Apache Junction, AZ – Wrapping Up 2010

On this final day of 2010, we want extend our best wishes for a happy, healthy and safe New Year.  Can you believe it’s 2011 already?  That doesn’t even sound like a year, it sounds like an IRS form.

The flocks of snowbirds have flown in to Arizona and settled down around various swimming pools and watering holes to wait out the ugly weather in other areas of the country.  Initially we were treated to really nice weather – warm, sunny and not too windy – but that has all changed with a cold front which moved in, leaving us with temps only a whisker above freezing and little flakes of white floating here and there.  What a rude shock!  We hope that those snowbirds who’ve yet to depart the tundras remember to pack their longjohns before heading here.

One of our first social outings upon arrival was dinner at our friends, David and Shirley.  They spend their winters in the Phoenix area and summers in Upstate New York, which is where we met them at the time  country/western dancing first became popular.  They were our original instructors and we’ve been friends ever since. Nearly everybody at their RV park goes whole-hog on Christmas decorations  and it is quite the sight to see when all the lights are on.  Here’s just a little glimpse of the light show, photo courtesy of David. 

 

Another outing led us to The University of Phoenix Stadium, home to the NFL Arizona Cardinals.  We were there for an RV show but found the stadium far more interesting than the RVs.   The playing field was lined with RVs of all types, parked on the concrete floor.  If that stuck us as odd, it didn’t really register.  It was eventually pointed out to us that the “field” itself was outside in the sunlight, being watered and  groomed like any other large lawn.  For games, the entire field is moved indoors on tracks via a bank of garage-type doors so that the Cards can play on real grass.  It hasn’t helped this year.  These two  photos will give you a general idea of how this transition comes about.

 

 

The RV park where we’re staying hosted a wonderful Christmas dinner with the owners providing the turkey, ham and mashed potatoes and the guests bringing dishes to pass.  There was a wonderful array of veggies, salads and desserts.  It makes a person wonder what prevents 100 people from showing up each toting an apple pie – the variety is as unique as the folks who prepared the dishes.

We always arrive at our winter quarters with a long list of chores to attend to during our down time.  So far we haven’t made a lot of progress but at least we now have some built-in New Year’s Resolutions, several of which were left over from last year.

And so that wraps up another year.  May 2011 bring you all things bright and beautiful.

Christmas Greetings

Apache Junction, Arizona – Part I

We settled into our winter hibernation headquarters on the first of December and expect to remain here at least until the first of March.  This is the time when we see doctors and dentists and attend to other chores that can’t be handled when rolling down the highways and byways.  We also enjoy the opportunity to rendezvous with chums who either live in the area all the time or who also hibernate here in the winter. 

Our site here at Superstition Lookout isn’t easy to get into but once we’re in there’s  plenty of elbow room.  Our road buddies, Russ and Rochelle, were already settled in at the same park and invited us for dinner our first night in town.  It has become somewhat of a tradition when we get together that Rochelle bakes a pie with rhubarb Russ has grown in their garden and this was no exception.  Yummy…and with French vanilla ice cream thrown in for good measure.  The next night we hightailed it out to Gold Canyon for a happy hour and potluck with the Anazazi Chapter of FMCA.  Two other couples from the Fulltimers chapter were there, which is how we came to be invited.  The Anazazis are an active fun group but unfortunately our life-style precludes  joining it. 

The great thing about this area of Arizona is the wonderful shopping opportunities.  Competition among several large grocery chains keep prices low (if you watch the sales) and there are several options for inexpensive fresh produce.  We always like to visit the Superstition Ranch Market for the bargains du jour – such as fresh pineapple at 88 cents each and colored bell peppers for less than you’d pay for green elsewhere.  And it is always fun to troll through the Mesa Swap Meet in search of some interesting little item.  That’s where you’re likely to run into all the folks you met last year.

I immediately threw myself into the water aerobics routine, starting with the 8:00 a.m. session.  Just recently I’ve added a second session at 9:00 although I’ve yet to do both in the same day.  There’s also a walking and stretching session three days a week.  Howie finally got around to buying a new bike and so there will be some pedaling in his future.  If I have any energy left, I may join him.  I’m sure there will be biking opportunities with friend David who resides nearby during the winter months.

The craft ladies meet once a week for a couple of hours on Monday, nothing formal, everybody just works on whatever they’re working on.  Everyone is very happy to share their skills and so there’s plenty of opportunity to learn new things.  I’m still working on the same afghan I was knitting this time last year.  Of course the colors are now passé.

All of the towns in and around Phoenix have their own Christmas activities.  Last week we drove to   Chandler to attend the lighting of their Christmas tree which is made of tumbleweeds. It’s some 35 feet tall and very impressive.  Our timing wasn’t very good; we arrived too early and didn’t feel much like staring at each other for two hours waiting for the parade to start.  The tree lighting was scheduled to follow the parade and none of us had dressed in enough layers to be comfortable once the sun went down.

So we took a vote, hopped in the car and raced back to Apache Junction where we arrived just in time to see the lighting of “our” Christmas tree and watch the parade.   Antique car collectors abound around here and the rolling light displays were quite fun to see.  Even some of the horses were draped in colored lights.  Several were not amused.

Stayed tuned for more shopping tips and radiant sunsets.

Casa Grande, Arizona – Week 2

Everything slowed down considerably during our second week in Casa Grande, including the weather. Temperatures got down into freezing territory at night and rarely worked up to “comfy” during the day so it seemed like an excellent opportunity to check out the Historical Society Museum in Casa Grande. The museum is housed in an addition to an old church made of native stone taken from the Gila River. The displays are exceptionally tidy and coherent, not all willy-nilly like so many small museums.

The tour kicks off with a brief movie about the Casa Grande ruins located near Coolidge. A self-guided tour then led us through displays of pottery and baskets, dioramas of early Casa Grande, the segregated school operated by Rebecca Dallis, bits and pieces of old farm equipment and a display of women’s dresses dating from the ‘50s and ‘60s. It’s a bit off-putting to see items of clothing similar to what one wore to the Sweetheart Ball now gathering dust in a museum. My, how time flies.

And, as is usually the case, we came upon an Interesting Character referenced in a museum display. This chap, James Addison Reavis, was known as The Baron of Arizona and was a scam artist of some magnitude. Laying claim to huge portions of central Arizona and parts of New Mexico with nothing more than forged land grant documents takes some kind of chutzpah. Check the link above to learn more about “Baron” Reavis.

Driving on the outskirts of Casa Grande and then heading north toward Phoenix, one cannot help but notice acres and acres of cotton. Huge bales outline the fields and wisps of it cling to roadside plants. It easy to think of the desert as infertile but in reality all it lacks is water. Throw in some irrigation and you can grow just about anything that requires a long growing season and plenty of sun. Such as cotton. We had a big light-bulb-going-on moment when a museum display put a name to the area’s cotton crop….it’s known worldwide as Pima Cotton, first grown in the region by the Native American tribe known as the Pimas. Duh. Why we didn’t figure that out without help is beyond me.

One of the highlights of our (well, mine anyhow) stay in Casa Grande was the opportunity to hang out with Bonnie, a former member of the Fulltimers Chapter. She’s a wonderful beader and kindly invited me along to participate in her park’s beading group. Naturally I managed to mess up both projects attempted – performance anxiety, I guess – but came away with sufficient knowledge about both techniques to replicate them in the privacy of my own home at a later date.

It wasn’t much of a drive to our winter den in Apache Junction and we were on-site and semi settled in shortly after noon. Our Wyoming buddies, Russ and Rochelle, are here and entertained us for dinner and a rousing game of Aggravation. It’s so nice not to have to think about making dinner after a hard day on the road!

This is our time to see doctors and dentists and attend to all those pesky housekeeping chores that can’t be done when on the move so road reports may be few and far between over the next few months. In case we don’t chat again soon, we hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.