Ceilings and floors - but not much of Tucson.

February 27, 2014: I’ve seen a lot of ceilings and floors this last week, but not much of Tucson.

A week in Tucson and this is all I have to show for it – one sunset that Jack dragged me up the knoll to see earlier in the week!

My view for the last week has been ceilings and floors.

The day we arrived in Tucson I was struck with a severe attack of muscle spasms in my back.  So, in the last week I’ve seen lots of ceilings and floors.  As ceilings go, I’ve seen the motorhome ceiling from the bed, sofa, and floor.  I’ve seen the chiropractor’s ceiling and the floor through the little face peephole of his adjusting table.  And lastly, the lovely and talented massage therapist, Angel, who lives up to her name each time I have seen her this week – I’ve seen lots of her massage studio floor through the face hole in her massage table and ever so bit of a ceiling view during my last massage earlier this morning. 

Today is my first day to actually sit up for more than 5 minutes without severe pain.  Once again, life is good.   

I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck – or maybe just a motorcycle. 

Whenever I have a muscle spasm attack (I usually make it an annual or even semi-annual event during a bad year) the first words out of my mouth are, “I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.”  All these years – decades really – it has seemed like an accurate account of what I was going through until I met a man who was literally “HIT BY A TRUCK”.  Years back, Angel’s husband was in a snowmobile/truck accident.  Unfortunately for him he was driving the snowmobile and was hit by the truck.  Pain management is now a part of his daily life – not a week or so episode once or twice per year. 

The old “hit by a truck” scenario seemed accurate until this week.  I think it’s time to make a revision in my thought process.  There’s no doubt the pain is terrible, but I don’t suffer with it every day.  I’m singing a new tune.  No more “hit by a truck” for me.  My new mantra?  “I feel like I’ve been hit by a motorcycle.”  (No fun, but at least it’s not a truck!)

Enough about that.  I’m mending and there are new adventures on the horizon, so let’s get to it.

Before we leave Desert Trails RV Park I take a few pictures.

This is the good side of our site.  No one behind us, nice view, nice spacing.

And, here’s the bad side of our site.  We share utilities with the folks on this side so their outdoor area is on the opposite side of their space, which makes the utility sides of our vehicles VERY CLOSE TOGETHER.  It brings to mind the following old commercial.

Excuse me, but have you any Grey Poupon?

The RV Park backs up to Tucson Mountain Park with the access trails only steps from our door.  We had grand ideas of morning hikes into the park which also shares a border with Saguaro National Park West, but due to being “hit by a motorcycle” we were unsuccessful in this venture.  We did walk to the edge of the park the last night of our stay and I took this picture of a most unusual Saguaro cactus.  All of his arms are bent downward.  There’s probably a reason for this.  Maybe a trip to the Saguaro National Park Visitor Center or the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum will clear up this pressing question. 

We make the big trek from Desert Trails RV Park to Snyder Hill BLM boondocking site.

I get my final fabulous massage from Angel while Jack prepares the Moose for the big journey.  We drive out of Desert Trails a little after 11am and head the short distance down San Joaquin Road toward Ajo Highway (State Highway 86).  A few minutes later just before reaching Ajo Highway we arrive at Snyder Hill BLM land.  We learned of this boondocking site from Nina of the “Wheeling It” blog.  She and her husband, Paul, stayed here last year.  Nina does great campground reviews at each location they stay which can make selecting a boondocking area a really simple matter.  Check out her blog, "Wheeling It", and her Boondocking Site Review of this area.   

Our boondocking site awaits.

This looks perfect.  Near a little wash area.  Trees giving us a little privacy from nearby campers.  Awning facing east so we have afternoon shade.  A fire ring already set up.  Love it.

Awning out, sittin’ in the shade, lovin’ life.  No neighbors in sight!

We’re sitting back enjoying the afternoon when the welcoming committee shows up.

This Roadrunner struts into camp sweet as you please.

He hops up on a stone of the fire ring to make sure it’s up to snuff.  Looks good.

He checks us out.  I guess we make the cut!  And off he runs on his merry way to greet the next set of new campers.

Enough relaxing – we take a short hike up Snyder Hill.

Looking back down on the boondocking site.  We’re the closest motorhome on the right hand side.  You can barely see the Jeep (Caboose) behind the Moose.  There are about 20 campers in the area with everything from tents to large motorhomes.

After over 2 months with tight quarters in RV resorts and parks it feels good to get back out where there’s a little breathing room.

We walk part way up Snyder Hill to watch the sun set.

Another lovely end to the day.

 Until next time - be safe.

The green, green grass.

 February 19, 2014: It’s good to touch the green, green grass of …Casa Grande, AZ.

The grass is Heavenly!

Oh, to feel the touch of lush green grass between your toes.  I can’t help but take my shoes off and wiggle my toes in the cool grass.  The grass is covered with fragrant flower petals that have fallen from the trees heightening the senses even more.  It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen this much green grass in one place on our adventures.  It is grand!

Casa Grande City Hall.

We’ve driven into Casa Grande to have lunch and take a “walk about” around town.  After lunch we wander down the street and come upon the Casa Grande City Hall.  It appears to be a pretty old building, but extremely well maintained.  Jack heads off in one direction and I meander off in another direction taking pictures as I go.

Jack in the distance moseying around checking out the grounds.

The fountain in front of City Hall with flower petals floating in the water.

The resident clock to keep all the passersby on time each day.

A man approaches with his dog and settles in on a bench.

Jack ambles toward the man and his dog and greets him with a friendly, "Hello".  Before long they are deep in conversation.

His name is Van and he and his wife have lived in Casa Grande for 55 years.  This is where they raised their children.  Seems pretty much anything you could ever want or need can be found right here in this nice hometown. 

I join in the conversation.

I comment about City Hall – what a nice building it is.  Van tells us it hasn’t always been City Hall.  It was built back in the early 1920’s as Casa Grande Union High School.  It even had its own indoor swimming pool and auditorium, with an adobe gymnasium being added on in the 1930’s – the only adobe gymnasium in Arizona.  His kids graduated from this school.  As the population increased, a new high school was built and this school closed down in 1997.  It was turned into City Hall, retaining as much of the old character of the building as possible.  It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  I peeked through the windows of the main door.  Indeed, it looks like an old high school – like my old high school.

My wife will be worried about me.

Van has spent over half an hour talking about his family and his town.

Jack, Van, and little Lola talking about what makes the world go 'round.

Finally he says, “I’d better get myself and Lola back home.  My wife will be worried about me.  I’m not usually gone this long.”

The afternoon shadows grow long as our conversation grows longer.

 We thank him for his time and wish him a good evening.  We watch him retrace his steps back toward home and to his waiting wife.

And the sun goes down once more.

Back in the Jeep we head out of town back to our little conglomerate of motorhomes and trailers in the desert.  We’re all tucked in our little Site #35 gazing westward.  As the sun retreats behind the far off mountains we can ALMOST ignore the lineup of motorhomes between us and the setting sun.  Almost!

Tucson awaits.

Tomorrow we leave the Casa Grande area and hit the road for Tucson.  We’ll settle in our new home, make sure our cowboy boots and duds are in good shape, and be ready for the rodeo on Friday.

 

Until next time – be safe.     

Morning has broken ......

February 16, 2014: Morning has broken, like the first morning.

When I woke this morning the sun was just peaking over the horizon.  I slid into my shoes, grabbed my sweatshirt, and slipped out the door to see my first sunrise in 2 months … and the sound of blackbirds chattering in the Oleanders.  My thoughts went immediately to Cat Stevens singing “Morning has Broken”.   

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day

As much as we loved our time in the resort in Apache Junction, this is what we crave.  The dark, quiet nights.  Greeting the sun in the morning.  Watching the sun sink below the horizon in the evening.  Our new digs, Escapees (SKPs) RoVers Roost Park, is pretty basic – but getting to see God’s handiwork every morning and evening is anything but basic.  How blessed are we?

Check out youtube: 
"Morning has Broken" by Cat Stevens 

Acknowledgement: “Morning has Broken” written by Eleanor Farjeon

P-Squared: People Parents of Pooches.

February 14, 2014: P-Squared: People Parents of Pooches.

Even though our cat, Miss Kitty, never ventures outside the motorhome, we are relegated to the pet section within the RV park.  That’s fine with us as we’re animal lovers and feel that people with pets tend to be friendlier and generally more sociable than the general population. 

Tito: “I have the coolest biker dude dad in the whole RV park.  Check out my Harley hat and goggles.  I am one cool dog!" 

Miss Kitty’s view of the world.

The Moose sits along the route to the doggie park taken by most of the folks and their pooches several times each day.  Miss Kitty has a bird’s eye view from our front window and loves to watch the canines throughout the day.  They tug their parents with determination down the street to the pooch park, and a short time later prance back up the street toward home with a little spring in their step and a smile on their furry faces.

Miss Kitty's view through a very streaked windshield.

A little cat nap after some dog watching.

Who’s your daddy?

It’s so funny, we know the furry residents by name before we know the names of the humans that live with them. 

Whenever someone says, “Do you know “so-and-so” down the street?”

The first question is, “What’s his dog’s name?”  Followed by, “Oh sure, I know Holly’s dad (or Lily’s dad, or Jitterbug’s mom).” 

Here are a few pooches and their people parents.  Too cute!

This neighbor laid a tiny little square section of sod for his dogs.  All four of them, Sadie and Hailey with people parents, Ken and Vicki, stand on their tiny yard while the girls take care of business. 

Dale & Jeri with their fur child, Buddy.  They made a recent trip to Las Vegas where Buddy made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t like the dancing water fountain at the Bellagio.  

Buddy is my very favorite dog in the park.  I love him like a "dog son"!

Ziggy with his mom, Penni.

Dale with his kiddo, Chase.

Darrell and Pat with tiny little Josie.  She is rarely seen without her little orange ball in her mouth.  You’d think her jaws would get sore, but she absolutely loves her ball.

Here’s Oliver with his mom, Ginny. 

Rob with his little guy, Peanuts.

Sweet little Ginger with her human papa, Roger. 

Pedro is always swooning over Holly!

Pedro lives with Dan and Janet along with his big bulldog brother, Dutch.

Holly is the dog child of my sister, Sue, and her husband, Jim.  Their little dog, Lady Bird, isn’t inclined to having her picture taken – or much of anything else that doesn’t include her mom and dad.

Here’s a standard interaction between Pedro and Holly.

Pedro: “Good morning my lovely, Holly.  Let me climb up there and whisper sweet nothings in your perky little ear.”   

Pedro: “I love girls with long, slender legs.”  

Holly: “That’s nice, Pedro.  If only you were a little taller we could make beautiful music together.  But, I just don’t see this working out.  It isn’t you – it’s me.  Well actually, it is you.” 

Pedro: “DRAT!  Failed again.” 

And so it goes in the dog world. 

People love their dogs as much as dogs love their people.  Each giving and receiving to form that balance between dog and owner that seems to work for both.  We've met some very pampered pooches in the last 2 months; but my guess is they've earned it based on all the love and devotion poured out to their owners. 

A Wrinkle Ranch by any other name ...  

... is still a Wrinkle Ranch.  Tomorrow we leave Wrinkle Ranch #1 for our next destination - Wrinkle Ranch #2 located in Casa Grande.  I'll wrap up a few pictures of the Apache Junction area and then get started on our adventures as we move southward.  Skydiving in Eloy!  Rodeo bull riding in Tucson!  As observers on both counts, of course! 

Happy Valentine's Day -- be safe.