Friday, March 19, 2010

More Golfing Photos

Here are a few more photos of the golf course.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Cal Am Golfing

This week Senor Ping and I played in a golf tournament at the Gold Canyon Golf Course.  Half of the golfers played  the  Sidewinder course and the rest of us were on the Dinosaur Mountain Golf Course.  Dinosaur Mountain is ranked the #1 public golf course in Arizona.  It was a fantastic  golfing experience in the high Sonoran desert. Every tee box had a  panoramic vista and became a challenge for all of us.  The course took us up, over and around Dinosaur Mountain with dramatic tee-to-green elevation changes and long, loping fairways. The views of the nearby Superstition Mountains were spectacular. 





Saturday, March 13, 2010

Renaissance Festival



Today we visited the Arizona Renaissance Festival. This is the first weekend since the festival opened that has been warm and sunny and I think everyone else had the same idea as us. The traffic was bumper to bumper and it crossed our minds that we might not find parking. Not a problem!! There were acres of parking and the only problem might be finding your vehicle when you finally decide to leave. The festival includes a medieval amusement park, a 12-stage theater, a 30-acre circus, an arts and crafts fair, a jousting tournament and a feast. We arrived before lunch and strolled through the village. I was amazed at the large number of visitors, young and old, dressed in medieval costumes. For the younger crowd there were rides and carnival games. My favorite to watch was a ride called "fight the knight".



There was non stop entertainment on the various stages. We took in some of the shows but realized when we got home that we only saw about half of the performances. We enjoyed the music and song, story telling, comedy acts, sword fights, rope walking and juggling, and circus acts.



There were demonstrations on glass blowing, blacksmithing, pottery, leather work, weaving, spinning and a renactment of a medieval village.



A favorite on the lunch menu was the roasted turkey leg and people everywhere were strolling along chewing on the legs. There were chocolate covered bananas and icies served in half oranges. There was beer, wine and other beverages served throughout the park. We were both tired at the end of the day but will definitely head back another year. Senor Ping has his heart set on dressing up as a knight's templar and I think I would make a charming queen!!!

Sunday, March 07, 2010

A Girl For All Seasons

The annual Variety Show was held last week. I was responsible for one of the numbers in the show, "A Girl For All Seasons". While I was back in Eatonia working with Oasis Players, the 12 "girls" were recruited. Each of them designed their own costume and with a bit of makeup they were ready to go. Here are a few photos of the Val Vista Calendar Girls!!!


Happy People at Happy Hour





Senor Ping and I have been very busy since we arrived back in Arizona. I was busy with the Variety Night (more to come in another blog) and Senor Ping has been playing and practicing with Plan B. We have been to three dances and a couple watering holes as well as numerous Happy Hours in the courtyard. We also attended a Hula Party (that included a hilarious game of Pictionary) and a quadruple birthday party (with bocce and a musical jam session). We have also squeezed in a few happy hours with friends Dave and Ellen.

Last Wednesday Plan B played in the courtyard from 12-2 and then a few of our friends came over for Happy Hour. Our neighbors, Henry and Diane, had also decided to host a Happy Hour. Our block really came to life!!! After our friends went home we moved next door to join the sing-a-long. Along with the guitar, there were tambourines, maracas, shakers, and Diane played the spoons. There was even some dancing in the street.

Plan B in the Courtyard

Senor Ping and friends (called Plan B) have been booked into the Val Vista courtyard to provide entertainment during lunch and happy hours. Their mixture of classic rock and 60's favorites was well received, it even brought the line dancers to their feet.