Verna and Bob's Weblog

Retirement

A Nice Desert Retirement Day

Just another day of retirement in our wonderful, tranquil desert town. First, today I took the truck to the Ford dealer to have it’s routine maintenance service. Above, the old classic ford truck (which has been seen on this blog before) sat stately on display in the waiting area for all to admire.

Later in the day, we were privy to witness another colorful sunset as the time to get inside approached; the sun goes down this time of year, and the temperature plummets to the 60s which for us summer dwellers is downright unpleasant without some bulky clothing. Still, the day temperatures are well above 80° and Shorts are the dress code for the daytime hours.

Click on either image to enlarge.

November 3, 2025 by Arizona Photography Retirement 0

Retirement Anniversary #16

Sixteen years ago, I pulled the plug on being employed. At first, it doesn’t quite feel like it has been that long, but again, so much has happened in the last 16 years that, when you think about it, the time seems to fill in with life’s events.

We have looked into our retirement past and recall many more events than we can list here, but a few of the most memorable and significant things come to mind.

Here’s a brief synopsis of some of those milestones:

  • 2009 Retirement
  • 2010 Bought property in Arizona and started building our desert home
  • 2011 Moved physically into the Arizona home
  • 2012 Began retirement travels – viewed annular solar eclipse from Page AZ
  • 2013 Bob’s Mom relocates from California to nearby retirement home
  • 2014 First great grandson born in California. Acquired travel trailer to facilitate more travel plans to see family
  • 2015 Completed the RV Drive around the house with full trailer hookups
  • 2016 Many trips to various places of interest throughout the west
  • 2017 Travel to Wyoming and beyond to see the total eclipse with new class A RV
  • 2018 First great granddaughter born in California – trips of course
  • 2019 Second great grandson born in California – more trips
  • 2020 Second great granddaughter born in California – trips pending
  • 2021 A relatively uneventful year save for hernia surgery
  • 2022 Lost Beethoven, our red Min Pin – gained Tucker, a long-haired Chihuahua mix
  • 2023 Discovered a leak in the water line between bathroom and kitchen requiring a complete overhaul of bathroom and kitchen cabinets
  • 2024 Travel to Waco, TX to observe total eclipse of the sun. Visited other interesting places in the RV before and after the eclipse
  • 2025 Travel in the RV to visit birthplaces and residences of ancestors in the eastern and southern U.S.

So, as we continue our retirement, we will keep our heads on a swivel, given the multiple left-wing groups out to get their perceived enemies. And, then, there is the crime epidemic, thanks to president autopen, et al. We are fortunate that The Lord brought us to this tranquil place in the desert, generally away from all that malfeasance, but we never know when that might break down.

Y’all stay safe!

October 1, 2025 by Aerospace Nostalgia Retirement

Cactus Wren

One of our favorite local birds, the Cactus Wren, perches next to the seed block feeder in the back yard. Click on the image to view enlarged.

From the link above:

The Cactus Wren is a large chunky wren with a long heavy bill, a long, rounded tail, and short, rounded wings. The Cactus Wren is the largest wren in the United States and is similar in size to a Spotted Towhee.

The Cactus Wren is a speckled brown bird with bright white eyebrows that extend from the bill, across and above their red eyes, to the sides of the neck. They have pale cinnamon sides and a white chest with dark speckles. The back is brown with heavy white streaks, and the tail is barred white and black—especially noticeable from below. Males and females look alike, but juveniles are slightly paler and have a brown eye.

Unlike other wrens that typically hide in vegetation, the Cactus Wren seems to have no fear. They perch atop cacti and other shrubs to announce their presence and forage out in the open. They do not cock their tails over their back the way other wrens do. Instead they fan their tail feathers, flashing white tail tips.

August 29, 2025 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography Retirement

Evening Cloudscape

We’re in Albuquerque, NM tonight.

Thunderstorms threatened to dump a deluge on us, but despite the ominous signs in the sky, the weather improved and no longer seems to be a problem.

We’re going to be back in Arizona tomorrow, and back home the next day after a more than a month on the road.

Photo courtesy of Verna – click to enlarge.

August 10, 2025 by Retirement Vacation

Mexican Hat Rock Formation

We passed this southern Utah formation on our way to western Colorado. Photo by Verna. Click to enlarge.

The Mexican Hat Rock Formation is a unique geological formation located in southeastern Utah, USA. It is a remnant of a sandstone layer of the Halgaito Formation, formed from sediments deposited on a coastal plain next to a shallow seaway during Late Pennsylvanian time. The formation is a balanced rock, with a broad, flat, orange-red sandstone cap standing on a narrow pedestal of shale and siltstone, resembling an upside-down sombrero. This unique shape is due to different rates of erosion and weathering, where the softer layers of shale and siltstone were eroded faster from underneath the more resistant cap of sandstone.

July 11, 2025 by Photography Retirement Vacation

Monument Valley Camping

This was the view in beautiful Monument Valley, Utah, where we “Glamped” overnight for a couple of nights. I say glamped because we have many of the comforts of home while away. We have satellite TV, streaming TV, Starlink internet and our laptop computers.

Glamping: A Luxury Outdoor Experience. Glamping, short for “glamorous camping,” is a type of outdoor accommodation that offers a more luxurious and comfortable alternative to traditional camping, i.e. “roughing it.”

There are other places we visited on this trip which we will post about later. Click on the image to enlarge.

July 9, 2025 by Leisure Photography Retirement Vacation

Avalon 1998

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