The Grand Trip - The Road To A Friend's House

Someone said, 'The road to a friend's house is never long'.  I'm sure that's true but it sure does seem like a long road when you're traveling and can't wait to see your friends along the way!

We left the Land of the Palms and headed east toward the California-Arizona Border.  It wasn't long before we crossed into Arizona where we began to see the tall, stately cactus called Saguaro (pronounced 'sa-whar-o).

The Saguaro fascinated me and it seemed as if I couldn't see enough of them.  I had always wanted to see the desert when it bloomed and it was obvious that the different cactus varieties were beginning to bloom.  I had heard about the beauty of the desert when it was in bloom and I really hoped I would be able to see it sometime.

We traveled for a few hours with a couple of stops along the way to refuel and have lunch. Finally we arrived at the home of our very dear long-time friends.  This was a visit we had long dreamed of and we were greeted with hugs and a warm welcome.

The husband of the couple has a real sense of humor.  This is his version of a 'No Soliciting' sign.

Within a few minutes we were settled into their driveway - the place we would call home for the next ten days.

Our dear friends have been at our home numerous times and they have always parked at our house.  They have been our mentors for long-distance travel with an RV and we drew from their experiences as we planned for this trip.  Their very close friendship with my sweetheart and I grew from their friendship with my mom and dad.  They loved my parents dearly.  We have dreamed of the day we could switch places and travel to - and park at - their home.  That time had finally come and it was wonderful!

Palm trees swayed in the breeze high overhead. . .

And Barrel Cactus nearby reminded us that we were definitely in the Southwest part of our country. 

Our dear friends made their home ours while we were there - we did laundry, relaxed in their home during the heat of the day, shared meals and sat late into the night on their beautiful patio to talk and share hearts and hopes and dreams.  I enjoyed their front courtyard that could be seen from the dining area windows of our home-away-from-home.

I sat here in the cool of the morning for my quiet time, my devotional reading and prayer.

After we were settled in and had visited a bit, my sweetheart took my little dog for a walk.  A few minutes later he came back and told me to get my camera and follow him - he found something he knew I would want to see.  He was right!  Just around the corner from our friends' home was an old Saguaro cactus.

It was beginning to bloom!

I was mesmerized! And I walked around the corner every day to see it again.  We had more adventures while we were with our friends and we spent a lot of time enjoying the love and friendship we four had shared through the years.  We talked and planned and hoped for more times together in the future.  No matter if those plans come true, one thing is sure -