WHAT A DRAG

Drag race that is. We had a chance to work the Las Vegas spring drag race. It was our last chance to visit with our "race friends" for quite some time. The soapopera that is AS THE MAINGATE TURNS continues: Lots of plots and subplots, the twists and turns of life on the race circuit. Our friends that have left the MG family are all working elsewhere and happy.

We worked in the Nitro Mall, which gave us a renewed respect for our friends Len and Ellie, and found ourselves "working" with some young people who are temps and did as little "work" as they could. We were amazed at the lack of work ethic shown by them. Spikey Hair (we never did learn his name) was lazy, his girlfriend was sullen and bored.

I had to step up about 12 inches into the stock truck, and by Sunday noon, I felt as though I had been on my own personal StairMaster. I thought I could not step up there again! I should have buns of steel after that workout----but no such luck.

The 12 hour days of Fri. and Sat. turned into a 15 hour day on Sunday as we had to do the dreaded INVENTORY. The adults worked hard and the kids counted stuff. Doug is a machine, Patrick works like a dog....I think he will be sorely missed.

That was last weekend. We are home preparing for a visit from our Oregon/Harley friends Bob and Diana Rush. Dan has been busy with a landscape project and has not found any new roads to travel while they are here. But even if we travel on roads we have done before, it is always good to get on the bike and play with friends.

Return to the Lake

This adorable young tiger has absolutely nothing to do with our return home, but everything to do with Keepers of the Wild as Jonathan has about 10-12 of the beauties in residence AND I just remembered I had a picture!

Wildflowers; lupin, Indian paintbrush, the big yellow ones, and tall reddish ones lined the highway as we left the Verde Valley area and headed home to Havasu. Many of the Yucca were in bloom or just out of bloom. I'm searching for the" perfect "saguaro to photograph. "What constitutes the perfect saguaro" . That would be one with a solid green bottom, arms, but not too many, that curve upward and are symmetrical. One standing alone, preferably against blue sky with a few white clouds, and maybe some of the big yellow wildflowers at its base----That should keep me occupied for a while.

As we came through Parker and along the river, it struck me that the terrain is similar to what we had just enjoyed in Sedona--smaller and less grand, but similar. The river seemed especially blue today and I thought of our winter visitors who, for the most part, have returned

home to the North. As much as we enjoyed our stay in Verde Valley, home base is pretty nice too.

MYSTICAL RED ROCK LANDSCAPE

Sedona is situated in the heart of a unique geological area that has mesmerized visitors for years. Massive red rock monoliths that contrast with the green of cypress, pinon, junipers ,rise against a blue sky. Oak Creek winds through town from the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon. These words are mostly borrowed from a guide book, but truly describe the mystique that is Sedona.

We took a drive around scenic Red Rock Loop and discovered some walking/hiking trails which we intend to use on our next visit here. Everywhere I looked, I saw another photo op that I had to take.

While on the hunt for "native made" jewelry rumored to be found next to the Dairy Queen in Oak Creek Canyon (where it really is) Dan said he had just signed us up for a helicopter tour of the area. We had only to listen to a sales pitch for a property that had RV spaces. Well OK then, off we go, (we are pros at this sales pitch stuff) only to be met by a razor haircut, slick ,loud, high pressure salesman. Did I mention that this helicopter tour is FREE? We could deal with him-for the FREE helicopter tour-but due to a scheduling glitch, and Sam waiting for us back at the motorhome, we bid farewell to Delbert the razor-cut, slick, loud, high pressure salesman AND our FREE helicopter jaunt. I joked to Dan that it was all a ploy to whisk me away from the natives with the "native made" jewelry in Oak Creek Canyon. So, I bought a wonderful pair of earrings at the Blue-Eyed Bear in Sedona.

So much pottery, art, and jewelry--we will be back.

I neglected to mention Johnny Rocket's restaurant in the Cliff Castle Casino. Dan had the absolutely best hamburger he has ever had. You know that Dan is the hamburger guy, so if he thinks it's the best---it must be! We had a great little "senior" waitress, who enjoyed her job and did it well. Ya don't see that everyday.

Many, Many, Many Trails

Here we have Dan and Sam at a park in Verde Valley on the banks of the Verde River. Nice park.

With the purchase of our Camelot came an offer to stay 3 days at a Thousand Trails. We had planned this Arizona loop to include Keepers of the Wild, Williams (to check out a future job), the Grand Canyon, Cottonwood, Verde Valley, and Sedona. As Dan was reading Nick's blog (Gypsy Journal), he noticed that Nick and Miss Terry are staying at this TT.

"Are you up for another membership park sales pitch" asked Dan. "Sure", I said. Even though we are OK with boondocking where we can, stayed in field across from Grand Canyon RR station and across the street from Cliff Castle Casino, it would be nice to have a park to use as home base for a couple of weeks and explore the area---beautiful scenery , steeped in rich history.

Always on the lookout for great places to dine, we took Nick's advice and visited Hog Wild in nearby Cottonwood---absolutely great BBQ. Several other places were added to the list by Greg, the TT salesman. When can we come back here?

A Glimpse of the Past

Montezuma Castle National Monument-WOW-This ancient cliff dwelling dates back to 1150. The Castle stands in a cliff recess 100 feet above the valley. The Sinagua Indians lived in this valley along the banks of Beaver Creek which, along with Montezuma Well, provided water for daily living as well as for the farming. The natives grew corn, beans, squash, and even cotton.

Bits of pottery showed evidence of their artistic skill. The ranger attempted to play the flute, which he said was "really quite easy", but did a poor job of it. He did, however, weave a tale of life as it probably was in the days of the Sinagua Indians who lived in the great house up on the hill.

There is much of interest to see in the Verde Valley.

Just on a Wild Chance....

Our love of animals-big, wild, cats in particular, led us to the gate of an animal sanctuary that is literally the "last chance" for unwanted animals. Keepers of the Wild is home to 150 who would have otherwise been destroyed.

At one time Jonathan Craft was an illusionist, but seeing the abuse that was happening to the big cats used in the shows, decided to find a solution to the problem, rather than be part of the problem.
The story of how Keepers came about is indeed a tear- jerker for animal lovers. Johathan is truly my hero.

Keepers moved into their new home in Valentine, AZ where they have about 17 acres of land. Nice big habitats have been created for the 2 remaining lions, 4 or 5 cougars, and many tigers! Our adopted cats include Bobcat Angel, and Lynx-Kitty. There is a large pack of wolves and hybrids. We heard how many of the residents came to live at keepers and wonder what people are thinking when they attempt to make a pet (for a child) of a wild animal.

We were on hand for "snack time" about 2-ish, chicken bits designed to get the residents up and at'em. The cats would sleep the day away if you let them. The real meal, an 8-12 pound chunk of beef tossed over the fence, was quite a production. A team of workers placed pans of meat into spaces within the enclosures--teamwork is a must for safety. I could, would, love ,.to work here.

Over the years of travel we've spent the night where we could hear the crashing of waves, the babble of a brook, the wind in the trees, a train in the night. But this was the first time we've been able to hear the ROAR OF A LION!! Life is good.

A Chance to Visit

Today I had a chance to visit with friends we worked with in Skagway, AK. After a nice lunch at the local Red Robin, they came up to the house, where we sat outside at the new patio furniture that sits of the extended patio area, surrounded by the plants that adorn the new plant stands, and looked out over the gravel yard that was formerly-just dirt.

It was sort of like a class reunion. It's fun to catch up and hear about mutual friends, what they are doing and where they are headed to work this summer, and where they worked this winter. We are all hard working folks who have retired form "regular" jobs and enjoy shorter term work that take us to different parts of the U.S. What a beautiful country we have, so many wonderful places to be/work/live for a period of time. Sometimes I wish we had stared this life-style sooner....so much to see, how much time?? There is a question to ponder.

Bob and Vivian are headed to New York to work at a big campground in the Adirondacks, an area of the country they have not visited before. I hope this will be a positive experience for them. Bob and Jeanette plan to spend most of the summer in Oregon where two of their kids are. They promise that if we visit, they will take us to Agate Beach, a place I've heard about but never been.

It was good to visit with friends, in our nice back yard and patio.