A Nice Day in Flagstaff

Marilyn and I ventured to Flagstaff to attend Carol's graduation ceremony. Steve and I took an early morning hike. With GPS units in hand and Piggy on a leash we walked the tree lined streets of old Flagstaff towards Mars hill. In a few minutes we were at the trailhead and into the forrest. Approaching the top, the elevation change registered in my GPS unit told me I should be out of breath and I was. At the summit the trail passes the Lowell observatory where the planet Pluto was discovered and named after a lovable Disney character.


Later in the morning we all drove to the graduation ceremony at the Skydome. Steve was anticipating parking problems but we were able to roll up and park next to the dome. Steve still thinks we weren't supposed to park there but when you have teenagers in bright orange vests directing you from the middle of the road, it can't be wrong. It was a Goldilocks ceremony; not too long and not too short but just right. We all did our part to perfection which was to yell when we heard Carol's name. She smiled and waved at us as she returned to her seat. It was a done deal.




After the ceremony we all walked from Steve and Carol's into town for lunch. Steve brought us to the old Weatherford hotel. It was crowded so we ate in the bar which was mostly deserted making our banter the most intelligent conversation in the room. Leaving the historic hotel, the women wanted to duck into the row of small shops to look at things they didn't need or want and had no intention of buying but they might. Susie, Steve and I strolled on down to the corner ATM so Susie could get some cash. One of the buttons on the ATM didn't work. Unfortunately, it was one of the buttons needed to get cash. We walked to the bank and inside dealt with buttonless humans who promptly handed Susie some greenbacks. Leaving the bank, Susie discovered she had lost her sunglasses. Backtracking, we located the tinted eyewear back at the corner ATM. During this time, the women had a brush with fame when they saw, approached, and actually spoke to Eric Estrada. Pictures were taken and memories made.

Later that afternoon, a trip down Oak creek Canyon was the plan. Steve donned his cruising beret and lead the procession in Zippy, the wonder Miata. It was a beautiful day but there wasn't much of a creek. We finally stopped at the roadside Dairy Queen nestled in the canyon. Steve and I enjoyed frozen treats while the Coopers carefully examined the Native American jewelry laid out on card tables in the parking lot being sold by Indians trying to make up for that $24 Manhattan deal.

From the Oak Creek Dairy Queen, we said goodbye to all.. Whether it was the family, the weather, or the town. It was a nice day to be in Flagstaff.