Almost Christmas…in Arizona…

This past week started in Tucson rather than in the RV Park we’re staying at.  We had to take our fifth wheel in to have it looked at and a few things on it adjusted or fixed.  It all turned out just fine but we did have to stay overnight in Tucson in order to get everything done.  That made us appreciate the quiet country feel of the park we are in for the winter.  We did get to park beside our very own orange tree while staying overnight…that was kind of cool.  We also went to the Christmas Street Fair in Tucson.  It was really interesting to see all of the different arts and crafts that people had for sale.  There was some entertainment including school groups singing and playing their instruments and there were lots of food booths…mostly Mexican food or Southern BBQ…mmmmm!  As you can see in the pictures, Tie-dyed t-shirts seem to be an “in” thing down here…reminds me of my hippie days…I’m starting to feel right at home!

After getting the fifth wheel back to Amado, where we’re staying, and getting settled again, it did feel like we were home.  There are lots of people in the park who we’ve become acquainted with and a few that we’ve made good friends with.  One couple is from a little town in Alberta where they own a farm and she also runs a fabric store that specializes in quilt material.  She’s a wonderful quilter and though I admire the end product, I just don’t need another hobby!  I’ve been busy with my watercolours but haven’t created a masterpiece yet…might have to change to coloured pencils for that…ha, ha.  If we stay here through the spring I might be able to take a few classes in Tubac…would really love to do that!

We’ve seen some lovely sunsets and sunrises here in Arizona.  I was trying to be creative here and got down on my hands and knees to get this agave cactus in front of the pink sky.  Tom bought me a wonderful new camera for Christmas and I love taking pictures with it.  It’s got a 100 times zoom on it that is fabulous.  Now when I see a bird or animal off in the distance I can get close enough to it to get a picture of the flea on its nose if I want.  It’s also got a function where I can take multiple pictures with one click which will be good for photographing animals…I’ll get a good picture even if the animal moves in the first shot.  Another incredible function of this camera is its ability to take panoramic photos.  I set the function, then hold the button down as I move the camera across the scene I want to photograph.  It is really neat!

There is a lovely little church in Amado.  It is called the Assumption of Mary Catholic Church.  It is quite old and very Mexican in style.

Yesterday we went to Mexico.  Nogales is a border town spreading north on the US side and south on the Mexican side.  When you walk across into Mexico, you do simply that…walk across.  You don’t show a passport or anything…you simply go across.  It’s a much different story coming back into the US.  We stood in line for an hour and a half waiting our turn to show our passport and then be sent through.  It was a good opportunity though to meet and chat with the people in front and back of us in the line-up.  Two young guys in front of us worked in the copper mines around Tucson.  The people in back of us were Mexican going to do Christmas shopping in the US.  They had the most beautiful little girl and she played happily the whole time we stood in line.

Because the town is split in half between countries, they have built this huge steel fence between the Mexican side and the US side.  It’s pretty intimidating to see but I guess there are people who try to climb and cross it on a daily basis.  You’ll notice a tower to the left side of the picture that has video cameras, etc., scanning the border.

We had a wonderful lunch in Nogales and wandered around town for a while.  I got my picture taken with this poor old burro.  His name is Renegade and he’s old enough now that they don’t let anyone sit on his back.  He just stands there and people feed him and pet him all day long…guess it’s not such a bad life. 

I bought a new pair of glasses…saved $600 over the cost I was quoted in Canada…that’s pretty good.  Tom got a tooth fixed and we were quite impressed with the dentist.  He was a young guy, trained in the US, who set up shop in Mexico.  His equipment was state of the art and he was honest about the work Tom needed done.  We thought he’d need a root canal and crown but the dentist took x-rays, ground out the old filling which was broken, and re-filled it.  He said he couldn’t see a nerve or anything to indicate the need for further work.  That was awesome because often they will try to do work that is not needed just so they can charge you for it.  Tom paid $40 for the exam and the work…again, saving hundreds off the Canadian or US price.

Nogales is a town of Pharmacies, Dentists and Opticians.  Some parts of it are modern and nice and some are run down and dirty.  While Tom was getting his dental work done I walked all around the downtown core and never once did I feel uncomfortable or afraid of anything.  Like any town there are good and bad people…I didn’t run into any bad ones in Nogales.

Back at the RV park the activities have been keeping us pretty busy.  I go to water aerobics every day for an hour.  They’ve got a great salt water pool and a hot tub on site.  There have been a couple of get-togethers…pot luck or chili feeds, etc.  There are various card games and golfing events if you want to take part.  You can be as busy here as you want to be or just relax and do nothing if you want. 

I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.  We're going to try to get to see as many of you as we can in our travels this year.