December 2011, Apache Junction, AZ


We had a cold spell the first week in December when temperatures were only in the 50’s during the day and got down to mid 30’s at night.  We were soon back into the low 70’s and enjoying the sunshine. 
 
We have learned a new game called Pegs and Jokers which is similar to Sorry.  We have enjoyed playing with our neighbors Russ and Betty.  Russ and Rex are going to build us a game board.

We are keeping busy with hiking, Tai Chi and exercise classes and we took several bus trips offered by our park.  We went to see the ZooLights at the Phoenix Zoo.  They have over 600 displays of animals, flowers, stars, etc using over 3.5 million individual lights.  Zoolights is one of the largest light shows in the Southwest and we really enjoyed walking around viewing the beautiful lights. The lights on one path were all synchronized to music – what a great show!
 
Another bus trip was to the Mormon Temple in Mesa to view their Christmas light display.  The lights were beautiful and inside the Visitor Center was a wonderful display with nativities from around the world. 

Our bus trip to the Superstition Mountain Museum and Goldfield was fun.  After visiting the museum we went to Tortilla Flats (one of our favorite spots to eat) for lunch and then to Goldfield where you can tour a replica of a gold mine, ride a train around the grounds and shop in the stores that are replicas of an old mining town.  Rex spent most of the time helping an elderly gentleman in our group who fell at the ice cream shop, hitting his head and cutting his nose.  He was OK and Rex was glad he was there to help.

Our park also took a bus to the Dolly Steamboat for a great ride on Canyon Lake.  We all got to see Rex at work and he pointed out a Bald Eagle and some Desert Big Horn Sheep.  The weather was perfect and we all had a great time.

On Christmas day we enjoyed a very nice dinner in the main hall in our park.  The park furnished hams and we all brought the potatoes, vegetables, salads and dessert.  Nancy’s parents joined our table and we all had a great time and, of course, ate too much.


One New Year’s Day we went kayaking on Canyon Lake with our friends, Mike and Barb.  Mike and Barb took their canoe and we all enjoyed a great morning of paddling around the Boulder Creek inlet.

  
December ended warm with the temperature in the high 70’s – this is the weather we all come to Arizona to enjoy!

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