My Continuing Adventures: Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 31, 2020: May Days and Baby Steps to Open the Economy

May 1st is May Day. I called my daughter-in-law, Joell. It is her birthday. Pedro was busy painting the green trim on our house.

All of the cans of paint were lined up on our back porch.

Tom dropped me and the dogs by Holden Lake, a few minutes from our home. It was funny. There was another barbecue hanging out at an empty national forest dry camping site!

Sunday morning, I decided to get our water feature ready for spring, summer, and fall. I had to get the two pump motors out of the RV garage and place them in the deeper end of the pond. These two pumps manage the water flowing down from the water falls. They are camouflaged under some boulders.

The foliage around the water feature is green and growing.

After the house is painted, I will fill the pond and turn on the drip water system.

Monday, the painters began the preparation work to cover the garage doors.

The next step was covering all of the windows and masking the eaves from over spray.

I followed up with American Home Shield --- to find out the status of our microwave repair. Good news! Russ, the appliance man, has the part and stopped by in the afternoon to repair the built-in microwave.

Cinco de Mayo is Tom's mother's birthday. She turned 94 years of age. Mary O'Dell was born in 1926 --- the same year as my father.

Tuesday's painting project was to begin staining the wood on the house.

Later in the afternoon, they sprayed the barn as well.

In the afternoon, I wanted a break from the usual walks. I took Kelsey and Jamie into the national forest behind where our friends Jan and Joe Chumley live.

The painters, Pedro and Lalo have been doing such a great job. I went to my "cash stash" and selected two fifty dollar bills. I addressed two cards and envelops and put a bill in each. They appreciated it!

Wednesday was a day of happiness. The Arizona governor is working to open up the state and the economy. Both my hairdresser and my massage therapist are going back to work after May 15. I have a hair appointment on May 19 and a 90 minute massage scheduled for May 21. Wednesday was also the final supermoon of 2020.

With the house and RV barn stained, the final work was painting the eaves.

My next door neighbor hired GBM Painting to do the trim on his home. So, Pedro and Lalo will be on our street for several more days. Gustavo, the owner, dropped by on Thursday to present the final bill and ensure that their work was to my liking. There were a few touch-up areas that needed further attention. Done!

So, Jon texted his dad. He found more shed on his walk today.

He is amazing!

On Thursday, Tom and I went to walk in the woods --- near where Jon found the shed the day before. It was the national forest west of the Williams airport. We walked nearly three miles --- no shed found --- but it was a beautiful afternoon and a nice flat area.

Friday, we were expecting our friends, Ellen and Mark Burson. They were doing their cross country trip from Oxford, Mississippi to Malibu. Because of the Covid-19 situation, they decided to by-pass New Mexico all together. So, they came the northern route via Boulder, Colorado and Moab,Utah. It created an extra day of travel, but they arrived safely.

With them came their three dogs. We know Australian Shepherds, Rosie and Rebel. But, they have a six month old puppy named Donner. He is a large breed --- a Greater Swiss Mountain dog. Ellen and Mark are big Trump fans, so no better way to introduce Donner!

Tom and I put together an easy lasagna dinner for the four of us. Mark and I walked the dogs around the neighborhood.

Rosie, the dog on the right, is 15 years old. Bless her soul!

The next day, Mark and Ellen and pups left for Malibu around 8:30 a.m. Four of us played pickleball at our usual 10:00 a.m. to noon slot. Tom and Gus did not play pickleball that morning, but they came back to the tennis courts at 1:00 p.m. to paint yellow pickleball lines on the south court. Tom and I had bought a pickleball court stencil kit months ago. It was nice to finally use it.

The kit came with aerosol paint. But, it was somewhat clumsy. So, I went to True Value Hardware and bought a gallon of yellow paint and three inch rollers.

Despite some wind, we completed the painting in several hours.

Monday's mail brought my $1,200 Economic Impact Payment check. While I really did not need the check, it does help pay for some of the cost of painting my home.

The dogs and I walked to Cataract Lake for several loops of the county park.

Tuesday morning, I suggested to Tom that we should go to Pine Country Restaurant for breakfast. The Arizona restaurants reopened for dining in the day before. The number of tables was reduced for appropriate social distancing. There was no silverware, salt, pepper, or condiments on the table. These were delivered with the meal.

This restaurant is usually very crowded --- with tables very near to one another. Tom thought he could get used to the more intimate set-up!

We did not play pickleball. It was way too windy. So, I filled the pond and turned on the water feature and the soaking system.

I never tire of the flowing water and the two small waterfalls.

Later in the afternoon, the dogs and I drove to Kaibab Lake and walked around. The camp hosts were set-up in their campsites with their RVs. I knew then that the park was opening soon. I texted Tom to get us a three night reservation at a site I liked, Loop A, #028. He secured the site for us beginning June 9.

This park has no hook-ups, so it will be three days of dry camping. I have never done this kind of camping, but I like this park. I am sure I will survive three nights without television and Fox News
😊😊😊.

On Wednesday, the glass repair company, Twin Peaks, delivered my new glass for a bedroom window.

One of the double pane windows had become foggy. Joe took the old glass out.

It took him and his worker about 35 minutes to install the new glass and repair the window.

Midday, we had luncheon guests, Priscilla and Roger Lasch. Tom made a delicious chicken salad for sandwiches. Priscilla and Roger worked with us at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in 2006. Over the years, Tom continued a close relationship with them. They live in Dewey/Humboldt --- about one hour and twenty minutes away.

They are great people and it was fun to have them visit. Priscilla made a blackberry crisp for dessert. Yummy!

Our former neighbor, Libby Beatty, stopped by to say hello. Libby and her husband, Gus, are getting a divorce. Gus is still our neighbor, but Libby moved to a home in Prescott Valley. Libby recently bought a Silverado truck. She took the truck and the travel trailer housed at the Beatty Williams home to visit her 94 year old mother in California.

Libby seems to be very happy in her Prescott Valley life.

Early Thursday morning, I woke up before dawn to see a Mars/Moon phenomena that my friend Tom Poremba mentioned on Facebook. Supposedly, it was to look like Mars and the Moon were in the same space. I was probably 45 minutes early. So, not so interesting.

The town of Williams is discontinuing its recycle trash pick-up. Apparently, it now costs more to recycle than to treat the materials as trash. So, we put our last recycle bin out for the last pick-up.

That afternoon, I had an appointment at the Williams Veterinary Clinic to have Kelsey's anal glands expressed. Jamie was happy to come with us!

Sunday, I took the dogs to Buckskinner Park. It is a Williams city park with a small lake. I parked the car at the National Forest Service parking lot and we walked to the lake. There were a lot of people fishing from the shore. So, the dogs and I took a trail around the lake.

In all of the years that I have been to Buckskinner Park, it was the first time I ever walked around it. Maybe I never knew there was a trail?

It was a perfect hike! I also have started taking water for the dogs on these outings. It is getting hotter and they appreciate the water break.

On Monday, the wind was too much for pickleball. In the afternoon, Tom and I drove to the Flagstaff home of Sandra and Ed Smith. Sandra and Ed are friends of mine from Thousand Trail days and the pickleball play there.

Also visiting Sandra and Ed were other friends of mine from Thousand Trails and pickleball, Laurie and Mark Irwin.

Sandra and Ed bought their Flagstaff home in 1992. Since that time, the area has significantly grown in population. Sandra and Ed also have a home in Tempe. While they were long-time RVers, there two home were rented. They still have the motor home, but usually just hook it up beside their home.

Tuesday was my 68th birthday. May 19. I received a nice card from the Bernsteins!

The highlight of the day was a hair appointment with Shawna Ritter at Wildflower Salon in Flagstaff. The Arizona hair salons are now opening up. Masks, distancing, and sanitation precautions are in order. I was the only client there.

I had a Zoom call at 6:00 p.m. that evening. My siblings and many of their children were on the call. My sister Carrie's birthday was May 14, so the Zoom was celebrating the two May birthday girls.

This was my first time using Zoom. My computer kept freezing up, so we switched the call to Tom's computer. It was an interesting experience.

After the call, Tom and I went up to the Western View Steakhouse at the Best Western Plus. We were the only people there for dinner. But, I had bacon wrapped shrimp and Tom had lamb with mint jelly. Both meals were very good. And, my two apple martinis and Tom's two Old Fashioned drinks hit the spot as well. And, of course the western view.

The restaurant also gave us a complimentary berry crisp a la mode! That was a surprise.

On Wednesday, the winds died down and we played pickleball. Even Jon showed up! He had not played pickleball since the end of February. Too much shed to find in forest. It was nice having him back on the courts.

May 20 is also Donna and David's 31st wedding anniversary. Meghan and Emily made them a special anniversary dinner.

It is time for my annual medical visit with my primary care professional. The former North Country HealthCare Clinic is in the process of being demolished, as a new building has just opened up --- adjacent to the old clinic.

The space of the old clinic will become a large parking lot.

Masks have to be worn in the new clinic. They also take your temperature and ask about five Covid-19 questions before you can enter the building. Daniel Knight met with me.

He ordered a blood panel and urinalysis test. All were annual and routine. I need to obtain an audiology referral, but I am several months too early. Daniel said that I can use the patient portal in early September to make that request.

Tom and I are going to tackle painting the back fence to our property. Now that the house and barn are painted, we want to freshen up the cedar fence. The first step is to wash the fence. Tom read on YouTube that it is best to use a strong nozzle washing and not a power wash.

The next step will be to begin the painting. We need to wait for a day with low winds.

With Arizona beginning to reopen, it is nice getting back to some of the "taking care of me" routines. I had a 90 minute massage on Thursday with Natanya Nagy at Gods Gift of Healing Hands.

On Friday, I went back to the medical clinic to get some fasting blood work drawn. I forgot to wear my mask, so one was provided.

Tom has been concerned about the water pressure coming into our house. He tried to reduce the water pressure on his own, but thinks that this regulator is not working. So, I called Gabe --- the plumbing and heating service guy --- and asked him for help.

Gabe is going to order a replacement water pressure regulator and call me when the part comes in.

The town of Williams recognized the graduating high school class with a fireworks show. The normal graduation commencement activities are not taking place. With high fire restrictions, the fireworks were operated and monitored by the Williams Fire Department on the high school baseball field.

On Saturday morning, I visited the South Rims Beer & Wine Garage. A craft fair was being held on the property from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

One of my pickleball friends, Kerry-Lynn, provided music. She has a beautiful voice.

After a quick visit --- nothing bought at the fair --- I played pickleball for several hours.

In the afternoon, I walked the dogs in the town. It is nice to see things reopening, like the weekend Kiwanis Route 66 Street Market.

I also caught a photo of my massage therapist leaving for a weekend getaway at the Jerome;s Grand Hotel. Natanya and her husband Paul love that hotel.

That evening, Tom and I had an early quesadilla dinner. Then, we drove over to the Kachina Lounge at the Best Western Plus for some music. After three months of music silence, it was nice to enjoy adult beverages and listen to Omar.

Sunday, after pickleball, Tom dropped me and the dogs off at Holden Lake. We leisurely took some trails back to our home. That evening, Tom reattached the barbecue rotisserie. We cooked an entire small chicken. Five or more years ago, I thought that Richard had permanently dismantled that feature. I guess not!

Memorial Day was low key. Tom and I played pickleball from 10:00-noon. We invited Jon over for dinner, so we picked up several more beer bratwursts at Safeway. Jon was bringing homemade potato salad. I already had other side dishes. At about 2:00 pm, Tom asked if I wanted to go riding with him and Jon. Jon's rides are always an adventure in his jeep.

We drove out past Three Sisters and turned west. At one point, Jon and I got out of the jeep to see how passable the road was. The jeep can go about anywhere.

We agreed that the boulders were too gnarly. So, we turned around and made a loop back to Forest Road 124. Tom did a nice job barbecuing the bratwursts. But, it was too windy to eat outside.

The next morning, Jon made his "sausage in a basket" breakfast. Yummy! It was fun having Jon stay overnight. Just like some ol' days!

Our neighbor, Gus, was rearranging the front of his house. He asked us if we wanted some river rocks. Tom and I had been thinking of lining the property line with rocks --- from the RV barn gate to the side walk. So, we loaded rocks in the back of my truck and started the project.

It turned out quite nicely!

Hopefully, my landscaping guy --- Troy--- will deliver more of the smaller river rocks to fill out the rock gaps in the driveway.

A retail store in town was going out of business. So, they were selling everything for 50% off. I eyed a carved bear that I wanted. It fits nicely on the front porch!

Wednesday morning, only Gus and I showed up for pickleball. There is a game called "Skinny Singles." We only played four games. Tom was able to sell Jon's swamp cooler to a neighbor. It was nice getting that cooler out of the RV barn.

Tom and I met with a possible cleaning lady who was referred to us by Gary and Darcy Nansen. Her name is Colleen Hatton. I think that she was a little intimidated by the size of our house. If it works out, we hope to have her start next week.

I took Kelsey to the Williams Veterinary Clinic that afternoon. She has not been eating well the past few days. The veterinarian checked her out and he also took biopsies of two small growths. Blood work was also taken.

Kelsey is almost nine years old. The doctor was not concerned by what he saw on the biopsy slides. Dr. Jacoby called the next morning. Kelsey's blood work looked very good. She is starting to eat better too.

The next home project was painting the back fence. Tom and I decided to use the brown stain that was left over from the professional painting of my home and RV barn.

We started the project using a spraying mechanism. But, we finished the job with two paint brushes. It seemed to go quicker --- having two of us jointly painting.

Friday afternoon, Barbara Coad and I coordinated the purchase of our airfare in April, 2021, to Dubai and our return airfare from Rome. We are taking a 15 day cruise on Princess.

On Saturday, I took Kelsey and Jamie to the east side of Cataract Lake. It was a hot day --- 86 degrees --- and the east side gets a nice breeze off the lake.

The fence was completed. There were some variations in the color of the stain used, but all-in-all, it turned out nice.

My pickleball friend, Chris, said that she and her guy, Raymond, were going to Sycamore Falls on Sunday. I asked if I could join them. I have never been there. So at 8:00 a.m., Chris, Raymond, and her son Keith picked me up near Bearizona. It took us about 30 minutes to get to the trailhead. What a beautiful spot!

The falls were not operating, but there was still some pools of water. We walked about 3 miles --- out one direction, back, and out another direction.