We're Home !

Corona de Tuscon

June 30, 2021

We had a wonderful time in Moab and are already planing on returning.  Next time it won't be quite so hot.  On the way home we did a one night stop over at the Flagstaff KOA.  Its not one of our favorite places to stop, but the convenience of getting in and out easy along with the long pull thru sites (so we don't have to unhook Pearl) make up for the tight and unlevel sites.  Anyway, this stop was especially nice because friends were there...yep, we had a great (and much too short) visit with Carol and Ronnie.  We first met them along with their awesome pup Cooper at the San Diego Metro KOA in January 2013.  

January 2013

This is the first picture I have of the four of us.  We had brunch at Croce's Jazz Bar in San Diego. 

We arrived home on Friday the 25th.  Our MH stays in a covered storage facility about 15 miles from home.  When we bought our home, we also bought a small 6' trailer we could pull behind Pearl.  A trailer sure made the transition from MH to sticks and stucco a lot easier especially with 3 puppies loaded in the back of the jeep.  We have used it so many times for so many different things.  This trip it was chained and locked to the post at our storage site and when we returned it was easy to load it up with tubs and coolers to take all our belongings home.  

Our version of the Clampetts only we didn't strike oil !

Joe and I are still trying to wrap our heads around the idea that we have a stick and stucco home and a home on wheels.    I'm not sure I see long months at a time of traveling, but we definitely want to go places.  In the meantime, its so nice to have a home and a place where we also love to spend time.  

Our home faces west so until mid-day, the blinds in the kitchen window are open.  Monday while having breakfast we noticed lots of activity in the yucca tree just outside the window.  A pair of cactus wrens have decided to call it home...lucky us ! 

Cactus wrens build nests that are the size and shape of a football with an opening at one end.

While the female is incubating on a clutch of eggs, the male will build another nest for a second clutch as the pair will have several broods a year.  While mom is incubating the second clutch, the dad cares for the young in the first nest.  

Old nests are used throughout the year as places to roost.  Every home need fresh flowers !

Instead of doing a post on lots of redo projects, I thought I would share some along the way in different posts.  So the first redo to share is the floor.  Before we moved in the house, we had the carpet and tile removed in the living space, kitchen, foyer, laundry room, hallway and both baths.  We like carpet in the bedrooms, so it stayed.  This was a contracted project to dispose of the old flooring, install the new flooring, and paint and install new floor moulding. I am over the top excited with how it looks and feels AND, it's puppy proof and easy to clean!  

The old carpet and tile...

The new floor

Once all the old moulding was removed, I spent a weekend painting the bottom of the walls in all the space that was to have new moulding.  Sure made it easier later when we actually painted the walls.

 

The new floor...

There is nothing really exciting going on here except that we are living and enjoying every second of it.  So until next time...

 Yesterday's sunrise on our very early morning walk around the neighborhood...

HAPPY TRAILS !

Its a vacation!

Gopher Flats

Moab, UT

June 2021

Our Corona de Tucson backyard at sunset...

As most folks already know, Joe and I returned to Tucson last October 2020 (a month earlier than planned) for two reasons.  First to take care of some issues at the dermatologist and to find and buy a home.  Thanks to Dr Hu (who had to detach Joes ear lobe, remove a squamous cell carcinoma and reattach his ear lobe) and to Kevin Wood ( owner of The Wood Group and by far the best realtor in Tucson) we accomplished both goals by mid January.  The next several months were very busy. We finally moved in to our new home nestled in a quiet neighborhood in the small community of Corona de Tucson on March 3rd. 

After three months of hard work and settling in, it was time for a vacation.  Even though we knew it would be hot, we headed north to Moab.   

 

We arrived just in time to join MFFW for a clean up day on LaSal Loop Pass Trail.  

One of our favorite lunch spots.

The clean up crew parked for lunch...

 

We picked up trash along the way and removed several downed trees that were blocking the trail.

Tragically, the following Wednesday (June 9), an unattended campfire started the Pack Creek fire not too far up the road from Gopher Flats.  When I started this post a few days ago, the fire had burned 8,500+ acres and was only 36% contained.   Firefighters have worked tirelessly day and night and we counted 8 helicopters on the old airport strip across the street...the hum of the copters is constant. 

Day 1 photo taken from the doggie park at Gopher Flats.

Day 3 photo taken from Belle's front window.  It is surprising to me that the only time we smell smoke is early in the morning when its light out, but the sun isn't up yet.

Day 3 photo taken from the front of Dee's casita.

Dee’s photo taken from her balcony…

I copied this photo from Google.  It was taken from Canyonlands NP (over 60 miles away) by a news crew from Salt Lake City.

There are two reasons we came to Moab.  First to be here on Dee's birthday and the second reason was to visit with Dee’s sister, Kathleen. We  hadn't seen Kathleen in 6 years.  Outdoor activities have been scarce because of the heat.  But one morning...very early...we joined Dee and Kathleen for a trail run up Strike Ravine.  

 

Moab's version of Boulder City...

And another morning...also very early...we joined Sally, Dee and Kathleen for a hike.  Sally (a Moab local for about 10 years) hikes everyday.  We love meeting great, energetic people with a passion for sharing their favorite places. Sally now joins that list with Dee in Moab.  Our hike took us down into a valley with a a flowing stream, gorgeous cliff walls with several petroglyph sites, flowers and trees, and up and over lots of slick rock.  It was perfect...3.5 miles of captivating beauty with friends topped off with a yummy brunch in town. 

Sally, Dee and Kathleen lead the way.

Sally

I was definitely on camera overload !

Sally's puppy Billie Rose...

  

 

Such details...I love the antlers and split hooves !

Families...

Holding hands and...

and sticking together was a definite theme in this area.  So sweet !

It's been a great vacation for the puppies too.  We don't have grass at our house so they were totally into running, chasing lizards, rolling on their backs and just laying in the shady, cool grass.  

Our sweet Dover turned 14 this past January.

Jack, always the life of the party and a bit spoiled turns 13 in July.

And Sally who we rescued from a kill shelter in July 2009 (the vet guessed she was 2-21/2) made a few loops but mostly enjoyed rolling on her back in the grass. She is somewhere between 13-14 also. 

Joe and I celebrated our 38th anniversary this month. The love of my life.

Can't admit we have changed very much...but our children have definitely grown up with children of their own.  Time sure flies !

Many visits and lots of laughs, great food (at favorite restaurants..its just too hot to cook), and naps and relaxing filled most of days and evenings.  

So until next time, a blast from the past...

HAPPY TRAILS !