Whirlwind weekend

I was back in the Phoenix area for only a day and then T and I drove down to Sierra Vista to spend time with Brian,Kelly and Sammy. On our way we stopped in at Katchner Caverns to say hello to some of the staff and see a few of the friends we made last year. It was a quick visit to say the least.  Our two days with Brian and family made me miss them even more so we are planning to go back to Sierra  Vista before we head to Wyoming the end of April. 

We drove "home" on Sunday. "Home" that term is relative for us, since home is where the 5th wheel is parked.  On the way back we visited another couple we met last year. Monday was spent prepping for my trip to Myrtle Beach,SC.  My mother's breast cancer is back and it is stage four. So I spent a little more than twenty- four hours at "home" and headed out on a flight to Myrtle Beach at "o dark hundred" Tuesday morning. My head is spinning. I will be in Myrtle Beach for ten days before heading back to Phoenix, where I will be for only a week before we head down to Sierra Vista and then on to Wyoming. 

I think I am going to enjoy being in one place for a couple of months when we get to Keyhole State Park in Moorcroft,WY.

Tumecula CA

Cleo's daughter, Lisa, is having surgery this week and Cleo was going to be with her. Cleo and I felt a road trip was in order. We had been talking about taking one for years and this was a perfect opportunity. We left Phoenix Saturday morning and had a great drive with lots of conversation on our way to Tumecula.

 

If you have never been to Tumecula, it is a beautiful little town in the heart of wine country. Of course being in wine country we have had to drink lots of wine since arriving. Old Town Tumecula was a stopping off point for "many Butterfield stagecoaches in the early 1900's. Later the California Southern Railroad had a shipping line through Tumecula until the 1930's.  The town has done a great job of restoring and keeping the essence of small town Tumecula. 

We spent part of the day, Monday, wandering in and out of some of the quaint stores, such as The Farmer's Wife, tumeculas Olive Oil Company, several antique stores. We had breakfast at Swing Inn which has been a local eatery since 1859. Great food and wonderful service. 

Later in the day we visited the Leaness Cellars winery where we enjoyed some outstanding wines and whiled away the afternoon. 

I would recommend a trip to the Tumecula area and the Leaness Cellars to any of you who want to see  California in a beautiful light. 

Where Are The Rolling Hills?

Well!  It's a long story.
We left Sebastian Inlet a few days ahead of schedule and went to Lakeland, FL for a week. Spent time with our friend Angie and her family.  Loved being close to shopping, grocery stores, Home Depot, Costco and such.  It's amazing what you miss when you are 20 minutes away from everything except beautiful scenery and the ocean.

After a week in Lakeland we headed to Mariana, FL for our next assignment at Florida Caverns State Park.  Along the way we stopped for a visit with Glo's cousin, Mariam and her husband Billy in Madison,FL.  It's always great to visit family and catch up.

We got to Florida Caverns on February 1st.  Our friends, Elliot and Leslie Smith were already there doing tours in the Caverns along with Jim and Linda Flanagan.  Both couples were with us at Kartchner Caverns last winter.  The other two couples had worked at Kartchner in the past, so it was like "old home week".  We had an instant family and began training immediately.  We were both anxious to get going and we loved the area.  I trained most of that first week and lead my first tour on Thursday.

The Florida Caverns are quite different from Kartchner.  First it is very wet and very much a living cavern.  It is much smaller, but it feels more like spelunking because there are places within the cave that are only two feet wide and four feet tall.  Lots of bending and leaning. We took groups of about fifteen through.  If you are ever in the Mariana Florida area you should definitely take the time to see the caverns.  The tour is relatively inexpensive at only $8 per person and last about forty-five minutes.  You do need to be able to walk on slippery floors and up and down stairs.  The caverns are not wheelchair accessible.  

One of the neat things was that we often saw bats both flying around and hanging from the ceiling.  There weren't many bats.  The Pipistrelle bats are pretty much a loners and they don't fly around in groups.

Stalactites and flow stone

Cave Bacon

Flow stone

Pipistrelle bats (there are 2 in center the picture)

On Thursday I got a call from my friend, Cleo. Her husband Richard passed away Thursday morning.  In my heart I knew I needed to be with her.  So, T & I told our boss the situation and left Florida Caverns on Friday, February 7, one week after arriving.  We packed up and headed to Arizona.  Our trip "home" was a blur.  We drove long hard days and got to Arizona on Tuesday.  Richard's wake was scheduled for Thursday.

We've been "home" every since.  We ended up at Weaver's Needle RV Resort in Apache Junction.  About as far east as you can go and still be in the Phoenix area.  It was the only place that had a site for us on such short notice.  Winter is prime season in Phoenix.  We'll be here until April 11 and then we'll begin a new adventure and head toward Wyoming.  Hopefully it will have warmed up a bit before we get there.

We'll be at Keyhole State Park in Moorcroft near the edge of the Black Hills.  It's near a reservoir and looks to be a place we will enjoy.  Wish us look and good times.