It’s a Wonderful Life

Posing for a Christmas morning photo in front of the tree…I mean cactus. Ruby is like “get me out of here.”

A quick trip to the vet earlier this week and an important lesson learned about dogs in the desert. They can get “digital granulomas” which is just a fancy way of saying thorns in their paws that go through the bottom and work their way out the top. Ruby, suddenly, had a oblong shaped, bright red blister-like lump, on the top of her right paw. We speculated that she got bite by something - a spider? A lizard? A mouse? Even though it looked painful, Ruby didn’t try to bite me when I examined it, so I wasn’t too concerned, but we went to a local vet just to be sure.  A two second look by the vet and $63 dollars later, we learned it’s nothing to be concerned about. I suppose it was a small price to pay for peace of mind and next time we'll know. 

Ruby survived her digital granuloma and truly enjoyed Christmas Day. 

The "adults" in the house did a white elephant gift exchange. Cray got a pair of Spanx leggings, which I promptly swiped from her, but not before she had a chance to model them. She is always a good sport.

A photo of me at the beginning thinking, “This trail doesn’t look too bad.”

After all the presents were opened and the wrapping paper stuffed into the recycling bin; Mia, Jasper, Ava, and I set out on what we thought was a short holiday hike that turned out to be a six mile trek in the desert. Yes, they had maps, but we didn’t take one. We weren’t lost, we just took the longest trail available -  on accident. Ava was a trooper. 

If you spend hours hiking in the desert you may start to get a little silly. 

Another Christmas Day comes to a close. We are blessed and it is a wonderful life!

Happy Holiday’s From Scottsdale

Goldfield Ghost Town in Apache Junction, Arizona.  

Ava insisted we pose for an old-time photo. Adding a costume over your existing clothes definitely adds a few pounds, but there is no room for vanity in the old west. I'm pretty sure Cray was an outlaw cowboy in a previous life.

We took a "family friendly" tour of the Bordello, which is an oxymoron. Even men paying women to "cuddle' is just awkward and wrong. Sorry, Ava. 

Cray declined joining us for a tour of the old gold mine. Something about being in closed spaces deep underground. 

Honestly, there is really no reason to ever leave the house we are staying in. There is a TV in every room, a heated pool, games, puzzles, and a refrigerator stocked with delicious food. Of course, Ruby has taken over the house. She is in heaven here after being cramped-up in the camper. She has circled the pool and dipped her nose into it. I think she will be swimming next to me before this trip is over. 

Ruby thinks she is a cat.

Yes, we put this throw pillow on the couch just for you, Ruby. Don’t mind us, just make yourself comfortable. 

I busted Ruby checking out the presents, but she didn’t find one with her name on it - Santa doesn’t come until Christmas, silly dog!

This is my face on vacation; relaxed, carefree, and extremely grateful. 

Ruby is Taking a Break

I've fallen in love with the desert.

Ruby and I are taking a break from blogging to focus on important tasks at hand. Ruby is going to go for more walks and I am going to work on getting all my continuing education (CEU’s) done for my nursing license before January, 2022. Yes, I waited until the last minute, but if you knew how boring CEU’s can be you wouldn’t blame me. So, this is the last blog post until I can once again renew my nursing license, like I’ve done every three years since 1983, when I first became a Registered Nurse. 

My happy place is walking and hiking. I especially like it when steep mountain trails have wooden steps.

If bees are the scariest thing on a trail I can handle it. 

We visited this National Monument and spent a few dollars in their gift shop.

I grew up reading my dad’s National Geographic magazines and sneaking peeks at his Playboy’s (sometimes there wasn't a lot of difference). I figured I would either grow up to be an archeologist or a Playboy Bunny.  I still love archeology and anthropology. Everything about these ruins, and the people that made them, fascinated me. 

This is the spot where I will be studying (and eating). It doesn’t get any better than this. 

Ruby at the window watching the world go by. 

Ruby, Crayola, and I wish everyone a peaceful and love-filled holiday. I’ll still be posting photos on Facebook to let my mom know I’m still alive and to share about our many adventures, but for now I'm hitting the books. Stay safe and merry. Love, Carrie

An Arizona Winter’s Night Equals a Good Wool Blanket.

 

Ruby all curled up in a tight little ball to stay warm at our feet. It got down to thirty in the night, but we are from Iowa, so this is good sleeping weather for us.

We made camp last night at a friendly KOA in Willcox, Arizona. The camp is all gravel with a few scattered trees, which is better for Ruby than a camp full of cacti and other sticky things that gets stuck in her paws. The KOA includes a little cafe. We ordered dinner, which an elderly man delivered to our camper door on a gulf cart. He passed us up a couple times looking for our campsite number boldly displayed at one end. I don't know, maybe he was new. Helpful tip: When a menu in Arizona says a burger is spicy, it's spicy. 

This beauty is parked next to us. 

I thought I wanted a small vintage-looking camper like a Scamp, but considering how tight it can feel in our 22 foot home on wheels, I am grateful we settled on a bigger one. Mostly, we have a “baby” camper compared to the semi-like rigs in most RV parks. Here at the Willcox KOA, several monster motor homes are decorated with lights, Christmas trees, garland, and wreaths. We need to up our game. 

This is how the sunset began. 

The colors start to pop.

The lemon yellow color over the mountains is my favorite.

This plains girl never gets tired of watching the sunsets and sunrises, wherever I travel. I don’t see much of them living in the city center on the first floor of a south facing condo. 

The Chiricahua National Monument.

These towering volcanic rock formations are what we plan to venture to today. I understand people come from all over the world to see them and the monument is only 35 minutes from us. I'm pretty sure Cray will want to take a few photos of this!

We’ll also be looking for all the birds that migrate here, including thousands of sandhill cranes at Sulphur Springs Valley, nearby.

And finally, since this is the land of cowboys, I'll be keeping an eye out for an available-well-aged- rancher to take home to my cowgirl mom, but not these two buckaroos. 🙂

Arizona Here We Come, Get Ready for Ruby.

This is a photo of me visiting my parents in Tucson, Arizona, circa 1993. My mom and dad spent a few years as snowbirds after all us kids were grown. They blended right in with their cowboy boots, cowboy hats, western shirts, and big belt buckles. 

Cray and I are preparing mentally and physically to leave Las Cruses and begin the next part of our journey. We’ve had such a great time in New Mexico and forged great friendships here. Our plan is to leave in the next day or or so and make our way to Tucson, ending up in Scottsdale by December 12,  when our daughter Micole, and granddaughter Ava, arrive at the Airbnb Micole rented for Christmas and New Year’s Eve for a gathering of friends and family. Speaking of family, here are some photos from my recent visit to Iowa for Thanksgiving, Most of them were already posted on Facebook, but they are special enough to show off again.

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My son Skyler's amazing and talented daughter's, Kaylea and Faith. Luckily, I got to spend a night at their house - I loved spending time with my son and his family. Kaylea is a natural performer, and little sister Faith loves dancing alongside her.

My brilliant grandson, Jasper.

My oldest daughter, Mia. My first real love. 

Ava and Faith. We had fun painting pottery. These two cousins are besties.

My mom is so pretty!

I love posing with Micole and Ava.

Micole sent me this photo from breakfast after I left Iowa. I call her friend, Mick, my "son from another mother." My oldest granddaughter, Sylvia, is smiling next to him. 

More family at Thanksgiving. Sylvia is in the center with her sweet boyfriend, Cam. She is also covered in "orbs" a phenomenon which often happens to her, her mom (Mia), and brother (Jasper). Mia's husband, Joe, died from colon cancer a couple years ago on Thanksgiving day. He doesn't like to be left out of the family photos.

More orbs on my silly family with their noses taped up. 

Finally, a photo of an early Christmas gift from our new friend Kaye. She gave Cray one, too, with a different Celtic symbol. The Guardian Bell is said to protect you from negative energy. My symbol is called a Triskelion and is one of the oldest Celtic symbols, also known as the triple spiral. That is fitting since my lucky number has always been the number three. I looked up the Triskelion up on the internet and read, "The meaning is seen as a symbol of strength and progress. As it appears to be moving, the Triskelion also represents the will to move forward and overcome diversity."  What an appropriate gift from a very intuitive friend! 

Better Than Chocolate: Kaye's Cherry Cobbler Topped With Her Homemade Nutmeg Ice Cream.

 

Cray’s birthday photo with a distant cousin. Can you see the resemblance?

Homemade cherry cobbler with my portion missing.

Our new friend, Kaye, is an amazing cook. She made Cray a very special cherry birthday cobbler and delivered it to us complete with a side of her silky homemade nutmeg flavored ice cream. Now, this is not the first cobbler Kaye has shared with us. Historically, she makes fruit cobblers for Bonnie with a sugar substitute: they, too, are delicious, but this time we got the full-on sugar version, because that’s what Cray likes. Cray likes sweets and it’s no secret - it was her birthday, after-all, and we all used it as an excuse to indulge a little. 

Eggs Benedict at Le Rendez-vous Cafe & French Pastry. The menu is in both English and Spanish, but the food is definitely French. 

Cray’s birthday celebration began with a trip to a local French  restaurant for breakfast. I had Eggs Benedict with crispy hash browns and a side of asparagus and, yes, the suggestion of the olive placement was not lost on me. Cray had French toast topped with fresh syrupy strawberries. Bonnie languished over lox, cream cheese, onion, and capers slathered on a fresh baguette. We took home fresh almond croissants for later.  

Leasburg Dam State Park; the crowning glory of Radium Springs. I would definitely camp there. 

After breakfast we took a road trip to Radium Springs looking for an elusive city center, which we never found. A recent traveler had told Bonnie that he drove into Radium Springs recently, stopped for coffee, and fell in love with the ambiance of the town. Well, I’m not sure what he was smoking, but Radium Springs had about the same “ambiance” as an episode of the Jerry Springer show: complete with abandoned mobile homes and businesses, yards strewn with trash and junk metal, and absolutely no sign of a coffee shop or an open cafe. However, we did take a slow drive through a state park located on the edge of town, which turned out to be Radium Springs one redeeming quality.

We drive from Radium Springs to Hatch, New Mexico. Hatch is known for it’s famous green chilies and Sparky’s restaurant, a burger joint surrounded by many photo opportunities.

We stopped at one of Hatch’s many gift shops full of metal yard sculptures, rows of ristas, painted pottery, and all things spicy. 

Back in Las Cruces, we had lunch at Nopalito Restaurant, which has become Cray’s go to Mexican eatery. Although, it felt like we just had breakfast, I made room for chips and chile con queso!