Saturday, December 3 through Sunday, December 25, 2022: Jury Duty, Pasadena Visit, Bye-bye Joe Hap, Snow, Sedona, and Christmas.

It is that time of year to address and send Christmas cards. Here I am, a Christmas Elf!

Monday, I drove to Flagstaff for a 90 minute massage appointment with Emily Johnson and a hair appointment with Shawna Ritter. There was a nice cloud formation on my drive east on Interstate 40.

Early Tuesday morning, I had to report to the Coconino County Superior Court for Jury Duty.

I was surprised by the number of prospective jurors --- maybe 60 of us. We went to the courtroom. The first 12 people went through voir dire by the prosecuting attorney and the defending attorney. The case was about Shawn Faria and charged sexual exposure upon three teenagers. Two of the prospective jurors were excused and two more names were called. At about 11:30 a.m., the judge said that the jury panel was accepted and the rest of us were excused.

Thursday morning, I drove to Southern California. On my calendar for almost a year was the Bill Ukropina Holiday Lunch on Friday, December 9. I had to come into town the night before. I made plans to have dinner with Laurie Lloyd Sams and her mother Dar. Laurie picked me up at the Rose and Crown Hotel and we drove east on Colorado Boulevard to a Middle Eastern restaurant, Sahara.

Darlene joined us there. Laurie's mother is 94 years old and is still a pistol of energy.

It was a fun visit enjoyed by all! The next morning, I drove to the Rose Bowl. I arrived at the area early so that I could do some geocaching. I found two caches and I did not fine two caches. It was a nice way to start the day. One cache was embedded in a tree trunk.

It was a beautiful day in Pasadena. I asked a biker fellow to take my picture in front of the Rose Bowl.

Bill's Holiday Lunch started at 11:00 a.m. The first hour was mingling outside with coffee, tea, and water.

I made sure that I got a photo with our host!

This year was the 14th Annual Holiday Lunch for family, friends, clients, and dignitaries. The 300 guests entered the visiting team locker room at about noon. I had made arrangements to sit next to friend Howdy Doan.

The lunch was a Mexican buffet. The guest speaker was Sports Illustrated writer, Ross Dellenger. Ross predominantly covers College Athletics. He was excellent!

After the lunch, I drove to San Gabriel to see my brother Peter and my sister-in-law Terry. Peter had his right knee replaced the day before. So, Peter is now bionic!

Before it got dark, I introduced Terry to geocaching. I saw that there were a number of caches near their home. We found the first one in the parking lot of Colonel Sanders. The cache name was "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner."

We looked for two more, but we were not successful.

That evening, Terry and I went to Trader Joe's and brought home fixings for a taco salad. Before I headed back to my hotel, Peter took one of his excellent selfies of the three of us.

The next morning, I drove back to Williams. It was about a 6 1/2 hour drive.

Christmas time in Williams is very special. The Polar Express train runs daily through New Years.

There is a town Christmas tree and a tree star on the hill above Williams.

Even the First Baptist Church of Williams is decorated for the season.

On Sunday, I decided to pick up a few more hidden caches. Two of the caches I found were ones that I was not able to find two months ago. In October, there were too many black stickers in the weeds/brush. My shoes and clothes were covered. I found "Air Port #1", "Air Port #2", and "Air Port #3."

A special cache was "Veronica's peaceful meadow."

 Granddaughter Meghan posted on Instagram a cute photo of her and her dog Carl.

Una VonBehren --- the mother of my daughter-in-law Joell --- shared with me a photo of a gathering of some Ebberts and VonBehrens. My oldest grandson Jake has a girlfriend named Rachel.

I received a phone call from my friend, Stephanie Hap. Her husband Joe had been in the hospital for several weeks. Stephanie told me that Joe had passed away. So sad. He would have been 74 on December 22.

On Monday, December 12, we received 5 inches of fresh snow.

Tom was very thoughtful. He got the snowblower out and cleaned our driveway.

There are two family birthdays in December. Tom's son Jon turned 46 on December 14. We had him over for dinner. I made Spanish paella.

Jon brought a delicious cheesecake. We put candles on it and sang "Happy Birthday!"

The other December birthday is my youngest sister Kimberley's birthday. She turned 58 on December 16. My sister Wendy took her to my brother Peter's home for lunch, a cake, and presents. Peter's wife and son Jack were also in attendance.

On Saturday, Tom dropped me and the dogs at the "Back 40" part of Highland Meadows. The dogs and I walked around part of the golf course with nice photos of Mount Humphreys.

Sunday morning, I dropped the dogs off at the Grand Canyon Railway Kennel. Tom and I headed for a 3-night stay in Sedona. Sedona is just an hour and 15 minutes drive from Williams. We arrived at the Whispering Creek Bed & Breakfast at 1:30 p.m. Elaine, the housekeeper, showed us where to park and how to enter our Oak Creek room.

After settling in, I went on my geocaching.com application and saw that there was a cache nearby at the Jordan Historical Park/Sedona Heritage Museum. Tom and I walked up Jordan Road and tried to find the cache. We were not successful. But, look at the view from our B&B!

Later in the afternoon, I walked the eight minutes to Uptown Sedona and tried to find three caches. I found one and did not find two. That evening, we had 6:30 p.m. dinner reservations at Dahl Di Luca Restorante Italiano. I had the Blackened Swordfish special and Tom had the Butternut Squash Ravioli special. The food was delicious!

Monday morning, we had a delightful breakfast. The Bed & Breakfast provides a menu the night before and we select what we want for breakfast. After breakfast, I walked back up Jordan Road and found the "Eagle Bridge" cache. I actually had to go under the bridge to find the magnetic cache.

I walked through the Jordan Historical Park. It was not open, but I looked at many of the buildings. I then walked through a neighborhood and came across a herd of twelve javelinas.

I got back to our room at about 11:30 a.m. I wanted to go back to Uptown Sedona and find the caches I was not able to find yesterday. I read comments on each cache and thought that I would have better luck. Tom joined me. The first cache was the "Power From Above." It was a devious cache hidden in plain sight. Found! The next cache was "Missing Lynx." It was a similar cache. Tom found it!

We decided to continue walking to the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village.

On the bridge, I asked a nice woman if she would take our photo.

It was a beautiful day. Tom and I found another cache. It was a traditional cache, so I decided to leave a "smiley face" key chain at "The Hike House Treasure Chest" cache.

We returned to our Bed & Breakfast at about 2:30 p.m. I decided to walk all of the way up Jordan Road. I saw that there were four caches near the Jim Thompson trailhead. I found all four --- "Picnic Bench Falls," Sweet & Sassy," Sweet Beginnings," and "Sweet Sedona Memories." Two were traditional caches, so I left smiley faces.

That evening, Tom and I had dinner at Szechuan Restaurant. We have no Chinese restaurants in Williams, so it was a nice change.

The next morning, Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast owner, Cheryl Barron, fixed us a beautiful breakfast. I had Tom take a photo of the two of us.

Cheryl retired from Marriott --- having worked there for 30+ years. She and her husband Joe purchased this Bed & Breakfast in  March, 2015. They continue to update, renovate and improve the property.

After breakfast, Tom and I drove south on Highway 179 to find some caches. We found three: "Thanks, Dad!" and "Calamine Number 9" and "Way Long Out of Play."

 

We then drove to Cottonwood. There is a state park that friends of ours really like. Both of us have never been to Dead Horse Ranch State Park. We paid the $7.00 entrance fee, parked, and walked around several lagoons.

There were a number of people fishing. The lagoons had been recently stocked by a central Utah fish hatchery.

Since we were in a new area, we did some more geocaching. There were two that we found in Cottonwood --- near the park. One was "Remember Shelli" --- a very cute artistic cache.

We also found a devious cache called "Skater Dude." As we headed back to Sedona, I had Tom drop me off several miles from our B&B. I wanted to collect more steps for my Fitbit. There were several caches in the area, but I only found one --- "Rise to the Occasion." As I walked up the street to our B&B, I saw a very nice photo opportunity.

That evening, Tom and I had reservations at The Hudson Restaurant. We had an adult beverage in the bar area before our table was ready.

The next morning, we had breakfast at 8:45 a.m. Tom and I departed Sedona around 10:00 a.m. We drove back up Arizona 89A toward Flagstaff. At the Oak Creek Scenic Overlook, there was an Earth Cache. This is a cache where you answer Geology questions about the area (posted on a sign) and then you send the question answers to the Cache Owner. 

We arrived home, unpacked, and picked up Kelsey and Jamie at the kennel.

My sister Carrie continued to stay at her second home in Bend, Oregon. For Christmas, she was joined by her husband Brent. They always have fun snow days.

On Christmas day, we had a beautiful sunrise.

I received a nice text from daughter Donna. The Bernstein were in Maui for Hanukkah and Christmas.

The Kuwata family celebrated Christmas in Pasadena. In attendance was Kerry's boyfriend, Brandon, and his young son.

The Shelton family celebrated Christmas in San Gabriel.

 

My Italian son Francesco and his partner Thomas celebrated Christmas in Florence, Italy.

A day or two after Christmas, some of the Kuwatas and Sheltons got together in San Gabriel for a belated celebration.

Sunday, November 13 through Friday, December 2, 2022: Thanksgiving, Geocaching, and Colonoscopy

The weather is Williams has been clear and cool. I took a walk around Highland Meadows and the Elephant Rocks Golf Course. It was nice seeing Mt. Humphreys with snow.

Tuesday evening, several deer were grazing on the empty lot across from our home.

My girlfriend Stephanie Hap celebrated her 72nd birthday at the Hassayampa Inn in downtown Prescott. She and her husband Joe had a two-night stay there. On her actual birthday, they had dinner at  Papa's Italian Restaurant.

Tom and I dined there last December. It has great food and excellent wine!
 

The Highland Meadows Ladies Lunch Group are now meeting on Wednesdays. Two vehicles --- with nine of us --- drove to Seligman for lunch at Westside Lilo's Cafe. The food is always good. The restaurant specializes in desserts.

I brought home a huge piece of carrot cake. Tom and I ate it over several days.

This time of year, Samaritan's Purse sponsors Operation Christmas Child. The organization provides "shoe boxes" to be filled with unwrapped gifts for boys and girls at specified age groups - 2-4, 5-9, and 10-12. I participated this year and dropped off my box at the Calvary Church. Neighbors Rick and Ann Steppey were volunteering. I stayed an hour to help fill six or seven boxes.

Later in the afternoon, while walking Kelsey and Jamie, I saw six or seven deer grazing in front of Kay and Dave Hall's home.

On Saturday, my sister Carrie posted some photos on Instagram from Bend. My nephew Blake and his wife Nicole are spending a week in Bend with my sister and her husband Brent. Blake and Nicole live in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.

My sister has two young English Lab dogs, Noah and Dutton. They enjoyed the walk with all the Carrolls.

That Saturday, I looked for several geocaches in Williams. I found one at the trailhead for Bill Williams Mountain.

Elephant Rocks Golf Course closed for the winter season on Saturday, November 19.

After church on Sunday, I drove to Kaibab Lake, parked, and walked the perimeter around the lake.

Later in the afternoon, more than 20 deer were grazing on the lot across from my home.

Monday morning, I invited Tom to go geocaching with me. He said yes! We started by going near Kaibab Lake. I saw that there were three up a closed road. We parked the car at the barricade and walked the 1/2 mile to the furthest cache called "Don't Shoot Me." It was near a cinder pit used years ago for gun target practice.

We walked several hundred feet for the second cache.

This second cache was named "Knot in the Log."

The third cache was another several hundred feet walk. It was named "Where in the woods is it?."

On Tuesday, I went to Flagstaff for a hair appointment with Shawna Ritter. I wanted to take a photo of Shawna, and she suggested a selfie with the two of us.

I'm glad Shawna knows how to take selfies! While I was in Flagstaff, James from Wizard's Hearth and Home came to the house to repair our gas fireplace. It started misbehaving several months ago --- and finally died last week. James was able to replace several parts and clean inside the fireplace. Yeah!

The wife of my nephew, Nicole, posted a photo of the Carrolls going wine tasting at Grand Peaks Winery in Sisiters --- about 1/2 hours west of Bend.

Thursday was Thanksgiving. Tom and I had dinner reservations at the Best Western Plus Western View Steakhouse. When we arrived at 6:00 p.m., our table was not quite ready. So, we had adult beverages in the Kachina Lounge.

The restaurant has nice ambience for a special Thanksgiving Day dinner.

Family members in Bend (Kuwatas and Carrolls) enjoyed Thanksgiving Day with friends and family.

 

 

The entire Bernstein family was in Los Angeles with dogs Carl and Doug.

Friday, Tom and I set aside time to install our Starlink Satellite system for our travel trailer. We found out that Palm Creek RV Resort in Casa Grande --- where we are spending January and February --- does not have RV site internet. It was recommend that we purchase the Starlink system. There are too many trees on our property to test the system at home. So, we drove out to Jon's house. Jon was very helpful in guiding us through the set-up process and it worked! We were able to log into the Starlink internet system.

On our way back to our home in Williams, we stopped and found several caches. One was a cache that I could not find several weeks ago --- "Arrowhead Rock." Another cache was "The Woods, The Woods #1" and the last cache found that afternoon was "Unknown Grave."

That same day, the Carrolls went into the national forest near Bend to find a Christmas tree. They were successful!

On Saturday, Tom and I captured three more caches. One of the caches we tried to find in October. Yes, we found "Nameless Cache!" The cache was firmly lodged in a crack. Fortunately, Tom was successful getting it out.

We also found "Have all the cows left" and "A Dirt Road Adventure."

That evening, there was the Christmas light parade and annual tree lighting celebration. Our City of Williams certainly likes parades!

On Sunday, I began the project of preparing and sending out Christmas cards. The first cards mailed were to Great Britain, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, France, and Japan.

On Monday, Kelsey had an appointment at Williams Veterinary Wellness Clinic. It was time to have her teeth cleaned. I dropped her off at 8:00 a.m. and picked her up at 2:30 p.m. Unfortunately, she had to have six teeth pulled. Yes, she still does have teeth in her mouth. 😝😝😝

Tuesday, I had to begin the prep work for my colonoscopy on Thursday. Over the next two days, I must consume only clear liquids and I have to drink four 16 ounce glasses of Suprep. Yummy.

On Thursday, Tom drove me to the Forest Canyon Endoscopy & Surgery Center in Flagstaff. I had to check-in at 8:45 a.m. My colonoscopy was scheduled for 9:45 a.m. I laid on a bed in the preparatory section until I was wheeled into the procedure room.

After the procedure, Dr. Angelo Trujillo came into recovery. He told me that he only took out one polyp, but that I would need another colonoscopy in three years. I'm not sure I want more colonoscopy procedures. Later that afternoon, Tom and I stopped by Obregon City Tacos and we picked up some delicious tacos for dinner that evening.