Sweetheart State

That would be Arizona. The last state in the continental United States to be voted into Statehood. Grumpy and I have lived in a few states and even another country. We live in Arizona because we love it here. When I went away to college long ago and far away, I would drive several hours to get to school. On those long drives through Arizona and up to Utah, I got my first clue about how much I really love this state.


I never would have thought about it in those tender years, but because I was away I think I gained an appreciation for the things I love here. Of course my family was here. My mom's for a couple of generations back. Many of her ancestors came from Utah to settle in the Gila Valley. From there to the Valley of the Sun. Her mother attended, but did not graduate from good old Mesa High. My mother did graduate from that old high school, as did I and my siblings, and my kids. Those roots run pretty deep. So family was a big reason to love it here. Mom and Dad met at Williams AFB (now Gateway) and ultimately Dad was stationed at Luke AFB where he and some other fly boys started the Thunderbirds. They now call Nellis AFB in Nevada their home, but they began here.



After his tour with them, he left the service to farm in Queen Creek. I remember many, many lunches in the barn with Dad. I worked in the potato sheds as a teenager and drove back and forth across the many farms that now grow houses instead of crops. I can't think of Arizona without thinking of cotton fields, lettuce fields, corn, alfalfa, potatoes, and so forth. Fourth of July celebrations in Queen Creek with cousins enjoying corn on the cob and watermelon. Memories I love.



Later in life after we had been a few places and worked our way back here, I began to appreciate some of the other wonderful things we have here. When working for a local printer I did a lot of designwork for golf courses. Arizona is the perfect place to golf in the winter. People come here from all over to enjoy our beautiful balmy winters. We eventually got our own major league baseball team and Grumpy again, got to experience one of his dreams. To buy season tickets for an Arizona Baseball team. We enjoyed them until they priced them out of our range, but still keep tabs on the Diamondbacks. He played baseball in high school and is still an avid fan. The stadium is amazing and it was fun to go watch them make a little history.



I am better acquainted with our lakes than our golf courses on a personal level. Grumpy and I bought our first boat several years ago and began to enjoy the refreshing, beautiful lakes around us. We soon sort of claimed Canyon as our lake of choice here. I love to be on the water and relax to the wake of the boat, the scenery around us and being rocked by the water when are stopped. Then there is the mother of all lakes, Lake Powell. Even though just the tip of it is in Arizona, it is the most majestic end to see. It is the experience of a lifetime, and we enjoyed it as often as we could. I love it there. Eventually, we sold our boat, (the second one) and I miss going to spend time on the water with my honey and our kids.





One year Grumpy called and said he bought me a surprise for my birthday. He was calling from a shop in Safford. A quad shop to be more specific. He was so excited about his idea to learn to ride, I couldn't put a damper on it. I learned to ride a quad. Not a pro by any stretch, but to my surprise, I really like to ride. We spend a lot of time with our kids at the dunes now. Although it isn't in Arizona, it is close enough that I think of it as Arizona. I have to constantly remind myself we are actually in California when we are there. As we travel through the state going here and there I love driving through the dessert. In just a few weeks the desset will be blooming if it isn't already. It is so pretty, it has a unique beauty all it's own.




In all the years of going back and forth and in and out of this state, the one single thing that brings me the most comfort are the skies. I know the smog level is worse than it used to be, but all in all the gorgeous blue expanse of sky is pretty amazing. Even if you have to drive a few miles out of the cities sometimes, you will find skies so blue it almost hurts your eyes to take them in. It's like a balm, or a really deep cleansing breath to just relax for a few seconds and look up to find such perfection. I would lay on our trampoline when I was young and just watch the skies. I love it with clouds, or without, with thunder and lightning and yes, I even like the dust storms. I am leaving out the forests and our snow country, but love them as well. For the many different things Arizona is known for, I love that I was born here and learned to appreciate it's beauty. The summers from hell are a small price to pay, because we all know you can't have everything, right?