I like the way your sparkling earrings lay
Upon your skin so brown
And I want to sleep with you in the desert night
With a million stars all around
I get a peaceful easy feelin'
And I know you won't let me down
'Cause I'm already standin'
On the ground
(Lyrics by Jack Tempchin. Song recorded and performed by "The Eagles" in 1972.)
Yes, I get a peaceful easy feeling when I reflect on our adventures to, in and from the Valley of the Sun 2016. It has been a wonderful experience. Sure, we had some bad days, but when I look back it is hard to remember too much about them. Why do you suppose that is? Maybe it is a glass half full kinda thing. I'll have to ask my brother Mike about that.
I'm not sure I can put into words how much we loved our community in the desert. It seems that every year we return the bond with old friends gets stronger. A bonus is that we continue to make new friends which make our community even stronger.
January got off to a great start. Dana and I got to ride our bikes in the sun on New Years Day. A beautiful memory. Then, one day later I went down with a flu bug. I lost 2 weeks, maybe 3 until I felt fully recovered. I plan on speaking with my medical team back home about the value of getting a flu shot when 2 years in a row I have ended up with the flu. Dang!
Once again this year we played in the Bocce Ball League with Tony and Gayle. We finished league play with a winning record. There are 500 plus members of the Bocce Ball Club playing League. The physical condition of the players range from athletes to invalids. I have not seen anyone playing from a wheelchair or walker but there are some players that require physical assistance from team members to participate. Okay, I'm only going to say this once. Bocce Ball is a diabolical game. I have not consulted my theologian friends but I'm pretty sure the origin of the game is the Garden of Eden. It is written somewhere, I think in the book of Bocce, verse 666, that Satan was behind the development of the game. Back then instead of man made bocce balls they used apples. I'm not making this up, I'm just telling you what I heard. Adam and Eve were the first to play, and lose. The rest is as they say, history. But I digress....
I had a pretty decent golf game this year. Of course, being that it was golf my game was up and down, good and bad, sometimes (rarely) very good. Thursdays with brother Mike and the gang at Superstition Springs was a great time. Sundays with a larger group called the "Royal Canadians" at Sun Land Village was less frustrating and equally a great time. As was the case last year I got in a couple of rounds with JD at Sun City West and one round with Steve at Red Mountain. The round at Red Mountain was special as brother Mike joined in for the fun and frustration offered by one of the toughest desert course in Mesa.
Birding and bird photography this year was fantastic. Dana and I did not bird as much as last year, probably owing to the cold weather in January but all the same we got out a lot and saw a lot of great birds and birding locations. Good news is that we did not see any snakes. Not that I was over concerned about seeing snakes. We got to renew friendship with our birding friends, which was special. I got some good photos many of which I have yet to review, edit or delete. By the way, I have found that the secret to photo file management is to be very disciplined in the application of "R.E.D." That stands for Review, Edit, or Delete. Some days I come home with 700 or more photos. If I don't apply RED, in a few days I could be overwhelmed with photos. Consider this a free tip on digital photo management.
We really enjoyed staying in our new trailer house on 14th street. This year we had to move from 1402 to 1413. The new (to us) trailer had some extra space the 1402 did not have. The drawback was only one bathroom but other than that the new place was very comfortable and well equipped. We left a deposit with the owner for January-March 2017 so our intentions are to return for another winter. Lucky us!!!
I remain fascinated with the political scene in the U.S. In a weird sort of creepy way it has been special to be in the U.S. during these very turbulent times. I think everyone has long given up trying to predict what will happen next, or heaven forbid, what the outcome will be in November. I know I have. Oh, it was fun at the beginning to observe the silliness and the sensational, then write about it. Now however after 3 months and more mud slinging than you might see at a Jerry Springer show, it is just very tiring, frustrating, confusing and fascinating and compelling. Very weird, eh. My last word on the outcome is that Trump will not get the nomination on the Republican side because just before their convention there will be a revelation about Trump that will sink his hope for the nomination. John Kasich will garner enough votes on the 3rd ballot to win the GOP nomination. All will be revealed on FOX News and detailed in the National Enquirer, both now reported by themselves to be legitimate news organizations dedicated to truth and justice in reporting. God Bless America!
Seriously, the state of the State of the Union is precarious. In my view the U.S.A. is at a crossroads in their history. State rights are playing an increasing role in shaping public policies. Many of these policies have morphed into state laws and many of these laws violate the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. federal government seems paralyzed and is unable to deal with rogue states. The 2 party system that has existed since the creation of the country is in the process of collapse. Is this the start of an evolution, or revolution? Frankly it is difficult to say at this point. What is safe to say is that emotions are running very high throughout the country. Current and prospective political leaders appear unwilling or unable to cooperate or compromise to reach consensus on major issues. Public intervention is on the increase and may escalate from peaceful demonstration to something more sinister. How could one not pay attention to this situation. I am looking forward to observing it from the safe confines of Canada. Welcome home! Yessss!!!
I don't want to close out my last post ranting about the U.S. political crisis. So, I want to tell you a little bit about our trip north to Canada. Okay I am actually still in the U.S., Point Roberts to be precise, but we formally crossed into Canada this afternoon as we were enroute to the Point. This was the 7th year we made the return trip from Arizona. Hands-down this was the best return trip. The roads were great. The accommodations were good. We found plenty of coffee along the way, which as you know is very, very important ;-) We got see niece Carly in Salt lake City, truly a highlight for UB & AD. And, the icing on the cake was our 2 day visit with Aunt Lynda and Uncle Bob on Whidbey Island. A bonus is being at the Farm here at the Point with loved ones.
Our routing north was pretty simple. Green Valley to Kanab, Utah via Interstate10 and Hwy 89/89A. Kanab to Salt Lake City via Interstate 15. SLC to Pendleton, Oregon via Interstate 84. Pendleton to Seattle, then to Whidbey Island via Interstate 82, 90 and 5. Today we drove Hwy 20 to I-5 then north to Canada, eh. Just givin' 'er, eh. God it's great to be back north. Whoa! Did I just write that? It's raining. It's barely in the mid 50's. But yes, it is good to be back, close to home. Tomorrow we will catch the ferry to the Big Island and then we will really be home. I'm really, really trying to stay positive about being back north. I had such a great time in the desert. I love the heat of the desert. I love the sounds of the desert. Heck, I love everything about the desert, except maybe the scorpions and snakes, er, I mean politicians.
Well, that's a wrap. Time to bring the curtain down on another fabulous Adventure in the Valley of the Sun. I hope you have enjoyed my stories, rants and raves, and the photos. I have enjoyed bringing them to you. Next year, God willing and the creek don't rise we'll go back to the desert for another Adventure in the Valley of the Sun. Some J.J. Cale to close the show......
Sometime you do, sometime you don't
Sometime you will and sometime you won't
Sometimes it's better to leave it alone
Slow it down, ease it, you let it be gone, gone, gone
Bring down the curtain, we've been movin' on
Lyrics by: J. J. Cale - Bring Down The Curtain | MetroLyrics
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| Vermillion Cliffs at Navajo Bridge, northern Arizona. |
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