desert plants in bloom

Wow.....what a couple of weeks it's been! We arrived to a lush Apache Junction Jan. 12th, still damp from nighttime rains. Superstition Mountain was beautiful in the mist, and as the sun rose, Fritz and I enjoyed a hike up the hill to view the surrounding area.

Superstition Mountain

 We connected with our friends there, Jim and Anna, before continuing on to our next destination en-route to Quartzite: Wickenburg. We are always royally treated there, provided free parking, water and electricity by our dear friend, Sharon Pearson, while parked at her house. Sharon outdoes herself as a hostess, and gives generously of her time and resources whenever we drop by. The morning of January 15th, we pointed west toward Quartzite.

Quartzite. Mom always taught me that if you can't say anything nice about something, don't say anything at all. Let me just say I am not a fan. It is a very small town that throws up a  jumble of temporary buildings for this big RV event every January. To the town's credit, their roads and facilities are well equipped to handle the influx of RV and ATV enthusiasts that descend upon them in the winter.

The event for which we came is billed as the biggest 'flea market' in the west (I believe). What it reminded us of is the state fair. Under the 'big tent' were scores of booths with people hawking every kind of item but geared primarily toward RVers. We had volunteered to man a booth on behalf of Loma Linda University Medical Center to promote proton radiation therapy. Our booth was small and well-manned. However, Loma Linda invested very little in terms of signage or current materials, so the first day Fritz made a sign to grab the attention of the fast-moving throngs, then made two more in the following days. Our encounters with people were touching; some for whom the message came too late; others that were encouraged to know there was another option. It was emotionally exhausting, and we only manned the booth four mornings for four hours each morning! At lunch, at our RV park, and elsewhere out and about, we had opportunities to talk about our mission there and share hope. 

Fritz ready to share hope with passersby

The last day there, we went to a gem and mineral show, but frankly, I was so 'peopled out', I couldn't enjoy it as much as I might have. Our biggest surprise of the week came when we encountered five people we knew from the Chewelah area, and some we didn't know! Who would have thought??? In fact, we met a couple at the gem and mineral show from Valley, WA selling the serpentine rock that we have been landscaping with! They'll probably come buy some from us when we all return home.

I was happy to leave the dusty, sparse desert of Quartzite. Here's a sample of the 'scenery' on our trip back to Wickenburg:

This is not the pretty desert to which we'd become accustomed!

It was like a desert oasis to return to Wickenburg! Once again, Sharon opened her heart and home to us. Sharon and I enjoyed hiking around the BLM land across the road from her house and taking in the views. Fritz and I agree we could live here (of course, we've never been here in the summer!).

Wickenburg

We're now back in Apache Junction for a week, then will head over to Thatcher to see our niece, Delann, for a day, then back to Green Valley. Somewhere in there we'll also sneak a trip to Tombstone.

I'll leave you with this beautiful shot of a rainbow ring around the sun our last day in Wickenburg. We've seen some beautiful skies in Arizona that, no doubt, the dust helps create. 

Will catch you later on down the road.......

Well, the first round of our Green Valley experience is coming to a close, as we leave day after tomorrow.  We have enjoyed the people, the games, the experiences, the weather (for the most part) and the down time.

Fritz's blood pressure has slowly come down, which is the big plus. He plays ping pong nearly every weekday while I'm doing water aerobics. On rainy days, I'll play ping pong and must confess it is a more thorough workout! However, my hip just doesn't like that much activity, and I love being outdoors and in the water, so I'll stick with what works!

We haven't played any more pickle ball or shuffleboard as our friends went back home to Wyoming for the holidays. We'll try those again when we return in February. Haven't done much sightseeing, either, as the weather has been uncharacteristically cool and wet. Yes, we've even had lows down into the mid 20s! Fortunately, such days don't last long and soon the sun is shining and the temperatures creep back up, seeming warmer than they are in contrast to the cool weather.

I've taken pictures of nothing but scenery. The facilities here are nice, but who can beat God's paintbrush? 

Moonrise at sunset

 The sunrises and sunsets here are spectacular!

Mountains ablaze!

I am disappointed that I haven't seen any javelinas; a peccary that is a distant cousin of the wild hog. However, I don't really want to encounter one as they can be vicious. Here is what they look like:

We are visited each evening by a huge horned owl that appears very well-fed, and woodpeckers claim their territory by tapping on the flag pole in the mornings. Jackrabbits and cottontails are also frequent visitors in the park.

We've sharpened our skills at Euchre and a mid-west offshoot called 'Pepper'. Last night we learned a new game called "Oh, Hell!"....and it was, ha! Can't wait to teach it to my siblings at the family reunion in May!

From here, we're headed up to the Apache Junction area for a few days, then Wickenberg on our way to Quartzite, where we'll spend a week. Unlike many die-hards that dry camp in the desert, we're staying in an RV park. I understand this town of 1,000 becomes a metropolis of 500,000 people during this particular time of year, as there is a huge RV show and flea market. We are manning a booth to promote Proton Radiation Therapy for cancer. We'll have plenty of time to browse around as well. After our week there, we'll head back to Apache Junction for a week then return here to Green Valley for the month of February.

As I write this, many in my family are suffering with the debilitating cold, and I confess to feeling a tad guilty that we have escaped the grip of winter. Yet, God has allowed us to be here for some reason, and our job is to do His will wherever He places us. We have much to learn and some perhaps to teach. I just pray we are faithful as we enjoy His pleasures.

Til next time.....God keep you warm!