Holding pattern

It feels like we are on the runway waiting for our plane to take off but they won't give us the go ahead. Over the next week, we should know if we are a go or not. Mike is so much better after his accident and just waiting to get the MD all clear so we can be "on the road again".

McDowell Sonoran Preserve

We have nothing to complain about. The weather has been great and people very nice. We have even gotten back out on the mountain bikes, worked on our carnitas recipe and made reservations for this spring. But when the itch hits, it can drive a person crazy.

Trail to Wind Cave

Wind Cave with many bee hives inside the cracks of the cave

Yep, we started clear down there

The desert is greener than we have ever seen it due to the large amount of rain this year. We hear the rattlesnakes are waking up but haven't seen any as we hike or cycle.

We enjoy Gilbert

Great BBQ with a walkup counter

On a rainy weekend, we stopped at the Mesa Market



Don't have to do that too many times

Mesa, Arizona - Grave of Ernesto Miranda

Ernesto A. Miranda was a career criminal. In 1963 he was arrested and convicted for armed robbery and the kidnap/rape of an 18-year-old girl without being advised of his right to remain silent and to have an attorney present during questioning. His attorneys appealed his conviction, which led to the 1966 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that all suspects at the time of their arrests must be read their "Miranda" rights. His conviction was overturned, he was released, and promptly rearrested and "Mirandized." He served 11 years before being paroled. On January 31, 1976, he was stabbed to death in a bar fight

This was taken from Roadside America. A great place to find unusual sites to see when we get there.


A hike in Usery is good for my soul

After a week of classes and working on computer competencies, I was ready for a much needed hike. Usery County Park is nearby. The temps are much better so a noon start was fine for a hike. Also, there weren't many people out there.

 

I like my job but the sitting through orientation is wearing and I don't behave as well as I  probably should. I find myself pacing and trying to listen. I closed my eyes for a bit to listen to a program on the computer today. When I opened them, the test was blinking. I guess I missed the lesson. Good thing there is a back arrow. 

There was such a nice breeze while we were walking and the clouds would drift over and cool us. My soul felt so much better.

The jumping chollas had a funky fruit hanging from them.

We had the worse hard mattress. Mike had tried a comfort foam and it was too soft. So we ordered one and it just right. It came rolled up in a box and once it rolled out and expanded it was just the right size.

One day last week, we took a bike ride from Fountain Hills to Rio Verde. The road has rolling hills which were good for a our legs after some time off the bikes.

After the ride, we stopped at the Euro Café and had a "mean" calzone and salad with a beer and watched the fountain go off a few times. It is set to erupt every hour for 15 minutes.

Lots of nice sculptures in Fountain Hills. We don't usually stop as we drive to McDowell Regional Park. Glad we did this time.

Looks like someone broke into this tortoise's house and ate him. 

Mesa, AZ What were we thinking?

The temp was 104 degrees when we got here and went up to 107 over the next few days. This is not the norm in October but what is normal anymore? We had gone a lot of miles and needed a good rest. After getting into our spot, Mike plugged us in to get the AC going and nothing happened. The fix it men were here in no time and fixed up our 30 amp. The AC was up and running and running...  It was good to catch up with some friends that we hadn't seen in quite a while and get settled in. We have never stayed  in a 55+ community but decided to give it a shot . The last time I worked at the hospital here, we stayed in a beautiful apartment complex provided by the hospital. But we didn't have much of a chance to get to know people. It looks like there is going to be quite a bit to do here. We have already met several nice couples.

Becoming full time RVers has been a learning experience for us. Sometimes, it can be overwhelming because it such a change. We are figuring it out as we go even though I was traveling nurse for many years. This is different and we like it.

The music in the courtyard is a hoot.

We have been getting up early to ride our bikes and playing pickleball in the evenings.

As much as we enjoy the Superstition Mountains, I guess we will wait until it gets cooler to go for a hike.

 

Flagstaff, AZ the locals call it "Flag"

During an evening walk in Hinkley, MN, we ended up outside an Uncle Kracker concert, pulled up a bench and watched the performance on the big screen. In Duluth, we found a country music festival in the park on the harbor. We never know what we will find in our wanderings. Today, I gave Mike wrong directions for lunch and we ended up in the historical part of town and found a Hopi celebration.

 

Now that fall is in the air, I like to take a cemetery crawl or hear stories of haunted places where ever we might be. The Monte Vista  has many stories of "eternal patrons". One  story is of a ghost in the next stall of the restroom, closing the door and disappearing. They say "that happens once a week".

 

It was quite a treat to watch the artists at work.

Court house from the 1800s

 

Trailhead to the Lava River Cave

This is where we are going?

Signing in so they know we are in there when they find the truck.

Once we got to the point that we couldn't see the light anymore, we turned off our flashlights and couldn't see a thing. I was glad we had a couple of backup flashlights in case the batteries ran out. The light at the end of the tunnel.

On my way out. We had to move about with a crab crawl. We were the only people over 30 hiking in there and it was tough.

We wanted to check out the ski slopes of Snowbowl and they did not allow hiking. So we took the ski lift up. It was the slowest lift I have ever been on.

We were told that the Grand Canyon would be seen in the distance. There it is behind the hill that is a volcano.

Elden Pueblo at the base of Mt Elden from 1075-1200 AD. the archeologists were working on the site when we were there.

An alpenhorn concert in the RV park one evening.

A good end to our time in Flag.