Palm Valley, Day 11, Summer of Golf

 We're back in Arizona, and so are our friends Sam and Sharyn!  Today we are playing golf with them at Palm Valley in Goodyear, AZ.  It's so nice to have all of us back together!

Palm Valley is a typical, fairly open course that winds through neighborhoods.  They have three 9-hole courses, and they tell you which ones you will be playing when you make your tee time.  Only the North and South courses were open today.  The West course was closed, so we played North for our front nine and South for our back nine.  The grass at Palm Valley is in great shape right now, which made playing so much fun.  They didn't have a beverage cart out today, but they did have ice in the cart for us.  

Steve had his golf watch along, but it couldn't pick up any of their courses.  No matter what he tried, he couldn't get anything to pull in.  He even looked under other names and tried courses in reverse order, but nothing worked.  Sam had his view finder along, so if we were really unsure about distance, he would help us out.

It was a nice open course, so we felt like it was very forgiving.

It was a hot one today, with no breeze at all.  When we came off the course, it was 104 degrees.  We headed over to Red's at Wig Wam with them where we all enjoyed a beer and a lot of great conversation.  It is so nice to have them back after a long summer without them!

Our Final Harvest in Wyoming

 Unfortunately, our time with our daughter is about over, we have had so much fun working in the garden, helping out around the house and farm, learning how to can, hiking, exploring and the list goes on and on.  Today was our final harvest, which makes me so sad.  She will continue to harvest for a few weeks after we are gone, until Mother Nature decides that it's time for the garden to rest for the winter.  

We said goodbye to the chickens, the goats, the dog and the garden.

And the sun said goodbye to us as we headed to bed preparing for our early flight in the morning.

There is no place that we would rather be than with our kids.  They bring us joy beyond belief.  But we are also so thankful that they have fulfilling lives that they love, living life on their own and enjoying every day.  We will return to Arizona knowing that our daughter is in a good place, living a life that she loves!

Alcova Reservoir, WY

 Our daughter and her boyfriend love to come to Alcova Reservoir, but they have never been to the Sandy Beach, so we decided it would be a fun stop to make today.  The reservoir is beautiful, and such a nice get away.  It's great for fishing, boating, swimming and camping.

While we were sitting on the shore, we thought Steve was going to have to make a rescue.  I guy swam out to the buoys and was struggling to get back in.  It's always risky to make a rescue if you don't have to, so we kept a close eye on him and let him keep working at it.  He eventually made it on his own, but that's always a scary situation when someone thinks their abilities are more than they really are.  Thank goodness, all is well that ends well.

Buck'in Bails in Wyoming

We never know what type of work will need to be done while we are visiting, but we always have fun helping and usually learn something along the way.  Today we got to buck about 100 bails of hay.

I drove the truck, our daughter carried the bails, and Steve stacked them on the truck.  

When we got back to the barn, Steve unloaded the stack on the truck, and our daughter and I stacked the bails in the barn.

What a fun project, and great exercise too!  We were so glad we got to help her with this and get the experience of doing it.

Playing in the North Platte River, WY

When our daughter got off work tonight, we drove over to one of her favorite spots on the North Platte River for a little bit of rest and relaxation.  This spot has a nice parking area, and very clean restrooms.  Their dog Arrow loves water, and loves to fetch, so when you put those two things together, he is in heaven.

Wow!  That's a little muddy, but he doesn't care.

Now this is good discipline.  He won't go after the ball until he is told he can.

Casper Food Truck Festival

 When we finished our hike at Rotary Park, we headed back to town where they were hosting a food truck festival.  One of our daughters friends is from Butte Montana where Papa's Pork Chop Sandwiches originated, so we had to go give it a try.

There were seven food trucks in all, and it was a huge hit with the locals.  Many of the lines were really long, but everyone was willing to wait.  

After we ordered our sandwiches, we stepped off to the side to wait.

The Food Truck Festival was a lot of fun, and just what we needed after a morning hike.

Rotary Park, Near Casper Mountain, WY

 Yesterday we visited the small town of Kaycee, Wyoming, and today we are going to hike near the Hogadon Basin Ski Area.  Just at the base of Casper Mountain is an area called Rotary Park.  It has all kinds of hiking trails for all abilities, but many are considered moderate to difficult.

We decided to take a cut-off trail that was pretty steep, with lots of view points along the way, that would eventually take us above the waterfall.

Being at altitude requires a little bit more resting than we have to do in Arizona, but this hike was definitely worth it.

Another fun spot to explore in this beautiful state, and I think I forgot to mention that the weather is perfect.  It will be cooling off very soon, but for now, it's perfect!

Our First September Harvest, WY

 When they bought the farm a year ago, it had been a bit neglected, and the garden was is rough shape.  Our daughter has worked really hard to try and get the weeds under control, improve the soil, and just make the garden something productive that she can be proud of.  We are happy to report that this summer was a huge success for her!  She produced enough for them to eat all summer, and is now preserving everything possible for the winter.  We are so proud of her, because it was no small undertaking!

Her cantaloupes we hilarious!  They were probably the sweetest cantaloupes we have ever eaten, but they were so tiny.  They were personal size for sure.  I think she was a little disappointed, but how can you be disappointed with anything that tastes that amazing.

Canning Mexican carrots with onions and jalapenos for the winter.

And prepping some garden hash for breakfast.  We are eating like kings!

Exploring Near Kaycee Wyoming

Once we got to Wyoming, it was all about great food, exploring beautiful places, and helping out on the farm when we could. 

Antelope Kabobs, with garden fresh vegetables.  Oh my gosh, so amazing! 

Exploring near our kids home the next day was so much fun.  Our daughter always says that it's a good thing they put all of the highways through the ugly parts of the state so that no one realizes how beautiful Wyoming is.  We have to agree!  

Today's trip took us to the small town of Kaycee Wyoming where we enjoyed lunch at the Country Cafe, and then on to the red rock cliffs and canyon that the kids really enjoy.

On our way back through Kaycee, we stopped at the local gas station to get a f'real shake.  We had never seen them before, but they are a lot of fun.  You pick your prepackaged shake out of the freezer and then put it on the mixing machine and you come out with a wonderful shake of your choice.

Steve and I always try to work when our kids work, and to play when they have time off.  This weekend was so much fun!