So many paths to choose from...

So I chose this one!

We had the opportunity today, to visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.  It is about 30 minutes from where we are staying in Tucson.  It was so amazing.  It is a 98-acre zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, natural history museum, publisher, and art gallery founded in 1952.

 This place is massive, and there is so much to see and do.  I decided to become a member.  That gives us free admission for a year.  Even if we return only once, our membership is paid for.  But I definitely want to return more than one more time. 

 This Mountain Lion, below, was adopted by the Desert Museum.  He was an orphan in 2013 and not suitable for release into the wild.  There is a very thick window between us, but it was amazing to be so close to such a powerful animal.

This is our home, under the "powerparasols", at the Lazydays/KOA in Tucson. These solar power arrays provide dappled shade, and help protect the roof of our motorhome from the sun, along with solar power for the community!  These are seen all around Tucson and a great places to park your car when you find them.

 There are fruit trees everywhere here, and picking the fruit is encouraged.  The ruby red grapefruit is amazing. I am eating it every day.  The first day here, I collected about 6 of them.  Then I realized, I could just step out of the motorhome and grab one in the morning.  No need to hoard them :)

 The oranges aren't quite ready yet, but when they are, they should be great.  Lemons are everywhere also, and a perfectly ripe.  Fresh lemondrop martinis! Yea!

 In this campground, they also have these 2 bedroom casitas.  They have a BBQ and an outside fireplace.  They come with a full kitchen and all the bedding.  They look quite nice to stay in.  I'm also spending time in the hot tubs and pools.  They are beautifully maintained and nicely heated.

On Thanksgiving day,  the campground provided turkey, desserts and wine.  They asked folks to bring a dish to share.  I brought the "grape jelly meatballs", much to my surprise, they went very quickly!  The turkey was perfect, but I guess the meatballs were popular!  All in all, it was a very nice Thanksgiving.  

I am so grateful to have the support of my family and friends.  Your support of my decision to travel and work, has made this so much easier for me.  It was difficult for me to step out of that "secure" feeling you have, when you are used to whatever situation you are in.  This opportunity, to see different areas of the country, and meet folks from different areas, is worth so much more than the many chachkies I have collected over the years. (PS, some still available on eBay)!

Yep, still alive and kicking!

Cruise, short stay in Florida, long trip to AZ

 
After our return to Florida from Upstate New York, we took a short cruise to Key West and the Bahamas.  We took Syracuse Orange along on the cruise.  He liked Key West a lot!

 

 
 We spent a few days at Juno Beach RV Resort.  The weather was windy and somewhat cool for Florida.  But we had a chance to take care of moving the rest of the stuff out of our house we put up for sale, and had time to visit with family.   We were able to listen to Tom Hernandez play with a band, (woo hoo Tom, stop playing doctor and be what you really are!), at a local restaurant and visit with friends.  Then we decided to leave early, and I'm so glad we did.  Almost 2200 miles in anything, is a long haul.

Evinrude is permanently in her hood, I'm not sure if her stump will ever heal.

Crazy over and under passes on I-10.

We decided that Texas would never end, so we took a break in San Antonio.  We did the Riverwalk boat tour.  We highly recommend it!

 

 

 

 
 After the boat tour, we had the opportunity to have some authentic Tex-Mex food, delicious!

 
 But we had to get back on the road again.  I was notified by my new job, that they wanted a "2nd" TB test done, so we needed to arrive by 5pm on Friday November 11th.  Lucky for us, the speed limit is 80 miles per hour.  Think about it, a 45 foot motorhome towing a car, at 80 miles per hour, what are they thinking???  Oh, and while you are traveling at that speed, you can run into "Zero" visibility.  And I forgot to mention the 22 mile long bridge in Louisiana.  Amazing!

 
 So, I survived my first week at Banner, University of Arizona.  I'm doing 10 hour days so only four days a week.  Ian bought some lovely roses for me.  He has had to hear me every evening, complain about learning how to use EPIC charting (computerized charting), along with everything else. He placed them in a lovely cut off coke vase!

Tucson is beautiful.  The nights are cool and we are surrounded by mountains.  The days have been mild.  The campground has two pools and two hot tubs, tons of fruit trees that they encourage you to pick from.  I'm only about six miles from the hospital, and that is nice.  Of course, our first weekend is spending time, trying to find a vet to take Evinrude to.  She is still alive, her hair is coming off due to wearing an e-collar for months.  It is what it is.  Besides that, I'm still alive and kicking.

This coming week is Thanksgiving week.  I wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving day.!

Syracuse Orange Santa, Upstate New York

 Syracuse Orange Santa is vacationing with us.  He is learning from the dolphins and enjoying the sandy beaches.  

Due to dropping temperatures, closed campgrounds and a planned vacation, we left Upstate New York and returned to Florida.  I-95 was closed in North Carolina due to Hurricane Matthew, so a new route had to be plotted to Florida.  Ian drove the whole trip, hardly stopping for food and sleep.  He is a tough cookie, and a wonderful husband.  We just reached our 27th wedding anniversary (WOW)!

I will miss the new friends I have in Upstate New York.  They are a beautiful and kind group of wonderful folks.  It was hard for me to leave them, but I know they will keep smiling, singing ABBA and loving life!  Love you guys!

Hurricane Matthew! The ocean is calling me home!

I was so deeply concerned for all my friends and family in Florida, when hurricane Matthew threatened our beautiful area.  We anxiously watched the internet, and newscasts throughout the storm.  We were worried when we could not reach my Mom and Ralph for a period of time.  After refusing to evacuate, they finally took up a friend's offer to stay at their house, they neglected to mention this to us.....  Thanks to Karen Curcio for checking out their home, and searching the area for them!  I owe you Karen!

We felt so lucky to have been spared from this beastly storm.  It has created an interesting situation.  We can't drive home using I 95.  Many parts are still closed.  So the adventure will continue.

 As beautiful as the fall leaves are, the cold is not my favorite part.  Even the car warned me to drive with care due to possible ice.  Then, the sun comes out and it gets up to 62 degrees.  Someone mentioned it will be in the 80's next week!

This is the view looking up from our motorhome.  The park is emptying out.  It closes soon.  We have been lucky to stay in such a beautiful area, on the same note, I think I have put on over 5000 miles on our car. Whew!  And that doesn't count the drive up here!

This is my last drive home to Verona, NY.  I am moving into a hotel near my work for the last week.

The ocean is calling, we will be there soon for a brief break, a short cruise and on to Tucson Arizona!

75 years, family and friends, Halloween, fire, warm cats and trains!

Ian turned 75 this weekend.  Mark and Heather came down to us and brought home made cupcakes and a gift for Ian.  Just having them here was a gift in itself!  Also, a long time friend of Ian's, Arnold, stopped by too!.  We all went out for lunch and visited.  Ian is lucky to have such good family and friends.  Rita and Z also face timed us!  All of our lives have changed so much.  All I can say, is we are lucky.

Much to my dismay, I do not have any pictures of his birthday celebration!!

But......

On the evening of October 1st, the camp ground celebrates Halloween!

These folks go all out!  This one was actually scary, with people jumping out of dark places!

They won 1st prize!






I was finally able to start a fire! Yeah!

Fire starters work really well.

The cats, on the other hand, have discovered the furnace.

On Sunday, October 2nd.  We went on a train trip from Saratoga Springs to Thurston, where the train stopped and took us back.  Unfortunately, the day was rainy, but the food was great and we had a nice couple to chat with during dinner.

The leaves were beautiful, even in the rain!

Yup!, we are still alive!

Happy Birthday to my old man!