Packing Day

Packing day is always a sad but happy day. We are leaving our winter home, but going home to family. On our way home we are stopping to see our grandson, and his parents, for a week! HA It is nice to have the motorhome so they have a place to visit us and we can also visit them!

 While we are staying at Montgomery Bell, Carol and Jerry, friends we met in FL, that also live in TN, are coming to visit us! This was a hard winter, we were in AZ and all our winter friends were in FL. It is so nice to get to connect with them again! We hope the weather man is incorrect because he predicts rain everyday we are in TN! UG I’ll have to put a plastic bag on my booted foot to go out! We have spent the winter  in Surprise, AZ with no humidity and where it never rains!

Tonight will be our last night of Bingo and I have not won anything, but Duf won $5.00 our first night there. Maybe I will be the lucky one tonight, but I am striving for the $500. Jackpot games!! HA  In this 55+ community we have met so many people and done so many varied things. We now understand why seniors like this life style; there is always so much to do.

I didn’t win a penny:(  

Although I did not win at Bingo I did win at the Dr office. I have progressed from a wheelchair with my foot up 23 hours of the day, to a walker and now to a cane and in a few weeks to just the boot!!

Grandma's Car

March, 2018 and Grandma Ainsworth is almost 98 years young and still driving, until the letter from AZdot arrived. The letter stated that she had been a great driver but because of her medical condition and age they were revoking her driving privileges. Grandma Ainsworth is NOT happy with the state of AZ! She wants to appeal the decision!

Fran, Bob and their dog Tess have moved to AZ to take care of Grandma because she is getting forgetful and this allows many solicitors to take advantage of her. Fran has explained that they will be here to chauffeur Grandma to her line dance club and to get groceries but Grandma just doesn’t accept this concept. Fran and Bob are going to have some trying moments, but they will handle it like champs. Their next big step is to sell Grandma’s baby, her 1998 Ford Taurus. Fran has purged many items from the house, but this will be the hardest!

We had a photo shoot to say goodbye to the Taurus. Grandma participated but reminded us that she is going to appeal this decision and she is KEEPING her baby!

Prescott

We drove up to Prescott where many Phoenix residents go for cooler summer temperatures, it was about 10 degrees cooler today. Our FL friends Bob and Carole have a place in Prescott and it was GREAT to get to see them!  They took us to the old downtown area now referred to as Whiskey Row, and we ate at The Palace, an old saloon and brothel built in 1877. 

In 1877 The Palace was considered a fancy watering hole, election central, cattle action house, and a place where minerals were bought and sold.

In 1996 the Palace was restored to its former grandeur with the Old West still lingering in the air. The wood floors, plaster walls, pictures, tin ceiling, and the massive original oak and cherry wood bar along with the Waite staff dressed as though it were 1877 make for an Old West experience.

To immerse myself in the Old West I had a delicious Bison Burger and a cream soda.

After a huge lunch we drove around the area and into the beautiful Prescott National Forest. This is the Forest that had a huge fire and many fire fighters lost their lies. We drove to Chino where we stopped for some of the most delicious fried shrimp we had ever eaten. This was a little place in the middle of nothing that Bob and Carole had discovered and frequent because of their amazing fish and shrimp. 

If we were not already stuffed we returned to Bob and Carole’s place in Orchard Ranch Resort, Dewey, AZ for dessert! Carole claimed it was very easy to make this angel food cake, strawberry, whipped cream dessert but it looked complicated and tasted amazing!

After talking for hours we finally had to leave for the 90 minute drive home. Our drive down the mountain included a beautiful sunset over the mountains and other scenic views.

Really

I mean what can I say?? Can you imagine using this restroom with a friend! HA

Today is my father’s 91 Birthday!! 

Today Duf and I are headed to my cousin Tamara and her husband Keith’s house, about 15 minutes from where we are staying in Surprise, AZ. They came to visit us when I was not able to get out and now we get to visit them. I am now using the walker and putting about 50 pounds on my ankle.

Their neighborhood is a circle around a golf course and we got a bit turned around prior to finding their home. Their home is the perfect size, on a golf course, and they just recreated their yard with a beautiful pool and seating area. Their decorations are from their trips during their military life and fit perfectly into the home. 

We had a great time talking and eating her delicious hors d’ oeuvres! 

Pie

Duf played golf today and as soon as he finished we were picked up by Harry and Sandy to head to Rock Springs Cafe for a piece of their famous pie. We all started by ordered the same sandwich, Brisket Philly Cheese Steak. Sandy and I split a sandwich, French fries and a salad while the guys had their sandwiches and the cheese burger soup. Harry had hot berry pie a la mode, Sandy had bourbon pecan pie, Duffey had banana cream pie, and I had hot rhubarb pie a la mode to complete our meals. We waited to order to pie after we ate our sandwiches and they were starting to run out of certain pies. We ate early and when we left there was a long line  of people that were not going to get any pie! They advertised large cinnamon rolls but were out of them before the dinner crowd arrived.

This destination was cute on the outside but not very well organized on the inside. I felt the soup was greasy so we had the salad and it was a bit wilted. I will not denigrate the sandwich by commenting on its taste. The pie was good, but not outstanding.

We felt that the Rock Springs Cafe was at one time an amazing destination for pie but is now living on its reputation. Rock Springs Cafe is advertised as a destination for amazing pie, and there was a waiting line, but I do not think the pie was as amazing as it once was and many could be disappointed because we arrived early and they were already out of some pie flavors.

The Most Amazing Bathroom ever

The Desert Bar is 5 miles out in the desert off a winding, bumpy, dusty, gravel road. About two miles into the trip the road passes through an open gun range with people shooting! This road is one lane and the sides are steep so travel is risky.  At the end of the road is the amazing Desert Bar on the side of a mountain. The ladies restroom is high on the side of the mountain and it is wide open. Design error is that from the ladies restroom it is possible to see in the men

s restroom! Visible is a line of male butts!!

 Ding Darling in Sanibel, FL has an amazingly decorated restroom!