Grand Canyon National Park

It is time for the 4th installment of our Southwest USA adventure!

Grand Canyon National Park is the quintessential vacation spot for about 5 million visitors every year. Its spectacular panorama is legendary. The canyon achieved its National Park status in 1919, almost 90 years ago. It is truly something that you have to see in person because no photograph can possibly capture its grandeur and immensity.

This trip was the second time I have visited here and my hubby’s first. When we walked along the Rim Trail, we couldn’t help but exclaim to ourselves, “What a hole!”

We had a comfortable stay at the Kachina Lodge and glorious meals at the El Tovar Hotel. Both facilities are conveniently located in the Grand Canyon Village just a few short yards from the southern rim. With the busy schedule of a multi-state tour, we had less than 24 hours to enjoy the special views of the canyon. But we were able to see the changing magic of the scenery at both sunset and dawn.

We had some time to explore on our own, hopping the park shuttle buses and walking along the trails above the canyon. Our tour bus also took us to some observation points on the eastern side of the park. After inspecting the condition of the Bright Angel Trail and acknowledging our physical limitations, we opted to not hike down into the canyon. We had plenty of scenery to occupy us and our cameras while we remained on areas of solid footing.

(Place your mouse pointer over each picture to see a description.)

Aerial Photography of the Homestead

We had aerial photographs taken yesterday as part of our new real estate listing service. The video photographer was here at Grey Havens doing his thing too. So we had a lot of excitement going on at once.

The bird’s-eye views were done by a company called Amazing Aerial Photography. The balloon setup was quite ingenious. A digital camera is mounted on a bracket below a blimp-style balloon. While guiding the balloon at an altitude of a couple hundred feet, the photographer was able to preview and take the images while he remained safely on the ground. Way, way cool!

The aerial pictures turned out terrific, and our realtor gals have added several to the photo libraries posted on various real estate web sites.

Another Yard Sale Done & Found Treasure

We held another yard sale this past Saturday, and there was a much better turnout than the one in April. The weather was spectacular and all of the people who showed up were gracious. How lucky is all of that?! We even had one shopper who called on Sunday and came back on Monday to purchase more items!

We still have plenty left over for another sale in June and there are many more new items we can add next time. On Sunday, we went through the arduous task of packing the leftovers. This time, we also decided to pack up some things for Goodwill donations and also the used book store.

I was putting the books in sacks and loading them into my truck. Absentmindedly, I was thumbing through the books, just to make sure that there wasn’t any folded money or other treasure lurking between the pages. My compulsive neurotic tendencies just take over my body sometimes, LOL, because I have already gone through these books twice already.

Ah, my neurosis paid off! Low and behold, I found one of my hand-made treasures in a book! I cringed when I remembered that one lady at the yard sale had picked that book up and carried it around for a while, but then she decided to put it back and not purchase it. I stitched this little bookmark about a dozen years ago and had not remembered its fate. I thought perhaps I had given it to a friend. But here it is, ready for me to put it back into service!

In Honor of Buddy

Buddy was our best friend. He has now been gone a year, but he will forever be in our hearts. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to him two days before his 12th birthday.

We chose his name during our drive home from picking him up. Little did we know how well it would suit him! Buddy was a Belgian Malinois, a working dog breed well known for K-9, security, and search/rescue occupations. True to his breed, he was extremely intelligent and devoted.

Buddy’s job in life was to look after us and his homestead. He did it well. Buddy brought us great joy. We are better people since he came into our lives.

We loved our Buddy!

Spiral Rope Beaded Necklace

I have made quite a few of these necklaces in the past few years. Some I keep, and some I give away as presents! I sent this recent one to a sweet lady on a Delphi forum that I regularly visit. We had a “mosty posty” contest in April to see who could chat the most. I offered to do the prize and this necklace was result.

I stitched the necklace with the spiral rope chain pattern, using delica beads for the core and 11/0 seed beads for the outer spiral. I completed it in a 24-inch length and a continuous style. So it can be conveniently popped right over your head without any fumbling with a clasp.

I love how the colors turned out, and it will be the perfect complement to a dressy or casual jeans outfit.

Busy Times Going On

The month is turning out to be quite busy!

After taking a break during the vacation, we have resumed our fitness workouts.

Yard work duties now take top priority. All the annual flowers are resting comfortably in their beds and containers. The upper and lower vegetable gardens (one close to the house and one down in the back forty) are now filled up with plants and seeds.

Videos will be done tomorrow for the real estate listing web sites. (Now postponed until next week because of rainy weather.)

We’ve worked in a couple of doctor and dentist appointments.

This Saturday, we’ll be holding another yard sale.

Whew!

Meanwhile, there are some sewing projects that I would like to tackle. I also have a ka-zillion vacation pictures that I need to finish going through.

All I can say is that retirement is NOT boring!

Montezuma Castle

This is the third installment of our Southwest USA trip.

After the tour left Phoenix, we headed north toward Flagstaff. Before stopping in Sedona for lunch, we visited Montezuma Castle National Monument. Established in 1906, this National Monument preserves the ancient cliff dwelling of the Sinagua Indians.

The masonry walls were built into a recess of a white limestone cliff about a thousand years ago. The 20-room structure looks out over the Beaver Creek floodplain and housed about 50 people. Why the structure was abandoned 700 years ago remains a mystery.

This was the first time I have seen a cliff dwelling in person, and it was an awesome site to visit.

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess

Time for the second installment of our Southwest USA trip!

We began the tour by staying at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess & Resort. A stay at any Fairmont property is an astounding treat, and this five-star location was no exception. We only wished we could have stayed longer!

Not only are the rooms exquisitely appointed, but the park-like setting and multitude of gardens provide the perfect backdrop for leisure. As we explored through the grounds, we were amazed at the abundance of wildlife, particularly adorable bunnies.

After a relaxing afternoon, we enjoyed the welcome dinner at the LV Bistro and got acquainted with our fellow tour companions. It was a great beginning for the scenic adventures ahead of us.

Iris Blooms

The iris blooms have been spectacular this spring. They are now beginning to decline, but I took some pictures earlier this week to remember their glory.

Cottage for Sale!

The Grey Havens cottage is officially back up for sale! We have had it off the market since the end of March. While we searched for a new real estate professional, it was nice to not have to worry about last-minute house showings. But the brief rest is over and we now have a two-gal team working with us. We are renewing our hope of selling the homestead so that we can complete our retirement plans to downsize and simply. Wish us luck!

Views of Sedona

This is the first installment of our Southwest USA adventure!

We went out to Arizona the day before our tour began. After renting a car, we headed up to Sedona, Arizona, to check out the sites. Unfortunately, our flights had to be rearranged because of weather issues, and we arrived at Sedona several hours later than we planned. Despite the traveling setback, we were able to accomplish a little bit of exploration. We stayed at a charming bed and breakfast, Casa Sedona, basked in the warm desert sunshine, and enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Barking Frog Grille.

Sedona is located in Arizona’s high desert on the vast Colorado Plateau. The local geography is renowned for its massive red-rock formations, providing many photographic opportunities. We only wish we had planned more time to enjoy the scenery! It was great that the second day of the tour provided us another opportunity to visit the town and sample some buffalo entrées for lunch at the Cowboy Club Restaurant.