3/7/13  Thursday
     Left Fort Stockton and the Park View RV park on I 10.  Flat and straight and not a car in sight until Jerry asked me to drive.  I don't think he realized how close we were to El Paso.  I hit the city and held my breath.  The speed limit was 80!  Luckily there were no fancy freeway changes and we just whizzed through.  On our left was Mexico, you could see the fence next to the freeway with houses all over the hills.  Supposedly Ciudad Juarez is one of the most dangerous border towns.  Next was harrowing road construction.  But I handled it well, according to Jerry.
     Reached Deming, and went to the same grocery store we visited on our way East.  Had bar-b-qd pork chops for dinner!  Tried the hot tub at the park and nearly were asphyxiated with the chlorine!  It was in a builing and as soon as we lifted the lid I started coughing.  I usually cough when the jets are on but this was different!  We did get in and I only lasted 2 min and Jerry about 5!  We couldn't stop coughing from the chlorine!   We both complained of burning eyes and by morning Jerry was very congested.  Suedafed (Sorry about the spelling, Sue! and many times spell check can't help me either..) helped.  We told the owners they had too much chlorine in there and they were very sorry and would get right on it.  We are fine now.

3/8/13 Friday
     We left the roadrunner RV park about 8:00.  After I told the owner about the hot tub, she said "You aren't headed west are you?  A big storm is coming".  I reassured her and we took off into the black sky.  Once again the gorgeous storm clouds over the desert.

 We turned off of I 10 at Lordsburg and headed more northwest on Highway 70, The Old West Highway.  It is a gorgeous road winding up and around the small hills.  Lots more vegetation.  Saw saguaros and barrel cactus, creasote bush and prickley pear.  Bits of rain off and on mixed with sun and fluffy white clouds and then all of a sudden...the rain came with a vengeance!  The rain continued the rest of the day off and on but not that hard until later.  We even saw mountains to our left with some light snow. 

Our trip meter says 8,000 miles!!!  Irrigated huge fields near Stafford.  Lots of dead palms all along here.  I think there must have been a bad freeze.
     Even with all this rain I still get shocks every time I get out of the car!  I love humidity!!and hate the shocks!  Don't laugh, Lorna!  Lunch in a gas station parking lot in Peridot.  Some folks came over and asked about the Casita.  I gave them my sales pitch, a pamphlet, and a card for them to fill out.  I don't remember if I mentioned, Casita has a referral program and if they buy in 6 years we can get $$!  The next gas station the same thing happened!
     Globe and Miami are gold and copper mining towns.  We need to come back.  They are full of history and I need more information!  Jerry gave me the wheel at lunch so I have no pictures of this gorgeous area.  We traveled on through the Tonto national Forest (or park..not sure).  Pretty steep hills for the poor Hyundai! and me!  Got down to 35mph but we made it!! The rock formations were spectacular, lichen dripping down the sides, balanced boulders..the storm clouds..amazing and I was driving!  I am still going through some camera withdrawals but Jerry promises we'll be back.  We got to the top, Gonzales Pass, and the the view took our breath away.  The road beneath us seemed to disappear and before us was an endless flat valley.  Coming down the hill we saw a trestle type bridge over Queen Creek that I sure wish I had a picture of.  Perhaps I'll Google it!
     In the valley and 50 miles or so from Phoenix along the road we started seeing Bluebonnets (Lupins to us), yellow poppies (do they call them California Poppies in Arizona?) and other pretty yellow desert flowers I can't remember the name of.  Lorna knows!
     2:15 at the Silver Sands RV park in Mesa.  We park, Jerry starts unhooking the car and boooom!  Thunder, lightening, trailer shaking winds and RAIN!

 It is now 3:50 and we are surrounded by puddles,  the rain in beating down and we are cozy inside reading magazines and writing to ya'll.  We have seen hail and lightening bolts and we continue to be buffeted by the wind.  The plan is to go to downtown Scottsdale and go out to dinner.  I'll let you know how that goes.  Getting closer to home!