Up To Saturday, November 24, 2012.

It seems all the calendar events in the park we're staying in start up the 1st of November because that's when the people start arriving, so we'll have to check the calendar and start being social. At home on Tuesday evenings I go to my mom's and play Kaiser with the residents that live there and I really miss it. Now that the calendar is up and running, I go Wednesday afternoons and Friday nights and play Pony Canasta (it's hand and foot canasta to me).

On Monday there was a block party, cocktail hour and potluck supper that we went to in the recreation hall. We introduced ourselves, and found out there are quite a few here from Canada, Ontario, B.C., Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Actually, we were outside today, when the lady across the street heard us playing cards and came over to ask if she had heard correctly at the block party. Was our last name Zerr? She's from Regina and her last name is Zerr. So, here we are in Mesa Arizona, living across the street from a relative of Larry's-there it is again-7 degrees of separation! Weird, eh!

On Tuesday the weather took a turn and the temperature dropped. We dug out the electric heater and turned on the furnace, it went down to 4C that night and only 19C during the day. On Wednesday afternoon, after Canasta, the street was shut down and everyone brought munchies, drinks and lawn chairs and partied until the wee hours. One of the guys here has a friend who plays for events and wanted to practice and get feedback, so we had music and dancing in the streets, it was great fun!

Friday I took Larry to see the "crown cactus".

Crown Cactus

Here's an oldie 

and a close up

We followed the road on to Saguaro Lake. WOW!

 Who'd'a'thunk?

A Marina in the middle of the desert.

Our last stop for the day, Fountain Park in Fountain Hills. The Fountain turns on every hour on the hour and runs for 15 minutes. It reaches a height of 560 feet, and the rainbows must spread out at least 50 feet to the side. We sat on a bench watching the fountain and the different birds, it was so peaceful I didn't want to leave!

On Monday, November 19th, we picked up Liza at the airport and dropped her of  at Camping World to pick up her motor home that was in for repairs while she was gone. We went back home and picked up our next door neighbours, Joe and Fern, and took them to see the Crown Cactus. Next, Larry found the smoke shop on the reserve, bought his carton and off to supper. Joe and Fern wanted to take us to  Organ Pizza, where the pizza was good, but the entertainment AWESOME! A Wurlitzer "French" console, finished in high ebony and real gold leaf rises up while being played. It is the largest and most elaborate design ever created by the company, containing 276 keys and 975 controls. From the mammoth console, the organist controls the nearly 6000 pipes, numerous percussions and raps of the world's largest Wurlitzer pipe organ. The organist played all kinds of tunes and all kinds of instruments all over the room also played, Larry got some good pictures!

Tuesday we sat outside playing cards with the neighbours until it was too dark and cool out. Wednesday morning we went to the grocery store for buns and butter for Thanksgiving supper tomorrow and  Canasta in the afternoon. Thursday morning was laundry and showers for all, and at 4:00 cocktails followed by a wonderful Thanks Giving supper, where we both ate way too much. After supper we went down the street and sat around the campfire with friends from BC and Alberta that we have met. Saturday morning we got up early to go to the Mesa swap meet for breakfast, then finished the Christmas shopping. Larry also bought himself a new motorcycle helmet that I will hide and give to him for Christmas, he doesn't want the traditional lump of coal he usually gets! What's up with that? Well, that wraps it up for the last two weeks, I'll blame my tardiness with the blog on retirement mode. It's wonderful, everyone should try it!