Finishing up at Ironwood - December 2014

This is our last week in California.  I am really going to miss this place.  The desert grows on you believe it or not and the people here at Ironwood Christian Camp are incredibly resourceful and every time we meet someone new it is so good to know that in eternity we will be sharing scenery that everyone will enjoy, might even have a little desert!  I have captured a few pics of things you don't normally see in the desert nor would you anticipate that you would.  They say to come back in the Spring - the flowers are beautiful, hard to imagine but I will do just that one day - I need proof!  On my walk this afternoon I ran across these two in bloom - reminds me of that saying - bloom right where you are.  You don't normally see this in the desert!

We heard that night before last Walt and Betty saw 2 Bobcats in their front yard.  Walt said one of them jumped in a tree in their front yard, clearing easily at least 10 ft. high.  Now I am just a little nervous on my walks.  I clap my hands periodically and sing real loud!  Now if that don't scare them I don't know what would!  They probably think that cat has a weird growl!  I did see a coyote one day on my walk when I rounded a curve.  I scared him as bad as he scared me!  He took off towards the mountain.

 A white picket fence on a cloudy day - you don't normally see this in the desert!  We have had 2 bouts of rain so far and tomorrow we are suppose to get more - very unusual.

Sunrise on a cloudy day in the desert is worth waking up early for - sunsets are gorgeous.

 A stage coach - just arrived, anyone for a ride?

 30+ of these have become my new friends - they now whineeeeee when they see me coming.  They wait for me every afternoon to pick up leftovers that fell over the fence during feeding to put either in their mouth or in their trough!

 Many of the staff here at Ironwood have small children.  You don't see many of these signs in the desert!

 Notice anything unusual at the left back base of this teepee skeleton?  An air conditioner!  In the summer when it is 110+ degrees this skeleton has a covering on it and I would guess it gets quite warm inside so the local indians (aka campers) have elected to have a cool teepee!

 A tennis court in the desert you say?  Yep, this camp even offers tennis to their campers and staff.

 Now this is very unusual.  If you are familiar with what a fooseball table is, this is a human sized one.  Each person mans a spot and hangs from the ceiling with straps.  He can not let go and can only kick the ball as far as his strap will allow him to go.  A Human Fooseball Court!  Each end has a trap that you will want to kick your ball to make points for your team.  The imagination of these westerners is BIG!

 Now this is what I call a BBQ pit.  Notice the grate on the top that is lowered onto the coals in the metal box.  I would imagine you could cook anything from a pig to a mountain lion.  With a little BBQ sauce and slow cooking' all day - OH YEAH!

Last but not least, a tree nursery, yes, a tree nursery!  They start small aspen saplings and when they reach about 4-5 ft. tall they transplant around the camp.  Every tree on this camp was started by the original people who created this camp 40 years ago and ever since then.  It really is amazing what you can do in the desert.

There are only 2 of us couples here this month.  Here we are enjoying hot fudge sundaes at Peggy Sue's one Thursday (Sower Friday) afternoon.  Don't tell our kids but it served the purpose of our dinner that day.  That's how good we've been!

We will leave next week after a trip to Los Angeles this weekend to see the Reagan Library and John McArthur's church for their Christmas Cantata Matinee on Saturday.  Sunday we will pack up the "house" and Monday let her roll back down Hwy. 40 East this time to Camp Verde (half way between Phoenix and Flagstaff.  We are all eagerly awaiting the arrival of little Miss Abigail Grace (Carotenuto).  We are hoping Mama keeps her in the oven till mid-January!

Our son-in-law was offered the lead pastor position at a Nazarene church in Tucson, Sarah is now waiting for an official offer from a veterinary practice in Tucson as well.  They anticipate moving Feb/March of 2015.  I know that they will miss many friends they have made in Flagstaff but it will be fun to watch God work in their lives in Tucson and how He will use them to bring others to Himself there in that area.

Next week I will post pics of our 2 trips to LA - Laguna Beach, Simi Valley and Sun Valley.

Ironwood Christian Camp, November 2014

Ironwood Christian Camp - Newberry Springs, CA

Dry, dusty, gritty and copious amounts of sand!  That is what the Mojave Desert has to offer but for those who live here are accustomed - for us Easteners it is another story!  No matter how often you dust or vacuum there is always at least a light dusting over everything (even if the windows are kept shut)!  If you are walking down the road (sand) and a vehicle passes you, DON’T OPEN YOUR MOUTH OR BREATHE until you can see clearly!  You can even feel it between your teeth!!!!  Now I know why the cowboys wore bandanas over there faces.  At night you can blow enough out of your nose to compose a small sand dune!

Speaking of sand dunes………we hiked to Soldier Mountain Saturday, well, Wayne got there, I only made it to the cell tower because of a wrong turn.  Ever climbed sand?  18 inches up, slide down 12………18 inches up, slide down 12……..18 inches up, slide down 12……….get my drift!    It was a nightmare but the view was incredible…….360 degrees of desert.  Contrary to popular belief (news hype) AMERICA IS NOT OVERPOPULATED!

Ironwood from lake side. Close to sunset - gorgeous sky every night.

We are planning a short weekend jaunt to the Pacific Ocean, Laguna Beach just below Los Angeles this coming weekend.  That is, if the car is fixed………oh yeah, Satan has attacked once again.  To the tune of $200 for a new alternator.  Wayne is as we speak, down at the camp vehicle garage pulling the radiator just to get to the old alternator, will install new one and then the tedious task of putting it all back together with no screws or parts left over.  Ok, we are looking at this positively……..glad it happened here and not on the road to Los Angeles only to break down on the Freeway and glad it happened here and not in the Mojave Desert on the way to the Carotenuto’s for Thanksgiving next week.  There is good in everything that the Lord orchestrates.  Our Sunday School lesson yesterday ended - God is good and God is right.  ALL THE TIME!

The men have been busy extending the Meeting Hall an additional 8 ft. including the roof line, porch and new railings, and then revamping the electrical wiring inside the Meeting Hall.  The women have been sewing new curtains for several of the 70+ cabins located on this campus.  You read right - 70+.  This is the biggest camp that we have encountered.  Below is a picture of the campus from Soldier Mountain that shows just how large the complex is - it’s bigger than the actual city of Newberry Springs which is where it is located (just outside of).  It is amazing to me that the camp can run 3 camps at the same time.  They also offer an institute to train people on how to operate a successful Christian Camp.  We have met so many young people that are serious minded enough to leave this place and either start or contribute to an existing camp.  They are certain that God has called them to this ministry and they are determined to survive even if it is in the desert!

The first weekend we were here we experienced a “brown out” - no electricity for about 12 hours.  These people were not phased!  Me, I wanted my electric blankie working and coffee in the pot when I woke up.  It’s a way of life.

Even the cactus in the desert is beautiful and unusual.

Last Friday night the camp had a “Thank You” dinner for us along with the other 2 camps that were operating at the time.  It was followed by about 1 hr. of entertainment - a skit performed by the counselors and staff.  I have not laughed that hard in a long time.  Better than any TV or theatre show around.  It was a super evening.

Extension on the Meeting Hall (outside)

Extension inside

Selma & Sue sewing curtains

We will be here for the month of December as well.  One of three Sower couples will be leaving for another project but the two of us remaining will be continuing the projects we are currently working on.  Till then we wish everyone a memorable Thanksgiving and a Christ-centered Christmas.  Strange spending the holidays in the desert, got to admit, once in a lifetime!  RV crazy, or what?!

Making homemade pizza for potluck supper night/game night.  L-R:  Gail Fieler, Selma & Len Janzen,

Roy & Sue Anderson, and Wayne Fieler

YUMMO!  It's worth working for!

From Albuquerque to the Mojave Desert - October 2014

Moving right along……..finished another month of work at Camp Oro Quay accomplishing and finalizing many projects.  The men constructed bunk restraints for all of the 3rd high bunks in both the girls’ and boys’ dorms - 96 X 2 = 192 in all; insulated the director’s detached workshop, painted the eaves of the shop and solved several electrical issues.

The ladies finished a curtain project that was started the month before; painted outside frames of windows and doors of the chapel; scrubbed doors of the apartments and assisted with upholstery repairs on the chapel chairs and sanding as needed for the project that the men were working on.

We enjoyed fellowshipping and serving along side two new couples to our circle of friends - Bob & Sharon Gareri #2877 and Gary & Bev Carter #2506.  We enjoyed a real bonafide weinee roast with the staff, an outing of shopping and of course, eating, in Albuquerque.  Another event before this project commenced was the Annual Albuquerque Balloon Festival which all 3 couples attended at some point.  Another couple, the Ragatz’s (Dan & Nancy) happened to be at the festival, came over to visit the project at Sandia Park, and invited us to join them at their RV site at the festival to view the events from an elevated area.  What an experience, so glad we were finally able to attend this event and glad we viewed a successful flight day!  Words cannot express the grandeur - makes one feel like a child again!

Albuquerque proved to be an expensive stay for us but the area dictated availability of these services so we took advantage of it!  Alignment and new tires for the RV, new seating of the windshields, and a new computer.  Whew……$$$$$

A stop off at the Petrified Forest for a quick car tour before heading to Flagstaff.  In our minds this place really confirms the flood during the days of Noah's cruise.  All of the wood lies in the crevices just as if they had landed there after the waters receded.

Ok, on to Arizona to work on a “daddy do” list at our daughter’s (Sarah) in Flagstaff.  Five days of re-arranging furniture to include moving a 2 yr. old out of her crib into her own “big girl” bed and into a different bedroom; moving 7 bookshelves and all the books to a new location; transferring all outgrown baby clothes to their hibernation locations and bringing out the new “big girl” clothes and newborn clothes for the new little girl they are expecting in mid January; constructing a sun shade in the back yard to include laying 23 bags of concrete; repair of the jeep window; relocating a fish tank; transforming an armoire into a desk unit for “E”; and hanging new curtains and making wall decorations to include painting a hillside on 2 walls.  That was the Arizona family project not SOWER!

Arriving one week later in Newberry Springs, CA for a project that will begin Monday, Nov. 3rd - Ironwood Christian Camp (www.ironwood.org).  After one day the ladies have begun a 36-window curtain project and the men have been working on an extension of the meeting hall - today they hung siding and placed more windows in the extension.

The men are expanding the meeting hall in Riverside section of Ironwood

This place is SANDY, DUSTY AND DRY!!!!!  Everything I touch shocks the “bejebbies” out of me and there is a fine layer of dust and sand on everything!  Will not wash the car, RV or sneakers until we land at our next location!  Can’t imagine what the air filters must look like on the vehicles!

Way Station at the entrance of the camp

Our 3 rigs parked in the sand!  None gets tracked in of course!

As we traveled on the highway, I kept thinking a city will soon appear - NOT!  We are literally in the middle of nowhere!  About 1 1/2 hrs. east of Los Angeles, 1 hr. north of Big Bear Lake, and 4 hrs. from Las Vegas.

coming down the mountain from Big Bear Lake

One thing we have been able to see that we never dreamed - a pistachio farm.  They say there is only one other place in the world that grows pistachios - Turkey.  Actually stopped to look at them on a tree - looks like muscadines growing on a small tree about the size of a peach tree. Saturday we attended the annual Pistachio Festival - ate many different flavored pistachios and stocked up on Christmas presents!  One thing for sure, as retirees we don’t have to wait for Black Friday to do our shopping!  Groceries are very expensive here as well as gas/diesel prices which we knew ahead so we stocked up in Arizona before we entered the state of California. 

Saturday afternoon/night we experienced our first “brown out”.  These people were not surprised but we did not like not having electricity for 12 hrs.  It was cold and dark!  Windy is an understatement so putting the awnings out on the RV are out of the question.  They have told us not be surprised if we feel the ground shake with loud thunderous sounds - the gov’t does testing just north of here and it is a standard occurrence.  Yesterday we were able to eat at “Peggy Sue’s” - one of Elvis’s famous stomping grounds.  The paraphernalia was amazing - trouble is I can remember most of everything I saw in my lifetime!  Black & white tile floors with the metal turning stools at an original diner setting.  My dad would have loved to order a real “soda” or “malt”.  Before I leave I will go back and get one!

We will try some minor hiking here on the Camp property - nothing like Albuquerque that’s for sure.  Will take some pics from up on the mountain of the Camp.

Our initial plans are to be here through the holidays reporting to Camp Verde in Arizona next so that we can be close to the Carotenuto’s when the next baby is born……………

Hiking the Sandia Crest - October 2014

If I knew previously to hiking what I know now, NO, I would not do it!  12.5 miles from 6,300 ft. above sea level to 10,600 ft. above sea level in 7 hrs. was all I could possibly do on any given Saturday just outside Albuquerque, NM called the Sandia Crest.  We began about 10:30 a.m. parked our car at the tram, hiked over to the La Luz Trail and then UP UP UP all day long.  We arrived at the top of the tram at approximately 5:00 p.m., had to wait an hour to ride down and then pick up our pizza, drive back to camp, eat, take a shower and in bed within 45 min. of opening the door of the RV!  I think I will eventually lose the toe nail beside my big toe on my right foot but YES, it was worth the effort and I know I saw scenes that most people will not see in a lifetime.  There were times that the trail was no wider than 12 inches and if I had looked over my shoulder periodically during times that we were mountain huggers, I could have lost it!  Oh man, also there was one point where we were passed by 2 younger hikers and looked up at a distance and if someone had told me that we would encounter switch backs along a boulder field, I probably would have said, "Wayne you go on ahead and I will meet you at the car!"  Sometimes just plundering ahead is better than turning back and if you do the math, there might not be enough day light hours to do just that!  The last 7 miles Wayne let me lead.  Now that I think back about that I am not so sure it was for me to set the pace but to keep me from tucking tail and turning around!  What an adventure.  Ok, done that, will not do again for sure, or any other massive trail hiking for that matter!  This body is hanging it up for that type of exercise.  One week later I have had to overcome vertigo which I highly suspect that the hike started that process.  Ears still popping and altitude nausea has set in.  Thank goodness we are leaving Thursday, from camping at 6,300 ft above sea level to Sarah & Vince's in Flagstaff at 7,100 ft.  GOOD GRIEF - RV CRAZY OR WHAT?!

No snakes, just scorpions!

Phase I - the mountain we were about to climb is in that cloud!

Looking backwards to Albuquerque

Getting steeper

and steeper

colors getting prettier

1 of about 12 rock boulder slides (created by blasting) to maneuver through

just a little further  - ugh!

getting more narrower and colors prettier

hang gliders coming from the top

almost there!

permission to come aboard....waiting at the tram, rain in the distance

coming down the tram, sunset - time to go home!

RV CRAZY? YEP!

Balloon Fiesta 2014 - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Balloon Fiesta 2014 brings so many happy faces and makes even the oldest person there seem like they are a kid again.  Not one complaint except maybe that they didn’t fly one morning but there were other flight days and what’s not to like about Dunkin Donuts, funnel cakes and breakfast burritos while they are blowing up the largest balloon ever in the shape of a cow!  And then there was Elvis and Spider Pig (?).  Just the fact that there are so many in one place.  Friday morning us 3 Sower couples are headed for the “Special Shape Rodeo” (at 7:00 a.m. no less) then off to enjoy Old Towne in Albuquerque.  We have learned that retirement is just playing with other old farts!  It's been everything we expected and MORE!  Will post more pics of the special shapes after Friday.  Our hike has been moved to Saturday if the weather stays promising (the remnants of a hurricane are coming up through Arizona today).