I did get up to Pinetop Friday morning. I woke up early as usually and headed up. I got there and the ladies were all at Zumba. So, I went for my bicycle ride. I enjoy riding up there. I seem to ride a lot faster up there than I do here in the valley. I think it is mostly because I don’t have to stop when I ride up there.
The big plan for this day was going pumpkin picking in Snowflake at the Willis Farm. WE have been doing this for a few years now, and it is a fun thing to do. I am not much for the pumpkin picking, but the ladies all love it. This year it went really fast, and I think we were ready to leave after about 30 minutes.
On the way back we went to a couple of stores to buy stuff to fill a couple operation shoebox boxes. We found lots a great stuff. This is also a fun thing we have done as a family a number of times. The church in Pinetop we go to does a big drive for these boxes. It is through Samaritan’s Purse, and you should look it up if you are looking for a great cause to help kids.
That evening the ladies made shepherd’s pie (well it had ground turkey so we decided to call it Shack pie (Well “A” and I are calling it that)). It was good. Then “A” made lava cakes for dessert. She learned how to make them in her culinary class at school. She was super worried about them, but they tasted great. They were soft and lavay in the middle.
The next morning I got up to do my bike ride, and there was a big bicycle race happening in the area that day and so there was a a lot of traffic, police, and more to watch out for. I don’t have any interest in that race because it is a combination of road and dirt/gravel and I have no desire to ride the gravel. I had to wait just a little bit for traffic but nothing too bad.
Today’s big plan was a hike outside of Greer. “B” had found a number of hikes to try and we decided on the Government Springs Trail. It was a great hike. It was very cool, lots of trees changing colors, you get to walk along the west fork little Colorado river. It was going great until…the rain started. There wasn’t rain in the forecast when we were in Pinetop, but a thunderstorm came in at Greer and we got very soaked. It made for a not so great hike back to the car, but we made it. We ate lunch under some trees and only got a little wet while eating. Just as we were finishing lunch the rain started coming down harder. We cut things a little short and only ended up hiking 5.14 miles with 500ft of total ascent, but it was a god hike. We all agreed it was one we would gladly do again (just maybe not in the rain).
Then back to the cabin (filled up the car for $3.88 at the casino – I know great price). And then we had to start getting cleaned up to head back to the valley the next day.
Finished cleaning up, went to church, then lunch buffet at a Mexican place we like called Los Corrales, and a walk along a trail that had all these different scarecrows set up. That was kind of interesting. We were going to do it before lunch, but it was pouring rain. That worked out though because all of us were very full after lunch so the little walk helped us all before the 3 hour drive to my parent’s place. We dropped the girls off there for the night and now the weekend is all but over. By the time I post this it wil be over and “B” and I will be back at work.
It was a nice weekend. I am blessed!