Monday, April 6, 2020

Update From the New World




Yes, it's been a while, but I wanted to write a post with some pretty photos so I would remember something good about this crazy time in our world. We are doing fine so far, isolating ourselves as best we can, while still walking or hiking every day to take advantage of the good endorphins and lovely weather before the heat returns. We miss going to the gym and aren't doing such a great job of working out in the apartment without weights, but we're trying. 

Granite Mountain trail, McDowell Sonoran Preserve
 
More from Granite Mountain.






Balanced Rock

We've lost track of time, but somewhere over the past month our Iowa friends Chuck and Carla were camping at Roosevelt Lake, about 80 miles from here, so we took a drive to visit them and check it out. Somehow we never made it there in our travels, but it's a beautiful area with numerous campgrounds, trails and of course the lake.





Our San Francisco friends David and Mary were staying out at McDowell Mountain Park a couple weeks ago and we had a nice social distance visit with them, too. 

Just before that, Mark and Bobbie stopped for a couple days on their way to Moab. We took them on a walk around Fountain Hills before they decided to move on due to rain and the coronavirus. I borrowed this photo from Mark.

Bobbie, Gayle, Jim


Here are some photos from hikes at McDowell Mountain. We both got new phones a couple months ago (refurbished Samsung Galaxy S10e) and almost never carry our cameras anymore. They take much better photos than our old phones and about as good as our cameras.

There aren't many poppies this year but brittlebush is in bloom everywhere, as are many other colorful flowers.














We had a house/catsit lined up in Sedona a couple weeks ago but the virus put a stop to that. At this point we are making no plans since everything is so up in the air. I told Jim the other day that the hardest part of all this, besides trying to buy toilet paper, is the lack of anything to look forward to. It is a strange feeling to have nothing on our calendar other than a grocery pickup, so I am trying to live in the moment and appreciate the fact that we are healthy and living in a very nice community. We feel like we hung up our RV keys at the perfect time. Still, watching the news makes for some sleepless nights.

 Haven't seen any rattlesnakes on the trails yet, but I nearly stepped right in front of this healthy guy on the sidewalk the other day while walking around town. 



 I am really missing my time at Fearless Kitty Rescue, but in anticipation of having to close the doors, they managed to get most of the cats and kittens adopted or put into foster homes over the past few weeks. Here are some of our buddies. Only Maverick, in the last photo, is still in the building along with his roommate Harpurr. For some reason they have yet to find homes, but the director has moved her desk into their room and is giving them plenty of attention.

Fritz and Gibbs got adopted together.

The kittens always get adopted first.

Maverick is one of my favorites. He's very friendly and it's a mystery why nobody has adopted him yet.

I hope those of you reading this are staying in and staying healthy. I'm afraid it's going to be a long year...



20 comments:

  1. I am stuck here in Del Rio TX in a commercial campground and having a ball. The hiking trails at Amistad are all open for hiking and I am having a ball. I like your new location and the opportunities for outdoor fun. Be Safe Please.

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  2. Having such great place to hikes will keep you healthy. Figured you'd miss the kitties. Stay well.

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    1. Thanks, it's disappointing to live right across from the rescue but not be able to help.

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  3. Thx for the update, wonderful photos, good stories and good to know someone else shares the anxiety of having nothing on the future calendar!

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    1. I know, it's a strange feeling, made even more strange by not knowing how long this may go on.

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  4. Every day I am grateful we are now in a house instead of the RV. I feel so sorry for all the fulltimers trying to find places to stay put while the virus is closing so many places. I love that we both live in areas with lots of wide open space for social distancing! Take care you two!

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    1. We are very happy to be out of the RV during this time. Don't know what we would do if we couldn't hike but guess we'll find out when we have to stay here during the heat of summer. I'm hoping we can find some catsitting jobs in cooler places if it's safe to go out by then. The uncertainty is unsettling.

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  5. For full timers and/or campers heading east and looking for a place to hole up...check out this friendly rv park on Lake of the Ozarks:
    http://osagebeachrvpark.net
    mark

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    1. Hey, I think this is considered spam;-) Glad to hear they are staying open while so many other RV parks have shut down.

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  6. Like Hans and Lisa and you guys we're pretty happy about our timing of selling the bus and living here in Tucson full time. Tucson Mountain Park is right across the street with miles of trails to hike and ride. Socially distant of course. Since Planet Fitness is closed we have purchased a rowing machine, not perfect but it helps. Take care & be safe

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  7. Yes, good timing on all our parts. We may have to get some kind of cardio machine but don't have a lot of room. We quit biking a few weeks ago since we felt it was too risky. Don't want to fall and break a bone and have to go to the hospital, where the chance of coming out with Covid-19 is all too real.

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    1. We're not riding on the road. Too risky. We're riding in the neighborhood and on some wimpy dirt trails with the mountain bikes. It's sad how little hiking crosses over with bike muscles. We got this rower for something to do in the house.

      https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0849PDHB6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

      It's quiet, you can hear the tv over it. It can be stood up against a wall when not in use. We've just got it in the middle of the living area. I'm really glad to not be on the road, even though it will be hotter than the seventh circle of Hades before long.

      Beautiful pictures, thanks for posting them.

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  8. Boy, so many of us decided to stop full-timing at the right time, for sure. Glad to here you two are doing well. Isn't it great to live in an area where we can still head out and continue our life. Nothing has really changed for us except going to the grocery every day. We still head out in the Jeep for new drives and hiking adventures or do desert hikes from the house which is even better. The flowers have been so pretty this year but not everywhere. The Brittle Bush are crazy this year. I love seeing all the mountain sides covered in yellow. Glad that Fearless Kitty found homes for most of the cats. Take care of yourselves and keep social distancing.

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    1. Yes, no more frequent stops at Basha's on our way back from a walk to pick up a few things. One of the best things about living in the apartment is not having to go to the laundromat. We would have felt very vulnerable having to use them during this time. Glad you are able to get out and enjoy the beautiful spring desert!

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  9. Not sure what intuitive messaging so many of us received that got us into houses in time to ride out this crisis - but sure am grateful! Thanks for the gorgeous photos, you're sure surrounded by great places to get outside alone. How fortunate they were able to place most of the kitties.

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    1. Yes, given what's happening we are so thankful to no longer be fulltime RVing!

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  10. Oh how I long for those rolling trails of McDowell.

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    1. Us, too! We are probably being overly cautious but given Jim's propensity to fall off his bike too often we don't want to take any risks right now. I may have to sneak my bike up there one of these days, though. Hope you are doing well!

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    2. We are fine. Playing it safe and doing road bike rides around the neighborhood as they don't want us on the local mountain trails because of crowding.

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