Our Visitor

I’m out of the house early last Monday, heading for Tucson and the airport. My long time friend (29 years) Kelly is coming for a visit. She’s waiting in baggage claim by the time I’ve parked the truck and gotten inside. Long, good hugs, her bag arrives and we are out the door.  Our lunch restaurant of choice is El Charro and we are soon seated on their porch. Kelly’s meal is great, mine is awful–I need to remember how far we are from fresh seafood!!

We dawdle over lunch and decide to make tracks toward home with a stop at Trader Joe’s. I never shop at Trader Joe’s and when I do find myself in one of the stores I wonder why I don’t shop there! Cheap fresh flowers, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, inexpensive and fresh produce. I would regret those dark chocolate peanut butter cups–and not just in weight gain–I wore white jeans to Tucson. The little flakes of chocolate attached to the paper cups flaked off onto my white jeans and when I attempted to brush away the chocolate, it left streaks of dark chocolate–at least we were headed home!

Tuesday we all enjoyed coffee and conversation on the porch before Kelly and I walked three miles. Our agenda for the day was Bisbee. First stop was the Bisbee Breakfast Club which was delicious as usual! It was a beautiful blue sky day and Bisbee’s steep, crooked streets shone–

The shops in Bisbee are a little/lot eclectic but Kelly and I did find a few treasures to bring home. In the upstairs of one shop we found these beautiful stained glass windows that actually still open according to the owner–

By the time we had strolled the streets of downtown Bisbee it was only 2pm and we decided Kelly needed to see Tombstone which was unusually quiet on this beautiful afternoon. We did find some stunning items in Arlene’s but decided to leave the jewelry in the case!–much easier on the pocket book! Back home we spent the evening chatting/laughing/knitting.

Wednesday morning we were on the go again–heading for Tucson. We are too early for some of the shops–so we indulge in a Starbucks while waiting for the stores to open. That’s a covid thing which has never reverted–stores always opened at 10am prior to the pandemic. When finding employees became so difficult, opening time was pushed to 11am and that’s where it stayed. We drive out to the Catalina foothills to shop at La Encantada–one of Tucson’s nicer outdoor malls.

Lunch on Wednesday was at a favorite spot of mine, Café à la C’Art at the Tucson Museum of Art. We sit on the patio and enjoy fabulous meals and good conversation. Kelly likes my choice of restaurant! By the time we finish lunch it’s time to check in at our hotel. Kelly catches up on emails, I relax and read–then it’s time for supper–Dairy Queen!! And a quick stop at Lowes for the Cowboy. I had planned to make a Costco stop after taking Kelly to the airport on Thursday. Kelly suggests we also complete this task before heading to Dairy Queen–our hotel rooms have full size refrigerator/freezers.

Thursday morning we “enjoy” the free breakfast offered by the hotel and deliver Kelly to the airport for her flight back to Kansas City. It was so good to see her again!!  Because we all ready did the Costco run, I stop at Walmart for a pickup order and I’m home by noon. The Cowboy has been working on my “old” barbecue grill–we bought a new to us grill when the old one died and I don’t like it–too many burners, not enough heat. So, the Cowboy ordered new parts and this afternoon my “old” grill is now working again.

Saturday Louanne joins us and we attend the Fireman’s Barbecue Cookoff–good food and fun visiting with neighbors and friends.

We are packing, cooking, and completing last minute tasks–it’s getting way too warm in Arizona for us. But first we have guests to entertain and I can’t wait!!