Transitioning from Roaming to Parked modes.

“Welcome Home” says the lady in the activities office.

It really does feel like home.

The sunsets in Casa Grande are always spectacular

Scary how fast time goes by sometimes isn't it? Were in the middle of December already and rapidly heading towards Christmas We've been to see our financial guy, got a spare key for the Miata that we've been promising ourselves we would do “When we get a chance”. New wheel covers have been bought and the arrangements for the rig to be in “Storage Mode” for the winter are all set. For the first time since last April the outside mats, chairs, the grill and my art easel are set up. Seems like the anchor is firmly planted.

Our friends Scott and Suzanne dropped by on their way to Texas for the winter. They are busy as always, having gone the “working on the road” route. Scott is trying to get his Mobile RV Technician business set up and having to get certified in different states to be able to work on propane systems etc.

Darts players hard at work

We dropped in on our first darts night and there weren't many people there. A couple of weeks later there are 30 or more. Lots of familiar faces and long talks about what we all did this summer. Shuffleboard is going again and the crowd is growing every week. The skills we developed last season have rusted a little but we are getting them back every time we play.

My camera club has had it's get together and we had our first assignment. “Black and White” was the theme so I'm spending more time looking for some image to catch my eye.

My black and white picture for the Camera Club

Art is back too with the Casa Grande Art Association “Studio Tour”. The local artists opened their studios and houses to the public. We wandered from one to the other looking at the paintings and crafts for sale. Living in an RV means you don't have any walls to hang pictures on and there is no spare room for statues or pottery, so the temptation is less.

A watercolor done at the Monday art group from a photo.

From the studio tour we went directly to Apache Junction for the Arizona Plein Air Society's “Paint Out” at the Goldfield Ghost Town. It's a tourist trap kind of place but the owner/manager of one of the restaurants invited us to paint from his balcony and provided us with burgers and drinks too. What a generous gesture. We got to paint “Superstition Mountain” which was spectacular but very challenging. A stop at the local Elks Lodge on the way home made a pleasant break in the journey.

A fello artist hard at work painting Superstition Mountain

The Goldmine Ghost Town

The Urban Sketchers all painted the fruit stand at Eleven Mile Corner

More art at the RV park on Thursdays, a new group called the “Urban Sketchers” are Tuesday and they led me to yet another art group who meet on Mondays! Oh yes and the Wednesday Casa Grande Art Assoc “Open Studio” rounds out the week. Meanwhile Barbara has been catching up on doctors visits, hair dressers, knitting for the grand kids and socializing. Then she joined the choir for the Christmas Concert. They sounded great.

Our yard sale goodies

The park Yard Sale presented a great opportunity to get rid of some precious possessions (Junk) to make room in the new RV and to meet friends and neighbors as they browsed. (More on the new RV at a later date!)

New RV new license plate

Such a busy time, yet I am getting “Hitch Itch” which is the desire to be on the move again. It's a bit strange to be not picking out a place to stop for the night and a destination for the next day. I have to tell myself to sit back and relax, but it's not easy to make the transition. I began some basic research for next year which we have decided will be around Oregon and Washington. That made the itch even worse!

Our friends Paul, Karen, Bill, Terry, RuthAnn, Ed, Al and Marie have made sure we get out to the Elks Lodge for dinner regularly and to various parties, dances etc., which helps dispel some of the “wanderlust” too.

So this is where we are at.

If we don't see you or talk to you before the big day be assured that we wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas!