More Mind-Boggling Changes:

Okay, we are in another location and it seems like another world. Yesterday at 11AM Miguel, who has been our driver throughout our wandering around Panama picked us up in Coronado. We were more than ready to leave the so-called Bambu Haus. The owner is from Germany so I guess that led to the Haus name. The fence around the 5 or 6 duplexes in the compound is made with Bamboo so I guess that's another explanation for the name but only saw one little baby bamboo sprout. The location was not good, too far to walk to restaurants, grocery stores and pharmacies so Uber and taxis were are friends. There just wasn't much to do, television, we watched some of Breaking Bad in Spanish-kind of funny but we were just killing time.

Anyway back to 11AM yesterday, Miguel picked us up, loaded our luggage and we were on our way at break-neck speed. Just before 12:30 we were in Casco Viejo or the old town of Panama City, sitting in very slow traffic. Lots of cars, many pedestrians. Another surprise, we never expected it seems to be what appears to be one big tourist attraction. Beautiful old buildings, everything gentrified, restaurant after restaurant right next to where we are staying. Tourist guided tours with 20-30 people obstructing the sidewalks. Actually a nice change from hardly  ever seeing a person, in Coronado. People watching mecca is what it is. Every nationality, every color, and every type of dress/costume. And of course many varied behaviors.

Our Air B and B is very unique, on the bottom floor is our bedroom, a full bathroom and so much closet space, we had none in Coronado. There's also the desk where my laptop sits and where I write. One flight upstairs which is reached by climbing a scary metal spiral staircase is the kitchen, quite nice, well equipped for cooking and eating and the living room, with comfortable furniture, TV and an incredible panoramic view of the skyline of Downtown Panama City and also the bay between here and there. We like the setting, the view the people watching, restaurants. We've tried a couple already but our big outing this morning was walking to the nearest grocery store (7 or 8 blocks) to stock up with a few things. Restaurants are not cheap but groceries are about half of what they are in Green Valley.

It rained hard for about 10 minutes this morning. April is the month the rainy season starts here. Usually only quick thundershowers. Temperature 88 and humidity about 80. Takes some getting used to.

Stay tuned, we have, I believe 8 days left in Panama. 

Stan the Man 

 Mind-Boggling Post-Script on Pedasi

 

I thought I had said my say about Pedasi, but this keeps coming to mind...it really happened late one evening.  

The child's screams pierced the quiet eventide.  Unrelenting, "OW, OW,OW!".  Gut-wrenching wails of pain.  No way to see through the dense jungle-like undergrowth.  What was the source of pain that seemed on-going; a snake bite, stepping on broken glass, a jaguar attack? No lights on at the nearest dwelling, but a voice heard in the dark, the child taken in, comforted, the screams diminishing.

What appeared to us in daylight is a primitive shack-no power lines strung there, and an outside water source where we watched them brush their teeth.  It was home.  The woman strolled about feeding the chickens, tidying the dog pen, dusting off the bike seat. The man drove off in the shiny new SUV parked in the yard.  In the afternoons we heard the clack of rocks batted by a young boy practicing his baseball swing.  We  pondered the sign at their gate, Jardine de Bruja...garden of the witch?? 

 Stan the Man already described the contrast of the ex-pat enclave. What we saw and heard from our air bnb window, is this the real Panama?

Until next time,

K. 

 

A New Mind-Boggling Location 

It is true that we don't always get what we want or expect. This moving from place to place and from one Air B&B to another can fool us. All you really have to go on is the description on-line and the photos that may be representative or not. It is quite easy to take photos of the positives of a place and leave out the negatives. There are also factors that we don't take into consideration until we arrive at the new location. We did arrive in our current location in  Coronado, Panama with high hopes. The facilities are very new and pristine, 5 or 6 duplexes arranged around a beautiful pool. There's also two thatched roofed shelters that provide hammocks, grills and shade which is needed in this tropical clime. Inside the duplexes the furnishings are what could be called minimalist. There is a counter in the kitchen area at which one could sit and eat except there are no stools. We eat most of our meals standing. There is a couch which I'm sitting on right now that is comfy but there is no place to comfortably do what I'm doing....writing on the blog, doing banking etc. There's one little table about the size of my laptop and that's it. There is a table and chairs on the patio outside the back door but its in the morning sun, not a good place to be. It's 86 degrees with 86% humidity. We have started eating our dinners out there since it's somewhat cooler by 6pm. This close to the equator the days and nights are almost equal in length and no daylight savings time.

The info we read before choosing this place, by the way its called the Bambu Haus, stated it was within an easy walk to restaurants, the beach and grocery stores. So the first evening we were here we set out to walk to Picasso's restaurant and get dinner and a few groceries. I'm guessing it was a mile and a half, 85 degrees and similar humidity. Needless to say we were hot, soaked with sweat and exhausted upon our eventual arrival. After eating we went across the street to what was basically a convenience store and bought stuff for the next day. Now it was dark, the road back to Bambu Haus had no sidewalks but did have heavy traffic. It was scary, couldn't get a taxi so we took a side road, rutted dirt all the way. We did make it okay except of course tired, again dripping with sweat and ready for the bottle of wine we carried back from the store.

We also discovered that the beach and the Pacific Ocean weren't just a stroll away, a pretty good hike instead but a nice beach for walking.

It didn't take us long to discover Uber has a real presence here and that's been how we are getting around recently. There are also a number of taxis.

I don't want to bore you all so going to stop now but will be back with more about Coronado soon. Just want to point out mind-bogglings can come in positives or negatives.  

 Stan the Man

 

 

 Mind-Boggling Stuff:

Time drags at times, then it speeds up and hurries on it's way. As Katherine indicated we are not often up to date on the time, date, month or.... I was going to write year but that's not accurate, we do know the year. But where we were for a week in the little remote town of Pedasi, Panama we could have been in Honduras in 1965. That's where I was back then working as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The living conditions around our house, an Air bnb remind me of the living standards back then in Honduras. One could say they are living at the subsistence level with only those possessions that are absolutely necessary. But we can't jump to any conclusions based on that since they seem happy, are very family and neighborhood oriented and every household, it seems, has a dog or two and many homes have a rooster and a number of chickens running about. Most homes do not have air conditioning There are a few cars but not many and some streetlights. Yes, there is electricity and running water that can be consumed which was not true in 1965.

Speaking of cars, we rented one from a local place that had a few. I can't tell you what a bucket of bolts that was, non-functioning power steering, I'm sure with all the rattles it had people could hear us coming a mile before we got there. I also can't tell you what brand of car it was either, wasn't something important enough to pay attention to. Anyway, we rented this car just for exploring the nearby attractions. We visited two beaches, Pedasi sits on a range of hills just above the Pacific Ocean. The roads to the beaches are dirt and very rough. Once you get to the end of the road it abruptly ends just above the beach and there is barely enough room to turn around and no parking. There are few people on the beach unlike what a beach in the United States would look like, mobbed with people.

Our last full day at Pedasi we were invited to the home of an American couple's home. We had been wondering where the ex-pats lived. One of them was a presenter at the International Living Conference we attended in Panama City telling us how great life is in Pedasi. Well, several miles out of town we drive into a gated community that could have been a suburb of Miami. There are probably 30 homes, beautiful homes but the expats don't live in Pedasi. They live 3 miles outside the town and have their own little isolated well-to-do community. I was disappointed they weren't integrated into the community but it appears that's the way it goes in Panama.

We left Pedasi the next day and are now in Coronado, Panama. Read about it next time.

Stan the Man 

 No Clocks!!

Loving this "No Clocks" to live by or mark time...really the first place we've stayed without a clock.  Mind Boggling!  There are other time keepers at play here though. The first rooster crowed at 3:33a.m.., (I just had to sneak a peek at my phone). Okay, it's 5 a.m. somewhere... Not a glimmer of day light.  Maybe it's the night sentry crowing an "all's well."  Two or three others join in a round of "cockle-doodle-doo's, then all is quiet for awhile.  The whole mind-boggling band of roosters all join in earnest around 5 a.m. and again at sun-down.  Quite a cacophony mixed with bird calls, happy hens, and barking dogs!

It is the sounds of life here in this neighborhood.  Sure beats the racket of the city; sirens, back-firing trucks, and fast cars. We don't hear the sounds of exiting commuters either...perhaps they work from home or walk to work.  We do see many houses with open doors and windows to take advantage of the breezes instead of closed in with A/C like we are here in our air bnb. Takes a bit to adjust to 80 degrees, and 78% humidity that changes little from day to night. Beautiful blue skies greet us each morning. 

 Today we explore another playa and put our feet in the sand and cool waters of the Pacific.

Until next time,

K. 

 

Mind-boggling struggles, contrasts and landscapes:

For the last hour I have been struggling to get permission to write this post on our blog. I still don't understand what the issue was but it feels like Google is always creating steps I have to figure out before I can gain access and accomplish what I so desire. Finally after trying a number of strategies I was able to maneuver my way through their obstacle fields and here I am writing. Emotionally it is very aggravating to go through these things. Okay, enough of that.

So, a couple of days ago we completed our stay at the Panama City Hilton. Three grueling days of one speaker after another. We were trying to take in as much as we could. Mostly good speakers talking about their favorite places to live or visit in this country along with the necessary bureaucratic procedures to establish a residency here. There's one type of residency in Panama that is particularly beneficial for retirees, its called the Pensionado and provides all kinds of benefits, lesser fees for a variety of services and goods etc. We're mostly interested in the various locales that sound interesting and not settling down and living here, at least at this point.  We have a list of places we would like to visit. Of course, each of the speakers has their favorite place and its hard to sift through that. During the conference there was some fun and what they call "adult beverages." Yes, outside companies sponsored social hours with free drinks so those were nice opportunities to talk with other participants and exhibitors.

We had already decided where we wanted to spend some time after the conference, a small town of about 3000 inhabitants named Pedasi. We hired a driver, Miguel to drive us there yesterday. We left Panama City traffic behind at 10AM, Miguel arrived early and we left the traffic of the city behind, quickly. Yes, he is a good driver, and fast. It was a good chance to practice our Spanish while he practiced his English.It turns out he is a policia at night. The roads were good, at least on par with the USA in most places.

Our destination was reached at 2:30 in the afternoon. The town is almost at the end of the road and is way out on a Peninsula that is very dry and hot this time of the year but still humid. The nearby terrain is hilly and as brown as can be. The difference between Panama City and being here in Pedasi is truly mind-boggling. Our spacious AirB&B is surrounded by jungle vegetation, green and beautiful while the major early morning sounds come from a myriad of roosters, hens and dogs. With good air conditioning and overhead fans we are quite comfortable. There are beautiful beaches just a seven minute drive from here that we will explore soon, more about that next time.

One last thing: This town has no street names or house numbers. We drove around with our rattle trap car we rented, trying to find our place. Without the assistance of the owner of the house who lives up in Seattle via e-mail etc. we might have never found it. But we did.

Stan the Man and Katherine the Great

  

 

 

 Mind-boggling New Location

 More travels, mind-boggling travels:

Yes, we are actually in Panama. Arriving here wasn't a piece of cake as they say but it was worth it. Left Tri-Cities (Pasco) on a late afternoon flight, that was about 5:30PM; arrived at Seattle at 6:30PM. Waited around for our next flight that took off on the way to Atlanta, Georgia about 10:30PM. Flew over night and arrived in Atlanta at 5:50 AM. I slept maybe an hour on that flight. Then on to Panama City without a lot of sleep. I must admit I was tired and sleepy from the many sleepy hours on the flight. By the time we arrived and began the trek to our hotel with others bound for the same conference we were headed to at the magnificent Hilton in downtown Panama City. 

Now we have been here for two days, attempting to overcome our travel fatigue while also attending many presentations focused on the good things about Panama and how and why we should live there. There are some reasons we shouldn't large birds circling, they look like the vultures we see all the time in Arizona but then we got to our room on the 23rd floor and the next morning for the first time we could look down  at them during the morning and see them from above. What a shame, they are so beautiful and glide so easily. I wish I could do the same, but seeing them from above is a  treat. Okay, there is so much more going on but I will be sharing on this blog again soon. Stay, tuned? 

Stan the Man 

 Mind Boggling Stuff

Number one mind-boggling is Katherine joining me on this blog. It's great to have her join with me even after she was a little resistant, saying she was no writer. My thought is that if you write, you are a writer, so she now is a writer. I have and will continue to appreciate her input and participation. She has a different perspective than me that is invaluable.

Number two mind-boggling is what Katherine brought up in her last post: Connections. I had many connections in Green Valley and Tucson that I don't want to lose and that I value. I don't know yet where we will end up but I will want to have easy access to those Southern Arizona communities because of my ties there. The Scribblers, writers group, the two exceptional writers at Canyon View are all people that are special to me and that I am missing already.

Number three mind-boggling is our current location we are staying at Katherine's brother's home. Earlier a family reunion took place. I have never really felt at ease, accepted by her family but this time it feels different. Maybe they changed or more likely I changed. Perhaps I am more accepting and more myself, this probably happens as we get older and it makes for better relationships, or as Katherine says, "connections," doesn't it?

One final mind-boggling thought. It's cold up here in the North, I lived here in Kennewick twice during my career. I didn't think it was so cold but after 10 years in Southern Arizona it certainly feels cold. I don't seem to ever get warm but, of course, I don't have the correct coat  and gloves that would be a bit of protection. This is the so-called Banana Belt of Washington State but its still winter. In the distance, jutting up 2500 feet from the flat landscape is Rattlesnake Mt. This morning it was white with new snow. The temperature hasn't been above the 50s since we've been here. I know, it's not below zero like Minnesota and places like that but it feels downright cold to us. I'm not sure I could live here again.

On to Panama, heat and humidity in two days. Sounds good to me. 

Stan the Man 

 

 Connections and Re-Connections

In our mind-boggling migrations from Green Valley, this time in a northerly direction, we leave behind good friends, including mi tres amigas. Whether by serendipity or divine intervention, these three ladies have become dear friends.  It all started with volunteer opportunities and weekly visits and morphed into friendships that will last a lifetime. Despite distance, these ladies and I still connect through texts, emails, snail mail and phone calls. And it's more than just a technological connections, it is the heart strings that are connected too.

We have felt that with our reconnection face to face with family here in Washington.  We have been far-flung for years and yet our gatherings are joyful and heartfelt.  We leave other friends here and there behind as well, and over many years continue to stay connected, looking forward to meeting up again to share and exchange the adventures and lives each of us is living. 

This week our migration will be to the south as we fly to Panama City, a new country I've never visited.  What mind-boggling connections and adventures await us... 

Till next time, 

Katherine 

 

 

More Mind-boggling Travels 

Our travels continue. Staying at the Sure-Stay Hotel on Van Buren in Phoenix for the free parking and shuttle to the airport. Order in Italian for dinner, a brief nap and up at 2AM, getting on the shuttle at 3AM. We were going early for our 6:15 flight to Seattle because of the problems with TSA staffing, the news said there were 3 to 4 hour waits to get through security. Of course when we arrived at the airport there was no wait, got through immediately but prior to that we had to ride the train and walk a mile because of remodeling at the airport. By the time we got to our gate we still had nearly two hours before boarding. That will be the last time I get up at 2AM, at least I hope.

After a 3.5 hour flight we arrived safely in Seattle where we would catch our flight to our destination at the Pasco, WA airport which is just across the Columbia River from our true destination, the home of Katherine's brother John and his wife in Kennewick. Katherine was born in this town which has probably tripled its size or more since she lived there. I also had lived here twice during my career. Also present upon our arrival was Katherine's other brother Dave and his wife and cousin Mike and his wife and another cousin Jan. Quite a family reunion!

Lots of catching up, conversation, sharing of memories has followed for the last couple of days. Great people and wonderful sharing. We are staying here for a few days before our big international trip to Panama. We are looking forward to that adventure but will continue to enjoy each other here until our departure.

Stan the Man 

 

  

 

 

 

More Mind-Bogglings

We are still living or at least visiting the city of Phoenix just off Indian School Road. Lots of traffic but we are far enough away from that main drag so we hear very little except the loud motorcycles that pass mostly at night. We were lucky enough to find a Sprouts grocery store within walking distance so that's convenient. In the same strip mall is a restaurant called the the Angry Crab. Initially I wasn't interested in eating there (I'm allergic to crab) but we decided to try it for lunch. What a feast. Most customers get crab by the pound, dumped on their table and are equipped with gloves and bibs. We didn't go that route, simply had an appetizer of shrimp, calamari and hush puppies followed by deep fried fish. Even that was a feast. I couldn't believe how much I ate which didn't look like near as much as the others were eating. It was delicious. Certainly a mind-boggling kind of place but I don't think I will return.

Another day we went to the Phoenix Zoo, I didn't even know there was one here. Large desert terrain for many animals but it was difficult to imagine a giraffe or a hippo living in that patch of desert. The most colorful were the parrots, I've always wanted one but settled for a painting. The temperature was in the 80s so many of the captured animals were in whatever spot of shade they could find and were napping, not much activity. Most of the activity came from the thousands of young humans that were there, nice to see youngsters running around. It was not cheap, I think the entrance fee was a mind-boggling $40 for an adult but Katherine asked about a senior rate and we got $10 off but with the lunch of chicken we had I guess the final spent was about $100. Too much for what we saw.

We now have three more days before we are out of here, a place I don't think I will remember with fondness. Next to the Tri-Cities in Washington State and a week later we fly to Panama. It will be good to arrive on foreign territory and to experience a different culture.

Stan the Man 

 

 

More Mind-boggling Change 

Yes, we continue to move on, as of last night we are in Phoenix, Arizona. It could be a culture shock but of course we have been here before so we were kind of ready for it. In fact we lived here for awhile quite a few years ago but since we left this city has grown from the 7th largest city in the U.S. to the 5th largest with a population of 1,673,164. Now that sounds big until you compare it to New York City where we also lived for a few years. NYC now has over 8 million inhabitants. But try comparing it to the last place we were, where we spent three weeks, Sonoita which has a population of 803. Each place has it's own culture, its own strengths and its own problems. 

Currently we have 10 days in Phoenix to see what its like living here, of course 10 days will only allow us to scratch the surface. We were planning on being here to meet up with Todd, my son and his wife Joy. They were going to be in Phoenix for major league baseball spring training, they're big fans of the Seattle Mariners. Unfortunately, their plans changed so they aren't here. However, we will be having a mini reunion with other family and friends.

I'm sure you can imagine the process of not knowing a huge city but yet needing to get somewhere specific. The traffic is terrible and it either crawls or accelerates to the point that its scary. We did find our apartment with little trouble. Another well equipped Air B&B with just about everything we need. I don't think we have lived in an apartment before. Without Katherine and her GPS we could have been lost for some time. We are in the area that is known as South Biltmore, hopefully we will get a chance to visit the Biltmore Resort and Spa.  

Until Next Time,

Stan the Man 

 

Preparing for More Change 

Yes, we have been stable for awhile but we are on the precipice of another mind-boggling change. I suspect what we write about here doesn't always seem mind-boggling to the reader but to us every change without having a home to return to seems to fall into that realm of mind-boggling. We pack-up, prepare to move on but its not to head home but instead to another set of unknowns, sometimes scary and sometimes exciting.But we are a couple days away from the next change which will be followed by other changes. For the days left here in a cottage on a Sonoita farm we will be getting ready for the next move.

It's been a good time here in this place and last Friday was a special day. Our good friends Jon and Sonja from Tucson came up and met us for lunch at Dos Cabezos one of the few restaurants in or around Sonoita. Like every establishment here they have wine tasting and wine by the glass along with delicious pizza and wonderful chocolate cake. It's a great place to visit for eating, drinking and meeting up. Locals and visitors seem to enjoy it, a very busy place.

As always, good conversation with Jon and Sonja. Jon is very curious about most everything. He asked what the name Sonoita comes from, I hadn't checked that but out came his phone and we learned it is believed that it means "land of many springs". That rings true since we have seen a number of springs that stand out here in the dry landscape. There is one on this farm we are staying on that feeds a small lake.

After a great lunch of pizza and conversation we headed out to the Historic Empire Ranch where we had an interesting hike under towering cottonwoods and amongst fallen members of the tree scape. The trees are able to grow there because of the creek that runs through the area but not now. It was bone dry. At any rate, a great day.

If you read the last post by Katherine you know we may be spending our summer at Crater Lake. We have been notified that we should know whether we are chosen by early March, coming up soon.

Next we will be back in Green Valley for a couple of days so I can get a shot in my eye for my Macular Degeneration "ouch" and to take care of several business things. Then off to Phoenix, Kennewick, WA and Panama.

Stan the Man 

  

 

 

Mind Boggling Development

 Mind Boggling Development

 Hello, this is Katherine, Stan the Man's wife.  He invited me to be a guest writer on his blog.  This week we dusted off our resumes and applied for volunteer positions at Crater Lake National Park in Southern Oregon, in the Cascade Range.  This summer season gig includes giving nature talks, guiding hikes, engaging with visitors at view points, and working in the gift shop.  We know it is a long shot, but why not?

If we do get hired, we will be in for a grand adventure in an amazing geological site.  The mind boggling development of the lake 7,700 years ago when the Mazama volcano erupted then collapsed into it's caldron, filling with snow and water. The lake is over 1900 feet deep and filled with crystal clear blue water.  

This crazy escapade will perhaps be another adventure!  We'll keep you posted.

Thanks for reading and following our ongoing travels.

 K.

 Mind-Boggling Change

It's our 13th day living in this little cottage in the middle of no-where. Well, it's not exactly in the middle of nowhere but to get here there is about two miles of dirt road off of the highway that runs from Sonoita downhill to I-10. That dirt road is literally a washboard. I can hear my teeth rattle as I drive it. There are several other structures here with other people living or working in them but we have little contact.

We have 10 more days in this spot and we move on. The name of the game for us is change. Years ago I trained employees how to deal with change. Now I'm getting a full dose. Everywhere we go is a change and we know it will be followed by another change. Big time change. I know the dangers of so much change; stress, depression, resistance and more. My wife Katherine and I have been together very happily for 33 years but it would be easy for us to get off track in our relationship with all this change but so far we are good. Communication is the key. Don't let resentments build because of the feeling of never being settled, not having our stuff etc. Above all we can't let little things grow until they become the proverbial elephant in the room. Self care is also important. We are learning as we go.

Traveling and change was easier in the past because we had our home to go home to but now with no stability it's more difficult to adjust. I like to think of us as residents of the Earth or maybe the Universe, those are our homes. We are finding it's not always easy but we enjoy feeling like we belong to those larger entities.

So change goes on even as we read, write, think, converse right here in Sonoita, AZ. 

Stan the Man 

 

 

Mind-Boggling Homelessness 

Yes, being homeless is a mind-boggling experience. Katherine and I have now carried that title since the 20th of January, not even a month but it is going well so far. No mortgage, no handyman needed to fix one thing or another, no home insurance, no landscaping to maintain and no utility bills or HOA fees. Of course there are new expenses, we are in our second Air B&B. These places aren't cheap but we will find new and cheaper ways to live in the near future, perhaps in another country. There are many countries that welcome American retirees and their cost of living is much less.

 

 There are some 770,000 homeless people in the United States. most caused by a lack of affordable housing, poverty and unemployment. We are not like those people, and we don't pretend to be. We attach that title to ourselves lightly and with no desire to diminish the situations the truly homeless find themselves in. We have resources that give us an advantage. We wish we knew how to help those individuals with their homelessness.

 

Another good side of being homeless is you can keep moving. This place we are now residing provides everything we need and more. Yes, it's kind of small and the queen bed is in what would be normally called the living room or family room, so is the comfy couch, the TV and other furniture.The kitchen is good size and well outfitted with adequate space for two or three to eat. Outside the front door is a large covered patio. It is quiet, so quiet you can hear yourself think. That wasn't true in Green Valley, there are no trucks, no freeway, It's quiet. 

 

The road in and out of here is gravel, well in some spots it's hard packed dirt but much of it is washboard meaning 10 miles an hour to traverse the two miles to the paved road and of course to get back in here. Our first day here we made that two mile trip out and drove the 50 miles or so to Sierra Vista, a pretty town of around 45,000 inhabitants with a fairly large military base and the men and woman of the army. The purpose of our trip was to visit the nearest Safeway and get provisions for a couple of weeks.

 

Then yesterday we took a drive of about 100 miles to a mind-boggling place. The rock formations of The Chiricahuas. Incredible rock formations, unique, I've never seen anything like them. If I could figure out how to put pictures on this blog I would share them but of course everything keeps changing and I have not been able to figure it out yet. Maybe next time.

 

Stan the Man 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 Mind-Bogglings:

Our house sold, we moved our personal things out, it was sold furnished and turn key.

We were declared homeless. 

First place we went was down the road to an Air B&B in Rio Rico which is very close to the border with Mexico. A casita way out in the desert, actually in open range country with cattle wandering by once in a while. The most incredible part of the place was the views. Right up against the Santa Rita mountains it felt as if we could reach out and touch the peaks but also with views of hills, mountains, valleys in all directions. The full moon visited us while there. The views could lead one to fully admire this part of the country, it could change your view of nature and much more.

After ten days in Rio Rico, we pull ourselves away and are on our way to the other side of those mountains, the wide spot in the road called Sonoita. It has a population of about 800 and most of the inhabitants are scattered around living on ranches or farms. Nearby is the small town of Elgin which is one of the centers of vineyards, wineries and wine tasting in Arizona. 

About half way to Sonoita we stop in the little town of Patagonia. We hike the Cemetery Trail, wondering why it's called that. The trail started out easy but soon greeted us with quite a climb, switchbacks and all. When we reached the top we were now aware why the trail had it's name; a large historical cemetery sits there on the top of the mountain, great views. After descending we had a delicious lunch at a cafe in the downtown. On to Sonoita!

Our new Air B&B where we will be for about 3 weeks lies four miles from "downtown" Sonoita, then two miles on a dirt road to a 20 acre farm with horse and sheep. We will be in a small cottage near the barn, nice facility. More about this location and our experiences here soon.

Stan the Man 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Mind-boggling trip with or without hearing.

 

Mind-bogglings don't always grab us and sometimes we don't even notice when something like that happens, that means something unexpected with unexpected results that impact us directly and we wonder, why did that happen to me? Well, Ive had one of those recently. Yes, it seems that we had everything going our way but then? 

Well I've been wearing the same hearing aids for about seven years, no problem, well okay, once I lost one but they were still under the warranty even though I lost it it was replaced with no cost to me.

But this time I'm not so lucky. One morning recently I was reaching for my hearing aids to re-install them but the second one, for the right ear was missing the little rubber thingy that sits into the ear was not there. I said, "oh no". It led to a long and thorough search of the place we are staying with no luck. I came to the solution that it had stayed in my ear and was still there. So off we went to an urgent  care center to get it extracted . I was nervous because how foolish would I feel if it wasn't in there. But it was, the nurse practitioner said after a few minutes of probing, I see it. I had to sign a form giving her permission to extract it which she did. Suddenly there it was, out of my ear.

But they discovered both the rubber thingy and a ball of wax were totally covering the ear drum. No wonder I've been having trouble hearing. There might have been infection in there also so now I'm on 10 ear antibiotic drops twice per day.  and have no hearing out of that right ear. I'm hoping this ordeal will be over soon. I have other stuff to deal with, like where will we go next. We are on a mind-boggling trip to who knows where.

Stan the Man 

 

 

Things  moved slow, negotiations, back and forth on our big deal, selling our house, and going homeless. Then suddenly it happened, primarily because of our flexibility and willingness to give up some money. Was it worth it? I can't really say at this point but if the freedom we are just beginning to feel is any indication of how we will feel, without question, it was worth it. We still didn't lose too much and we are able to move ahead. 

Move ahead? What does that mean? Well, we have big plans but not much is clear yet. We are taking it one step at a time. Our first step after signing the final paperwork, no actually, it was the day before the papers were signed and the money flowed in our direction we moved out of our house, former home and into the Green Valley Best Western Inn. Three days in one hotel was enough, but we had a few details to take care of. That was completed yesterday so as of last night and for the next week or so we are staying in a little rental out in the outback of a place called Rio Rico. Small but with great views of the surrounding mountains, an outside fireplace that we enjoyed last night and it got us about 30 miles or so closer to Mexico where we would like to spend some time eventually.

But first on to Sonoita, AZ for nearly a month, staying on a farm, and in the middle of a great wine growing area. We have plans beyond that which will be disclosed as soon as they are firmed up.Stay tuned in!

Stan the Man 

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Mind-Boggling Resolution

We appear to have a mind-boggling deal on the sale of our house and the closing is scheduled for January 20th. We went through a series of negotiations, back and forth, until the issues were resolved by us granting credit to the buyers for improvements to the roof and a couple other things. So, the bottom line is there is basically a reduction in the cash our buyers have to come up with and we don't have to worry about getting the work done. We are not happy about the bottom line to our net profit but a deal is nearly done. It is a mind-boggling accomplishment however and we are happy we will be free to travel, find other housing or whatever we decide to do. The feeling of freedom will be welcome when the deal is signed sealed and delivered.

When the sale is completed and this house belongs to someone else we will be embarking on new adventures that are not totally designed yet. We do know about two stays in Air Bed and Breakfasts in the Southern Arizona area for the first couple of months but after that we only have rough ideas. Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, Spain and mind-boggling places we haven't even thought of yet..

I invite you to follow us on our adventures right here on Mind-Bogglings. 

Stan the Man