"After two days in the desert sun
My skin began to turn red
And after three days in the desert fun
I was looking at a river bed
And the story it told of a river that flowed
Made me sad to think it was dead"
My skin began to turn red
And after three days in the desert fun
I was looking at a river bed
And the story it told of a river that flowed
Made me sad to think it was dead"
A Horse With No Name-America
A number of years ago, Mary Margaret and I were driving through the deserts of Arizona and we wondered aloud, "Who would ever live in this hot, dry state where even the rivers run dry?" In an ironic twist of fate, you will never guess where we live now? We live in Goodyear, AZ in the 55+ community of PebbleCreek. Yes, God does have a sense of humor and a way of keeping me humble. What changed our minds?
My dad and step mom moved here first and introduced us to the area. I can't tell you how many times my dad would call and boast how he was sitting out on the patio enjoying the beautiful weather as we were sitting inside, hiding from the winter cold. Most of us think of the 115 degree Arizona, but much of the year the weather here is almost perfect. For example, next week we will be enjoying 70 degree weather every day.
We have also found a lot of beauty that we had missed in the desert. We love the sunsets and, on the rare occasion that we see them, the sunrises.
Sunrise Over PebbleCreek
Hiking
We have also learned to love the beauty of the desert itself. It is a different kind of beauty. My friend, Brian England took me on a hike along the shores of Saguaro lake. Not only did we run into a few Big Horn Sheep, the views were surprisingly striking.
Saguaro Lake
Botanical Garden
We have also had the pleasure of visiting the Desert Botanical Gardens of Phoenix during the Chihuly exhibit. They have incredible displays of local flora on display in the gardens.
Desert Botanical Garden
Through May 14th, the Gardens will be featuring the sculptures of Rotraut.
Local Sports
There is also so much to do in the Phoenix area, especially in the sports arena. There is professional basketball, baseball, football, Hockey, soccer and Golf featured in the area. If you love college sports, we have that too. Of course, the area is famous for baseball's Cactus League Spring Training. There are 15 MLB teams that play within about a 45 mile radius. In Goodyear, the Red's and the Indians share Goodyear Ballpark. Also very close to PebbleCreek is Camelback Ranch Stadium, the home of White Sox and the dreaded Dodgers. Ok, so I never said the area was perfect! 🤣
Horse Country
We have a lot of rodeos and horse shows in the surrounding areas. We just spent a day at the Scottsdale Arabian Horse show at WestWorld. The horses and the riders were amazing. This was our favorite competition of the day, decorated Arabian horses with the riders decked out in Bedouin garb.
PebbleCreek
There is much to do in the surrounding area, but for us, the most compelling reason to move into the area was PebbleCreek itself. It is a gated community featuring beautiful homes and it is an adult playground. There are three golf courses, 20 pickleball courts (with 16 more being built), 13 tennis courts, 2 fitness centers, indoor and outdoor pools, Bocce courts, a Creative Arts Building, restaurants, 2 clubhouses, a library and a theater. Mary Margaret is super excited about exploring different craft classes in the Creative Arts Building. We both are looking forward to joining a club or two. It will be difficult to decide. There are so many great clubs to choose from and there is just so much time in the day.
Desert Life
We are enjoying the desert life more than we ever imagined. While many rivers do run dry here, there is also a lot of unexpected beauty close by and so many things to do. Mary Margaret and I are excited about exploring the area more in depth and sharing more about the area. Be sure to check in from time to time for updates. And yes, it does feel "good to be out to the rain!" The group, America, really did have a way with words! Well, except for, Muskrat Love. What were they thinking with that one?
Thank you, Debe Maxwell, CRS and Brian England for this month's ActiveRain Challenge. It was a fun one. Not as fun as playing pickleball with Brian will be, but pretty darn fun! 😃
#ResistanceIsFutile #BrianBrianBrian #PebbleCreek
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