MAR 15: GOURMET TUCSON - AND HOT HOT HOT

We are back in patisserie country, Did I say Ted gets up in the morning and takes the 0 minute stroll to the bakery down the road for the most heavenly croissants and pain au chocolate? My hero. They also make wonderful coconut macaroons like the ones in England, not the now very popular macaroons which are small and hard sandwiches, with cream in between.
  I tried replicating the shrimps in honey sauce with walnuts from Trader Joe, but they simply were not as good as the ones at the PF Chang. We are finally able to eat dinner on our patio every night.
  Yesterday we found one of the great local Mexican cantinas, open for breakfast and lunch and no beer license. Hatch green peppers are legend and that's what they use to make their Chile sauce. Poco & Mom make everything from scratch.  I ordered my fav, Chile rellenos, sauce on side, tons of rice and refried beans.  Ted ordered his fav, tortilla soupy, loaded with lots of other things too. Ted loved their hot sauces which he could enjoy without my asking him to taste everything, as I really can't take the hot sauces any more. The stuffed chiles had a lovely tang but didn't bring out the blisters on my lips!
  I have also found premixed margaritas by the 1.75 liter bottle so fill up my single serve bottles and find spots in the fridge for them easily. Ah yes, got watch the consumption of those I guess...
  There is new management at the RV park here in Tucson and they have sand. Blasted the 4 pickleball courts in front of our unit last week. Glad were were not there then. The lines went in this week and a horde of foaming at the mouth players are lined up there every day to use them.  
  Lots of people i the park also cycle around, some oldies in tricycles, but they are still moving. The afternoons are now 33-36 and it's impossible to think of doing much other than sit in and at the pool. Ted sits in the shade to read and do his Sodukos but we have ot leave the AC on in the RV as it is soon over 99, the highest temp that our thermostat will show!
   Without TV we can't get news but I am following the tennis at Indian Wells in Palm Springs with interest. It's amazing that 3 of 4  top players all met in the early rounds. Murray didn't even make it out of the blocks! But the old man Federer is the only one left in. I can get some good replays on wifi, if slowly sometimes.
  I can also download snippet from MET opera, and love The Audition, which illustrates how difficult it is to go from the 1800 applicants to winners of the MET opera prize. The 2007 winner, American  Michael Fabiano, was the star of last week's  La Traviata, very impressive.
  But for some strange reason, we can't watch DVDs on our TV without disconnecting our power to the RV and running off the coach batteries...can't find DVDs much now, but wifi is often too unreliable to download movies.  Also our 'old' TV isn not digital so we can't pull in cable  either!

BACK TO TUCSON AND FAMILIAR GROUND..

Ted is worried about our brakes scraping badly so we are heading straight into Tucson to find the Dodge Ram dealer and get them checked. The good news: They fit us right in. The bad news: We need $1000 brake job and they have to order the parts, no knowing how long that will take. We settle in for more than the 3 days we planned, at least 5 now. Some retail therapy is going to result from this, I can just feel it...
  We roll into the nice spot facing the cactus garden and mountains (553 at Far Horizons RV). New management is tarting the place up, putting all the rental units up for sale. For $6500 and up you can buy a mobile 'park model' house. Rent is about $6000 a year on top of that. It's a fantastic investment opportunity if you want to be a landlord, or even have a pied a terry in the desert. But we don't.
  A 2007 unit in front of us is the only one that was totally built to accommodate a wheelchair - going for $56,000. Again, a good investment opportunity.
  Hanging around each day to hear whether the parts have arrived, we get to chat with the neighbors some more. Many are now leaving but we know quite a few here and meeting new ones every day. People are super friendly, it's gated and secure and better still, the French patisserie is still only a 10 minute walk away for Ted to go every morning for pain au chocolate, croissants (almond and plain) and heavenly coconut macaroons. There's also a Kohl's dept store where Ted finds shorts for $15 and belts for $10.
  We also hear about the neat New Mexico type Mexican resto near here that only serves breakfast and lunch, no beers, but great food. We take advantage of a lazy day and take in their home made everything - guacamole, chiles rellenos, tortilla soup and famous Hatch green Chile sauces, both hot and mild - so famous around here, they sell it.
  It's also nice at the pool here with new pool furniture. You can find shade everywhere and while away hours there reading and thinking....hahaha

MAR 11: OPERA ANYONE...eventually..

  Saturday we are up and off by 10.15 to the cinema only 20 minutes away to catch the live from the MET La Traviata. My GPS deposits us in the middle of the Indian reserve 20 minutes before it starts! Sheesh. I make a quick decision to head west, catch the main 101 highway south and come back to the same road the other side of the arroyo and highway. Ramp to 101 closed!
  Into the very very busy area of Tempe Marketplace, a huge shopping mall.
  It is also spring training for baseball in Phoenix now. Everyone is going to the game. The main stadium is next to the Marketplace. Oh joy. Everyone is steering people in to parking along the route, so it's slow then slower...finally my GPS gets the right location. There is a cinema in a big mall. Yeah.
  We rush in. We have booked seats and I remember they are at the end of the row. We stumble in the dark. There are people in our seats....they have to move...we can't see any other empty seats but they disappear behind us.
  The seats are huge lazyboy type recliners fit for 300 pounders. I am lost in mine. Fortunately I have brought a cashmere sweater and wrap and I need them both. Ted wraps himself in his hoodie.
  The performance is stunning, there are two cinemas here both full. The people in front of us are from Edmonton...but lots of people more interested in opera than baseball.
  We drive around finding our fav grocery stores, Trader Joe first. By the time we get home we are exhausted, cranky, tired and hungry. Ted does not believe in lunch...blood sugar running very very low...thank goodness we found the Haagen Diaz chocolate/almond ice cream bars today...
  We do get cable TV here but it's hardly evening entertainment, mainly rubbish...the occasional good movie on Turner Classic Movies or PBS programs.
  It is 33 mos days not, blue blue sky and the mountains look as if they are behind out RV park. The top of the mountain is about 9000 ft so it gets cool at ights still. Great for sleeping. We are eating very lightly here, lots of fish soup, lobster bisque with more fish/shrimp added to them. They are practically giving away the asparagus and strawberries here, under $1 for big bunches and big clamshells. But the strawberries are still being picked too early. Good fish is easy to find and I found Canadian lobster tails for $6 each this week too.

IN THE DESERT IN THE CITY OF PHOENIX WITH WILD HORSES..

To visit with friends in Phoenix, we head to the hills west of the city and the Ft.McDowell Indian reserve. Across from the casino which we never enter is a first class RV resort. If only Tsuu Tina could emulate this at the end of our road instead of planning small industrial complex...
  We get one of the last spaces and had to delay our trip into the city a week to get it. But we can stay 4 days over the weekend which is busy for them.
  We are greeted the first evening coming home after dark by a small group of the wild horses that live i this area, with thier little foal. We didn't see any javelinas this time, but have seen them in the past.
  Driving into the city, we pass through a lovely residential area - Fountain Hills, with huge mansions overlooking splendid views.
  We've stayed here before a few times so we know the area pretty well.
  It's now 33 every day, stinking hot by 3pm, really pool time but we have lots to do.
  First day we head round the city, about 30 miles away but just half an hour drive - the roads here are just amazing. We spend the evening with ski pals Lloyd & Sigrun and friends Mia and Don, whom we met last year here. Their cantina at the resort has mariachi night with Mexican food (so-so) and e have a lot of fun with that.
  Next day friends Mary & ark pick us up at the resort as they are in Scottsdale, also only about half an hour away. AFter lovely patio lunch downtown, we stroll the Old Scottsdale area and go to the annual art sale, full of lovely pieces of various forms of art. But by 3pm it's 33 and sweltering so the guys walk back and bring the car and we go to a beautiful golf course for cold drinks overlooking the palms mountains and keeners on teh golf course.
  It's too hot to eat two meals a day so we enjoy snacking and grazing the rest of the time.

OLD WORLD CHARM IN CHANDLER

Phoenix is a huge metropolis made up of several other cities, just huge and the road system is mind boggling. It's miles from one place to another and nerve-racking on the freeways at times. Ted is the soul of patience when people cut him off, in front, etc. because they think we are slower just because we are an RV. In fact the MB engine is quite stalwart but he takes his time with everything to arrive safely. I am lucky to always be in the passenger seat as he likes driving better than sitting...
  It's a boring drive across the desert form PS to Phoenix, but our GPS takes us quickly around the city and into the nice small city of Chandler.
  Our pals from Banff, Pat & Bob, live here in winter. They are great hosts at thier condo on the lake in a nice small neighborhood. Pat is in Ottawa for a week while her brother gets married when we arrive. So we enjoy a few days with Bob, he hikes and bikes while we go visit some of the nice places around, a burrowing owl reserve not far away, and a lovely Riparian area we have visited before.
 We also enjoy strolling around the centre of Chandler with it quaint downtown shops and refurnished 192s resort hotel, which is still grand. And finding Mexican paletas (fruit ice cream bars) at Paletas Betty!
  He cooks the first night but we find a great Asian place with happy hour prices not far away next day. Flo's is a small chain in that area, sorry there are not more of them. Bob is glad to have Ted to help him with his wine lake as they are off to Sedona for a week Saturday, back for a day, return to ?Calgary for one day then to Hawaii after that. We are lucky to have caught them home.
  Pat returns from her trip keen to take a trip out to Boyce-Thomson arboretum, a gorgeous country estate and famous plant preserve way out east of Mesa. WE visit the neat old silver mining town of Superior, where the largest copper find in the US is now being mined and the town resuscitated. Lunch at the local bar/resto is fun, as is visiting the artsy and antique stores there too.
  We return to Chandler that evening, only to hear the sad news that Pat's brother passed away. We have also had word on email of the death of our good ski pal Joan Closson, so it's a sad end to what was an outstanding day. We are all intent on enjoying every day we can.
  

MARCH IN LIKE A LION...HAPPY HOUR HEAVEN

This area is known for its wind. You cannot believe the miles and miles of huge windmills as you drive into this valley now, every direction you look. Fora. Few days we had 2, sun and not much but then back it comes in a big way.

  We enjoyed returning the hospitality at lovely local happy hour spots. First to the Cliffhouse, really does hang on a cliff with a waterfall and half an hour before opening time, the patio is already packed. We feast on beautifully presented nibbles: calamari, lamb meatballs with tomato jam, beet salad, fish tacos and lovely cheap cocktails. Dinner for 4 for US$140 is pretty good, as we certainly don't need to eat again afterwards.

  Don/Kathy have other ideas - we go back to their house so Don can regale Ted with his single malt Scotch!

  Next day, the Cosandier's take us to their fav spot for happy hour on El Paseo, THE shopping street in Palm Springs. We get a table by the window to watch the action and put away copious quantities of tropical cocktails, beers at the Pacifica resto. Oysters by the dozen, calamari, scallops, shrimp, bacon wrapped dates, all very rich in cream sauces but swabbed down nicely with French bread. The bar has been raised. It's $240 for 4 here - but nobody wants to eat for another half day...

  After, we stroll the fancy boutiques, Ushi and I get free samples of Bee sting cream to get rid of our wrinkles. Yeah.

  Next day Ushi takes me to another fav spot, Glossys, in Desert Hot Springs. Here you buy Nordstrom's $160 swimsuits for $30, unless you find one for $15! Of course I buy one and a two-piece which dries quickly in the sun too. Ushi buys $95 Chico pants for $15 and if you are lucky you can get pants and Tees on the sale rack outside for $5 each. Silly really...

  Before we leave we spend a nice visit with Khannas for nibbles and drinks on their deck on the golf course where everyone who drives by knows them! They have spent winter here, except for the 3 week trip to Sri Lanka, which should now be on our list to visit, sounds wonderful.

  Ushi graciously hosts a farewell nibbles/drinks party  the night we leave so we are sent off with lots of good cheer and warm friendship. We may not all be back in DHS next year so it's a special time.

Feb 28 Caliente Springs pools, happy hours, time flies

Meeting up with Cosandier's, Druery/McDougall and Khannas, it's a non stop feast of parties drinks, happy hours and hot pools. They are all well ensconced here in life in the desert, also hosting Kathy's sister from Ottawa and friends from Calgary too.
  The mineral water pools are the big draw for all those old bones and aching muscles but it was fairly cool most days for sitting out. Finally the hot weather arrived for the first time this season.
  Saturday five of us went into Palm Springs to catch the live from NY MET opera broadcast of Rusalka, which was lovely.  Very comfortable seating in back row for the guys all with long legs. We are supposed to be on cable TV here but only finally got it working for a couple of days, to find there is nothing on TV worth watching. It's all the Trumperama show these days with an occasional bit of world news if the US is involved with a war there...
  Ted is in heaven, he has found his Total Wine stores again and can spend hours in there browsing bottle labels. Prices are good and there are some finds - Sauterne to take home, Monbazillliac and Touraines to drink and good inexpensive wines. I am now hooked on premixed margaritas, buying by the 1.7 litres...
  We also have Trader Joe's here with all our usual favorites but not the Zin Ted first found in San Diego. Good clam chowder makes a base for my fish soups which go down well in this heat rather than meat. They have stopped importing the almond pear flan I liked from France, it's now raspberry flan, I'll take it.
  Sunsets up here in the desert are spectacular but I've only caught one on camera so far.