WILLY-NILLY:  without order or plan; haphazardly.

During a campfire conversation at the Grand Canyon this past September, someone asked brother Scott about the nature of his life.  "Pretty much willy-nilly," was his answer.  Though I'd both heard and used the expression, it tickled me to no end.  Because there was a certain amount of unpredictablity to our Grand Canyon trip, I started using it a lot, others followed, and shortly it was the catch phrase of the trip.  The more we used it, the more useful -and hilarious-it became.  Typically we used it as an adjective.  The constantly shifting camping arrangements were instantly willy-nilly.  When it started raining, both the weather and our activities became willy-nilly.  When we ran the battery for the 5th wheel battery dead, finding a place to deep charge a 12 volt battery was willy-nilly.  The dogs ran about in the woods willy-nilly.  Eventually, it became a verb:  Alice:  "Okay, in the morning we'll go to a ranger talk and the Visitor Center, including seeing the movie.  Do we want to plan anything for the afternoon?"  Mike:  "Nah, let's just willy-nilly it." 

As with other family and friends, my brothers are well aware of my need for order and planning.  Though I attempted with some success (I think) to ratchet that down at the Grand Canyon, it was still in evidence.  After the above conversation with Mike, I told Scott that for us people who need to plan, willy-nilly IS a plan--it's a plan not to have a plan! I was completely comfortable with that.  Scott laughed and shook his head.

With the Grand Canyon trip over, I realized I now had a definitive description of my life since retirement:  WILLY-NILLY!  Innocent that I was, I had an idea that once I no longer worked, each day would stretch endlessly before me, and be followed by endless of those endless days, in which everything was accomplished as planned.  That was before I became acquainted with WILLY-NILLY.  Each morning I'd get up with a plan in mind, and before breakfast the day was WILLY- NILLY.  Something of some importance or priority appeared without fail.  Day after day, endlessly.

WILLY-NILLY does not preclude accomplishment.  An enormous amount is being accomplished, and the results are intensely satisfactory. WILLY-NILLY does rule the process.

At my request, we've been doing a significant amount of work making the loft more functional for my retirement activities.  That included putting down new flooring.  Ron did the work over the course of about three weeks, and WILLY-NILLY defined everything.  The loft is where I do everything,
and is about 1/3 of our total floor space.  Suddenly I had no place to do anything!  No desk (for planning and organizing, of course), no place to warm up for running, no quiet place to read.  I was able to find substitutes, but still felt un-homed.  WILLY-NILLY.

Recovering from the running injury resulted in more than one physical therapy appointment in a week for weeks.  WILLY-NILLY.  Once the half-marathon was accomplished, running, which has been an anchor for me for years:  WILLY-NILLY. 

Shopping not being high on my list of favorite things to do, but necessary to accomplish plans for the loft:  WILLY-NILLY.

Gypsy and Maggie both had an eating fest during mushroom season.  Gypsy was the first dog we've had who reacted to mushrooms. Twice.  During the night.  In her crate.  Cleaning the crate, washing the crate bedding, usually more than once, and bathing Gypsy:  WILLY-NILLY. 

Here's a recent ten day run:

Day 1:   Yoga class; met with Kristin, my interior decorating consultant for work in the loft.
Day 2:   Physical therapy appointment.
Day 3:   A blessed day at home!
Day 4:   Met friends for a walk thru Walnut Canyon Nat'l Monument and lunch.
Day 5:   Met with Kristin for more shopping.
Day 6:   A blessed day at home!
Day 7:   Went to Cabela's in Phoenix for Ron's birthday trip.
Day 8:   Yoga class; two appointments including physical therapy; lotsa shopping.
Day 9:    Early to the lab for annual blood work; met a friend for breakfast.
Day 10:  Hiked 10 miles of the AZT with a friend.

THAT'S WILLY-NILLY!

This past week has been calmer and more predictable.  Do I believe it's a sign of things settling down?   Why would I think that?  Tonight after we discovered our Netflix movie was one we'd already seen, I came up to the loft to finish writing a letter, and here I am at the computer instead, writing this blog.  WILLY-NILLY!  

 

 

 

 

Ron's birthday was October 16.  He had a fistful of Cabela's coupons burning a hole in his pocket so he chose a day trip to visit the store in Phoenix for his birthday outing.

 

Ready to go!

 

A familiar sight..southbound I17 out of Kachina Village

 

 

 

  Can't travel on the freeway without some construction.....

 

In a couple hours, it's Phoenix freeway traffic

 

 

We arrived without incident, and headed in to shop!

 

 

As with most endeavors of this type, lots of anticipation with mixed results.  Ron did find this nice rain-proof jacket.

 

 

We shopped well past our lunch time.  Fortunately we found Cracker Barrel located in the same area.  After making it safely by some Phoenix wildlife....

 

 

we enjoyed a tasty meal.

 

 

Ron felt inspired to indulge in this giant sized checkers game on the porch.

 



 

 

At home, a gift bag

 

 

revealed these goodies.  Ron loves bubble baths, which gives me an excuse to visit Bath and Body Works to re-stock his supply.  He's also a flashlight nut.  In front is a Bug Lite. It's an LED flashlight with flexible legs that allow it to be attached for hands-free stability.

 

 

He ended his day with several vigorous games of table tennis at the community center in town.

 

 

 

A birthday well spent!

 

Walnut Canyon and Friends

Last Saturday long-time friends James and Janet came to Flagstaff from Phoenix to celebrate their First Wedding Anniversary.  They included us on their Things To Do While In Flagstaff list.  They'd not been to Walnut Canyon National Monument, and we always find it enjoyable to be tourists at our local landmarks.  A visit was agreed upon.  Here's an Internet overview:

Walnut Canyon National Monument

 

Walnut Canyon National Monument was established in 1915 to preserve numerous Prehistoric archaeological sites which are spectacularly located in cliffs and along the rim of Walnut Canyon. The focus of the proclamation was protection from looting and vandalism of the cliff dwelling structures located under the canyon's limestone ledges.
Evidence of human use at Walnut Canyon can be traced back over 2,000 years. Based on ceramic analysis and tree ring dates, most Sinagua sites in the area date from 1100-1225 AD. The progression of cultural change and adaptation of the Sinagua is clearly evident at Walnut Canyon.

We chose to walk the Island Trail. There are 240 steps into the canyon.....

 

 

 

down...

 

 

down.....

 

down....

 

down...

 

Whew!  James arrived!

 

 

 

Ron and Janet enjoy the scenery

 

 

The cliff dwellings are accessible

 

 

and inaccessible--the dwellings below are about the middle of the picture on the right.

 

 

 

It's both fascinating and unimaginable to try to put youself in the place of the people who lived here so long ago.

 

 

 

What goes down must come up....

 

 

and they gave us fair warning.

 

 

After this adventure, we enjoyed a delicious lunch and conversation at the Wildflower Bread Company.

 

 

It was an enjoyable day with friends.

Flagstaff Half-Marathon

Both Shannon and I suffered injuries during our training for the Flagstaff Half-Marathon. However, thanks to our various physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, and plenty of Tylenol and Advil, September 22 found us ready to run.  Our goals were to finish at all, and to finish together. 

Shannon's husband Jim had also registered for the half-marathon, but his own medical challenges caused him not to be able to train at all.  He was able to walk, and chose to walk the 10K part of this event. 

This is the 7th year the Flagstaff Marathon has been run.  It includes a full marathon, a half marathon, and a 10K.  Participation is limited to 350 registrants.   It's well organized, well marked, with lots of water stations with enthusiastic volunteers.  This table is pre-race snacks.






The Flagstaff Marathon is held at the Flagstaff Nordic Center, which, as the name implies, is a cross country ski and snowshoe area in the winter. It's very beautiful, with ponderosa, fir, aspen, and various wildflowers and grasses. Events are held at the facility year round, including conferences, weddings, camping, biking events, and running events. They also rent yurts year round. Here's the summer version. In winter, this frame is covered with felt and canvas and has a heater inside. 

It was cool when we arrive, but by the 8:00 start time, it was comfortable for top and shorts.  Here's where we started and finished:

 

 

The course through the trees was all trail, both single track and old forest roads.  There was a bit of a rush at the start, to be expected.  Everyone soon spread out, and the remainder of the race  was quiet, with no feeling of running with 348 other people.  Shannon and I trained for  run/walk intervals of 2 min run/1 min walk.  As we progressed, we took walk breaks as necessary.  In the end, it was more a walk/run.  Everything about it was wonderful-the setting, the weather, the friendliness of the runners.  Shannon and I enjoyed chatting with each other and briefly with other runners.  The last few miles we were joined walking by Michael, a friendly and hurting Sedona fireman who'd pulled something behind his left knee and was limping badly.  We last saw him getting on the massage table after the race. 

 

 The post-race food was provided by a favorite local restaurant, Big Foot BBQ. Yummy pulled pork and beef sandwiches, potato salad, and mashed sweet potatoes were enjoyed by all finishers.

 

Jim, Shannon and I were pleased to make our goals.  Here we are with our finishers medals.  I enjoyed this event so much, it's already on my to-do list for next year!    

 

 



 

 

 

 

 





A Grand Canyon Gathering

 

Scott, me, Mark and Mike

 

After our parents passed away in April 2011, my brothers and I realized that what keeping up with each other we did was often facilitated by Mom, who would pass on information in person, during phone calls, and via letter.  With her gone, the responsiblity for maintaining our family structure now falls on us.  Like all families, we each have busy daily lives.  Without realizing it, long periods of time can go by without contact. 

Last year we talked about all getting together, so I suggested we have our first Family Gathering in fall of 2012 at the Grand Canyon.  I chose the fall so it would be after my retirement and I would have more time to plan and organize.  I suggested the Grand Canyon because Mom and Mike had done extensive hiking in the Canyon over the course of several recent years, and it was a special place for them as well as Dad.  Everyone was agreeable, including Scott, who would come from Nebraska.  Though no children were able to come this year, they have a standing invitation for any Gatherings that happen.

It is my hope that we can have Gatherings yearly.  Now that I'm retired, I'm willing and able to do all the organizing so all the working folks have to do is show up.

Just because I volunteered to be the planner and organizer doesn't mean I'm very good at it yet!  I was surprised how many times I had to visit the Grand Canyon website to accumulate the information I needed.  I'll describe later how even with that effort, a LOT of flexibility was necessary.

We decided to arrive at the Canyon on Friday.  Scott and his three dogs arrived in Flagstaff from NE with his 5th wheel on Tuesday and stayed at a local RV park, Black Bart's.  It was nice to have the time to visit with him beforehand.  He and Ron are on the same political page and had many agreeable discussions about the current state of politics.  We introduced the dogs to each other, and found that walks in the forest allowed them to become acquainted without any pressure.  We did mostly keep them separated between house, yard and Scott's truck.  Mike and Karen arrived early Thursday morning, and we enjoyed more visiting, the beautiful fall Flagstaff weather, and last minute preparations. 

We left early Friday morning for the Canyon.  My research, including a personal phone call, indicated that the RV park with hookups inside the park was first come-first served, so we wanted to be there early enough to get a spot.   A pleasant drive got us there in plenty of time.  Unfortunately, when we arrived at the RV park,  the only rude person we encountered told us that it was reservation only, there were no spots available, and the person I talked to "must have been new."  "Now get out of the way for the traffic behind you."   Our next stop was at the park's Mather Campground.  After some discussion about the definition of RV and just how long the 5th wheel was, we were able to get in for two nights, with the 5th wheel in one spot and Mike and Karen's and Ron's and my tents in a separate spot close by.  Mark and Cindy chose to stay at a motel in Tusayan and met up with us Friday afternoon.

                                                     Our Grand Canyon RV campsite

 

Karen and Ron at the tent site

 

We spent Friday afternoon gawking at the Canyon.  No matter how many times one goes, it's still awe-inspiring.

 

 

Camp included time with the dogs.  Here's Scott with Daisy, Lilly, and Sophie.

 





 

Though the dogs had gotten along well enough at home, at camp Lilly started challenging  Maggie.  Maggie would have none of that, so we had to keep them separated. 

 

Here's Queen Lilly dispensing the stink-eye,

and Maggie daring her to try and come take a piece of her.

 

Saturday we carried out a suggestion by Scott:  that we take the cremains that had traveled to Tucson last April for a memorial service there and consign them to the Canyon.  Mike told us that on the last hike he and Mom had done, Dad walked down to Cedar Point on the South Kaibab trail with them before he turned around.  Mike suggested that be the place for dust-to-dust, and we all agreed.  He, Scott and Ron made the trek down. 

 

 

 

 

 

This is our parent's eternal view.

 

 

Sunday morning we walked a short distance to a much less visited place in the park called Shoshone Point.  Ron found about it from a friend of his and now takes everyone there for the stupendous view.  It's an unfenced point, so those of us with height paralyzation stayed back. 

 









 

Cindy went along and took this picture of Scott, Mike and Ron standing on the Point.

 

 



Mark and Cindy had to work Monday, so we said goodbye to them early Sunday afternoon. With our two-night stay at Mather Campground up, the rest of us moved to the Ten-X forest service campground outside the Canyon and just south of Tusayan. Despite limited services, it was our favorite place. More ponderosa, and much quieter. 

 



 



 

Mike dubbed Scott's 5th wheel "Taj Mahal" 

 

 

Ron got this picture of the bull elk we believe was the one serenading us at night. 

Monday afternoon rain settled in, and we were very grateful to have Taj Mahal in which to spend a dry evening chatting and playing Farkle.  The storm stayed on Tuesday, and afforded us the spectacular contrast of a cloud-filled Canyon.   One of us did overhear a "real" tourist saying he was going to complain to his tour driver because he couldn't see the Canyon.....

 



 

 

Wednesday morning was time to leave.  We packed up the 5th wheel and our tents, and said goodbye to Scott and his dogs.

 

 

Mike and Karen drove back to Flagstaff with us.  Mike treated us to a delicious Papa Murphy's pizza for lunch, and he and Karen enjoyed the afternoon on the deck until Phoenix traffic cleared enough for a reasonable drive to Tucson. 

 

We all enjoyed the Canyon and the time we spent together.  The final resting place for our parents is very emotionally satisfying.  So ends our first Gathering.