C&C Retirement Adventures Friday, February 4, 2011

It has been surprisingly cool this past week; it has actually dipped low into the 20s at night and reached only into the 50s and low 60s.  When we tried to buy a small space heater to take some of the chill off at night and lessen our propane dependence, we found that area stores were sold out--there was a "run on space heaters" apparently by all the snow birds!!!  Luckily, the Sears store had one small ceramic heater left which is currently in the coach warming my tootsies!

Despite the chilly temps, we continue to enjoy our stay in Casa Grande.  We drove to Chandler on Wednesday to do a little shopping--found a dandy little portable Weber gas grill that will be initiated soon.  Then it was dinner at the Rustler's Rooste with Steve and the girls--what a fun place.

On Thursday, we donned our "tourist personna" and went to the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument where the remains of the once-thriving Hohokam culture are being preserved.  According to the National Park Service (NPS) brochure, the Hohokam were hunter-gatherers who lived in what is now Arizona for several thousand years.  There is evidence of a distinct Hohokam culture in place along Arizona's Gila and Salt rivers at around 300 A.D.!!!!!  Archeologist Emil Haury who studied the Hohokam called them the "first masters of the American Desert."  The relics reveal the Hohokam were a farming people; they were enteprenuers as well, trading their pottery and jewelry with neighboring villages.

In the early 1300s the Hohokum at this settlement finished building their Great House (dubbed Casa Grande by early Spanish explorers) within their compound which also contained other shelters.  NPS determined it was about 4 stories high and 60 feet long, the largest known structure from these times.  It took 3,000 tons of a mud-mix called Caliche piled in layers to form the walls; additionally, the Hohokum used saguaro cactus ribs and timber from fir trees harvested 60 miles away as support beams.   All this construction done by manual labor!!!!  However, its purpose remains a mystery--there is no defining evidence yet found to determine why this structure was built.  Fascinating!

The brisk evening temperatures discouraged get togethers on the patios, so we invited our RV neighbors to join us for cocktails in the Road House on Thursday.  Lots of laughs and shared stories among Brian & Carol and Doug & Anna from British Columbia and Del & Jan from Wisconsin.  How fortunate we are to have met such wonderful folks.

The Park hosted a fund raiser for cancer awareness on Friday evening--residents gathered at the Registration Parking area where three hot air balloons were staged.   music, popcorn, ice cream and comaraderie.  There was a dance in the ballroom and a silent auction outside.  A truly awesome sight were the four thousand luminaries lining the Park's main thoroughfares in support of breast cancer awareness programs.  WoW!!!

Have a good weekend all.

New pics have been added to albums at http://picasaweb.google.com/MuskratLake