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“Make hay in May for you may never know what June is coming with and you may never know what July will present! When you see May, make hay!” ―Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

 Sabino Canyon is one of the most popular hiking and recreation areas in Southern Arizona. For more than a century, Tucsonans have made their way into the Catalina Foothills to picnic and play in the scenic canyon. What is nice is thar it is a National Forest, so if your old like us you can use your National Park Pass to get in at no cost.

On May 1st, we hiked on over to Sabino Canyon, Also known as An Oasis in the Desert. We have been to Sabino Canyon a few times last year and this year, as it’s a great spot for hiking and taking in the scenery.

We started our hike at the Visitor Center took Bear Canyon then Sabino Dam Trail to Creek Trail and a bit on Phoneline Link. Then we came back the same way.

Hiking on familiar roads and paths we’ve been on before.

Hiking now off the familiar path. Sabino Canyon is a unique place where there is mountains and water in the desert.

We noticed the nest above, is right inside a cactus’s branches. Ouch!! It’s the nest of a Cactus wrens, they are skilled at slipping through the sharp spines of cactus thickets, choosing to build nests and raise their young there.

On a hot day in Tucson, we did what Tucsonans do. Go for a hike and find the nearest water spot, take your shoes off and enjoy. It felt really good.

Sabino Canyon is located in the Santa Catalina Mountains in the Coronado National Forest. The Santa Catalina Mountains began forming 12 million years ago. There is evidence in pieces of pottery, or shards, and pit house foundations that the Hohokam people lived in the canyon between 300 and about 1400 AD.  With the Gadsden Purchase in 1854, Sabino Canyon became part of the United States.

In Tucson’s early days, people took picnics to Sabino Canyon. Why they brought a garbage can with them, we’ll never know.

In 1890, the Forest Preservation Act was passed by the United States Congress and in 1905 the Forest Service was created.

At the end of a day in Sabino Canyon around 1910, members of the Failor family fill two horse-drawn carriages near the picnic grounds before heading back to Tucson.

Laborers work on the road into the canyon in 1935, the year the Works Progress Administration took over the project from the Federal Emergency Relief Administration.

The “lake” that was created by the dam became a popular fishing spot. People fish in the lake at Sabino Canyon north of Tucson in May, 1951, after it was stocked with trout for the first time. Over the past 50 years, the lake has filled with silt (fine dirt) and sand. Today, when the creek is flowing, that “lake” is the size of a pond.

In 1938 two ladies relax in Sabino Canyon and in 1959 University of Arizona students are doing the same.

Heavy rains produced a sizeable through Sabino Canyon on Dec. 29, 1972. Forty-four people were evacuated from the canyon area and search teams rescued a 15-year-old from floodwaters. 

In 1992 two guys runnung across the top pf the dam and people swimming at the bottom of the dam in 2010.

For years people have been relaxin and chillin at the dam.

Cars were allowed to drive up the canyon through the 1950s and 60s.

Uffner’s Sabino Canyon Corral Hofbrau Inn, right by Sabino Canyon, opened in the 1940s, and served German food 1950 to 1977.

In 1978, the first shuttlebus service began in the canyon. Soon after cars were no longer allowed. Today, trams take Sabino Canyon visitors to the end of the road. In addition to riding the tram, people hike, bike, swim, and picnic in the Sabino Recreation Area.

A great hike at the canyon.

What a great way to end our hiking trip, with a stop at Little Anthony’s for a chocolate shake. We also had chicken fingers and fries. It was very good.

If you like the color pink, this is Little Anthony’s Pink Flamingo. All hitched up and ready to go.

Jennifer my sister and Doug her husband gave us a restaurant gift certificate forour anniversary in February and we used it at

It advertises Real Southern Smoked BBQ in Arizona.


We started out with a bottle of Vodka which Dave is pouring in our glasses, Actually it’s water.

Dave had a pulled pork sandwhich and fries. I had a Smoked Zucchini & Grilled Cauliflower Steak, which was cauliflower and zucchini grilled with roasted cherry tomatoes, onion, pepper and a bit of cheese then smoked in tomatoe-vinaigrette, It was really good! Who needs meat?

It was fun and the food was delicious! Thank you Jennifer & Doug.

How Exciting, Fat Willy’s restaurant at Voyager now has what is called “Wednesday Night Bar Bingo”

What the heck, me and a couple of my friends from Voyager have been going.

What made it great was that Cathy won! yippee!

During the busy season Voyager has Tuesday night Bingo in the Ball Room. The place is big and it’s packed, with money prizes in the $300 & $400 range. We don’t go to that cause it’s well . . .boring.

It’s fun at Fat Willy’s with lots going on and of course your allowed to have something to eat and drink which makes a big difference.

On May 20th we left Voyager RV Resort to head back to Niagara County NY to see our families and friends.

Our first stop was

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Then

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And then

It took seven years, $13 million, and 43,226 tons of stainless steel to build the Gateway Arch. The Arch is 630 feet high, situated in St. Louis, Missouri. On June 2, 1987, it became listed as a National Historic landmark, being the world’s tallest arch and the tallest human-made monument in the western hemisphere. They say on a clear day you can see a 30-mile views over the St. Louis skyline and the Mississippi River. We didn’t go inside this time but maybe next time.

When we were staying at St. Louis we heard this very, very loud noise we thought it was from a factory we could see, but it was the cicadas! You know those bugs you’ve been hearing about on the radio & tv.

This spring marks the first time since Thomas Jefferson was president 221 years ago that periodical cicada Broods XIII and XIX will emerge in the U.S. at the same time. There could be as many as 60 billion cicadas in St. Louis city alone,” said Nicole Pruess, invertebrate keeper at the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House. Cicadas are the only insects capable of producing such a unique and loud sound. They can produce a call in excess of 120 decibels at close range. This is approaching the pain threshold of the human ear!

But. . . It might not be as bad for some people who might have an inkling to eat one, as cicadas are high in protein, fiber and minerals. Anything you can make with shrimp you can make with cicadas,” said Pruess, who said it’s best to collect them just after they emerge and have molted, so their exoskeleton is still soft. “I’m very excited to try it.” I know we’ll pass on that.

We also stayed in

Downtown Columbus wanted to focus on themselves and the Scioto River area. Artist and country singer Terry Allen of Sante Fe, N.M., came up with an idea for sculptures to enhance the Scioto Mile: bronze, “humanized” deer.

This one “humanized deer” was close to where we stayed .

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Stayed overnight in Willoughby Ohio

We stayed at our friends Bill & Barb’s house.

Bill & Barb took us to a brand new ice cream parlor by them. Because of the location of Jojo’s I know it will do good and people will continue to keep coming back, I know I would. 😊🍦

Jojo’s is by Osborne Park a lakefront park located on the shore of Lake Erie in Willoughby. It has a great swimming pool that has really tall water slides, plus a lot of other amenities. The pool is huge, we could do our laps, me with a big noodle underneath my arms like I do at Voyager.

We truly enjoyed ourselves visiting our dear friends Barb & Bill. Thank you again for your time, hospitality and great memories. You guys are the Best. 🥰

May 25th arrived in North Tonawanda, NY , where we’re we staying until September.

One of my cousins had a Memorial Day Party

How many of you have tried Weber’s new mustard potato chips? Weber’s is a big name in mustard in Western NY. We all thought they were good.

It was a nice day so how about tossing water balloons at each other?

Only a few brave people joined in.

And then the heavy loaders came out . . .

We had a fun day and it was really nice to see some of our family.

Welcome

On June 3rd we helped our dear friends Beth & Fran move to Tennessee.

It didn’t take much time at all and they were loaded up and ready to go. We’re going to miss them not being in the area 😒, but we know for sure we’ll see them in our travels.

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” – Paulo Coehlo.

If by chance your planning a trip to The Canadian side or American side of Niagara Falls make sure you have the correct paper work to get you across both borders. It’s definitely better to see the Falls from the American side as you can see Horseshoe Falls (also known as the Canadian Falls) Which is definitely the largest falls. Nearly 90% of the Niagara River flows over these falls. Goat Island separates the Horseshoe Falls from the Bridal Veil Falls, which is on the American side. If it’s a nice day you have to take a ride on the Maid of the Mist.

June 4 th

Nestled in the corner of the Niagara Region just beyond Niagara Falls, the picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake definitely has old town charm, you feel as though your walking thru a 19th century village. It’s only about a 20 minute drive from the Canidian falls. It has much history and is bordered on both sides by waterfront among lush gardens.  Wander along the streets and you discover boutiques, antique shops and bistros, wineries and even a horse drawn carriage or two.

My friend Marcia, from Tucson also was in the area, so we visited Niagara-On-The-Lake.

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Marcia & myself lived in the area so we both new about Niagara Home Bakery. The bakery was eatablished in the 1960s and has contiuned to make awesome bake goods. We just had to stop in and buy some sweet treats.

Niagara-on-the-Lake is also hot spot for film makers. In fact several popular movies and television shows have been filmed here such as Dead Zone, The Ref, The Old Feeling, When Michael Calls, Canadian Bacon, etc. and TV shows like, Kings of Napa.  Looking like a little village that’s straight out of a Christmas movie, it’s no coincidence that Niagara-On-The-Lake has been used several times as a location for Christmas movies. Including he Holiday Calendar, Christmas Inheritance and a few Hallmark movies as well.

the clock tower they have as been in different movies.

The Clock Tower has been in different movies.

During the Christmas season if you happen to be in the area check the lights on Niagara Falls.

We went to Niagara on the Lake when I was little and I remember it looking like these pictures. So check it out in the winter too.

 Father’s Day, in the United States is the (third Sunday in June) to honour fathers. Credit for originating the holiday is generally given to Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, whose father, a Civil War veteran, raised her and her five siblings after their mother died in childbirth.

We all love our Dads, and miss them when their no longer here, you can have a father figure in your life that can be uncles, grandfathers, god fathers, elder brothers, family, friends, father’s of dogs, etc.

Someone you connect with on a emotional level. Actually there were two fathers there but lots of other “father’s” like Dave were there. It was a good time.

(づ ̄3 ̄)づ╭❤️~(づ ̄3 ̄)づ╭❤️~(づ ̄3 ̄)づ╭❤️~(づ ̄3 ̄)づ╭❤️~

I can’t believe that it’s the end of June already, and what have we been doing? You know when you get older you go back home because of doctor’s appointments, we’ve been doing such.

We would like to express our sincere concerns for our dear friends Bill, Mike, Mary and Jeff, and their families as they have been going thru their own specific health concerns. They are all brave, awesome individuals that are going thru a rough bout but will make it thru being stronger, confident while always being the priceless folks they are. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you.

One thought on “(❁´◡`❁)

  1. Sandy's avatar Sandy

    🤗

    love the quote by Paula: if you’re brave enough to say goodbye……

    you’ve been living a full and fun life. Hope your summer continues to be fun. 😁

    bill is now ‘home’ in our new place and we will be hanging out here in the heat for a long while.

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