND Rich couldn’t wait to get to the Elks for lunch. More hugs and greetings from Karen the bar manager and patrons too. 

 

10/12/2023 - Thursday

Back to chair yoga this morning for an hour. Jane Adams is the instructor on YouTube that we like. 

 

Jams are starting up again today, but I am going to watch until I get my head back into the ukulele. I clipped my nails back and now have to build up the calluses on the tips of my fingers again. 

Did I mention the perfect weather here? Dry heat! 

 

 

 

 

 

Apricity West 4

September 26, 2023 - Tuesday

Sometimes you have to sit back and see what happens. You can’t plan everything - right? My biggest disappointment was not getting all of us in the same room before leaving for the winter - games, practices and golf prohibited it from happening - up until the 11th hour! There were still games and practices so everyone didn’t arrive at the same time, but in the end we all sat at the same table.

September 27, 2023 - Wednesday

Loaded up final items to begin our journey to Arizona. We will have a few stops along the way to visit friends and family. Can’t believe this is my 4th year and Rich’s 16th making this trek.

 

Today’s leg of the trip is only 7 hours long, landing us in Erie, PA for the night. The scenery is beautiful in NY with the Hudson River, Erie Canal, train tracks, acres on end of vineyards and cornfields, and, yes, occasional splashes of bright red and orange foliage (my favorite).

September 28, 2023 - Thursday

Started out at 7am - passed through Ohio and Illinois to reach Cloverdale, Indiana on a rainy, messy day. Last year we were safely tucked between two tornadoes for the night - scary! Solar farms and grain fields replaced cornfields as we traveled into a new time zone (Central), now one hour behind EST. 

September 29, 2023 -  Friday

After a delicious dinner a la Kibbie, we went out on the deck to have champagne as we watched the shine of the full moon shimmer on the water. 

September 30, 2023 - Saturday

Missouri Forget-Me-Not Horse Rescue and Sanctuary was our destination today. The Founder, Connie was doing this work on her own in a small corner of what we witnessed today. Locals and authorities were dropping off horses that were abused, neglected, abandoned, blind, deformed, and starving. This guy is starving and had a stroke leaving his tongue hanging out.  

Blind:

She held a fundraiser on site as she had acquired so many rescue horses, she couldn’t keep up with the cost. It turns out a local wealthy 60 something man told her he would help her. He sure did - he donated $2.5 million for buildings, facilities and equipment starting the construction 4 years ago and finishing 2 years ago. All other donations go towards feed, farrier and veterinary care. At this time, there are:

 

202 horses (including Clydesdales, ponies, miniatures) - every one has a name!

400 horses adopted out

25 volunteers

160 acres 

Imagine trying to keep track of over 200 horses’ needs - grooming, shoes, medicine, training, and more. White eraser boards are hung in various strategic places as a reference for all, including volunteers who come in all different times and need to understand their role.

Liana was our guide to see all of the state of the art facilities added. Then she took us to the back pastures in an ATV - Rich was the gate man. He had to get out and open and close about 5 gates on the property to see it all:

 

8 designated pastures - including ponies, blind, no hay,

Outback pasture, Outpost pasture. 

You’ll see cows, chickens, ducks, cats, 2 peacocks, 1 pig, donkeys…

Lousy picture!

The ranch has evolved into the Unbridled Equestrian Center and the benefactor is there every Sunday from dawn to dusk doing whatever is needed. They have told him he doesn’t have to come to shovel sh*t. He responded, "I have been shoveling sh*t my whole career in the corporate world. This is nothing,"

After dinner and a pitcher of margaritas at El Caporal, we went to see a live show about the life of Patsy Cline:Back Where I Belong at the Main Street Music Hall. One very talented woman and her band sang her heart out for a full 90 minutes with a narrator telling the story. 

 

October 1, 2023 - Sunday

A do-nothing-day on the lake. After another delicious breakfast (French toast and sausage), we are resting up from all of the activities of yesterday. Just chillin’...

October 2, 2023 - Monday

Kibbie outdid herself this morning when she handed us our To-Go bag with breakfast sandwiches, PopTarts, cut-up apples, tuna salad on Kaiser rolls, carrots, celery, pickles - and to top it off brownies! We have so much fun when we visit them. And we are totally spoiled...

 

I had never seen this before, but it is 3 small beat up cars strung together being towed to Mexico for resale. 

Traveled 8 hours to the KOA in Elk City, OK where we have stayed before. I must say, they did a lot of work on improving the Oklahoma highways since we were here last year. A good night’s rest here and then on to Santa Rosa, NM.   

 

October 3, 2023 - Tuesday

Change of plans - it seemed too short a day to just go to Santa Rosa (5 hours), so we cancelled that reservation and made one in Alamogordo, NM adding about 4 hours to our day. It was very windy and very light on traffic.

The landscape was windmills, looooooong trains carrying coal with 3 pusher and 2 puller engines, cattle holding corals, granaries, round bails of hay, fields of millet, etc. Route 70 is a new road for us which keeps it interesting. Flat lands until it isn’t. Turns into hills and canyon and curvy roads leading into Ruidoso, NM which has numerous eateries, inns, colorful chachki shops, churches, auto shops and more. Leaving the town took us into the country revealing a ponderosa-like evergreen forest backdrop to a small casino. 

 

Entered another time zone - Mountain Time - putting us 2 hours behind EST. 

 

October 4, 2023 - Wednesday

Traveling through White Sands, NM looks like beach dunes for a brief time, then back to flatness with rugged mountains popping up along the horizon. One paved turnoff cuts through the brush and leads to the White Sands Missile Range.

After climbing up and over the mountain, the sprawling city of Las Cruces comes into view. 

We’ll have a brief stay in Deming before moseying on to Tucson to see Terri and Jim💕. 

Had a chance to talk to our friend, Dennis, only to find out he is moving into an apartment to his liking. Wishing him well…