Remember in my last post I talked about being flexible? Well, that's us! As we settled into our spot here in Green Valley, AZ and began planning our trip to California, Fritz confessed that his blood pressure has been too high and he really needed to just stay put for a while. So we canceled our plans to California and extended our stay here in Green Valley til the middle of January. 

Sunset at the RV Park

The Santa Rita Mountains

Virginia in the Santa Rita Mountains

We are really enjoying our stay here; our friends have been great hosts, showing us some of the beauty of the area in Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita mountains, teaching us how to play shuffleboard and pickleball. Their energy puts me to shame! Of course, I just finally went to the doctor last Friday to get antibiotics to finally kick whatever I have in the teeth, and have been slowly feeling better and getting my strength back. However, my months of relative sedateness caused me to wrench my hip on my first efforts at pickleball. So we're scaling back; Fritz is playing ping pong in the mornings while I do water aerobics.

The area is beautiful desert, just about 20 miles south of Tucson, alive with a number of cacti and scrub trees. Recent unusual winter rains have greened everything and some cacti are blooming. I've done a poor job of remembering to take pictures, so you'll just have to take my word for it! This community is largely 55+ which has its pros and cons. I miss the age diversity, but it's also nice to have so many activities geared for the senior age group! The slower pace, compared to Tucson, is very welcomed but it's nice to have the big-city conveniences so near.

It is quite a bit cooler here than I expected. We're at an elevation of 3,000 ft. and have been seeing lows in the 30s at night, with highs ranging from the low 50s to the low 70s. We're also benefiting from the remnants of all the rain California has been getting. But generally, the sun is shining, and when the sun's out, Fritz is happy!

So Green Valley is where we'll be for Christmas. We'll be thinking of all our family and friends scattered throughout the world, wishing each of you the joy of the miracle of Christ's birth. May the New Year find each of you healthy and happy. Til next time....