What We've Been Doing

 Hello Family & Friends,

We made a tough decision not to travel back to the Midwest the last part of November and early December.  With the Covid cases increasing and travel restrictions changing daily, we thought it was prudent to stay put and see how things go --- we hope to travel back in the spring if things get better -- so here's my thoughts of coronavirus at this particular moment --

But here's a funny that got me to laughing, because, really, what else can you do but try to get through and hope the other side gets here soon.

But on a lighter note, we have been busy fixing things -- the night LED lights work without blowing the fuse -- it was the light strip touching a screw head that had worked its way out of the wood.  So it was a mostly easy fix.  We are still waiting to work on the hydraulic jacks but need to get to it soon because the trailer is starting to need leveling ---- we'll see how it goes.

We did put the motorcycles and the one UTV out for sale in the annual garage sale and had lots of people remember their motorcycle days .... so we need to update some pictures and get them listed on Wickenburg Market place and Craig's List in Phoenix.  We wanted to wait until we knew what our travel plans were.

Ruger and Bob came for a visit and we got him up in the swing (with a little persuasion) but Ruger posed wonderfully for Darrel taking the pic (sorry for the sun glare but it was coming over the RV)

This is Patricia (far left) and 

her husband dropped by too.

I have been trying to catch pretty sunsets and between Carole helping me and watching the sunset time on my clock app, I have a couple to share.

This was one of Carole's pics she shared with me.

I happen to be running to the front of the park to get the sun behind the big Saguaro.

And one final, amazing pic -- walking one night on the back street was the owl sitting on the flagpole just waiting for dinner (NOT ME!!) and it was an amazing sight.

Carole took the pic with her flash as it was getting dark, and it was an amazing shot and shows up pretty well for the limited light.

Well, I guess I will close for now, the Internet is so slow that it is difficult for me to post somedays.  Thanks for reading even though I am a little tardy in getting an update.  OBTW, Darrel's back is doing better but still tender and we try to rest it whenever possible.  The weather has been awesome with warm days and cool nights.  Thanksgiving temps are forecasted in the 70's.

We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and that everyone keep safe and healthy!

Sending blessings from the road,

Susan & Darrel

Catching You Up

 Hello Family & Friends,

Guess I had better get to it -- I hope I can catch you up -- the Internet is my biggest enemy right now -- it runs so slow but here goes with all happenings for the last couple of weeks!

Been out walking at sunset before daylight saving time ended (which really doesn't impact AZ as we don't "fall back or spring forward" --

Nice desert view between the palms of Vulture Peak -- look toward the center, lower left corner -- the little blob with the 2 peaks

   

This is the moon on the night before Halloween ---

  

This was after dark, and the bright spot in the center is the moon, a planet in the left picture and I am not sure what the grayish white object is in the upper right of right picture --- just saw it when I uploaded!

Darrel put an AZ flag on the back of the UTV, I pointed out to him that he had it upside down!

  

He wonders why is back hurts, I think he was working on the boards for the swing!

Here's our rides -- he has the UTV and I have the bike!

Here's the swing -- I helped move it from place to place and held a few boards.

  

Chased a road runner (no, I am not Wiley Coyote) but we have one that runs across our lot a few times a week --- I had to be stealth because he was skittish.

  

He found some cactus fruit, I guess and was having a snack.

After he realized I was watching he gulped and ran the other direction.  They can be pretty mean and I guess they will go into trees after baby birds!

This is a firestick cactus and we are watering since we have been so dry -- they are pretty when it turns cold the tips get orangey red and look like a match head.

I watched Ruger one day when Bob had a doctor appointment, he was watching for Bob to come back -- he never gives me any problems but you can tell he is anxious -- we took a walk, a ride in the UTV and then he just watched out the door.

Talk about joy when Bob returns~

These are our watch animals -- a funny story, the dog was left by a friend (anonymously) at the shed's garage door while we were in Colorado -- then Bob got involved and put the cat on the "pet door" that goes into the walk thru door to the shed --- LOL, so now they are under the RV and guard the entry.

So my days seem pretty exciting huh?  We will be headed back to the midwest soon to see family and friends -- we have cooled off from highs in 80s to today 55, yikes, we don't really know what to wear each day.

Sending love and blessings from the road,

Susan & Darrel

Arizona has been HOT!

 Hello Family & Friends,

It has been awhile since I've put up a post -- we headed back to Arizona on October 1 and made the trip in one day --- we did take a different route, through the Navajo reservation -- we left early at 32 degrees and arrived back in Arizona to 105 degrees and 102 degrees in Congress!  Any Hoo, we had quite the journey and found ourselves experiencing Year 1 with problems to fix on the RV!

So I am going to just do a bullet list as to what we have been doing for the last 17 days!

• Sweltering in the heat -- yep, we left 72 degree days in CO and have been surviving 90-101 degree days in Arizona
• replacing a trailer block jack (one of the buckets we put under the outriggers that cracked)
• fixing the water softener (needed new parts as we have a cracked water filter and the housing cap) the washer actually hooked up and has been running well (YAY)
• starting up the refrigerator in the shed (which ran well) but work up the next morning and head this fan squealing sound -- so had to turn off and oil the fan -- but it is back to working!
• fixing the ceiling fan that has shook loose from the motor arm to run it up and down
• Did I mention surviving the heat???  -- yes, 10 days into excessive heat and I was ready to brave the snow in Colorado!!
• spending a few hours trying to track down a lighting issue that blows the fuse when you turn on that particular bank of lights -- which are the night lights --- still haven't tracked that one down.
• looking under the RV and seeing fluid which Darrel thought was either water or sewer but it turned out to be hydraulic fluid which means tracking down a leak (hoping it is loose connector but figuring it will be a split hose or in some place we cannot get to easily --- which is already difficult because it is under the RV and Darrel will need to be on his hurting back under the RV!?!?!?!
• Oh, and trying to do all of this with Darrel's back hurting and he can barely move?!?!?!?
• going to the dentist and chiropractor (for Darrel's back and had a gum bothering him) -- which means a drive into Peoria, AZ -- near Surprise to the offices and spending a day shopping.
• Did I mention surviving the heat???? Yes, I believe I have mentioned it 3 times -- next year I will not repeat returning to AZ with such high temps
• ......I am sure there are more tasks like, cleaning the RV from traveling, emptying out all that we haul to Colorado, reorganizing the shed (since everything was packed in there), paying bills, catching up with North Ranch residents, etc.

I think we are finally settling in --- and maybe can see the light at the end of the tunnel -- still many things to fix but will deal with them one by one.

While out driving the UTV we noticed smoke and behind us near a town call Crown King is the "Horse wildfire" which is quite a ways away but still can see and smell the smoke.

It was blowing towards Phoenix and we only got a slight smell.

And after talking to Darrel's brother in Colorado (which we had wildfires there as well but not near us) he sent a really scary looking photo of their skies from the Cameron fire still burning and threatening lots of home and buildings.

He deals with lots of smoke and ashes to clean up on their porch, deck and driveway.  I guess we are lucky that ours is not so intense and a further distance away.

Guess that is all I know -- we are safe and sound, staying healthy and hopefully will be visiting family in the Midwest soon --

Sending blessings from the road,

Susan & Darrel

PS  Send rain and cool -- the temps are dropping this week which is better but we NEED RAIN!!!!

Leaving Colorado 2020

 Hello Family & Friends,

This mostly likely will be my last post from Colorado 2020 -- we are packing up over the next 3 days and pull out early on Oct. 1.  I will miss Colorado but know the nights are getting chillier and there will be more snow.  One snow event this year was enough for me!

We have been out and about enjoying the Aspen color changes and the warm sun filled days -- we took a drive up to Summitville and have been out prospecting in the streams along Embargo (not doing so well with the prospecting : (  A few days of metal detecting and I can honestly say that Darrel is cleaning up the forest of metal junk -- shells, lead bullets and his latest find was a utility knife??

So enjoy the pics of the last few days in Colorado!

There are so many ways to view the Aspens colors, from the roads and from the mountain peaks --- I love the "batches" of Aspens that are nestled among the Pines.

We had beautiful blue skies and the clouds reminded me of Kansas -- all puffy and big!

Caught this valley on the way up to Groundhog park -- hard to give it just with my little Canon camera.

Each day they have grown in size -- the patches of Aspens.

This was taken from a high up vantage point -- again, my little Canon camera doesn't do it justice!

Tried to get a shot of the Aspens in the background with me in the foreground -- not so great, but you can see the distance of how far below we were.

Along the road of Aspens to Summitville -- tried to get Darrel's long arm to get the trees in the background -- we were goofing off and enjoying the day!

On the way to Seitz, we happened across a hawk on the fencepost -- I asked him to turn my way and he flew off, can you image that??

So thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the journeys/adventures we had this year in Colorado!

Sending blessings from the road and love and hugs,

Susan & Darrel

Catching You Up!

 Hello Family & Friends,

I cannot believe that we have just 10 days left before we head back to Arizona.  We took a trip to Darrel's brother's house (just north of Denver) and the only pictures I took was of Collegiate Peaks with all the snow on them.  It was beautiful and I've decided that pictures just don't do it justice, but then, when does it?

I kept trying to get a picture without traffic on the road, but it wasn't going to happen!

This one had a motorhome driving through 😆

The morning was chilly, we left South Fork with 41 degrees but the weather was much warmer north of Denver and we drove into upper 70's and mid-80's by the time we arrived.  We had a nice visit, the time always flies and we headed home on Thursday.

Over the weekend we took a drive up the mountain roads to see what shape they were in after the snowmelt.  Things are pretty dry on the surface but there is moisture under the ground.  Darrel was trying out a new pair of headphones on the metal detector but our finds included lead bullets, bullet jackets, rusty wire, and an utility knife so rusted you wouldn't have recognized it!  But at least he is finding metal!

On the way down the mountain in fact only about 4 or 5 miles from the RV park, Darrel spotted a herd of deer and we watched them for about 5 minutes -- they definitely knew we were there.  I couldn't decide which ones I liked the best, so I've included them all.

Mr. Buck was definitely a young man and he was herding the women and children up the hill.

Boy, don't they really blend?

Our last pic before they were gone from sight.

Sunday we went in search of Aspens --- to see if they were going to change color this year.  I think maybe?  We spotted a few and I hope we see more in the next 10 days.

Will try to see how well they do along Willow creek later this week.  We have the perfect temps, warming in the days, and chilly nights -- it should do the trick, especially after the snow moisture.

Better run, will try to get at least 1 or 2 more posts in before we travel (but don't hold me to it).

Sending blessings (and lots of love) from the road,

Susan & Darrel