Ron and I hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas as much as we are.  Our friends and family are in our thoughts (well, our gifts are in there too, of course!) 

Christmas Eve included a bit of snow all day, with the majority of it coming in the late afternoon. 

 

Ron and Gypsy came back from their walk looking frosted.

 

 

It only amounted to an inch or so, and freshened the house....

 

 

and the forest for a White Christmas.

 

 

 

Our Christmas decorations are simple and sufficient.  We get a poinsettia or two, and this year a gorgeous amaryllis.  The splash of reds is very festive.

 

 

We've had our Christmas tree for years-yep, dating myself badly, it's a fiber optic tree purchased from Walmart for $10.00 more years ago than I can count.  It's just the right size to sit on top of the piano though, and most of our gifts fit there, too.

 

 

Our traditional Christmas breakfast includes sourdough waffles, and this year we added fruit for the waffles, eggs scrambled with onion and spinach, sausages, orange juice, and coffee.  It was a great start to the day. 

 

 

We opened all those gifts next.  Ron (aka Santa) did nearly all our shopping, and he did a bang-up job.  Some gifts we are things we would get anyway but save for Christmas.  Other things are special for Christmas.  Included were a printer and webcam for my computer; t-shirts, a backpack, hiking boots, coffee and chocolate for Ron.  Ron's brother Don and his wife Carol Ann sent a Blue-ray player and these cross stitched hand towels, which found a home in the upstairs bathroom.  One could say it was an embarrasment of riches for a couple wanting for nothing! 

 

 

The afternoon included some outside time with the dogs (Ron) and dinner preparation (me).  We planned to pick up Mexican food from our favorite local restaurant.  We went by yesterday and found they'd been closed since Sunday for the holiday.....Plan B was strong, as a quick stop at the grocery store (still open) filled my ingredient list for enchiladas.  They're so flavorful it's worth the time it takes to assemble them.  Spanish rice, our new favorite 7-layer salad, a bottle of champagne, and ice cream for dessert rounded out the meal.

 

 

After a couple of short movies, we're calling it an Alice and Ron's Excellent Christmas. 

 

I leave you with our best wishes and this poem, author unknown.

 

"I have a list of folk I know all written in a book
And every year at Christmas time I go and take a look
And that is when I realise that these names are a part
Not of the book they’re written in, but of my very heart.

Every year when Christmas comes I realise anew
The biggest gift life can give is knowing folk like you
May the Spirit of Christmas that forever endures
Leave its rich blessings in the hearts of you and yours."

My First Snowstorm

 

 

 

I've been enjoying a series of newly retired "firsts", and was especially looking forward to this one. 

 

Working big snowstorms in the Highway Patrol dispatch center can only be described as hellish.  While most of the motoring public is prepared and reasonable, they can get caught in situations beyond their control. They, along with the ones who weren't prepared in the first place, require the assistance of the Highway Patrol, usually in numbers that overwhelm available resources.  The Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol work snowstorms together.  Depending on the amount of snow and how quickly it falls, there is a point when DOT plows can't keep up, conditions deteriorate, and motorists are unable to maintain the roadway. Let the games begin!

While DOT works the roads with snowplows loaded with hot mix, dispatch supervisors schedule from 1 to 3 extra people to help field the thousands of phone calls.  Radio dispatchers broadcast hundreds of calls to officers, and make calls to tow trucks in numbers beyond imagination.  Highway Patrol officers take countless accident reports and assist hundreds of motorists get back on the road.  It's incredibly high intensity and exhausting for everyone involved.

 



STORM ONE

These back-to-back storms were well predicted.  Originally forecast for Thursday evening, it was early Friday morning before there was any significant snowfall.  By the time Ron and I went out with the dogs, there was 3-4 inches.  The dogs are always excited by walks, and the addition of snow caused some wicked-looking play.  No blood was drawn.

 

The forest was beautiful.  Everything was blanketed in snow.

 

 

While Ron worked outside with his snowblower,

 

 

 I baked bran muffins

 

 

and whole wheat bread.

 

 

We enjoyed this meal of chili and salad

 

 

At the end of the day, I curled up with a blanket in my La-Z-Boy with a hot toddy and some retirement reading.  This is my dream come true.

 

 

 

News report for Storm One:

 

"So far, northern Arizona has avoided major traffic delays and the roads continue to be in good shape, despite up to 7 inches of snow in some parts of Flagstaff.

Law enforcement officials say there have only been a handful of traffic accidents on the interstates and city streets, none of which involved significant injuries.

“It’s been steady. Everything’s been really minor,” said Sgt. Gary Phelps of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. “ADOT was out early and were hitting everything pretty hard.”

Phelps said that between midnight and 8 a.m. highway patrol officers responded to some 20 slide-offs, two minor collisions and a commercial vehicle jack-knifed on Interstate 40, which did not cause significant delays."

 

STORM TWO

 

Saturday was a whole different animal. Snow had fallen through the night, and continued to fall heavily all day.  Anything over about 8 inches of snow makes walking difficult for both people and dogs. After lunch, I went out on snowshoes with the dogs to pack down a trail in the forest for us to be able to take the dogs out for walks for as long as the snow lasts.  The trail follows an 1/8 mile loop we use year-round for two of our daily walks with the dogs.  Once the snow is deep enough to snowshoe, I make the trail while Ron snowblows the driveway and shovels the decks.  Depending on the depth of the snow, it takes 3-6 passes to pack down trail.  Today's snow required 4 passes.  It's a good workout!  The dogs don't find it all disconcerting to wade through snow that nearly buries them.  Once the trail is established, they use it to rest from their vigourous explorations.

 

 

 

Okay, I goofed around a bit taking pictures!   Yep, that's how hard it was snowing behind me in the background.  I don't bother wearing glasses when it's snowing this hard-they only get wet and it's impossible to see. 

 

 

Yep, it's the same picture.  That's because this day ended the same way!

 

 

News report for Storm Two:

 

"With nearly a foot of snow falling on already slick roadways, hundreds of drivers slid off the pavement, rear-ended other vehicles and jack-knifed their semis.

"We are still trying to get caught up, as is ADOT, " said Sgt. Gary Phelps of the Arizona Department of Public Safety at 3 p.m., estimating calls for service had been in the "hundreds."

Interstate 40 between Parks and Ash Fork was closed for several hours in early afternoon in both directions because of traffic mishaps.

The largest collision involved three semis and two passenger vehicles, Phelps said. No serious injuries were reported.

Officers were called in from days off to assist with calls.

By 5 p.m. Saturday, the two-day snowfall total had topped 20 inches at both Flagstaff Pulliam Airport and the National Weather Service office in Bellemont."

 

To my co-workers:  A big THANK YOU! for the work you did. 

 

To myself:  A big THANKS! for the work I didn't have to do.

 

With the storms gone, Ron was stricken with cabin fever today.  We took a short trip into town, and I leave you with this view of the San Francisco Peaks.

 

 

A Day Trip to Dead Horse Ranch State Park

 

Does this sound like a familiar experience? Driving somewhere what feels like thousands of times, passing the same scenery, the same highway exit signs.  Sometimes we say, "That sounds like an interesting place to visit..we'll have to go some time," but we're busy coming and going and never do.

Until we retire. Then we can go to any of those places that have tickled our interest whenever we like!   Dead Horse Ranch State Park is one such place.  About 50 miles south of us in Cottonwood, we'd passed the exit traveling to and from both Phoenix and Tucson for 25 years.



 

It was a chilly 22 degrees when we left Flagstaff.  This state park allows dogs, so we all get to enjoy the trip!

                                Once again we're southbound on I17.                               

 

Because Cottonwood is 3,300 ft elevation compared to our 7,000 ft, we arrive to enjoy their balmy winter weather.  It's sunny with brilliant blue skies, making it a perfect time of year to visit.

 

One of the interesting things about this park is its name.  Here's the story from the park website:

"How Dead Horse Ranch Got Its Name

The story of the park's name begins with the Ireys family, who came to Arizona from Minnesota looking for a ranch to buy in the late 1940s. At one of the ranches they discovered a large dead horse lying by the road. After two days of viewing ranches, Dad Ireys asked the kids which ranch they liked the best. The kids said, “the one with the dead horse, Dad!” The Ireys family chose the name Dead Horse Ranch and later, in 1973, when Arizona State Parks acquired the park, the Ireys made retaining the name a condition of sale."

We found this park to be a jewel.  The facilities include RV camping, tent camping, and cabins.  Activities include hiking, bicycling including a small skill development area with jumps and obstacles, horseback riding, birding, fishing and an orienteering course. 

The Verde River runs through the park.  At this time of year the water flow is low.  The main channel narrows and there are many shallow secondary channels.

 

 Our first hike was beside the river, where the dogs (strictly speaking on leashes :)) had a blast.   As anyone who has dogs knows, getting impromptu pictures of dogs doing just about anything is a REAR view. 

 

Ron has been enjoying using his new camera zooming in on wildlife.  He took many pictures of birds including this shot of a roadrunner.

 

These photos include a cactus with fruit protected by BIG thorns, an interesting  snag, a distant view of the mining town of Jerome, and coots swimming in one of the lagoons. 

 

 

 

Both Ron and I enjoyed taking pictures of this old cabin. 

 

 

 

One of our ongoing conversations right now is how we might choose to do some retirement traveling , including camping.  One of the lightweight campers Ron has been looking at on-line is called the Cricket.  They're new on the market, so imagine our delight when we saw this one at the campground.  Just before we left the park, we checked to see if the owners were back, and they were.  They were happy to share their experience with the camper and the flaws they'd encountered, as well as dealing with the company owner in getting most everything fixed.  Nothing beats getting knowledge firsthand! 

 

 

 

We thoroughly enjoyed this park and spending the day outdoors with our dogs. 

 

That the sky is brighter than the earth means little, unless the earth itself is appreciated and enjoyed.
-- Helen Keller

 

 

 

"Opal got a violin....."

 

 

 

 

Small Song

What are you thinking, little violin?
What do your clear strings dream?
"Brown rivers have gold depths. The sprightly
softness in the current of the bow."

What are you singing, my little violin?
Who are you calling now? "Truths
the trees, my parents, taught me.
   The sky above your childhood home."  

                                ---Jan Zwicky

 

My Mom loved fiddle music.  When she was about my age now, she decided to try to learn to play fiddle.  To accomplish this, she asked her mother Opal, my Grandmother, for the violin she had but didn't play. Mom took lessons and played for several years.  She did not reach her goal of fiddling, saying she could never get the bow speed necessary, but she enjoyed practicing and played with a community orchestra when they lived in Salida, Colorado.  She brought the violin to our house once at Christmas, and she and I played violin and flute together.  At some point, other interests took the place of the violin.

When it came time to go through our parents' house after their passing, I recalled that violin and made claim to it, if she still had it.  She did, and it passed to a third generation.  When I opened the case to take a look, I found tucked under the violin a plastic ziploc bag containing what appeared to be an old letter, written in pencil on Old Chief tablet paper.  I carefully took it out of the bag, opened it up, and felt both chills and tears when I read it and realized what it was:  an original letter from Grandma's sister Ethel to their Great Grandma describing what they had each received for Christmas in 1927..."Opal got a violin".   Here's the letter:

 

 

Thank you Grandma and Mom, for saving the precious legacy of both violin and letter.  I'm certain there will be a fourth generation after me to share it with.

I described the violin to Elton, Ron's Dad, knowing he had played when he was in high school in Iowa.  He said his violin had come from the Montgomery Ward catalog, which was a source for literally all things for rural areas during that era.  As Elton and my Grandma were contemporaries, I've no doubt this violin had a similar source.

Despite the existence of a certain amount of my friend WILLY-NILLY still occuring in my life, I took the violin in for new strings and a minor amount of repair. I next contacted a violin teacher recommended to me and set up a lesson for November 5.  I had my first lesson with Emily, and knew I'd struck gold.  Emily is a student at NAU working on her Master's degree in music, gives music lessons, is married, has a toddler, and is expecting their second December 22.  She's one busy young woman!  She is exacting in her expectations for violin playing, but very casual and approachable in her presentation.  She's an absolute doll, and I couldn't be more pleased to have her as my teacher.

Meet Emily:

 

 

 

Lessons are only where music starts, of course.   As in all of my endeavors,  I'm not blessed with innate talent in music.  Rather, it's my workman-like commitment to consistent practice over time that leads to whatever level of success I achieve.  In the course of conversation with the man who repaired the violin, he made that statement that "everyone learning to play violin sounds like cats fighting.....".  Be glad there's not audio available with this picture!

 

 

 

 

In my ruminations about lifetime goals, violin was never a particular consideration.  I play piano and flute; that was enough.  However, when synchronicity stepped in, I found I was highly interested in learning to play this violin.  I am very much enjoying the challenge of learning a new instrument as well as the emotional connection with my Grandma and Mom.