We are permanent residents of Arizona now. We made it official by getting the cars and Bambi Luci licensed.
Our car and truck are under the semi-cover of the carport at the end of our unit of condos. The trailer has an uncovered stall in the Sun Village RV lot with heat reflectors in the windows and wheel covers on the tires. The weather was hot with many 100+ degree days. A swim in the evening felt good. The heat continued into the evening so most folks moved about in the early morning or well after dark. We felt a bit cooped up but I began Zumba on Mondays and Yoga Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Dave joined golf league. He gets together with Charlie Ray Robinson, Rick and Leslie Rhodes for weekly jams and we look forward to camping trips to fiddle and bluegrass events. Brass quintet and Wind Ensemble practices began, and as fall progresses, more opportunities to play music come up.
We decided our condo was going to be too small for our needs.. We called a go-getter realtor aptly nicknamed Tiger. With her help we find a house that is just right! As of November 9th we are living in Kiowa village within Sun Village and are very happy to have a two car garage, two bedrooms (one now converted to a music room) an office, and a guest house, a courtyard and a patio. We are so happy to have all this space!
As for camping, our first outing was to the Arizona State Fiddle Contest in Payson at the Fairgrounds in late September. We camped with Leonard and Laura Cook, Bill and Ann and their friends from Cottonwood.
The solar panels kept our batteries topped off while dry camping in the fairground parking lot. The shade felt really good.
Dave was pretty busy practicing for his events and playing guitar for other contestants. He placed first in his category and sixth place over all.
A friend, Paul Schuler, called to ask Dave to play an October gig at the Peoria AZ library. He was happy to play with Paul and Bonita and their daughter Carmela.
Paul Schuler
Bonita Schuler
Carmella with Dave and Jerry Dunaway
The next camping trip was to Salome in early November for the fiddle jam hosted by Jack and Linda Darland. Lots of jamming and visiting during the day and open stage in the evening with everyone getting an opportunity to play a few tunes as long as every other player is a fiddler.
Dave playing on stage with Larry Rose, Susie Pangle and Jim Dixon.
It was great to see friends returning to the desert for the winter. Jim and Juany Dixon, Jake and Jeannie Jacobs, Denny and Elaine Carlson all camped in a great circle with us and Harold and Susie Pangle and Charly their little dog. Harold and Susie live near us in Surprise but spend summers in Montana and camp quite a bit in the Arizona desert during the winter.
Harold and Susie have a new 5th Wheel
The Wickenberg Bluegrass festival was our next camping trip. The entertainment is always good but the opportunity to meet and play with other musicians is the best fun. Nights are getting cooler now that November is here. Extra layers and tents with propane heaters are needed. Sitting in the sun also helps in the cool of the morning.
Friends from Elk Mountain WY, Shorty and Betty Richardson
Susie and Harold invited us to join them for Thanksgiving in the desert near Bouse AZ just off Plomosa Road. Harold's daughter and family, Arnold and Diane Berg, Denny and Elaine Carlson, Jim and Juany Dixon, Jeanette and Bob Fairchild and Dave and I enjoyed a few days camping, jamming and eating. Turkey on the grill was prepared by Harold with all the trimmings supplied by the rest of us. We had a feast.
We will see more of these folks at fiddle contests and other camp outs in the new year. Now we are concentrating on getting our house ready for our kids and grandkids to visit at Christmas.
We have had an eventful year and are ready for new adventures in 2016. Merry Christmas!
