October Wrap Up

 October 21 - 31, 2024

Tombstone, Arizona

Most of us who blog agree that one of the things that make it worthwhile is having the history to go back and see what we were up to this time of year over several years. October is consistently a beautiful time to be just about anywhere in the country! New England and Utah were probably the prettiest, but nowhere wasn't great.

As the month comes to an end we're enjoying more traditional October temps, including an increase in the dreaded wind. Alas, we're never happy are we :-)) Mornings on the porch are chilly enough for a heavy robe, and our Quail are starting to puff up against the cold. 

Most mornings our yard looks (and sounds) like a barnyard!

Our does are so delicate, I love their gentle beauty.

The twins are getting big.

But still depend on Mom for a snack.

A rare juvenile buck. He isn't aggressive with the twins, but Mom ran him off every chance she got.

Northern Cardinals usually make a stop, but always one at a time.

Not as vivid, the Desert Cardinals change color in the varying light.

The dozens of birds scatter and fly away quickly and it is completely quiet. The sound of large wings signal the arrival of this rare (to our yard) hawk. It's over five minutes after their departure before the flocks return.

After his rough couple of weeks, we don't take for granted Bill's feeling good! Returning to clinic treatments has been without issue and all his numbers are consistently where they need to be. Yaaaay!

Rebecca and I have begun our season of day trips, starting this year with the markets at Mercada St Augustin in Tucson. Sadly the day we go it's over 90 in the city so our strolling among the little shops is limited to the more shaded areas. Still, it's a wonderful day of getting out and about, and enjoying yummy eats at Rollies. Chatting and people (and pigeon) - watching in the courtyard is lovely. We wrap up the day at our favorite Grandma's Spinning Wheel for more felting wool. 

We both really like these white painted windows.

Dia de lost Muertos altars line the side street.

Honoring our loved ones who have past, the altars are touching as well as vibrant.

We're getting serious about trading in the big rig for a smaller one. Hoping to get that done quickly and have it ready for Ezra and Elliott to bring their folks for Christmas. I'm looking forward to having them all here for more family fun. 

We never get trick-or-treaters out here in the country, and I admit I miss it. Our little town does provide several activities so our local kiddos aren't missing out. The grands all celebrated and had a fun holiday. We love seeing the pics every year :-)

M and M with their folks.

Henry and Cassidy with their parents who have always had loads of fun with costumes.

Penelope and Reese hamming it up.

Next year they'll be a family of five!

These two came home with 2# each of candy - Ezra and Elliott love Halloween!

Spooooky Elliott

Ezra has been a Nightmare Before Christmas fan for five years!

When Dad dresses up as garbage so you can be a garbage truck - good job Oliver :-)))

Glad That's Over!!

October 1 - 20, 2024

Tombstone, Arizona

The month starts out on a high note meeting up with great friends! Joe and Gay are in Bisbee for the first week of the month - surprisingly a place they had yet to visit. One of the few good Mexican restaurants in our area had sadly closed its doors, but quickly re-opened with a new name and new menu. Now Los Hermanos, we all enjoy our yummy lunch on their nice covered patio. Although we arrive early (per their website hours), they accommodate us with soft drinks, and we jump right in to a few hours of catching up.

Joe, Gay and Bill

Gay captures this precious pic of our sweet Tessa.

The girls with the curls.

A week later Hurricane Milton tears into Florida just two weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated North Carolina. I feel somewhat contrite complaining about warm temps when so many have lost so much from "bad weather". Seeing the devastation in North Carolina and Florida, having friends in both, recognizing how long it will be before any sense of normal returns for millions......Ima just gonna shut up about our desert. 

And then our world turns upside down with Bill getting very, very ill. Initially complications from his kidney failure and dialysis not meeting adequacy, his days of sick stomach turn toxic with two separate hospital stays. The second two-night stay starts with 28 hours in the ER due to over capacity at our hospital in Sierra Vista :-(( He finally gets relief following a visit to his doctor, and after nearly two weeks he can keep down liquids and then solids. It was brutal and I'm so grateful he's feeling himself again. 

This setback also means no more in-home treatment - back to clinic dialysis three days a week. Although we thought the in-home treatments would give us more freedom, the opposite is actually true. We move forward again.

As is often the case with rough times, it's hard to look back and see anything else happening in your life! And really there hasn't been much. 

More front porch time with nature, and the return of our weekly craft group. Yay!! So fun to get caught up with this fun group of women. Half traveled while the rest of us stayed put for the summer, so an entertaining plethora of stories to share. Rebecca and I are planning more day trips which I am very much looking forward to!

Without hesitation with pretty doe jumps the fence and keeps an eye on me.

She slowly walks across the yard, about 6 feet from me sitting on the porch. Tessa is asleep :-)

After sniffing and staring, her goal is soon clear. Not a bird in sight!

She makes several stands to enjoy her snack, then it's back over the fence to her twin fawns waiting in the brush. Bye!

Hard to see the squadron of Javelina - three babies (called 'reds') and two adults. Our first sighting this year.

At crafts group I finish the felted fall leaf hanging. Time to start on Christmas pieces!

A few days of chilly weather is very welcome!

In local news, Duke has been restored in front of Doc's Saloon :-))

I corrected the typo from the last post - the new grand coming in April is our 10th!

I'm delighted to see Miss Penelope in the birthday shirt we sent that is soooo her! Mom and Reese hanging out in the back.

M and M having Halloween photo fun.

Ezra's classroom is Hogwarts for October.

October is always the fastest month of the year for me - starts out in summer and ends up in the holidays! This year I'm happy to have most of it behind us. 

September Happens

 August 25 - September 30, 2024

Tombstone, Arizona

Time slows, life settles. Staying home, no travels planned for now. Although we're still plenty warm enough, it's already feeling like Fall is on its way. My (as it is for so many others) favorite time of year no matter where I am or what I'm doing. From subtle nature-color changes to pumpkin spice everything to grands starting and returning to school to football - I love it all. I'm okay with Halloween and Christmas sharing store-space, it's the norm now so let's just embrace it :-) I can't complain about having so much to celebrate this time of year!

It's official so I can share that we're welcoming our 10th grand this upcoming Spring - wooooowwww!!

Quail, 3 species of Dove, House Finch, Thrashers, and Black-Throated Sparrows continue to arrive in large numbers every day. We still see a few Northern and Desert Cardinals, but the Cow Birds and Grosbeaks and Gold Finches have moved on. Still lots of song, but much less color. Our pretty lizard no longer suns himself on the gold rock, but both Cotton Tails and Jack Rabbits still visit occasionally. Probably the biggest change is the deer. We saw none when the monsoons were at their peak, likely no longer needing our water trough. The last week brings a beautiful doe, and the smallest spotted fawn I've seen, to the water. They're already wearing their winter brown, no longer the slick gray of summer. 

Some mornings are like a farm yard!

Without the sun through those big ears I'd never have seen this visiting Jack.

Difficult to see with the phone, but in person I enjoy their visit.

So little!

I meant to include this very wet monsoon afternoon in the last post - it was awesome!

Seems like our cooling trend stalled and turned around, bringing back higher temps and keeping me inside. We're still cooler here than where most of our kids are in SoCal, where they're averaging ten degrees hotter :-(( I think everyone is more than ready for sweatshirts and socks!

I'm just blathering to fill a post at this point so I'll give us all a break and call this one done. October brings both visiting and returning friends - tis the season :-))

Ezra is excited to be playing soccer this year!

Penelope and Reese are excited about getting a new sibling!

Pluto's excited to meet Oliver!

A Beautiful Southwest Road Trip

 August 2 - 24, 2024

Seattle, Washington - Tombstone, Arizona (with three states in between)

August begins as July ended - with Tessa and I traveling with family. Jeff's roommate has "made other life plans" leaving him in a city that has become unaffordable for most single incomes. Time to come home and regroup! 

This adventure begins at the Tucson airport where Tessa is treated like royalty. The smaller Alaska Airlines plane gives her much less room than her previous experience on Southwest, but she manages to sleep most of the three hour flight. One walk to stretch in the aisle about half an hour from landing is all she needs to stay comfortable. 

All tucked in.

Sea-Tac airport is under construction so Jeff makes the smart adjustment to have me meet him at the first metro stop from the airport. For a bit I'm in a Stephen King movie where I never find my way outside....but once over the sky bridge, signs finally direct me to the station I need. The train stops and there he is!! It's only been 8 months but I've sure missed this guy :-)

After a tasty lunch in the cute downtown of Renton, we spend the afternoon doing some last minute clean up and packing of his apartment. We spend the night at a nearby hotel, enjoy breakfast in the morning, and after waiting for a final piece of furniture to be picked up, we head toward Oregon. He's shipped boxes earlier in the week and we're able to easily get everything else in his little Hyundai. Tessa has more space this trip :-) 

Leaving the big city behind I'm grateful we're heading east on 90, and not going into the city - the traffic goes on for over 50 miles! 

I take a pic every 10 miles.

This is the 5th pic!

We have a route planned with tentative stops that change a few times as we travel. Much cooler than my last road trip, and beautiful clear skies with wide open views the whole way. I absolutely love this part of the country.

Once over the Snouqualmie Pass, the green of the PNW becomes this incredible golden landscape which I love. 

Modern "pictographs" decorate this abandoned cabin with 100 mile views.

We spend our first night in the wide spot in the road known as Goldendale, WA where peeks of Mt Hood are "what there is to see here".

A beautiful part of Oregon, into the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

We see less than a dozen other vehicles all morning.

I love these tiny burgs along the way that know where they are in the world!

Cathedral Rock shows off the beauty of this NM.

Our next stop is Boise, ID. Last time was in the motorhome when the large slide was stuck in the out position and I thought we might be living here permanently! One night in a nice hotel, a delicious meal with a good wine, and I like Boise better :-) 

Our good weather continues through the diverse drive to Provo, UT.

That diversity includes a lot of this eye-stretching terrain. 

We arrive early in Provo as planned so we can go see the new Deadpool movie in the theater. It's a good call as we enjoy it a lot - laughed through the whole thing. Leaving the building it looks like we're in the theater showing Twisters! High wind and very dark skies. A quick food pick up and we're tucked in our room for a quiet night in the city. 

There were big mountains when we got here!

Another cute little town, we stop for fuel in Helper, Ut, just north of Moab.

The skies in Moab really pop against the beautiful red rock.

Like the Painted Desert in Arizona, not all the color is red.

Great green chili, we enjoy lunch at this local icon.

I think Hwy 191 is one of the prettiest in the country, and with few other vehicles on the road it's a great drive.

I wish I'd taken some pics at the Atomic Blue Motor Inn where we stayed in Monticello, but their website pic captures the cute, mid-century vibe. Great little motel!

Mexican Hat

Valley of the Gods

Twin Rocks in Bluff, UT.

I admittedly have several favorite places we've visited across the country, but Monument Valley is way up high on that list. No matter how many times I come here, that first view of the well-known monuments still moves me. We've caught up with the heat, and while we take our time driving through the incredible beauty, we don't stop until lunch at Amigo in Kayenta (another must-do in the area).

Bear (with honey pot) and Rabbit - wonderful!

Their blue corn fry bread is the best!

Our final stop is the one we've both most looked forward to. Jeff has never been to the Grand Canyon so we're staying at the Cameron Trading Post to remedy that. I've always stayed at the RV park here, and the hotel is a lovely surprise. All the places we've stayed have been nice, but this room is gorgeous. It's a destination of its own!

Cameron Trading Post has a long history, built in 1916.

There are a lot of cool pieces in the room, including this great ceiling lamp.

The Little Colorado River runs behind the hotel.

Hwy 64 is a lovely 30 minute drive along the Little Colorado River Canyon. 

I think this is the best way to see the Grand Canyon, with a lot less people!

In addition to the canyon, the east entrance has Desert Tower!

And there it is! Jeff is duly impressed :-)

We make a couple stops at the roadside tables then we're back on the road south. It's uneventful until the chaos of road construction and lots of people that is Phoenix. Which is also hot on this August afternoon. We're all three ready to get out of the car and stretch out. Dinner delivered and an early night at our last stop in Tempe. 

I love spending time with Jeff, and this was a great trip for getting caught up. Back at the house before noon, we unload the car and call it done! 

Our summer has been very monsoon-light until they finally show up at the end of the month. Every afternoon we get lots of water, thunder and even occasional hail!

Cassidy turns one - girl's got range!

Another grand starts school - yay Penelope!

The city honors Oliver for reading 1000 books before pre-school!!

Big M celebrates another August birthday - we have six in the family!

Not quite caught up, but life has slowed back down again. I'm looking forward to Fall!