allegro wanderer

Dorothy, This Can't Be Kansas

2012-01-21T14:42:00.000-06:00

"No, Dorothy. I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!"

What a difference in landscaping between the Midwest and the Southwest . . . especially the desert area around Tucson, Arizona. This might as well be the Land of Oz!

This is a landscaped area along the driveway to a home, typically made up of a variety of cactus, desert trees, and rocks . . .

Sometimes, no trees. Just cactus and stones . . .

Or no cactus. Just desert plants and dry grasses . . .

And sometimes, mostly rocks . . .

Even in a very large yard, the gardener probably only has to come once a month . . .

What a spectacular driveway planting. When giving directions to your house, just say, "It's the house with the giant Saguaro cactus with eight arms beside the drive".

At some homes, it looks like they just left part of the native desert growth in place when they built the house . . .

If John Deere or Lawn Boy depended on this area for lawn mower sales, they'd be in big trouble!

"Yes, Dorothy. I'm sure we're not in Kansas anymore."

Breakfast with "The Gang"

2012-01-19T19:52:00.000-06:00

Here in the RV Park where we are staying, an Activities Director schedules various activities including some outings. This morning was a "Breakfast Out". About 16 residents gathered for breakfast at a local restaurant nearby.

The food was great, the atmosphere was casual, the company was interesting, and the conversation was thought provoking. It was a fun start to the day, having "Breakfast with the Gang".

Sentinels of the Desert

2012-01-17T12:39:00.000-06:00

The Saguaro National Park is split into two areas, one on the east side of Tucson, and one on the west side, together totalling nearly 100,000 acres. The park sets aside a part of the Sonoran Desert with much of it officially designated as Wilderness Area.

The Park is named after the Saguaro cactus, a variety native to this area, sometimes called the "Sentinel of the Desert". Legend of the Native Indians holds that when you die, your soul becomes a Saguaro . . . and that if you stand silently in the desert, the Saguaros begin to look like people, maybe even some of your ancestors. The Saguaro is, indeed, a fascinating plant.

The Native Indians harvest the fruit of the Saguaro and make jelly, jam, and syrup. It is illegal to sell commercially products made from the Saguaro Cactus. These products can, however, be sold on the Indian Reservation, but they are so labor-intensive that the Indians make very little for sale, but instead consume most of it themselves. What little they do sell is extremely expensive.

Although the park is named for the Saguaro, many other species of cacti also grow in the park, including the barrel, cholla, and prickly pear.

It is the Saguaro, however, that I find most fascinating.

These "desert trees" can take 75 years to develop the first "side arm" and some plants live to be 150-200 years old. Roots of the Saguaro only grow about 3"-6' deep, but spread out well beyond the arms, as far as the plant is tall. Fine hair-like roots can suck up as much as 200 gallons of water during an infrequent desert rain . . . enough water to last the plant for up to a year. Following a rain, the size of a Saguaro trunk is visibly larger after it has absorbed all of that rain water and expanded like an accordion. Its waxy skin minimizes loss of water by evaporation.

Many places in the park are literally "Saguaro Forests".

Although the tallest Saguaro I saw was about 30 feet tall, a Saguaro cactus can grow to 50 feet tall.

The cactus in the above self portrait was 25'-30' tall. The immensity of these "Sentinels of the Desert" is overwhelming. One of the wonders of this marvelous planet Earth . . . God's handiwork.

A Desert Sunset

2012-01-16T15:17:00.000-06:00

The skies in the desert are generally pretty clear with lots of sunshine, but a really pretty sunset requires some clouds. So most of the sunsets here are "blah"; just the sun going down.

A couple of days ago, however, we had some clouds which resulted in a pretty sunset . . . a sunset with lots of red color.

A perfect example of the beauty in our world. If you just look, God's beauty is all around us!

"A" Mountain

2012-01-10T12:36:00.000-06:00

Tucson is located in a fairly flat valley in the Sonoran Desert, surrounded by mountains. However, near downtown is a mountain which has been used by Indians, the Spanish, Missionaries, Mexicans, and subsequently the U.S. Army as a lookout post. The whole valley can be seen from the top of this mountain called Sentinel Peak.
In 1914, students at the University of Arizona constructed a large "A" out of rocks and mortar near the top of the mountain. The "A" is 70' wide and 160' tall. Although it was originally white-washed annually, students painted it red, white, and blue after September 11 as a patriotic gesture, but it is now an annual tradition for the Freshmen of the University to re-paint the "A" red, white, and blue, which are also the school colors. The "A" has not been returned to it's original white since 9/11, although it has occasionally been painted green for St.Patrick's Day. This mountain and the large letter "A" near the top is visible from downtown Tucson and "Sentinel Peak" has become known as "A" Mountain.

A road winds to the top of "A" Mountain where the view is awesome. You can see the whole valley from there, including downtown Tucson.

Arizona State University more recently created an "A" Mountain of their own in Tempe, Arizona, on Tempe Butte with their "A" painted gold, the school colors of ASU. Both schools now need to guard their "A" during the annual AU vs ASU football game as students of the opposing school try to paint the opponent school's "A" with their own school colors.

So now there are two "A" Mountains, the original in Tucson and a copy in Tempe.

Desert Golf

2012-01-07T12:34:00.003-06:00

The golf courses in the Tucson area are certainly much different than those in the mid-west. The courses here are all pretty flat with few water holes, but lots of sand traps. The tees are generally green, as are the fairways, but, as you can see in the picture on the tee below, there is a stretch of brown between the tee and the fairway.

In this picture, my long-time friend, Joe Chandler, is in the foreground watching an RV Park neighbor, Jim Green, tee off.

All of the greens are very plush, but the best things about playing Desert Golf are the mountains in the background, clear skies, no wind and, of course, the nice warm weather. It was 75 degrees the day we played.

New Year's Eve in the Desert

2012-01-01T18:23:00.000-06:00

The traditional New Year's Eve Party is dinner, drinks, music, dancing, noise makers, and revelry. Our New Year's Eve was much different here in the desert.

A neighbor in the RV Park here in Tucson invited Carole and I to their place for New Year's Eve. There were only seven or eight of us there, but it was one of the nicest New Year's Eve I can remember. We all sat outside in the cool evening desert air around a roaring campfire.

One of the men had brought along his guitar and we passed the evening singing Christmas carols, hymns, and a few other songs we could remember. It was a very pleasant evening, but being a get together of old retired people, we put out the campfire early and retired to our own units where we watched the ball fall in New York's Times Square on TV . . . before falling asleep at 11 o'clock desert time.

And that was New Year's Eve in the desert.

Snowbird Christmas Decorations

2011-12-28T18:22:00.000-06:00

The Snowbirds in Arizona during the holidays decorate their RV's and mobile homes just like back home.

A fifth wheel RV . . .

A mobile home with light icicles across the front . . .

And our next door neighbor here in the park . .

A Merry Christmas was had by all . . . even the Snowbirds in Arizona!

The Beggar

2011-12-26T20:14:00.000-06:00

Our adopted "junk yard dog, Millie, has certainly adjusted to life in "The Bus". She is very well behaved and minds quite well . . . except she occasionally "goes deaf" when we are out somewhere and she is not on her leash. It seems that she just can't hear me when I holler "come". However, she suddenly regains her hearing when I come after her!

She has taken up a post near the dining table when we're eating . . . and,of course, Carole encourages her eventhough she is not allower to be "The Beggar" and be fed anything at the dining table. But, here she is at her post in the dining room near the table.

Once in a while, Carole even slips "The Beggar" a small morsel. I'm having more trouble training Carole than Millie.

Christmas Dinner

2011-12-25T18:46:00.000-06:00

We have always been with family on Christmas and enjoyed the traditional big Christmas dinner, usually ham, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, creamed corn, and all of the trimmings including a variety of desserts. However, since Carole and I are in Tucson, Arizona, and our family is spread around the country in Kansas, Indiana, Michigan, Washington, California, and Texas, there were just the two of us in Tucson for "Christmas Dinner" this year.

We certainly didn't want to be without a memorable Christmas Dinner, but it only made sense to keep it small. So we prepared a rolled pork loin roast, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and steamed broccoli. Of course, we served dinner with a glass of white wine.

Notice the bright desert sunshine coming in the dining room window of "The Bus".

We may have "kept it small", but we did enjoy a very nice Christmas Dinner . . . although it would have been so much nicer to have had our family share it with us.

Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas in the Desert

2011-12-25T17:57:00.001-06:00

Being a Midwesterner, I have always expected a white Christmas. But, of course, here we are in Tucson, Arizona, where it rarely snows and this is our first "Christmas in the Desert".

We woke up Christmas morning, looked out the window, and all we saw was bright sunshine and cactus.

Oh yes, if you look closely, you can see a little snow on the top of that mountain in the distance.

However, the temperature reached 65 degrees today, Christmas Day, and is to be near 70 degrees tomorrow. So I guess I can tollerate going without a white Christmas, as that's what "Christmas in the Desert" is all about.

Golf anyone?

How Can That Be?

2011-12-23T12:26:00.000-06:00

The House of Representatives passed a bill and sent it to the Senate extending the Payroll Tax Cut for one year, with House members staying in town to finish "the peoples business". The Senate chose to modify the bill extending the Payroll Tax Cut for only two months, then promptly adjourned for the year and all Senators left town.

Although the Senate had refused to accept the House version of the bill, when the House refused to accept the Senate version and called for a conference, the President and the media blamed the in-town Republicans in the House for playing politics and causing political gridlock, while the absentee Senate remained blameless.

How can that be?

Obama had asked for a one year extension of the Payroll Tax Cut. Congress passed a two month extension of the Payroll Tax Cut.

Yet the media tells us that in this gridlock fiasco, Obama came out the big winner.

How can that be?

Hot Tomato

2011-12-21T15:10:00.000-06:00

I prepared a nice dinner last night; scallops sauteed in butter with garlic and lemon, spaghetti with Alfredo sauce, steamed broccoli florets, and a fresh spinach & lettuce salad with grape tomatoes. After a couple of before-dinner cocktails, Carole was getting hungry and sat down at the table while I finished preparation.

The salads were already on the table and Carole began munching on her's. Suddenly she screamed, "These tomatoes are too spicy!", then spit it out and coughed and gagged for several minutes. When I realized what she had done, I couldn't contain myself.

Carole doesn't care for hot foods, so in addition to the grape tomatoes I included some red hot peppers in my salad, but not her's. She had eaten all of her salad, then snitched what she thought were more grape tomatoes from my salad . . . but unknowingly had picked up a red hot pepper.

Hopefully, that "Hot Tomato" will cure her from snitching my salad.

An Early Christmas

2011-12-18T19:26:00.000-06:00

For some reason I'm not aware of, the RV Park here in Tucson decided to hold their Christmas Dinner well before Christmas, on Thursday, December 15th. It was a potluck dinner with ham and scalloped potatoes prepared by the Park and then all of the residents who attended brought a side dish, salad, or dessert. The dinner was held in the clubhouse with about 60 residents in attendance.

Carole prepared a fresh spinach salad with mandarin oranges, blueberries, and walnuts all drenched in cranberry vinaigrette salad dressing. I prepared a fluffy cherry cheesecake. As is usually the case at such events, there was way too much food, but it was all very good.

Following dinner, a drawing was conducted . . . with a twist . . . for Christmas presents which had been wrapped and brought by each of the residents. When a resident's number was drawn, they could pick a wrapped gift from under the tree, or they could claim a gift from another resident which had been opened previously . . . causing the resident who had his gift taken by someone else to have to pick another gift . . . or he could in turn claim a gift opened by someone else. This got very interesting, and humorous, a number of times.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable evening . . . and it gave Carole and I an opportunity to meet many of our new neighbors.

Arrival in Tuscon

2011-12-13T18:34:00.000-06:00

After several days being confined to "The Bus" in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the sun came out, the ice and snow melted off the Interstate, and we were able to resume our trek to Tucson.

We checked in at the Noblesse Oblige Home Estates and were assigned lot #26, where we set up for the Winter.

This is our site with full concrete patio . . . our home base for the next several weeks.

Millie had claimed the storage cabinet behind the couch as her lookout post.

She has adapted to RV life quite well and is a very well behaved pet and a good companion, especially for Carole.

On the Road Again

2011-12-06T13:58:00.001-06:00

After a very long hiatus, we fired up "The Bus" to head South for warmer weather this winter. We have spent the last several years in South Texas along the Rio Grande and felt we would like to explore a different area. So we selected Tucson, Arizona, and the Southwest.

The weather was pleasant when we left Kansas and we enjoyed nice weather for the first couple of days. But then in the Midland, Texas, area, we ran into a few snow flurries and decided to stop for the night. However, the weather was clear the next day, so we continued our journey. When we approached El Paso, Texas, along the Mexican border, snow flurries appeared again . . .

. . . and by the time we reached Las Cruces, New Mexico, the snow was beginning to stick to the roadway. We stopped for the night at an RV Park in Las Cruces, but the temperature was in the low 20's so we could not connect to water, only power and cable.

During the night, we had more snow and we learned Interstate 10 had been closed all across the state of New Mexico. Although the temperature remained in the 20's the next day, the sun came out and provided us with some beautiful scenery.

But since the Interstate was closed, we enjoyed a relaxing day reading and sipping Bloody Marys.

Tomorrow the Interstate should be clear and we can get back "On the Road Again".

It's Our Money

2010-12-12T12:29:00.009-06:00

My computer shot craps! I had one "blue screen" after another.

So I went off to see the Geeks at Best Buy and was told it would be cheaper to buy a new computer than to repair my Dell laptop, which was having "hard disk problems". I wandered around the computer department and ended up buying an Asus laptop with far larger memory and a huge hard disk that I will never be able to fill up. This laptop should also run much faster than my old one . . . and it cost so much less!

However . . . I found a few glitches: (1) Today's computers are cheaper than they used to be BECAUSE they don't come with any software like they used to, (2) Today's computers come with Windows 7 operating system which DOES NOT SUPPORT many of the programs I was running under Windows XP, and (3) it's no wonder Bill Gates has so much money to give to charity.

I had to buy new software including Microsoft Office, which includes Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint . . . even though I already had Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint on my old computer. Also I have to switch my email from Microsoft Outlook Express to Microsoft Windows Live Mail to run under Windows 7 . . . and I can't transfer any of my email address list. I have to re-enter all of them!

In addition, I need to buy upgrades for some of my other programs so they will run under Windows 7. One of those is Creative Memories which I use for loading pictures from my camera and for photo management. I ordered the upgrade which I am now waiting to come in the mail. In the meantime, I am unable to download pictures from my camera.

I haven't decided what to do with my Palm where I keep all of my addresses and schedule information including birthdays and anniversaries. Windows 7 doesn't support my Palm backup software and an upgrade is not available. If I keep my Palm, I won't be able to have it backed up on my new computer. If I decide to buy a new Palm-like device, I'll have to re-enter all of the data into a new portable device or I can re-enter everything into a new software package if I keep addresses and schedules only on the computer.

The Computer Industry has us over a barrel. No wonder Bill Gates can afford to give billions to charity. We're the ones who should get the charitable tax deductions as "It's Our Money" Bill Gates is giving away.

I'm working hard to get things transferred from my old computer and get the new one set up properly, but I'm finding Windows 7 is so much different. Until I get all of these things resolved, posting to the Blog is somewhat curtailed.

. . . and I still say, "It's Our Money", Bill Gates!

My Lucky Day

2010-11-19T16:06:00.001-06:00

All my life I have purchased raffle and lottery tickets . . . and never won anything. Well, maybe a buck or two once in a while on a powerball ticket . . . but that's it!

The closest I ever got to winning was over 50 years ago when I bought a couple of tickets to a Sportsman's Show in Neenah, Wisconsin. My wife decided not to go, so I invited a guy I worked with to go with me. As we approached the event, I handed him one of the tickets and during the drawing for door prizes, he won a new boat and outboard motor . . . and I never even got to ride in the boat!

Well, Lady Luck finally found me. My son, Steve, and I attended a Friends of NRA Event in Louisburg, Kansas, last night where numerous items were auctioned off along with a lot of raffle drawings . . . and my number was drawn for a Weatherby 12 ga pump shotgun!

Finally, after all those years, "My Lucky Day"! Of course, the ton of raffle tickets I bought couldn't have had anything to do with it. But by the time we got out of the Friends of NRA Event, it was too late to buy a lottery ticket or I might have won a lot more since this was "My Lucky Day".

Kyle Honored

2010-11-16T12:44:00.000-06:00

My grandson, Kyle Moore, son of my daughter, Cindy, and her husband, Mark, has been honored for his play this year on the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School Soccer Team.

Kyle, shown below, was named:
(1) First Team All-Sunflower League
(2) Sunflower League Defensive Player of the Year
(3) First Team Northwest Kansas Region
and . . .
(4) First Team Kansas All-State

Kyle, No. 7, is pictured here during a game.

. . . and here he is, about to make a kick.

. . . and here he is where he can generally be found on the soccer field, No. 7 fighting for the ball . . . and usually getting it!

Congratulations, Kyle. What a wonderful high school soccer career. You worked so hard at it and you earned all of the honors. We are all so very proud of you.

Hunter's Breakfast

2010-11-13T23:46:00.005-06:00

Every year on opening day of the hunting season in Kansas, our local civic club, Hillsdale Ruritan, puts on a "Hunter's Breakfast" at the Township Hall in Hillsdale, Kansas. We serve biscuits and sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, milk, orange juice, and coffee . . . all you can eat!

This annual event gives area farmers, local towns people, and some opening day hunters to get better acquainted while setting at the breakfast table in a small town atmosphere. Everyone seems to look forward to this annual "Hunter's Breakfast". It's a great time.

Loss to No.1

2010-11-02T22:42:00.006-05:00

In the first game of the Kansas State Soccer Quarter Finals, Shawnee Mission Northwest was matched up against Blue Valley West, ranked No. 1 in the State. My grandson, Kyle, is in the photo below, No.7 in the black jersey.

The SM Northwest team played hard and played tough . . . but they just couldn't keep up with the No. 1 team in the State. They lost the game, but played hard all the way to the end. They never gave up!

It was a tough game, but the Shawnee Mission Cougars just couldn't pull it out. All of the guys played hard. We are disappointed in the "Loss to No. 1", but nice game, guys.

Champions

2010-10-28T23:39:00.005-05:00

My grandson, Kyle Moore, is a senior this year at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in Shawnee, Kansas. Kyle has played on the High School Varsity Soccer Team all four of his high school years.

This year, the school soccer team played quite well advancing to the Elite Eight in Kansas State tournament play by beating Shawnee Mission South 5-2.

At the end of the game, the whole Shawnee Mission soccer team came over to the stands to accept the accolades of their fans. My grandson, Kyle, number 7, is leading the team in the photo below. That's my boy!

Nice going, guys! You are true "Champions".

The Allegro Choir

2010-10-24T19:17:00.005-05:00

My granddaughter, Maddie Crowl, has been singing in the Allegro Children's Choir for seven or eight years. This afternoon Greg and I attended their Fall Concert. It was a great concert, as usual. The music is really beautiful with so may young voices joining together.

After the concert in the picture below, Maddie is flanked by her Uncle Greg on the left and me, her grandfather, on the right.

Of course, the proud Mom and Dad (Becky and John) were beaming in the photo below when they congratulated Maddie on the performance.

Keep up the good work with "The Allegro Choir", Maddie!

Real Stir Fry

2010-10-23T22:13:00.004-05:00

I really enjoy stir-fry, especially experimenting with it at home. I try all kinds of different recipes and combinations with a variety of sauces. Carole's most favorite food is Chinese and we eat out at lot at Chinese restaurants.

But when it come to really authentic stir-fry, we don't know what is really good or how to properly prepare it. That's where my son, Greg, comes in. He has lived most of his adult life in the Western Pacific, in Guam for the past 20 years or so, and his work requires frequent travel to Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, and Japan as well as other Western Pacific locations. Much of the cooking in those countries is stir-fry, so he is very familiar with "Real Stir-Fry".

So when Greg comes home, one of the things on the agenda is always for him to prepare a stir-fry meal while he's here. This trip was no different . . . and it's very interesting to watch him stir the wok and throw everything around with a spatula. He stirs it almost continuously, almost like a professional.

Although it's fun to watch him with a wok, the real proof is in the final product. He cuts the vegetables differently and adds them to the wok in a different sequence. He mixes up unique spices and tosses them in at just the right time. And the finished stir-fry on the plate is wonderful.

It's too bad we can't keep him around a little longer. He sure does know how to cook stir-fry . . . and it's "Real Stir-Fry", not our Americanized version!.

A Family Gathering at the Crowl's

2010-10-22T22:11:00.005-05:00

While Greg was home, John and Becky (my daughter) invited the whole family to gather at their house so everyone would have an opportunity to spend a little time with Greg.

Whenever our family gets together, we always eat . . . and Becky always has a nice spread. This time, John had grilled a brisket and a variety of sausages, Becky had salads, fruits, potatoes and corn. My son, Steve, is shown here loading up his plate.

Greg is pictured below soberly enjoying a glass of wine while waiting for the food line to get a little shorter.

. . . and two of my grandchildren, Alex and Madison, were the first through the food line and are busy eating while waiting for others to join them.

The food was very good, but we also had a great time getting the family together and spending some time with Greg. Of course, "A Family Gathering at the Crowl's" is always wonderful.