JEROME, SEDONA, & A TRACTOR

For the last two days, the girls have been in a "shop till you drop" mode, spending most of one day in Jerome, and yesterday in Sedona. Actually, I think it's more of a browse till you drop, because I haven't seen much in the way of purchases yet. Nancy did find a cowgirl hat that she's been looking for, and scored some Elk antlers at an antique shop.

Jerome is an old mining town, that sits on the side of a mountain above the Verde Valley. Not too many years ago, it was a virtual ghost town, until the artsy - fartsy folks discovered the place, and now it's full of business that cater to people looking for that one of a kind item.

Sedona is famous for it's red rock mountains that surround the town, and it has become a tourist destination. As with any place that attracts lots of visitors, Sedona has lots of shops, with the same old stuff for sale. I like to drive through Sedona and look at the scenery, but that's about it. So, while Patty & Nancy have spent the last two days in gift shop heaven, I've been busy looking for a piece of iron.

These two pictures were taken at the Thousand Trails in Verde Valley where we are now parked. This is one of our favorite TT, and we've been here many times. In the past, we've stayed here in the spring time, when the temps were a little cooler. At low to mid 90's, it's not too bad, and it's been cooling off into the 60's at night.

Yesterday morning, while browsing the very slow Internet, I discovered a Kubota L39 Tractor, loader, backhoe for sale in Phoenix. I've been in the market for a tractor for a couple of months, and this looked like a pretty good deal. After calling my buddy Everett in CA, who knows more about heavy equipment than just about anybody, I drove down to Phoenix to take a look. To make a long story short, I bought the tractor, which came with a box scraper, post hole digger, and some other accessories. After the seller and I went to the bank, I made a deal for him to deliver the tractor to Tucson when I get there in about two weeks. When we get to a better Internet connection, I'll post some more pictures of my new toy. With any luck, I'll be able to get rid of an old toy called a boat. I think there's a lot of truth to the saying "the best two days in a boat owners life is the day you buy, and the day you sell".