Happy Easter to All

Dear Family & Friends,
Just a quick note to wish you all a Happy Easter!  Our weather has been spring-tacular.... but this week brings some possible rain.  I'm not staking too much on it as it seems to be a hit or miss pop up showers but cooler temperatures..

However, I want to share the Easter cactus in glorious blooms -- there are many of them through out the park and in the Saguaro Cactus Park.

This Easter cactus is in full bloom!  Most have only 3-4 blossoms, and they only last a day or two at the longest.  Depends on the wind, temps, etc.

This particular shrub or tree is Texas Mountain Laurel and was in beautiful bloom a few days ago,

also called the Mescal bean (those red beans I collect but this shrub hasn't grown those pods).

There are so many blooming things that I have had a few days of allergies develop plus the wind hasn't helped with the blowing allergens 😩so may have to get out the Zytek.

Darrel has been fine tuning the UTV after fixing a couple issue with the ball joints.  We continue to stay at home as much as possible, with a few desert rides, grocery restocking and post office pickups.

We wish you all a healthy Easter -- we will be celebrating in smaller versions, but I am sure the Easter Bunny will appear at your home to share the goodies he brings!

Sending love and blessings,

Susan & Darrel

Spring Time in Arizona

Hello Family & Friends,
Spring has sprung and the desert flowers are blooming!  Enjoy some of the pics from around North Ranch and from out in the desert.  Carole is pretty good at taking and sending to me as we walk (our social distance of 6 feet) the streets in the park.

These are a wildflower but they also have found a way to live at North Ranch

The funny thing is that when the sun goes down, they close up like a Morning Glory -- I think someone told me these are from the poppy family?

White, yellow-orange, blazing colors over the desert.

I found some of these flowers in fuchsia

and a few more in purple with the yellow added in.

More flowers....

And they just grow in patches, and you ride by and catch the color along the trails.

These yellow flowers grow in bushes and they just pop up everywhere

So enough of the flora -- now for the OWLS!!!  Yes, we have a pair with a nest of babies across from the Activity Center.  They are tricky to spot but you can hear them at night hooting as they hunt for dinner for the family.

Carole has a really neat gadget, it is a pair of binoculars that attach to her iPhone and she can zoom in to take photos.  Here is one of the owls in the branches of a palm -- they usually come out after 6pm and further to the end of the branches as dark approaches.

Here one is perched on the reflectors on the water tower  -- I liked the pinkish clouds in the sky as the sun set.

We lost them as they were hunting and then I saw one perched on the roofline of the activity center.

They don't seem to mind us watching but we haven't found the nest which is hidden in a Yucca tree. We keep hoping to see the babies start to fly but that is still probably a few weeks away.

OK on to my funny note (really a note of frustration) -- I was trying to open one of the protein drinks you can take on the go -- 

I finally got the cap off after taking the scissors to the plastic wrap that didn't have a "perforated" tear strip and then I find it sealed in foil which is not the easiest to peel off either -- so I must be getting old as it took me 5 mins. to get to my drink!?!?!? and I'm trying to figure how you could do this on the go?

Anyway, just a small annoyance and with all that is going on in the world, a -100 on the worry scale but I just had to share....

Hope everyone is well and finding their way -- enjoy the small things to get us through.

Sending love and hugs,

Susan & Darrel

Blazing a Trail and what a View

Dear Family and Friends,
My last post was St. Patrick's Day and then the crazy began in Arizona and throughout the United States.  Like many others we are trying to filter our way through how to deal and look for support from family and friends.  I truly appreciate all the texts and phone calls, the meme funnies and sharing the news that changes so quickly, I sometimes cannot remember was happened the day before.

But we are finding our normal in these crazy times and I have many photos to share with you -- this may turn into a couple of posts just to help you not get bored reading through.  Here goes and I hope I make sense but don't count on it!

Traveling Bob's Old Trail -- Bob found one of the old trails that had been overgrown and was difficult to travel without being hit by mesquite, creosote bushes and other misc. brush -- so with the 3 of use and of course, Ruger, we headed out to open the trail for travel.

It was a beautiful day and the skies were partly sunny so it was cool.

This cactus had a pretty awesome next tucked between the barrels -- pretty big so I'm thinking hawk, falcon or owl.

Darrel and Bob are deciding on the route and we are moving the UTVs a few feet and making sure we were able to pass.

At the end of the trail there was a really steep decline (or incline) depending on which way you were traveling, so Bob headed down and we waited to see how it went.

Ruger was still in the back, so that is a good sign since he is known to jump out if the going gets too rough.  He is a smart dog!

You cannot really see from the pic how far down it descends but trust me, it was a steep descent.

Maybe now, you can see how far down we go.

We came back the long way by the cattle ponds and a great overlook ---

The cows are not sure what to make of us and Ruger -- so mostly they just watch.

Lots of water still for the desert.

Here's my boys, appreciating the view -- Bob, Ruger and Darrel

Ruger never stops looking for wildlife, I bet he puts on double the mileage we walk as he explores the terrain.

We headed out about 9:15am and returned around 3:30pm so it was a long day, but the trail was awesome and now e can travel without ripping up the UTV or our arms and faces from the overgrowth.

Stay turned for the next post ..... more pictures to follow.

Sending blessing from the road,
Love,
Susan & Darrel

These are Weird Times??

Hello Family & Friends,
Thanks to everyone who has called, email and sent texts checking in on us and we hopefully have touched base with a lot of you through those communication means.  With Social Distancing the norm, many changes occur hour to hour and sometimes even soon.

We are doing well -- and try not to watch too much TV to up the anxiety and stress.  Here at North Ranch they have cancelled all activities until June 17 or until further notice.  So that means the clubhouse, activity center, pickleball barn and any and all special events are closed and locked.

I remember other critical events ie. Y2K, 9/11, Avian (Bird flu), the 2008 financial crisis -- and I can even go back further to the fuel shortage in the 70's and a lot of you go back to Viet Nam, World Wars, other Wars, depression and on an on --- we have a marvelous brain function that forgets "heavy duty" painful events --- and so we can reflect back and remember that we came through!!!!

We are trying to minimize our exposure with only essential activities like doctor appointments, grocery shopping and post office runs.  We stocked up on books today because it is likely the library will close at some point.  And as mentioned in an early post, we are finding all kinds of "RV" home projects to complete -- and shed cleaning/reorganizing.  We are trying to up our exercise to alleviate the worry and when the weather cooperates, a few desert rides are on the way.

Fortunately, Yavapai county has no known cases so that is good news.  We are healthy and we have essentials for about 2 weeks (maybe a little more with creative meals) --- as with so much of the country we are in a wait and watch, and trying to remain positive that this too will pass.

I am amazed at the positives and kindness (no matter how small or large) that I find each day online, in the news or shared by family/friends ----- today I received a free pattern from one of the cross stitch shops I follow and they sent out a pattern to download during this crisis ....

We keep all of you in our prayers and please let us know how you are doing!  I guess the saying "What doesn't kill you, makes you Stronger" says it all --- I just didn't think it would apply to a Pandemic!

Sending love and blessings from the road,
Susan & Darrel

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hello Family & Friends,
Well, with all the cancellations of about everything in Arizona (and around the USA), we celebrated Irish Day quietly with many texts from friends and family as well as a couple of phone calls.

One of my early morning St. Paddy Day wishes was from Archie!

He really looks pretty dashing in his green, Irish hat perched on his head -- not quite the leprechaun, but he is about a tricky as one.

I was hoping to see Ruger in green, but don't think Bob is "Irish" 😀 -- would have been a picture to keep but Ruger mostly wears Wisconsin Red!!!

On Monday, Darrel did get his permanent crown on his tooth and we had eye appointments that had been scheduled before the "lockdown" happened.  We are doing home chores and are expecting rain Wed. through early Thursday -- it is time to reorganize the shed so things are easier to find.

OK, keep reading for Post #3 -- and find out how we are surviving COVID-19 in Arizona.

Sending Love and Blessings from the road,

Susan & Darrel

La Fiesta at North Ranch

Hello Family & Friends,
With all that is going on with COVID-19, I wanted to start with what happened before the bottom fellout!

North Ranch celebrates the beginning of the park with an annual event call La Fiesta -- over the years it has changed in activities and I remember that last year it was co-chaired by a couple of residents.  It is a large event with activities on Friday and Saturday.

This year no one came forward to be a chair or co-chair of the event but that didn't stop the North Ranch residents -- the craftshow went on, the luncheon on Saturday, a dance on Friday night and the Sandbag baseball tournament.

So Darrel and I participated in the sandbag baseball tournament and I've included pictures of the event.

Here is Susan pitching a sandbag towards the board --- see next picture

Darrel guards the board and picks up the sandbags to return to the opposite team players.

Most people call this "cornhole" or bean bag toss, but as you can see the board is on a slant and is labeled with out, foul, homerun, and each base number.  It was a fun day -- our team actually made it to the final 4, so for only a practice for 30 minutes, I'd say we did OK....

Anyway, it was a smaller event, but just as much fun.  We had great weather and people were without the worries coming our way in the short future....

Keep on reading, more posts to follow!

Sending love and blessings from the road,

Susan & Darrel

Looking Up!

Hello Family & Friends,
Do you ever spend much time just looking up at the sky, or up in a shed or building?  We have so much air traffic from jet liners to Luke Air Force Base jets that sometimes the sky is just filled with interesting line designs.  I've captured a few to show you!!!

When the jets start flying, they sometimes release smoke/vapor (I am hoping NOT jet fuel) and the loops and zigzags they do are pretty impressive.

And as the winds stir up the smoke (vapor), they blend and make all kinds of shapes and designs.

Really blowing out of the line!

I caught our flag in between the squiggles --- pretty awesome!

And then there was a commercial jet line (they stay pretty straight).  I can always tell the difference from the flyboys vs. the airline pilots : )

One more spreading line .....

And then I caught the moon (circle) and the line to the left, it was an amazing day to see so many different sky markings.

Below is Darrel's handyman storage feature, he has built a rack to store lumber and odds and ends in the storage shed.  So when I walk in, I look up to find it already full!

Also, notice the Harbor Freight "free" flashlights magnetically sticking on the refrigerator.  That is our way to have light in the shed, and it comes in handy when I trek out there after dark.

Hope you have enjoyed my Looking Up post -- and maybe it will inspire you to look up because the same Sun and Moon you see at your home, is the same one I see at my home -- connected!!!

Blessings from the road and sending love,

Susan & Darrel