Ramblings

I am starting this blog post with a picture of a beautiful Arizona sunset. We don't see too many during the summer because clouds are few and far apart.

 

The weather has been almost perfect the last couple of days. Highs in the 80s and low in the 50s, But starting Friday, we are headed up and on Saturday we have triple digits and the same on Sunday. Then next week we are in the upper 90s all week. Pretty sure summer is here.

Update: it is Sunday and we reached 104 today. Staying near a hundred but still in the 90s for a few more days.

 

The few of us left in the park are still getting together Tuesday mornings for goodies: blueberry scones, cinnamon rolls and blueberry and poppy seed muffins. We do get spoiled during the summer.

Went to the American Legion for dinner with the park group. Also had lunch with a Sidney, MT classmate, Tim, and his wife before they head out for the summer. Good times.

It's amazing how boneheaded I can be sometimes. I bought a bag of M&M peanut butter. Now I know I'm not supposed to eat peanut butter (or peanuts) because they give me gout. But I thought that one bag wouldn't hurt. How wrong can I be. So for over a week I wasn't able to walk faster than a painful hobble.  

I did make a run to Walmart to do a grocery pick up. I rarely go into a store anymore, and I felt I needed a treat. These are so good when it is so hot. Cool you down from the inside out.

Well all of sudden blogger has decided to center what I'm typing. Hasn't done this in a long time and I have no idea how to fix it so it is what it is. Jim was always able to fix it for me.

That is the extent of the excitement around my house. Hope your days are sunny for you. I know a lot of you in the north are still having almost winter. But summer should show up sometime.

Just saw the news and my heart is broken. 14 elementary school children and one teacher killed in Texas by an 18 year old kid. So senseless. I feel so sad and helpless. Hug your loved ones. If they aren't close enough to hug, call them if you can and let them know they are loved. This world needs all the love we can give.

Since I posted this I found out that 18 children and two adults are dead. It just gets worse and worse. 

Living in a Ghost Town

 AJ, AZ.  Highs in the 90s. Lows in the 60s

Some days are rough but most aren't bad.  Most of the time I don't mind being by myself. I do like my own company. Which is a good thing because in another week our park will be almost totally empty. There are probably 10 or 15 folks who stay year round.

I didn't meet Jim until I was almost 37 and he is my first and only spouse. So I learned to be pretty independent. However it is harder to be independent when you get older and don't have much strength left in your hands and you have an ankle that doesn't like to cooperate. So thank you to all those who come to my aid when I desperately need them. 

This is a picture of part of Paul's beautiful back yard. He bought a house in Florence AZ and he invited me down for lunch. Jim and I met Paul at Escapade 2008 in Gillette WY and have spent many great times catching up across the country. He's getting ready to head to Minnesota for the summer.

See the rock to the right of the tree? That is a fountain and it was so much fun to watch the birds come by for a drink.

Still trying to resolve Jim's medical bills and life insurance. Maybe next year I'll have it all resolved. 

I have found one thing that I really hate doing by myself and that is wrestling with trying to make a king size bed.  I really am glad that we invested in the QuickZip sheets. With those I don't have to try and pull the mattress down to tuck in the sheets and then push it back into place. They were expensive but I am glad we made the investment. 

Had dinner with Ginny and Mickey at Babbos on Saturday. They left Sunday morning to head to Maine for a graduation and a wedding. Everybody stopping by to say goodbye.

 

And ready to leave.

Todd and Michaela sent me these beautiful flowers for Mother's Day. Aren't they beautiful? Michaela made the gnome for me. She is so creative.

On Monday Paul drove up and put reflective coverings in my front windows which face west. It gets really hot in here in the afternoons and these coverings should help to keep it a little cooler for me.  Jim and I are both so grateful for all the help that I have gotten from so many people.

 Wendy (the unofficial park photographer) found a hummingbird nest with a couple of babies. I love this picture that she took. This nest is only about the size of a half dollar

 

This is what it must be like to live in a ghost town. Lots of empty buildings and so very very quiet. This seems to be my new neighbor.

 
Our temps are heading into the hundreds by this weekend. I think summer is here to stay for us. Some of you out there are still having winter. But one thing we all seem to have in common is wind. 

Hopefully I will have something of interest to post every once in awhile this summer.