ARIZONA WIDING DOWN ---

SALT RIVER CANYON and SPRINGERVILLE ... MAY 14 2014

We took 2 days for  this outing - to visit friends living in the White Mountain area and see the house they are building.  Springerville is the largest town near them.  Their house is also one of the survivors of the massive forest fires that raged thru that area a couple of years ago.  The fire came so close they were evacuated, drove to Phoenix to stay with the kids.  They didn't know for some time if their home had survived or not.

When they left they could see the fire on the mountain from their deck.    The little community they lived in was surrounded by fire trucks.  And fire fighters.  When they were finally given the o.k. to return, all was well.  Fire had been all around them, but this small community was spared.  I was told that if their home did not survive, that would be it.  There was no way they could, or would, start over.  They had worked too long and hard.  And like the rest of us were not getting any younger.

Day 1 of this outing was spent driving the Salt River Canyon.  What an awesome drive.  This is a 2000 foot deep river canyon,
U.S 60 snakes down one wall of the canyon, crosses the Salt River , crosses a bridge and climbs the other side coming out at Show Low.

Arriving in Springerville later in the day we met our friends, some of their family and their friends at Grumpy Jakes for a great meal of B-B-Q ribs with their home-made  sauce. 

We then went to their home and spent the rest of the day. The next morning  Dave and Linda, Jim and Diane and Jim's Mother and a friend met for breakfast, then we headed back to Phoenix, because that night was the Arizona Opry. 

Look closely at this picture.  You can see the burned trees on the mountain.  This is what they saw burning from their home.

This pretty much completes a very busy fun-filled week.  In between all this went to the great grand-daughters dance practice, and visited with all the grand-kids.


Talk about a whirl-wind week.  Wouldn't change a thing.  It's the whirl-winds that keep me going. 

Right now am still on hold about my car.  The garage thought it would be ready for me by Friday, May 16.  Told me today the parts expected on Monday did not come in, don't know when they will be here, can't do anything to the car until the parts arrive.  Guess I am stranded indefinitely.  My rental is due back on Friday and I am not renewing it.  Enough is enough.  Guess I will stay at home for the duration.

Hope your luck is better than mine.  Have a great day and God Bless.