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Friday, October 31, 2008

Online Friends

On Monday we met one of my online friends for lunch at Micha's. First we had a couple errands to run. We needed fuel so we found a Fry's with a station and we got fuel for $3.09 a gallon. Then it was off to Camping World for some sewer fittings. Once done I called Christine and we finally got to meet face to face!

Christine and I met years ago when we were both in Club Scrap (wonderful paper for scrapping and cardmaking). Then I got invloved with Stampin' Up! and formed my own Yahoo Group to keep in touch with my customers and friends. Christine was one of them. Even though I no longer sell SU this forun has remained a way to stay in touch with these good friends.

Back to lunch, we agreed to meet around 1230 and we arrived first so we got a table at this very busy Mexican Restaurant and waited for Christine to arrive. Just after our drinks arrived there she was, looking around trying to find us. We all sat down and had a wonderful lunch, chatting about where to go and what to see. After lunch we followed her to the Old Town Artisan area of Tucson. Great place to see the local artists craftworks. We soon parted making arrangements to meet again on Thursday to go to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

In the evening we watched Dancing with the Stars. All the 'stars' are doing well with the exception of Cloris Leachman. She's a lovely lady and very funny but she just can't compete with the younger dancers.

Tuesday we stayed home and did chores around the house. It seems there's always laundry to do and I defrosted the freezer and did a little ironing. I watched all my soaps and in the evening I watched the result show of Dancing with the Stars. As expected Cloris was voted off.

Monday, October 27, 2008

I'm behind again!


Thursday we just stayed home. Did chores and relaxed. I know we watched CSI.


Friday we drove up to Jerome again. When we went with John and Kathy it was crowded with tourists and parking was a problem so we just drove through. This time it was a week day and we found a spot to park our big truck.


The town reminds us of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Lot's of crafty shops and galleries.
They even have a Flat Iron building. But it's an old mining town and therefore not as pretty or quaint as Eureka Springs. We had fun wandering the shops, there are some talented artists displayed! We had lunch at Mile High Grill that was delicious! Jim had an Angus burger and I had blackened chicken on ciabatta bread, we both had fries and beer. I could only eat half my sandwich.


Saturday we stayed home to start getting ready for our departure on Sunday. We just did a few things and decided to head into Sedona one more time for Pizza! We like to get pizza at every stop and hadne't done so. For dinner we went to Picazzo's Gourmet Pizza and Salad. What a menu! And if you didn't like what was there you could design your own pizza. We thought our choices were as good as Pizza Rustica in Manitu Springs. I had a Putenesca, tomatoes, greek olives, feta cheese and fresh basil. Jim had a sausage pizza. Both were very tasty!


Yesterday we packed up and left Camp Verde at 1000! Good start for us and we should get into Tucson in no time at all. Wrong!!! As we were leaving we noticed a Highway sign that said 60 miles down I-17 there was as accident and delays could be expected. We figured the accident would be cleared up by the time we got there. It wasn't and we pulled off at Anthem to wait for it to be cleared. It was about a three hour delay. But not a problem as we were parked in an Outlet Mall!


I fixed sandwiches for lunch. Then we strolled the mall with Boo in tow. Jim stopped at Big Dogs, big sale but he couldn't find anything. Stolled some more and found a Harry and Davids, this time I shopped! Got some truffles and snacks. Some of it sale priced. We saw that traffic was still stopped on the Highgway so we went back to the rig and tried to nap. That didn't work for me so I headed back to Harry and Davids and bought some Wolferman English muffins. Then I went to the Dress Barn and got three t-shirts and a pair of white pants. I just love a good sale! The shirts were all under 5 bucks and the slacks were 7.50!


At this time I noticed the traffic had cleared up so we headed out only to find the ramp still closed. So back to the parking lot we go....We checked maps and Jim talked to others that we stranded. We concluded there isn't a good way to get around and so we just waited.
We did find out that it was an overturned tanker and as you can see from the picture he slid for bit. Not sure if he got out alive. The firemen were still spraying and cleaning up as we passed so going was slow as folks were rubbernecking. once past that we had no problems. And no more stops!
We made into Tucson and the Air Force Base just after 1700. The office was closed but we found a site and we were all set up in no time at all. But we were hungry so I made Spaghetti again.
Found an old movie on tv, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex staring Bette Davis and Errol Flynn...what fun for me, not sure if Jim enjoyed it.
We were bushed and in bed by 2200.


Thursday, October 23, 2008

Lions and Tigers and Bears! OH MY!


Yesterday was a fun day! We went to Out of Africa:
http://www.outofafricapark.com/ It's right here in Camp Verde. A lot of the animals are donated and recues. So not all are found in Africa!


After we paid our fee we stood and watched all the birds in the aviary. My favorite spot! Amazons, Cockatoos, white doves, lots of love birds. My kind of exhibit....


We started with a bus tour of the Serengeti and saw zebra, giraffe, ostrich etc. The guide was South African. It was informative but the giraffe didn't want to cooperate with the feeding!


Once back at the entrance we hopped on the tram and entered the caged area. They're really huge enclosure with viewing stands. Most of the animals can be seen. We both took pictures and you can see them here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8643835@N06/


It's an all day event! We watched tigers playing in the water with toys and handlers. Got up close and personal with some pythons. Watched the predator feed as the last event. That was very interesting. The animals know when the truck is coming and wait for their food. you'll see some pictures of this.


Once home we sat outside with our drinks, coffee for me and Jim had a beer. It was chilly but nice. Our high today was probably in the mid-70's. great for being outside. For dinner I fixed spaghetti, salad and french bread.



Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Exciting day making groceries!

Yesterday was a stay at home day. Jim did some chores outside and I did some inside. It was a beautiful day and we sure have enjoyed the temperatures during the day. It does cool down during the night but it’s good for sleeping.

I watched all my soaps. Took care of our finances online and just lazed around! We did head into Cottonwood for some groceries and fuel, $3.49 a gallon and once home we sat outside enjoying the afternoon. Me with my coffee Jim with a glass of wine.

After we took Boo for a walk it was time for dinner. We had leftover steak, baked potato and Caesar salad. Jim did the dishes so I could watch Dancing with the stars. We also watched NCIS

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Page Springs

Yesterday I was up at 0745....what a pleasure to sleep in. For the past two nights we've slept with just the exhaust fan running and we were comfortable. Daytime temperatures have been hitting the mid 80's and at night maybe the mid 50's.

We discovered a back road to Sedona and every time we used it we said we'd stop and check out the wineries. That's what we did yesterday! We also stopped at the Page Spring Hatchery. The first winery, Oak Creek Vineyards, was ok but I thought all the wines tasted the same. We did buy one bottle.

Then it was on to the hatchery. Lot's of little trout swimming around in tanks. We toured all the tanks and into the woods! It's also a birding location with the bubbling ponds. We only saw some ducks but we did see a real pretty dragonfly, it was orangish red and just gorgeous in the sunlight.

We drove back to the other vineyard, Page Spring Cellars. We enjoyed the wine so much we left with 7 bottles! Red and White. They also gave us our tasting glasses. We're adding to our collection. But these are cute as they say they were stolen from Page Spring Cellars!!!

We then headed over to Cottonwood to get some dinner. Stopped at Murphy's Grill and we each got some comfort food. Jim had a chicken pot pie and I had Yankee pot roast. We both enjoyed this meal!!! Maybe the wine had something to do with it....

TV watching included Dancing With the Stars and Boston Legal. I've just started watching Boston Legal and this is the final season....bummer!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Tlaquepaque

Yesterday we went back to Tlaquepaque to finish checking out the shops and galleries. After trying to find a parking spot we decided to head back into town, park at a free lot and take the free trolley back. Jim wanted to have lunch at the Secret Garden. It was a beautiful day to sit outside and enjoy lunch. I had a blt-a on sourdough bread (peppered bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado) and Jim had Quiche Lorraine, we both had fruit as a side and ice tea to wash it down. We finished with espresso for me and Jim had a cappuccino. We sat outside under the pergola among the trees and plantings. Just lovely! And no construction noise Kathy…

Afterwards we checked out more galleries and shops. There are a lot of talented artists represented here. When we finished strolling we caught the trolley back to town and hit a few more shops. Jim stopped in the camera shop and bought a backpack and camera stabilizer, not a tri pod but same idea.

Then we headed towards home but stopped at New Frontiers a natural grocery store I only spent 11 bucks but only because I didn’t need anything! Then it was home for us.

I had a salad for dinner and Jim had cheese and crackers. After our big lunch we didn’t want dinner!


Last Friday the four of us took the Verde Valley Train. We traveled first class for this four hour trip. The guys spent a lot of time outside in the open car taking pictures. Kathy joined them once or twice. I spent my time indoors enjoying the food and drink! We had sofas and a coffee table so it was very comfortable. Once the trip was over we said our goodbyes because they were leaving on Sturday for the trip back to Kansas. we very much enjoyed our visit with John and Kathy.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

more Catching up!











Yesterday wasn’t a good day for me. I was tired and worn out all day. I washed the bed linens so we at least had clean sheets to sleep on last night. Jim made a run to Home Depot and I stayed home and napped.

Last Wednesday we stayed home and just chilled. We had dinner at the Casino, just burgers at Johnny Rockets. Then afterwards we headed into Sedona to attend Wolfs Robe Flute concert. It was held at John and Kathy’s resort. There was also an art show and some jewelry to look at. We enjoyed the flute and his ‘history’ lesson. We didn’t buy anything! But I could have…..I love jewelry.

Thursday we drove around Sedona for the views. Schnebly Road and Airport road are good places to see the surrounding mountains. We had lunch at Shugrue’s Hillside Grill, the margaritas were only so-so. Henri’s in Manitou Springs, Co is better! Jim had soup and ½ sandwich, clam chowder and oyster poboy. I had a turkey on sourdough that was fabulous! We also did some window shopping. At least Jim and I did. John and Kathy bought a few things.












I finally found a Javalina!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Grand Canyon





Monday we all took it easy, we stayed home and did laundry and household chores. John and Kathy are staying at a time share and they sat through a presentation. We all met up for dinner at the Barking Frog Grill, http://www.barkingfroggrille.com/. What a wonderful meal! Three of us had seafood and Jim had a steak dish. We shared a bottle of chardonnay and enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Tuesday we went to the Grand Canyon. John drove and did a fine job of navigating the winding twisting roads! Highway 89 is gorgeous and we drove it all the way north of Flagstaff to Highway 64. Going west on this road leads to the east entrance to the Canyon. We stopped and looked at some Navajo Vendors along the way and Kathy and I both bought a necklace.

Once we entered the Park it was time for pictures! The guys had a blast stopping at the overlooks and taking shot after shot of the views. As you can see it was a hazy day. Kathy also took some pictures but mostly enjoyed the scenery. As many of you know I don’t do well with heights so I didn’t look down much. But it sure is a deep canyon! Guess that’s why they call it grand!

Some time during the day we ate our picnic lunch. Around 1500 we started back towards Sedona and home. We were fortunate enough to see the moon rise and it was a sight to behold. Full moon too! It was dark when we got back and we went our separate ways.

Once home I had some soup because I was starving to death. I guess I needed to pack more sandwiches!


catching up!


Last Saturday started early again, 0640. It would really be nice to sleep later! Again it was a warm night, 66 inside and 62 outside. But that ended early I think the high was supposed to be around 65. The wind was still blowing quite steadily and we pulled the back slide in when we left for the day.

I don’t recall what time we left for Sedona but we headed out before lunch. Jim’s brother John and his wife Kathy were due in and Jim wanted to be there when they arrived. We wandered Tlaquepaque for a bit and had lunch there at a Mexican restaurant. Then we strolled the hwy 89a shops for a bit. The wind was making us chilly so we stopped for coffee. Sat on some steps just enjoying the view while we drank our coffee.

As we walked back to the truck John called, they were in their room so we headed over. Chatted for a bit then we headed to the visitor center so they could get some ideas on where they wanted to visit. Drove through the main shopping districts and then we stopped and got some BBQ. Once back at their resort we went our separate ways. They needed a relaxing night after the two day drive from Kansas.

We drove home a different way and discovered a winding back road that should be interesting in the daylight!

Sunday it was chilly again when I got up at 0730, 58 inside and 36 outside. Boo kept us awake until midnight, barking at everything! We were enjoying breakfast when John called and said pack a lunch we’re going to drive 89A and visit Montezuma Castle, Toozigoot and go to Jerome.

So we got ourselves motivated and got busy! Had to clean up the breakfast mess, Jim needed to shave and we both needed to dress for our day out and pack a lunch….They arrived while Jim was still getting dressed and I was fixing our lunch. 30 minutes later we were out the door. First I needed to stop and get a newspaper. Then we headed to Montezuma Castle. We had already seen it so it was nice watching John and Kathy enjoy the site and grounds. This picture is from the castle.

Then it was off to Toozigoot! What a neat pueblo! All on top of the hill check out the link below for pictures. By this time we all wanted something to eat, so we found a spot and enjoyed our picnic lunch. Once in the car we headed towards Jerome. We stopped in Clarkdale first to check out the train ride. The municipal buildings are pretty. The drive was beautiful up Cleopatra Hill and according to the guys there were some wonderful deep vistas! The town itself is much like Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Winding roads take you farther and farther up the mountain. It being Sunday it was very crowded and we didn’t stop.

We drove down the mountain and headed for our rig. It was a very nice way to spend a few hours, good company too!

I fixed a dinner of leftover pulled pork from the bbq, mashed potatoes, gravy, steamed broccoli and a salad. After the dishes were done I didn’t do much of anything and by 2130 I was ready for bed!


http://www.tlaq.com/

http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/nulloa/Toozigoot.html

http://www.azjerome.com/

http://www.azjerome.com/pages/clarkdale/clarkdale.htm

Friday, October 17, 2008

Verde Valley Train Trip

Today was our last day with John and Kathy. They've been here a week and we've had a lot of fun seeing the sights with them.