The healing continues, and so does the packing for home

A blurry wine tasting photo

We are better! Yes, the grueling sickness that Joan and I both were suffering is steadily leaving us. This is one of the worst illnesses that either of us can ever remember having. Two doctor visits and a couple rounds of antibiotics and finally after two full weeks we are pretty much back to normal.

After skipping Palm Sunday services because of the illness we did very little for the next week. We did feel good enough to attend the Wednesday night concert “Motown.” The program was very good and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

We also attended the last Market Daze and bought a little gift for a coming shower. I can’t say much more about that because the person who is getting the gift may be a reader of this post.

I also skipped the Tuesday hike to Aspen Grove because I was just not strong enough.

A pleasant outdoor tasting bar

On Thursday (March 24) I attended my final Men’s Bible study which we held at the Voyager Bar and Grill for breakfast. A total of 18 guys (out of the 20 who routinely attended the study) were at the breakfast.

I was starting to feel well enough to borrow a high ladder and get on the roof of the trailer to seal the rubber roof as I do every year.

Of course, I had to endure the constant taunts of folks walking by telling me about the man who fell of the roof of his RV and died several years ago. I appreciate their concern, but I’m going to print up a sign next year that says: “I am aware that a man died falling from the roof of his RV in 2013. Trust me, I do not plan on replicating that feat.”

Chuck and Jane on the Seven Falls trail

The roof and trailer washing was finished on Thursday and then Friday I spent the day waxing the trailer. With an 11-foot high and 33-foot long trailer, that’s a pretty big wax job as you can likely imagine. But the trailer is all shiny and ready to head to its summer storage in Flagstaff.

On Saturday we picked up our friends Barry and Darcel for our annual wine tasting trip. We spent all day Saturday touring the Sonoita wine area in Southern Arizona and added a couple new wineries to the itinerary this year. Joan and I buy a few bottles of wine as a donation to the Family Literacy Center auction which is coming up the end of April.

Sunday was another quiet day around the trailer. On Monday morning I met my friends Chuck and Jane from Fenton, Michigan who are renting a condo in the Sabino Canyon area and a long postponed hike to Seven Falls was finally in motion.

Desert flowers in bloom

Monday night Joan and I went to Meet Me at Maynard’s and enjoyed our final MMM event for this year. We met some friends from the resort at Thunder Canyon Brewery and had a nice dinner. Some of them headed to the Grand Canyon the following day for a hike down to the bottom of the canyon. Not sure how that all worked out yet as they are still there as I write this.

We had a beautiful day to hike and enjoyed a wonderful 8-mile hike into Bear Canyon. The next day, I thought I was going to the final hike in the resort, which is always the Chirachua Mountain hike. Unfortunately, they are doing extensive road work in the park and the hike had to be cancelled at the last minute.

Another trip to Seven Falls

So when I showed up for the Tuesday hike I learned that the planned hike for the day was, wait for it, Seven Falls. So, yes, I did the exact same hike two days in a row, but I had fun with a small group of hikers from the park and the views are always stunning from the falls.

After arriving home I got cleaned up and then Joan and I headed to our last Tuesday night potluck. We were surprised to find so many folks still in the park and potluck as usually the place clears out pretty quickly after Easter.

On Wednesday, I went to the barber shop and had my ears lowered and my beard trimmed for only the second time since I have been here. I was in desperate need of a haircut, but the recent sickness had delayed that important bit of grooming.

My lunch perch view at Seven Falls

We had tickets for the Tucson High School steel drum band for Wednesday night and decided to give it a try. We weren’t expecting much, but boy were we surprised. An energetic group of 18 high schoolers put on a magnificent and high energy show that brought about 500 seniors to their feet dancing and clapping by the end.

We loved the music and the kids and stayed after a few minutes to thank the kids for their performance. We hope they raised plenty of money for their coming invitation trip to play at Disneyland. Jovert is the name of the band and if you happen to come across their concert, go, just go, it’s well worth the time.

So Thursday (today) is Joan’s birthday and after I got up and worked out she opted for a day at the casino. As I don’t enjoy that activity very much, I decided to drop her off and let her play to her heart’s content and picked her up later in the afternoon and then we went to dinner at the resort for her birthday.

Looking back at Seven Falls from the trail

Things are starting to wrap up for the season here in the park. People are pulling out in big numbers every day and they are not being replaced. So things are starting to look a little empty here. We’ll contribute to that emptiness on Monday.

I’m going to try and post again in the next day or two, because I am doing a solo hike tomorrow and it’s one of my favorites, but I’ll tell you (and show you) after I complete it. 

Really hard to believe that another three months in Arizona is over and that it’s time to head back to Michigan. We have some more fun things to do on the way home, not the least of them stops to see both my lovely sisters.

The circle of life, and death, at the resort

   If you are a frequent reader of this blog you know how much we love being at the Voyager RV Resort in Tucson. Over the 8 years we have been coming here we have made so many good friends. Truth be told one of the main reasons we keep returning is the friends and relationships we have made here.

     Each year when we arrive we have many happy reunions with old friends. Sadly, because of the nature of the resort we inevitably have to say good-bye to some of those friends. This year has been particularly difficult as two close friends died over the summer and fall.

RIP Don and Walt

     In the previous year it was the same thing, except one of those we lost was not from dying but from health reasons that kept them returning. Hap and Ann were the best and it was Hap that taught me how to do some simple wood carving.

    This year Walt, the man we always closed the season by having dinner with before we left and Don, died during the off season. Today, Sunday, January 20, we attended back-to-back memorial services for both men. We had a chance to meet their families and listen to more details of their lives than we knew previously.

    One of them, Walt, was 10 years older than me, and Don was a year younger and like me had served in the Navy. Both men were part of the Men’s Bible Study here and if you recall the story, it was Walt that always lent me his long ladder so I could get on the top of my trailer to do the work I needed to do before storing the trailer.

A Roadrunner at Sweetwater

    It was also Walt who used to ask me to come and pick the lemons off his prolific lemon tree. He would give us a couple and donate the rest to a local food bank. The picking always left me with shredded skin as the thorns of the tree tore through my thin flesh like a hot knife through butter.

   As I get older these memorial services seem to come at an ever increasing rate.

   But the week wasn’t all sadness as life goes on in the desert. On Monday, I went on the easy hike and Joan got checked out for volunteering at the Voyager medical clinic.  Monday night we attended Meet Me at Maynard’s and I won a $25 gift certificate to a local restaurant in the drawing.

   During the afternoon Joan and I went shopping  - separately. Joan planned this shopping trip like a military maneuver. She had her list for Walmart and gave me mine for Fry’s (Kroger). I picked up some really good meat bargains and she got the rest of the groceries.   I picked up some nice steaks, pork roasts, ground beef and some produce that was on sale. The receipt said I saved $63. More important, Joan said I did good.

    I returned to Walmart where Joan had completed her shopping and we headed home making the most of the limited time we had.

Seven Falls

    On Tuesday, the hiking group went on a 7-mile trek along the Wild Burro Trail near Dove Mountain. It’s a bit of drive there, but the hike is well worth the drive. Tuesday night Joan made her wonderful scalloped potatoes and we brought them to the weekly potluck.

    Wednesday we kind of hung around the resort. Joan did some laundry and then on Wednesday night we went to the concert at the resort. “The Cowboy Way” turned out to be a pretty good show even though Joan’s favorite music does not usually involved country or western tunes. The three musicians were excellent on the guitar and the music was wonderful and “not twangy” which is the kind of country and western music Joan doesn’t like.

    Thursday brought my Men’s Bible study and later the Bible study I teach on Thursday night for a mixed group of people. Joan has been faithfully attending her aquacise class on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday as well as her Friday Woman’s Bible study.

    A small group of new people in the park asked if I would lead them on a hike to Seven Falls on Friday. Two couples and four singles, including me, headed out early Friday for the Falls, which is in Bear Canyon, which is part of the Sabino Canyon National Park.

Cotamundi wanting snacks

Despite the current government shutdown the trails are open and accessible although the recent rains and snow in the mountains have made the seven water crossings along the river very difficult for some folks to do.

     We took our time and only a couple folks got a little wet during the crossings. The payoff was that the Seven Falls were full of water and everyone enjoyed eating lunch in such an idyllic spot. We plan to do some future hikes together as well.  At the Seven Falls area we spotted two cotamundis (weird looking racoon creatures) begging for snacks. I told the group I charge extra for finding wildlife.

    Some folks don’t enjoy hiking with the Tuesday group because of the speed of the group. There is often not time to stop and take pictures at the pace we go so these extra hikes give folks a chance to move a little slower and stop and smell the cactus.

    For once we had a quiet Friday night with no organized activities planned so when I got home from the hike Joan announced we were going to the resort restaurant for fish fry. The fish fry was good, but certainly not up to Buffalo fish fry standards. But Joan didn’t have to cook and I didn’t have to wash dinners so there’s that.

Wild Burro hike

    Joan has been wanting to get back to the Sweetwater Nature area north of Tucson so we made time Saturday for that.  Joan is still hoping to see the bobcat that I saw there last year, but we are going to have to go earlier in the day to see it.

     We did see a Roadrunner, a ruddy duck, a plethora of coots, a hawk, a mallard, a green heron and a small woodpecker, so it wasn't a complete bust.

    We stopped at Walmart on the home to do a little grocery shopping and then went to the Retro Rockets dance Saturday night.

    The Retro Rockets are a very popular group down here and they packed the ballroom with 350 people for dancing.

    Sunday was church and the two memorials already discussed here.  In case you’ve been wondering the weather here is turning for the better and on Sunday it was 76 degrees and sunny.

Another day in (a snow covered) Paradise with a good friend

One of the trail signs

Today (Meaning Tuesday, Feb. 19) we returned to normal, or what passes for normal in our lives. With the return to Arizona we returned to our Mountain Time existence where everyone else in the country watches television shows one hour later than we do.

The first thing we discovered when we arrived home was that the unseasonably cool weather in Tucson had drained both of our propane tanks while we were gone. So last night when the temperatures dropped into the 30s, we had no heat in the trailer. So we cuddled much of the night to stay warm, so it wasn’t all bad.

In the morning I headed off to the hike I signed up for before I left and left Joan behind to call both the propane company and the Internet company because along with no heat and propane we returned home to find that the Internet was down. Hopelessly down.

One of the seven stream crossings

To read my e-mail I have to truck my laptop under my arm to the resort restaurant and then sit in an uncomfortable metal chair long enough to clear my mail. The propane folks arrived in the afternoon and the Internet folks promised to be here Wednesday, or Thursday.

While the weather was beautiful today there were indications and high winds indicating we are in for a change tomorrow. There is snow down to lower levels predicted for the area. Leave it to the Smiths to bring the most unusual weather possible to a winter hot spot.

Last night when I checked my e-mail from our return trip from California I found a note from a Flint police officer that was a friend of mine back in my reporting days. Harlon, who retired from the police department, and is now a long haul truck driver said he was stranded in Tucson while repairs are made to his truck.

Me sitting next to the sixth (of seven) falls

I immediately called him and set up a time we could get together today and then we made plans for Wednesday. The plans include a trip to the Pima Air and Space Museum and then a home cooked dinner in our trailer tomorrow night.

A few words on today’s hike: The challenging hike group took on the Bear Canyon Trail to Seven Falls, a round trip of six miles.

The scenery was outstanding and fortunately there was plenty of water flowing over the Seven Falls. The trail was narrow in spots and included seven stream crossings and plenty of large stone steps both up and down.

A couple ducks joined us for lunch at the Falls

When I arrived home from the hike, Joan and I went grocery shopping (we pretty well cleaned out the frig before heading to California) and then headed to the weekly pot luck dinner at the resort. Joan made a great Southwestern salad that was devoured. We met some new folks and I heard Joan talking education with one of them.

Following dinner I headed to the local Quality Inn and picked up Harlon and he returned with me to our trailer where we spent a great three hours catching up on old times, good times and recent times. It was great fun.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Our travel weather is becoming a joke, and not a funny one either. For the first time since 1988 Tucson experienced a snowstorm. Imagine that, last year we broke the drought in Texas and this year we are part of a record setting cold snap in Arizona. Yuk, yuk.

Arizona locals taking pictures of the snow

The daytime temperatures never got out of the 30s which made today one of the top 20 coldest days in Tucson history. For the local children who got to play in snow for the first time in their little lives, feel free to thank us. You’re welcome.

When I left the trailer at 11:45 a.m. to pick up my friend Harlon the temperature was 48. By the time I arrived at his hotel room, seven miles away, the temperature had dropped to 33 and it was snowing and snowing hard.

People at the hotel, many of them local employees, were outside happily snapping pictures of the snow and themselves in it. I was taking pictures of them taking pictures of the snow.

With Harlon aboard we headed to the Pima Air and Space Museum for a wonderful day of touring that great museum and boneyard.

Me and Harlon at the Museum

Harlon, as I mentioned yesterday, is a retired Flint police officer who I covered when I was a reporter for the Flint Journal a number of years ago. I used to ride with him during drug raids and we became friends. In his retirement, Harlon is a long haul truck driver and happened to be in Tucson with a broken down truck when he learned that I was here.

Reaching out to me on Facebook we were able to get together and enjoy some touring while his truck was being repaired.

The Pima museum is a wonderful collection of vintage aircraft and on the nearby Air Force Base is the largest storage of obsolete and surplus military aircraft in the country (heck, maybe the world).

In addition to touring the museum we got tickets for an afternoon tour of the boneyard and made a full day of the museum.

In the Saguaro National Park

When we were done at the museum, Harlon who has stayed pretty much in walking distance of his hotel since he got stranded here was hopeful to get closer to some of the beautiful – and now snow covered – mountains surrounding Tucson.

So we headed to Saguaro National Park near our RV resort and we took the 8-mile loop drive that hugs the mountains. We snapped some photos of snow covered cactus and then returned to our trailer where Joan had a wonderful spaghetti dinner waiting for us.

What a great surprise it has been having Harlon here in Tucson. If you would like to see more photos of the hike and my day with Harlon at the museum simply scroll down. (You will also find a few photos at the top from our last day of travel home from California).

Mountain lions and Bingo, all in day's rest

Happy New Year! We welcomed in the new year in the Voyager ballroom to the tunes of “Two’s Company” a local duet that appears here at least once a month during the winter.

Joan at Meet Me at Maynard's

The night was not without its drama though. One of the party goers, who had obviously partied a little too much, somehow went to his knees on purpose during a song just before the midnight countdown. The tipsy man was apparently reacting to lyrics in the song that indicated being on a knee or knees.

Anyway, once he was down on his knees he then had to get up. I watched this whole horror in slow motion as he worked himself up to a crouch and then stumbled two or three steps backwards finally losing his balance and going over backwards striking his bald head very hard on the seat of a folding chair.

Meet at Maynard's scenery

Then he hit the hardwood floor with a thud and blood started draining out of a cut on the back of his head.  A number of people immediately went to his aid, including a retired nurse and he laid on the floor for a few minutes and then a couple men lifted him into a chair where the nurse applied a bandage to his head.

The musical duet never missed a beat and the midnight countdown went on without any further distractions.

It did get me to thinking that we have seen death come in many forms at the resort. According to a number of folks, a man plunged to his death while cleaning the top of his trailer a few years ago. A fact I know because I am reminded of it by every passing resident when I am on the roof of my trailer cleaning it.

Another man died while playing pickleball (a very popular sport that roughly looks like tennis and ping pong) but that was attributed to a heart condition. I nearly got killed by a senior citizen driving a speeding golf cart through a stop sign. So it would not have completely surprised me to have a “death by dancing” incident. Fortunately, the man is probably walking up with a massive hangover 

combined with a concussion this morning. Not a great way to start the New Year’s.

On the patio at Meet Me at Maynard's Super Moon in the back

On Sunday we went to church after I started my exercise regimen at the resort fitness center. I also reconnected with the table and chair committee and have already helped tear down church, set up the New Year’s party and then stayed late to tear down the tables and chairs after the party was over. 

Next up the Ella Fitzgerald tribute concert on Wednesday.

After church Joan and I went shopping to fill the cupboards and then returned to the resort to watch NFL football. The Lions pulled out a meaningless victory over the Packers on Sunday. This team is so frustrating. They win the games that don’t matter and lose the games that mean everything.

Seven Falls selfie

In addition to watching football, Joan did our travel laundry while I made up some burgers and bacon and cut up some fruit for a snack to pass at the New Year’s party. The weather has been outstanding since we’ve been here with much of the same predicted at least a week into the future.

One sad thing about Arizona is that you know you are here because you immediately notice one or more homeless people on nearly every major intersection seeking help. Probably a function of the good weather than keeps them here.

Now here’s an observation I made in Fort Smith (or Port Smith as Joan calls it). We spotted a story called “Sofa City.” Over the years I have see a number of businesses who use the “City” as a formal business name.

That is just stupid. If you can’t come up with a better name than that, you should not be in business. I’m sure somewhere there is a “Car City” or a “Taco City” but just stop it. It’s dumb.

New Year’s Day (today) will be a time of football and then Meet Me at Maynard’s tonight.

So we went to Meet Me at Maynard’s and continued our Monday tradition when we are here. We walked our two miles, returned to the courtyard. We failed to win any prizes and then had dinner at Fired Pie, a custom pizza and salad place we really like. It would have been better if we had won a gift certificate to go there.

After returning home we watch Alabama dismantle Clemson and then went to bed.

A very small amount of water at the base of the falls

The Tuesday hiking group was off because of the holiday (not sure what holiday Jan. 2 is, but they were not hiking today) so I went alone to Sabino Canyon and did the Seven Falls hike. This is a good starter hike for the season as it is an 8.2-mile out and back hike with just a 1,000-foot elevation.

Because of a lack of rain and snow, the falls at Seven Falls was more like Seven Trickles. Last year we couldn't even hike this trail until March because of high water. There is almost no water right now.

On the trail with my new hat

Coming from Michigan I need a week or so to acclimate to the altitude and climbing so this was a perfect chance to do that. Although Joan doesn’t like it, I love hiking alone sometimes because it gives me a chance to have a little solitude and enjoy nature.

A volunteer at the park told me that a mountain lion had recently been spotted in the canyon, so that added an element of adventure to the hike. I figure with tasty Big Horn sheep in plentiful supply the mountain lions would probably not bother with an old man.

While I was off playing in the mountains Joan was at her Aquafit class and she spent some time walking through the park for exercise. We live and eat healthier down here for sure.

At 5 p.m. we attended our first Tuesday potluck dinner and caught up with a number of our friends from previous stays here. Joan then stayed and played Bingo until 9 p.m. and was about as successful at winning there as she is at the casino. She was only out a couple bucks so no big deal.

Time to put Tucson in the rear view mirror

Joan's Aquasize class

It seems like we have lived in Tucson for a very long time. In reality it has been just three months but as we pull down the curtain on this year’s adventure it is hard to imagine how much we have done during the winter.

Part of me will always be drawn to the dramatic vistas of mountains. I grew up living in the foothills of Los Angeles and in the shadow of Mt. Lukens. Mountains are what inspire me. Oceans and bodies of water are what soothe me.

If there is a regret to this trip it is that Joan’s health and physical well-being is not as good as she would like. It has limited what she could do and how much she could do. We are hopeful, and praying that we can find a good diagnosis and medical solution to her current problems.

Ah, the Doo Wop Divas

Despite Joan’s health issues she had a good time and we have committed to another winter in Tucson here at Voyager so we can finish touring this very beautiful area.

We have met many, many nice folks and look forward to seeing them again next year. The resort is very nice, the facilities are top drawer and the entertainment and activity options seem endless. Next year I want to get involved in even more of the activities while we are here.

No doubt I will continue the hiking, but there are wood working classes, photography clubs and other activities I would like to participate in.

But to review here in chronological highlights from beginning to end is our winter trip: Depart in snow arrive in St. Robert, Mo.;  an extra day in Amarillo due to high winds; Cadillac Ranch, RV Museum and the Panhandle Museum; We arrive in “alien” territory at Town & Country RV Park in Roswell, NM; Alien museums, a zoo, a small air museum, an art museum, wine, freezing temperatures and a wildlife park; a tall climb through Ruidoso, New Mexico and arrival in a frigid Tucson; Bobby Darin impersonator concert; a walk on the Arizona Trail in Suhaurita; our first dance

Kitt Peak

in the park and an unsuccessful search for an Anglican church; Sandhill Cranes at Whitewater Draw; A hike to Bridal Wreath Falls; Arizona Symphonic Winds concert; casino bus trip; high grass desert hike; monsoon rains; winery tours; Empire Ranch stop; Les Miserables movie; Wasson Peak hike; Alley Cats concert; Casa Grande ruins tour, dinner with Chelsea and Ryan; a wash hike; church at the park and Super Bowl Sunday; Tucson Gem Show; Garwood/Carillo loop hike; a visit to La Crescenta, California and a dinner in Montrose; a visit to my Encino boy’s home, a trip to Grandma Smith’s grave and a day of Jay Leno; dinner at Castaways; a visit to the Hollywood sign; a walk down the Walk of Fame, a trip to Santa Monica pier; Cousin Cynthia welcomes us to Danville, Ca.; a visit with William, Brittany and Tim, including a nice long Santa Cruz hike with Tim, meeting Tim’s new girlfriend Toni, a visit with Jan, Lisa and Gina at the casino in Middletown, dinner with the whole family in Santa Cruz, a night near the Grapevine, church with William, dinner with Barbara and friends in Auburn; Harlon arrives in Tucson in time for a snowstorm, a tour of the air museum and Saguaro National Park, dinner at the trailer; a hike to Seven Falls (the first of two such hikes); a hike on the Gabe Zimmerman Trail, lost camera, found camera, Voyager Talent Show; Joan walked part of the Gabe Zimmerman Trail, Colossal Cave; Zero Dark Thirty movie; snowy Bug Spring Hike; Joan’s Aquasize

The sistas

class, Doo Wop Divas; Kitt Peak National Observatory visit, Poco & Mom’s, Empire Ranch hike; Cactus Fly-In, first 80-degree day; Cracker Barrel dinner; Red Wings hockey, trailer and car washing day; Cochise Stronghold Hike; potluck dinners in the resort, Sunday worship at the resort, Men’s Bible study, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, high winds and a rainbow; Desert Diamond and Casa del Sol casino; Harp player at church, pizza special at the resort restaurant; Pontatoc Trail hike; PanStarrs Comet viewing; a new trailer sign and the arrive of Diane, Denny and Patty to Tucson; Boothill Cemetery, Tombstone OK Corral shoot out, Bisbee Mine town tour; Denny and I got to the fitness center, stop at the Star Touring and Riding Headquarters in Tucson with Denny, dinner in Williams, Arizona, a night at the Grand Canyon Inn, a day at the South Rim at the Grand Canyon, Diane confesses to the 45-year-old crime of feeding gumdrops to a raccoon to a park ranger dinner in Sedona and a scenic drive home; a drive through Saguaro National Park with the three sisters; Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Pima Air Museum and Boneyard Tour, Julian Wash hike; a new RV toilet; a drive to Mt. Lemmon with a rude bicyclist on the way down; reading on the patio, a walk in the desert across from the resort; Ventana Canyon hike; Chiricahua Hike; dinner at Cushing Street Bar and “Wicked,” Market Daze at the resort and a Saguara souvenir to take home; Thing 1,2,3,4 (and 5) arrive and spend four days with us at the trailer, kids in the pool, Sabino Canyon tram tour, Saguaro National Park tour, San Xavier Mission,

Mt. Wrightman summit

Peter Piper Pizza, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum with the children, more pool time, grandma and grandpa babysit in the trailer with Snow White, Peter Pan, and Brave, more pool, a drive in the mountains, the Children’s Museum of Tucson and the Texas Roadhouse for dinner; Mt. Wrightson 12-mile hike; Bible Study breakfast, high winds hit the area, mudstorm, Men’s prayer breakfast, a visit to the casino; dinner with Chelsea and Ryan (again), Seven Falls Hike (again!) and Mary’s Spaghetti Dinner, car and trailer wash, Phoneline hike. (And in case you didn’t keep track that’s 117 miles of hiking trails since we got here.

So now it’s time to head home to Michigan. I know the first morning I wake up and look out the window and not see the majestic back drop of mountains I will feel a little sad. But the beauty of mountains is that they will be here for a long, long time after I’m gone, so there’ll always more chances to see them.

I’ve already thought about how excited I will be when we drive down I-10 next January and I’ll see Picacho Peak looming in the distance as we drive through Casa Grande. The closer we get to Tucson I’ll see the beautiful Catalina, Tucson, Rincon and Santa Rita mountains surrounding Tucson.

But for now we are happy to be going home. To resuming what passes for normal in our lives. We are also eager to return to our volunteer projects and see our friends.

Thank you for joining us on this journey and they’ll likely be a couple more short posts as we make our way home, but essentially our touring is done. Just one favor, please pray that the lousy Michigan weather will evaporate as we arrive back.

I’ll update our mileage, etc. in tomorrow’s post, hopefully in Amarillo.

Visitors flood into Tucson and fun ensues

Elin hiking high above Tucson

No, I’m not dead, just a horrible procrastinator. Hard to believe it has been way over a month since I last posted and now I’m going to struggle to remember all the wonderful things that have happened in the month since I last wrote.

As a reporter I was loathe to ever miss a deadline, but as a retired writer on my own, I clearly have issues with deadlines.  So mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa. No excuses, but we have been busy.

But here goes. Joan continues her quest to design and perfect her polymer clay jewelry making (she is doing very good at it) and I continue with my Bible studies and table and chair work her at the resort.

Joan has also started her volunteer service at the resort health clinic.

The Wednesday show entertainment has continued to be top notch and just to shorten this all up a bit here is the lineup of what we have seen in concert since we last met here on the blog: Piano Men, a tribute to Billy Joel and Elton John (fantastic show); Corrie Sachs as Reba McIntyre (another  great show even though neither of us are big country fans); An Evening with the Music of the Carpenters (great show and even greater because daughter Elin was here to see it with us – more on that later); The Spouse Whisperer, a really, really funny comedian who we have seen here before.  If you see me in person ask me about the joke “Why can I prove women enjoy sex better than men?”

Joan, Elin and me on a hike on the Zimmerman trail

We continue to attend Meet Me at Maynards each Monday and enjoy most of the Tuesday potlucks.

Last year, we had only brief visits from friends and no family. This year our visitation cup runneth over. 

In just the past three weeks we had Elin come and stay with us for a week, Mahlon and Colleen friends from church in Flint who have been here the last 10 days and last week my former editor, Roger and his wife, Jessica, have arrived in our park with their RV and will be here through March 17.

A Kitt Peak sunset with a telescope (and Joan's bonnet)

Let me tell you how this last visit came down. Roger knows we winter in Tucson, but he was not aware of where. He wrote me in early January telling me he was coming to Tucson and was staying in the Voyager RV park. Of course, we were elated as that is where we stay.

Later in our email discussions he was asking me about mail service here and I asked him what site number he would be at. Now mind you there are more than 1,500 RV sites here in the park. When he sent me his site number we both learned he was two spaces away from us.

Inside a Kitt Peak telescope

But let’s go back to Elin’s visit starting with her arrival Feb. 6. First night we ate outside at the Voyager Grill and then on Wednesday we headed to Tubac, Arizona for the arts festival there. Joan and Elin enjoy looking through all the vendors and we spent an enjoyable day in the warm sunshine. I just endure a day of looking at sparkly stuff I care nothing about.

That night Elin joined us at the Carpenters’ tribute show, which we all enjoyed. I’m sure that Elin will have a hundred stories about her stay in a park filled with senior citizens. She was polite enough not to laugh at us too much during the week.

Jewelry by Joan

On Thursday, I dropped Joan and Elin off at one of the Gem show sites in Tucson so they could marvel over more shiny objects while I spent a quiet day back at the resort. I’ve done the Gem show several times and no longer have the desire to spend an entire day looking at shiny rocks. Actually I would rather watch stars in the daytime than spend another hour at the gem show.

My favorite part of Elin’s visit came Friday when she and I headed to Sabino Canyon for a hike. Elin has been making some very positive changes in her life and part of that involves exercise and the great outdoors. So armed with snacks, water and proper hiking equipment we headed to the Telephone Line trailhead in Sabino Canyon.

This hike has gotten me in trouble before as I have underestimated its difficulty for people not used to hiking. But Elin was a great sport, even when she twisted and hurt her hand in an awkward position.

Me being the high point in the Tucson Mtns. on Wasson Peak

We had lunch on top of a large rock along the trail and generally had a wonderful time hiking together. She is a great sport. One of my favorite moments during our stay here.

On Saturday morning Joan, Elin and I did a relatively easy hike on the Gabe Zimmerman trail just east of the resort. This is a beautiful desert trail named for the Congressional aid of the Congresswoman Gabby Giffords who was shot by a deranged man at a shopping center in Tucson. Gabe Zimmerman died in the attack along with several other people.

Roger and me at Empire Ranch

Over the weekend we gave Elin some time to relax by the pool but on Monday we headed to the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum to take in the free flight raptor show and tour the museum. That night we all went to Meet Me at Maynards and them celebrated by having a nice dinner at Downtown Kitchen. Elin enjoyed her pork belly donut appetizer. I guess they were better than they sounded.

On Tuesday we went to the night program at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Unfortunately, the bad weather that was to come was making its way into Arizona and we could not use the telescopes that night because of the cloud cover. Instead we got unique tours of some of the telescopes on the mountain and had a great time talking to the astronomers working in them. They had plenty of time to talk to us because they couldn’t work while the clouds were obscuring the sky.

One of the astronomers is part of a project trying to find “PHA”s. That stands for Potentially Hazardous Asteroids. He mentioned one that had just been located, but chuckled and said privately the astronomers often refer to PHAs as “Practically Harmless Asteroids” because most, if not all of those discovered so far are well out of danger range for earth.

The next day after we visited Market Daze in the resort Wednesday morning, we dropped Elin off at the airport and waited around and picked up our friends Mahlon and Colleen who arrived at the same time Elin was leaving.

Joan and Roger wine tasting at Sonoita Winery

Since I last wrote I have climbed to the top of Wasson Peak twice, once with friends from the resort hiking group and once with my friend Mahlon from Flint. Mahlon and I also did a fairly difficult hike in the Catalina Mountains on the Bug Springs Trail. That is a tough 10-mile slog over a couple small mountain peaks with a 2,000-foot climb.

I have probably logged about 100-miles on Arizona trails so far this year, by far the best hiking year ever here in Tucson. I should admit that my left knee is slightly complaining about all the recent uphill (and of course, downhill) hikes in the past few weeks. All of this is leading to a major hike at the end of March when I will be descending into the floor of the Grand Canyon on foot for a three-day adventure with many members of the Voyager Hiking group. More on that later.

Ventana Canyon hike

Also in the past month the weather in Arizona has done a major flip flop. In January we were greeted with the warmest January on record. That means for more than 100 years this was the warmest – and driest – January since man has recorded weather here.

Starting with the day Elin left to return to Michigan we have had temperatures way below average and rainfall way above average. In the past 10 days there has been about 3-inches of rain (that’s an entire winter season here) with snow in the high altitudes.

Earlier this season I hiked to Seven Falls only when I wrote about it I referred to Seven Trickles. No more. The water is running quite high and the falls are in full faucet. Our Voyager hiking group had some difficulty crossing swollen creeks (there are seven crossings in all) to make our way to the falls.

Of course with all these wet weather we have very excited weather people on TV acting as though the apocalypse has arrived in southern Arizona. If rain is on the way they immediately declare a “Weather Action Day” which means only that you need an umbrella.

We’ve had a lot of fun with Roger and Jessica as well. Roger was my first city editor at the Flint Journal staring in 1989. He was a great editor and has been a great friend as well. I can’t tell you how much fun it has been to have them with us here in the resort.

Into every life a little rain must fall

They went to the Spouse Whisperer with us and on Friday, Feb. 23, we went to the dinner show that included the doo-wap group MC6 in the ballroom. They will be going with us next Wednesday to the “One of These Nights” concert, a tribute to the Eagles.

On Saturday, Feb. 24, the four of us went on a trip to visit Empire Ranch, which is the location of nearly a dozen famous western movies, but unfortunately the ranch is undergoing a $1 million renovation and is closed for tours. We did spend some time walking around a couple barns on the ranch and then took an afternoon drive to several wineries in the Sonoita area of Arizona.

Jim & Jim on a hike

We ate dinner on the way home at a really good Mexican restaurant near the resort. My sister-in-law Diane sent us a half a case of Andersen’s Split Pea Soup and we have been enjoying that gift now that the weather has turned chilly here.

Planning for the March 5 Michigan party is in full swing and I’ll report more on that after the fact, if I don’t get caught in a major procrastination episode again.

The Larry Nasser story (the pervert doctor who molested so many young girl athletes) came home to us in Tucson when it was announced that the creepy doctor had been sent to a federal prison that is just about ½ mile from the resort as the crow flies. We can see the lights of the prison from the resort.

Time is slowly inching its way towards our eventual return to Michigan, but I promise to write again soon to keep you up to date. I know I have forgotten something important, but that’s what happens when I let too much time elapse between posts.

Another active month in our desert paradise

  It’s been a busy few weeks in the desert since Dad left at the end of January. The weather has been a little bit of a roller coaster (a very mild coaster, one that most youngsters would be allowed to ride). We had a couple days in the low 80s, a bunch in the 70s and a couple in the 50s.   We also had two days where it rained, but again, not so much.

   After Dad left it was a bit of a letdown for us as we had kept pretty busy with fun activities (if you call falling out of an airplane fun) while he was here. So after a couple chill days we started back on our normal activities.

   Joan has resumed her volunteer receptionist duties at the Voyager clinic and I have been busy with table and chair duties as activities have picked up as the Covid numbers have gone down.

Me and my shadow

   The Wednesday night concert series has been really good this year. The three concerts while Dad was here were great and the ones since have also been very good. The night after Dad left we saw the Chicago tribute show, which was terrific.

    The following week was The Spouse Whisperer, who we’ve seen here before, but he showed up with a lot of new and very funny material. That show contained an unplanned heckler but the entertainer dealt with it with great humor. At one point the woman heckler shouted out that “I live alone!”  The comedian shot back, “Ma’am I think we can all be thankful for that.”

    Shortly after that she stumbled her way out of the concert (I think she was just a little tipsy) and tripped and fell over a chair in the dark room creating yet another interruption before she finally made her way out the door.

    On February 9 we say the show “O Canada” which celebrated the many musical artists that have come from north of the border. Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, Anne Murray, a band called Tragically Hip (never heard of them before) and several others. Mercifully, they did not include any musical offerings from Justin Bieber.

Steel drum fun

    The last night, February 16, we saw “Trio,” which was a really good “girl” show with Tribute artists doing songs from Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. All three women singers were great. Interestingly, Mindy Ronstadt, the niece of the famous singer, reprised the songs of her famous aunt.

   We’ve been attending the Thursday lecture series, one on the Sonoran Desert Museum and Joan went to the Thursday lecture today on the new Art Express Theater here in Tucson. (I stayed home to write this blog post).

Hike thru Rattlesnake tunnel

    On Saturday, February 12, along with our Lapeer friends Bob and Karen who are staying in the resort for two months, we headed to Tubac for the annual arts festival. While Joan and Karen shopped for unique items at the arts festival, Bob and I went and toured the nearby Tumacacori Mission. After that we met up with Karen and Joan and had lunch. On the way home we made a detour and drove up Madera Canyon.

   Bob and I also made a trip to Huachuca City and did a nice hike at the San Pedro House. We also did a short hike to the remains of the house that once was the residence of the Clanton family of the famous "Shootout at the OK Corral" fame.

   In early February we went with Bob and Karen to a show at the Gaslight Theater in Tucson to see the Tributaries perform “Woodstock.”  The show also included Mindy Ronstadt singing and was really, really good.

   I’ve done a couple great hikes, Tanque Verde Ridge, Bridal Wreath Falls, Seven Falls, Brown Mountain and Cactus Forest Trail in Saguaro East National Park. We also attended another of the monthly Market Daze art sales here at the Voyager on February 9.  I dropped Joan off at the Tucson Gem Show on Saturday, Feb. 5 and picked her up a few hours later.

Tucson Roadrunners hockey

  Along with Bob and Karen on February 7, Joan and I went to the Gaslight Theater (first time we’ve gone there) to see the Woodstock tribute show that also included singer Mindy Ronstadt.

   We’ve also done a couple of Saturday dances here at the resort, the RAW Band and then the local dance band made up of musicians who live here.  We always have a good time at those.

   On Friday, February 4, we attended the Voyager talent show, which showcased some of the incredible talent that resides here at the Voyager.

    Another night we went with friends to the nearby town of Sahuarita and saw a great free concert with a local steel drum band. The outdoor setting was beautiful and we had a great time with our friends.

Remains of Clanton ranch

    Joan continues to make polymer clay jewelry on Friday, works out in the ballroom Monday and Thursday with her Zumba classes and her aquacise classes on Tuesday and Saturday.  So she is certainly busy. My hiking schedule is pretty much Monday and Friday. We both continue with our Bible studies here as well.

    Our weekly Meet Me at Maynard’s event continue with the addition of our friend Deborah Peterson who just arrived her from Minnesota. Deb and her husband, David, used to go with us down there in previous years. Sadly, Dave died last year so we were really glad to see Deborah make it down this year. This past Monday Joan and I won tickets to see the Tucson Symphony Orchestra perform Duke Ellington’s “Harlem” this coming Sunday.

    As well as the volunteer and fun activities we are currently waiting for some major maintenance work to be done on the trailer. More on that in a future blog post.

Brown Mountain trail

    Friday night, February 18 we went to the second Voyager dinner show. The entertainment was the Tributaries (the same group that did the Woodstock show at the Gaslight Theater) and again for the third time this season Mindy Ronstadt was here to perform in their “Good Morning, Vietnam” show.

    On Saturday, February 19 we headed to downtown Tucson with friends to see a Tucson Roadrunners AHL hockey game. The Roadrunners are the farm team for the Phoenix Coyotes so of course I wore my Detroit Red Wings Darren McCarty sweater.

     It was a great game and the Roadrunners won it 4-3 on a shot with 15 seconds left in the game. A great night and fun to see hockey in the desert.

   The music, singers and musicians were all terrific and we are truly blessed to have such talent available to us here.

    So as you can see (and I’m probably forgetting a thing or two) we have been busy out here in Arizona. We’ll be back soon with further adventures.