Back To The High Country

We enjoyed spending time with Terry’s mom and dad in the Apache Junction area in spite of the triple digit temperatures. But I won’t lie to you and say we weren’t happy to head back home to the high country, where the air is cleaner, traffic is less hectic, and it is much cooler.

After spending a couple of hours with her parents yesterday, we left about 1:30 and headed east on US Highway 60. Traffic was backed up around Superior because of road work, but we still made good time. I’m always amazed at the diversity in scenery in Arizona. We drove past stunning mountains like this and lots of interesting rock formations.

The highway turns north in Globe and we followed it as it climbed into the higher elevations. Then we dropped down to the bottom of the picturesque the Salt River Canyon and made our way up the other side. Before long the terrain had changed from desert to high pine trees.

The White Mountains are a popular destination for people trying to escape the desert heat, and on a holiday weekend like we have coming up, the place is going to be very crowded. We were reminded of that when we stopped at Safeway on our way into town to pick up some groceries. Finding a parking place was difficult, and the store was packed with people. We were glad to get what we needed and get out of there.

When we got home, Alli was so excited to see us that she was almost jumping out of her skin. Tiffany and Kenny house sat for us while we were gone, and Tiffany said Alli spent a lot of the time lying by the front door, waiting for our return. We missed her, too. As for the cats, they could care less as long as someone feeds them and empties their litter box.

It’s good to be home, and now that I have my office somewhat set up, it’s time to get back to writing.

It’s Thursday, so it’s time for a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an autographed copy of More RV Chuckles and Chuckholes-More Confessions of Happy Campers by Darlene Miller. It’s her second book about the RV lifestyle which is full of amusing anecdotes, jokes, adventures and chuckhole experiences while traveling throughout the USA and Canada. It includes stories about the search for the white Kermodei bear in British Columbia; how to stay in touch with your grandchildren while traveling and bond with other RVers while parked in the desert around Quartzsite, Arizona. Guest contributors write about the quest for New Mexican chilies; what happens when the windshield breaks in the middle of traffic on the San Franciso Bay Bridge; or how to RV when you are born with no mechanical genes.

To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed. After 30 days, unclaimed prizes revert back to the drawing pool for a future contest.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Thought For The Day – If you want something, work for it. Life isn’t a handout.