Hellow Weekend...

Come...Sit...stay a while...

Heck, we're having so much fun...let's extend it another day, shall we?

Yes, I am in the middle of a 3-day weekend over here, and I'm already beat.


(Don't let me fool you though...I am loving it!)



Saturday:

Arthur's Sister's Wedding...being held at the amazing new Haas Interfaith Chapel at Embry Riddle...So, I got all dolled up in my finery (unfortunately I did not take a picture of myself or Arthur, which is sad because we looked darned fantastic!)









A wonderful venue for sure...overlooking Granite Dells and the Watson Riparian Habitat...Next to getting married outside, this would be a wonderful option...beautiful architecture and fantastic views...










The ceremony was beautiful and very touching. I've known Arthur for so many years, and his sister as well...she's been waiting many years to meet Mr. Right, as evidenced by the great display of bridesmaids dresses she had set up (I swear the floral one with the puffy sleeves looks like something I wore to a dance on junior high)

The couple looked so very in love and I'm so happy for them both! Of course they hadn't been married that long...but I wish them well (hahahaha!) Honestly...I am a hopeless romantic and I love the idea of true love and marriage...Sigh...

The reception was fun...with lots of dancing which kind of made me nostalgic because Arthur and I have been dancing with each other for a good 21 years now...It made me tear up as much as I did at the ceremony at one point.

There's just no substitute for good friends...who dance well.

Arthur, of course, made the amazing centerpieces and did the fresh flowers...












And, lucky me...I got to take a pumpkin centerpiece home...and one for my mother and Rozz as well...Arthur told me that I was the inspiration for all the pumpkins...Like the story of Cinderella, with true love and a pumpkin coach...well, all of that and we'd been looking at Fall decorating magazines all week as well.

Sadly, Arthur goes home tomorrow. He will be sorely missed.

Sunday:

An early start found Rich, Caden and I in Sedona. We did a quick hike and lots of pictures at Devils bridge first of all. I got all romanticy and inspired at the wedding and insist that we take more pictures together...but lord. Not in that top. Heavens...It is so bad that it actually makes my posture look horrible (and who can tell I spend most of my days in a gym anyway?)

Must. Remember. To. Look. In Full Length Mirror before I Leave. Home...

Oh well...at least I have proof that we're out hiking together, eh?


After hiking Devil's Bridge, we ran into town to Rollies (of course...) to the Life is Good store (a hat-fix for Rich...woof!) and then ran to New Frontiers and grabbed some lunch to take to our next destination.

The Palatki Ruins.

None of us had ever been to the ruins before, and I have no idea why. It is an absolutely magical setting in the middle of an old ranch...well, that and an even older set of cliff dwellings. There is a perfect vintage ranch house where the forest service is housed, with rooms of artifacts and a video display about the area...Oh...and they also sell cold water.

At the site, there is a clean bathroom and fresh water, and the most wonderful picnic tables. We sat and had lunch in part of the old groves of the property...and I spied an apple tree behind Rich's head...only on closer inspection I realized it was not apples at all, but pomegranates.

Pomegranates...

Can you believe that?










They were just hanging and literally exploding off of the tree...even the park ranger seemed nonplussed about the bounty that was right out the back door...I picked one up that had recently fallen off the tree, and Caden and I enjoyed a wonderful snack...the fruit was so ripe and sweet, and no one else seemed to be enjoying it. What a shame. That Pom juice in the grocery is so danged expensive it seems like such a waste (I'm always amazed that there is fruit that is allowed to fall off trees in parts of America and no one seems to notice that it's food) I am also a little sad that I didn't pick some of the fruit to take home since no one else seemed to be interested (well, the wasps were pretty excited) Maybe when we go back in a couple of weeks? (Rich and I decided it would be a wonderful place to take his family when they get here) They also take applications to work/live there...Rich and I started to drool a little bit over that fact.

After hiking up to the ruins, I could see why the tribe wanted to make a dwelling and stay a while...apparently they were there for about 100 years before moving on to the Verde Valley and building Tuzigoot. According to the very knowledgeable individual that is at the ruins themselves there are about 4 archaeological sites per square mile in this part of Arizona. Who knew?

After hearing that Rich was a professional photographer, the guide led us across a rope and to a part of the trail they don't let a lot of people on so that we could get a totally different and wonderful view of the ruins...Yeah, I'm still wearing that unflattering tank that will be going into the donation pile.

This was a truly incredible day of trekking...and I urge any of you that want to walk up to and then around to explore an actual cliff dwelling, which is not usually allowed anymore because of the damage it causes to allow most humans to walk around them and touch them, to visit these ruins.

We also tried to visit some other ruins that were right down the road, but it was late and we decided to call it a day instead. Rich and I will take his family back on the trek to Sedona instead. We also saw so many fantastic places to pull off and camp that we were shouting out future plans as we whizzed by en route to the Highway...You see, we were also eager to get to Jerome to eat.

Only...

Rich wasn't hungry anymore, neither was I, and on the way, Caden fell asleep in the back seat. I think we wore him out. So, we came home over Mingus and all went our separate ways.

OK...I'm off to rest up before my Monday begins:

• gym/work out/shower
• Do the books and banking for the shop
  
• Home for a massage
• Flagstaff with Rich

And don't worry, I will certainly be wearing something more flattering tomorrow...

You can bet on that.

AND...if you want to see more photos from the day...please visit my Flickr page...