Field Trip to Mexico

Two days in a row getting up early is enough. Tomorrow we're sleeping in. Today, though, we had a mission. Jim needed a filling, and at some point in all our visits with JoAnn and Doug, it came out that Doug was also in need of dental work. We've heard about the inexpensive, but good, dentists in Mexico. The guys were willing to try it. Doug made the call to set up appointments for today. We all went in our car. Since we'd never been to Nogales and weren't sure how long it would take, we left in plenty of time.

JoAnn knew that there was a Burger King restaurant near the border where we would walk across. We parked the car there and found that we could leave it parked all day for $4.00. Since we were in the restaurant and still had plenty of time to find the dentist's office, we had warm beverages.

Walking across the border was a non-event. We just walked through the turnstile and we were in Mexico. The cultural change was instant and striking. It was obvious we were in another country. The sidewalks are very uneven with chips and broken stones, making it necessary to step carefully. The streets are extremely narrow and I don't think I saw any evidence of traffic control anywhere. People basically just go. Of course, there are vendors of all kinds constantly urging you into their stores. And that includes the large number of pharmacies and dentists.

About 3 blocks from the border crossing, we turned down this alley-way. Halfway down the block on the left (hard to see in the picture) there is a little white sign above the door. That's the dental office where Doug and Jim had their appointment.

Dr. Fabian Rios has an office on the second floor. We walked in and had a seat in the empty reception area. There is a receptionist window, but it's boarded over. We could hear activity, so we knew people were working. We sat and made ourselves comfortable in the warmth. It was a blustery morning and quite chilly in Nogales.

After a several-minute wait, a young lady came out and determined that Doug and Jim were the patients. She gave them each some paperwork to complete. In a bit, she came back with a digital camera and took a picture of each of them. We took the opportunity to take this picture for the blog.

Eventually, an American woman emerged from the dentist's work room. As she was leaving, we asked her how it went. She was more than happy to express how much she likes Dr. Rios and how glad she is she found him. She was so enthusiastic, we wondered if she's a paid advertisement for him. She explained that she would be back, she's having some work done that would be completed today.

Doug was finally called in for his appointment, probably 45 minutes late. Some things don't change over the border. JoAnn and I decided to go out and look around at the shops. Getting back to the street was quite a challenge, dodging vendors all the way down the alley. Back out on the street,the going was not much easier. I finally popped into a store to look for some gifts for relatives. JoAnn mentioned that she's heard you can get items for about half of the asking price. I dealt with the shop owner and did get my items at said half price.

We were cold and didn't feel all that comfortable wandering the streets, so we headed back towards the dentist's office. We got within a couple of doors when Jim appeared. He said the dentist told him he might as well go shopping too, as Doug's appointment would take about an hour. We did go in a couple of other shops in the alley and Jim found one item for another relative.

Back in the dentist's office, the American woman (her name is Lou), was back. We chatted about our fulltime lifestyle and her life in Green Valley, Arizona. She had a lot of questions about living on the road and seemed impressed that there are people who actually love this lifestyle. I'm impressed that people like to travel any other way, especially the part about getting on an airplane and staying in a strange bed in a motel. People actually do that!

Doug emerged from his appointment, with the news that his work was going to require a second visit next week. Jim was called in for his appointment, which didn't take long at all. He was very impressed with the whole process. He felt no pain, either in his mouth or his wallet. One x-ray, one filling, $75.00. We were out of there and off to lunch in a local restaurant. The meal was tasty, but also fairly spicy. We agreed that since Burger King had an ice cream section with Baskin Robbins, we'd put out the fire with a little ice cream.

We walked back to the border crossing and stood in line for maybe 10 minutes. While we were in line, we watched one of the border guards walking a dog up and down the lines. Evidently there were no drugs being smuggled by the people in line with us and we proceeded easily through the gate. We were reminded that starting tomorrow, more stringent identification procedures will be in place to pass through to the US. Passports won't actually be required until later this year at the walk-through checkpoint.

I don't know what mountain this is, but it's east of I-19 and I thought it was quite beautiful, so I wanted to post a picture of it.

We confirmed that we won't be taking any RV's through the border at downtown Nogales. The truck route is the way to go. Since we didn't take a side trip to look at that today, we can still do that next week, when Doug gets the rest of his dental work done and Jim has his teeth cleaned. Hmmm....I'm due for a cleaning, maybe I should make an appointment for myself....I really don't like going to the dentist!

Oh well, I'll think about that tomorrow! When I finally wake up.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Deciding which pictures will be posted in today's blog has been a big challenge. We started the day early and arrived at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum around 9:00 a.m. Yes, that's right, we actually got up and out of our cozy home early!

We explored for about 3 hours, which is definitely not nearly enough time to see everything. We have visited the museum once before, last year. This morning we got to see quite a few animals that were not out last year. We're also more tuned in to this area so we're quite a bit more familiar with the plant life. When we visited last year, we'd only been in Arizona a few weeks, and we were not staying in Tucson. We were staying in Apache Junction and came to Tucson for a day to visit friends.

Our focus today was the animals, since we can see the plant life just by walking out to the desert trails behind the campground. We saw birds, squirrels, a turtle, coyotes, javelinas, bobcats, gray fox, ocelot, margay, mountain lions, deer, Mexican wolves, wild turkeys, snakes, and prairie dogs. And we didn't even make it to the aviary! We did go through the hummingbird enclosure and got dive-bombed by several of the tiny treaures.

We'll start with the mountain lion

And the bob cats

An ocelot

Gray fox

I'm sorry about the sun spot on this one, but I need one of my birding friends to help identify this bird with the strange hairdo!

Here's a bright cardinal

Mexican wolf

Coyote

We got to see the raptor free flight exhibit. Here's a barn owl in flight

A large hawk

And a very tiny hummingbird on her nest

I can certainly understand why many people end up purchasing a membership to the museum so they can go back many times. It is an amazing experience.

Lunchtime came, and we were hungry, so we chose a trip to Olive Garden. We were then both ready for a little down time so we came back home. Jim took a short nap while I did some paperwork and e-mails.

Thanks to all my friends and family for the birthday wishes. It's been a good one! Tomorrow's adventure involves crossing the U.S./Mexican border so Jim and friend Doug can have some neded dental procedures done. We'll also be doing some field research for our pending, possible Mexico Camping adventure. Stay tuned!

Desert Living

We're not exactly settling into a routine, because this lifestyle doesn't really have any routine. Every day can bring something new and different. Yesterday was Sunday, a day on which we typically avoid shopping. However, Jim has been wanting a footstool, and Sandra sent an e-mail to let us know she'd seen one at Ross. We had some time in the afternoon before our dinner at JoAnn & Doug's, so we decided to check it out.

I checked Google Earth for the nearest Ross, and off we went. Nothing struck our fancy there, but there was a Marshall's right next to the Ross, so we looked there. Jim found what he wanted, so we're now the proud owners of a footstool that has a removable top so we can store a few things out of sight.

JoAnn and Doug were hosting Jo and Fred, and us for dinner. I took the bottomless salad we've been sharing for several days. Jo brought cookies, and JoAnn cooked the most delicious baked spaghetti! We had a lively discussion and ended up tentatively arranging a trip to Mexico in the near future. JoAnn and Doug have taken a Tracks to Adventure tour but would like to go on their own. Jo and Fred have talked about camping in Mexico, but everyone was hesitant to go on their own. We decided it would be fun and safer to go together. We don't have any definite plans until late March when my sister, Ann and brother in law Bob, are visiting the Phoenix area. We have reservations in Apache Junction, but because we made them late, we don't have a deposit, so it won't cost us to change it to later on. We can just stay here in Tucson until after we go to Mexico.

Ellie, JoAnn, Jo, and Fred around the table at JoAnn & Doug's house.


Doug is ready to take a picture, while Ellie watches.


Doug and Jim both need to get some dental work done, so the four of us are going to Nogales for the day on Wednesday. Doug made the appointments for he and Jim.

This morning, Jim wanted to get the oil changed on the Saturn and send a package to son Josh. I wanted to explore the desert, so I took the dogs and set off while he was gone. I had a good long walk, about 2.5 miles round trip.

Jazz and Mr. BJ take a little break in the chairs that we find in the desert.


A panoramic view to the west from the desert.


Gateway Mountain framed by Saguaros.



Ouch! These things can hurt you if you're not careful!


This afternoon, I visited with Jo and Fred for a bit to talk about our research finds on the Mexico trip. Then I stopped by JoAnn and Doug's to carry on the discussion a little further. We don't have specific dates yet, but we're narrowing down the campground selection. Jo and Fred have a copy of the book by Mike and Terri Church, Mexican Camping, which is getting passed around so we can all read it.

I heard about a bakery in Tucson that sounded pretty tasty, called Beyond Bread. On the spur of the moment this afternoon, we decided to go see if they had any brownies. Anytime we go somewhere in Tucson, we know we're in for a ride. But it was worth it, oh my goodness. That is quite a place. They also have soups and sandwiches, but their bakery goods can put weight on a toothpick just looking!

Tomorrow, we may visit the Desert Museum. Our plans are set in jello, as usual.

It's a Beautiful Day

I talked to a friend of mine in Colorado Springs today. She described to me how the city's street crew came to her neighborhood and spent several hours chipping away at the ice on their street. Feeling some empathy, since after all, I used to live there in the winter too, I sat and looked out the windows of our motor home while we chatted. The windows were open and there was a cool breeze blowing gently. There were a few clouds, but it was still quite warm today. I quietly regained my sense of balance. Once in awhile I get off kilter, and it usually takes me until I find that balance to know what it was that triggered the slide, or even recognize that there has been one. I just sense that I've been just a little off since we got here last week, but today set me back to rights.

Anyway, as far as activities, it has been a fairly typical day. We lingered over our morning coffee routine until it warmed up. Then I brushed and bathed Mr. BoJangles. Jim set up the grooming table outside and got out my supplies. It was fairly windy this morning, so grooming him was a challenge. We both got tired of it before he was completely finished. About the time I was ready to call it quits with him, JoAnn stopped by and we visited for awhile. It was a good excuse to put away the grooming tools for the day.

He does have eyes!



After lunch and some internet surfing, Jim and I decided to take the cameras and go walk the desert trails for a while. I hope my readers don't get too bored with pictures of cactus and mountains -- I sure don't get tired of looking at the desert!

We walked back by the back section of the park where JoAnn & Doug are parked, and now Jo & Fred are are few sites from them. JoAnn and Doug were not home, but we saw Jo & Fred's truck, so we went by there. They didn't hear my tapping on the door, so we were going to head back when JoAnn & Doug drove by. We visited a few minutes and I got to say Hi to Fillmore.

Jo and Fred stopped by our place later and we visited for a little while about geocaching. We're hoping to do a little hunting while they're here.

A day of visiting, resting, playing, and in general, just enjoying life. A beautiful day!

We've Got Mail

Our mail should have been here this past Tuesday. However, as of yesterday, it still had not arrived here at Diamond J Campground. I called the Escapees Mail Service and was told it had been delivered Tuesday. I started getting that uneasy feeling, oh no, not again. I think I was more uncomfortable knowing that there could be tax documents in this mailing. This morning I got up and around and out the door nearly by 8 a.m. so I could get to the post office early to speak with someone there about it.

A nice sunrise today!

I was first in line when the post office opened. The sinking feeling deepened when I was told by the clerk and the carrier that, yes, the mail had been delivered on Tuesday. When I spoke to the carrier, I asked him if it was possible that it could have been delivered to the campground next door by mistake. He assured me that if it had, they would have put it back in the outgoing mail or given it back to him and he had not seen it. I was distressed, to say the least. I was convinced someone had gotten into the big, open mail box here where everyone goes to get their own mail and stolen just ours. Why would someone do that?

I decided to stop at the neighboring campground to check there before I put in a theft report to the postal authorities. Ah Ha! They had it! There it was, just lying in a tray on the desk behind the counter! My only question is why did they hold on to it for 3 days? Oh well, all's well that ends well and we have our mail. Yes, there was a tax document included.

This afternoon I prepared a cassserole for dinner, straightened up the house and did some internet research. Jo Wishnie called to let us know they would be here for dinner a little late. We missed her call because I forgot the phone when we went out for a short walk.

A rig at the neighbor park has these bird feeders out and almost always has a big crowd.

Jasmine is pretty much back to her bouncy self.

Mr. Bo Jangles still needs a hair cut!

The Wishnies arrived at the park just before it got dark. They got set up and walked down to our place for dinner and conversation. They had a long day's drive, so I'm sure they are glad to get settled in to their place tonight.

Where Does the Time Go?

It seems like only yesterday I posted a picture of the moon set. Oh, yes, I remember now. We got sleep deprived after a few days of waking up way too early. Yesterday was spent catching up on our rest and having a day off. A couple of good nights' sleep, and we're rejuvinated.

Happily, Jasmine seems to be much more her little bouncy self today. When she walks, she has that happy dog, prancing step that is characteristic of her. She seems hungry all the time, although we are only just starting to introduce her regular food back into her diet.

Today, we had visitors coming for dinner, so we spiffed up the place a bit. I used to get pretty uptight about having everything just so when we had company. Not so much anymore. If the place isn't spotless, if I don't have linen napkins and placemats, well, that's just the way it is. It's more important to me to be able to relax and enjoy good company, good conversation, and have my wits about me to listen and learn.

Doug and JoAnn came to enjoy a salmon, salad and new potato meal with us this evening. JoAnn made a killer chocolate cheesecake pie, oh, that was decadent! We had wonderful conversation about, well, what do fulltimers talk about - our rigs, our travels, where we've been and where we might go. It was a fun evening and we enjoyed the time very much! We talked about a trip to Mexico one day before they leave here, that would be a fun day!

JoAnn and Doug are discussing important matters with Jim

Doug tries to get a reluctant BoJangles to pose for a picture. Mr. BJ is not one to enjoy having his picture taken.

Tomorrow we will be providing a "moving day, no cooking" dinner for the Wishnies who should be arriving here at Diamond J sometime early afternoon. The tradition of providing a dinner for folks arriving at the same campground is fun, and something we're pleased to continue.

I See the Moon

Today's picture is being brought to you courtesy of yet another sleepless night in Tucson. Well, to be perfectly correct, we've slept at night, it's just that the past three mornings, we've awakened between 3 and 4 am. This morning, it was Jasmine again, only this time she heard a noise and growled. I think I heard the noise too, but it was her growl that woke me sharply. Jim heard her, but not the noise. We never got back to sleep and finally got up a little before 5.

When I went out with the dogs right about 7, I saw this incredible moon about to set. I hurried the dogs along and went back inside to grab the camera. We were heading out for breakfast at Coyote Pause, so we drove a ways up San Joaquin to see if we could get away from telephone poles and wires for the best picture. So, the frustration of lost sleep turned to the awe of capturing this beautiful moment.

After breakfast, we came home and Jim gathered yet more laundry and headed off to the laundry room while I went in search of the little post office branch near here to mail a few things. Another purpose for the search was to see if I could find a hair salon that had been recommended by the lady at Coyote Pause. I've learned to ask women whose hairstyle I like, where they get their hair cut. When I did that this morning, the surprise response was that she cuts it herself! Well, that's a thought. I'm not quite confident I could do that, so we'll put that one on the back burner for awhile. I didn't find the place she mentioned so I came back home.

Jim wanted to get his hair cut at a well-known chain, where I prefer not to go unless I'm desparate. I was, so I went with him. I gave the hair cutter (I don't call them stylists) specific instructions as to how I wanted it. She got it about 90%, so that's pretty good.

We spent the afternoon reading and working on some computer files.

The vet's office called to check on Jasmine. I was happy to report that she's doing better!

So the afternoon slipped by. We had a simple dinner at home. We'd like to sleep late in the morning.

Driving in Tucson

The campground where we are parked is roughly 6 miles west of I-19, and 8 miles west of I-10, just off the Ajo Highway southwest of the city of Tucson. We've discovered that this is a pretty far distance from most anything we might want to do in Tucson, since most of the business areas are north of here and on the east side of the interstates.

I decided to take Jasmine to a veterinarian today after she was sick again during the night. I called the closest one, but they recommended an emergency clinic that is close to 20 miles away. No problem, I needed to get her there, so Jim agreed to work on the laundry while I did that. It took us over 3 hours to get to the clinic, wait to be seen, wait for blood test results, get her treatment established and drive back. I probably don't know the fastest routes as far as traffic patterns and so forth. I just look at the map and plan what looks like the easiest route.

When I got back Jim had finished 6 loads of laundry and was ready to go get something to eat and get out and about. So we settled the dogs in and back out we went. We decided to go back and take a second look at a motor home we saw that we liked, so we stopped at the first restaurant we saw and had a bite to eat, then went back to the dealership and spent some time talking to them about it. We also visited a different, very well known dealership, and decided they are far too pushy, so we left without looking at much there.

Jasmine seems to be feeling a lot better this evening, so I hope she's on the mend.

I didn't take any pictures today, so these are some more from our desert walk yesterday. When I look at the pictures I take, I realize that no matter how good the pictures might look, they just don't capture the beauty of the desert. All my life I've heard people say the desert is beautiful, and my poor little mind just couldn't grasp how a desert can be beautiful. Now I know. I just wish the pictures could really show it.

Tomorrow at least two of us in the family really need to get haircuts. That would be Mr. Bo Jangles and me.

Fun Dinner Out and Walking Desert Trails

I wrote yesterday's blog before we went out to dinner at the Mexican restaurant that Laurie found. If you are readers of Laurie and Odel's blog; or JoAnn and Doug's blog, you already know about this fun evening. We met them at 5:30 (ok, we were a few minutes late) and started in our conversation just as if we'd known each other for ages. Another example of how our fulltime friends circle keeps growing!

The food was pretty average, but I hardly noticed since we were having such a good time talking about past and future travel adventures. While JoAnn and Doug have traveled far and wide, they've only recently started fulltiming. Laurie and Odel had never owned an rv, but bought their motor home and started fulltiming in 2003. We're all different, but we're all alike in our love of the lifestyle we've chosen. We enjoyed our time together very much!

Here are JoAnn and Laurie enjoying conversation.

In the background you can just make out the Mariachi Band that serenaded us after we ate. They came over and played at our table. Very enjoyable! They were pretty darn good.

Sitting around the table are Odel (back to camera), me, Doug, JoAnn and Laurie.

This morning Jim did the requisite disappearing act while I cleaned the place up a bit. He went to the store and stocked up on a few items, including more quarters for the laundry that's been piling up.

After he got back, we took a walk back on the desert trails behind the rv park and found a few good pictures.

A sign thoughtfully informed us that these barrel cacti lean towards the south.

The skeleton of a Saguaro against the background of the mountains. We don't see many dead Saguaros, but there are hundreds of majestic living ones in the desert.

We kept hearing birds, but they are so difficult to photograph because they won't sit still! This one has a nut in his beak.

After our walk, I worked on taxes for awhile and Jim watched the football games. I took the dogs out frequently, Jasmine is still not back to her bouncy self and we're still watching her very closely. I may try to find a veternarian tomorrow if she's not better. While I was out with them this afternoon, a couple came up to me and said they have a little female schnauzer who is black, like Mr. Bo Jangles. Her name is Jazz! We talked for several minutes. Their little dog has been ill as well, and they know a vet in the area. They're parked next to JoAnn and Doug, so if I need to take my Jazz in, I'll get the information from them.

Tomorrow we have laundry and errands on the agenda, but we're hoping to start working on our sunset pictures.

Getting Settled In

Today we spent getting settled in. It's nice to be back in Tucson. Laurie and Odel (Semi-True Tales of our Life on the Road) stopped by this morning, introduced themselves, and asked if we want to go to dinner this evening at a Mexican restaurant they found. We never turn down Mexican food! They were going to see if JoAnn and Doug want to go as well. I'm getting the blog done early because we need to leave soon to find the restaurant.

Jasmine was under the weather last night. She has chronic pancreatitis, so we have to watch what she eats pretty carefully. Any little thing can set her off. I have no idea what she got into, or even if she ate something she shouldn't have, but she got sick last night. Hopefully, she's ok now.

We have been talking about looking at new motor coaches, so today we rode over to LaMesa RV here in Tucson and looked at some Tiffin and Winnebago products. I don't know if we really want to get a new home yet, but it was fun looking. We sure liked the Tiffin Phaeton better than any of the Winnebagos we saw.

Here are a couple of views from our spot at Diamond J:

That's it for today!

Back to Tucson

I was awake before sunrise! Of course, being on the borderline of a time zone change probably had something to do with that. Or, maybe the fact that it was a travel day contributed. Whatever the reason, I got some rare sunrise pictures.

Just a few yards away from our motor home was this view of the Colorado River with the mountains in the background.


Looking back from that spot towards our motor home.


This was one of those travel days that I enjoyed. The wind wasn't blowing so hard today, the weather was pretty good, actually. Traffic was fairly heavy, which is one reason I don't care so much for interstates. But, we did take a back road from I-10 before we got into the construction zone through Tucson and down a back road to Diamond J RV Park. We left Hidden Beaches in Blythe, CA at about 8:45 a.m. Mountain Time and got to our destination around 3:00 this afternoon. We stopped for gas and propane at the Shell station at Gila Bend, Arizona, just off Interstate 8. They have an island for RV's that is just perfect to get into, with a huge parking area and easy access. They even have a large area with a trash can specifically for walking dogs. Unfortunately, not many people take advantage of the trash can!! One of my pet peeves (pun intended) is people who have dogs for which they refuse to be responsible! Don't get me started on that.

Anyway, we found out recently through the RV Dreams chat room about this back road off I-10 coming from the north, that allowed us to skip a lot of traffic and construction through the main part of Tucson. It was really nice to be on a smaller road with less traffic. Besides, it took us through Saguaro National Park, which is amazing. That is definitely one place we'll visit again while we're in this area.

A few days ago, we received an e-mail from Doug and JoAnn, Fillmore's family. For those readers who also follow Howard and Linda Payne, yes, this is the RV-Dreams' Fillmore. Those who don't know who Fillmore is, he is a Standard Poodle who is full timing with Doug and JoAnn in their Montana 5th Wheel. Through other blogs and this growing community, they heard we were coming back to Diamond J, where they are currently parked. Anyway, they invited us to dinner tonight. No, we couldn't bring anything! JoAnn fixed Linda Payne's recipe for Taco Soup, and it was outstanding! We thoroughly enjoyed our evening and hope to see them again while we're here. They have been fulltiming for less than a year, but have traveled extensively for many years. Their blog site is http://www.mytripjournal.com/ourdream

Fillmore and I played with his new frog toy most of the evening while we visited with JoAnn and Doug.

Here's JoAnn, Doug, and Fillmore.

Meeting new friends we've been following through their blogs continues to be such a positive, community-building experience for us. Going into the full time lifestyle, we left behind most of the various "groups" we'd established in our previous lives. Through the internet and word of mouth when we meet new folks, we continue to grow this fine community and make new friends.

Another beautiful day!

A Serendipitious Day

We started out as usual, with coffee, walks and breakfast. We pulled out of Indio right at the crack of 9:30 a.m., heading east on I-10. Wind was the name of the game this morning. Jim took it easy and just held on. Think driving a standing piece of plywood down the road in a windstorm. That's one of the features of having a motor home.

We'd made arrangements to meet Jo and Fred Wishnie for lunch at a convenient restaurant in Blythe. We'd planned to head on towards Tonopah for the night. But the wind was so bad, we decided to stay in Blythe overnight. I called the place we stayed last year, Hidden Beaches RV Park to find out if they had space. This time I looked at their Passport America listing to see if the discount was in effect now. Their listing seemed to indicate it was, but I asked to be sure when I talked to them on the phone. Yes, they had a space, and yes, the PA discount would be valid. From the high rent district last night where we paid $46, to a much more reasonable, yet perfectly acceptable park at $21.00 tonight. This is more like it. We were surprised, since Blythe is just a few miles from Quartzsite, Arizona where it's said that a million people gather this time of year. We didn't expect to find a vacancy, or to get the Passport America discount.

We met Jo and Fred and had a very nice lunch. They extended an invitation to their place for dinner, and we accepted, providing we could bring something to contribute. We needed to get some groceries anyway, so we headed to the local Albertson's to stock up on a few items and made a salad to take to dinner.

We were to be at the Wishnies' at 5:00. We're just down the road from them, not more than a 5 minute drive. I looked at my phone's clock to check the time and saw that it said 5:39. Gee, I thought it was only about 4:30! What happened to that hour! I called Jo in a near-panic to see if we were late! She sounded a little puzzled when she told me no, it's only 4:40. Ok, then. It seems that where we are, our phones tell us we're in Mountain Time. But, down the street at the Wishnies' place, it's still Pacific Time. Are we confused yet?

We arrived a few mintes before 5:00 and visited while dinner was cooking. We had a delightful meal of Fred's special meat loaf (don't forget to send us that recipe, Fred!) baked potato and green beans, with the salad. Jo made coffee for us to enjoy with dessert. We indulged in cheesecake and chocolate cake (can't have too much chocolate!). The food was wonderful, and the company was exceptional. We find we have much in common with Jo and Fred, so it's easy to talk and compare notes on this lifestyle and life in general! We've only met them once before, yet it seems like we've been friends for ages. I don't know if it's the nomadic lifestyle that provides a common basis to build friendships quickly, but we have met a number of people since we've been fulltiming that have become solid friends very quickly. It's one of the more fascinating aspects of this lifestyle, and one I didn't expect. Serendipity!

The dogs were invited too, but since Mr. Bo Jangles sometimes gets an attitude when meeting new dogs, we decided to just take Jasmine this time. She and BooBoo ran circles and chased each other and had the best time playing and getting to know each other. The only bad moment came when Jazz had an accident on the carpet! Jim and I could have just disappeared with our embarrassment, but Jo and Fred took it totally in stride. We just cleaned up and moved on.

The pictures we took of Fred and Jo didn't turn out very well, so we'll save those and try for better pictures next time we get together. Here's one of BooBoo and Jasmine nose to nose. Jazz would come and sit down, but BooBoo wanted to run and play, so she'd come and tease Jazz into chasing her!

This is the view out the right front window of the motor home from where we're parked for the night:

And this is the view towards the left from the front window:

With these views and the meeting of new friends in the blink of an eye, it's no wonder we find such awe and joy in this lifestyle. Nearly every day we have an opportunity to experience the simple beauty of this country and the opportunity to share it with others.

Thanks, Jo, Fred, and BooBoo, for a great day! Tucson tomorrow!