2019 02 01 - 02 10 Hockey Game, Chocolate Affaire, Native American Hoop Dance and Buckeye Air Show.

Gila Bend KOA Campground, Gila Bend, Arizona - 1 February 2019

There are two Solitary Confinement suites near the pool (heated during the winter), showers, laundry, doggie wash station and meeting room. Behind this wall there is a chair and hummingbird feeder. Just a little space for some peace and quiet while looking at the multitude of hummers that are always flying around. Each time we take the dogs for a walk we see at least a dozen zooming around, chasing each other and guarding one of the many feeders the campers have put out, including us.  

Our new extender screens attached to the awnings. With the sun so low during the winter, the actual awning rarely gets down to our level. These screens cut the glare to the sun, makes our outdoor space larger and allows us to spend more time outside even during the heat of the day. We have to be careful though during high winds. Several others have left their awnings out during high or gusty winds only to have them blow over the top of their rigs. And the stakes that were provided are a joke but not very funny. They might be fine in some fancy landscaped campground but here in Arizona the ground is extremely hard even once you get past the gravel.

Hockey Game, Chandler, Arizona - 7 February 2019

The local news may not talk about them, but we knew that Arizona had a hockey team, the Coyotes (or Yotes! Please!) Once we got close to town we checked their schedule and found a game between them and our favorite team, the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sure was impressive how the Arena was built near other sports facilities with sufficient and open lot parking and fully staffed to direct traffic in and out. In Columbus, we had to park in 5 story garages which took almost an hour to exit after a game. We were in and out in under 15 minutes. 

A short walk across the parking lot to the Arena. There were also several restaurants and bars for before and after celebrations (or commiserations) and no street traffic to worry about walking back to the car. We had plenty of time before the game to walk the concourse around the arena. 

Seeing our favorite team again, including Sergei Bobrovsky in the net and David Savard and Nick Fioligno on defense, Seth Jones and Cam Atkinson on offense was awesome. And there were so many CBJ fans in the stands. If fact, this very cute young couple sat next to us. The girl was from Columbus and a Jackets fan while her boyfriend (family from Pittsburgh) was not. They moved out to Phoenix 18 months ago and he transferred his allegiance to the Yotes. She, Bob and I had a great time with the other very vocal CBJ fans.  

Howler, the Coyote mascot. Hey, down in front guy. There's a game going on.  

Coyotes logo. 

Add the Jackets WIN!

So how do y'all like that beard? I think in this picture Bob needs a trim but he prefers doing that once a week instead of shaving every day.  

Gila Bend KOA, Gila Bend, Arizona - 2 Sat 2019

Sunrise and true to my word, I was not awake for this. I decided I am more of a sunset person. So I leave the sunrises for Bob to enjoy and contemplate alone.

Glendale Chocolate Affair, Glendale, Arizona - 9 February 2019 

The local Chocolate Factory, Cerreta's Candy Factory, sponsors and annual chocolate event. Since it was so close to Bob's birthday I thought it would be an excellent place to select some chocolate and a gift. 

Bob saw this heated steel artwork of running horses. Happy Birthday, darling. 

We did sampled some of Lilly Langtreats Gourmet Chocolates but the other Artisan creations did not appeal to us. 

We also took the chocolate factory tour. They were dipping strawberries for the upcoming Valentine's Day gifts. 

White chocolate covered mini-pretzels, a selection of cremes, a very large heart pan, the classic scene of Lucy and Ethel working at the candy factory and a vat of melted dark chocolate.  

The factory supply of milk chocolate is supplied by Guittard Chocolate from San Francisco, California, a company with 150 years of history delivering gourmet chocolate to America.  

Our haul from the Chocolate Affair - dipped sugared orange slices, chocolate covered cherry clusters, and various cremes (strawberry, maple, caramel, raspberry).

World Championship Hoop Dance Contest, Heard Museum, Glendale, Arizona - 9 February 2019

With good planning, we had plenty of time to attend the Hoop Dance Championship. In the courtyard of the Heard Museum, which is dedicated to advancing American Indian Art, this sculpture represents all Indian Tribes.
The artist is Doug Hyde the sculpture is named "Intertribal Greeting"

The American Indian Veterans National Memorial.
This is the first and only national memorial to American Indian veterans of may conflicts. 

Two of the Hoop Dance participants 

Each contestant is judged on individual skill and creativity of the dance movements made in time with intertribal music using up to 50 hoops.

The hoop dance is regarded as a major competitive athletic art form and this competition is generally accepted as the ultimate goal of every serous hoop dancer. Innovations are appearing as dancers find new ways to express their contemporary Native experience. 

While continuously dancing, the dancer manipulates the hoops to make shapes such as eagles, butterflies, various flowers and insects, also geometric shapes depicting a globe or the ladder of life.

South on Highway 85 towards Gila Bend, Arizona - 9 Feb 2019

Sunset. The whole day had been overcast until the clouds appear to be rolling up just as the sun began to set. Can't convince me that sunrises are better than this one or the next one. 

Further down the road, the light from below the horizon. 

Buckeye Air Show, Buckeye, Arizona - 10 February 2019

A small, local air show.

The aerial acrobatics were exiting to watch, but very difficult to capture on a camera. Your adrenaline kicks in when the planes swoop close overhead and soar high into the sky. 

The pilot was Jeff Boerboon flying the YAK110.
Its a twin engine P38 with with the addition of a Jet Engine.

Brad Wursten was the pilot of the MXS-R aerobatic aircraft by MX Aircraft, It claims to be the most advanced aerobatic aircraft in the world today. 

The two pilots signing autographs.

After looking at the displayed aircraft Bob and I met an real life "Rosie the Riveter" in one of the tents. She was 91 years and had started working in an aircraft factory when she turned 17 years old. She spent her time at the factory as one of a two-Rosie riveting team working on P-35 fighter planes. I can't believe we didn't ask if we could take a picture with her. What were we thinking?!