We had a very nice day. It got up to 83!

After coffee, I had a violin lesson over Zoom. Scott read outside while it was happening.

After that, we had some breakfast, then Scott went to the pool and read and when he got back we decided to go to Usery Mountain. We took chairs, found a beautiful spot surrounded by mountain views, and read. It was hot! But it was relaxing and beautiful.

After we got back to the campsite, Scott went to the pool to read and swim while I practiced. When he came back, it was time for dinner. We don't have many days left in Mesa, so we decided we had to hit Nando's one more time before we left. 

It was super crowded. People love Nando's. We got a great seat outdoors and had a great dinner!

G00d-bye Nando's. See ya next year.

When we got back, we played cards. Then we went to bed and watched an episode of Tracker and fell asleep with the windows open!

After coffee, we headed straight to the puzzle.  It was already beautiful out—75 degrees and sunny.

We worked for about an hour and half and finished it, except for two pieces that were missing. The past two days had been very gusty. Once, the whole puzzle lifted up and some pieces went flying, though the main puzzle stayed together, thank goodness. Other times, gusts would kick up and I'd lean on the board to keep it steady. 

So the final stage of doing this puzzle ironically included hunting for the final two pieces in the gravel using all the skills built up by looking for various pieces while working on the puzzle itself for the past few days. But I found them!

All in all, very fun, but there were times of absolute tedium and frustration.

Then we headed out to Walmart and got three new puzzles.  

In the afternoon, Scott went and read by the pool and I practiced. When he came back we read for a bit outside and then I made dinner.

After dinner, we played cards then Scott went for a shower. When he got back we decided to watch a movie. We couldn't find anything so we decided to watch Anne with an E, which is s series not a movie, it goes on forever, and we've both seen it once already. Still we were into it and we enjoyed two episodes before someone started falling asleep. 

It was a beautiful day. During the night, we had slept with the windows open it was so warm. In the morning, it was 70 degrees! By the afternoon, it was 80. No clouds. 

Our physical ailments are improving. Scott made a few circuits of the campground throughout the day. That was pretty much the only physical activity other than walking to the showers.

I spent the morning working on my trip "database," in which I'm organizing for easy reference all the salient pieces of info about each trip that I've culled. Scott read. Then I started working on the puzzle and spent a lot of the day doing it. Scott alternated between reading and resting his back and popping out to do some puzzle. We're still not done! But we are close.

I took my shower in the morning, but after hobbling to it, I discovered I'd forgotten my shower shoes. So I ended up getting my boot wet along with the other shoe. But I have to wear them and I can't get gross stuff on the wound, which is still not 100% healed so I came up with the brilliant idea to wear these nice grocery bags. Scott thinks I'm ridiculous and he had to take a picture. 

Once it got dark and we couldn't work on the puzzle any longer, I made dinner. We ate and then played cards until it was time for bed. We fell right asleep, no movies or reading.

About 4:00 we went to the grocery store. When we got back, I ate dinner and Scott read by the pool. Then Scott ate dinner, and I worked on the puzzle until the light was gone. It was only about 30 minutes. Then Scott made a fire and I practiced. 

Then we played cards and went to bed.

After coffee, Scott went for a hike at Usery, the Cat's Peak Trail.

Then it was reading, lunch, and a couple hours at least on this puzzle. It's tough and we didn't get far. 

In the afternoon, Scott threw out his back. It's bad and he can't move much.

In the evening, Scott had a call and I practiced. Then we had a nice steak dinner and a fire.

We had a nice day but nothing exciting or picture worthy. That won't stop me from posting something though.

​The day is a bit of blur; I'm not sure how it all played out. We had coffee, Scott exercised in the morning, I exercised later.

We went to mass, an earlier service. This time, the church was mobbed! They had to open a room behind the main sanctuary and fill it with fold-out chairs. They had at least 10 people handing out communion.

We had lunch, did laundry, and read by the pool. I practiced while Scott stayed at the pool to read. Later, we started a new puzzle.  The pieces are teeny tiny and oddly shaped. A challenge.

I went back and read my book, House of the Seven Gables, until he got back.

When it got dark, we played cards until bedtime. We did some NYT's puzzles and then fell asleep! ​

Scott left early to pick his brother Dave up in Scottsdale. Dave was on a work trip there, and when it was done he came for a visit.

​They headed out to do Pass Mountain. I practiced.

When they were done, they came back to the campground and we all had lunch. Then Dave and Scott went for a swim and the hot tub while I read outside. Then Scott drove Dave to the airport.

​Scott took another picture while driving. This time it was of of Patrick Saguaro.

At some point I made dinner and we ate. 

Then we played cards and watched a pretty good movie, Bookworm.

​In the evening, there was a full moon hovering over the Superstition Mountains. The picture doesn't do it justice. It's much nicer in person.

After coffee, I had an online violin lesson. So Scott packed up and headed to Pass Mountain again! 

The picture below is Lost Dutchman in the Superstition Mountains, which he took driving home from his hike.

Perhaps I have finally learned my lesson. I have overtaxed my "good" foot, and now I can't walk so I must rest, possibly for days. 

I stayed home and worked on orchestra-board stuff and practiced. 

Scott went for a hike on our favorite trail, Pass Mountain in Usery Mountain Regional Park. He took pictures for me so I could enjoy it too. It took him about 3 hours.

He came home and we ate, played cards, sat by the fire, and watched a pretty bad movie.

Well, not a ton happened today. We did keep busy, and it was a relaxing day. 

After coffee, I made Scott breakfast. He loves it so much he took a picture.

He thinks my breakfast is a poor comparison, but I like it well enough.

While he exercised, I watched the Sinner-Shelton match inside the camper. There's one big advantage of YouTube TV I have discovered. I can tape things and watch them later. That helps a lot with something like the Australian Open, where the matches are on at 2 am, 3 am, 4 am, etc. Plus I can skip the commercials.

At some point, Scott went to read by the pool while I stayed back and read here. I really can't move much at all because I must have sprained the nonsurgery ankle pretty good. It hurts a lot to walk on. 

A little while later, I got my swimsuit on, taped up my surgery foot with waterproof tape, and headed over to the pool with my book. But when I saw the hot tub, I had to try to figure out a way to get in and keep my surgery foot up. It worked. Scott came over then and gave me something to lean against so I was more comfortable and I stayed in a long time. Then I got out and he got in.

When we were done, we took showers and headed back to the camper. My ankle was really bad. Scott suggested we go to Nando's so I didn't have to cook. Hey, I'm not refusing Nando's. We went and had a great dinner.

​When we came back, we played cards and had a drink. Then Scott went out to make a fire and read. I practiced. When I was done, I went out and sat by the fire for a long time. It was nice.