Another great visit

Michael's medical school roomate, our best man, a long time friend and his lovely wife Gail visited us last week.

We managed to 'squeeze' in a few visits to the Gem Show which was a first for them.

Also visited the Karchtner Caverns and took a tour of the Big Room which is always fascinating.

They found many pieces to take back with them to Surprise, Arizona.

Somehow I failed to get a picture of Gail but this one is a gem of Jon keeping warm while we watched Tombstone. However, Michael got a shot of Jon and Gail when we went for Happy Hour at El Charro.

More acquisitions for our home

We found a pair of chairs for the living room that are not just comfortable but look like works of art to us. They were made by a local architect as his college project a few years ago. We love them.

An Acamana vase, a bench for the pool side door for people to sit on to remove or put on their shoes, our first Kachinas and a few stone plates and bowls.

Still looking for a bed for us, dressers, nightstands and a leather sofa.

A great visit with fellow circumnavigators

We were in Finike, Turkey, when we decided to take a tour to Cappadocia in the center of Turkey - along with stops at Konya to visit the home of the whirling dervishes, a carpet manufacturer, a jewelry manufacturer, old churches, ruins, etc.

The gentlemen who sold us the tour got up very early in the morning and drove us to Antalya where we met the bus for the tour.

We sat down and introduced ourselves to the people in front of us and lo and behold they were also sailors - Alan and Adele Walls from Huntington Beach, California.

We became fast friends on that tour, met them again when they had a car and came to Finike to tour more ruins, and in many anchorages after that.

We have kept in touch and have visited them in their home in the past but this time they came to see us and to see Tucson for the first time.

Snow high in the mountains greeted them.

Among many activities which included much eating and drinking we visited the Sonoran Desert Museum and went gliding.

Alan and Michael flew with Paul and Adele and I flew with Ali originally from Ankara, Turkey. Both pilots were great but Ali reminded us of our time in Turkey together. The weather was perfect and we all had great rides! A first for Alan and Adele who loved it.

Had a great visit!