One impasse down, one to go

We spent Friday driving around Prescott on various errands: picking up the transformer pad from APS, evaluating wood at a lumber mill. We also looked at a double-sided fireplace Gerald saw advertised on Craigslist. It had been installed in a restaurant and never used. We picked it up for $250.

During the course of the week, we came to an understanding with our builder, Paul Russell, along the lines of our original expectations. That was a relief. All that remains is dotting all the I's and crossing all the T's on--you guessed it--a contract! 

As for the credit issue, that was another story. The appraiser appeared 

at our house promptly on Monday morning, conducted his assessment and told us he hoped to get the full appraisal done that day. He said the loan officer at Wells Fargo would have it no later than Tuesday by the close of business. By 5 p.m. Friday, the appraisal was still MIA. 

We called the assessor's office Friday afternoon. Someone there told us that the assessment had to be done no later than that day, but the deadline was midnight. Wells Fargo assured us that their loan office was open both Saturday and Sunday. But when we called on Saturday, we were told there were no underwriters working. So it looked like Monday will be the earliest we'll get it resolved.

That was frustrating, but when we arrived at the land Gerald noticed a cloud with a silver lining, so we took it as a good omen.

We had a visitor while we were sitting around the campfire, but he didn't stay long.

Members of all three households in phase three of Ruger Ranch were in residence, which was rare, and occasion to celebrate. So we headed to Nowhere for an informal gathering of the Homeowners Association. From left to right between Gerald and me are Tom and Linda, who live part-time in the house at the gate, and Don Stowe who lives full time at the only other house in phase three. His wife Kathleen was behind the camera. The Stowes are our closest neighbors. Their Painted Shadows Ranch is about 2 miles from our parcel.

We decided to try a new method for trapping wasps. The so-called commercial wasp trap we bought didn't trap a single one. 

Our friends the McCraines suggested hanging a strip of raw bacon over a pail of water. That seemed to work, but mostly when we weren't there. When we arrived, there would always be bodies floating in the bucket, but the wasps seemed prefer our company when we were there. 

This new method, cutting the top off a bottle and inverting it like a funnel we took from Clay Thompson's column in The Arizona Republic. It's supposed to act like a wasp motel. Wasps check in, but they can't get out. We'll see.

It rained most of the day on Saturday, which was fine with us as we spent it at the old, one-room schoolhouse in Peeples Valley. The Yarnell-PV historical society invited a longtime owner of several mining claims on nearby Rich Hill to tell stories. It was very entertaining, and the cookies were killer. Gerald ate four. We had dinner in Yarnell, and by the time we got back it had stopped raining.

The morning dawned clear and beautiful. When I set out for my morning hike, the sun illuminated the water droplets that clung to the scrub oak and grasses. 

When I got back from my hike, Gerald insisted on taking this picture of me in my hiking gear even though I was sweaty and suffered from hat hair. He seemed to think the blog needed more pictures of me. 

I'm wearing brush pants, which are great protection from cat's claw for those times I wander off the road, which I do more often than I intend to. That's a Walther P22 on my hip. Gerald insists I carry it, mostly to make enough noise to scare off a mountain lion or bear, if I ever encounter one. In my backpack I carry the things I've found essential for exploring: a cellphone just in case I get into trouble, flourescent tape for marking trails, hand clippers and gloves to cut cat's claw and scrub oak from trails, a camera (so I can share the wonders I've seen with Gerald), a hat, a bird book and binoculars. 

I've seen a lot of beautiful birds on my hikes: red and black Spotted Towhees, bright yellow and black Hooded Orioles, Phainopeplas (which sound lovely, but unfortunately spread mistletoe), a Red-tail Hawk, and blue bird that Gerald figures is probably a pinyon jay, though I've only actually seen a flash of blue. A Western Kingbird has taken up residence in the pinyon pine right outside our "casita."