My mom was buried in Tucson in June and I want to visit my parents gravesite. I want to make sure all is well with the headstone and place some new flowers there.
As I approach Tucson and Gilbert Ray Campground though, I find I’m filling with apprehension and anxiety. I didn’t realize it would be this difficult 6 months later. I feel similar to the way I felt when I flew here to bury my mom in June.
I find a place to set up camp where I feel that Laura and Joel will be able to camp next to me when they arrive tomorrow. Laura and I talk on the phone, finalizing some plans, and then I set my GPS for the address of the cemetery.
We arrive at the peaceful grounds a half hour later, and I’m surprised to find that the flower basket arrangement I made in June is still there. It’s quite a bit worse for wear from the sun and the summer rains, and the wind though. The little glass Humming Bird I attached to a flower stem is still attached. I remove it all and place the new flowers. I spend some time just sitting and thinking my thoughts…the flood of tears come later.
I take the little glass bird and attach it to a ribbon on my rear view mirror. Somehow it’s comforting.
We drive away. It was difficult but I’m glad I was able to do it. Maybe next time it will get a bit easier? Or not.
I like Tucson actually, and some areas hold some nice memories, including the area of Kinny Road where the campground is. My parents used to live off Kinny Road, some miles south of here.
Gilbert Ray Campground is nice! The setting is beautiful here in Tucson Mountain Park (which is miles in size), among lots of Suguaro, and many other types of cactus and desert plants, with mountains as the backdrop all around. Camping with an RV is $20 a night which includes an electric hookup and frequently spaced water spigots. There are bathrooms (no showers), a dump station, dumpsters and a recycling bin. There are camp hosts for each of the 3 loops. The campsites vary, but most are nicely spaced. The time limit here is 7 nights and a Senior Pass holds no value since this is a city/county campground.
Today as I write it’s Tuesday and Laura and Joel have flown into Phoenix where they are renting an RV and driving down to meet me. Soon we will be neighbors! I’m so looking forward to seeing these dear friends.
Wandering Spirit 
My granddaughter visited last evening. Morgan is in her 5th yr in Engineering @ Portland State University and will graduate this March. She had just purchased a tent at REI She and her cousin, Donny, put it up in our family room (piece of cake easy). She is excited that it weighs 3# 1 oz. as she plans to backpack in Oregon and New Zealand, where she was born. I told her about you and the birthing beads you brought back from the Navajo C.E. you took 20 yrs.ago. I sent one of my 2 necklaces with Paul to N.Z. and my daughter wore them for the labor/delivery of Morgan’s sister, Sydney, on the day that Paul arrived in Te Puke with those birthing beads. Paul picked up 2 yo Morgan from the birthing center and took her for ice cream. By the time they arrived home, they needed to head back to the center to meet Syd! Morgan is interested in your blog. Do I need your permission to send it on to her? Marie
Hi Marie,
Wow those birthing beads get around, don’t they? When I started working at the hospital in Monterey the girls liked my beads and I began giving a few for Christmas every year. At one time I think everyone had some. The last day I worked before I moved to Michigan, ( it was temporary, I came back), I wore them…I rarely did wear them to work. I explained what they were to my laboring patient and told her if they bothered her, I’d remove them. She said ” no, please don’t take them off. I’m part Navajo and they comfort me.’
Wow. Blew me away. I wore them at the right time.
No you can give my blog info to anyone you want. No permission needed!
Hello Wandering Spirit!
I finally got your link from Jason, although the delay was no fault of his. I’m still trying to get use to this social media thing and signed up for Twitter. Well Jason sent me two posts which I thought were Twitter posts but thank goodness ended up being you! So there you are !
It sounds like you are having quite the adventure of traveling and seeing new and old places. I’m glad you were able to see your parents resting place. Mine are at Sunnyside in Scottsdale, nearby in the same state anyway. And I’m so glad Laura and Joel will be able to join you. Give them our hellos and tell them when you return , we will have a welcome back party and invite them!
We had a very enjoyable Christmas a few days ago. It was amazing! The kids enjoy each other a lot always kidding around and laughing. Mark and Brent love their new brother and it’s nice to see such a great bond . And of course we love Jason and are proud of our new son and all the love, wisdom and positive input he contributes to the family. He always has a special smile and we enjoy him very much.
Santa brought Larry a billiards table for Christmas which made him very happy and excited to share it with everyone. Apparently the girls beat the guys and Larry says he’s gonna have to give lessons.
Larry the chef outdid himself again cooking a ham and beef tenderloin. And I made carmelize for carrots which I think you’d have loved. I will make them for you if you fancy carrots? And you’ll be happy to know Mandy baked all day her famous rolls which were gobbled up by everyone! And a new addition she baked was Christmas cookies. I’m so proud of her cooking abilities. All on her own she’s been exploring and making new treats.
Well, I look forward to hearing more about your travels and I’ll be sure to respond more promptly! Lol!!
Take care Micky , stay well and be safe. Give the dogs a hug from me and we shall see you when you return.
This is your time to travel and we are glad you are enjoying it. We will continue to take care of Jason for you!
Much love,
Sharon
Hi Sharon! I’m so glad you are traveling with me now! I love your company.
I saw a FB picture with the billiard table and I was pretty sure it was your house and I thought…oh that’s new! Didn’t know Santa brought it though. Wow, fun for everybody.
I also saw a picture of Mandy’s dough rising. :-))). Looks like she did a great job! Looks like it could have risen right through the roof it she didn’t stop it!
I’m so glad Jason has you all. I know he feels like he has a real family now and he loves all of you. That saying about not just marrying a wife, but marrying a family too is very true, and in this case, very, very wonderful. And I love Mandy too. I can see and feel that she has a truly kind and generous and loving heart. She is deep down good. And I love her parents too, for raising her to be the woman she is.
Hugs to all of you. ❤️❤️❤️
Have a great visit & happy new year!!
Hi Patty!
Thank you. They are driving here even now. Happy New Year to you and John too!
Hello Micky, Laura and Joel! I am in Vegas, pet sitting for my sister, and I am SO tempted to find our camping gear in her garage, load the dogs in the car, and drive down for a day or two, but I don’t think I can get organized in time. I love Tucson, too. Will you get a chance to see DebR? You already have a gg, but more glimmers are always a good thing, and I think you could include her mom to get a true GG.
Thanks so much for all the campground information. Now that my daughter is living in San Diego, I know that we will look for interesting ways to drive from here to there. We will start planning travel for next summer soon, also with the two dogs, and I will be using your experiences as a guide. This visit was also a road trip. Amanda and I loaded her car in Michigan, and once we got to Chicago, we followed Route 66 all the way to Kingman, AZ, – on the interstates, of course, but it was the first time I have taken that route west. I need to come back and do the last bit to LA.
I’m glad you will have your mother’s hummingbird on your travels, I think it it will brighten your days with her spirit. I am also reminded that my mother’s ashes have been sitting in a cookie jar at my brother’s house for over ten years now, waiting to be divided between the four of us and scattered in beautiful spots. I better get to that before someone has to mix mine with hers! I am also reminded that I was in SF for a Stones concert when she passed, and Laura and Joel were among the few people I told. You are all wonderful people!
Hugs all around,
Kitty
Hi Kitty, from Laura and Joel and I. So good to hear from you! Gosh, you are so close, yet so far away. I’m so glad that this blog will be a help to you for the time when you set out for San Diego in the summer. As you already know, there is so much to see. It seems like the more I travel the more I WANT to travel.
I guess you could say we are keeping things real simple while we are here visiting. We had a plan that looks like it could be changing. It’s SO cold right now (27-30 at night), that most of our partying is being done inside in our limited ….very limited….space. Added to the cold temp, Laura has caught a cold. We were going to boondock for 2 nights but due to it being so cold and some of us not feeling tip top right now, it looks like we may hang out with our electric connections instead. I can’t say as I mind that plan a bit. One thing about RV living…plans are often made in jello. Things can change and it’s much less stressful just to roll with it.
We were all in my truck yesterday so I had brought my big cardboard Mick who usually sits in my passenger seat, into WS. He was right here with us for our low key party last night, so it was a GG in every sense of the word. 😍
With all the great scenery around Tucson, you ought to consider getting a new header picture with a great background. 🙂 Not that the one you have isn’t great, but to see your rig with some beautiful country behind it…that would be cool.
And comforting thoughts for you as you continue the process of dealing with your loss…
Thank you for your condolences Cindy.
Yes a new header picture would be great…if I could figure out how to do it. Maybe Joel can help me figure that out!