A Visit to Tovrea Castle in Phoenix, October 23, 2021

There are only a limited number of slots available to tour the castle.  You must  sign up for the lottery and hope you get selected.  Megan signed  up for the lottery and won a slot for Saturday Oct. 23.  The only problem is that for the 11:00 tour her new job had her working from 12:30 to 10:45 p.m.  So I went instead.   Megan drove me there, then went home to get ready for work.

After a brief intro at the visitor center, we got on modified golf carts and were driven up the hill to the castle.

There are beautiful gardens and views all around the estate.

Inside, we got to explore the lower two floors, but were not allowed upstairs to see the rooms where guests would stay.

On our way back to the visitor center, we drove by what is left of the outbuildings on the estate.

After the excellent tour, I walked the mile to the light rail station at Washington and 44th Street, rode the light rail to Central and Camelback and walked the last mile back to the condo.  A great way to spend the day.

The Middle of October, 2021

Because of the new dog, Megan has added several things to  the condo in Phoenix.  One thing is a set of three cameras to observe the dog.  From this camera, you can see the dog crate we are trying to acclimate Piper to and the sofa where she likes to be.

For Flagstaff, I finally got a leaf blower - this one is battery powered.  Not  only is it less pollution, it is  much quieter.

While in Phoenix, I have worked on patching small holes and painting over the patches.  In this case, we had an electric add an outlet and overhead ceiling fan to the patio - so I painted over the caulking compound and the conduit itself.  These photos are after one coat - the second coat is better, but I did not take photos of that.

Megan installed a new lock - now you  can open with a key, with a code or with your phone.

 More photos to come - this post  is not finished.

Another action packed month has gone by, Sept. 13 - Oct. 12, 2021

 We got some new plants and Patty placed them in pots to brighten up the entrance to our home in Flagstaff.

Megan got a new dog, Piper, and a new job as an Operations Agent for Piedmont Air at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.  That means traveling to and spending time in Phoenix to stay with Piper while Megan is at work.   I saw this just up the street from our condo.

One day in Flagstaff, Patty and I went shopping at Whole Foods where we saw this decorated car.

In this age of Covid, we now have a supply of Covid tests to take in a foreign countries to meet the US CDC requirements and the Binax Now ones to take at home.

We got new cellular shades for the sliding glass doors in the dining room and master bedroom.   Megan and I did the one in the dining room.

Ben came to Arizona for a brief visit Saturday Oct. 2 to Wednesday Oct. 6.  He helped me and Megan install the cellular room darkening shade in the master bedroom before he and Megan went to Flagstaff to visit Patty (I stayed in Phoenix with Piper).

Piper is very affectionate - here she is snuggling next to me on the sofa.

When Ben and Megan were in Flagstaff, the went to the Farmers Market and got some good dip, salsa and chips.

I was at the Desert Botanical Garden for our annual kickoff and training on Tuesday Oct. 5.  Sacred datura were in bloom.

At lunch time, it rained, so we sat under the covered veranda at Webster House.

A lot of the desert roses were in bloom.

We had been participating members of the CSA in Flagstaff for the last two years - but with the change to spending time in Phoenix dog sitting, we did not renew our membership.

This house and yard is always decorated, it reminds us of homes we saw in Portland.  Besides their usual decorations, they have added some Halloween decorations.

Oct. 11, we had a tornado warning in Flagstaff.  Oct. 12, we had snow.  Who says there is no climate change?

And so another month has passed us by, starting with a new dog for Megan and ending with an early snow storm.

 

Another month has come and gone, Aug. 16. - Sept. 12, 2021

Another quiet month has come and gone.  We have had an above average monsoon season in Flagstaff, which means we are seeing more places with rain caused erosion - nothing like the flash flooding in other parts of town but we still need to be concerned.

We have cooked on the grill for some dinners.

The rains have continued to bring a bumper crop of colorful wildflowers.

 

 

I replaced the batteries in both key fobs for the car.

While in Phoenix, I saw that the landscapers had cut back the weeds growing out of the covers for our water pipes on the north side but not on the south side.

The construction of the new roads for the new housing development on the north side of J. W. Powell Boulevard continues apace.  These views are from the Bow and Arrow Trail.

We had a new heating and air conditioning system installed in the space above the laundry room - they had to make the access door larger, but we now have a much more reliable and efficient system.

And I am back in Portland from Sept. 9 to 19, watching the dog while Ben and Martha are out camping.  And also watering plants and other odd jobs around the house.