Happy New Year!!!

 

 

The Sonoran Plaza at Sun City Grand is a winter wonderland--

minus the real snow and cold of winter. 

 

 

      We left Arizona in mid-December and returned a few days ago.    Luckily, we flew back to Ohio at just the right time.   Our travel day was clear and sunny, but we woke up to rain.    And it kept raining and raining.    Then it turned to snow.   

 

 

       Keenu, our Alaskan Malamute grandpuppy, loved it!

 

 

    I like looking at snow, but I was really glad I didn't have to shovel it.   Or try to drive on those icy roads and get to work on time.   We were lucky on the way home, too.   By the time we were scheduled to fly back to Arizona, the roads were clear.  

    

     Unfortunately we brought the cold weather back with us.   It has frosted here at Sun City Grand for two nights in a row.   Everyone is trying to cover plants and hope for the best.    So we'll see what survives.   

 

     It's really funny to see some of us (like me) bundled up in winter jackets and hats while our snowbird neighbors are running around in sweaters and shorts.    I've totally acclimated to Arizona weather and feel like I'm freezing if it dips below 50F.    

     Too bad I can't bottle up this cold air and save it for next July.   I'll be wishing for a cool day then.     

 

 

 

 

   

         

Bicycling is Grand!

             We went for a bike ride around Grand again today.   We've been doing this on Sunday afternoons lately.  It's a great way to exercise without feeling like you're punishing yourself.  

I hate to do traditional exercise.  I hate the smell, the noise, and the atmosphere of a regular gym.   Even here, where the "gyms" are really health clubs, I have trouble making myself work out on machines.    But riding a bike is fun.  

We park our bikes in front of the Sonoran Plaza.   

    

         Inside are classrooms where the Adult Education groups meet.   They have classes on every topic imaginable:  history, art, wine tasting, writing, language,  and much, much more.   I can't wait to retire so I can go back to school.  

         The Scrapbook Club meets in here, too.   Another one of my hobbies.    There's also a small sandwich shop, Birt's Cafe, which specializes in healthy foods that taste great.  It also supports some important social services, too.   

The Sonoran Plaza

      We usually get a cup of coffee or a Coke and relax by the water feature for a few minutes.  It's always relaxing, and frequently something unusual is happening.   Last week some women were doing a scavenger hunt.   They needed to bring back a picture of 12 or 13 people, so they rounded up a group of us and snapped their photo.        

The View from Dillon's Patio

         We rode over to Dillon's and walked around to the back patio area. The restaurant has been closed for repairs and remodeling.   Recently it was announced that the Board of Directors is going to try to find a different restaurant to run it when it re-opens.   The drawings of the new look are impressive.   They are doubling the size of the bar and adding some booths.    

          The back patio area overlooks a large pond and one of the golf courses.   It's great to watch the egrets and herons fish the pond.   Bunnies are usually hopping all around, too.    I've missed going there since it has been closed, not because of the food (although it was good), but because I miss watching the wildlife.   If the sun is at just the right angle, you can even see the fish swimming around.   Some of them are huge! 

          I can't wait until a new restaurant goes in so I can watch the birds and bunnies again.