Brights and Lights - Holidays in the Desert

November 29 - December 14, 2024

Tombstone, Arizona

Tis the season in Tombstone.

Apparently I've been channeling my inner-athlete and thus eating like I'm in training! The best part of holiday eats is always the left-overs and we had lots to enjoy from our Thanksgiving feast. I'll need to eat bird seed until Christmas!!

Speaking of Christmas - we're fa-la-la-la-laing from floor to ceiling. Tree and mantle done right after Thanksgiving, and now the presents are under the tree and the final touches have been completed. My favorite time of year, l love making a holiday home.

Family memories - Jeff's first Christmas 35 years ago.

This vintage book, A Bird's Christmas Carol, still holds the note from my mom.

The new Christmoose came home from The Gathering shopping day this year.

A little festivity in the bathrooms too.

With mornings in the low 40's our 76-80 degree days are a surprise. While it's the reason so many love winters here, I'm anxious for colder days that feel like the season. Of course when the grandsons are here I'll want it to be warmer so they can play outside! We need a few good rains as well with everything getting very dry. And let's order up some pretty snow while we're weather-wishing!

The 49ers weren't excited at the 20 degree snowy conditions for their game in Buffalo! We had all the windows open at 8 PM here :-)

Frustration with Camping World (with whom we've historically had great service) as we waited to have the mattress delivered. With the family coming for ten days I make several calls to "encourage" the service department to get it to us quickly. When it arrives I take a deep breath and finish setting up the RV for her first visitors - and make another call to thank them :-)

Leading up to our fulltime travel launch I had numerous yard sales in the process of purging our very many belongings. Of course I then pledged to never "gather more than the basics" which I was easily able to do living in the RV. After five years with a house I've managed to repeat the gathering trend. I'm sure this surprises no one!  

Even though I regularly take things to the local church's thrift store I've now collected enough for a yard sale. Cleaning out the larger rig contributed quite a bit - we have almost zero underneath storage on the smaller one. Plus no longer being fulltime makes a big difference on what we need in the RV.

Eye-catching signs to get people to the yard.

PJ hosted and I got rid of most everything. Fun to chat with the neighbors.

Tubac, AZ, is a must-do for Rebecca and I every season. Another perfect-weather day, we did lots of shopping but unbelievably no buying this year! A holiday meal at the beautiful Elvira's is not to be missed, and it was another memorable experience. 

The variety of art pieces is so fun.

Lots of colorful yard art available, and then this little live tree steps up with these gorgeous hues.

The sun is bright enough to appreciate sun sails over a courtyard.

Outdoor blends with indoor offerings.

Having a house gives me more wall space, but not enough for all the pieces I'd love to have!

Indeed.

A feast for the eyes throughout all of Elvira's.

Bright baubles create a fairyland.

A local Christmas tradition that I can never remember the name of, I again enjoy this special stuffed poblano chili (meat, fruit, nuts) with crema and pomegranate seeds. 

I usually find a reason to avoid crowded local events, but this year friends (Rebecca and the craft group) want to attend the Tombstone Christmas Light Parade. Nine of us plan, and three actually make it - and I'm so glad I'm one of them! I join Vicki and hubby Ron for pre-parade drinks and dinner. Then we set up our chairs and blankets on the nearly empty street and wait for the crowd to come to us. Definitely the best way to do it! Tessa adopts two little girls next to us, and I have to convince all three of them that she's still my dog at the end of the evening! 

The first few entries seem to have missed the memo that they would be parading in the dark so they're difficult to see, but soon we're enjoying a surprising variety of light floats and groups and vehicles and horses. The big moon adds great atmosphere and everyone has lots of fun. Even with a very large crowd, it's an easy exit to get home. So glad I dodged all those usual reasons not to go.

We start with wedding pics. I cringe as she drags all those lovely white ruffles through the dirt!

As the sun sets and the moon rises, we people-watch as the crowd arrives.

Lots of ATVs with lots of fun riders - this one changes colors - very fun.

The photo doesn't capture how clever this trailer "sleigh" is. 

A few of the local RV parks really show up big - at the back of this one are campers around a real camp fire.

The dog leading the horses gets the biggest cheers of the night :-)

Best lights and a sweet Christmas fox on top.

The grand finale is this huge rig pulling a very long and colorful trailer. 

Corey (Bill's second, our number three) took wife Christie to see Taylor Swift in Vancouver, BC - she was soooo excited!

Penelope on a coffee date with Mom.

Ezra looking so much like his dad.

This is an older one, but this pic of Oliver and his dad cracks me up!

"PJ" is Here - Loving the Simple

 November 17 - 28, 2024

Tombstone, Arizona

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Big things, little things. Daily events, special times. Old friends, new friends. Expectations and great surprises. There is always, always, always something to be grateful for. Sometimes you might have to dig a little deeper, but it's worth it isn't it? Counting one's blessings is the best kind of math (really the only kind I'm any good at)! I love this time of year, and a holiday that is neither political nor religious - just a moment to reflect and appreciate. 

A few of my gal pals came to see our little house on the hill (always fun to share), and then we moseyed off to enjoy lunch in Tombstone. 

Vicki, Rebecca, Kris, me and Tessa checking out a local doggie.

The last week of 2014 we bought our first ever motorhome to start a traveling life. The Thor Tuscany was a beautiful rig that was perfect for us, and took us to many, many fabulous places, and to see lots of wonderful people over several years. The last couple years there were more and more trips that included issues causing a lot of stress and putting a damper on our travels. Combined with Bill's health issues, it was time to make a change. While the Thor had every bell and whistle possible in a 35' coach, I was very ready for simple and basic. As the always-driver I loved driving the Thor, enjoyed "getting it in and through" everywhere we wanted to go. Now I'm looking forward to even more options with ten less feet to maneuver :-)

Entegra Odyssey SE 22C is her official title, but we're calling her "PJ" for Plain Jane. Swore I'd never own a white RV, and of course that's what we have now! Never say never.......

25' of fun-to-come

I cannot remember the last time I used a key to open a vehicle door, had a gear shift on the column, didn't have a dozen buttons on the steering wheel, or had a sun visor without a mirror! Simple is very freeing. Like the Jeep, the seats move manually - so much faster :-)

Comfy and easy.

After the slides-from-hell experiences we've been through, I love having one little one for the queen bed. Even though it has the dreaded Schwintek mechanics, it's so small it can be pushed in and out by hand if needed - hopefully that won't be necessary, but it's nice to know.

That's it! Just that one little slide :-))

Basic, plain and simple - love it!

I'm having fun making it feel like home, adding personal touches and some color. We're waiting for the new mattress to be delivered - arrangements made at the time of purchase. Everything else is like new. Less than 5k miles, stove and generator never used, loft bed never slept on, she's pristine inside and out.

I'll post more interior when I've finished, but for now this is PJ, representing a big change I'm looking forward to.

The branches of the San Pedro River lined with yellow Cottonwoods.

The herd stops by on Thanksgiving morning.

Love this pic of little Oliver in the trees.

Envious that Big M took Mom to see Wicked - they loved it!

Reese and Penelope loving the newest pic of their sibling coming in April.

Wishing you all big buckets of things to be grateful for today and always.

 

Busy Times and Exciting News Pending!

November 1 - 16, 2015

Tombstone, Arizona

Arrrrgghh!! More than half-way through building the post, including photos, and poof! whatever key I hit in error erases the whole thing. Numerous attempts to restore it without luck :-(((

Too frustrating to try and remember whatever pearls I was sharing, so deep breath and start from scratch!

November is why so many spend early Fall and Winter in Arizona. Moderate daily temps with cold nights, bright blue skies with accent clouds, and light (sometimes strong) fresh, deep breath breezes. And the yearly surprise of some very pretty fall colors from our pockets of large trees.

Colorful Cottonwoods mark the route of the San Pedro River across the whole valley.

Changing light give us muted hues,

with vivid colors in the bright sun.

Patagonia is mostly known for it's lake - lots of Bass tournaments - but there is also a cute little village. A handful of good eateries, a couple unique shops, and a wonderful Audubon hummingbird center. Rebecca and I deliver some of her felted pieces to the trading post and enjoy a delicious brunch at Gathering Grounds next door. Highly recommended if you're in the area.

We head north to the historic Harshaw Cemetery. The Hermosa Project Mine is just south of the site, so the dirt road is well maintained. Surprisingly we cross four strong flowing (but very shallow) creeks. Been a long while since the Jeep got muddy! Most of those interred at the cemetery are the Soto family and their descendants, with a few other Hispanic Catholic families from the 1880's to the 2000's. No additional burials are allowed now. Set on a hillside, many are above ground concrete graves with several older ones covered by piles of rock. The exception is the single grave along the river outside the fence marked with a white cross. I can't find any information, but Rebecca was told by a local that a Jewish man named Jim is buried there. Large old-growth trees surround the area. A handful of RVs are camped along the road - it's Whitetail Deer hunting season here.

Beautiful gnarly oaks.

Free-range or escapees, we stop to say hello to these two beauties who are clearly uninterested in socializing.

I love finding thick forest throughout our desert area.

Some graves include stories of the deceased and their family.

Large concrete multi-graves with rock-pile sites behind.

Maybe Jim.

With the river and forest, rock formations add to the beauty of the drive.

Along with the other changes that come with Bill's move back to the clinic for dialysis is no longer needing the port for treatment. So out-surgery in Tucson is on the agenda. While he's having that little adventure I check out South Tucson's murals. Tucson has over 100 which I hope to find during upcoming visits. 

This building really commits!

One of my favorite musicians, Linda Ronstadt was born in Tucson in 1946. Both the music hall and the transit center are named for her.

Hard to capture at ground level, this large piece is stunning.

After the mural tour and a quick breakfast, I head to check out small RVs. With several of the many dealerships in Tucson within a couple miles of each other, it doesn't take long to check out a dozen units. At the size and price-point I'm shopping for there is a limit on floorplans, so most look nearly identical :-) 

And I find one!! With a small deposit to hold it I go pick up Bill. He feels up to going to check it out, and after another quick tour we agree it will work for us.

A couple days later I'm satisfied with the deal they can make trading in the Thor and purchasing the Entegra (small hint), and we arrange to pick it up next week.

So fingers crossed it all works out and we get that off the to-do list! Photos next time.

Lots of fun with the craft group, and on Saturday Rebecca and I add Vicki to our annual pilgrimage to Gather Vintage Market in Tucson. All year it's open one weekend a month, but expand to two for November and December. Their holiday wonderland is a magical shopping experience. Even with the bigger crowd we have a wonderful time exploring and buying. Seeing it through Vicki's first-time-there eyes is even better!!

Part of what makes it so extraordinary is that the vendors work together to meld their items into multiple vignettes. So beautiful.

Shopping from the various trees is great fun!

This tree would be great in a Tombstone storefront.

Unique vintage and new ornaments.

Several woodland scenes highlight flora and fauna.

Lunch at Cafe ala Carte at the Tucson Art Museum is also much busier that usual, but after only a short wait our salads are exceptional. They both agree the Sangria is the perfect addition :-)) Vicki is from the midwest in an area with no Trader Joe's (why would anyone live in such a place???), so our fun day wraps up with a visit to one of the four we have in Tucson. She's a convert!

Likely the Thor's final sunset with us. Bittersweet.

Cassidy ready to surprise brother Henry that he has a new toy!

Penelope and Reese lovin' on Mom and baby bump.

Little M gets a ride from Dad at a local festival.

Big M sporting new braces and a festival-made snowball.