Where Oh Where Is Spring?

Greetings from Catherine's Landing, Lake Catherine,  Hot Springs, Arkansas. We have had some challenges with our computer so took me a little time to salvage my old computer enough to get my pictures and now learning how to use an Apple Mac. I have wanted an Apple for a few years and Mike surprised me with one for my birthday. 

I forgot to mention in the last blog we had visited with Pam and Dan Erickson, friends from Conifer, CO, while in Las Vegas. They left Conifer and now are living in Henderson. It was special seeing them both. 

We also visited Valley of Fire State Park while in Las Vegas, which I also forgot to put in the last Blog. We enjoyed hiking and seeing the beauty of the red rock formations. 

When we last wrote we were heading to Tucson from Phoenix. Dessert Trails, Tucson was very interesting and much fun camping with the Ahlins from Castle Rock.  The view out the back of our motorhome was pretty and we laughed about the funky one armed cactus.

Desert Trails

We packed quite a bit into our 2 week visit to Tucson. Old Tucson is an old movie studio set for movies like The Bells Of St Mary's, Rio Lobo, The Trial of Billy Jack, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Tombstone, 3:10 To Yuma;  hundreds of movies starting in 1939 with the movie Arizona. Many TV Shows also were filmed here: Little House on The Prairie, Bonanza, Gunsmoke and several others. It was an interesting tour ending with the typical Western Gunslinger Shoot-out. 

Old Tucson

Xavier Mission, Jewish Museum, Sabino Canyon, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum and celebrating my big 60 Birthday with Deb and Larry Ahlin at Casino Del Sol watching The Doors Tribute Band are just a sliver of fun activities. Desert Trails RV Park was another good choice with 2 resident owls in a palm tree and coyotes howling at night. Nights could be very cold, first time in over 40 years theTucson  desert area had experiences such a long cold snap. We got caught in blizzard like conditions in North Tucson, Catalina Hills Feb 20th. The Accenture Golf Tournament, Dove Mountain, was "snow postponed", first time ever. 

Mike at Sabino Canyon

Sabino Canyon Road Runner

Snow Storm Catalina Mountain

Love at Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

Xavier Mission

Desert Trails RV Park resident owls in a palm tree

We had several Denver visitors. John and Alice Bonjourno were in Phoenix, called us and came for an afternoon visit. It was so nice of them to travel to Tucson. After being away from Colorado DOC for so long it was great catching up with all the news. 

Deb, Mike, Larry, John

Jeff and Cyndi Kleinholz from Denver were another visitor. While Cyndi was working in Phoenix, Jeff came to spend an afternoon. Then the following Friday we went to the Rockies/ Brewers Spring Training game, Salt River Field, Scottsdale with them. Perfect weather for a change and all around enjoyable afternoon. It was nice the Rockies won just for us. :D

Cyndi, Jeff, Debi, Mike at Salt River Field

We left Tucson March 4th after 2 weeks of fun with the Ahlins. Thanks to them I fell in love with Bacon Maple Cream filled doughnuts. Their new grandson is beautiful and it was nice sharing the experience with them, as well as seeing Alicia again.

Onward toward Hot Springs with nightly stops at The Elks Lodge, Las Cruces, NM; WallyWorld in Midland TX and a week at Grand Prairie Traders Village outside of Dallas. Everyone who knows Mike KNOWS we had to go to see the Dallas Stadium. I have always been a huge Dallas (The TV Show) fan so we toured Southfork. We met with friends from my days at Qwest. LAM Communications hires the most special people. Judy and John have a vacation home in Bailey as well as living in the Dallas area, so we have become buddies throughout the last couple of years. They took us to The Stockyards, Ft Worth. What a neat place! We also toured LAM, put faces on the voices behind the training calls. Our last day we ran through the Traders Village Flea Market and I was sooooooo good...only bought fruit.  HUGE Flea Market!!!! On the way to Dallas we got stopped by Border Patrol, west of Odessa. I never saw so many officers and dogs. It amazed me we do not have to show proof of citizenship when stopped, just answer the question yes or no on being a US Citizen. 

Judy and Debi Stockyards TX

Debi on Petrone Stockyards TX

Southfork

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Mike and Tom Landry

Mike and Debi Dallas Cowboy Stadium

Border Patrol TX

We are officially in Hot Springs, Arkansas right now having a great time with cousins. The weather has been bizarre so haven't been able to get to the Diamond Mine in Hope just yet OR the Bath Houses. Still on our agenda. Judy's dogs have become Lizi and Maxi's boyfriends and Judy spoils them all. Mike's heart has always been here...everyone here is so good to us. The area certainly has grown on me. More detail on our Hot Springs visit in a future blog.

For those of you in CO, we will be arriving at Chatfield State Park May 20th but only for a few days before heading to Idaho to attend Oceana's graduation. June 4th we will be back in CO at Cherry Creek State Park, staying until app. June 20th. We are anxious to see you all before heading East for round 2 of the Great Adventure. 

Much Love To You All.

Mike, Debi, Lizi and Maxi