4/8/2022 On the road again.....
Some time ago ,,,, Welcome to 2022.
Thank you all. I got feedback about my EOY post which suggested that photos may be of interest even if the text is not. As a result, I'll try to include a few more pictures. Also, I wanted to let you know that somehow I haven't felt quite as inspired to write about daily activities here in AZ as I did in NS, maybe because we don't have many daily activities yet. Soooo, we shall see how this blog progresses throughout the winter here in GVAZ (Green Valley, AZ).
2/5/22 And now it's February. Today I began to read The Beauty of What Remains by Steve Leder, a lovely book recommended by a dear friend from Washington, DC. For the first time in several months I feel like writing. Somehow Steve's book helped me slow down, made it possible for me to feel the little bits of life around me that are so important and so easily overlooked. I've missed them, the small observations - awareness - a cool breeze moving the palm leaves, making the cypress sway. The taste of a four year old Tillamook cheddar we bought at Sprouts, waking up to a 26 degree morning....
This morning, Saturday, we went to a nearby church which was hostingP.O.W.W.O.W. to pick up 75 lbs of fresh vegetables (for $12) before parceling them out to friends and family around Green Valley. This photo does not do full justice to our 'haul' which included string squash, Jalapeno peppers, and lots of tomatoes of various shapes, sizes and colours. After that Melanie went to a line dancing class while I did my row and walk bit in the gym, following which we drove to a church in Sahuarita, not for services but a service; they were accepting donations, so three old laptops and a monitor went free to a new home - they've recently been replaced by a Windows 11 laptop and two new Chromebooks; the laptop was almost 10 years old and definitely on its last legs.
In the evening we spent a very pleasant few hours watching the Olympics. I've especially enjoyed the curling. I had an opportunity to curl in Amherst (twenty years ago) when we stayed in the frozen north into January. It's a very civilized sport which I would happily have continued were it available in the sunny south but, to the best of my knowledge there are only a few southern clubs, one in Naples (FL) and several in southern California.
Sunday morning Michael and I went for another ride of around 15 miles. The weather is starting to warm a bit and should be lovely by the end of the week. I was surprised at the number of bent riders we saw along the way - many more than last year, perhaps 20% of the bikes we saw were bents . In the afternoon I read more of the Steve Leder book about how we deal with death and dying of loved ones and of our own deaths. A gently written and thought provoking work which may well have some impact on the spirit in which I live out my allotted span.
Monday we received a call from the CASITA repair shop that all the work has been done and she is ready to roll. Only one problem, our furnace (gas rooftop unit) has been acting up and it's not totally spring here. We have a guy coming out this afternoon to take another look at it; in the meantime the trailer remains in Tucson.
In early March - the weather is warming and Covid is currently in decline. I've written a couple of letters to friends and think that some of the material may be worth inserting here.
In Green Valley ... life is slowly returning to pre-Covid times. Most are done with masking and infection rates are down to 15 cases per 100,000. If the rate drops below 5 per 100K I'll go maskless - almost like being nude. The clay studio is almost back to normal except that there are not many wheel users; everyone seems to be doing hand-building. Of course I don't mind that, it makes for a quiet workspace, almost a private studio.
It's great to be living close to my brother. We usually go cycling MWF mornings - from 212 N Cactus Loop, east on Esperanza, and then south on Abrego to the end at the Links at Santa Rita Springs golf club. there we stop for a breather and conversation before coming back here for a cup of chicory coffee. As the weather warms we are heading out earlier and earlier and I expect we'll be going out at 6:30 or 7 before the end of the month. I'm really enjoying the biking and wish there were bike paths along Rte 366 because I don't feel very safe riding on the road.
Though social life is not back to pre-Covid standards it does seem to be picking up with the Nova Scotia crew having a Mardi Gras party last weekend, a St Paddy's Day party in the planning stages, and the birthday parties at the end of the month - Michael, my 'little' brother, will be 80. And I gather that Paul and Joan will throw a last blast before the head back to NS, having sold their place here to Tony & Debbie Vassallo (Oregon). Fran and Tony's son, Jake, has been visiting this week and I've enjoyed learning more about crypto currencies (cc's). Apparently his boss is slowly closing out some large security investments and taking positions in cc's and Jake is involved in creating a fund in Ethereum, the second largest cc, second only to Bitcoin. Interesting stuff. Still, it's quite speculative - it's recommended that commoners such as us not put more that 5% of our investments in cc's.
I've also started swimming again, first time in at least three years. What a workout, huffa puffa, twenty laps and then I take off for a few days. We're also talking about taking the Casita out for an overnighter at some point before we head back to New Orleans, maybe go down to Ruby for a night. For our trip back to New Orleans we're debating: quick trip of three or four nights vs. long trip of six or seven nights. The latter would mean 200 miles a day with stops at HipCamps along the way as opposed to using State Parks if we choose the speedy trip.
Melanie is getting back into line dancing - lookout Tidnish Crossroads - mostly at GVR classes but maybe today a class at the RC Church across the street - things really are opening up. We might even go to a movie or out to dine at a restaurant! Think of that!
We hear occasionally from Don & Clair Roy. Also got a couple of emails from Nick & Becca when some of our barn roof blew off. I think Nick is looking after that so we feel well cared for. We've also chatted with the Tanguays several times but I suspect that Jean is ready to be done with winter, the videos he forwards are getting stranger and stranger.
This morning it is cloudy, most unusual, and I'm watching CNN - the Ukrainian / Russian war - as I have done daily since the war started. What an abomination. I can understand why we do not want to take an aggressive role and have the whole thing become a nuclear war but I can see no good outcome at this point. I hope that the actions taken thus far plus future economic, financial, and communications steps which will be taken, have sufficient impact to stop Putin without totally destroying Russian society. E.g., Aeroflot has just been pulled from the global airline reservations system.
And from the SaltWire, Perogies for Ukraine: Loving tribute by Yarmouth N.S. granddaughter to help Ukrainian people
All that was all written some time ago and now, here we are, two days from departing Green Valley (4/9) on our way back to New Orleans. We've continued with the biking, swimming, line dancing and pottery activities plus there've been a number of dinner parties these last few weeks. Paul and Joan, having sold their place to Tony & Debbie Vassallo, departed Green Valley the last week. Now we are packing the truck and closing up the house. I've made campsite reservations in Almagordo, NM and Amarillo, TX along our path to visit friends in Norman, OK before dropping back south to New Orleans. We've got the usual round of appointments there after which, in mid-May, we hope to be heading for Nova Scotia.
If being back on the move stimulates my writing you may see more frequent blogs. We shall see. In the meantime stay well and happy.
Charlie & Melanie 203-244-7388 and cratherton@gmail.com
Comments
Post a Comment