Our 3 month anniversary!

I can't believe we have  been gone from home exactly 3 months today. The time sure flies when you are having fun!! I also can't believe it is over 3 weeks since I updated our blog. We are just so busy enjoying ourselves, we don';t know where the time goes. The weather has remained incredible. We haven't had a day in the last three weeks where it has been cooler than the low 70's. I'm in shorts and tank tops during the day and only need my sweat shirt at night when we go for a walk. We have been going on lots of ATV rides in the desert. 2 weeks ago the people in the park did a desert clean up. It is quite disgusting the garbage people leave out in the beautiful desert. We had a huge pile by the end of the day and another group with big trucks came and hauled it all away

 

We are about as full of garbage as you can get and ready to head to the dump pile

 We started to lose stuff on the way home due to all the bumps so Doug had to tie it all down

A bathroom break and Sharon is getting impatient! 

She looks like she should be locked up!

It has been so dry out in the desert that you really have to protect yourself from the dust, especially when you have allergies like Sharon does.   Bandanna and goggles does the trick

 The day ends with a beautiful sunset on the Superstitions

Doug had the opportunity to go on a ride later that week. I had already signed up to take a One Stroke Painting class so was unable to go. Doug invited our friend Malcolm to go with him. It ended up being a huge group that went - 25 ATV's. The guys were so dirty(dusty) when they returned I wouldn't let them in the motor home. I handed out clean clothes and soap and sent Doug down to the clubhouse to shower. They went on a 50 mile trip back into the mountains above Superior. They went from about 1000ft above sea level to over 4500 ft!

Leaving the park in the dust

Heading off into the mountains

Heading off into the distant mountains

Up they go into the hills

I wonder where they are going

The group stopping for a break

 

Heading back down the mountain side

  We celebrated Doug's 65th birthday January 18th, I cooked a turkey I bought for 27 cents a pound just before Christmas. Our friends Malcolm and Grace joined us for the day and we had a wonderful time. Doug chose a lemon meringue pie for his birthday cake - go figure!

On Saturday January 22, we went on an ATV run with 2 other couples who are rock hounds like us. Bruce and Connie from Taber, Alberta lead us as they know the back country well. Doug and I and Trent & Ann from Minnesota followed the leader. We were gone all day and had a fabulous time. Bruce even had us climb a very steep mountainside because the view was so good from the top!I was so impressed with how well Doug did as it was quite a climb up the rocks. We even saw a couple of scorpions when we were turning over rocks. A couple months from now we would have to worry about rattlesnakes but we are quite safe now as they are hibernating.

Stopping for a food and potty break

You have to look really carefully but there are 3 black steer in the desert

Doug, Ann, Connie, Bruce,Sharon & Trent getting ready for our climb up the mountain

The desert is so breath taking

Everywhere you look there is beauty

This is the mountain opposite the one we are climbing and we are going to climb this one next!

I was trying to get a picture of our ATV's at the bottom of the mountain but they are so far away, you can't see them!

Sharon & Connie almost at the top

 

Our ATV's are way over near the base of the other mountain

 You just got to sit and take a break when you get to the top!

  Doug & Trent proving they really did climb the mountain

Enjoying the views

Ann, Connie & Sharon 

One last picture before we head down the mountain

I just love those saguaro cacti

See the lone saguaro on top of the butte

We are in the foothills below the Superstition Mountains where the saguaros grow huge

Saguaros everywhere you look

I could take pictures of them forever

Some of the crystals we found on the mountains

Lots of geodes to be found

My favorite rock and crystals

Orange colored crystals

Another breath taking sunset at the end of the ride

The colors change by the minute

Looking west from our RV Park

The sunset is almost finished

The little sparrows love sitting in both our car, motor home and ATV wheel wells

My very feeble attempt at painting flowers on mugs

I think I should have just gone ATVing with Doug but it really was fun. I do not have any natural talent for painting so it was a stressful morning and exhausting - now don't laugh!