Mesa, AZ

Minnie in Mesa

I miss New Mexico.  My parting has been unusual in that I still feel very connected to that land and that place.  I want to go back.

I drove to Benson, AZ my first night on the road.  It was my third time back in Benson and this time I decided to stay at a different park so I chose Butterfield RV Resort which is the only park in the US that has an observatory.  Even with the moon nearly full we were able to view a bi-nary star, Jupiter with three of its moons, a garnet star and the craters of the moon.  While in T or C I had nightly watched the movement of Orion so to be able to view it up close was a particular treat.  That was all wonderful but I also felt claustrophobic.  I am not sure if in reality the site was particularly close, or that after the wide expanse of New Mexico things felt as if they were closing in on me.  Also while I was there my computer would no longer run off electricity and would only run on battery power.  How odd...seems it should have been the reverse.  I purchased a new power cord and hoped for the best.

The next day I pulled into Val Vista Resort in Mesa, AZ and stepped into yet another strange, unknown world.  It is a retirement community that feels eerily like junior high school.  Dances are held weekly, clothes are a hot topic, lots of giggling and prancing about and I sense there may also be particular cliques.  I find myself doing a lot of smiling and laughing as I stumble upon various areas of discovery.  While watching people play shuffle board I heard a distinct tapping sound and sure enough, there was a tap dancing class just about to begin in the neighboring building.  I was offered tap shoes if I would like to join but I had just come from the pool and was ready to head back to my site.   They offer just about any activity you might want to explore.

For me, most days I walk to the salt water swimming pool to swim, lounge and sun, just what I asked for.  I feel no need to socialize and am happy to live quietly within my own neighborhood.  Ken and Glorida, my friends from Mt. Hood, are workamping here and live just a few blocks away and I visit with them from time to time. 

With the help of Gloria and Ken I did buy a new computer and I have a few more purchases and upgrades yet to make.  I am taking advantage of this time off to work on my *list* of improvements to Minnie and my lifestyle, adjusting and refining.

I am also taking time to reflect on my personal life.  Where do I go from here, what roads do I want to explore.  What internal corridors are yet to be walked and what doors will I choose to open.  And more importantly, what will I find when I open them.