I
will make today a special day! God has given me this day – I choose
to be happy!
Trolley ride, poultry exhibit and
delicious times with my RV friend (she's also a Chinook owner) Ann
Martin. Her non-rolling house is a bit south and east of Tucson.
She's a serious gardener who delights in growing the healthy, edible
things in organic ways.
Jeremiah parks easily alongside her
driveway, plugged into a 30-amp outlet she had installed. It was
non-stop fun with her. After a short drive into Tucson, we boarded
the trolley and toured the downtown in rolling comfort. For $4 a
person can ride all day, getting off and on as desired – such a
deal! Afterward we enjoyed a farmers' market.
Before going back to Ann's home, we had
dinner at a restaurant named HotRods “Eat and cruise in hot rod
heaven”. Not just a restaurant, the facility is also Tucson's
only racing themed bar & restaurant – and a working garage.
“Whether it's the full treatment or a simple
fix, we can get the job done on your classic or custom in our custom
shop,” according to
the website. Check it out at www.hotrodsoldvail.com.
Yea!
Chickens!
Driving
past the Pima County Fairgrounds near Ann's home, the sign said
“Poultry Show this weekend.”
Definitely a must-see for me! From the parking lot, we could hear the
roosters crowing – music to my ears. Out came my camera and here
are many of my photos.
Towards
the end of one row the turkeys strutted their stuff – obviously
these guys were not slated for this years' turkey dinner!
How
often do you enjoy looking at the sky?
Driving
Jeremiah provides me with plenty of interesting sky views – and
because I prefer driving on less-traveled back roads, I can easily
stop and take photos that amaze me. Recently, on a partially cloudy
day, I enjoyed this odd formation – all the rest of the clouds were
“normal”.
Also,
because I am an early riser, I get to be awed by sunrises. At home
this morning before sunrise, I was treated to a massive pink sky. Too
bad for those who always sleep in!
Statistics
from Balloon Fiesta
Before
I end this blog posting, I want to give you statistics from the
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta:
Here
are some facts that you might like to know about this year's
event:
Registered Primary Pilots: 538
Special Shape Balloons:
105
Competitive Pilots: 267
First-time Pilots: 37
States
Represented: 29
Countries Represented: 15
Overall Attendance
during the 9-day event: Approx. 848,350 – and mid morning on the
final Saturday, they ran out of parking spaces!
Reasons
to be thankful
I
have so many reasons – and so does Pat Bean, an RVing lady I met
years ago. She also keeps a blog and her Nov. 26 entry was “100
reasons to be thankful”.
Take a few minutes to check out her blog at patbean.wordpress.com.
The
Anderson Family Thanksgiving tradition never disappoints.
Brother
Ed and his wife Debbie graciously host it and family comes from near
and far to enjoy the festivities. We had 20+ in attendance – the
oldest, Aunt Marian, is 95; and the youngest was 3 months! I noticed
this schedule posted on their refrigerator door that shows just how
it all gets done.
Anthem
Veterans Memorial – just north of Phoenix
My
friend Hilda alerted me to this memorial that I never knew existed.
It was just a block or so off I-17 just north of Phoenix, so I
stopped on my way home after the family dinner.
“The monument is dedicated to
honoring the service and sacrifice of the U.S. Armed Forces. The
pillar provides a place of honor and reflection for veterans, their
family and friends.”
It was designed by Anthem resident Renee Palmer-Jones The five marble
pillars represent the five branches of the U.S. Military. They are
staggered in size (from 17 ft to 6 ft) and arranged so that precisely
at 11:11 a.m. each Veterans' Day (Nov.11), the sun's rays pass
through the ellipses of the five Armed Service pillars to form a
perfect solar spotlight over a mosaic of the Great Seal of the United
States.
A spotlight on a new product
Daughter Sue told me about a new
product on the market (at Sprouts Market and also at some
Albertsons).
Look for it in the produce section.
These oven-ready potatoes are in a ready-to-cook foil pan. They are
from “The Little Potato Company”. I chose the garlic/herb,
but there are at least three more options. Check them out.
What's next?
At least one more week at home – a
couple of appointments, visiting friends, getting Jeremiah reloaded.
I am aiming to leave and head east to New Mexico on Sunday, Dec. 7.
Weather and road conditions will determine if I drive to Rio
Rancho/Albuquerque or head south to enter NM. Also I'll be contacting
Darcie, NM State Volunteer Coordinator, to see if she knows of any
park needs that I could help with.
My
travels are not just over land though glorious scenery – they are
also voyages of the spirit where personal growth happens daily; where
fear and doubt are replaced by faith and hope.
