Sacramento, California March-April 2010

There will always be a part of me that considers the Sacramento area my home. I was raised from birth to age 18 in Orangevale, and spent the next 32 years living in various parts of Sacramento. I still have children and grandchildren that live in the area. And even though Dan and I travel full time all over the country, and live by the motto "Home is Where You Park It", both of us still have our regular doctors and dentists in the area. We have our favorite restaurants, and know where to go for just about anything we need. I am always excited when I think about coming to Sacramento, because I know I will see my family, and feel a sense of comfortable familiarity in my surroundings.

So, when I was twice the victim of thieves during my recent stay here, it was especially upsetting, and left me feeling sad and let down by what I think of as my home town. First my bicycle was stolen from the RV Park we were staying in, and it was cable locked at the time. It took the thief a few tries to cut through it, but eventually the deed was done and my bike was gone. A couple of weeks later, our truck, which was locked, was broken into and my purse with all the normal things you find in a purse, was stolen. The entire week following that was spent trying to diminish the repercussions of possible financial loss and identity theft. I know, I know… why did I leave my purse in the truck? Even if the door was locked? Don't think I haven't beat myself up over that one!

But the wondrous event that brought us here in the first place, and what really made it all worthwhile despite the bad luck, was the birth of my newest grandchild, Pearl Eve. This is my fifth grandchild, and I was lucky enough to spend time with all of them during our recent stay. Because seeing them can wipe away just about any sadness I might feel about anything else, I am dedicating the visit to Sacramento and these photos to them.

Surprise, Arizona

We wrapped up our summer in Michigan on September 30, 2009 and started our southward trek on October 1st. We were scheduled to arrive in Surprise, Arizona, our winter destination, on November 15th. In the six weeks between leaving Michigan and arriving in Surprise, we had RV maintenance scheduled, a new truck purchase (unscheduled), and family to visit. After making the rounds and taking care of our business, we arrived at the Sunflower RV Resort, one day ahead of schedule.

Surprise is a suburb not too far west of Phoenix. It is an outgrowth of Sun City, and the population grew by tens of thousands during the 1990's and early 2000's as retirees flocked to the area. Then you add the snowbirds, like us, that come to live here for a few months each winter, and you can imagine the congestion! It was sort of a shock leaving the bucolic and peaceful village of Hillman and landing smack dab in the middle bustling city life again. It is possible to insulate yourself from the mass confusion somewhat if you never leave the resort, but occasionally you do have to go out for supplies. And golf, which is the main reason we ended up here to begin with. Several other golfing couples we've met along the way were congregating here for the winter, so we decided to join them.

Sunflower RV Resort offers a lot of amenities in and of itself: Bingo• Bocce Ball• Cactus Ranch House Grill • Car Wash Area• Computer Center• Dinner Dances• Dinner Theater• Driving Cages• Exercise Classes • Fitness Center• Fitness personal trainer • Grand Ballroom• Heated Pool and Spa• Hiking Club• Horseshoe Pits• Kitchen• Lapidary• Laundry Facilities• Library• Massage Therapy On Site• Meeting Area• On-site Post Office• Outside Patio Area• Pet Area• Pickle Ball• Picnic Area• Ping Pong• Pitch 'n Putt Course• Pottery/Ceramics• Putting Green• Quilting & Sewing Room• RV and Boat Storage• Shuffleboard Court• Silversmithing• Social Hall for Community Gatherings and Parties• Stained Glass• State-of-the-Art Fitness Center • Three spas and a Eucalyptus Steam Room• Two Tennis Courts• Vendor Market Day• Water Volleyball• Weekly Dances• Wood Carving• Wood Shop. Okay, you get the idea…

At first I wasn't quite sure about the "tin city" we were parking in. Row after row of streets lined with mobile homes and RV's. No lawns, but a lot of rock and concrete, cactus, and palm trees. But, I figured, we are in the southwest, the dessert, and I'm sure this is the appropriate landscaping for this kind of climate and terrain. After being here for a few weeks, I have actually come to appreciate the regional approach to landscaping. Especially during Christmas it was fun to see the blending of traditional decorations with the existing flora - twinkling lights wrapped around a prickly cactus, silver bulbs placed on the tips, and palm trees sparkling decorated like a Douglass fir.