Enjoying the Warmup

It's nice to be able to get outside again and sit and enjoy the warming temperatures. It has been a couple weeks now since the winter weather chased us inside. As part of the activities we want to enjoy again, we are going to schedule a hike to the White Mountains and begin getting in shape again for the coming season. Also, we have a hike already scheduled for when Patty and her family come to visit over Spring Break at the end of March. Our plan is to climb the trail up the mountain in Yarnell to visit the site where the 19 firemen (Granite Mountain Hotshots) perished in the forest fire on June 30, 2013. That, as you may recall, was the subject of the movie "Only the Brave" which depicts the story of that tragedy. It is a seven mile hike, round trip, and we will need to be in great shape as the climb is fairly steep. Our first attempt last summer resulted in our turning around and giving up the attempt after about a mile as the heat was just too much for us.

We also plan to increase our activities at the rec center by playing more miniature golf and more use of the fitness equipment. We have a tentative schedule to play this Sunday with George and Cheryl at the miniature golf course following church services. As long as it takes its time getting to the 90's, we will be fine with the schedule we have in mind...

Oscar Night

Last night was the annual Oscars Show for the awards for movies made in 2018. I can't help but comment on the changes in just the last two years. A big stink was made then about the lack of African American nominees and blacks receiving recognition. It has gone full circle now, with the show being flooded with African American winners and nominees. I ask the question: Where did all the blacks suddenly come from? Also, do you think they are now getting preferential treatment? I think it's great that they are getting recognition, but all of them stir the racist pot in their acceptance speeches and I don't like that. Just my opinion. Overall, I thought it was a very good show and I am happy with the results - even though I don't know much of anything about the movies that were nominated.

We are getting close to the end of February. There really isn't much time left for us to prepare things for our trip to Jackson for this summer. I hope it all works out and we can pull it all together. We have to get the repairs done on our RV and make sure all is OK with Josie's work before we can finalize the details...

Baby Shower

Last night was the opportunity for me to meet Josie's co-workers and also get my first look at the Sun City Florists flower shop where she works. It was the baby shower for the owners' daughter who is having a baby boy in April. It was a well planned and executed shower where there were lots of gifts and food. We also played a few fun games before eating and having the presents opened by the guest of honor. These shots are just a sample of the ones we took during the evening.

These are photos of the shop that I took prior to the start of all the activities:

The shop is a lot larger than I expected and very nicely appointed with flowers and gifts of all kinds.

These are shots of the food line and all the guests going through the line:

The food was spread over the entire work area in the rear of the shop. There was plenty of food to choose from and the desserts were terrific.

The following shot is of the young couple who were the guests of honor. That is the mother and the female owner (Wanda) of the shop in the photo with the couple:

They are visiting from Oregon and leave to return home (with a loaded vehicle of gifts) on Monday. It was an excellent affair and an education for me about the people and the shop.

Today is a day of rest for us as we have no plans other than to begin enjoying the improved weather...

Beautiful Skies Again

The nice thing about seeing a storm clear out is the resulting skies that occur. After two days of ugly, stormy weather, the storm ended late yesterday and we were able to get a couple nice shots around our home. This one is right after the skies cleared:

And this one at sunset:

We now have a cloudless sky for today and the temperatures are on the way up.

There is a baby shower at Josie's shop today which will take place after they close. The goal is to close the shop early at around 2 PM and have the shower inside the shop. I will wait to hear from Josie and then meet her there. It is certainly unusual to have such an occasion at any place of business. I guess it makes it a lot easier to accommodate all the folks when you don't have to arrange for special locations. It is the owner's daughter that is expecting (a boy) and everyone has been asked to wear blue. I will try to get some shots of the event and show them tomorrow...

Better Days Ahead

It rained all day yesterday with some strong winds, thunder and lightening and hail thrown in. It also rained during the night last night and again this morning. There was also a new record temperature set. The previous "low" high temperature was 54 on this date. The new record is now 51! It's hard to believe that this is February 22 and Spring Training has started in the Cactus League.

I heard this morning - and saw footage to prove it - that Flagstaff had over 39 inches of snow since Wednesday night. All of the towns along the Mogollon Rim have set new records for snowfall for this date and for February. The rest of the country gets to enjoy a taste of what we had in Arizona for the next week. Our temperatures are forecast to climb, steadily, until we once again reach the 70's on Tuesday. Bring it on!!

Josie is off today and we get to attend a baby shower at her shop tomorrow. The owners' daughter is expecting a baby soon and the whole shop will be at the shower. I finally get to meet everybody that Josie works with in a relaxed environment...

Powerful Winter Storm

The biggest storm of the season for Arizona arrived during the night. Fortunately, we will only see rain here, but they are expecting up to two feet of snow in the Flagstaff area and all along the Rim. It is the latest of strong winter weather fronts that have been lined up for weeks now and are passing through. I have finally seen a forecasted high temperature that is above 70 for the first time since the February 1st or 2nd. It will be next week, but at least we are heading in the right direction.

Josie was called into work yesterday but only stayed about three hours. It was kind of a joke, as there wasn't much that she had to do. We suspect that the owners are getting weary of the grind of owning the shop and are quietly searching for buyers. Only a guess. The shop could use some new technology and a few other upgrades but it is, basically, a very good shop. The location in Sun City certainly works well.

We'll keep the faith for better days ahead...

Hard Freeze

We had a hard freeze warning last night and we took a couple of our potted plants and moved them under cover. It's a good thing we did - there was frost on just about everything this morning. Here it is, the end of February and we still have freezing temperatures - in Phoenix, Arizona! There is still more cold weather on its way and tonight and tomorrow it will include rain here and snow at the higher elevations. Actually, I heard that Flagstaff is expected to receive up to 2 feet of snow.

We were in the grocery store this morning on Josie's day off when her phone rang. The owner of the shop, Wanda, called and asked if Josie could come in to work today. So much for her day off. She accommodates everybody and I hope she gets rewarded someday for her efforts.

The cold weather has had very little impact on the number of golfers we see. They are still playing. all bundled up and with jackets. It's hard to believe that their games aren't impacted by all the extra clothing. Oh, well. I can remember myself playing in Washington during weather like this and thinking nothing of it. If I had guys to play with I might even join them someday...