HAPPY NEW YEAR

We spent our New Year's Eve with Ken and Marie.  We played three games of Hand and Foot  stopping for supper in the middle.  The rain held off all evening.  It was interesting that a couple minutes after the fireworks in town ended, the rain pelted down. We continue to have showers every few days.  The desert is much better for it.  Perhaps there will be a good flower show in the spring this year.  We've enjoyed several dust free rides in the aftermath of the showers which is always a pleasure.  Another of our card playing friends from Clifton, CO are expected here tonight or tomorrow so we will be having more games soon.

With the lack of rain this past summer, the orange crop is not very good this winter.  I walk by these every morning with Mitzy and finally stopped for a photo.

The Creosote Bush flowers are starting to come out with the wet weather we've been having.

The Brittlebush flowers are very cheerful out in the desert.

We had a large group on Thursday so we split into two groups.  These are the ones who followed me.

87 year old Blue is still rolling along with us followed by Sandi in her green machine

Out in the hills looking back to the valley of the sun south of Phoenix

On our way back from the Ajax Mine

As we exited the bottom of Box Canyon, the hillside was covered with Desert Bighorn Sheep.  They put on a good show for us.

This ram was chasing another all over the hillside

Moving along

We were rewarded with this image from up on the skyline