Monday, July 1 trhough Tuesday, July 16, 2024: Coffee Clutch, 4th of July, Friends, and Flagstaff Appointments

Monday morning, I met Highland Meadows neighbor, Melinda Kennedy, for coffee at Brewed Awakenings. Melinda is the point person for the Recreational Pickleball group. I wanted to bring her up to date on the Pickleball presentation I made at the Community Huddle on May 17. As we began chit-chatting, it turned out that Melinda spent the first ten years of her life in my Southern California hometown of San Marino. What a small world! Her oldest sister was in my high school class. Her second oldest sister was in my brother Peter's high school class.

Elaine Miller --- Melinda's oldest sister --- was the 1970 San Marino High School Yearbook editor. When Melinda told Elaine (who now goes by Mary) that she had coffee with me, Elaine sent the picture of me from the yearbook.

Melinda's sister also sent a picture of the Prometheans Club. Sister Elaine Miller was standing to my left!

In the afternoon, Tom has a doctor's appointment in Flagstaff with his ophthalmologist, Dr. Robert Mahanti. I drove with Tom to his appointment. Dr. Mahanti is concerned about the pressure in Tom's eyes. Tom has glaucoma. Dr. Mahanti wants Tom to consider surgery to provide more drainage in his eyes.

Later in the evening, a group of mule deer were in our Highland Meadows community.

Tuesday morning, I received a geocaching.com text message. A woman named Stacy texted that she and her kids were not able to locate my cache "Bolting Bluegill." I went over to Cataract Lake. Sure enough, the cache container was missing. So, I went home to get another bolt container. I also put in a new log sheet. I went back to the park and placed the cache container under the table.

Jamie had an appointment in Flagstaff for his Physical Therapy session at Canyon Pet Hospital. Fortunately, the water treadmill was working again. Sandy, the technician is great with Jamie.

Tom's son, Jon, was visiting us at our home. Jon came into town to play pickleball. At about six o'clock, we decided to have dinner at the Grand Canyon Brewing Company. We sat outside on the patio. I had the Tuesday special --- barbacoa beef tacos. Tom and Jon shared the Meat Lovers pizza. It was a beautiful evening.

Wednesday, I sent a geocaching.com text back to Stacy saying that the cache was back on line. A group of Highland Meadows ladies had lunch at a new restaurant called the Pitstop Cafe. The food was good. They offer pressed sandwiches.

Thursday was Independence Day --- the 4th of July. At 11:00 a.m., I went to a Community Prayer event at the Community United Methodist Church. It was outdoors under a big tree. Apparently, this was their 23rd year.

The event had music, prayer, and patriotic history. It was a nice way to celebrate our Independence Day.

During the afternoon, Stacy sent me a geocaching.com text with a photo. The kids found the cache!

Tom took a photo of me before I headed to town. I'm festive with the red, white, and blue.

For the Williams 4th of July parade, I volunteered to hold a banner for the Flagstaff Kennel Club K-9 Drill Team. My neighbor, Shaula Watson, held one end and I held the other end. The parade began at 6:00 p.m. We were number 18.

The parade attendance was huge this year. It is very hot in Phoenix, so I assume folks came up to Williams to get out of the triple digit heat. Tom took some great photos!

 

 

 

That evening, the Williams Fire Department put on an awesome fireworks show!

 

 

 

Donna and David posted some recent photos on Instagram. One that captured my heart was from the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper.

 

 

Friday, Tom had a 12:30 p.m. appointment with his kidney specialist/nephrologist, Dr Wong. Tom got excellent news. All of his blood work look great! Dr. Wong doesn't want to see Tom for a year. Yeah!

 

On Saturday, I went to the gym for an hour. I then dropped by the Craft Fair in the Shed and the Grand Ole Opry event at the Visitor Center.

 

 

 

 

 

At about 2:00 p.m., my friends Sheri and Randy Roonan came to visit Williams. They are on a road trip from San Diego to their home in Fairfield, Connecticut. Sheri and Randy secured a motel room at the SureStay Hotel by Best Western on the east end of town. I never realized that there was a second Best Western hotel in Williams. They came to our house for snacks and adult beverages at 5:00 p.m.

 

I hadn't seen Sheri and Randy since Sheri's 61st birthday in 2013. Randy now has Parkinson's disease. But, he is still fairly mobile. For dinner, we went to DJ's Wild West Junction.

Sunday, Tom and I met Sheri and Randy for coffee at Brewed Awakenings Coffee Company. We had a nice final visit for an hour or so.

 

There is a store next door called Western Outfitters. Prior to leaving Williams, Randy wanted to buy a hat. He was successful! 

 

At about 11:30 a.m., Sheri and Randy headed east to Canyon De Chelly. Tom and I suggested that they stop "On the Corner" in Winslow. And, they did!

 

Sheri and Randy had a beer and a late lunch at the restaurant across the street --- over Randy's left shoulder.

We have a lovely bouquet of flowers on our dining room table. The Roonans brought them over on Saturday night. It has been years since I have had fresh flowers in the house. Very nice touch!

On Tuesday, I took Jamie to Canyon Pet Hospital for his physical therapy session. Sandy gave him an ultra-red treatment.

 

 

 

 Then, he went into the water treadmill.

 

 

 

 Jamie seems to like his treatments.

Donna and David made it to the Yukon Territory. Tom and I were there in May, 2019.

On Wednesday, July 10, Colleen Hatton came to service our home.

I met the Highland Meadows Ladies for lunch at D.J.s Wild Weest Junction.

 

Later that afternoon, Tom and I walked to Cataract Lake.

Friday, we had a freak storm that brought hail.

 

Saturday, we had some good pickleball play. There were five of us: Steve, Robbie, Jon, Suzanne, and me.

 

 

 

Saturday night was a Trump Rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. About ten minutes into the rally, President Trump was shot by a shooter on a nearby roof. Fortunately, the rifle bullet just grazed his right ear.

Sunday, I drove to Kaibab Lake. It was time to walk the perimeter. The monsoon weather increased its water level.

 

Later in the afternoon, Tom had to prepare for his Monday morning colonoscopy. 

Tom's colonoscopy was scheduled for 10:15 a.m. We had to arrive at Forest Canyon Endoscopy & Surgery Center an hour early. Dr. Truillo was prompt and Tom was ready to be released within an hour.

 

After Tom's procedure, we went to Buffalo Fence and picked up a new rail for our fence. The old rail was warped. We also stopped to get Tom a celebratory milk shake.

 

Tuesday, I played pickleball at 10:00 a.m. There were five of us: Terry Larson, Ray Baker, Phil Whisnant, and his wife Karen.

 

 

 

In the afternoon, Jamie had a physical therapy session at Canyon Pet Hospital.

When Jamie and I returned from Flagstaff, Tom and I put the new rail on the fence.