Laying low in "Snowbird heaven."

Like everyone else in the USA, Arizonians too have been thinking that winter, with its cold weather, has settled in on us.  Last week we "enjoyed" the coldest temperature on record for that date, 15 degrees.  Let me tell you it did take its toll.  The desert is certainly not made to take that cold.  As we drive around a week later and look at the vegetation it is really beginning to show its effects.  Cactus are flopped over or laying on the ground, leaves on the trees are curling up and beginning to fall off.  Desert plants are turning brown and even the palm tree fronds are twisting and turning brown.  The hummingbirds, finches, chickadees and other small birds are all fluffed out trying to stay warm as they search for food.  They may have to become "snowbirds" again and head for Mexico, farther south.  So you see, "snowbird heaven" can also have its problems when a cold spell hits here.  We also had power outages, gas outages, water pipes frozen and broke resulting in no water and now residents are screaming about their power bills and gas bills.
     We complained like crazy for a whole three days while the temp only got up into the 40's and 50's but yesterday, Mon., it was back to 73.  Oh, the tough life of an Arizonian.  If you watched the Phoenix Open golf tournament you saw the long frost delays for Thurs & Fri which ultimately delayed the finish from Sun to Mon.  The weekend was lovely again though.  I played golf Sat. in my short sleeved shirt and was plenty warm.  We are very lucky when I watch the weather reports on TV about other sections of the country.  Us "snowbirds" do not miss the -30 to -40 degree chill factor winds or snow several inches or feet deep back home.  My son was on a teacher recruiting trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa last week and called for a phone visit.  He said the high was 13 degrees and low was -10 and the wind was blowing.  He could hardly wait to head back to Shanghai, China where he lives even though it is cool there, not cold like Iowa.
   I mentioned that we played golf on Sat. in warm weather but didn't say where so I need to do so as it is an unusual golf course, not only here in AZ but almost anywhere.  It is located in Marana, just west of Tucson, and was built around and in an abandoned gravel quarry.  It is called "The Pines at the Quarry".  The front nine is like a links course and pretty upfront golf but the back nine is very interesting as you start at #10.  You hit from up on the edge down into the quarry and around the edge and up part way to the green.  Not a long hole but trouble is waiting to happen on right, left, and end of the fairway.  Second shot uphill toward the elevated, severely sloping green with mounds, rock cliffs on each side, and a drop-off over the back.  And that's just the first hole on the back.  The next hole is back up on the edge, across the end of the quarry (about 180 yd-par 3), to a two tiered green with a rock cliff on the back and drop-offs on each side and a steep bank below the green.  How fun can that be???  As you make your way over to the green you can't help but look down into the environmentally protected areas on each side and see, conservatively, perhaps a hundred golf balls which never made it to that green.  I'm sure there were many choice words spoken on that shot across the quarry.  The course then makes its way on around the quarry, up and down and around but I'm sure you get my drift about this one.  Play it, you to will like it and have many great stories to tell.
    As I type this blog I can't help but to glance at the related articles that magically appear on my screen.  I see an article from Savannah and their comments about the "free-spirited 50 and 60's-something "snowbirds loving the Georgia sunshine.   Another from Canada with the question, "Have you always wanted to escape the harsh Canadian winters in favour of the sun-soaked south?"  And when I think of the large contingent of Canadians, from almost every province of Canada, who are here in our resort/park, I know that is a good question.  Canadian "snowbirds" are limited as to how long they can stay and how much money they can bring into the US but they are great people and we love to see them each year.  Other articles relate to the many, many places anywhere the sun shines during the winter that "snowbirds" "fly" to and I find it amazing that so many do it.  Yet, I think, we have been doing it for almost 15 years and seem to be spending more and more time here.  We are 6 & 6'ers but working on 7&5.  Oregon will always be home for us though.  Rain or shine!!!
   Tucson has one of the largest Mineral & Gem Shows in the US annually during the month of Feb.  As a result our little Resort/Park is full of RV's of both buyers and sellers of every type of mineral and gems.  Buyers from jewelry stores all over the US converge here to get gems to take back to be mounted and sold in their stores.  Many of the displays are open to the public but also many are open only to business dealers exclusively.  It is one big business and brings many dollars to the city of Tucson.
   I will tell you more about Tucson and the Southwest in my next blog.  Keep watching.  I'm not very faithful about doing it but once I get started, look out.  See you later.