Friends Phyllis and John both sent me this “snowman” photo via Facebook today–I could do this for sure–no actual snow needed!
The Cowboy has been plugging away–he has one of the decorative/support posts installed in the living/dining room. He’s destroyed a couple more walls–maybe this week we can finish the demolition??? I’ve been digging tumbleweeds. Every morning after walking Emmi I get the rake and shovel and get started. I throw sticks (AKA plastic pipe) for Emmi while I dig tumbleweeds–she is getting exercise and so am I. I dig for about an hour, rake the weeds into piles and go get the Cowboy and his backhoe to carry away the weeds. We are both amazed at how nice the place is looking and about how much we both can finish in a day just puttering away.
Thursday evening we were invited to a Christmas gathering at Linda’s home. Linda has lived here in this area for a long, long time as had many of the other guests. We met lots of new people and can remember some names, but not all–it will come.
We even had music and caroling.
From the left, Linda, Janice and Liz. Linda and Janice we had met last season. We met a couple who have been married almost 50 years and they met each other in Africa! It was a wonderful Christmas party and we were so glad to be included!
Thursday was a beautiful day and we enjoyed being outside around the two “campfires” until the sun went down–then it was time to be inside.
Friday I went to yoga and when I came home we went out to lunch at Sandy’s. So many times when we go out to eat I am reminded of why we don’t go out to eat more often! Let’s just say the apple pie and ice cream was the best part of the meal! Friday evening we watched an Amazon Prime Christmas movie and ate popcorn–much better than our lunch.
Saturday evening we enjoyed another Christmas activity–a fundraiser soup dinner with homemade pie sponsored by the Mennonite community here in our area. The young people of the Mennonite organization headed the activity and they were a joy to watch–polite, eager to please and competent. After the meal was served and we all had enjoyed homemade pies (to die for homemade pie!) the young people sang Christmas carols for us a cappella. Those young men and ladies were so incredibly talented it brought tears to your eyes!
And a coincidence–the Cowboy’s cousin owns a place near us (a fact we didn’t know until last season)–Pete and his wife Kathy appeared at this fundraiser and sat with us. The couple across from us were both pilots–he is 81 years old and flies both his planes often. She also flies often. One of his planes is a 1947 Champion and is very recognizable–red and yellow. He flew over this afternoon while we were outside and when I waved, he waved his wings at us. They have flown to Mexico and Panama with groups–very interesting people.
Today I went to church and enjoyed more wonderful Christmas music–the woman who plays the piano at our church is very talented both as a pianist and vocalist. Her daughter has a voice which will knock off your socks. They were accompanied by the Desert Strings–a group of three violinist. Amazing music which was repeated at the local community center this afternoon as a fundraiser for the local food bank.
Noticing Emmi so prettily posed I grabbed a camera–she’s such a sweet little dog. It’s hard to photograph a black dog!
And Emmi only put one paw print autograph in the cement before it dried–we aren’t sure how she managed just one paw but there it was.
I took this photo before he was completely finished.
On Friday before we had even finished our coffee it began to rain and when we went to bed Friday night it was still raining. Three quarters of an inch by the time it stopped–unusual for this time of year but awfully nice! A friend made this statement, “So much for your tumbleweeds! You will have a new crop!”–With friends like Louanne who needs enemies! 🙂 🙂
Getting ready for the parade–with all the rain it’s been damp and foggy–strange weather for Arizona!
Big tractor from the Coronado Dairy near Willcox.
The Willcox fire engine was last in the parade. Remember I stated we were on Railroad Avenue–see the train lights to the right of the fire engine? Willcox is a train quiet zone–trains don’t blow their horns when coming through Willcox but last night they did–all part of the Christmas celebration.
The steam from the coal fired electrical generating plant rising above the fog.
He drilled and dug all the concrete from a trench for the toilet drain–today he reached the spot where the toilet will be located. That was a LOT of work and he’s glad it’s done!
See the smoke coming from the chimney!
Sunset Wednesday afternoon was stunning!
Getting close to the door.
Out the door.
And away–out of the house–geez that thing was heavy!
Here comes the UPS man. OK, 
The mesquite has grown so tall in front of the house and there were people outside so I didn’t want to get out of the truck to take photos–this is the best I could do with the phone.
Way larger than Emmi!
Thursday the Cowboy decided to try his hand at destroying concrete–we/he has to run all new plumbing and this old house sits on a concrete slab. He ran sewer pipes last season and the pipes are located under the floor of the hallway addition to the Cowboy’s left. But the rest of the sewer drain pipes to the bathroom and kitchen sink have to have a path jack hammered through the concrete floor. At this point in time I’m thinking the Cowboy is wishing we had just built from the ground up! 😉 He purchased a rotary hammer drill the first year we owned this place and he is using that tool to drill a series of holes on either side of the path in the concrete. He then whacks the concrete with a sledge hammer–it seems to work.
Grandpa Lonn, daughter Katie and her two babies, Brooks and Millie.
Lora Elizabeth–our little blond doll!
Katie, her husband Michael, Brooks and Millie.
I think Lonn likes being a grandpa and Brooks love his Grandpa Lonn.
Water in the desert–kind of icky looking water but water nonetheless! There was a slow flowing spring right above this pool.
About the time we decided not to climb any higher up the peak.
Hey, did you forget about me???
We can see this ridge and the smoke from our house.
It was a chilly, mostly cloudy day so our photos are a little blah.
Dan and Louanne, our hosts.
And the food!
Notice this cabinet is sitting right on the floor and is lower than the sink counter and the stove?? What were they thinking??–maybe it was just one of those things which never was finished?? The “counter top” is just a piece of plywood–ugh! And they left too much space for the stove between the two cabinets. Most of the time the Cowboy putters along with whatever project he wants but this season I told him I wanted that cabinet fixed as in fixed soon after we arrived–yesterday he did just that. This little guest house is old–and matching the formica counter tops was not going to happen. So we came up with the idea to use butcher block.
This guest house is tiny and I was hard pressed to find two wall spots large enough to hang these quilts.
Here comes Dan and Louanne.
Smiles on our faces!
See the board above the bricks–that will support the porch roof at some time.
Isn’t she beautiful!
My talented sweet niece created this fall scene during the wedding weekend when I was home in Arkansas. This is Princess Charlotte, their “puppy” mastiff.
Looking from the guest house back door into the hallway.
Still looking from the guest house down the hallway, the laundry room door is visible on the right.
Getting closer to the back door of the main house–see the pipes we were having to avoid while walking between the two houses? The electric panel is hanging on what was an outside wall of the main house–that panel will be hung on the outside of the new hallway. The Cowboy is screwing down the floor plywood so he can easily remove it for doing the plumbing underneath the floor.
Turning the corner and looking into the main house–he took the outside door off the main house and installed it in this new addition/hallway. Clear as mud, right??