Baby Owls

I tried to get a photo of the three baby owls this morning but couldn't seem to hold the camera steady enough for a good shot with the telephoto lens. I would take a tripod, but I'm sure I'd get squashed by the oncoming traffic in the process. Of course, Mama Owl won't let us get very close before she herds the kids down the tunnel so this is my best shot. Sorry for the blurr.

Weird Weather

What a difference a day makes!! Isn’t there a song about that?? Look at this temperature switch! From 108 yesterday at this time to 56 today. Weird weather….but we love it. It RAINED today!! Our first rain since early February! It smells wonderful. I even took off work early this afternoon so I could hurry home and sit on the patio to watch it rain….thunder and lightning and everything. Great stuff.

My other BIG news is that our owls have babies!! I've seen Mom, Dad, and three little fluffy critters outside the nest these last few days. Awesome! If I get a chance this weekend, I'll try to get a photo without getting too close.

Summer Already?

May 19 marks our first day of triple digits for this year. The summer-like temperature just sprang up on the horizon without much warning but the weather man says it will drop back to normal by the weekend. I think this calls for a celebration and a trip to the swimming pool tonight.
We had a great fun-filled weekend as Donna and Larry Kraft came by for a short visit from their home in Sun City. They were certainly surprised to see all the new construction in Casa Grande so it was fun to tour them through the Promenade Mall area including a stop for lunch at Mimis.

After a few hours of golf, tennis, softball, and bowling at our Wii station, we settled down at the kitchen table for some serious Pegs and Jokers. I never saw anyone be as lucky at a game as Larry was that evening. The turkey would count how many spaces he needed to land me back to square one and then he would draw exactly that card. UGH!! And he did that time after time that night. Even though I was ready to throw something at him any moment, it provided for a fun and memorable evening. The girls managed to win the final playoff game so that’s all that really counts. Right??

I’m upset that I didn’t get out the camera for some nice reunion photos, but I did get a couple shots of our Wii tournament in the afternoon. For those who haven’t experienced a Wii station yet, it is really fun and gets all of us out of our chairs and into some action. Here are a couple pics of Don and Donna during their tennis match. With Donna’s tennis background, she proved to be a tough adversary.

Algodones Mexico

Don and I made a trip to Algodones Mexico yesterday for dentist appointments. Poor Don has an infected wisdom tooth that must come out and I want to get a couple crowns before I start having trouble. Based on our past history, we’re more than willing to make the long trip and save hundreds of dollars even considering the price of gas to get there. We have had great success stories from our past history with Dr. Ramos and can highly recommend him if anyone needs dental work while you’re here.

Neil and Rae Carr joined us for the excursion as they wanted new glasses and hadn’t been to Algodones before. It turned out to be a fun day. We took care of business first by seeing Dr. Ramos and making arrangements for upcoming appointments while Neil and Rae got their eye exams and picked out new frames. The easy part was getting the eye exam. The frustrating part was being patient with Rae while she tried on pair after pair of frames to find just the ones she liked. It was fun to join her in the hunt. Several of the Best Optical stores are related so you can exchange some of the frames between stores. We kept the clerks in both stores quite entertained as we bounced back and forth trying to make up our minds which pair Rae should pick. WE did a good job as her new frames look great on her.

Next, we had to peruse the many shops and stores along the strip and barter for a few jewelry pieces neither of us needed but it’s always fun to haggle for a good price. Now that most of the snowbirds are gone, the crowd was very thin and the merchants were eager to bargain.

The next stop was, of course, the cantina for lunch, margaritas, and some icy cold drinks. Our favorite stop is that little open cantina in the square where the music is loud, the waiters are buoyant, and the food (drinks) are pretty good. It was the perfect way to end our excursion……and there wasn’t even a line at customs upon departure! The last time we were there in February, the line was several blocks long waiting to exit. (Remember to take your passport with you.)

EXCITING NEWS!!! By this time next year, a huge new casino will be waiting for you! What a perfect location. They’re building a huge Quechan Casino right at the Algodones exit so it’s the perfect place to stop before and after doing your shopping. The sign says it will be done by spring of ’09 so it must be a big project. I’ll get some photos on our next trip…which will be this coming Wednesday for those dreaded dentist appointments. Woe is me. Wish us well.

Rae & Neil Carr (Notice how the size of Rae's drinks progress through these pictures.)

Merry Month of May

No exciting news, but just a few notes from us “year rounders”.

The weather continues to be wonderful although afternoons can hit high 90s. By that time of day though, we’re worn out from morning activities and it’s a good excuse to relax in the cool house before going out again when the sun slides down into the western sky. Nights still cool down to 60s for some awesome sleeping with the windows wide open. As we sat on the patio last night, well past dark, we commented on the fact that we’d never be able to do that back east because of mosquitoes. There aren’t very many annoying mosquitoes in our arid desert…at least at this time of year and away from the golf course with its freshly watered grass.

The Promenade Mall will always be in the news because there are new stores opening weekly. This weekend we explored the new World Market with all the goodies it brings our way. How exciting!

I really enjoy riding my bike around the park so I can observe the pretty cactus and various plants in bloom at this time of year. With the promise of the upcoming summer heat, the landscape crew has pulled all the pretty flowers at the entrance and at the four way stop by the rose garden. It’s always sad to see them go but we know they’d never survive the summer sun. I guess it’s like watching the last of the colorful autumn leaves as they fall from the trees. We just wait until the next season.

Speaking of pretty flowers, I must comment on RV Site 1614. I’m sure everyone who reads this will know which site I refer to as it certainly is the nicest spot in the park. I stopped to chat with Pam and Bud as they were preparing to leave for the summer. Pam was up on a ladder trimming the oleander trees at the time. I took a few pictures to show you what I mean by “the nicest spot”. Pam is very dedicated to her flowers and tends to them with great care. They respond by showing their best. Thank you Pam (and Bud) for adding to the appearance of the park. With your spot being right on Cole Circle, many folks pass by and enjoy the view.