Tag: nature

Day 2289

Tuesday January 9th 2024

Dear Journal:

We woke this morning almost as excited as kids on Christmas day, yesterday we went to Mesa for a number of reasons, one was to get this weeks grocery supplies, second was to return Ray’s plastic welding equipment, and third and certainly not the least to meet friends from Ontario. And we even had the bonus of finding a Chinees buffet that was one of the best we have experienced in the States.

This morning our friends Mary & Julie (and Coco) are coming to visit us at the Arboretum, and as if the day wasn’t going to be great enough already, Tom & Kathleen (and Lucy) are going to join us for lunch. We love our American friends that we have met on the road, but to have some Canadian friends make an effort to visit us, well that’s just over the top. Miss Laurie has got everything under control, lunch is planned, the timing of our guests, and the planned route in the Arboretum.

Mary & Julie have decided to spent a few months in the southwest this winter, with family in California and a return visit to a previous hometown a number of years ago. And we are lucky enough to have them spend a few days in the Mesa area which is about 45 minuets from our location, and they have decided to come to the arboretum and see what we keep raving about.

We walked the main trail at the Arboretum before making it back to our coach for lunch with Tom & Kathleen, today we are barbequing burgers with all the fixing. And introducing everyone, even Lucy & Coco seem to make friends or at least tolerate each other, it was a cool day in the desert but it was sunny so sweatshirts were needed when in the Arboretum but optimal on our patio in the sunshine. After a nice visit Tom & Kathleen headed back to Casa Grande and Mary & Julie left for Mesa, we made plans to meet them tomorrow for an adventure to the Queen Creek Olive Mill, a wonderful place that we visit a few times each winter, olive oils and balsamic vinegars as well as having a cafe that serves a number of items that showcase their products.

Blog 503

Day 2287

Sunday January 7th 2024

Dear Journal:

SNOW! As we wake this morning we can not see the Picketpost mountain, as day breaks we are engulfed in low laying cloud cover, totally obscuring our view of the surrounding mountains. It is raining as we prepare to head to the visitor center for another day of volunteering. I already know that it will be a long boring day in admissions, but the Arboretum never closes so we are headed to the visitor center just before eight o’clock.

As we walk to the visitor center this morning we can see snow on Picketpost Mountain at least what we can see of the mountain under the cloud cover. Most Sundays we are hoping to exceed 1000 visitors while today I’m thinking maybe 100 could be a stretch. But I’m starting a new book today, so I will be able to occupy myself if the visitors don’t come to the Arboretum today.

This is not a book to read on a busy day, this is most likely one of the most difficult reads that I have ever undertaken. Think history book kind of reading, dates, facts, and a complete history on every new associate that he came in contact with.

A complicated history on the man who brought the atomic bomb to life, and how the country that had picked him to perform such a task then turned him into a villain following his actions. As I read this I realized that the division in America is not something new.

As the day proceeds the clouds start to lift and Picketpost mountain come into view with the snow and even some blue sky starting to open up. We are actually in some sunshine at the visitor center.

On these long boring days I’m usually left in the admission booth by myself, Miss Laurie spends her day helping in the gift shop either restocking shelves or managing the store while staff is performing other tasks. And as you may know I get bored and while reading my book I happen to notice this incest on the admission booth window with temperatures just over the freezing mark, not a temperature that brings out bugs. It also would appear that I need to clean the glass in the admission booth windows.

There were no admission records set today, I read until my head hurt, and the day just kept getting better, the temperature never climbed much today but we did get a little sunshine which always makes cold days a little more bearable. The clouds became whiter and the blue sky opening became larger, and the snow became more obvious. And as much as I tried to avoid them I still got the top of those damn port-a-potties in the bottom of the photo.

Our work week is over, we are off now until Friday, the coach was chilly when we returned, usually with any amount of sunshine the coach warms up quite nicely, but on cloudy days not so much so I’m firing up the electric heaters as we prepare to kick back and watch some television, news, 60 minutes, then some YouTube videos.

Blog 502