Casa Grande

Thanks, Maria Elena y Tim for a great evening and awesome dinner! We went last night to visit the new home of two Dear Friends who wound up being our neighbors. They recently have almost finished a new home on a nearby hillside with a commanding view of the Verde Valley. Tim began planning this superb green home 8.5 years ago. He spent 5 years in the research phase, 1.5 in the design phase and the past two years putting it all together. What a great piece of Life Work the couple produced. It's about as green as green can be with far too many features to mention. Naturally, it has twin solar systems, one for electricity and one for hot water. What a great job! Maria Elena put together a great South American feast. It was great to get reconnected with them and we look forward to many new adventures in the future.

Gary and Robin are coming for breakfast this morning. It's not quite 6:20 AM and we're already scrambling. Heavy, heavy frost last night--ice encrusted windshields, etc. I will be cooking bacon this morning on the campstove outdoors--BRRR, chilly duty ahead!

We'll be going over to Sedona this afternoon to visit with Bob and see his new addition to Betty's former home.

Susun had a grand day Thursday visiting with friends in the VIllage of Oak Creek. She even got to visit with two of her favorite girls, Haley and Lilly. She finally fessed up that she had played The Tooth Fairy to them years ago. The girls believed in the tooth fairy and Susun agreed to help the girls' Mom, Nicole. Susun came home and asked me to collaborate. We got an email address called "Arizona Tooth Fairy" and we named our Fairy Sophie. Sophie began communicating with the girls and it was a hoot. They fell for it hook line and sinker. Finally, the girls began asking far too technical questions and Susun had to bow out. We concocted a story that Sophie has been called out of state to train Tooth Fairies elsewhere. It worked. Anyway, the threesome laughed heartily yesterday when the truth (or is that tooth?) was told.

Well,gee, looks like I have to leave the warm, comfy confines of my keyboard and head out into the spring chill morning to fire up my Sinner Stove and rustle up some grub. Yeah, we'll take some pictures. Who else is crazy enough to be standing around in 20 degree weather cooking bacon on a Friday morning?

Note the heavy frost on the roof of the straw house. In the second photo, the dew point is such that the steam rising from the bacon makes an appetizing vista in the pre-sunrise aura of a Fine Friday morning!

Cheers, jp