On Monday we continued to entertain. And just let me put this statement out there–I have such severe covid fatigue as in I want covid to go away! Lonn likes to take presents home to the family and finds the gift shops in national parks have the coolest stuff–and I agree. I love to shop in our national park gift shops–for cards, little trinkets to send friends and family, etc.
The Saguaro National Park on the west side of Tucson was a zoo. The parking lot was full and there was a 20 to 30 minute wait just to get inside the gift shop/visitor center as they are limiting the number of people who enter due to covid–thus my covid fatigue!
I called the Desert Museum which if you are ever in the Tucson area is a place worth visiting. My guys did not want to walk–the Desert Museum entails lots of walking–but I knew the gift shop was within the gates and the tickets to enter are too expensive to just pay only to go to the gift shop. A very pleasant customer service person answered the phone, told me they would take our credit card info and allow us a free thirty minute pass that could be renewed for an additional thirty minutes of gift shop browsing. Considering how much Lonn spent in the gift shop it is a smart decision on the part of the Desert Museum.
We drove through the Saguaro National Park, admiring the views and all the majestic, stately saguaros–Lonn was impressed! Lunch on the patio of BJ’s Restaurant as Emmi was with us–great food and great service.
We live in a valley that is nutty–as there are massive acres of land dedicated to growing pecans and pistachios. Our good friend Linda gave us tequila flavored pistachios for Christmas and Lonn had sampled them. On the way home from Tucson we stopped at the local pistachio farm gift shop and spent some money.
The weather in Montana the first of this week was frightful–minus 29 degrees and a foot of new snow. In spite of this forecast Lonn decided it was time to head north and he was driving away Tuesday morning. It was such a good visit and it was so nice to have the guest house.
Larry and Geri visited us a couple weeks ago driving down in their new to them motorhome. We had the best visit–not doing much except visiting, catching up and eating. We did drive down to Douglas and attempted to get the title to our new to us truck notarized without success. And we visited Larry’s niece Megan and her husband Scott on the horse property they purchased last year–very near us. Our electrical panel is just inside the back door situated over the shoe changing bench made by the Cowboy. Geri suggested we hang a mirror over the electrical box to hide it–that was one of our Mexico purchases–and it looks great!
Our neighbor who lost her husband to covid asked me to make an apron from one of his shirts. She had an apron she had purchased made from a shirt that I could use as a pattern. I finished and delivered it Thursday–Sue was totally thrilled!
The rest of the week we’ve been puttering. The Cowboy ordered parts for his chain saw, has it running and spent some time cutting a huge log into firewood. Then he practiced some cardio exercise by splitting those logs.
I am heading to Arkansas to visit family soon and have been getting things in order so the Cowboy and Emmi can function smoothly without me.
We’ve had a couple chilly mornings–not Montana chilly–but cold enough that a fire in the stove felt great! And it sprinkled rain at our house and snowed on the mountains. It’s been such a dry winter we are wondering if the poppies will bloom.
My Nikon camera had an inside the lens dust spot causing some but not all photos to have a bright spot. I knew Al had taken apart his cameras and cleaned the lens but his cameras are DSLR’s. My Nikon is a CoolPix P600 point and shoot with a 60X optical zoom. I watched a video for another Nikon similar to mine and thought maybe we could get to the lens. The Cowboy as always was game to try.
And we were successful! No more bright spot on the photos!! Thanks Al!!
Cloudy skies make for beautiful sunsets.
Restoration Cowboy Style 
You are truly brave to enter the guts of your camera Whew. Congrats on your success. I have been seeing friends in Arizona a bit higher up posting about snow. brr. I surely wouldn’t want to head back to Montana with that winter weather going on. But Lonn must be a chip off the old block. Sounds like nothing stops him. A Montana boy from the Cowboy it seems. Love the apron, so very cute and such a nice keepsake for your friend. Quiet here at the moment as well. Raining at last. Everything was so very dry. Hard to imagine watering in February and I didn’t, even though things needed it. This rain is an atmospheric river and is predicted to last all week. Good for the plants and for inside time too. Have a good week, Janna
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It was either fix the camera or get a new one–taking photos with it was frustrating! Lonn is a very talented cowboy also. Glad you are having rain, I wish it would rain here but I doubt it’s going to happen.
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Love the mirror and memorial apron! Great idea!
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Thanks Geri–it was all your idea and I found the perfect mirror in Mexico! I had heard of memory quilts but never memory aprons!
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We love shopping at National Parks as well and have mailed many a gift back east for the grands. Thanks for sharing the info for a free pass to the Desert Museum gift shop…good to know. We haven’t been in several years and were just saying we should go this spring when the cacti bloom. I love the mirror and that is the cutest apron I have ever seen. I can’t even imagine what 29 below would feel like! That is pretty awesome you/Mike dismantled your camera, cleaned it and put it all back together and it works. Neither Joe or I would have the patience for such a task. I know you are looking forward to your trip and visit with family. I will be googling info on the pistachio farm and gift shop…I love pistachios! Gay
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Well Janna, you are a busy, busy gal for someone
with Covid fatigue. The friends I know with the same fatigue
take a nap every day, at least one.
Hope you do well in Arkansas with family!
We are all praying for rain here in central Calif.
Hopefully there is still time before the summer hits.
Apron so cute, cute….. great idea.
Safe travels🤗
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I’m thinking my statement may have caused a misunderstanding–my covid fatigue is that I am so incredibly tired of covid as in I want it to go away!😆 I want to visit a national park without a zillion other people. I guess I want a lot!🤣 I am looking so forward to seeing my family. Arizona is so dry once again, here’s hoping California gets some rain too!
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Sorry to here about your fatigue but now I know what is happening to me. I sure hope it’s not a long lasting thing. Good luck .
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I hope you don’t have covid Vernon and only have what I do–I am so completely tired of covid, I just want it to go away!
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Hey, that looks like my Tombstone cowboy hat hanging next to your groovy Mexican mirror. Mentioning National Parks, I got my summer Breezer hat at the NP in Kelso, California. Seeing Mike working on that Nikon lens with a screwdriver drained the color right out of my face. Glad you got the problem solved.
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You gave us our morning chuckle Al–he only used the screwdriver to break lose the outer ring but I must admit I had to stop watching!!
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So glad Michael was able to clean your camera. A lot of money saved there. Love that mirror. It’s perfect for your southwest home. What an adorable apron. You did a great job.
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A lot of money! It was fun making that apron and putting that smile on Sue’s face!
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You’re so brave! I have a couple cameras with that same problem just laying around gathering dust!
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The camera wasn’t useable like it was so we just went for it. As Mike said, “you win some, you lose some! 😁😁
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Perfect mirror for that spot!! Now you can check your hat on the way out the door 🙂 It really is so dry this year – even that little bit of snow wasn’t enough to make the yard damp. The apron is adorable, I really love that the collar is still on. I’m COVID world tired as well. Our triple vaccinated friends who live nearby and visit often both had it last week and were miserable. We’ve all tested negative a week later and are relieved, but will we ever be done with it??
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Yes, Jodee, will we ever be finished with covid, will we ever be able to invite people to our homes again without asking their vaccination status, will we ever be able to travel freely, go out to eat without worry–the list goes on and on. I hope your friends are on the mend. I saw so many people in the Little Rock, Arkansas airport not wearing a mask in spite of huge signs indicating mask wearing was not optional and announcements over the air constantly stating masks were required.
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We have covid fatigue, too, just the same as you described in your blog and your comment to Jodee. We’re doing our best to enjoy life fully, but things are certainly different. I may never again feel comfortable eating at a restaurant indoors or being around people who are not vaccinated. 😦
The apron you made for your friend is such a lovely gift. So very sad that she lost her husband to covid.
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Yes, life is different. I think I will probably always wear a mask on airplanes and maybe also in crowded stores.
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