Last week in Payson, AZ

Well, another assignment has ended, and now a week off til the next one.  I met some wonderful people at Payson Care Center.  My co-workers in the therapy department were great.  It was a pleasure to have worked alongside such talent.  Last weekend was our last weekend here, and we needed to drive down to Mesa to pick up some things we had stored in my sister's garage.  We woke up Saturday morning to snow!  This was our first snow with any accumulation since we have been on the road 2 years now.   The drive between Payson and Mesa on Hwy 87 (also called Beeline) is absolutely beautiful.  The Saguaro's are gorgeous, and the mountains are spectacular.  From Payson to Mesa you will encounter the Mazatzal, Four Peaks, and McDowell Mountains.  You will also come across many Canyon's.  You will never get tired of the view no matter how many times you drive it. 

I had a co-worker at the Care Center who became engaged while I was there and will be getting married in June.  Now her wedding is one I would have liked to seen, but oh well, such is the life of a nomad.  Anyway, she is having a cowbow wedding.  She will be wearing a camo dress with cowgirl boots, and her flowers are sunflowers.  With not much time to do so, I made her a quick wedding gift, a camo mosaic cross with a sunflower.  It's not the best, but I though it turned out pretty good.

Kirk and I leave tomorrow, 4/21 and head to the midwest.  I haven't signed a contract as of this writing, but I believe I will be starting my new assignment 4/30/12 somewhere in Wisconsin.  We have a very busy Summer planned and can't wait to get started.

 Woke up to snow 4/14/12 in Payson, AZ....what the heck!

 Going down the mountain on Hwy 87 from Payson to Mesa...simple awesome!

 Also along Hwy 87 ..... love the saguaro's.

 Can you see the Heart.....I love hearts!

Camo mosaic cross with sunflower...could be better, but not too bad for an amatuer.

On to Payson, AZ

Kirk and I arrived in Payson on 3/21.  We had driven up here a couple of weeks earlier to find a place to park our RV.  We decided on the Lamplighter RV park in Star Valley.  This is only about 10 minutes from my job in Payson.  We are at an elevation of 5000 feet and near the Mogollon Rim.  The scenery is beautiful here.  We have taken a few road trips, and visited the National Bridge State Park.  The bridge is said to be the largest travertine bridge in the world.  This was one of our first hiking experiences in quite some time.  We were exhausted, but it was well worth it.  Absolutely gorgeous!  We have also driven to Pine; Strawberry, which boasts the oldest standing school house in AZ:  Young, where we ate at Alice's restaurant and Cantina, and although a beautiful drive, the roads going in and out are less than comfortable;  Woods Lake Canyon, which was closed because of still having snow on the Rim (so we'll have to try that again some other time);  and Prescott, where we visited a good friend that I had met in Kingman.

After we were here a week, Kirk drove down to Scottsdale to play his "free" round of gold at the LPGA golf course, The Wild Fire with Angela.

In the mornings, you can look out our RV and see the Elk on the hill right next to us.  What a sight!!

 Our site at The Lamplighter in Payson, AZ...Kirk on the hill with the Elk taking the picture.

 So if this is the oldest "standing" schoolhouse in AZ...where is the oldest "non-standing" one?

 Kirk climbing up to the Tonto Natural Bridge....someone had to take the picture!

 The water-fall at the top of the Tonto Natural Bridge.

 The Mogollon Rim...absolutley beautiful!

 The Wild Fire golf coure where Kirk played...oh yeah, and the LPGA was held there also this year.

 Elk on the hill next to our RV site at the Lamplighter in Payson, AZ...beautiful site to wake up to.

 At Alice's Restaurant in Young, AZ....fun place.  Alice does all the cooking.

 Beautiful site on our drive to Young, AZ...I believe it was in the Coconino National Park.

 Does anyone else see Texas here.....I'm just saying!!

 Sailboat in the Roosevelt Lake in AZ

 I am so happy to be a full time RV canine!

I just want to go in and eat.....or have a treat...or anything to do with food.