Tuesday, November 29, 2011

the rest of the week





We went for walks around the circle,

rolled wool into balls
did crossword puzzles,
sang songs
made lunches and suppers

We went to church on sunday and to the waffle house on Sunday and I got the grey cup on ESPN for Uncle Ron.
we saw a lizard on Monday when uncle Ron went golfing and Aunt Mary and I walked around the circle.


Thursday, November 24, 2011

Wednesday - pedicures, lunch out , flowers and gone with the wind

I went to the coffee shop early . Howard and Jim were there. Howard mentioned that the Arizona trail was just around the Boyce Thompson park and Jim said what do you want to go out there for just a bunch of weeds. He likes to play the crusty old codger, but we all see through him. Then to the store to pick up some water and goat cheese. Back home I worked on the blog about our wonderful walk in Boyce Thompson. I had the leftover pizza for breakfast. at 1030 we started to head out to the salon for our pedicures. we got there at 10 after eleven. it always amazes me how long it takes older people to get anywhere.If I get Aunt Mary into the car on time, Uncle Ron still needs to run around and do something. Uncle Ron went to the store in Apache junction to get some tools so that the next time the sliding door lock jams open it will be easier for him to fix. I fixed it last time. He picked us up at noon and we went to leo and Graces for lunch. Leo's sister, Patricia, and her husband Larry are down visiting. Leo and Grace bought a house down here too. a lovely lunch and then chatted until three . when we went to leave Uncle Ron could not find the keys to the car. after much searching, we told him to check his hat and there they were. Home again to music and the jigsaw puzzle. Flowers from Nancy, Gerry and Jo were delivered so phone calls were made. I asked Uncle Ron if he would mind if I kind of worked on the puzzle. He said that was what he was waiting for. A very light supper as lunch with two desserts was very filling. then Gone with the Wind. after the first go around ( they were repeatingthe movie all day) I went upstairs to read but ended up channel surfing. I think I was asleep by 930.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Tuesday - the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park

Woke up at 6 and watched Ramseys kitchen Nightmares. Had a granola breakkie at 730 and back up to continue watching RKN.
Came down at about 930 and M&R were just starting their breakfast.
We decided to to go the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park just 30 miles east of here on Hwy 60.
We left here about 11 and got there abut 1130.
Uncle Ron renewed their membership and Aunt Mary and I stayed outside in the shade.
When he came out they decided to have thier lunch and I went for a quick walk around the main trail and I loved it. I could certainly have spent about a day there but I made it back in about 45 minutes.
highlites:
the lake



the trails were nice and wide and well marked








the house on the cliff








the canyon with a stream







the walkways around the rock outcrops of the canyon walls







the little three room house built onto the canyon wall






with the lizard on the outside that skittered all along but would not leave the house. very cute







where the squirrel dropped walnuts on
me.










the bridge over the stream that swayed when you walked over it










the fall colours that were gorgeous!








the giant red gum eucalyptus trees are soooooo cool










Aunt Mary and Uncle Ron had finished
their lunch and had gone for a little walk down the main trail by the time I got back so I picked up a few postcards and gifts and then went to find them. It did not take long as they were coming back.



I saw some butterflys








and got a few nice shots.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Monday - rainy in the morning- guests in the afternoon

woke up at 6 and watched some twilight zone.
had a shower and came downstairs to finish up the green bean supreme casserole.
Realized that it had rained last night as the skies were still very grey and there were puddles everywhere.
Made some onion and cream cheese bagels for breakfast.
M&R were up at 830 and we went for a walk to the bridge where Uncle Ron went and saw the new house that is being built by the wash there.
Aunt Mary and I strolled and sang our way back with a few stops to sit for Mary.
when we got back I put the casserole into the oven and Aunt Mary and I started the crossword puzzle in the paper. We have been doing the easier ones in the puzzle book that I bought before we came down. The paper puzzles seem to have names of people we don't know. we had lunch. it was good.
We got a phone call from Leo and Grace who are staying at the colorado house. they came over for coffee at three so Mary and I made figs rolls with figs and puff pastry. they turned OK.
The weather cleared a bit as the day went on and the sun came out.

Sunday 20 nov - church , chinese and tea kettles

Woke up early and didn't go for a walk.
Read,
blogged,
made a nice breakfast of mushroom and cheese omelet.
Went to church after breakfast.
went for chinese at the Eastern Super Buffet after church.
went to Kohls and Uncle Ron bought a new kettle while Aunt Mary and I drove around outside the store and tried to find a parking spot where I could see the doors to the store.
came home and had tea.
Went for a walk and
Aunt Mary said to say hi and wish you were all here when we went around the circle.
Listened to music.
Had supper of Spaghetti squash, salad, chicken and broccoli.
Aunt Mary and Uncle Ron cleaned up after dinner while I blogged.
finished the jigsaw.
Uncle Ron gets to do the next one
telephone calls from Nancy home.
bed at nine.
I watched a bit of twilight.

Saturday 19 nov - The Long Bike Ride.

Woke up early and did not go for a walk. I read my Kobo and updated the blog. I loaded movies onto face book. The morning was nice. We went to the Walkingstick way house and I loved it. Maureen had told me it was her favorite down here. I agree with her. It is very cozy with lots of patios and a southwestern flavoured decor. I left there at about 1145 and rode a bike back to the superstition house. I went down, kings ranch road to the post office and mailed Aunt Doris's jigsaw puzzle to her along with a couple more postcards.I then proceeded to ride around walgreens to see what was there. Not much. I went down to the highway 60 and followed a bike/4 wheeled track along the side of the highway.The trail is a little rocky in some places but pretty good overall. it follows the highway and dips below the road in a few places. occasionally where there is a wash, there are large culverts under the highway for storm runoff that are big enough for me to walk through without bending over. I carried on to the gas station to fill the tires with air. did you know that you have to pay 25 cents for air.I did not. I did not have even a penny cash on me. so I continued on hoping that there was enough air in the tires to handle the rocky trail.I found a pizza place where I had a lovely pizza and brought half of it away in a carry out bag. I continued on to Bashaws along the same trail beside the highway and went through a wash pushing /pulling the bike up the side and onto the back drive of the mall. I went in and got some cash and a can of cream of celery soup. the Salvation Army folks were at the door so I gave them some money, mostly for letting me park the bike right close to them to keep an eye on it.I then bought some homemade cookies form some kids whose father was actually rather annoying interrupting their little sales spiel about 50 cents a pack or three for a dollar.They were raising money to go on a trip. there was a craft fair going on at the mall, in the parking lot and along the walkway. lots of christmasy things.My friend Diane is doing the same thing right now in Alberta. She sells jewelry made from sea glass. Up the superstition mountain drive to Don Donnelly and it came to me that it might be quicker and easier to follow Don Donnely to the wash and scoot through that way. well... it was quicker and easier than riding up the hill to the house.I did get a little scratched up going through the wash and pushing/ pulling the bike along. I came to the fence and pushed the bike through underneath where some kind soul had made an opening in the barbed wire. I was home in no time after that. just around the corner.I thought that Sara, the lady who cleans the houses and who had been at the walkingstick way house, would be there but she was not. It was 240 in the afternoon. a good workout for me as I am not in shape at all. Uncle on and Aunt Mary got into the dune buggy and then Uncle Ron swept out the bougainvillea petals that had accumulated under the garage doors. We are so busy here. Sara came and Aunt Mary and I went out to the patio and did the crossword. Uncle Ron came out and I went in to work on the jigsaw puzzle that we had sorted out earlier. a picture of a river with fall trees in the background. tougher than the last one.Supper was roast chicken with mashed potatoes and broccolli for R&M and leftover Pizza for me. yumm . a bit more puzzle and then off to bed for me at around 9

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Friday the 18 Nov - A Howl and The Mask Concert

Woke up early again so went up the hill to see the big house. I don't think it is a house. I think that they are building an hotel. It is massive and seems to be made up of lots of suites. there is a giant pool with hot tubs, notice the plural. While I was up there I heard some coyote calling to each other. I made it to a spot where I could see one of them and got some terrific video, I think, of him/her howling.On the way down, found some more of those white, quartzy rocks that I am thinking of making jewelry with. The sunrise was lovely, all warm and golden.
Came home and made a lovely mushroom, spinach and cheese omelet. Cleaned up and then started my spanish lessons. Well I had the spanish lessons going on my computer but I was so busy typing in info so that they would show up where I wanted them to in my ITunes, that I don't think that I really absorbed too much. Aunt Mary and Uncle Ron were up around 845 and sitting for breakfast around 9.
we had a lovely morning. Back into our routine. Aunt Mary and I cleaned out the spaghetti squash and put it into the oven for lunch. Aunt Mary and I went onto the patio to listen to music and enjoy the sun in the shade.
Uncle Ron opened up a jigsaw puzzle. We had picked up a box of five 500 peice puzzles at Walgreens. After that every chance I got I would be over there fitting the pieces together.
Lunch was veggie meatless balls with broccoli and carrots, salad and baked potatoes. yummy. Aunt Mary and I then took a walk around the circle, blazingly fast and we didn't even stop once. Uncle Ron stayed home and did the dishes. After lunch they called Aunt Nancy. She is fine although cold, 30 below in Edmonton. brrrrr.
Uncle Ron went to the golf course and hit a few balls while Aunt Mary and I listened to Jane Austen's pride and prejudice (Audio Book) at home. while we listened and talked about the story, I fit jigsaw puzzles together. When Uncle Ron got home he realized that we had a concert to go to tonight and that we missed Aunt Mary's hair appointment at 11. I will have to start checking the calendar to make sure we don't forget appointments.
We had scrambled eggs, wild rice with mushroom soup sauce, veggies and the spaghetti squash for supper, so nummy. Then we got ready to go to the show at the church . the Gold Canyon arts council does 4 or 5 shows a year. this night it was something very different from thier regular menu of differnt styles of music. It was a one man show of
called Faust's Mask Messenger. He was very good but poor Aunt Mary, most of his show was all body language and no speaking. When he did speak it was interesting but for most of the show we tried to explain to Aunt Mary what was going on and a lot of it did not translate well. We got home by 9 and I was in bed by 930 with the jigsaw puzzle finished. A nice lake with reeds and reflections of a farm, trees and sky in the water.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Thursday - Lunch at the Red Sage and a Hawk before supper

Woke up stupidly early and read some "Under the Tuscan Sun' on my Kobo.
Uploaded photos to facebook.
Jo came down and made a statement and went back upstairs.
Charlotte came down and we chatted and laughed about my photos that I had uploaded.
Jo came down later and joined in the fun.
Aunt Mary and Uncle Ron got up at 810 and Jim pulled in at 815.
Said good bye to Charlotte - Hugs and Jo - Handshake.
Chatted with Margie on facebook and made plans to go to the new twilight movie when I get back.
Walked around the circle with Aunt Mary and saw my first wild praying mantis! it was on the road and I am not even sure how I saw it as it almost blended in with the pavement.
I got a photo and then took a stick and moved it to a bush. Poor thing did not look to good.
Speaking of which I found a bird skewered onto a cactus. I have a picture but am not putting it on the blog as it is too sad. It must have been blown there during the last bad wind storm we had. Euwwww. there was what looked like the beginnings of a nest in the cactus so maybe it was trying to build a nest when it got blown into the spines?
A little further around the circle we met Laurie and
Sophie. We had met them last time we were here. Sophie was a much smaller puppy then and she has grown into a lovely vishla(?)
Went for lunch at the Red Sage where, again or still, there was lots of food. Stopped of at Walgreens for batteries and chapstick and then Bashaws for bananas.
Forgot to mail the parcel for Aunt Doris.
Tomorrow morning.
Did the crossword with Aunt Mary while Uncle Ron took a break on the computer. Then we sang songs, oldies but goodies.
Tea and cookies at 330 but I had water. I had already had my two big cups of tea this morning.
The weather is gorgeous but it is supposed to start cooling off for the weekend by 10 degrees.
Went for a walk up the hill tonight to look over that big house on the hill.
I saw some birds and got some good shots and on the way back thought that I had missed getting a shot of two very large hawks but then heard and saw on on the chimney of the neighbours house. I think it is a harrier but I will have to look it up. very large.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Wednesday 16 Nov - Breakfast at the Cafe.

I slept in till 730..... shocking! of course I didn't get to sleep until after 11 which is probably why I slept in. Got up and walked over to the new house being built by the bridge. A nice little three bedroom with great views from the living room and two bedrooms. A good size too, not too big.

I got back and Charlotte was up so we chatted until Uncle Ron and Aunt Mary got up. We treated them to breakfast at the Gold Canyon Cafe which serves a real nice breakfast. I still owe Charlotte for my half of the treat. Jo had gone out for a bike ride / hike with her friend Cindy.
While Uncle Ron went to Rotary, Charlotte, Aunt Mary and I went for a walk around the circle, admiring all the flowers, then we hung out on the patio and read some poetry drinking lots of water. Uncle Ron got back and we all had a cup of tea and a cookie. Jo returned about then and joined us adding lots of whipped cream to the treat.
we had lentil soup with bread for supper then we chatted and talked about bucket lists and things that we still want to do.
I still want to go white water rafting and walk around a volcano. Probably more things as well but couldn't think of them right then.