Arizona in April

I was gone most of April. Had a great time in Prescott Arizona. It was beautiful weather. Sunny but in the 30's in the morning and warming up to light jacket weather in the afternoon. Toured and saw Montezuma's well and another Nearby Anasazi ruin "tuizicoot" sp? It had amazing walls perched on a hill overlooking the Verde river and the snow capped Mingus Mountains in the distance. Breakfast in charming Jerome. Hiked in the Dells. Taught some riding lessons. Trailer to Phoenix to the Vet. Went to Prescott's museum which was very interesting and the time flew by there. Target shooting out on the range with Annie Oakley and Dead eye. A day of fishing on Lake Pleasant. Zooming across the lake, wind in your hair was fun. Of course everyone was in t-shirts and shorts except for me in long johns, jeans, turtle neck and a vest. It was cold for a Hawaiian! We came across a island where the blue herons were nesting. We emptied the cooler out in the grass that afternoon and the ice didn't melt. Hello I was not imagining the cold! Thunder tolerated giving me a driving lesson. Wait not over the side of the arena! Movies, Italian resturant,good food and most importantly good friends. I had a great time visiting everyone.

Arizona in April is a great time to travel

Back to Arizona for the USDF L program judges final testing. Last year at around this same time it was brutally hot in Phoenix. This year I was not very warm in my down jacket. It was great weather to be riding in though. It is always fun seeing all the horses. Did the sister unit pass her test??? She has to wait it out...suspense!

My great friends Dianne and Jim took me on a road trip to South-eastern Arizona! Tombstone, Benson, Bisby and to the amazing Katchner Caverns.

I needed a pair of jangling roweled spurs, a 6 shooter on my hip and a horse at my side as I strolled the streets of Tombstone. Big Nose Kates Saloon had the perfect old west atmosphere and the best quisedilla's I have ever had. Did you know in the late 1800's Tombstone was one of the biggest citys beside's San Fran and St. Louis. The Courthouse is a museum and well worth the tour.

Bisby is nearly on the boarder with Mexico. A old mining town nestled in the hills it is quite interesting. The boarder patrol - guns and all; asked us to state our country of origin. United States, America, Hawaii?

Katchners Caverns near Benson was amazing. In the 1970 2 college guys found a narrow hole, enlarged it and squeezed in. They found stalagtites and mites, huge columns and other amazing formations. They asked the land owners to consider preserving it. The Katchenrs did and for 14 years everything was kept in secret until it became a AZ state park. Then the developed it to best preserve the caverns. Multiple sealed locking doors, temperature control and closing the main cave for the bats breeding season starting just about now, through the summer.

We had a 9 hour return trip up eastern AZ passing the Salt river. Wow it was like the Grand Canyon.

A action packed vacation, but on arriving home it was cool and rainy. I almost needed to put my down jacket back on!

Photo's Willow lake in Prescott, Big Nose Kate's saloon in Tombstone, Salt River

Grand Canyon and Prescott Dels

Desert View - East Grand Canyon & Prescott Del's

Carole's first time to the Grand canyon. The Eastern Desert View was most impressive. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long and over a mile deep. Up to 18 miles wide and 2 billion years old. The next day Jim took us hiking on the Peavine trail through the "Dels" in Prescott. These rounded granite rocks are 1.5 billion years old. Wow!
I loved watching the Ravens dance on the thermals. Fold their wings and dive. Then soar upward with out a flap of their wings.

Arizona 75mph - woooohhhh

West Fork of Oak Creek - Sedona AZ.

I don't even drive the ambulance that fast!!! So it was a quick trip! Fabulous highways.
Only a few U turns as the "nag-avator" was top flight. The pilot was on cloud 9 after excelling in her judging program in Phoenix. Of course this is after following the nag-avators advice to practice watching dressage tests on Youtube.com. Practice-practice-practice... I was impressed.
From Phoenix where I died from the heat last weekend at 95 degrees. It was so hot I heard the Ultra dog, and dog-dog competitors from around the country discuss the crazy dressage riders who were out competing in wool coats, are they nuts? Got to meet Forest Gumpie dog-dog champion from Canada. Apparently you can google him and see his 24 foot jump. I only survived by escaping into my good friends wonderfully air conditioned 5th wheel RV parked at the show grounds.
Then a few days ago in Prescott I froze my petuki ( spell check wants to put in Petunia - ya, that froze too) at 28 degrees. My timbers were shivering (shiver me timbers). Fun visiting great friends and touring Arizona. I am thinking if I cant hardly survive AZ in Nov. how on earth am I going to Colorado in Dec. Ha ha - Arizona was a warm up to Colorado. Cabellas.com here I come for winter boots.
I freely admit "I am a Hawaiian wimp." I am so spoiled!!!! It felt like walking into a sauna when I got off the plane. Ahhhh - warm again.