Apache Wells Talent Show; Feb 2013

This month we went to the AZ Opry twice.  Once with friends Howard and Linda to see the Ol' Time Rock N Roll show and then within the week we went to see the Willie Nelson tribute show.  They were both, as usual, just fantastic.  We also went to a couple plays this month at the Hale Theater (in the round).  We saw "The Man With The Pointed Shoes" and "South Pacific".

Molly's Quilt (first one hanging)

Molly's big event this month was the Apache Wells Quilt Show.  She had eight quilts in the show which was a good percentage of the total on display.  One thing is for sure, Apache Wells has some very talented quilters.  The picture shows just one row on display, with one of Molly's as the first hanging quilt.

The big event for me was our Apache Wells Talent Show Feb 21.  We were called the Doo Wops from last year and this year we added a bit more comedy and costumes. Our groups' signature is the high-top tennis shoes we wore last year and this.  This skit was lip-syncing to the songs "The Monster Mash" (I'm "The Monster") and "Guitarzan" (I'm Jane).  In Monster Mash, the other actors are Keith Anderson as Igor, Larry Graves as Dracula, and Al Malcomson as Boris.  During Guitarzan, Kieth was the narrator, Larry was Tarzan, and Al was the Monkey.  Molly took videos of our performance and they follow.  ENJOY!!!

The Monster Mash

Guitarzan

"Jane", to Tarzan on left

The Monster?

Wyatt Earp-Carrie's Visit; Jan 2013

January 2013

My friend Wyatt Earp

We were pretty busy this month with social events.  We went to Prescott to see Wyatt Earp’s “Life on the Frontier” performance again and talked to him about his up-coming performance at Apache Wells.  I offered to combine two introductory CD’s of his into one for his convenience and we made arrangements for him to come to our site so I could copy them.  113 residents at the park attended his performance here and all enjoyed it.  I helped him set-up and gave the introduction.

Les Miserable comedy at Silver Star Playhouse

Events this month also included the plays “Forever Plaid” and “The Hit” at the Hale Theater, “Dream Girls” at the Mesa Art Center, “Les Miserables” (a comedy) at the new Silver Star Playhouse, and the John Denver tribute at the Arizona Opry.  Daughter Carrie and fiancé Mark came for a 4-day visit this month too.  We did the Apache Trail trip stopping at Tortilla Flat, the Olive Mill, and the Arizona Opry.  We hope that was enough of a taste of Arizona that they want to come back.

And I got the 2013 Apache Wells Residential Directory completed and out to the printers.  Everyone has been very complimentary about the new format and style.  It did take awhile to put together, but it should be easier next year.

Havasu Falls; Molly Butler Lodge; Nov-Dec 2012

November 2012:



Havasu Falls Trailhead w/ Lorraine  and Dee Dee

Havasu Falls

Horseback Ride Out

One of the first activities back in Mesa, was to get ready for another hike into the Grand Canyon.  This one to Havasu Falls on the Hualapai Indian Reservation.  It was an 8 mile hike to the Indian Village of Supai  where we stayed in the “lodge”.  The next day Molly  hiked another two miles to Havasu Falls and I went on to Mooney Falls another two miles.  These hikes were the result of Dee Dee and Lorraine (ladies I met on the Grand Canyon crossing last spring) encouraging us to do the hike with them.  I encouraged Molly by saying if she could hike down, she could take the helicopter out.  But realized too late, the helicopter didn’t run the days we were there, so we rode horses out instead.  The falls were beautiful; the azure color due to the minerals that the water flows through on it’s way down the canyon.  Molly enjoyed the horseback ride out since she could look around at the great scenery and didn’t have to keep an eye on the rocky trail.

December 2012:

During December, friends Pat and Susan stopped for a few days on their way back from Texas.  And of course, Pat and I did a little letterboxing.  There was a Christmas lighting contest this month in the park.  We bought a bunch of lights and thought we looked pretty good, especially being the only ones with luminaries, but didn’t even get an honorable mention. 

Molly at Molly Butler Lodge

For Christmas, Molly and I went for on a trip to the White Nountains.  We stayed at the Molly Butler Lodge in Greer, AZ.  It is the oldest lodge in Arizona, dating back to 1910.  Notables that have stayed there include John Wayne,  novelists Zane Grey and James Willard Schultz, and PresidentsTeddy Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover.   In fact, during his stay, President Hoover gifted Molly with the White House Cook Book from which she derived her now famous Prime Rib recipe which we had to try!  Other than we were both getting colds, it was a great relaxing stay in the snow at 8700 ft.

The Sheriff and his girl

The social activities in the park picked up this month with block parties, potlucks, and happy hours.  We even went on a birding trip to one of the wetland preserves in Gilbert.  I started a new activity; shuffleboard.  I’ve got a long way to go to do well, but it’s fun socializing with the other players.   During the Western Dance this month, Molly and I got all outfitted at Cal-Am's costume store.

   I was asked to do the annual park residential directory this year, so started collecting the slips handed in and putting them in a formatted database.  This was, of course, in addition to putting out our weekly park newsletter.

Fall Cruise to Quebec City; Sept-Oct 2012

September/October 2012:

When we returned to Port Angeles in September, we spent another night and then drove to Vancouver, WA.  We were invited to stay in Tom & Sue’s driveway (full hook-up) for a couple weeks to help out after Sue’s reconstructive surgery after her breast cancer.  While we were at Tom & Sue’s (Pat & Susan were also there to help) almost everybody caught some kind of 24 hour bug.  We weren’t much help when we were spending most of the time in bed trying not to infect the healthy one’s among us.

One reason we were invited to Tom & Sue’s was to store our RV while Molly & I flew to New York for our 10-day Fall Cruise to Quebec City and return.

10-Day Fall Cruise to Quebec City from New York

Central Park

We left on that trip September 28 by flying from Seattle to New York.  We spent a few days in down town Manhatten where we walked to a Broadway play “Good Work If You Can Get It” with Matthew Broaderick.  We also took a bus to Central Park where we walked around and found several letterboxes.

Good Bye New York

Peggy's Cove Lighthouse
Nova Scotia

Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City

We boarded the Norwegian Gem on Sept. 30 and headed down the Hudson River past the New York skyline, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty.  Rather than bore you with the details of the trip, let us just include the destinations along the way.  Our first stop was Halifax, Nova Scotia where we visited Peggy’s Cove, then on up the St. Lawrence Seaway, marveling at the fall colors, to Quebec City.  We took two shore excursions during the two days there.  One was to St. Ann’s Canyon to see waterfalls and over to an adjacent island to a winery, and the other excursion was a city tour of Quebec City which included a horse-drawn carriage ride.  The city was magnificent! 

Norwegian Gem in Corner Brook Newfoundland
from Capt Cook Memorial

Scottish Highland Village
Nova Scotia

Then is was off to Corner Brook in Newfoundland where we took another city tour that included Captain Cook’s Memorial over-looking the city.  Another day at sea brought us back to Nova Scotia at Sydney.  There we took a bus tour to the old Scottish Highland Village.  After another day at sea, we arrived back in New York and flew home to Seattle and drove back to Vancouver.

The next day we drove the RV to Salem, where Molly and sister JoAnn headed off for a three-day quilting retreat in the Cascades….I rested!!!  When she got back, we packed up the RV and headed back to Mesa, Arizona to warmer weather.