Monday, November 25 through Monday, December 9: Friends, Viva Las Vegas, and Readying for the Holidays

Monday, November 25, was my brother John's birthday. He would have been fifty-seven years old. John is no longer with us, but his memory continues on. Happy Birthday to my brother an Angel! These photos was taken a year ago.

The dogs and I took an afternoon walk around the golf course. Mt. Humphreys boasted snow capped mountains from the several days of precipitation.

Monday night, long-time friends of mine --- Elaine and Don LaMarr --- had dinner with us at the Red Raven Restaurant. Also in attendance was their daughter Courtney and their grandson Austin.

This foursome had been up at the Grand Canyon for a night. They took the train up on Sunday and returned on Monday. It was a fun reunion!

Tuesday, Tom and I played pickleball. I had to leave early, as the A1 Garage technician was early. He originally was expected sometime between 1 pm and 6 pm. He showed up at 11:45 am. I was ready for him!

 Ryan, the technician, immediately went to work to fix the garage door.

Ryan did repair the door, but he said that it might be only a temporary fix. He left some brochures and a quote for replacing both of the doors. I have time to think it over. Both Tom and I were surprised that the quote was only in the $2,500 range.

Tom made a decision several weeks ago to sell his 2014 Chevrolet Silverado truck. He advertised it on various sales websites. One potential buyer, Jorge from Phoenix, had been in communication with Tom for a week or so. It now seems real --- he wants the truck. Our household really doesn't need two silver trucks.

My truck has the capacity to pull the travel trailer. Tom is interested in buying his son's new Subaru. Jon does a lot of off-road driving, and he wants a vehicle better geared to that venue. The Subaru is also an all-wheel drive --- nice for living in Williams. We'll see if Jorge comes through!

On the day before Thanksgiving, I had an appointment to have my nails done. Then, that evening, we played pickleball in the Rodeo Barn. Only three of us showed up, so we played games of "skinny singles." I had never played it before. Jon and Tom learned the game when they went to the two-day clinic in Prescott.

Thanksgiving Day, we were supposed to get snow. But, it didn't snow until early the next morning. So, the festivities of preparing for the Thanksgiving Day meal began with fixing the Cornish game hens.

Tom's son Jon was coming to the family feast. The dinner consisted of hens, mashed potatoes, stuffing, dumplings, cranberry sauce, and green beans. After dinner, Jon and Tom wanted to do a bourbon taste test. Eight bottles of bourbon were lined up in the pantry.

I poured shots of four of the bourbons. The glasses were cleaned, and then I poured another set of shots, for four more bottles. Jon and Tom were taking notes and selecting their two favorites. I then poured a shot of each favorite.

Jon's palette leaned to the more expensive brands. Tom was middle of the road. It was a fun exercise!

Jon spent the night, as we had planned.  The next morning, we woke up to a foot of new snow! I was supposed to drive to Las Vegas that morning to meet up with three of my California friends. But, Interstate 40 was closed west of Williams. So, I was going nowhere. Tom and Jon made a delightful breakfast of eggs, biscuits, sausage, and potatoes.

It was scheduled to snow all day. And, it did.

After breakfast, we decided to enjoy the fresh snow. Jon brought his cross-country skis.

Tom and I had our snowshoes that we bought last year through Costco. We had never taken them out of the boxes. But, we did now. We put on our equipment, crossed through some empty lots, and arrived at the golf course.

This was the first time that I have ever snowshoed. It was good exercise!

After our snow activity, Tom got the snow blower ready for some action in the driveway.

And, Jon helped out as well!

The weather forecast for Saturday was clear skies. I left it with my California girlfriends, who are staying in Las Vegas, that I would try to make it there on Saturday.

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day.

We did get another foot of snow. But, my 4x4 Dodge Ram truck can handle it. About 45 minutes after getting on Interstate 40 --- going west --- traffic came to a complete stop. I was still ten miles east of Seligman. I watched as some large tow trucks passed in the right shoulder.

I assume the traffic was caused by some 18 wheeler trucks jack-knifing on the interstate. The roads were quite clear. I waited in this queue for over 90 minutes. The line began to move, but I was routed to Seligman and the old historic Route 66. This was going to add 30 miles to my commute. But, at least I was moving. There were a few areas of low visibility, but I made it to Kingman.

From Kingman to Las Vegas was a piece of cake. A normal 3 1/4 hour drive took me almost seven hours! But, the girls were waiting for me. After I relaxed for an hour, we got into their rental car and drove to Fremont Street. Carla, Judy, and Barbara did some gambling at the Golden Nugget.

I walked out onto Fremont Street and stretched my legs.

After about 45 minutes, the four of us gathered together and we all walked down Fremont Street.

There is a new zipline adventure just under the Fremont Street tent top. It got a lot of attention.

We had dinner reservations at 5:15 p.m. at the Golden Steer Steakhouse. The reservation was early, as there was a mix-up on the restaurant's end. The Golden Steer Steakhouse is down the street from the Sahara Resort. At the height of the "Rat Pack" team of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr., this restaurant was one of their usual hang-outs.

The steaks were delicious. We also had escargot, creamed spinach, and potatoes au gratin. A very nice bottle of red wine topped off the meal. It was "8 Years in the Desert" by Orin Swift, a Zinfandel Blend.

Barbara is a member of the Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare. She rented this two-bedroom suite for five nights over Thanksgiving. I have never stayed at a unit so close to the Stratosphere. By the way, it is now only called the Strat.

For lunch, we were meeting another girlfriend at the Wynn's Tableau restaurant. This Wynn tower was created as an "all suites" hotel. The lobby was beautiful.

All of the decorations are made of flowers. It reminded me of the Rose Parade.

A photo was also shot of me and Barbara. Barbara had been my travel partner in Australia.

The Tableau Restaurant had excellent food for a Sunday brunch. It was not a buffet. We ordered off the menu. Vicky Martin joined the four of us. She and her husband Preston moved to Las Vegas seven years ago. They also have a home in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. About nine years ago, Richard and I saw the two of them in Coeur d'Alene. Years ago, Vicky and Barbara worked together at Vidal Sassoon.

I eventually left Las Vegas by about 2:00 p.m. I was driving back to Williams. There were several accidents on Highway 93, so I took a route through Searchlight and Laughlin. I finally made it home around 6:30 p.m.

When I entered the garage, I knew that Tom had sold his truck.

The deal was consummated earlier in the day. Jorge, from the Phoenix area, brought his family. His young son enjoyed playing in the snow and meeting my Dalmatians.

The Shutterfly book --- that I made of my trip to Australia --- had arrived over the weekend. A separate book was sent to Barbara. It was fun to review it and remember the trip!

On Monday, I had a pedicure appointment at 66 Nails in Williams. Winter is here, and proprietor Will did a nice job. 

Wednesday night and Tuesday morning, Tom and I played pickleball. Lunchtime on Tuesday, I met three other Highland Meadows ladies at Pine Country Restaurant. The food is always good there.

Tom bought his son Jon's 2018 Subaru. It was in need of interior and exterior detail. Tom first tackled the exterior --- going to a local "do it yourself" car wash. Then, he started on the interior.

Tom can be very meticulous when it comes to cleaning! It is nice having a "go to town" car.

Wednesday night, we were not able to play pickleball in the Rodeo Barn. The Young Hunters group monopolized the place. We later found out that they were not scheduled that evening. So, we did play Thursday morning.

There were six of us waiting to play, as we only have two courts. This morning, we had 14 pickleball players.

My Christmas cards arrived from Shutterfly. Years ago, Richard and I sent out over 550 cards this time of year. It was kind of a statement that we were still alive and provided a visual photo display. With the advent of social media, I have significantly cut back on the number of cards I send. Most of the cards are sent to friends who are not on Facebook or Instagram.

On Friday morning, I drove to Flagstaff for a hair appointment with Shawna at Wildflower Salon.

Later that afternoon, I decided that it was time to turn on the lights of our front lawn Ponderosa tree that has the white lights. In December 2015, Richard and I paid a local handyman to hang the lights on the tree. And, the lights are still on the tree! This year, through Amazon, I did buy several more strings of lights to put on the tree.

Tom and I started to notice rabbit droppings in the garage. Before I went to Las Vegas, I accidentally left my garage door open all night. Our neighbor, Joe, has some live traps. So, we called Joe and he brought them to our house. Tom set the two traps and provided lettuce as an enticement. Two days later, we caught the little bunny!

We decided to take the bunny to the other side of Cataract Lake and let it go.

That cute little bunny quickly hopped away!

My neighbor, Libby Beatty, moved to Prescott Valley in May. She bought a home there, and her husband Gus remained in their Williams home. Although they had been married for thirty years, Libby was not happy in the marriage. She also wanted to live in a warmer climate. Libby and I made a date to have lunch together in Prescott.

It is always hard when married friends decide to separate. But, Libby is very happy with her decision. I also had a chance to do some shopping at Costco and Trader Joe's while I was there in Prescott!

Sunday, November 3 to Sunday, November 24: Back Home, Friends, and Appointments

I drove all the way home from Los Angeles. I thought about stopping for the night, but it was still light in Barstow and Needles is not my "cup of tea." By the time I got to Kingman, I was only 108 miles from home. I arrived home in Williams at about 10:00 p.m. Tom was there to greet me!

The next morning, Tom tackled cleaning my truck. It spent almost three weeks outdoors at Barbara's home. Thanks so much, Tom!

Tom and I picked Jamie and Kelsey up on Monday. They had a wonderful vacation at Cinder Hills Kennel.

Whenever I pick the dogs up from a kennel stay, they are always ready for some good rest.

On Tuesday, I had lunch with some of the Highland Meadows ladies. We met at Lulu Belle's BBQ in Ash Fork.

I left a little early to make my ninety minute massage appointment with Natanya. It was the right time and the perfect massage.

The Williams Parks & Recreation Commission had their meeting at city hall. On the agenda was more updates on our quest for pickleball courts. About a dozen of us pickleball players showed up for the meeting. The new City Manager also attended the meeting. Our friend, Gus Beatty, made a presentation on pickleball.

After the meeting, seven of us met at a local coffee shop and then we had lunch at El Corral Restaurant on 66.

Thursday was a day to have my nails done. Jennifer was back from her trip to her homeland of Vietnam. The home being built in our neighborhood is coming together quickly.

From our home, we will still have direct views of the golf course and mountains. Yeah! That night, I opened one the bottles of Hunter Valley wines --- an Australian Shiraz. It was very tasty!

On Thursday, I drove to Flagstaff. I had an appointment for my hair with Shawna.

Afterwards, I went to five stores. Tom wanted to buy us a new bedspread. What a nice gift! I went to various stores looking for some bedding possibilities. My last stop was Kohl's. Jackpot! I bought two bedspreads --- planning to select the one that looked best. Jamie and Kelsey liked the final selection.

On Saturday, the dogs and I wanted to place some of Libby's ashes at Cataract Lake. We were successful!

On Sunday, we played pickleball at the tennis courts. It was a nice day --- not too much wind.

After pickleball, Tom and Jon headed to Prescott for two days. They signed up for a two-day pickleball clinic at Pioneer Park. I was invited to attend the same clinic, but I had my repeat colonoscopy scheduled this coming week.

Monday was my first day of colonoscopy preparation. The doctor ordered two days of preparation, since my first colonoscopy on September 11 was inconclusive. What a fun two days I will have. 😃😃

Tuesday morning, I took the dogs to town. I parked at the usual Safeway position. We walked the one mile to the end of town and back again. The rail car bridge is where a train museum will be created for the state of Arizona.

Tom and Jon came home Tuesday late afternoon. They had a great time at the pickleball clinic. They chatted about what drills they learned, what techniques they were going to work on, etc. That night was a full moon. On my last walk with the dogs, I caught the moon as it was rising for the evening.

My colonoscopy appointment was at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. It was just two months ago that I was here the first time.

After the procedure, Dr. Hawthorne gave me good news. My colon was squeaky clean, and she clipped off two polyps. I hadn't eaten anything solid for almost three days. Before leaving home, I made a half of a turkey and swiss sandwich. I gobbled it up in Tom's truck. The skies were getting dark, so Tom and I decided to head back to Williams for dinner. We went to the Grand Canyon Brewery.

The next morning, Tom and I played pickleball in the Rodeo Barn. The city had parked a water truck in the barn, so there was only one court available. In a way, that was good for me. My strength was not yet 100%.

The dogs and I needed a good walk Friday morning. Tom dropped us off at Buckskinner Park.

Jamie, Kelsey, and I walked through the forest --- heading to town.

We walked through town and headed to Highland Meadows. There was a cattle guard grate that I realized we could not get over. It was near home, so I called Tom.  He rescued us by bringing my truck. We hopped into the truck and got home.

That night, we had reservations to stay at the local Canyon Motel & RV Park. Our accommodation was a 1929 Red Caboose. Last year, I bid on the one night stay at Lost Canyon's Young Life dinner. I won the silent auction.

The dogs were dropped off at the Grand Canyon Railway kennel. Tom and I had some wine, and we played some rummikub on the deck next to the caboose.

That night, we had dinner at the Red Raven Restaurant. It was a very nice getaway evening! In the morning, before picking up the dogs, Tom and I had breakfast at Pine Country Restaurant. Our little town of Williams had a mini parade for the Williams High School football team. They were off to Scottsdale to play in the state championship.

The recent sunsets have been a beautiful pink and blue. Tom says that they are called Arizona sunsets. Any name you call it, it is lovely!

The Williams Vikings won their state championship game, 35-20. It was the second time in three years that they were state champions in their small school division. Last year, they lost in the finals.

Tom's side of the garage door decided to freeze up. It had started to stick a few times, but this time we realized that the cable running down the side of the door was broken. I called A1 Garage Door Repair. They will be sending a technician on Thursday.

Monday, Tom and I had a date in Sedona with my high school friend, Sara Edwards, and her boyfriend, Christopher. Sara and Christopher were spending three nights in Sedona, after attending a Celebration of Life for a friend's wife in Scottsdale. We had lunch at The Hudson Restaurant.

We dined on their outdoor patio and enjoyed great views!

Tuesday, I joined the Highland Meadows ladies for lunch in Flagstaff. Jan Chumley drove four of us, and we met up with four others at the restaurant called Brandy's Cafe. I had never been there before. The food was good and the prices were very reasonable.

The weather reports have been predicting precipitation on Wednesday and Thursday. So, not surprising, we had rain on Wednesday. Jamie and Kelsey put on their new coats that I ordered from chewy.com.

Wednesday night, the rain turned to snow. It was our first snow of the season --- maybe only two inches or so.

But, more snow is expected Thursday. Later that afternoon, I took Kelsey to the Williams Veterinary Clinic to have her monthly anal gland procedure. She is always a good trooper!

Thursday morning was not a disappointment. We woke up to several more inches of snow!

The A1 Garage Door Service were going to come and fix Tom's side of the garage doors. They called to reschedule for the following Tuesday. The weather and being short of staff were their excuse.

On Friday, I had my chiropractic appointment in Flagstaff. Tom drove with me, and we had a wonderful lunch at Josephine's Restaurant. It used to be a home, so the atmosphere is very cozy. I had been there three or four years ago, but it was a first for Tom. All was excellent!

Later in the afternoon, I took the dogs for a neighborhood walk. The clouds cuddling Bill Williams Mountains reminded me of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Sunday was a beautiful day. That afternoon, I had reservations to attend the Community Thanksgiving Dinner at Lost Canyon Young Life Camp about three miles south of Williams. The dinner is hosted by all of the churches in town. It is a feast with turkey and all the fixings. My friend, Jan Chumley, was the table host. She was also a volunteer --- bringing pitchers of water and ice tea to all the tables.

As all 500+ guests arrived, a local church choir performed on the stage.

As I was driving home after the dinner, I enjoyed the trees lit at the Monument Park.

Our little town of Williams is very festive over the holidays. The whole town is lit up with Christmas lights.