This and That in Arizona

January 10 - 23, 2020
Tombstone, Arizona

It's so nice to have a free overnight stop-over that includes good friends. A relaxing dinner at our home-on-wheels with Kevin and Bridgette makes for the perfect "break" in our return drive. We're up and gone at sunrise Friday morning. It's a pretty time of day we rarely see.

Sweet view from our mooch-dock spot at Lake Tamarisk, California.

For me one of the main things that defines the freedom of fulltime RVing, is never having to "go back" to a home base. Always moving forward from one destination to the next is such a great feeling. As much as I love our new Arizona winter home, I realize we've lost that piece of the life style. I can tell I'm going to get tired of Interstate 10!

That revelation aside, it's sweet pulling into our driveway. Everything is just as we left it (would have been nice if the new year fairies had taken down all the Christmas stuff), and this time it does feel like home. 

A couple days later our crew returns to start Phase II of the remodel. Our goal is to be done before Super Bowl. Then the kitchen will be complete and we'll be through until we return from the road at the end of the year. Then we'll tackle the bathrooms!

This phase includes a new custom cupboard and the new counter tops due on the 29th. 

Ever since we retired, our lives have slowed down in a very good way. Being back in a sticks-and-bricks for a few months we've slowed down even more. Every day we're doing something on the property, and almost every day I find myself on a "necessary" drive into Sierra Vista. Tessa knows exactly where the treats are kept at our Home Depot :-) Still, we spend a lot of time just enjoying our amazing views and the perfect quiet of our little place on the hill.

We're often treated to subtle sunsets.

On a rainy Thursday I run errands in Tucson, including picking out the granite slab for our counters. Even better I also have a 90 minute hot stone massage AND lunch with good friends John and Pam (ohtheplacestheygo) It's been way too long since we've seen each other, and it's wonderful to get caught up. Since they're now part-timers as well, I'm happy to hear their experiences. No photo of course.

The drive home is so pretty with the sun setting, making the desert glow. I love this time of day!

Golden glow in the gloaming.

Friends Kevin and Bridgette come for a few days, staying with Donnie and Anna. We all get together for football playoffs - yay Chiefs and 49ers!, dinners, and most exciting to look at property in the area :-) How fun to have more life-long friends as neighbors! We'll know next month if they're able to make it happen. Certainly never imagined 45 years ago that we'd be living in the same place as these high school pals!

Winston guards Bridgette from all the crazies in the house.

Long overdue, we make the hour drive to see our friends Mike and Janna (restorationcowboy) who continue to make magic happen at their Pearce, Arizona property. We last saw them on a rainy winter afternoon two years ago with John and Pam. It's a nearly identical repeat as it's another cold and rainy day, and John and Pam arrive at the same time we do!

I still find it odd to have fog in the desert!

The time goes by too quickly in the company of great people who have so much in common. Conversations about beautiful places we've all been have Bill and I both wanting to get back on the road!! Tessa is delighted to see Gramma Pamma again, and Emmi is good about sharing both her space and the attention. 

These two have done so much work creating their beautiful desert adobe home. When we're expecting company I might prepare some snacks and fluff the pillows, Mike and Janna build a half-bath! 

John, Pam, Janna, Mike, Emmi and Bill

Nearly impossible to remember how it looked when they bought it. It's fun following their progress on her blog!

The pups are very happy the treat lady has come to visit!

The clouds give us an especially beautiful drive home.

Life is not only slow, it's also rich and full. We love our desert surroundings, our dear friends, and the fun of making our home together at our own pace. 

Meanwhile back in SoCal, our number five grand, Henry Miles, is just perfect.

Subtle warning above the door at our local cafe......