On Road Again

  Hi Folks, It has been a while with all the changes with cyber-land and our "wander-filled" lives.        We left Lava Hot Springs, Idaho heading to Boise to finish work for friends and neighbors of Sue, John's sister.  Had a great time with Sue, Katy, John, Kai, Mia, Rae, Connie, Marian and all the friends of Boise. Kai and Mia especially, with soccer games...

 and holiday dress up!

  Come October we enjoyed another Halloween holiday at Chris and Missy's caring for Panda, Coco, Pete and Nit-nit. As well as the Mustang convertible and the hot tub!  Found a good restaurant with our friend Willie: the Jade.  They actually grow their own greens in front of the building.
We did make a stop back in Lava before going south. Our friend Dee was opening her own shop, Salon Deone, and we made it in time for the opening. Congrats to Dee!

Heading south with Kathryn along for the ride we headed back to Salt Lake. We got a tour with Kathryn and Milan of the Temple lights in Salt Lake.  Millions of lights on the trees, bushes, and buildings. Amazing to see. The Christmas holidays were spent with John's family  in SLC. We had a wonderful time!!

SLC was getting too cold for us, so it was time to head south. On the way through Nevada we made a quick stop in Mesquite to see Shannon, John's cousin, We made it to Rob's in Palm Springs in time for New Years and spent it in the hot tub. Thanks for the hospitality Rob!!  Had a grand time as we met many new friends and went Two Stepping! And it was WARM!

   Couldn't get that close to and not head up to Joshua Tree National Park, a favorite of ours.  While there had the good fortune to met a young couple Patricio and Natalia from Venezuela. Hiked in to 29 Palms Oasis with them and then they treated us to a traditional Venezuelan veggie dinner (they loved being able to stand up while cooking) and concert with Patricio on the hand pan and Natalia on the uke..AMAZINGLY wonderful sound. Their van is tiny compared to the bus. They travel in a 4 wheel drive mini-van. They left Venezuela (the first time) 5 years ago!! Traveling through South America, Central America, western US to British Columbia and back again.  We left them in Yucca Valley as they were heading to LA to see a hand pan maker and then on to Mexico City in hopes of flying to Spain.

  Made it through Phoenix to say hello Fran and Sam, Steve and Heidi and family and meet Fred, Bern's lucky guy.

  Picked up apart time job in Mescal, AZ doing handyman jobs on a ranch. A guy had bought a run down property and is in the process of rebuilding it.  It was the location of World University. Dr. Zitko was the founder and built many of the properties numerous buildings, all of which were in serious disrepair.  We did a lot of roofing before the dramatics of the people became overwhelming.

 

  So we returned to Anna's to repair her leaking roof, and in time for Rex Fowler's (of Aztec Two Step - remember them from Maine way back when?) house concert and viewing of his documentary "Two Hundred Cadillac s."  It is about Elvis and his generous gifts of cars, mostly Cadillac's, to friends and unknown people.  Rex, along with Anna's quartet, played and sang a number of Elvis tunes afterwards.  A really great time and thank you Anna for the hospitality, and Rex for a CD of Aztec Two Step. Another side trip while in Tucson was to Tangue Verde Falls. It is in the Saguaro National Forest. Absolutely beautiful with the big saguaro's everywhere, and many waterfalls along the river. Warm sunny days - heaven!

  As chance would have it, Dave and Alice, friends from Lava Hot Springs were staying in Tucson. They wanted to see Bisbee, AZ., so off we went to show them the funky town. Had fun touring town and tasting the culinary delights Bisbee has to offer.  Thanks to them for the camp site at Queen Mine RV right in town.  Bisbee lives up to it weirdness and wonderfulness.  Found "Whyld Ass Coffee Shop."  An organic, vegan cafe owned by a couple of super guys.  Luckily we made it on Sunday, as it was their last day in Bisbee before moving to Flagstaff to start a new and expanded restaurant! Good Luck to Keith and Ryan!!

 We are now at a campground just outside of Bisbee, heading off tomorrow for Faywood Hot Springs, New Mexico. Then on to Silver City to visit with Susan, my old office mate from Maine, and her husband Mark. Then it's back to Tucson, Maricopa, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Mesquite, Salt Lake, and Lava Hot Springs for the summer!

Til next time, our friends,
Scott and Johnney

Fall is coming!

HELLO!!!
It's been awhile since I last wrote here. Someone recently reminded me to get on the stick and update. I hadn't realized how long. It has been a very busy summer.
Working a campground is 24/7. And we had to be able to do anything, from maintenance to cleaning to solving "issues" with campers. All in a days work. A lot of work, but we met some really cool people, and canines, along the way. A stand out of the canines was Crystal. Crystal arrived in a 1958 camper that had been lovingly restored by the owners. The tail lights are adorable, and the all wood original interior are amazing. And as cute as it is, it was Crystal that did it for me. Her story: At one month old she crawled her way out of a house fire to be rescued by the firefighters. Her mother and siblings were not so lucky. She was taken to the local vet hospital where for the next 5 months she underwent many surgeries. Amazingly not once did she whimper or cry out. She was then adopted out to a wonderful couple. She is now 4 years old and loving every second of life! What a happy girl!

She even has her own blog and Facebook page!

 

         Another we met are from Salt Lake City. At 1 in the morning we helped them set up a new

[for them] pop-up trailer. That cemented our friendship for the weekend.

                                                                                                                                             

We also had a number of other really cool trailers from the 50's and 60's.

like this "Bambi" 1953 if I remember correctly...

We were also privileged to get a family of musician's just returning from a blue grass festival in Weiser known nationally for it's world class players. So Mom and Dad, and their 3 daughters played for us on their last evening at the campground. Dad played guitar and banjo, Mom played the cello, and the girls played fiddles. It was amazing! I think the youngest was 8!

And twice this summer John's nephew and family came up to Lava and put on a star show at the campground. Chris is really into his telescopes. At night we were able to see Saturn, the moons of Jupiter, and during the day we could see the sun with its spots and flares!

But the summer wasn't all fun and games. My father passed away near the end of July, after a long battle with cancer. Thankfully John is here to help [and put up with] my processing of all the emotions, wrapped in grief. And my older sister... a godsend. Thank you evryone for being there.

At the moment we are in Boise, having left Lava mid Sept. We had a job working on a house left from last summer doing some repair and paint. A few other odd jobs then we head to Salt Lake City for our annual house sit for John's nephew Chris. Always a good time!
After SLC we will head to???

We hope you are all well and happy!

Scott and Johnney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer time

Hello everyone!
We eventually headed north as the weather in the Zion area became very warm - like in the mid 80's to 90. Warm enough for me. But before we left...
This pic is from the Wailing Wall climbing camp spot. We were perched on a knoll with great views of the desert. The mountains were behind us.

 Dylan climbed during the day -

and at night we cooked, listened to his climbing adventures and fixed clothing. Here he had to use my grandmother's iron that we heated on the stove to fix his climbing pants.

From there John and I took off. Dylan was headed south, so we headed for the Smithsonian Butte/Gooseberry Mesa. It's over towards Zion N.P. We heard that it was a great place to mountain bike. And it was. We had great views of the mountains

 We did spend a weekend with John's nephew, wife missy, and son Ian along with Miss Marie and her son Shawn, and brother Roger with his wife, in Zion National Park before heading north. A beautiful place. John and I climbed Angel's landing with Dylan later. If you have any issue's with height think twice about this hike. Very steep and very narrow. But they do provide chains to hold on to in some places...

 At that point we were back at Kolob Terrace, enjoying the peace of camping in a beautiful spot, along a river. Weather was turning warm in the day, and cool at night. We met Sally and her dog there. She took us on a short hike one day into one edge of Zion and showed us several sites of petroglyph's that are not on any map. Very cool!

It was time to head north. Some friends of ours in Lava, Kody and his wife Andi, now own the KOA Kamp ground in Lava Hot Springs. They needed some help so off we went! We will be in Lava til mid Sept., working at the KOA Thursday through Monday. Tuesday we run a retail store and do massage in town, and Wednesday's is groceries (65-70 mile round trip) or other odd jobs that we help people with. Life is very busy to say the least! But it is great to be back among friends! Here is a pic of downtown Lava:

Very small...pop. is 420. But a real tourist destination. Hot springs, floating the river, water slide park, zip lines, and shopping of course!

Hope you all have a great summer! Keep in touch!

Scott and Johnney

Still in St George area...

Well, I thought we would be headed north by now, but the weather is still cold farther up So here we are. Dylan, John's youngest, has been keeping us entertained with his climbing stories of his day. And we continue to explore the surrounding areas around St George. Virgin River Gorge, Snow Canyon, Black and Tan Wall, Little Black Mountain Petroglyphs [the latest area].

Dylan was climbing back in the canyons at a wall called "Phalanx of Will"

At our latest stay camping in Snow Canyon we met Alan and Ziva. {Right before the Petroglyph place}

Ziva is a mixed breed and a total sweetheart. I got my much needed dog fix! Hope to meet up with them on our way through Salt Lake to say HI! And maybe get a decent pic of Ziva... Of course, at just over a year old she is not one to stay still for too long!

 

Time to go and set up camp somewhere.... Mo's I think. A bouldering place outside of town, and new for us.

Til the next stop sign,

Scott and Johnney

 

 

The Hills are alive with the sound of Music!

Spring is starting in this part of the desert. Birds are singing everywhere, cactus and flowers are starting to bloom,

and the spring rains are here. The desert smells like fresh sage after a rain. A very different smell from what I remember from back east.
We have continued to stay in the Southwestern Utah. The weather has been great - 70's during the day, and cool at night -  50's. And John's youngest son has been in the area rock climbing. We continue to hang with him after his climbs, camping in different areas around St George. The last few nights we have been back in Snow Canyon, which is really beautiful! So lots of day hikes for us!
Southern view from campsite:



Snow Canyon has a lot of petrified dunes. Very old sand dunes that are now rock, with very interesting formations.

In our hiking we found some "Lava Tubes", underground tunnels where the lava used to travel in it's path to the surface. Sometimes part of the roof has collapsed, allowing entry into the tube itself. If it hasn't collapsed, you can hike quite a ways in. Definitely bring a flashlight!
While in Snow Canyon we have stayed at a campground. Love the hot showers! But it's time to head back to the desert for a bit! And as the weather warms we will head north.

 More on that after the next stop sign. Til then,

Scott and Johnney

Boise and beyond

A big hello to everyone!
It's been awhile since I've blogged here. Missing you all...
Last blog we were in Salt Lake around Halloween. From there we made our way to Boise to see John's sister Sue, his niece Katy, husband John, and kids Kai and Mia. It's always a great time since they all live next door to each other. We were there til the end of January. Great time catching up, eating, and hanging out for the holidays. We did have a few small jobs. Indoor stuff like a minor bath remodel, painting, installing a water heater and a few other minor jobs. Christmas was fun [ yes, I did say that] with the kids around. And a few parties with the family. It was the most Christmas stuff I've done in many a year!

 

Thank you Sue for all that you are.

 

At this point I took a week to go to Florida to see my Dad. It was so good to see him, and I loved all the humidity.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

But it is good to be on the road again. And away from Boise's inversion! The air quality was really bad for a long time. It finally lifted shortly before we left.
After leaving Boise we stopped in Salt Lake for a few days to see Chris and Missy [same place as Halloween]. They are having new wood floors put in. Can't wait to see!
From there we went south to St. George to see one of John's brothers. Next pic is the view from our site up in Snow Canyon...

Next stop was the Virgin River Gorge in the very northwest corner of Arizona. We met up with Dylan, John's youngest, who was rock climbing there. Had a few days with him before he headed off to Nevada. This pic is the view from our site in the Virgin River Gorge. It is so nice to be back in the desert! Cedar Pocket was the campground there, right on the river. Really nice and 20 miles from any direction to civilization! We met another couple, Dave and Michelle, and had a nice time hanging with them a few times. And I got my dog fix with the two dogs they have - Peanut and Aruba!

 

 





 

 

 

We did take one day and went to Mesquite, Nevada to see a cousin of John's he hasn't seen in several years. She is a hoot!

Also looked for jobs in St George. But being a strong Mormon town that wasn't going to happen. They don't like non-Mormons. It can be very uncomfortable with them.

So onward we went, up towards Zion National Park. Stopped along they way just outside the town of LaVerkin in this canyon known for it's "cracks" The top of the mesa was spider-webbed with "cracks", some coming back as much as 30-40 yards. And very deep.



 

 

 

On the second day we hiked down the canyon to the river. Lots of sandy beaches. Beautiful, sunny day. And a very long and steep hike back!

 

From there we headed closer to Zion, spending our next night on Kolob Terrace, again by the river. Wasn't sure the bus would make it down the "road" but it has never failed us. Suspension creaks and groans sometimes... but don't we all as we get older!

Tonight we are in Springdale, right outside the gates to Zion. We needed a good hot shower, propane, diesel, laundry, and internet.
Tomorrow?
 Depends on whether we go left or right at the next stop sign...

big hugs!
Scott and Johnney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter has arrived...Happy Holidays!

Hello everyone!
  Last we were in Moab and had a great time. Sure do miss the warm weather. Having missed cold winters for the last couple it is trying to acclimate once again. We are in Boise, Idaho, and the temps for the last week have been below zero to the low 20's during the day.  Bitter cold!
  After Moab we stopped in Salt Lake to house sit for family. We arrived a few days early so we had some time to visit before they headed off for Turks/Cachous. And I had just purchased a new [for me] mountain bike. Top quality bike that needed some tuning. Since Chris [John's nephew] is a bike fanatic and mechanic he overhauled everything that needed fixing! It runs great and I am a very grateful rider. It's a huge improvement over my last bike. And thank you Dave and Alice for making it available!  We had a great week of touring around Salt Lake in a Mustang convertible visiting some old haunts of John's. He grew up there and we were able to connect with some old friends from high school that he hasn't seen since. Great bunch of people! Unfortunately an Uncle of his passed away and so we stayed an extra week for the service. More family arrived, and since everyone was there for Halloween, we built a fire out front, passed out candy with Michael Jackson's Thriller playing in the background.

This pic is of the view from our campsite in Horse Canyon. Not a campground but plenty of places to park off the beaten path. As you can see not a town or dwelling in sight.  It is halfway between SLC and Moab so we stayed there on the way to and the way back from Moab.

  From Salt Lake we said our goodbyes to everyone and headed for Boise. The snow was on the peaks and everyone was talking about skiing the following weekend. Meaning it was getting cold.
  We quickly settled into life in Boise at sister Sue's house. Getting the yard/ gardens cleaned up for winter. And with the grand kids next door there is always something going on. Like piano recitals...
 

                                                                                                    Kai

 

                              Mia

 

and hot springs!

 

But it isn't all fun and games. We are working the odd job: painting, plumbing stuff, small carpentry, massage, etc. We need to get enough to head south to warmer climes for a few months. We will be back in Boise March/April.

 

Have a Happy and Safe Holiday Season!

The best to you all...

Scott and Johnney