Over the River and Through the Woods...

...and the canyon, the mountains, the desert or the sea! Wherever you are, my friends, I send you wishes for a very Happy Christmas and a Blessed New Year. May they be filled with Love, Joy, Peace and Health!

Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Girl!

my boots


It's time to get busy. Yep, I've been a little "homesick" for the old folks, but now it's time to "get the blues out" with some work around the homestead. Boxes and sorting will go back in the garage until later, some holiday decorations will come out, and seed will soon be planted on the plateau to fend off erosion from the coming winter rains - I just ordered them, so next weekend they go in. I won't have any time to mope - that's for sure!

And when the work is done, it's time to do a little socializin' with the neighbors in "town." First it's potluck at the Library for all of us who work there, then Saturday a Christmas dinner and awards ceremony at the brand new Fire House (I've been kindly invited by a retired firefighter) and Sunday is pot luck again at church - say, I think that means Monday I'd better start hiking in earnest!!

December 7, 1941 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Today I'm remembering with gratitude all those known and unknown who gave their lives in death or in service on the battle fronts and home fronts and thanking them for my freedom today.

Ever have one of "those" days?

I bet you have. Me too. In fact I'm having one today - you know, hair won't cooperate, food doesn't come out right, the dress I'm sewing is just not working with me, things just didn't come out the way I had hoped when I got up. I'm all thumbs and scraped knees...

I think I'm officially giving up for the rest of the day. Time to bust out some old movies and ice cream. Well, maybe not the not ice cream - veggie sticks, anyone?

At least I don't have it as rough as this gal! And I hope your day is going better than mine. And if not, at least Miss Frontier and I can sympathise. So chin up! Tomorrow is another day...

Is It Only A Paper Moon?

I snapped this today from the back porch - not so impressive in the photo as it was in person, but I wanted to share the feeling with you. After all, we're all under the same moon...

A Very Blustery Day

Well, howdy! How's the weather up your way?

It's mighty windy here in the canyon!

Perfect weather for drying the wash, but I had to triple peg everything so it won't end up in the "wash" and it's wise to make sure the outdoor furniture is anchored down with stones!

The power went out for bit during the night - no doubt due to those winds, but we also got a little sprinkle of rain! Hooray!

Well, Dear Ones, I am off to finish up my chores...and keep the kerosene lamps ready!

The View From Porchville - Ain't it Grand?

Well hi again! How about instead of sending postcards, I show you around the place a little this morning?

Come on in, grab a cuppa joe and take a little walk around the homestead with me - and remember, you can click on the pictures to see a larger version and click on the links (words in grey) to learn more about those particular things.



Here's a nice view of the Bradshaw Mountains from the front corner of the house. These mountains were first settled by Yavapai Native Americans.

The Saguaro cactus would wave, but he hasn't grown his arms yet...



And here are a few more desert flora we can say howdy to this morning - some fish-hook barrel cacti:



more fish-hook cacti:



and a cute little family of hedgehog cacti - just don't pet them!



From the back porch we can look at Thumb Butte in the Tonto National Forest to our heart's content:



and gaze happily at the mesas changing colors throughout the day...





Well, that's a quick look at the view - be sure to come back soon for more because you never know what you'll find around here!

Are we there yet??

Well, after 2 days of driving we finally arrived. Dad, cat and I are all pretty darn happy to see that sign! (You can click on it for a larger view...)

Overall it was a nice uneventful trip with a few cool stops along the way like Andersen's pea soup at the windmill, and that dusty, iconic diner at the top of the pass in Desert Center (click the link and read up on the history of this little spot when you're done reading my little update - trust me it's mighty interesting) where I ventured onto their old scale from about 1930-something and got my weight and fortune for a penny!





The sign read "the price hasn't changed in over 75 years!" so how could I resist?

My fortune? "Avoid unnecessary risks for the next few years." Apparently after that I can just go hog wild. WooHoo!

I guess a penny spent is a fortune earned...

Movin' right along...

The day is here - loading the truck and leaving in the morning. There's just something about a moving truck that says "well, you're in for it now - no turning back."

I better go have a second cuppa joe!

How much stuff would a woodchuck chuck...

...if that woodchuck were moving to Arizona?

Isn't moving grand? It's always an opportunity to take a look at what we have and think "What on earth was I thinking?!?!" or "Somebody throw a life preserver! I'm Drowning!!"

Holy cardboard boxes, how do I decide what to bother keeping? And where does it all go?

Load the Wagon!

Well, it's time to start loading the wagon and hit the trail! This pioneer girl heads out West (in an easterly direction) October 15 looking for new frontiers in Arizona!

Right here is where I plan to keep you all posted on the "doin's" with me, so keep checking back for what's up, buttercup!