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Published: April 30th 2009
Cali's Mess
The shredded tissue in the bathroom is courtesy of my spoiled cat. Her favorite pass-time, when she can find a roll to play with!CHAPTER 15 SOUTHERN ARIZONA
March 21:
Cali---I want to thank all my fans for reminding Mommy who the important writer is in this blog! I insisted I start the blog for this chapter. After all, while she is out running around and taking pictures, I stay home, guard the place and make sure everything is tip top. I know I don’t often contribute to the writing, but I do stay very busy. I make sure Mommy keeps this place clean. For instance, I use the litter box regularly so she is required to clean it out daily and change it often. (She tells me I am a real stinker!)
My favorite pastime is to shred paper. Any kind of paper, but toilet paper is my favorite. Mommy is good at hiding paper for me to find. Looking for it keeps me very busy.
Of course I have to check out everything brought into the RV to make sure it isn’t dangerous. I sniff, smell and paw all items, bags and boxes, investigating thoroughly. Often Mommy will leave a bag or box around for me to play in. I like to drop my toys in them, then chase them Sticking My Nose In
A girl needs a good drink of water after shredding all that tissue! out. When there aren’t any boxes, etc., I roll up the toys in the little rugs. That is a lot of fun and it ensures Mommy shakes the rugs often so they don’t accumulate dirt.
I really try to be helpful. I lick any bowls or plates I can reach so Mommy won’t have to wash them. I have my own opinion of where things ought to be, so I constantly rearrange things, like the rugs. I guess Mommy and I don’t have the same opinions on interior decorating, because she is always putting them back.
I know I am good company. I am a great conversationalist and love to talk. I’m not sure Mommy always listens, but I talk anyway. I like to hear myself talk and make sounds. Sometimes I go from little hums to loud meows. I do the last when I really want to get her attention.
I do exercise to stay healthy. I run and jump a lot. The RV is really good for that. I run back and forth and jump on chairs, the table and the “upstairs.” The exercise, of course, makes me hungry, so I have to constantly remind
Superstition Mountain
This mountain is famous for the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine in legend. I think it is beautiful and I could see it every day from Larry's home in Mesa. Mommy to feed me--especially those little snacks. Umm. They are so good!
As part of my guard duties, I monitor outside activities by looking out all the windows on a regular basis. There are birds, bugs, dogs and other cats that I have to keep track of. Oops! I hear one of those birds now, so I have to go! (I told you I was busy--but I’ll be back!)
Well, in order to keep Cali from helping me on the computer, I promised to let her go first in the blog. Now it is my turn again.
I spent the morning continuing to tour Sedona, this time via trolley rides. We covered the whole town and some outlying areas. I really have enjoyed my stay here and would like to come back. Sedona is a very special place. But it is time to move on. Cali and I battened down the hatches and drove on to Prescott. Using my trusty Tomtom (thanks again, Danette) I found Dawna’s apartment easily and gave her a call. We visited for a bit and made plans for tomorrow. (Dawna is my sister-in-law and sister in Christ. She was married to Bob,
Home in Mesa
This is a typical house and landscaped yard in Mesa. Note there is no grass to mow and most of the plants are cactus or succulants which use very little water. Arnie’s brother. He died just four months after Arnie.) There was a Wal-mart center just a few blocks from Dawna’s apartment building, so I boon-docked there for the night.
March 22: I picked Dawna up for church in the RV. The wind was blowing so hard it was difficult to drive, but we made it ok. Dawna was happy to see all of her friends there. It was the first time she had been back since Bob died. After church we planned to meet some of her friends, go to lunch and then a special treat. The “painter of light”, Thomas Kinkaid was in town and Dawna had gotten tickets to go. The theater was small so, we really got to see him up close and personal! Unfortunately, I didn’t take my camera because I thought photos would not be allowed. I was wrong! Flashbulbs were going off all over the place! He is quite a good speaker and very entertaining. While talking he sketched a picture which was auctioned off for charity. The penned sketch sold for $13,000! The charity was “Make a Wish Foundation”. There were many original paintings for sale, as well as many prints and
Lost Dutchman State Park
Here are some of the cactus varieties, including the saguero cactus, in the Lost Dutchman State Park. it was fun to be able to see so many at one time. He autographed all paintings and prints that were purchased, but not my program. I decided I didn’t really have room for one of his paintings in the RV, so I didn’t rush to get my checkbook out, which was good, since the cheapest was a print for $980.
While we were in the theatre the wind had gotten worse. Driving back from her friends’ home in Prescott Valley to Dawna’s apartment in Prescott was something else. I really had to wrestle the RV to stay on the road. Dawna was praying the whole way home. Later we found out on the news that the wind had been gusting up to 65 miles an hour!
March 23: I picked Dawna up mid-morning and we headed down to Mesa to her son’s home. Luckily, there was not much wind. During the drive, I saw my first saguaro cactus. Naturally, I had to stop and take some pictures. Dawna was not feeling well during the trip, so she slept in the bedroom and was impressed that she could do that. Once again, I had no trouble finding Larry’s house
Tire Fountain
This unusual fountain was made from tires in graduated sizes. due to the navigation instructions from the Tomtom. I parked the RV in front of the house and plugged in. It was good to have electricity again after boon-docking for several days.
March 24-30: No big activities during this time. Dawna, Larry and I just visited and got to know each other better. I also got acquainted with Larry’s “family”; his cat Bailey and his ferret, Snoopy. Dawna returned to Prescott on the 26th and Larry and I went to church on Sunday. I enjoyed the laid back atmosphere and the time to rest a bit. Larry’s beautiful house is in a golf course community overlooked by Superstition Mountain, home of the infamous Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine. It is a beautiful mountain. All of the Phoenix valley area is surrounded by mountains. While great to look at, all these mountains do create some problems. They tend to hold in the heat and hold out the rain, so the valley can get extremely hot in the summer. In addition the cities have extra rules and regulations to keep down smog and other emissions, which tend to collect and stay cocooned in the valley. I have been very impressed with the
Copper Mine
This mine was one of several strip mines near Globe, AZ. I thought the terraced levels fit into the landscape nicely without making the area look ugly. cleanliness of the whole area and the way they have used native plants for landscaping to conserve water and contribute to the good air.
Larry is a laid-back guy who was a great host. We talked, watched TV and ate well. He is a great cook, among many other talents. I enjoyed my whole stay with him.
March 31: I decided to explore a bit and headed up to the Lost Dutchman’s Mine State Park. Actually, it was not the Dutchman who was lost, but his gold mine. The legend has several variations, but one is that a Dutchman staked a claim in Superstition Mountain and found a lot of gold, which he buried. At some point, however, he went crazy and died and no one has ever found either the mine or the buried gold. So many prospectors lost their lives in the mountains looking for it, that the mountain was said to be haunted. The main ghost, of course is the Dutchman, trying to find his buried gold. Hence the name Superstition Mountain. It really is a beautiful hunk of rock. The park is located at the north end of the mountain and consists mainly of
Tonto National Monument
These cliff dwellings were occupied by the Solado Indians in the Tonto Basin. cactus and hiking trails. I hiked about 2 miles on fairly easy paths. And, of course, took a lot of pictures!
After leaving the park I stopped at the Goldfield Mining Camp. This used to be a ghost town and is now reactivated into a tourist attraction. They offer mine tours as well as jeep and train tours around the area. There are specialty shops, a mining and rock museum, a little church (which has regular Sunday services and weddings) and old towers, mining machinery and equipment. During the winter season, they offer regular shows of bar brawls and gun duels. Interesting place.
April 1: April Fool’s! Larry and I went out to lunch and did not play practical jokes on each other.
April 2: I left Larry’s and drove to a old friend’s house, also in Mesa. Bruce and I met when he lived in Palatka for a time. I was looking forward to seeing him after many years. He is like a son to me and we have kept in touch for a long time.
April 3: A memorable day. I was cleaning the RV that I had parked next to Bruce and Lisa’s,
Roosevelt Lake
This was the view from the cliff dwellings. when I missed the step going out of the RV. I fell, landing on my elbow and wrist. I thought at first I had just sprained the elbow, but as time passed and the pain got worse, I decided to get it checked out. Bruce drove me to an urgent care center where they x-rayed and told me I had fractured the radial head-bone in the elbow. By that time I was nauseated from the pain, so they gave me a Demerol shot, loaded me down with drugs, an arm sling and a referral to an orthopedic doctor and sent me on my way. When I got home I went to bed and slept the rest of the weekend.
Cali--I got really worried about Mommy. She stayed and stayed in the bed. I went in constantly and tried to wake her up but she would only mumble a few words and go back to sleep. She did get up once, went into the bathroom; then came out and put down some food and fresh water for me, then went back to bed. April 6: I got up early enough to call the doctor’s office and got an appointment for the afternoon. This doctor looked at the x-ray and said he didn’t see a fracture line. He told me to take Advil twice a day, use the arm gently and come back in two weeks. When I got back to the RV I took another percocet (I still had a few left from the urgent care center) and went back to bed!
April 7-11: I spent the week babying my arm, gathering all the sympathy I could get via email and telephone as well as face to face. Bruce and his girl friend, Lisa took wonderful care of me. They saw to it that I ate and stayed out of trouble. Larry also stayed in close touch.
April 12: Just when I was about to go nuts with cabin fever, Bruce and Lisa suggested an outing to the Tonto National Forest and Lake Roosevelt east of Mesa. Did I jump at that!
It was a gorgeous day for a ride. I was amazed at the mountains that just seemed to go on and on. We drove through spectacular gorges and canyons. Most of the towns along this road, Hwy 60, were old mining towns, small, quaint and almost deserted. Most of the mines, copper mines, have closed. Some, though were still open around Superior, Miami and Globe. I have always heard how strip mining leaves an area ugly. I found this untrue, at least in this area. These mines have actually terraced the mountain sides, leaving interesting patterns and colors which blended into the surrounding scenery without spoiling it. I was very impressed.
Along the way, we stopped at “The World’s Smallest Museum.” It was a building about 8’X 10’ with a hallway through the middle. On each side were small windows with different displays. It was fun to walk through! Outside there were two fountains. One was made from stacked wheelbarrows. The base of the second one was the biggest tire I have ever seen. I can’t imagine what vehicle would use that size tire. The rest of the fountain was stacked tires in graduated sizes.
Lisa turned out to be a wonderful guide, since she is originally from this area. She guided us to the Salt river upriver from the dam which creates Lake Roosevelt. Not only is it a scenic river, but there were thousands of river rocks. Those of you who know me well are probably laughing by now, because you know my obsession with rocks. We spent hours there while I took pictures and picked up rocks. Care to guess how much my RV weighs now? Seriously, I did pick up some beauties, but they were all small and not nearly a many as I would have liked! I simply had to quit and go back to the car so I wouldn’t see any more.
When Lisa mentioned some Indian ruins I was immediately interested. I didn’t know the ruins were those of cliff dwellers. Bruce and Lisa got chuckles of how excited I got when I saw them. I didn’t even hesitate when they mentioned the half mile, 300 foot climb it took to get up to the ruins. I have always dreamed of seeing Mesa Verde and other cliff dwellings and have read books and articles about the Anazazi and other cliff dwelling Indians and these were the first such ruins I have seen! The hike up was literally breathtaking! The view of the ruins as we climbed, the view of the lake below and the surrounding mountains, the desert blooms and the steep path caused frequent sitting stops. Needless to say, I was panting by the time we finally got to the top. Shortage of wind did not stop my enthusiastic exploration of the ruins. This Tonto National monument consists of two main ruin areas. The lower one is open to the public on a daily basis. The upper ruin is on a nearby mountain and requires a 3 and ½ hour hike with a park ranger. If you are ever in the Phoenix area and have the time, I recommend you take this day trip. It is really worth it!
April 13-18: I continued to take things easy and do arm exercises during the week, while Bruce worked on the RV. God bless him, he replaced the master brake cylinder, bled the brakes, changed the oil, check out the generator, replaced the brush skirting on the back of the RV, installed a backing up camera, put a water filter on the kitchen faucet and probably 5 or 6 other things that have slipped my mind for now! How I appreciate him and Lisa for all they did.
April 19: Another easy going day. Larry and I went to a huge, busy church in the morning. The guest speaker was Marge Hinkle. She heads a large mission operation and has her own television program. After church we went to the Red Lobster to eat. I had the coconut shrimp, which were delicious.
Cali--Mommy and I had our first fight and she spanked me! I was only getting into her art box and chewing on her canvas. She told me no and took me out of the box a couple of times, but I was having too much fun and didn’t want to quit. I went back and when she lifted me from the box the second time I bit her. That’s when she swatted me. It hurt my pride. I don’t love her any more! Note: Cali sulked for quite a while. She didn’t draw blood, but that behavior is not acceptable! We made up later.
April 20: I spent the day with Bruce’s children while he was at work. We painted rocks, blew up balloons and had a good time all around.
April 21: I visited the doctor for the follow-up appointment for my arm. I still can’t bend it or straighten it all the way without a lot of pain. However, since he wouldn’t give me a prescription for more drugs, I didn’t schedule another appointment! Instead, I decided that I was fit enough to drive and would leave tomorrow for California.
April 22: On the road again. I took Highway 60 up to Wickenburg, then down to Quartzsite. It was out or my way, but a scenic road. I spent the night at an RV park that was one of the nicest I’ve been in. It was squeaky clean, offered all the amenities, including a great library and book exchange and had dozens of the prettiest rose bushes I’ve ever seen. Naturally I took lots of pictures! It turned out the surrounding countryside is a big gold mining area and most of the Rv’ers come down for the winter and prospect. They were a great bunch of people and I enjoyed talking to some of them. My next door neighbors had two cats that travel with them, so we exchanged several stories.
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Melanie
non-member comment
sounds like you're having a blast my friend
Cali: Aww....now that's not nice your mom calls you a stinker. No wonder you get even by shredding the toilet paper...LOL. And Cali that was bad of you to bite your mom...naughty girl! --------- Wow that was real special that you got to see that painter Thomas Kinkaid...I love his work! And Arizona sounds truly beautiful. As much as I would love to visit there I don't think I could ever take the heat there though...LOL How's your elbow now? Hope you're feeling better by now