Another beautiful round of golf at the Golf Club at Johnston Ranch!

Last week we golfed at Johnston Ranch again, which was my first full round there, and therefore the first time I played the 'back' nine. They're laid out in a beautiful desert setting, basically circling and climbing a small hill in the back of the course.

    It makes for beautiful views, almost 360 around!

Look at this house, it has half a basketball- and a full putting- course in the back yard!

                                  

We golfed in the afternoon and by the time we reached the last holes, we had to share the tees with a gazillion of rabbits! They weren't very shy either, and barely went out of the way for a bit to let us tee off ..

Apparently you also have to 'share' the course with these guys!

             

And if that's not wild enough, there's these prickly giants you better keep an eye out for!

 

    

You don't want to get too close to them and trying to collect your ball when one of them has 'claimed' it, is not a good idea!
By the way, that enormous Saguaro on the right will look like the one below when it dies. Their 'bones', if you will, are hard like tree branches.

Fortunately there's also some cuteness in this harsh environment. What about this pretty little Vermilion Flycatcher?

              

Normally flycatchers are rather drab, but the male Vermilion Flycatcher is a brilliant exception!

As you can see we cut it rather close to dark to finish the round. The sun had set and the moon was already out when we arrived at the 18th hole!

                                    

I think this course is going to be my 'go-to' course. It's challenging but not too difficult and absolutely beautiful!
It reminds us, especially the back nine, of Lahitas, where we stayed 8 years ago.

Eight years! Can you believe it? I remember it like it was yesterday ..

10/19 2012

Work-wise not much was done this week, we were too busy 'running around', organizing and ordering things, and getting a second, or actually 'first' opinion on our dental work.
We have an appointment at the dental school in Glendale for next week, but decided to get a few other opinions on the matter, one of which was at Aspen Dental in Casa Grande this week.

Dr. Sung, very nice guy!

They, Dr. Sung that is, basically confirmed what the hygienists already came up with.
James needs two molars pulled and two crowned, and I need one crown and, at my request, a new filling in my tooth to replace the old, yellowing one. Total cost .. are you sitting down .. $5000!!
They also suggested James would see an orthodontist to see if his 'bite' can be improved. He might need braces. Ka-Ching!

Like I said, this is a first opinion, we booked another one at a local dentist here in Florence for next week, and that same day we'll go to the dental school in Glendale. The latter one should be a lot cheaper! Let's hope so ..

            

As I said, we didn't do too much in the house, but James worked a little on a leak in the sprinkler system ..

 

He also re-routed a whole bunch of electricity in the house, but I forgot to take pictures. Oh well ..

I only did a little baking. I was going to start on some Christmas-cookie-baking but realized that the cutters for those are in the RV, so guess where we have to go again this weekend? Fortunately it's only 5 minutes away!
It's too funny, but slow but sure everything in the rig is being moved into the house!
Any-who .. since I had some pumpkin leftover, from I don't know when, I decided to make a pumpkin-spice cake:

       

I'm not too wild about how it came out, it could have used more 'oomph', aka spices, but it was OK I guess.

In the meantime .. the neighborhood is starting to look a lot like Christmas!

  

 

                            

All very cute, but I think this next one took the [spice]-cake!

This Grinch was literary 'larger than life', but than again ...
who knows how big a Grinch really is?