Ollie & Janelle Come to Visit

Ollie & Janelle Orcutt, from Madras, OR, came to visit us this week. We showed them downtown Wickenburg. To our surprise, they ran into a long-lost friend....


Ollie got downright friendly with one of the locals....

We took them to Jerome, AZ...one of our favorite spots from last year.

We had to sample some of the local brew.....

and then caught the boys coming from the House of Joy!

We had a fun time showing them around central Arizona, and expect they'll be back for more some time.

Visiting Relatives, Relatively Speaking

Last weekend, we went to visit June's daughter, Bethanie and her husband Ryan, in Corona, CA. Tom was blown away by their lemon tree, which reportedly produces lemons year round. Had to pick some to bring home!


They took us to the San Diego Zoo. It was a wonderful, fun day!

These are koalas...

baby giraffe...

Oh, could this be a long-lost Mertz???????????????

Sun bears...

Bethanie & Ryan....

The Mertz's

Morango Valley, California

Last Thursday, March 4, we went to visit Mike & Cathy McIntyre at their "cabin" in Morango Valley, California. This is their view, including an ocotillo which is beginning to bloom.


Mike made a stairway up the hill behind their place. Each step is unique.

Mike has made a golf course...Sageflower Links, Home of Rattlesnake Golf! The course includes 13 holes, and he has each hole marked - he even has determined par for each hole. (sorry about the quality of this picture...don't have software on this computer to fix it)

Here is Tom taking aim,

and June

After golf, it was time to hit Cialis Cove. Too bad it was too cold to fill the tubs with water!

On the way back to Wickenburg, we took the long route, going thru Pahrump, Nevada on east to Mesquite. We also drove through Logandale and Overton in the Moapa Valley. Trying to avoid Las Vegas, we took a back road down to Boulder City. Along the way there was wonderful scenery, including various shades of red rock formations.

Once again we drove across Hoover Dam, and had to take a picture of the progress on the bridge.

Saving the best for last, Tom couldn't resist this one!!! (neither could June!)

Oh Deer !

Warning: If you are feint of heart or vegetarian, read no further!

We recently drove to Chino Valley, just north of Prescott, to visit a life-long friend of June's (like we're talking 57 years!). She is married to a guy who you might say is a hunter. He has traveled to nearly all 50 states, and has even written a book "Bucks I Have Taken (And Bucks that Got Away)", by Jay M. Gates III. He has the head or horns of every deer he has taken...representing all five species of North American Deer: Coues Whitetail, Columbian Blacktail, Northeastern Whitetail, Sitka Blacktail and Mule Deer. He is a nationally known hunter and lecturer. Two rooms were added on to their house to display his mounts. The smaller ones are in the garage. He tells us that someone once counted and came up with 95. Here are just some of his deer....


Their daughter works at home for an attorney, I asked her if she felt she was being watched. She laughed and said "you get used to it".

The floor versions shown above are for the grandchildren! If you're interested in seeing all 95, Tom has them on video.

Their cars are identified as follows: