Ketchup Number 1

 So.....Here we are again. Our return from trying to have some Side by Side fun brought us to more work than we really wanted! Hanging out in a motorhome, cruising willy-nilly about the country was so much more fun than looking at all the work we had to do to turn this building into a home!

The electrician (thank you, Kevin!) finished hooking up power to the home,

And we went shopping...

programmed the instant hot water heater,

and settled in. Complete with ethereal figures keeping watch over the entry....

The trees in the yard began to change,

but Sasha didn't much care.

The flooring starts, only 920 square feet to go:

And in our spare time, the patio gets repaired...

A few trips to the local furniture and appliance store got us to a livable abode (minus a few pictures and such!)

Along about the middle of December we enjoyed a taste of winter while we decorated for Christmas.

We had a modest Christmas this year, but family time is totally so worth any effort. Jeff, his daughter Hanna, and his friend Catherine helped us with a hilarious white elephant gift exchange, and our daughter Teresa and her family joined in!

Emily wasn't quite sure what to do with the antique phone!

Cainen was (somewhat) underwhelmed with the brand new toilet seat she received from an unknown Santa!

And, of course, Sasha had a ball (pun intended) with her Christmas gift from her friend Max in Florida!

Christmas is such a great time of the year! Jeff hosted dinner at his home for his son Devon, daughter Hanna, and the old folks. His kitchen his kitchen has some interesting interesting features...

And again with the white stuff. We don't see much snow at our elevation in NorCal, so it's been a real treat!

And, pretty soon, Christmas is over (sigh).

In mid January, we set off on our usual winter trip to Arizona. We enjoy spending a few weeks roughing it in the desert and enjoying some time riding the four wheel drive toy.

I could go on and on, the desert is so beautiful.

After a couple of weeks in the desert, we needed a little downtown time, so we slipped over to Mesa, Arizona and spent a week relaxing. A day trip to Scottsdale was great, and dinner at Cold Beer and Cheeseburgers was a fitting end to a fine day!

The fountain in the center of the tourist district in Scottsdale is an attractive landmark. We needed it as we walked around the area!

Our next stop was in Yuma, Arizona, where we spent a week with friends Dave and Toni:

They took us win a hike on the Painted Desert Trail, north of Yuma in an area we didn't know existed after several years in the area!

Keeping a watchful eye out for danger....

Life has been good to us, and we're so very fortunate to have such good friends!

Next stop: Ketchup Number 2, here's a hint: