Friday, December 12, 2014

Our neighbors across the street, Lowell and Hania, full time in a new 5th wheel.  They are both very active hobbyists.  Lowell showed me an array of turnings he had created - pens, bottle stoppers, seam rippers - in a huge variety of beautiful and exotic woods.  What I found to be even more amazing was that he traveled with the entire wood turning operation.  Behind his rig was a complete outdoor workshop!  

Lowell donned his Woodcraft apron and walked me through the entire process.  I had heard of pen turning before, but I never thought about how it would all work.  There are a number of steps and each has specialized tools.

Within a few minutes, I was turning wood on the lathe!  There was just something very satisfying about watching those chips fly as a rough block of wood turned into a finished project.

Don't tell Joani she's getting a custom-made Zebrawood seam ripper!

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Our current home park (Mesa Spirit RV) offered a package deal that included a bus ride to a casino (including some gambling money and lunch) followed by shopping in Prescott, Az.  I signed us up.  We had only tried gambling once before and did not really enjoy it, but maybe house money would make a difference.  The bus was scheduled to leave promptly at 7:00 AM.  This crowd was ready to go and we were just about the last to board, so it was the back of the bus for us. 

Cliff Castle Casino was off of I-17 about 2/3 of the distance between Phoenix and Flagstaff (112 miles).  I was surprised to see how many people I recognized.  Some were close to our site in the park and some I had met in the woodworking shop or the laundry room.

Miracle on 34th Street played on the video system helping to pass the time.  Joani napped a little to make up for the early start.

The tour allotted four hours at the casino, which was more than enough time to gamble all of the house money.  We learned a little and even managed to pocket some winnings.  It was enjoyable, but I don't think either of us is even close to hooked.  The high point was a really nice buffet brunch where we ate far too much.  Pictures inside the casino are frowned upon, so I walked back to the entrance for a few mementos of our visit.

The bus stopped at Mortimer's Country Store where we were tempted with an array of jams and jellies, homemade candies and baked goods and ice cream.  This was when our overeating at the buffet paid off - we could barely think about eating anything else!

I really have no idea where we stopped next.  It was in a big hotel, high on a hill with a lobby full of gingerbread creations.  Most went far beyond the traditional gingerbread house with elaborate designs - one included an entire old west street scene. 

Next stop - the square in Prescott.  The county courthouse was surrounded by an expanse of green space.  We saw some kind of exercise class on the lawn that used Hula Hoops in slow motion - very strange looking.  A lot of people were walking their dogs.  Our driver said Prescott was extremely pet-friendly.  Every side of the rather large square was lined with shops and bars and restaurants (still could not think about eating).      

One shop stood out in my mind with some unique and beautiful pieces.  It was called "Van Gogh's Ear".  Of course, there were a lot of nice shops and we could have spent more time there if that bus wasn't in such a hurry (we only had 2 hours to explore the square). 

Joani had a difficult time believing how many beautiful scarves were in this one shop and every scarf was the same price, $12.  She spent a good while narrowing her choice down to a self-imposed limit of one.  I don't think I could have been quite as disciplined if I had found the equivalent choices in, say, a woodworking store.

A quick stop for coffee and some frozen yogurt in one of the small shops - a full meal was still out of the question.  Can you see the train circling on the track near the ceiling?

David was determined to find me caffeine to thwart a withdrawal headache.  It did the trick!

Every tree in the square was decorated with lights that lit up as the sun started to sink in the west.  By the time the bus left, it was dark and the lights gave the whole area a festive feel.

The square was loaded with dogs walking their people.

A bib for a drooling dog is brilliant.  I'm thankful Sam doesn't need one!

The bus driver circled the square one last time for a parting view of the lighting magic.

On the way out of town, the bus toured the Christmas lights on display in one of Prescott's parks.  We barely fit through some of the lighted tunnels.  Joani liked the effect she got as the close lights zipped by her window.

The bus headed for home as they showed "It's a Wonderful Life".  I heard a lot of people comment that they had never seen the movie. That explained why, when the bus returned before the movie ended, they continued to sit there even though it had been 13 and a half hours since we left that morning.  We had seen the movie enough times, so we headed home to see our doggie.  Don't worry about Sam though - our neighbor very graciously walked him and checked in on him several times.  He was happy to see us, but he was not in any distress.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

I thought I would post some of the random pictures from around Mesa Spirit RV park since we have yet to really explore the area.  Nearly every morning I have seen a beautiful sunrise.  I should try an HDR shot to capture the range of light.  The compromise below really does not do the sky justice.

There was an FMCA Chapter rally in the park.  One of Sam's walking routes took us through the center of their coaches.  I was curious about this guy's choice of toad.  Jeff said he actually only lived a short distance away and just drove the car over.  He had a collection of restored cars and some of the other rally members wanted to see them, so he brought over a different one each day. 

I think his '36 Plymouth was my favorite!

This sign in a coach window caught my attention.  As it turned out, the coach belonged to Sylvia, one of the folks at our Thanksgiving dinner table.

One day we made our way to IKEA for the second time.  The Swedish meatballs were calling to Joani - the Total Wine across the parking lot was enough to justify the trip for me.

The Ikea is only 18 miles from Mesa, in Tempe, AZ (another suburb of Phoenix).

Chuck's lowrider, below, was mostly a '51 Mercury.  The unique look was the result of a lowered suspension and roofline, the addition of '55 Chevy "eyebrows" and a grill from some other model car.  It kind of reminded me of a shark looking for prey.  Like a lot of the folks in the park who drive the more interesting or expensive cars, this one was towed inside an enclosed trailer.

I had to ask Chuck why the car had both side pipes and rear tailpipes.  He said only one set was used, but now I cannot remember which it was.  I will have to pay close attention to the sound the next time he cruises by me.

Happy Birthday, baby brother!  I love you, Ken!

Monday, November 22, 2014

It is difficult to believe we have already been in Mesa, AZ, for a couple of weeks.  Once in a while, I catch myself thinking about how little I have accomplished since we arrived, but then I remember retirement has no rules and sometimes it is good to relax with no particular plans or goals.

Joani discovered there was going to be a large art show/craft fair in Old Town Scottsdale, AZ.  They allowed (I think I can say they even encouraged) pets in the park which made Sam's day.

We didn't see any signs for the event and had to double check that we had the right day.  Old Town Scottsdale was such an interesting place, we found a parking spot and just walked around.  Eventually, we found the show in a really nice park/common area with a lot of wide meandering paved pathways.  The artist's booths probably covered several acres and everywhere there were pools and fountains and artwork and greenery.  It all made you forget you were in the desert.

You can probably imagine the sculpture below was popular for pictures.  I had to wait to get this clear shot, but maybe I should have had people in the picture for scale.  I would estimate this piece was 10 feet high.

There were many talented artists with a lot of beautiful and unique art, but in the end, all we took home was a few used hardback books Joani will use for some of her projects.  Old Town Scottsdale certainly had a lot of charm making it a very pleasant outing!

Monday, November 17, 2014

The area has yet to be explored as we take care of some of the more boring aspects of full-timing life.  Re-stocking the pantry and fridge were high on the priority list since we have so many shopping options here in Mesa.  I can assure you, it was not long before we made our way to IKEA for some Swedish meatballs.  Sharing the parking lot with IKEA was a Total Wine store where I found lots of good looking choices.  Obviously, we hit every WalMart in the area (I think there were four within a five-mile radius).

Our daughter, Kate, has taken up knitting.  Of course, when she dives into something she takes it to a new level creatively.  She knitted a snowman for us, and to keep it from getting too cold she also knitted a scarf, cap and mittens for him.  He stands about 8 inches tall and 8 inches from mitten to mitten and looks so "adorable" in the front window of the coach - thank you, Kate.

Cozy McMittens welcomes all that enter!

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

We signed up for the Veteran's Day dinner.  I think everyone was hungry as the crowd gathered around the clubhouse.

Before entering the dining hall we paid our respects during the flag lowering ceremony.  

We were definitely in the minority as non-veterans.  After a dinner of Bar-B-Que pork, cole slaw, baked beans, lemonade and cake, the park handed out service awards for each vet.  While there was only one retired Coast Guard vet it would be difficult to say which branch of service had the most vets - there were a lot of retired Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.  Of course, there were quite a few Canadian vets present as well including, Larry and Bev across from us and Jack next to us at our table.

Our evening's entertainment was provided by Curtis Knox, a veteran with quite a vocal range.  He wore a different hat for each song that was somewhat typical of the artist he was emulating.  They ran the gamut from a white cowboy hat (Charlie Pride) to a big black hat (Johnny Cash) to a sombrero.  He thrilled the crowd with a lot of old favorites and even had a number of folks up dancing.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

For the entire week that we were in Cortez, the overnight low temperatures were in the 20's.  That meant every night bringing the water hoses in and placing a 60 watt light in the water bay to make sure nothing would freeze.  Sure, I could get a heavy duty hose with an integral heater strip, but the real question is why stay someplace cold when our coach has wheels?  We had planned on heading west to Page, AZ, but with so many sights closing this late in the year and a less than promising weather forecast we changed our plans.  Our park in Mesa, AZ could accommodate us early and the campground in Page understood the situation and let us cancel our reservation.

Our route took us straight south into New Mexico, west to Flagstaff and finally south into Phoenix.  At 487.6 miles (71,285.5 total), I am pretty sure it was the longest single day drive in our full-timing experience, but the warm sunshine at our new site made it worthwhile.

Spirit Mesa RV Resort, located on Main Street, Mesa, AZ had quite a deal.  October 1st through January 1st for just $695 ($8 a day!!!).  We will only be staying the last 7 weeks of the period, but they still let us come in for the same $695.  Fellow residents assure us it's the best park in the area.  At 1800 sites, it is the largest park we have stayed in so far.  We should have plenty of time to explore the park's amenities (3 pools and 3 hot tubs) and surrounding area (20 minutes to Phoenix) before we leave.

That's a bold choice - located on Main St., Mesa.