2013 - 2014: Feb #1 - Catching up after a short hiatus...

Looks like it’s been about 6 weeks since I’ve “blogged” so get ready for a big tirade and lots of pictures…

Coleen and I went to the DeGrazia (1909-1982) exhibit at a local museum. Check him out at http://degrazia.org I have a couple of his prints at home and had to resist buying another. I love the contemporary style of his work, it says so much with just a few strokes of the brush!!!

In addition to lots of Pickleball, geocaching, hiking and get togethers with many friends, I sponsored a 3-day Pickleball Tournament with Nationally ranked champions Alan and Lorraine Christensen, 5.0 players from Granite Bay, CA. We filled all 24 spots and everyone loved it and couldn’t believe how much they did NOT know about this fun game.

Mixed in between all these events were many 49er football games with friends Linda and Bob - at their lovely new park model home - watching on their 50” TV was fabulous. Since the 49ers didn’t win that final game with Seattle, they are not Super Bowl bound - so we’ll have to decide between Seattle and Denver and today's the day.

I’ve been busy making a couple of sun dials in the Mosaic room... one for home and one for AZ. It was fun to learn how to calculate their design and placement of the gnomon so they would give an accurate time at both locations - its all based upon degree of latitude - here in AZ 33.4 degrees and Colfax, 39.0 degrees.

On January 9 2014 we signed an offer to buy a park model home here at the resort. The deal closed on the 21st. We started the move, bought some new furniture and moved all the stuff out of the 5th wheel into this 625 square foot home. We’re all settled now (in less than 10 days) and enjoy watching the sunset from our backyard, which faces west over the open desert, every afternoon One afternoon 2 coyotes strolled by and shortly later a "herd" of javelinas - a mom and two babies. We understand a big papa boar hangs out with them, but we didn't see him.

This years Ladies Day Out, an annual event which you’ve seen in other AZ winter blogs, with friends Roe, Phyllis, Anne, & Coleen found us enjoying the “Tour of Homes” in Superior AZ, http://www.superior-arizona.com an old copper mining town located about 45 miles east of Gold Canyon. In addition to visiting 6 or 7 restorations of old homes and home/galleries, we also witnessed the traditional process Mexican potter, Mata Ortiz uses to fire his pottery. We even managed to fit in some shopping and eating!!!

Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan provided us with an afternoon concert of their country music at nearby Valle del Oro, another Cal-Am RV Resort about 15 minutes away. These two talented “grammy winning” artist have been performing as a due for the past 5 or 6 years.

Don went out on a special community service geocaching event with local geocachers yesterday where they cleaned up a trash ridden area of the desert, which included removing about 120 old tires, all of which were hauled away to the appropriate disposal sites. Nancy wound up the month of January by playing in our resorts 2-day Pickleball Tournament where she ended up the ladies winner in the Advanced category and took overall (men and women) 4th place. Eighty players participated, which included beginning and intermediate levels as well. After these 2 events we attended an outdoor potluck with about 100 friends to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hans and Colleen (not the Coleen mentioned before) Brakob from Plymouth MN. Clouds and a gentle wind made it a cooler than desired afternoon, but body temperatures rose as the dancing began…

DeGrazia was a master of painting with a palette knife, but he
experimented with all forms of artistic expression from oils to watercolors,
sketches to ceramics, bronze sculpture

and stained glass.

Linda and Bob with their 3 Yorkies…
(Yorkshire Terriers) - How about that beautiful
glass table - Table by Bob, glasswork by Linda.

Our new digs, #178 Canyon Vistas RV Resort
Gold Canyon AZ

The back yard… looking at the rear deck made of tile.

From the deck looking west where we enjoy a rear view of
a heard of cattle, and other native critters.

Bob helping Don put my desk together - following the
very detailed 26 pages of complicated instructions, while

I attack a simpler job - the table legs for 3 tables
repeat the same task 12 times… got it!!!

The living room (AZ Room) with Romanian Rug on the floor
and 2 Navajo Rugs on the Wall - TV above an electric
fireplace entertainment center!!!

And a Nancy Harvey tapestry graces the wall to
the right of my desk while the family guards over me.

Left to right, Nancy & Don Glacier Bay AK, Richard & Kristine,
Susan & Eric, constant companion for many years, Rider dog;
2nd row, Kass (Cassie), Kenny, Jaron, Megan, Max, Susan & Ryann in
Hawaii, then Megan far right;
3rd row, Kristine's kids Cassie, Kenny, Everett & Austin,
Max with a squid he caught while shrimping, Nancy & Don at
the arctic circle and Eric, Nancy & Kristine in AZ.

From the living room looking to the front door and hall

which leads to the 1 bedroom/bath area

and a lovely kitchen dining room.

And finally, sitting on that back porch watching

the sun go down...

I made this sundial which was inspired from a photo I took
on the shortest day of the year in AK as Eric took Don and I
for a hike across frozen Nancy Lake.

My AZ sundial inspired by the mountains at sunset, the common
shape of a cactus and the colors from a double rainbow.

The home of Pete Casillas was built in 1920 and Peter lived in
the right most unit with his parents and his 9 siblings. Grandparents
lived in the next unit. My friends Anne, Roe and Coleen discuss
the house numbering system.

The Charles Davison/David Betancourt Gallery was a showcase
for some unique artwork by David Betancourt

Valerie's "recycled" house showed what one creative
artist can do with discarded items in the Macias Home

As we approached the Penny House of Doc and Merry Darr,
I couldn't resist taking a photo of the cute bridge and
rock work just waiting for a little water.

Inside we learned why it was called the Penny House. Merry Darr
is in the process of creating copper countertops out of copper
pennies - appropriate since Superior was established because of
the copper in the area.

The countertop to the left of the stove is pennies
in progress. Loved the blue doors painted with
automobile paint - which Doc says is easy to
clean and doesn't scratch… no matter what!!!

Loved that Red wall that invited you into the
Blue hallway decorated with numerous original Audubon
paintings by Doc's mother - Beautiful, and all the gals
voted this the best and most unique home on the tour.