ENTERTAINMENT IN MESA REGAL RESORT, AND A VISITOR FROM OHIO

WE EVEN WENT TO QUARTZSITE for an ESCAPEE RALLY on Monday January 19th with Bill and Esther and met up with other former Ohioans for lunch at Times 3 Restaurant.  Wonderful food!

Wonderful  fellowship with Esther, Bill,
Bob and Donna.  We waited probably an hour
for dinner, but it was worth it.

Then on Wednesday we had the Beachfront Property singers here in the park. They were very good, but not my most favorite time of music.

Finally Saturday rolled around for our oldest son's arrival for a two week visit.  I did take the day to clean up our home for his arrival and made snack mix.  I had frozen baked goods from Christmas so he should go home needing a diet!!
January 14th was Mesa Regal's annual Mystery Dinner Theater.  Great prime rib dinner, though not cooked enough to satisfy Gary.  He would say it mooed!!  So I gave him my brown meat and I took the red.  I had plenty left over to cook a little more for another day.  Yum!!

Met new people at dinner table with Bill, Esther,
Gary and Audrey.

The Workamper's boss, Paul and his wife, to the right
and three of the actors on the left.

Our Activity Director for the Resort, Rosie.

There were seven actors in the play and they kept us guessing from the clues. Only one table of guests got the correct answer for the murderer. It is easy to let your imagination run away with you since there is not too much put out for clues.

Paul's wife had a stroke since we have been here this season, but she is now doing very well!!
Rosie has her hands full with all of the activities, but she has plenty of good help and volumteers.
Saturday the 17th was the PAWS 4 LIFE Car Show at Apache Junction ELKS.  Gary always loves to check out the cars and Esther enjoyed voting for the First, Second and Third place winners. We didn't stay around to find out who won though.

The scenery driving out to A J is always awesome!

Approaching the ELKS with some of the Superstition
Mountains in the back ground.

How would you like this for your yard??
The homes here are also much different design
from what we are used to.

Sunday, January 18th, the Resort had an Ice Cream Social where Bobby and Charlene Freeman entertained us.  He has been a well-known keyboard entertainer in this area for 25 years. He had gotten a new keyboard since we first saw him at Trinity Baptist three years ago.  It does an awesome number of musical sounds.  Kind of like the big Wurlitzer organ we have listened to here in Mesa. In 1998 he was named the official organist for the Arizona Diamondbacks and provides music and "Rally Chants" for all home games here at Chase Field.   He was formerly affiliated with the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes and the San Diego Padres.  He gets the same rings that the Diamondback players get, so he was showing them off.

A few weeks back our Associate Pastor Swope at Calvary Baptist had bragging rights for an Elk that he got the last day of the hunting season.  It should keep him in meat for many, many meals.  We had been waiting for him to send us the pictures so that we could share with you.  Isn't it a beauty?

David Swope, Calvary Baptist Associate Pastor.

Then last but not least, I have to show you one happy looking group of women who I scrapbook with two four-hour afternoons each week.

Joanie and her mother Phyllis
Joanie has an awesome story to tell of
her bout with cancer eighteen years ago.
She is a walking miracle!

Paulette

Carol Lebs, a fellow workamper
 deep in thought!

Pat, Sherry and Suzanne busy, busy, busy being creative.
They love to work with the kits that they buy,
and do more of that than working with
a Cricut.

I will get pictures of the group that we started in another sister park.  Esther and I join them for another four-hour afternoon.  I may get caught up on scrapbooking before we leave here.  I thought I had enough paper, but I still find myself buying more!!

This afternoon seems to be going by too quickly.  Victor got in from Ohio last evening at 11 pm our time (1 am Ohio time).  In spite of his cold that began yesterday morning, he got up and went with us to SS Class and Worship Service at Calvary. We were happy to introduce him to many friends there, even two from Lordstown OH.  After that we went for dinner at Outback since I had been asking to go there for a long time!
After Gary's nap, he and Victor went out to find a game store and a Half Price Books store that Vic had looked up on the Internet.  I know that Victor will not have any problem finding his way around here since most everything is laid out on a grid.  His two weeks will go all too fast, I am sure.  We have a list of sight seeing and I am sure he can find things to do also.  They are saying rain tomorrow afternoon, but the rest of the week is to be in the seventies.  YES!!

RAY COPPER MINE on Rt 177 south of GLOBE ARIZONA

Tuesday, moving on from lunch in Globe and the Bryce Arboretum hike, we finally made it to the Ray Copper Mine that Gary wanted to see.  They say it is 1 1/2 miles wide and 2 1/2 miles long, but it sure looked larger than that to us.  Puts you in mind of the Grand Canyon in depth. It was an under ground mine originally from the late 1800's until the 1940's when they started stripping instead.  It is the second one that we have seen in the Globe area but this one had a nice viewpoint.  We also hear that there will be a new one started near Superstition Mountains which they say will supply 60% of the world's copper needs for the next 40 years.  Now, why can't we do that with our oil needs?

ASARCO
Ray Operations
Visitor's viewpoint

High School students
visit the mining sight.

A full day for us, but a great learning experience!!

On Thursday, we took Bill and Esther with us to the Superstition Mountain Museum to hear a Lecture by Clay Worst about the Lost Dutchman and his gold mine.  Mr. Worst was 85 years of age, but did not lack memory for all of the tales that he has heard.  He has spent forty years in this area researching and interviewing people and says he would do it all again.  He had quite an audience!  It was cold out there and Gary and I sure were not dressed for it.  We will learn when going up in altitude it is colder.

Can you pick out Gary and Esther?
Bill was in the gift shop keeping warmer.

Part of the Museum
though we did not go into it this trip.
They call it the Elvis Chapel.
Huh??

Been nice catching you up to date on our activities.  We should be doing something again next week.
Gary lost out on his Carving workshop here in the park this morning because the electricity was out in that area of the resort.  This afternoon he did get his three hours in the Colored Pencil workshop.  I skipped my scrap booking yesterday afternoon as I just can't seem to shake this scratchy throat.  Not sure why, so may have to make a doctor appointment the first of the week. I put Christmas decorations away instead.
Esther and I will be taking Saturday to shop all of the craft stores tomorrow and Bill and Gary will go to Cabella's so that should keep us out of trouble.
God Bless!!