February (4)

February 28, 2007

I really cannot believe it is the end of February. We have spent all week here in Payson babysitting Travis’ four boys (ages 1½ to 11). It snowed most of one day, but nothing stayed on the ground in the valley. It kind of feels like we are back in Idaho after being in Wikieup the last six weeks.

It has been fun with the boys. I think they have taken their turns thinking I am a mean grandma, making them go to bed on time (most of the time), saying no to some of their requests, and not always feeding them their favorite foods. But we have had fun going to ball games and practices, going to kindermusic (with Josh the 1 ½ year old), going to a book fair, taking them to school, picking them up from school, going to Church, eating pizza out, watching movies, playing games, reading books, and just getting to know each other better. It has brought back a lot of memories of raising our four little boys (along with the two tail-end girls.) We can certainly see why we have our children when we are young.

I hope Shannon finds things in order when they get back. The pantry and fridge are empty, the boys’ drawers may have the wrong clothes in them, the towels are probably all folded wrong, and Grandpa has taught Josh a few new words and told the boys a few new tales, but it has been fun staying in their beautiful new home and being Grandma and Grandpa. Travis and Shannon arrive in Phoenix Airport early Friday morning and we will probably leave by noon to get back to Wikieup before dark. We will miss those boys, but we are anxious to see how things are at our little winter home.

February (3)

February 21, 2007

On Wednesday we finished hauling some more rock. We have a little place fixed for a picnic table in the back, so we are anxious to get one.

On Thursday, Dutch still wasn’t feeling well, so Terry took him into Kingman to see the Doctor. They left at 9:30 in the morning and didn’t get home until 6:30 in the evening. This is the first time Terry and I have been apart this many hours since we retired! And also, this is the first time I have been alone at Nettie’s Place. I went around and locked all of the doors, but then I got brave enough to go outside, but only unlocking one door. After a while, I settled down and made some bread. The first time in a long time that I have made bread without my Bosch! While it was rising, I went to town to send Travis’s work, a major accomplishment driving that road! I even went to the log furniture people in Wikieup and bought our picnic table. We had talked about doing it that day, so I just did it. I mentioned that there was one warped board on the top, so he took $50 off of the price. It had been their demo table for quite a while and needed re-stained and he wanted to get a new demo out front. Good deal for us!

When I got back home, I checked all of the rooms, looked under the beds and behind the doors. Everything was okay. I really was glad to see the guys get back.

On Saturday, we worked around the house and put stain and sealant on the swing and our new picnic table. Then we went to the Gemkana in Wikieup. It was the second one they had, but this one had more events. It is mostly events for kids on their horses, but a few adults compete. It was really hot on Saturday, in the mid-high 80’s.









We had a potluck at Church and after we got home it rained the rest of the day. Everyone around here is praying for rain so their range cattle will have something to eat. I guess there has been quite a drought. A half hour after it rains, you can hardly tell that it has evened rained. The water really soaks into the ground fast. If it rains too hard for too long, though, the water starts running everywhere. I guess there can be quite the flash floods during some rainy seasons.

Mom had this old station wagon that she had sold to my Cousin who owns 5 acres of land just down from us. I think it sat out by my Mom’s place for the last ten years. It only had three tires, which were all rotten, no motor, and most of the other parts and pieces were piled inside the car. It was a great place for packrats. On Monday, Terry found an old tire in our junk pile, which actually held air. I had to get in and help steer the car it as he dragged it with the pickup for about a quarter mile to my Cousin’s place. I left the door open and told him I was going to bail out if I saw any critters poke their heads out of the nests inside the car. I think it was quite a site with the tires flopping, the driveline dragging, and someone squealing the whole way!


Here is a picture of a really nice Joshua tree in Mom’s cactus garden. I think we will take a couple of the “babies” around the bottom and replant them in the back yard.

This saguaro cactus is on Dutch’s property just across the road from us. It is the place where everyone gets their picture taken. So if you ever visit us in Wikieup, plan on getting your picture taken there.

We spent yesterday in Bullhead City. Terry is looking for a 410/22 over and under rifle and someone told him there may be one in a gun shop there. There wasn’t any. Besides that, we found out that no licensed gun dealer can sell a gun to anyone from Idaho (what’s with this?). They would have to sell it to a dealer in Idaho and then Terry could buy it from the Idaho dealer. We spent some time walking along the Colorado River and we drove through an RV Park that we are going to in March with Terry’s sister and brother-in-law.

We are still waiting for the permit to come back for ADOT to open our road. If we don’t get it tomorrow, my aunt and uncle will have a little more exciting drive coming to see us by way of the Sycamore Wash Road. The more we drive on it, the rougher it gets. We are busy today getting things ready so we can leave tomorrow for a week at Travis’s in Payson. We are babysitting their four boys while they go to Hawaii!!

February (2)

February 14, 2007
We have been married for 37 years today! What a great time to be in Wikieup! The weather has cooled down a bit the last few days, to the 60’s. After today, it is supposed to start warming up some. The hummingbirds left for a while, but they are back. One is very territorial and chases the other one off. He even came at me when I touched the feeder. So Terry had this great idea to fool him with a plastic bird. He fluttered around him for a minute, but then just ignored him.

Last weekend we went with Dutch to a gun show in Kingman. Terry is looking for a 410/22 over and under (if you know what that is). He found one, but it had a broken stock so he didn’t get it. He is still looking.

We play games several times a week with Dutch, in the evenings. We play Dominoes and Sequence. Terry usually wins. It sure is nice to have time too do things like that—feels like we are on a loooong vacation!

My pansies are really doing good, except for one the packrat pulled up and took it to his nest. They sit right where the water runs off of the roof when it rains, so even when I don’t get them watered enough, they get the rain water (I really do not do well with flowers). The peas are coming up in one pot. A little ground squirrel ate all of the seeds in the other two pots. Terry wanted to shoot him, but he had already done the deed, so why shoot him now? We couldn’t figure out what was getting into them until one day we saw him.
ADOT finally said we could have access to our old road. They are having us fill out the application as the owner of the permit. That way we bypass BLM, but it also puts all of the liability on our shoulders if the gate is left open and cows get out on the State Highway. I sent the application yesterday. They need to sign it and send it back to us and then I think we can put in a gate. We plan on putting a BIG lock on it, so if anyone is planning to drop in and see us, let us know ahead of time so we can come and unlock the gate for you. We can hardly believe that this two-year battle for the access is finally ending.







We found some little pebbles left years ago by the well drillers and have done a little “landscaping” around Mom’s house. If nothing else, it will keep some of the sand and stickers from getting into the house. It will also be a good place for the grandkids to play and throw lots of rocks, so Terry says!

February (1)

February 7, 2006
It rained last Tuesday, for the first time. It rained all night and we could hear the roof leaking into the attic. Nothing ever came through into the house. I guess it is time to climb up and do some patching! It rained off and on the next day, but it didn’t keep us inside much. We are still trying to clean up around the place. We would like to get some RV sites set up for our 5th Wheel and for company to come. There will be water and sewer (or dumping) there, but no electricity. We will have to use generators.




We went to Travis’s in Payson on Friday for the weekend. We go over some high mountains on the way. We were at over 7,000 feet. There was a lot of snow. Travis and family are doing good. Travis performed a minor surgery on his dad and took a “knot” (really it was a small cyst) off of his head close to the left temple. Terry said Dr. Howard smiled the whole time he was cutting on him! The fours boys are lots of fun. Payson is a pretty town.


We got back to Wikieup to find all well, except Dutch has come down with a case of Shingles. He has been pretty sick but is on the mend.


We are still going back and forth with BLM and ADOT about the access to the old road. I’m not sure it will happen this year, but we haven’t given up yet. It has been cloudy yesterday and today, but still around 70 degrees.





We rode the motorcycle to town yesterday for the first time. It is pretty scary out there on the divided highway going 35 mph with these big trucks passing us at 65 mph. We do have out nifty new helmets, but I think we would need more than that to help us! I think we will stick to the desert roads!

Maybe we will ride up to Turtle Mountain sometime.