Saturday, February 19, 2011

Squaw Peak

Once the dance rally was over it was back to Apache Junction. Usually I start the day with a 3 mile walk to a local convenience store for coffee. The coffee is just an excuse, it is really for the purpose of walking the dog. But sometimes, it's more fun to actually go somewhere for a real hike. One day we took Fancy and hiked Usury Pass Trail at Usury Park, a 7.5 mile loop around Usury Mountain. But Fancy was left at home the day we headed for Squaw Peak. Dogs are not allowed on the summit trail and that was our goal.

Summit Trail is 1.2 miles and 1000 feet straight up. Or at least it feels that way.

Although there is a path, most of the time I felt like I was a billy goat scrambling over the rocks.

But we did make it to the top. And what a view of the entire Phoenix area.

Look real hard and you will see me across at the top of the hill. I saw someone else over there and had to go see for myself. No path, so to arrive at the top, I truly had to 'scramble' up the rocks. Too bad it was so far away, almost 40 miles one way, it would be fun to do this hike more often.

2011 WIN Dance Rally

Every year the WINs gather in Casa Grande for a dance rally. This years theme was "Hawaii in the Desert". But in addition to all the dancing, there are other activities as well.

One tradition is to go bowling. There were 15 who spent a great morning trying to knock all the pins off the alley.

There are lessons during the day and and evening dance nightly. One night has a live band, while the rest are with a D.J. Saturday night was costume night where everyone dressed up Hawaiian.

It was too windy for our 'happy hour at the gazebo', so we moved it inside this year.

And of course we had the annual Talent/No Talent Contest with the No Talent Band.

On Saturday we had a full catered luau from Moki's in Mesa. Oh, the food was great.

But I just loved these Hawaiian maidens bringing in the ice cream for desert.

For more pictures of the dance rally I suggest you check out Diana and Claudia's blogs:
and

Snow in Oklahoma and Ohio

Early in February most of the country was having massive snow storms. I was complaining here in Arizona about the cold, until I got these pictures from family and friends in Oklahoma and Ohio. I guess Arizona's cold wasn't so bad when I heard about the below zero temps back home.

This picture was taken at 8am.

This is the same shot an hour later. Way too much snow for me.

That is a patio table where the snow has drifted almost to the top. I know I never saw snow like that when I was growing up in Oklahoma City.

And here is my son, Aaron, and my grandsons, Adrion and Gavin, playing in the snow in their backyard in Ohio.