Nope. Nada. No way. When Shannon saw the add on the bulletin board of a local barbecue place, she was bound and determined to get another dog. Did I say I was against the idea? In case I didn't, I was. I finally put my foot down and emphatically (at least as emphatically as a Minnesotan can be) said "NO." My foot apparently is still trying to find the ground. So, we got ourselves a dog. We've missed Libby and not having a dog, but many times we said it was so nice to be free of a dog and not have to worry about getting back to taking care of it, etc. Means nothing.
The dog is a Shihpoo, a Shih Tzu/toy poodle mix. It is 11 weeks old and just about fits in my vest pocket. We have no name yet agreed upon, but I'm holding out for Quasimodo. You know how successful I was saying no to a new dog; I may lose on the name, too. Scout has already sensed a disturbance in the force, and Darth Vader is now in the motor home.
On a happier note...We leave for Holbrook and PEFO tomorrow. We will stay at a KOA in Holbrook, take the car to the body shop first thing Monday morning, and pick up our mail at PEFO with an offering of Christmas cookies. We expect to head to Albuquerque on Wednesday and planning another Christmas in Albuquerque.
One of the accomplishments while hunkering down at Camp Verde was the annual baking of Christmas cookies. For the first three days, the motor home smelled heavenly, and, as official taster, blood sugar levels went into the stratosphere. Shannon packed several boxes of gifts and cookies for kids and grandkids, and we were then amazingly caught up with all the required chores that constitute the Christmas madness. Little did I dream at that time of Quasimodo. Christmas madness indeed!
We were able to visit the National Monuments in the Camp Verde area. This is Montezuma's Castle. It was built high up in an alcove in a limestone wall above an actively flowing river. The culture that built this and used the following photos are termed the Sinaqua Culture. This culture occupied this area from the late 1100's to the early 1400's. The Hopi believe they were their ancestors, and the people of this culture eventually migrated onto the Hopi mesa.
And then we visited Montezuma's Well. This is a deep water pool fed by water that had percolated through the rock formations thousands of years in the past. There were also habitation structures built in the alcoves surrounding this well. This was a fun visit because we did a little water fowl watching, reminding us of being on the National Wildlife Refuges. We saw northern shovelers, widgeons, coots, and buffleheads.
Finally we visited Tuzigoot outside of Cottonwood. This was another example of Sinaqua Culture, but the dwellings were built on top of a hill to command all the countryside miles around. The hill was next to the Verde River and a large marshy area (an oxbow lake), and the village was the center of a large agricultural community.
We have now familiarized ourselves with the Verde Valley and have been very impressed. It is an area that we could easily spend the winter and not get too cold. Today and yesterday the highs have been in the 50's and the lows are in the high 20's. Ah, time to head back up north.
2 comments:
Quasimodo???? Now is this cute little ball of fur a male or female? I can't tell from reading the blog. Will this adorable little one be called "Quasi" or "Modo". Should I ask Wilbur what you should name your new little pet?? Happy to see you enjoyed all of the sites in the Camp Verde area. It is a beautiful place to spend the winter.
A wise old married guy once shared with me that the secret to wedded bliss was for the male of the species to learn and utilize two important words to insure harmony: "Yes, dear". It appears you have learned that lesson as well...Have fun potty training in the RV. TB
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