Relaxing, Refreshing Respite

We “GPS’d” it all the “all-the-way-across-town” to Sun City West with the 1600 deadline for Saturday Mass at Prince of Peace Catholic Church. We joined the “home folks”, Claude and Mary Greiner and Bob and Jan Brophy there in the huge, nearly full church. We noted quickly that the youngest person present was the Priest. It was nice attending Mass with old friends again. These “Wellmanites” have been winter visitors here for several years and really enjoy the Arizona amenities.

We were SO WELL FED there! It was a rapid transition from the limited fare we have been used to while traveling. Bob is a Maestro on the grill, Claude really “specializes” in bacon, and all the girls are masters of organization and presentation. What’s not to like about this picture for hungry visitors?! To add to the fun, Jan’s sister, Kay and her hubby Pat were visiting at the same time. Enough fun and humor to make the days fly by! Real sports buffs, all of these, and the NIT basketball game with the Iowa Hawkeyes had been taped while we were out galivanting around. An exciting game, sans Happy Ending. “House Pro”, Bob, showed Cathy and I how it’s really done on their 14ft table shuffleboard.

After reassessing the remaining riding route, we decided we could enjoy an “extra” day in such surroundings. Riding a few more miles each remaining day seemed like a small price to pay for such cameraderie. We were given a driving tour of the ever-expanding retiree environs of this winter paradise. It’s eye-opening to drive for hours and many miles and see only NEW structures. Anything over 20 years old is probably being considered for demolition and rebuilding. The irrigated agriculture enterprise that used to be the dominant activity here is being replaced on a daily basis by homes and businesses. As long as the water supply holds out (and how they do that even now is a mystery to me), all looks rosy for the future. Our friend Ralph, of the ADOT, tells us their bureau has been tasked with designing roads for the Phoenix Metro Area to handle 5 million people by 2025. There are just over 3 million here now.

Monday rolled around all too soon, and a final morning gathering of “the crew” wished us both well and I rode off to the West. Spring is officially here in this hemisphere, and seven days after that, I’m planning on being at the end of this wonderful journey.

We were SO WELL FED there! It was a rapid transition from the limited fare we have been used to while traveling. Bob is a Maestro on the grill, Claude really “specializes” in bacon, and all the girls are masters of organization and presentation. What’s not to like about this picture for hungry visitors?! To add to the fun, Jan’s sister, Kay and her hubby Pat were visiting at the same time. Enough fun and humor to make the days fly by! Real sports buffs, all of these, and the NIT basketball game with the Iowa Hawkeyes had been taped while we were out galivanting around. An exciting game, sans Happy Ending. “House Pro”, Bob, showed Cathy and I how it’s really done on their 14ft table shuffleboard.

After reassessing the remaining riding route, we decided we could enjoy an “extra” day in such surroundings. Riding a few more miles each remaining day seemed like a small price to pay for such cameraderie. We were given a driving tour of the ever-expanding retiree environs of this winter paradise. It’s eye-opening to drive for hours and many miles and see only NEW structures. Anything over 20 years old is probably being considered for demolition and rebuilding. The irrigated agriculture enterprise that used to be the dominant activity here is being replaced on a daily basis by homes and businesses. As long as the water supply holds out (and how they do that even now is a mystery to me), all looks rosy for the future. Our friend Ralph, of the ADOT, tells us their bureau has been tasked with designing roads for the Phoenix Metro Area to handle 5 million people by 2025. There are just over 3 million here now.

Monday rolled around all too soon, and a final morning gathering of “the crew” wished us both well and I rode off to the West. Spring is officially here in this hemisphere, and seven days after that, I’m planning on being at the end of this wonderful journey.