Saturday, October 10 through Monday, October 26, 2020: Fitbit Celebration Walks, Prescott Trump Rally, and Visit to Sedona

There was no pickleball play on Saturday, so I instead walked from home to Williams and back. My daily Fitbit goal is 12,000 steps --- which means at least 5 miles. I walked east on Route 66.

At the edge of town, I turned around and walked west on Railroad Avenue.

The town of Williams has an official Coconino County Election Ballot Box. It is on an empty lot next to our Magistrate/Courthouse. Not on my life would I leave my ballot there. It is secured down, but unbelievable!

Fortunately, I learned that our City Hall also has an official Election Ballot Box. Thank goodness!

 

Tom and I have been remarking that we have not been seeing many deer in the neighborhood. So, it was nice to see some deer wandering by at around 6:30 a.m.

Several weeks ago, I decided to take Kelsey to Canyon Pet Hospital in Flagstaff for acupuncture with Dr. Amstutz. We are still working on fixing her neck and spinal injury. Last year, Libby had good results with acupuncture. So on Tuesday, Kelsey had her first treatment.

There was no pickleball play on Wednesday, so Tom and I met Jon off Spring Valley Road to go walking in the woods. 

We left Tom's Subaru in a nice parking place and boarded Jon's jeep for some rough riding on the primitive forest roads. At one stop, we walked in an area where Jon had seen elk. We were not disappointed! We even saw a family of javelina. We stopped at another location where Jon found shed antlers last year. We ate some sandwiches and got replenished.

Tom stayed in the jeep while Jon and I walked more in the woods. We spooked a young male elk. Jon showed me where he found the shed that my sister Carrie bought from him last year.

 

Donald Trump Jr. came to Williams for a Native Americans for Trump Rally at our Rodeo barn. I had several appointment in Flagstaff that conflicted with this rally. One of my neighbors heard and saw Don Jr.'s low-flying Lear jet that landed at our small airport.

My friend Chris Peterson went to the rally. She said it was terrific!

 

When I came home from my appointments in Flagstaff, Tom and Jon were in front of the house. On Facebook marketplace, Jon found a camper shell that fits his truck. Tom and Jon were trying to seal it to the truck bed.

Fall is definitely here. On a walk in the neighborhood with the dogs, I enjoyed the turning aspens and turning maple trees.

My home refinancing is ready to close. The title company made arrangements to have a local notary come to my house. Charles arrived at about 1:00 p.m. with all of the loan paperwork to review and sign.

After Charles left, Tom suggested that we go to the Red Raven Restaurant for a dinner celebration. How thoughtful! I made dinner reservations for 6:30 p.m. We were seated at a nice booth by one of the two windows.

I ordered their nightly special, Filet Oscar. It was very good. The Malbec wine wasn't bad either!

On Saturday, I took the truck over to Kaibab Lake. The campground is closed for the season, but the area is still open for day use. I made the three mile hike around the lake.

It was a beautiful afternoon. I even saw some wildlife --- several Abert squirrels and an Osprey sitting atop its nest.

That evening, at our 5:00 p.m.adult beverage time, Jamie presented us with lots of Dalmatian smiles.

Several days ago, President Trump announced that he was coming to Prescott, Arizona for a noon rally on Monday, October 19. The event was going to be held at the Prescott Regional Airport --- about an hour from Williams. I went online and ordered two tickets. Tom decided to pass, so my neighbor Gus Beatty and I went. The doors to the rally opened at 9:00 a.m. There was quite a queue to get into the airport tarmac.

Gus and I waded through security.

We also ran into our neighbors, Donna and Butch Corrington.

All of the thousands of Trump supporters had to stand in place for over three hours before Trump arrived. There were many helicopters that arrived before President Trump's one landed at about 12:30 p.m.

Gus and I had a fairly good view of the podium where Trump was speaking.

President Trump was awesome. The supporters were awesome. Trump spoke for a one hour and twenty minutes.

It was such a special occasion! Gus and I were exhausted after the rally. But, it was so worth it!

 

After the rally, on our way out of the venue, we ran into Libby Beatty --- Gus's ex-wife. She lives in the city of Prescott Valley. My truck was parked nearby, so we drove Libby to her car.

Early Tuesday morning, I was met by a beautiful sunrise swirl. I love where we live!

Kelsey had her second acupuncture appointment with Dr. Amstutz. This procedure is helping Kelsey. She is able to wag her whole tail again. This appointment, the Doctor added some electrical stimulation.

Later that afternoon, I dropped my ballot and Tom's ballot at the Official Ballot Box at the Williams City Hall.

Thursday, I had appointments in Flagstaff. Friday, Tom and I had a phone appointment with Maria Gillespie of Crest Insurance. It is that time of year to re-evaluate our Medicare supplemental medical insurance. Our current provider has increased their rates substantially.

 

Saturday morning, I finished packing for a three-day visit to Sedona. My girlfriend, Barbara Coad, is flying into Flagstaff. A guy-friend she has known since 1992 rented a home in Sedona for the month of October. Mid-afternoon, I picked Barbara up at the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport. It was a 45 minute drive to Frank Cannata's home in the Village of Oak Creek. We arrived just in time for Happy Hour!

The Village of Oak Creek is about fifteen minutes south of Sedona. It is not as hectic a place. It is near Bell Rock and other formations.

Most restaurants in Sedona do not take reservations within 2 1/2 hours of 7:00 p.m. Five years ago or so, Barbara and I had enjoyed lunch at El Rincon Restaurante Mexicano. We decided to treat Frank to dinner there. When we arrived, it was estimated that it would be a 1 1/2 hour wait. The restaurant took my name and cell phone and the three of us wandered through the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. Within 45 minutes, I was texted that our table was ready.

Sunday morning, Barbara and I had a 9:00 a.m. Pink Jeep Tour. The tour is their signature tour, Broken Arrow. We checked in at the Pink Jeep Registration at 8:30 a.m.

There were six of us assigned to Pink Jeep 75, the two of us and a party of four from South Texas. Fortunately, that meant that we were in the back facing forward and the others facing across from each other. In the type of rough terrain we were going to travel, this seemed the best.

Our first stop was a place called Submarine. From a distance, you can see why this formation was called this.

Our guide was very helpful in taking pictures of us on our phone cameras.

Our second stop was called Chicken Point Overlook. It was quite windy, but majestic rocks.

At Chicken Point, we turned around and veered left at a Y in the road. This allowed us to enjoy climb down a large boulder TWICE!

We also went down Devil's Staircase.

The tour was outstanding! And, the two hour length was the perfect amount of time!

 

We got back to Frank's home around noon. Our afternoon agenda was lunch and wine tasting. The prior week, Frank had lunch at a little restaurant in Cornville called Farm A Go-Go. He said that the restaurant was kind of a dive, but that the food was excellent. So right!

The proprietors started their business as a food truck.  I was the designated driver, but Frank and Barbara had $5 Bloody Mary cocktails loaded with goodies.

Our next stop was wine tasting at Alcantara Winery in Camp Verde. This winery is located on a beautiful estate.

Barbara and I just ordered a glass of their Chardonnay, but Frank enjoyed a flight of red wines. We sat in a patio area and listened to live music.

The weather started to turn and there was some rain. We decided to head back to Frank's home. Originally, we were going out to dinner. But instead, we watched the fifth World Series game --- Los Angeles Dodgers versus Tampa Bay Rays. We enjoyed some delicious left-overs and stir fried vegetables. Frank introduced me to Shishito Peppers. He sauteed them in a pan with extra virgin olive oil. I am hooked!

Monday is our last day in Sedona. We decided to drive 45 minutes to Jerome, walk around this old mining town, and have lunch at the Haunted Hamburger. We got to Jerome a little on the early side --- as many stores don't open until 10:00 a.m. So we stopped at the Grand Hotel. My massage therapist loves staying at this hotel!

Barbara and I walked the town and stopped in several stores. We queued up for the 11:00 a.m. opening of the Haunted Hamburger and we were seated at a window looking down the valley. Very nice!

Since we planned to have a large meal for dinner, Barbara and I split a Haunted Hamburger with a coleslaw side dish.

 

We arrived back at Frank's home by 2:00 p.m. Frank mentioned taking us on a few simple hikes. So, we put of The Bell and The Courthouse.

We walked about 40 minutes. Frank had a special place to take us for the sunset. However, it was starting to really chill down and we did not have the right layering/coats. So, we nixed a sunset hike and went back to the house. We were going to the Cowboy Club Grille and Spirits for dinner. As reservations are not taken, we got to the restaurant about 6:00 p.m. We enjoyed adult beverages in the bar until our table was ready. The wait was less than an hour. We scored a great table!

Our appetizer with unique --- cactus fries, rattlesnake sausage, and bison brochettes. Barbara and I share a Filet Mignon cooked RARE. We had a delightful day and the Cowboy Club Grille was a nice ending to our Sedona visit. Barbara has an 11:30 a.m. flight the next morning. Good-bye Sedona!

Tuesday, September 22 through Friday, October 9, 2020: Camping, California Friends, and Follow-Up Appointments

Tuesday after pickleball, Tom and I took the dogs and the travel trailer to nearby Kaibab Lake Campground. It is about a ten minute drive! We fell in love with campsite #28 in June. So, our reservations was back at the same site.

At this campground, the sites are not close together. So, we have plenty of privacy and views of the lake and forest.

That evening, we sat outside and enjoyed adult beverages.

Since we are only camping for three nights, we brought easy dinners with us. The first night was green enchiladas with chicken. We had prepared the meal in advance.

 

The next morning, I got up early and walked the dogs. We were out and about before the sun!

It is so very peaceful here. There are no hook-ups, so we brought our own water and conserved energy. The first night was quite chilly --- 48 degrees. We did not turn on the propane heater. The heater drains the trailer battery. So Wednesday morning, Tom made arrangements to borrow a generator.

The generator recharges the trailer battery, so we can use the propane heater if necessary. Tom owns a generator, but it is at a Flagstaff shop being fixed.

 

I brought my dear Libby's remaining ashes. So, I placed the rest of her ashes on a tree stub near the lake.

Libby always loved walking at Kaibab Lake. It will be a nice memory. Kelsey and Jamie enjoy walking around Kaibab Lake too.

That afternoon, Jesse from Atomic Pest Control was scheduled to begin his service. He called 30 minutes out and Tom and I met him at the house around 3:30 pm.

Initially, we will have the pest control service scheduled every other month. We will see if we need it more frequently.

The trail around the lake is about three miles. So on Thursday, I walked in one direction around the lake.

Friday was our final day. We had to vacate the campsite by 1pm. So, I walked the dogs around our section of the campground. I then walked in the opposite direction around the lake. While on this walk, I saw a Bald Eagle flying over the lake and then stopping to perch on top of a bare tree.

I walked by two black cows enjoying the northeastern part of the lake.

I also noticed an Osprey nesting high above a barren tree.

After my hike, we packed up the trailer and left Kaibab Lake. Such an easy 5 mile drive! We parked the trailer in front of the house. It look less than an hour to take everything out of the trailer.

Tom then capably backed the trailer into the RV Barn. That night, we decided to treat ourselves to dinner at the Grand Canyon Brewery. We sat outside and there was a nice half moon.

Tom and I got into our home routine. I walked the dogs and made my Fitbit celebrate daily. Tom played Word with Friends with his sister, commandeered games on his Kindle, and read some books on loan from the Williams Library. At 5:00 pm, we set aside time together on the back patio for some Amazon music and adult beverages. Saturday night, there was a very nice Arizona sunset.

The next morning, I took an early walk in the neighborhood. There was a delightful sunrise!

Even though it was a Sunday, we were able to scrounge up enough people to play pickleball.

Monday, I took an early walk to nearby Cataract Lake. I enjoyed seeing a heron wading near the shore.

Later in the day, I stopped by the Rodeo Barn to see how our taped pickleball lines were doing. With all of the weekend Rodeo events, the tape takes quite a beating.

I wrote a letter to our city Mayor, asking if perhaps we could have permanent lines painted in the Rodeo Barn. It was wishful thinking, but worth a try.

My home mortgage is interest only for seven years. It then become a 30 year jumbo mortgage. The seven years is up October, 2021. The 30 year jumbo mortgage has an interest rate cap of 8%. With this low interest rate environment, I decided that I need to refinance my home. I talked with son Rick who is in the mortgage business. He is not licensed in the state of Arizona, but Rick put me in touch with a highly recommended gentleman in the Phoenix area. I contacted Bob Gillespie and the refinancing process has begun!

On Tuesday September 29, I was expecting the arrival of Connie and Ramon Young. Connie and I used to work together at Union Bank in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Connie and Ray have retired. They turned in a Lance travel trailer for a large 5th wheel. They were on their first "other than weekends" 5th wheel adventure. It was fun having them hook-up their 5th wheel alongside our home.

My brother is still the happy grandparent. From time-to-time, he sends updated photos of little Sophie. She is beginning to smile 😊

The first night that Connie and Ray arrived, I made a large Chinese Chicken Salad. We wanted to watch the Trump/Biden presidential debate. We ate our dinner with TV trays.

The debate was disappointing, but we had a good dinner and we drank some nice wine! Fortunately, Connie and Ray shared our Republican/conservative values!

 

We had a lazy Wednesday morning and then I took Connie and Ray to Bearizona. We arrived at about 3pm. The timing was good. Most of the animals in the drive-thru park were active. Of course, we needed a photo of the three of us by the bear.

That evening, the four of us met for adult beverages at 5pm. But, we went our respective ways for dinner.

The next day, we had scheduled a trip to the Grand Canyon. Connie and Ray boarded their King Charles Cavalier dog, Chloe, at the Grand Canyon Railway Kennel. We got to the Canyon just after 10 am. First stop was the Rim Trail --- a walk from Bright Angel Lodge to the El Tovar Hotel.

This was the first visit to the Grand Canyon for both Connie and Ray! Both of them knew of the female architect, Mary Jane Coulter, as they had lunch recently in Winslow at La Posada. So, it was fun showing them some of her other works --- Bright Angel Lodge, Lookout Studio, and the Hopi House. We had a very nice lunch at the El Tovar Hotel.

Before leaving the South Rim Village, I asked Ray to take a photo of me and Connie.

Our next stop was the Yavapai Geology Museum. Then, we drove to the parking area for Shoshone Point. It was a one and one-half mile walk to the point. We were at the point by ourselves. Ray took some videos of the vista.

Indian Head Rock is a great landmark for photos.

Just before we headed back to the parking area for Shoshone Point, a wedding party arrived and was setting up for photos, the wedding vows, and a nice catered dinner.  We got back to Williams by 4:30pm and picked up little Chloe at the Kennel. It was a very fun day --- with Grand Canyon virgins!

Early Thursday morning, I took an early walk to nearby Cataract Lake. There, I found a number of Trump/Pence Keep America Great signs tossed into the lake. Two signs were still standing.

A neighbor was walking her dog at the lake. She told me that four teenage girls had been caught stealing Trump signs and disposing of them. I knew that my neighbor, Gus Beatty, was a victim. I walked back home, got into my truck, and went back to the lake to salvage some of the signs. Several were too far in the lake to be rescued.

 

I had made arrangements with handyman, Ron Cook, to have the shale rock on the front of my house re-grouted. An appointment was set up Friday for this to happen. One of Ron's associates did the task!

On Saturday, Connie and Ray originally planned to go to Flagstaff and visit the Lowell Observatory. But, they decided to have a leisure, lazy day. They are leaving the next day for Lake Havasu.  Tom and I played pickleball in the morning and we joined Connie and Ray at 4:30 pm for music at the Wild West Junction.

And, of course adult beverages!

We had 6:30 pm dinner reservations at the Red Raven Restaurant. After arriving at the restaurant, a couple sat down at a table kitty corner from our table. It was my sister-in-law's brother and his wife!

Howdy Doan, and his wife Colleen, have a second home in Pagosa Springs. They were going back to Southern California from Colorado and stopped in Williams for a night. What a chance meet-up!

The dinner at the Red Raven with Connie and Ray was a lot of fun. Tom and I were actually treated to the meal --- as a thank-you for their stay at Casa Ebbert RV Park.

Sunday morning, Tom and I bid farewell to Connie and Ray. We had another morning of pickleball play. In the afternoon, I had Tom drop me off at Holden Lake and I walked home. When I got home, Tom and I headed over to Safeway to get our annual flu shots.

Monday afternoon, I had an appointment with Dr. Anthony Rosales. He is the podiatrist who attends to my right foot --- shaving the corn calluses between my feet.

Later that afternoon, I found Tom absorbed in a project of getting the pine needles off of the roof and out of the gutters.

The gardeners come every Thursday. So Tom stacked the pine needles away from the house --- for the gardeners to haul it away.
 

Tuesday, I thought it would be fun for the two of us, Tom and me, to go on a trip "out in the woods." That afternoon, we drove out Devil Dog Road to find a place called Devil's Hole. Tom's son Jon has mentioned it before. We parked the car in an area that appeared close to where we could walk to Devil's Hole.

We walked about a mile and one-half --- to the edge of the forest. We saw some beautiful vistas.

But alas, we found nothing that looked like a Devil's Hole. It was possible that the trees were too full of leaves to see it.

Wednesday, our cleaning lady Colleen came to service the house.

Tom and I took advantage of her arrival and we went out for breakfast. A great restaurant, Anna's Place, is a perfect for breakfast and lunch. It closes everyday at 3:00 p.m.

Thursday, I had an appointment in Flagstaff to be fitted for some new hearing aid devices. My one hearing device was five years old and I knew that my left ear hearing was starting to decline. Technology has improved so much that I was able to buy two hearing devices for the same price I paid for one hearing device five years ago!

Friday, October 9, was a scheduled power outage for our town. The Arizona Power Service (APS) was substantially upgrading the electrical system in our Highland Meadows community.

Tom and I took this opportunity to go "leaf peeping" near Mt. Humphreys. On the way out of town, we stopped by the Gateway Sandwich Company for picnic sandwiches.

Our local paper mentioned areas to view the fall colors. We selected one on Forest Road 151. For our first stop, we parked off the road and climbed up a hill to view Mt. Humphreys.

Most of the leaf changing trees are Aspens. Our second stop was a picnic area near the Bismarck Lake trail head. We sat on cut tree limbs made into chairs. Imagine us sitting where our drinks are stationed.

The final "leaf peeping" stop was near the junction of Forest Road 151 and Highway 180.

Deciding to bypass Flagstaff, we took a longer route back home. We arrived home at about 5:00 p.m. The power was still off. I walked the dogs around the block and found out by several neighbors that their electricity had been back on for several hours. Then, I noticed a gaggle of electric company workers focused on one box.

By the time I got home, our electricity was back on. Whew!