January's Done

January 22 - 31, 2025

Tombstone, Arizona

Our summers on the road included smoke whenever we were in the west. It became it's own season and a consideration for routing. Prior to our fulltime travels, living in SoCal, fears from drought and fires were a part of our reality. 

Before we got on the road I wrote a post about that reality Holding My Breath As the Wind Blows. All these years later I'm holding my breath miles away.

About the same time the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County is seeing slow containment, a new fire breaks out in the Santa Clarita area. Where most of our kids and grand kids live. Normally it is Ezra and Elliott's family we are concerned about, living on the mountain, surrounded by forests and canyons. But M and M's family live on the "edge" of the suburbs near dry hills and canyons, and Oliver's family is only a few miles away. 

The Hughes Fire starts in the middle of these family locations and grows fast and far. More high winds means it can go in either direction, threaten any of them. 

We're in contact throughout the day and watching the fire maps. By afternoon M and M's house is in the pre-evacuation area, with the evacuation perimeter 10 houses away. Their cars are packed, plans are made. We wait.

Before the next morning dawns the evacuations are all lifted. A fire that doubled in size in a couple hours weirdly seems to lose momentum and crews are able to get it controlled. It's sitll windy so we're beyond grateful.

Being California, the following week there are flood warnings and several feet of snow in surrounding mountains. 

At Ezra and Elliott's house - yay moisture!

We're excited that another of our high school pals and his wife have moved to the area. Marc and Vicky rented a house in Sierra Vista to spend a year "trying on" a new place before buying. Smart! We have them and mutual friends Donne and Anna over for dinner one evening - great fun and of course we all insist we must do it more often!

Also of course, I fail to get any photos. But it really did happen :-))

A little yard maintenance, breakfast in Bisbee with Jeff, craft group, a Rebecca trip to Tucson, NFL playoff games (go Chiefs!), and January is done. No need to comment on how fast it flew by, it was that way for all of you too.

Tucked in "behind" Tucson's downtown is this wonderful maze of artisan shops and eateries.

One of those places you need to leave bread crumbs to find your way back to where you started - so many cute, artsy, shopping options.

The restroom signs are so fun.

One of over 100 murals in Tucson, I love this (hard to capture) historic depiction. 

On the walk to our favorite Cafe a la Carte a couple blocks away there's more wall art.

Not as friendly as others, I still like this furry guy in the nearby parking lot.

PJ's maiden voyage is coming up for Super Bowl weekend. A long drive to and from Kingman on both sides of the event, we'll have two nights of moochdocking to live in our new traveling home. With good friends, food and fun, it should be a great "first".

M and M having Disney fun.

Oh Henry I wish I had those glorious curls!

The youngest, Cassidy, is getting so big, and so cute!

Oliver shows great restraint waiting for the first bite.