A Grand dream come true

Waiting to step off on South Kaibab Trail for the trip down

   Sometimes words are inadequate and sometimes they just fail to describe an experience so let me start out by saying that both things will be true of this post. The hardest part of this post will not be the words, but choosing from among the 140 photos I took during my three days in the canyon.

   From the time I was a young boy, I have been fascinated with The Grand Canyon. The first time my parents took me there I was awed by the majesty of the place. Later when I went there with a church group on the way to a Utah mission trip I was simply moved by the beauty of the Canyon.

An early view

   Over the years we have visited there with just Joan and I, with other relatives and the last time I was there I left behind a good portion of my brother’s ashes in sight of the Watchtower Gift Store, a place he loved and worked after his time in the US Air Force.

   To say that the Grand Canyon has a hold on me, is to speak a severe understatement. So when a friend in the Voyager hiking club asked me last March (2017) if I would like to be part of a three day adventure to the bottom of Grand Canyon and a two night stay at Phantom Ranch, I jumped at the chance.

Ooh Aah Point

   For more than a year I had anticipated and trained for what I knew would be a significant and difficult hike, but one that held the promise of eternal memories and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment at its conclusion.

  As we learned during our stay of the 5 million annual visitors to the Grand Canyon, less than 1 percent make it to the bottom, which puts those who do in a very exclusive club.

   A group of 19 people from the Voyager signed on for the adventure and we left the resort on Tuesday morning headed for Bright Angel Lodge. We had people from many different states and Canada with us on this journey. I took five people, including me, in my Tahoe. My group was Chuck, Gayle, Jean, Dave and me.

Taking a break at Cedar Ridge

   I was like a kid on Christmas Eve, I could hardly stand the excitement and anticipation of what was to come. I hiked three days a week, some long and grueling hikes to make sure I was prepared for what was to be. A new Osprey back pack was purchased and a set of boot chains in case the trail was icy, which it often is this time of year.

   For two days I packed and repacked my gear to make sure I had enough, but not too much for the trip. Staying in the dormitories at Phantom Ranch and eating in the chow hall there eliminated the need to take tents, sleeping bags and food, other than trail snacks, but there is the ever present need for water and some food on any hike. Water is usually the heaviest single component of any back pack, but also the most important.

Section of trail

   Despite the careful packing I re-thought things Wednesday morning in the room at the Bright Angel Lodge that I shared with Chuck and off loaded a couple things (and one extra bottle of water) in an attempt to have the perfect sized pack for the hike.

   After breakfast Wednesday (March 21) we caught the 8 a.m. Hiker’s Special bus to the South Kaibab Trailhead and the start of a dream come true for me. I stepped off the bus and smack dab in the middle of all my fears and doubts. “Could I really do this?” “Was I ready for the challenge ahead?” and that worst of all fears “Would I fail?”

   In the face of those screaming doubts I started down the trail accompanied by my three friends (and car mates) Chuck, Gayle and Jean and began the steep plunge to the bottom of the abyss known as the Grand Canyon. I should note here that my other car passenger, Dave, had to return home on an emergency basis because his wife was hospitalized with a difficult heart issue. We would miss Dave very much during the next three days.

Angelic looking clouds

   We were not alone, probably 40-50 people jumped off that bus and began the descent with us, but soon the groups naturally spread out and we were alone. With every knee wrenching step down the trail I came closer and closer to my goal of reaching the bottom, but inside my head was the nagging thought that every step down meant a grueling step up on Friday, but my goal overcame my doubts and we kept plunging down the trail.

   And what a beautiful trail it is. At one spot (called Ooh Aah Point for good reason) I started to cry, thinking of all the years that I had wanted to do this and remembering that somewhere my brother’s remains were part of the scenery around me. It was all very overwhelming.

Another outstanding view

   Around each corner was a new and more beautiful view than the previous one and the only thing busier than my aching feet was my camera. As I snapped each photo all I could think was that I wasn’t taking enough pictures, but also realizing that any photo I took would not capture the smells, the air and the emotions that I was feeling at those moments.

   The pictures would be beautiful, I knew, but they would never capture completely what I was truly seeing and feeling at that moment. Past Ooh Aah Point (very appropriately named) we stopped for a rest at Cedar Ridge (1,120 feet below the rim), then Skeleton Point (2,040 feet below the rim), then the Tipoff (3,280 feet down), and then finally Phantom Ranch (4,700 feet under the rim).

Leaving my shadow behind

   There I was at the foot of the canyon and at the dream of a lifetime all at once. As I walked over Black Bridge over the Colorado River I had to nearly pinch myself to believe I was there. But there I was.

   Once in camp we did the mundane chores of picking a bunk in the 10-man dormitory (I got a lower one) and then took a quick shower, which was a huge relief because there had been reports on the rim that the water had been shut off at the ranch due to a malfunction in the system. Not having a shower would have put a slight damper on the enjoyment of the rest of the day.

   I put my hiking boots under the bed and put on the socks and crocks I had carried down to give my feet a little rest. Some of our group was already at the ranch when we arrived and others would arrive later. All of us were tired and pain relievers and liquids were the order of the day.

A mule train has right of way

   For the rest of the day some of us drank ice tea and others celebrated with a beer, but all of us were happy that the descent was behind us. Never far out of my mind was the fact that now that we were at the bottom the only way out was up, and up, and more up, but that was more than 24 hours away so I tried putting that away for awhile so I could enjoy my time at the ranch.

   Our group had dinner at 6:30 p.m. and we inhaled several helpings of home made beef stew, salad, corn bread and chocolate cake at the family style seating in the chow hall.

   The interpretation ranger, his name was Radan, gave two talks a day, one at 4 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m. and on the first day he talked about the human history of the canyon and the night talk was on the re-establishment of the California Condor to the region. More on that later.

   After the talk I fell into my bunk about 8:30 p.m. and the next thing I remember is a woman knocking and then flinging our door open and yelling “It’s 5 a.m., breakfast is at 5:30, don’t be late.” Fortunately for me my breakfast time on that first day was 7 a.m. so while I didn’t have to get up, I was now awake for the day.

Getting closer to the bottom

   The accommodations at the ranch are spartan, but clean and adequate.  The presence of running water (hot water too!) and a flush toilet in the dorm was a big bonus.

   On Wednesday, Gayle, Jean and I opted out of a 16-mile hike to Ribbon Falls and instead chose a 5-mile easy hike along the Colorado River. We spotted a female big horn sheep who was very cooperative with our photo taking.

   Back at camp, we sucked down some unsweetened ice tea and talked to a young  brother and sister who had been brought to the camp by their parents. The girl, who was 10, was reading a book she found in the ranch lending library called “Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon.”

Crossing over the Colorado River

   We talked with her and told her how lucky she was to have parents who would share such a great adventure with them.

   After another shower, we headed to the 4 p.m. ranger talk and learned about the geology of the canyon and specifically about the 2-billion-year-old rock walls that surrounded the ranch. It was a fascinating and enlightening talk. You can’t help but wonder about your place in the universe when you realized what a very small part of it you are. But in another sense you feel very connected to the creator and in awe of the majesty of it all.

My home for two nights in the canyon

   At 6:30 p.m. we lined up again for another meal of beef stew, salad, corn bread, but this time a slice of chocolate brownie instead of cake. It tasted like a five-star meal.

   At 7:30 p.m. we listened to our final ranger talk, this one called “Ask the Ranger.”  He answered questions on how he commutes to work (he walks the trail back and forth like the rest of us), he works 8 days straight and then he is off for four days. He talked about mountain lions, more geology and the influence of Native American people on the canyon, among other topics.

Ranger talk on the bottom

   As soon as it was done I headed back to the bunk house and fell blissfully asleep before 9 p.m. But this time I was startled awake about 10 p.m. by someone pounding on the door. Apparently someone had locked the bunkhouse door (not too many burglars are prepared to hike 9 miles down a trail to steal someone’s sweaty hiking clothing) but someone had been locked out.

   After that the next thing I heard was the same female voice opening our door and announcing the time (5 a.m.) and “breakfast is at 5:30, don’t be late” but this time I had to get up and get to breakfast as this was our seating time.

Our dormitory

   After a full breakfast of scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, and fruit it was time to don our packs and begin the uphill journey to the top of the South Rim. I’ll admit I had butterflies in my stomach thinking about the task ahead. And it wasn’t going to be easier considering that it had rained hard during the night which meant trails would be wet and muddy, but at least it wasn’t raining now. That would change.

Female big horn sheep

   We took a final photo of our group before heading out of the ranch at 6:20 a.m. and once across the Colorado River it started to rain, which necessitated a stop to don rain gear and back pack covers. Nothing like adding the weight of rainwater to an already full pack.

   Fortunately, the rain only lasted about 25 minutes and within a short time we began to sweat under rain gear so we stopped and stripped off the rain gear.

   The first part of the Bright Angel Trail (the trail we took up the cliff) is fairly flat, but at the River Rest House it begins the long road up. Switchback, after switchback leads you through this Garden of Eden, complete with flowing steams and waterfalls.

Phantom Ranch

   Our goal at this point was to get to Indian Gardens, the halfway in miles point of the hike up, but most of the “up” is still ahead of you there.

   Indian Gardens is also the last place you can get drinking water so we refilled our water containers, spent about ½-hour resting and using the two-story pit toilets (or “big drops” as the Canadians call them) before heading back on the trail up the canyon. We decided to make our goals short, first we would get to 3-mile house and then after we stopped there we set our goal of 1 ½-mile house where we had lunch and then we set our obvious last goal for the finish line at the Bright Angel Trailhead at the top of the South Rim.

About halfway up Chuck was keeping watch on the sky above us after the admonition of the ranger two nights before that we might see a California Condor soaring high above us in the canyon. As we were ascending, Chuck spotted one of the rare birds (only about 400 remain, but are improving in numbers due to conservation efforts) soaring above us. The bird is huge with a wing span of many, many feet. They stand about 4-feet high. The tell tale markings described to us by the ranger were all there and we were excited to see the bird.

During our three day canyon visit we also had close encounters with big horn sheep, elk, deer and many variety of birds.

Departing from the bottom for the top

   It was a long and tough, knee crunching slog up the side of the cliff and 2 billion years of earth’s geological history. Each step represented hundreds of thousands or more years of history. The only scary moment was one punctuated with the sudden sound of a scream from a woman walking right behind us as a large boulder (about ½ the size of a small car) that was tumbling down the hill just behind us. The boulder bounced on the trail just feet behind the woman and continued down the mountain from there. It would have killed anyone it hit and I couldn’t help but think that if we had left our last stop 20 seconds later it could have been a real problem. Or, we could have been the newest entry in the book “Over the Edge: Death at the Grand Canyon.”

My Garden of Eden

   But on we slogged, onward and upward until at last we reached the top of the trail to the sounds of applause and cheers to a number of people gathered there watching folks come up from the bottom. One Japanese lady ran over and asked to pose with us for pictures like we were some explorers. We obliged and smiled and are probably now an entry on a Facebook post for some friends of hers in Japan.

Indian Gardens - the half way point to the top

   We felt for a moment like real “rock” stars.

   We then headed to the car (which was parked and left nearby the end of the trail when we arrived on Wednesday) for our over night stay at the Miswak Lodge Friday night. After a quick shower we walked (yes, we walked) back to the Visitor Center for some souvenir shopping. What did I buy? A copy of “Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon.”

   But I also joined the Grand Canyon Association. It is clear that the federal government is not fully supporting the park system anymore and without donations and fees our precious parks would fall into more disrepair than they already are.

Climbing out of the canyon

   More than any other hike I have ever done, this one has changed me, hopefully for the better. There is something magical, spiritual and eternal about the Grand Canyon that has always held a fascination for me. Now, after visiting its source, the very river that carved it, I feel more connected to it than ever. I think it would be impossible to do this hike and not be moved in some major way.

   Would I do the hike again? In a heartbeat. Perhaps someday I can take some of my children and grandchildren on the adventure of a lifetime with me. Another dream yet to come true.

Our lunch stop

   At the end of the hike the only thing in my pack that I didn’t need was a set of boot ice chains that I purchased in case we ran into icy trails. There was some ice, but not enough to require the use of my boot chains. Everything else in my pack, the rain poncho, the backpack rain cover, all my snacks and clothing were used during the trip. I did have one ½-liter of water remaining when I arrived at the top which meant I planned the ascent almost perfectly.

   The dedicated and experienced hikers at the Voyager are the best. Over the years they have taught me many things and I appreciate them for be willing to share tips and for the encouragement they give so many people. I would not have achieved this wonderful goal without them. Thank you Voyager hikers!

About 1 mile to go

   I should mention that all of this came to pass because of my wonderful wife Joan, who allowed me the time and money to make this all happen. She stayed behind, landlocked in our trailer without a vehicle to take her anywhere so I could do this.

   She did have my blessings for a date with the pastor of the park who used my Wednesday night concert ticket to see the Everly Brothers Tribute group. She said it was a very good concert.

End of the hike up

   We now head into our last week here at the Voyager. There are lots of things yet to do, but we also have to start the packing and off loading of perishable food that needs to be done before our Friday (March 30) departure. We are looking forward to seeing family and friends in California on our way home.

Hikes, hikes, jewelry and friends!

At the end of an 18-mile hike

It’s been busy here again, but then it is always busy here. Our friends, my former boss and his wife, Roger and Jessica, are almost at the end of their visit and two weeks from this Friday we will also be wheels up and on our long trip home.

But until then there is much to tell and much to come.

The shows at the resort have been top caliber this year and since we last talked we have seen some really good shows, including an Eagles Tribute Show and a singing comedian and impressionist, Scott Record.

One great view from the long hike

The latter was very good and was once a close associate of Rodney Dangerfield (he did an outstanding Rodney Dangerfield impression). The Eagles concert was likewise very good, but the loudness drove some of the older audience members home at intermission.

 Just last week we saw “New Odyssey” a group of three men who play (and play well) 30 different instruments. It was an incredible performance with a lot of humor, and of course, music.

As I have mentioned previously in this 55-plus park you have a variety of musical and entertainment tastes. With ages varying over three decades it must be a challenge to offer up entertainment that keeps everyone happy. When the Rap tribute concerts start being booked I’ll know that it’s time for me to stay home. I would welcome a Jimi Hendrix or Janis Joplin tribute show, but it would likely not be popular with the older folks here.

Blackett's Ridge Memorial Hike for Dave

This has been my best hiking year here ever. I’ve been average more than 2 great hikes a week (in part due to the visit of my friend Mahlon) and about 10 days ago a group of us here in the park set out on a hike I have wanted to do for a long time.

The hike starts in Bear Canyon and goes past Seven Falls (I’ve been there twice already before this season) and continues on up the mountain into the Sycamore Reservoir area in Catalina Mountains and then circles back on the Hutch’s Pool Trail and finishes on the Telephone Line hike.

Joan showing her jewelry creations at Show and Tell

We were told that it was a 14-mile hike. When we finally finished the GPS devices carried by two of our hikers logged us in at 18.8 miles for the day, which was more than 9 hours of hiking. The last four miles of the hike was pretty quiet as we were pretty exhausted in the heat and just wanted to put one boot in front of the other to get to the end.

Hockey night in Tucson

The views were outstanding and there was plenty of water in Bear Creek and Sabino Creek so that was refreshing to see. Most of the other hikes were in the 7-8 mile range and all are in preparation for next week’s adventure as we hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, stay down in the bottom of the canyon for two days and then hike out on the fourth day. I think I’m ready, but I know it will be a grind.

Joan has been working hard at the health clinic, as long as doing her jewelry making.

She showed off her creations at “Show and Tell” here at the resort and I manned the Bible Study table at the same event. There are some very talented people here and they all showed off the stain glass, silver jewelry, stained glass creations, quilts, wood carving and other great activities offered here.

I know it probably sounds like bragging, and I really don’t mean it that way, but this park offers more activities both indoors and outdoors than any park we have ever stayed at. People here for the first time simply are stunned by the range of activities offered here.

Also since I last checked in we have attended a dance and a dinner show.

Lunch on the Bug Springs hike

Joan has been faithful about attending her aquacise class and I recently was asked to come on  board as a hike coordinator for the hiking group here which means I will be leading a couple of the hikes during our stay here next year.

It had been three years since we had our trailer carpets cleaned and the desert dirt and dust had taken a toll on our floor despite Joan’s constant attention to cleanliness. So we called the man who cleaned them before and he came out and cleaned them again.

However, because the carpets need time to dry, we decided to visit a new casino resort in the Apache lands north of here overnight to let the carpets dry. When Joan booked the hotel she thought she had lodged us at Apache Sky Casino which is about two hours north of here. As soon the carpets were done, we left for the resort arriving about 6 p.m.

Lunch on the rocks (with my friend Jim)

As we drove up the new driveway I was pretty confused to see the casino, but nothing that looked like a hotel. Inside we asked the clerk where the hotel was and she said “there’s no hotel here.” That’s when we discovered that Joan booked us into Apache Gold Resort, which was another hour north of Apache Sky.

We asked if they had a restaurant at the new Apache Sky Casino, because we were really hungry, and she happily replied “There’s a food truck out back.”  Not what we were looking for so we caged our hunger, got back in the car and headed to Apache Gold where we checked in and grazed on a nice prime rib.

The next day we returned to Apache Sky used up the free $30 free play they gave us and then headed back to Tucson in a small rainstorm because we had tickets to the Tucson Roadrunners hockey game. A number of our friends from the hiking club were also going and because it was $1 hot dog night we feasted on those.

A really bad hike selfie

We were also supposed to go on a Boneyard Tour (that’s a tour of the aircraft being stored in the desert at Davis – Monthan Air Force Base, but the Pima Air Museum really dropped the ball and never got back to us about the reservation we made for the tour. Not sure what is going on with the museum, but their customer service, at least in this instance was really lacking.

Well, another week went by so I’ll add an additional two great hikes, one at Bug Springs and another 13.2-mile hike to a back country campground in the Catalina Mountains. All of these hikes are in preparation for my big challenge coming on Wednesday, March 21, when 18 of us hike down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and spend two wonderful days along the Colorado River at Phantom Ranch.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, our friends Roger and Jessica have left the park to start their long amble home. They were stopping in Albuquerque to visit friends and I know they probably hit some pretty cold weather when they arrived there.

Arizona sunrise

They took us to dinner on Wednesday as they were going to be locked up with grandchildren for the last two days they were in the park. After saying good bye to them Saturday morning, March 17, I felt pretty sad when I returned an hour or so later and saw that there motor home had left. Safe travels friends!

So look here in a week or so and there should be some wonderful Grand Canyon photos to view. Looking forward to seeing our son, William, my cousin Cynthia, and sister Laura on our way home.

Talk to you all soon.

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.

Bobcats, coughs and lots of fun

Joan at MMM

Yeah, I know it’s been awhile. Sorry. There’s a lot going on here and it’s not all good. When we last left off Joan was receiving treatment for an eye infection. Just when that was getting better it was time for me to make my annual trip to Urgent Care, this time for a cough that wouldn’t go away.

Tuesday hike

Well two weeks into that treatment and the cough continues to hang on. The nurse practitioner at the Urgent Care said I had some kind of virus (well, duh) and that it would get better in a week. Well that was 10 days ago and I’m still hacking. It hasn’t kept me from all of our activities but it is annoying nonetheless.

A couple of Meet Me at Maynard's have come and gone we continue to work our way to our 50 MMM pins. We have the t-shirt that you get for 8 MMMs and the hat you get for 15 appearances. I think we are about 32 MMMs now.

We have seen two great shows since last I wrote. “Good Rockin Live” was a show about Sun Records and some of our favorite local musicians and singers were involved in that show. They did a great job covering songs by Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis, just to mention a couple of them.

My Bobcat buddy

This past Wednesday was William Florian, a former lead singer for The New Christy Minstrels, brought his great voice and folk music to the Voyager stage. His show is very audience-centered and he encouraged us all to sing along with all those great Peter, Paul and Mary songs as well as many others. We have seen him here before and I’d really like to book him for a Family Literacy Center fund raiser in Lapeer.

Friday night we attended the dinner show in the ballroom. The entertainment was The Sonoran Dogs, a group named after a spicy local hot dog, and again it was very good. The group, not necessarily the hot dog. If you want a sample go to You Tube and search for “Alice in Nogales.” A funny, but catchy tune that I always enjoy. The Sonoran Dogs have been here before. They have a great blue grass sound and the evening was wonderful.

Off on my own hike

I’ve been on a number of hikes in the past two weeks, including an easy hike at Sweetwater Park where we encountered a wild, but very calm Bobcat. I’ll post a photo here so you can see how close he came to us. Our group of five simply stood still and he walked up and by us.

For a point of clarification, when I hike with others I wear my good hiking shirts, you know the plain ones. When I go off into the wilderness on my own I wear a loud Hawaiian shirt so the rescue helicopter will be able to more easily spot me.

As per my son Tim I am working on making my "selfies" have more smiles than frowns. How am I doin?

Hoping that Joan might experience the Bobcat she and I returned to Sweetwater a few days later, but no Bobcat, but we did get a close up look at a Roadrunner. The guy was hiding in the bushes and was well camouflaged. When I started taking photos of him he moved off.

Roadrunner in the brush

I do need to stop and make a couple of observations. One involved one of the entertainment nights. We had taken our seats (we have the same seats for every show) and I looked around and noticed all the grey heads surrounding us.

I looked over to Joan and whispered, “What are we doing here with all these old people.” That observation was tempered by the stark feeling I had when I saw my new age (as of last month) written on the doctor’s sheet during my visit to Urgent Care.  Patient age: 70. And there is was, the first time I had seen my new age listed on any form. It kind of sunk in for a minute that I had made this new mile marker in my life.

Or in other words, “Where did 70 years go?”

Roadrunner escaping

Despite my cough and illness I have had a couple really good hikes recently with, and without the Voyager hiking group. One of them was in the Tucson Mountains. It was supposed to be a hike called “The Golden Gate Loop” trail. Unfortunately our leader made a wrong turn and we ended up on the Dave Yetman Trail, which is a beautiful hike, but not a loop.

So I went back alone on Friday and found the right trail and did the Golden Gate Trail by myself under a clear, warm Tucson sky.

Me on the mountain

This past Tuesday I went on a hike in the Rincon Mountains and we did a trail called La Milagroso Trail. Again we made a wrong turn and ended up on a trail on the opposite side of the canyon we were supposed to be on. Still it was a great hike and I’m going to go back at some point and do the trail we were supposed to do.

Joan has continued to make beautiful jewelry and I’ll post those photos here as well. She has quite a knack for making and then assembling the jewelry. We will no doubt pick up a few beads and trinkets at the coming Gem Show here in Tucson next month.

Our Tuesday hiking group on La Milagroso Trail

The Two’s Company group that was here for New Year’s Eve was back a week ago for another dance. One of the wonderful things about being here is they have a dance just about every week.

We also had our first “Market Daze” here at the resort and we bought a good supply of some homemade greeting cards, because the nice lady who has made them all the years we have been here is at a point in her life where she can’t do it anymore.

In fact that is one of the sad things about coming back here each year. As wonderful as it is to come and see our old friends, it is equally sad to return each year and find out that some of our friends are not coming back either because of health or that they have died since the last season.

Rain in the desert

This week alone we had two memorial services for two of our resort friends and there is another scheduled next Saturday for another.  In addition, the man who taught me wood carving four years ago took a fall off a ladder in Michigan and he and his wife are in assisted living care back in Michigan. They sold their home here.

Another couple we have come to know very well is a Canadian couple who always rent the casita right across from our space. We hadn’t seen them (they are always here when we arrive) and then learned from a mutual friend in the park that they had a serious accident on the way here and returned to Canada. They may or may not return next year.

Another couple (I wrote about them several years ago because they went with us to see the Sand Hill cranes) are not returning because their son tragically died in the spring last year. They are also selling their home in the resort.

Joan's latest creations

We have another couple we really enjoy spending time with but they are not here this year for a happier reason, they are on an around the world cruise on the maiden voyage of a new Viking Cruise liner. We hope to see them next year.

I know that this is all part of the circle of life, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Bonus hike photo

And because I’m in an observing mood these days, let me just say that as much as I am amused by the weather folks and the over the top panic in Michigan, it is worse in Tucson. We’ve had a couple days where there was the threat of rain and cold (when they talk cold here they mean daytime highs in the high 50s and low 60s).

But it’s the rain they go bonkers over. “Valley rain and mountain snow tomorrow.” And we got a little, but they still go crazy over a ¼-inch of rain and a couple inches of snow in the mountains is ridiculous.

Also during this period my wonderful sister-in-law Diane sent us a care package of my favorite soup - Andersen's Split Pea soup from Buellton, California. She apparently remembered me talking about the soup during a discussion about things to to around Santa Barbara and she sent me some. That's a great thing!

I'll really try to be a little more prompt with future postings.

A trip to Urgent Care highlights first full week in Arizona

One week in and we’ve already made our first trip to Urgent Care, but this time it was for Joan and not me. A couple years ago it was my ticker and shortness of breath that ate up a couple days in the hospital – for nothing as it turned out, but this time Joan has caught a nasty eye infection.

Eating out, Arizona style

Not sure where she contracted it, but she looks miserable with her swollen and red eyes. After a trip to the urgent care we made separate trips to two Walgreen’s until we found one that had the prescription salve she needed to clear up her eyes. The issue will keep her out of the pool for a couple days anyway.

Before Joan’s eyes went all crimson on us we enjoyed the Wednesday concert in the ballroom – To Ella With Love – a tribute to the talented Ella Fitzgerald. Crystal Stark – a popular local singer and American Idol finalist was the star of the show. The band wasn’t bad either.

Here’s a little story about Ella Fitzgerald – and me – that y’all probably didn’t know. Back in my days with the Atherton Police Department I used to work special details and one of the more memorable ones (I actually had a few memorable ones, including Shirley Temple Black, Mayor John Lindsay, Senator Ted Kennedy, to name drop a few) was an afterglow for a Boston Pops concert at Stanford University.

Joan's newest creations

Arthur Fiedler, the incomparable leader of the Boston Pops, brought his show to Stanford and Ella Fitzgerald with him. At the close of the show he and Ella were to come to a party at a mansion in Atherton where I worked. The host of the party gave specific instructions to only let the cars bringing Ella and Arthur into the driveway.

“Everyone else parks on the street,” were the instructions. So me, and two other officers providing security waited at the driveway entrance directing cars to on street parking. Finally a large black limousine came down the road and it was the vehicle carrying Ella Fitzgerald and it was directed into the driveway. At some point a small Toyota must have pulled up and without recognizing its very famous passenger it was sent to park down the road with the rest of the party goers.

A few minutes later here came the driver and his famous passenger, Arthur Fiedler, walking up the street. We were very apologetic, but Fiedler was gracious and understanding and told us he enjoyed the walk. That’s my one and only brush with Ella Fitzgerald – and Arthur Fiedler.

On Thursday, I had my first Men’s Bible study, Joan went to her Aquacize class (pre-eye infection) and then she walked the park. We were supposed to get a propane delivery, but when the truck arrived he declined to put gas in our tanks because they “expired” in July 2017. Fortunately we had gas in reserve, but now I had to deal with “expired” tanks. More on that later.

We went shopping at the newly remodeled and expanded Walmart near our park. They have all the sugar free items we need for our diet so we will likely be shopping there in the future. I also got the car washed and the gas tank filled. Plus, we returned a Christmas present I bought for Joan – an accessory for her Kitchen Aide blender – at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I purchased the item (which was too large for her Kitchen Aide) for a small one and they made the exchange even though I purchased the item in Flint, Michigan.

Cannabis Doctor sign spinner

We also passed a truly energetic sign spinner on our way home. The guy – a Frank Zappa lookalike – and obviously a refugee from the Haight Ashbury district of 1968 was wildly spinning and throwing a sign that advertised “Cannabis Doctor.” It appeared he had been testing some of the doctor’s medicine. Unfortunately a van blocked my attempt at a photo of him, but I did capture the sign.

So lots of chores completed on Thursday. Because of the very nice weather we ate outside on our picnic table.

Friday dawned with me heading to O’Reilly Chevrolet to check on why my “check engine” light keeps coming on in the Tahoe. Turns out it is a minor issue with some government mandated emission device and nothing I need to deal with during my time here. I did have them do an oil change so the trip wasn’t entirely worthless.

I stopped to price new propane tanks for the trailer, but before purchasing two $85 tanks I went to the Internet and discovered that a local company will recertify old tanks for an additional 5 years for $12.50 a tank. A $25 recertification sounded so much better than a $170 tank purchase, so while Joan went to her polymer clay jewelry class I made a short trip to Barnett’s Propane and got my tanks recertified and topped off.

Joan’s eye continued to get worse so after dinner we made the trip to Urgent Care so she could get medicine for her eye.

On Saturday morning I was up early to help set up tables and chairs for the donut and coffee gathering in the ballroom and then I worked out for an hour in the fitness center before returning to the ballroom to clean up the tables and chairs.

For dogs that can read

The head of security at the resort pointed out that the biggest area of concern in the park right now is dogs – both the noise and emissions they make. Apparently dog owners have not all been complying with rules about noise and emissions.

At least one owner believes that dogs can read as you can see by the accompanying photo.

“What we have here right now is a dog park that includes humans,” the security man said. Now you are up to date….

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.