Lucky 13

Yippie ayeeh! We have a wake up call this morning because The Three Teenagers are up to a very special treat. Inhale a huge breakfast and off we go, including friend and his youngsters. We drive out of Tucson, using the Old Spanish Trail. A favorite biker route an sure one road with a history. It ran from Florida all the way to San Diego once, built some hundred years earlier. There is an historic part an a modern one, both with concrete cover nowadays. Some historic parts through New Mexico are still just small ways for horses or carriages. Here ist road. A windy one and you see mountains ahead. Those mountains raise up to 3000 meters!

We're heading to Colossal Cave Mountain Park, the riding stables to be exact. Friend reserved 5 horses for The Three Teenagers and the two youngsters. Even though its only short before 9 its allready sizzling hot.

It takes some time until evrybody has the right helmet and the matching horse. But then off they go, with two girls watching them. Hope this works out well. SHE is the only one with real riding experience, fell off a horse only once and broke her arm. HE has been on a horse occasionally but never got into exactly LEARNINg how to ride. No3 loves all animals, but ths one is very very big! She's struggeling wether to stay with ME and to give in to her doubts or not loosing her faith and just go. I'm jealous. Do not trust my back though, surgery 8 years ago went perfect but I'm scared to damage it again. Not a good premise for riding a horse, ME much too nervous. Leaves me waiting.

So I explore the little park with turtles, a coffeshop, a museum about the colossal caves and some explanation about plants and animals. Over coffee I talk to the lady who runs the place. They have a hard time, economy crisis hit them too, they need tourists of course. A special and very friendly place, go there if you ever have time in Tucson!

The Three Teenagers and the two youngsters make it back in extremely good mood. A one hour ride in comparable modest warmth (gets hotter by the minute) with the most beautiful scenery - what a way to spent the last day in Arizona!

We drive back, on both sides of the beautiful road lay areas with devastated brandnew houses. Estates were planned and never sold. Georgious houses. Its a shame.

The Three Teenagers want to hit the pool, understandable. So again its ME and the bunch, more quiet time at the pool....stop! Not ths time. Three days together has been a strain on the two sets of kids and sure enough they start to fight like hell in the pool. ME the jugde: I draw an imginary line through the pool. One family on one side, the other on the other side. And beware of crossing! Danger! First its fine, they try to impress either party with the most outrageous things. Then that gets boring and they start to move closer. By not allowing that, I take the black Peter now (does black Peter exist in american language???), so its all of the sudden ME against FIVE. But they are where I wanted them to be: happily united and together again.

The rest of the day goes by quiet, some more grocerie shopping, more movies, diner at home. We pack tonight, because we want to leave early morning. No idea where to, not exactly at least. There is only an idea....