Wishing You A Happy And Healthy 2014!

We had a great 8 mile hike today at McDowell Mountain Regional Park.  Hope your New Year's Celebration is wonderful and that it continues throughout 2014!

Heading Out To Ring In 2014!

Well we are all loaded up and will head out this afternoon to McDowell Mountain Regional Park to ring in the New Year!

We will be joining three other couples who we have camped with before, so it should be fun. Tracy has to work tomorrow, so we will be shuttling back and forth for that, but luckily she has New Year's Eve and Day off, so we will be able to enjoy some hikes and some R&R. 

Looks like the weather will be great for the next few days, so we will be soaking up some good sunshine. 

Hope you are all doing great, thanks for the visit and have a safe and enjoyable New Year wherever you are and whatever you are doing!

Merry Christmas and Chihulys!

I can't really believe that today is Christmas Eve and tomorrow it will be all over again for another year.  I have been so busy with work, that this holiday as just slipped by unfortunately.  

But it has been great having both Stephanie and Sarah home the last few days, that is the best Christmas present that I could possibly receive!

We went to the Desert Botanical Gardens last evening to see the Chihuly in the Garden Display.  Boy were they beautiful, but boy was it cold! 

Kevin, Stephanie, Sarah and Tracy!

We want to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and Happy and Healthy New Year!   

 

Wishing you and yours a very safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving.  We are thankful for all of you!

Great Day And Great Visit!

We slept in again today and waited for the clouds to blow out and the rain to finally stop.  After breakfast, we braved the elements and headed out for a hike.  Although the path was wet, we were able to get in a good hike and see some wild life as well.

Clouds and Rain!

We found a tarantula moving slowly down the trail in our direction, so it gave us a chance to get a picture. Ranger Mark at the Visitor's Center told us that he was a male and was looking for a mate. He also said that following the mating process, the female kills and eats the male. Puts a bad marriage into a whole new perspective. 

Marching to his death:-(

We saw that Rene and Jeanette were headed to Lake Pleasant today and they were just too close to our location to not stop by and say hello. I have followed their Blog for quite some time and we were so excited to meet them in person. They are such a warm and welcoming couple and we enjoyed great wine, snacks and conversation in the living room of their beautiful 5th Wheel.  It was so great to meet and learn more about them and their wonderful family. There was only one thing that would have made the visit even more perfect, and that would have been if their beautiful Grandson Easton was with them, so that we could have met him in person too.  What a great day with a wonderful couple, we hope your time in Arizona is enjoyable. We look forward to getting together with you both again very soon!

Rene and Jeanette

Thanks for stopping by for a visit and we hope that your upcoming Thanksgiving week is a safe and enjoyable!

Rain, Rain And More Rain!

Due to work commitments, we don't get many opportunities to get out and enjoy our RV during the year. When we do decide to get out, I sit at my computer using the online reservation system to guess which weekend would be the best. 

I am about 50% successful with my guessing, hitting either excessive heat or even snow in April, freezing cold in October or non-stop rain in November, which has been what we have had this weekend in Cave Creek Arizona. 

I waited most of yesterday to get out between the downpours and was successful getting set up before it was time to head home to pickup Tracy after work. We drove back up to the campground in the dark and pouring down rain, neither of which I enjoy driving in. 

We cooked our hamburgers on the stove , sorry George, no Weber last night, and settled in for a long night of rain tapping on the roof. I know that some folks like that sound, it just keeps me awake. :-(

Well our normal routine is to pack up and head home on Sunday, which normally is the most beautiful day of our stay, but not this trip.  We decided to fool the elements and head out on Monday. It will be interesting to see how our plan works. 

The great news is that we get all of the local stations, so we can watch the ASU Sun Devils win tonight and hopefully catch the Cardinals game tomorrow as well. 

Either way, we are just happy that we can be out and about and I will sign off now because the sun just peaked through the clouds, which may mean that we get a hike in today. Thanks for the visit and enjoy your day wherever you are and whatever you are doing!

A Rose By Any Other Name...And Great News!

I couldn't resist bragging about our roses this year.  Many of you may remember our visit to the International Rose Test Garden, while in Portland Oregon a few months ago and my pictures of some of their award winners.  Well I have to say that our roses this year are just as beautiful (in my opinion only) and smell good besides!

Rose Garden Rose!

Our Rose!

Well enough about roses.  The real exciting news came last evening while we were Skyping with Stephanie.  When Steph and Randy got married three years ago and then moved to Oregon, we found out that they would only be spending every third Christmas with us, because they would spend one year with Randy's Dad, one year with Randy's Mom and the third year with us. :-( Well I don't specifically remember making that agreement, but anyway, that's the way it has worked.  

So Steph and Randy were with us last year and Tracy and I were sad to think that we wouldn't be seeing them for Christmas for two more years (remember the rotation above), but Stephanie surprised us and said she will be joining us this year for Christmas!!!

Seems that Randy's Mom wants to celebrate on the weekend following Christmas, when everyone was going to be available, so Steph will arrive on 12/23 and head back 12/27.  We couldn't be more excited! We are sad that Randy won't be able to join us because of work, but it will be so great to have at least one of them with us for the big day.

So we will be busy getting ready for what I know will be a wonderful Christmas this year, with both Sarah and Stephanie at home.  I got so excited that I already set up the Christmas Tree, much to my wife and daughter's dismay, but we will be busy, busy, busy over the next six weeks, so there is no time to waste.  

I hope you have some exciting plans for the holidays and thanks for stopping by for a visit!

God Bless Our Veterans!

Thank you all for your sacrifice!

Beautiful Arizona Weekend!

Well we were able to slip away early on Friday to McDowell Mountain Park for the weekend.  The weather was absolutely beautiful and we enjoyed hiking and biking over the two days we were there.  

Space 70 - One of our favorites!

Our Beautiful View!

Our friends from church had never been to the park and enjoyed their time as well.  Tracy and I enjoyed having them with us, even though we didn't have as much alone time as we usually do. 

Our Friends in Space 69 across the street

We were packing up yesterday morning and a car came by to tell us that the electrical was out in the park.  I had just unplugged the rig, so the timing couldn't be better to head down the hill to home.  

Enjoyed watching football, snacking and napping yesterday afternoon and I am back at it today.  

I have been helping Sarah's boyfriend Jake with finding a replacement car for his Mustang which was involved in a hit and run accident.  I did most of my research on cars.com and helped him to locate a 2012 Hyundai Veloster at the same dealership where we bought the Silver Streak in July.  I put him in contact with our salesman who was great during our purchase and he was able to do a deal and seems very happy.  The car would be a little small and a little too sporty for me, but I am not 21 years old anymore!

Jake's new ride!

I received an email from the salesman yesterday thanking me for the referral and letting me know that he had dropped a check for $100 in the mail.  I sure didn't expect to be paid for the referral, but it was a nice surprise.  So we will use the referral bonus to take Jake and Sarah out to our favorite Italian place for dinner tonight, that way we all benefit!

That's it for now, glad to hear that our southbound friends are making it to Arizona and places elsewhere safely and thank you all for the visit!

Tricked or Treated?

Happy Halloween, it is hard to believe that October is over and Thanksgiving and Christmas will soon be upon us.  

We had a great time at our church's Trunk or Treat Event on Friday night.  The event is free and it continues to get bigger each year.  I would estimate that there were over 2500 people strolling around this year and filling their bags with candy.  

Very Creative Trunks

Crowd Scene

Tracy and I were working the photo booth again this year, which keeps us out of the crowds and gives a great opportunity to enjoy the very cute and creative costumes!

Two of our Photo Booth customers!

Tonight is Halloween and we never know how many kids we are going to get in our neighborhood.  We live at the end of a cul-de-sac and I have the feeling that the kids are either too scared or too lazy to walk to the end of the street.  This is the first year that we didn't carve a pumpkin. I was shocked at how the prices had gone up, so we elected to just use our plastic pumpkins this year.

Maybe my pumpkin scared them away?

Or our Scarcrows?

 

Hopefully the plastic pumpkins will work!

The treat for us this year will be to give all of our Halloween candy away, while enjoying the kids costumes.  The trick will be having candy left over, which of course, Tracy and I will be forced to eat! :-)

Either way it will be a fun evening and the ASU Sun Devils will be on TV besides, so if I don't have to get up to answer the door, all will not be lost.

We are excited to get up to McDowell Mountain Park for the weekend with our friends from church.  We have our favorite spot reserved and the weather is supposed to be perfect at 80+ degrees.  

If you happen to be in the park this weekend, we are in Space 70, so stop by and say hello.  

Well I better start getting things loaded up for the weekend, so I will wish you all safe and enjoyable travels and thanks for the visit!

Back In The Saddle Again!

Well I will have to say that our time in Oregon was the best time away that we have had in a long time.

I'm not sure if it was the fantastic weather, being away for an entire week, the wonderful Fall colors and beautiful scenery, spending great times with family and friends, or if it was all of these things combined, but it was truly memorable for sure!

It was great to get home Saturday night and have a day to prepare for the week ahead. The weather here this weekend was great and we spent as much time as possible outside yesterday.  

But today we are both back at it and looking forward to our next short getaway to McDowell Mountain Park in November.  

There were so many wonderful pictures that we took that it was hard to narrow them down to our top picks, but below are some of them.  

I hope that your week is off to a great start and we wish all of our Canadian friends who are heading South safe and enjoyable travels!

Tracy and Steph at Lincoln City, OR

A beautiful Sunday!

A clear sunny Portland day!

Cold Day at Multnomah Falls

Colene Clemens Winery - Lunch on the patio!

Wonderful Fall Colors!

 

Oregon Parks!

Well our days here in a Oregon are quickly coming to an end and it will be time to head back to our Arizona home tomorrow. 

We have sure enjoyed our week here and have covered a lot of beautiful ground. Yesterday we had a wonderful lunch at the Chart House on the top of the hill in Portland with our SIL Randy's Grandparents. It was a real treat with great food and beautiful views of the city and mountains in the distance. 

We have sure enjoyed the parks here in Oregon, they are beautifully manicured and the facilities are second to none.  Tracy and I enjoyed exploring a park on a hill near Old Town Sherwood and then yesterday we visited George Rogers Park in Lake Oswego, which was set right on the river with great hiking trails and beautiful surroundings.  I would highly recommend it!

Old Town Sherwood was a little disappointing because the businesses have closed due to renovations in the area as well as the tough economy.  We spoke with one business owner who said she had been there for 20 years and was struggling to keep her doors open. It is always sad to see an area struggling financially, I hope they make it!

Many of you know that Tracy is allergic to onions and garlic, which makes eating out a little challenging. I saw the sign in Sherwood announcing the Great Onion Festival and couldn't resist taking a picture of it for Tracy. I can assure you that she won't be attending. 

Susan caught my error in my Wednesday post regarding lake homes along Wilsonville Road. She was absolutely correct that they are not lake homes, but rather beautiful homes along the river that unfortunately could not be seen from the road, at least the road we were on. :-(

Today we are off to Colene Clemens Winery with Steph and Randy. Both were able to get the day off, so we are looking forward to having a great day amongst the grapes. 

Hope your week had been great and thanks for the visit!

Great Day With Friends!

I was going to use the title of "Great Day With Old Friends" because we haven't seen our friends Bingo and Sharon for over 15 years, but I didn't want anyone to mistakenly think I was referring to them as old!

We have been having an amazing time here in Oregon and yesterday was no exception.  We connected with Bingo and Sharon who live in Troutdale, OR for breakfast and sight seeing.  Although we haven't seen them for over 15 years, it was like we had just seen them yesterday and the conversation flowed easily. 

Bingo was a great tour guide and took us up the Columbia River Gorge and to Multnomah Falls, he even lent us heavy jackets and beanies to wear, because he knows we are wimps from AZ when it comes to cold weather. :-)

From there we went to the Bonneville Dam and fish hatchery to visit Herman, the seven foot Stergeon. He and his friend gave us a real show. 

Then it was time to head south as Bingo was off to work where he teaches Drivers Education. We headed down to see Stephanie's classroom and to have dinner with she and Randy at a local Mexican Restaurant.

Today we are off to have lunch with Randy's Grandparents in Canby, followed by a drive by the lake homes on Wilsonville Road and maybe even a visit to Camping World if time permits.  

I am really starting to enjoy this lifestyle, it will be hard to get back to reality next week. Thanks for stopping by and be safe out there!

Amongst The Roses And A Near Miss!

Yesterday was another perfect day here in Oregon. We set out to see the International Rose Test Garden in Portland and boy were we glad we did.  

The garden is set in the middle of Washington Park and has a beautiful view of the city.  Although we were a little late to see the roses in their full beauty, we did see many award winners.  

The day was so nice that we decided to visit the Japanese Garden just up the hill which opened at noon.  After a brief snack, we headed up the hill, paid our $9.50 per person (no senior discounts yet) and headed into the garden.  

The gardens were absolutely beautiful and I would recommend a visit if you haven't already seen it. We covered the entire park ourselves and as we were getting ready to exit the garden, a free tour was assembling, so we joined them.  This having no place to be and nothing really to do, is fun!

Our tour guide was excellent and showed us things in the garden that we had missed our first time through.  She also provided us with the history and meaning of things within the garden, which took our visit to a whole new level.  Our hour with her was well worth the time and we hated to see it end.  

On the way home I had a call from my business partner and noticed a motorcycle cop with his lights on behind me.  Tracy said I don't think you are allowed to talk on the cell while driving...shoot, I didn't know that!  About the time that I was pulling over to the side of the road, he went around me and pulled a van over that had pulled in front of me as we were merging onto I405. Whew, what a break and I will be using the speakerphone from now on!

Had a nice dinner with the kids at home last night and watched several episodes of My Cat From Hell! This show is about a wild looking guy named Jackson Galaxy who is a band member by night and deals with cat behavior issues by day. This show is pretty wild, if you haven't seen it. 

We are off to see friends that we haven't seen for 15 years in Troutdale today and then off to Steph's school in Canby this afternoon, so the adventures continue!  Thanks for the visit and we hope your day is going great as well!

Beautiful Day On The Oregon Coast!

Wow, we have been spoiled since arriving at our daughter and SIL's place in Wilsonville, OR. Saturday was raining and overcast, but then the rain stopped and we were able to enjoy a street fair in Lake Oswego. 

Our SIL Randy was working on the coast and called to tell us that the sun was shining and we should head west, even though it was cold and overcast in Wilsonville. 

So with our Venti Starbucks in hand, we headed to Lincoln City and boy am I glad we did, what an absolutely beautiful day!

We stopped at Bob's 60's Diner where we had wonderful burgers and chocolate shakes, yum! (Sorry no pictures).

Then it was off for a walk on the beach. I was not familiar with the area, so I randomly pulled down a street and there was a beach entrance, a perfect parking space and a bathroom, doesn't get any better than that!

We enjoyed a long walk on the beach in the sunshine, explored the sea life amongst the rocks and checked out a few future rental possibilities on the hills above the beach. 

We met up with Randy at the outlet mall and were able to get some early Christmas shopping done, buying them both jackets that they wanted.  Tracy and I didn't do too bad ourselves with a new pair of Under Armour tennis shoes for me and a purse for Tracy!

So our kids are off to work today and we are off to explore some hiking trails.  The sun is up and it is supposed to be in the 60's with no rain, so we are thrilled.  

We are having such a great time in Oregon, I am starting to get a feel for what many of you experience every day, and I have to say that I like it a lot!  

Glad to see that our Canadian friends had wonderful Thanksgiving feasts with their family and friends, sure made me look forward to our feasts next month!  

We are off, thanks for stopping by and have a safe and wonderful day, I know we will!