ROADIE

 Sometimes you just have to get out.

SWMBO and I have been pretty much cooped up in our little duplex apartment since last February.

We've taken a few little drives in those many long months but probably too few even for us, who have been trying to obey the rules designed to keep us alive.

But then there's the problem of cabin fever.

As I said, sometimes you just have to get out.

So we (with Judy at the wheel) took a longer drive today.

I asked here where she wanted to go and she said "I'm thinkin' the Cave Creek area."

Now Cave Creek is (or was) a tiny community north of Phoenix.

JUST north of Phoenix.

About 80 miles from home.

I was a little taken aback but true to my stoic Norwegian-English heritage I didn't betray a bit of it.

I merely said "You feel like doin' some drivin'?"

She said "sure" and agreed to drive down if I'd drive back.

So, about an hour and a half later we found ourselves here.

Cave Creek, I remind you, was a "tiny" community.

Back when we first discovered it almost 50 years ago!

Now, it's just a very expensive part of Greater Phoenix.

But what the hey!

We were only visiting, right?

We found ourselves here . .

 . . for a pleasant outdoor lunch.

May I just say the Prickly Pear Margaritas took the dust off that long drive just right.

And the food was good . . perhaps because it was restaurant food, served to us, not cooked by us, too expensive but delightful.

Speaking of cactus, here's what it looks like in the wild.

And there was the stately Saguaro.

Back home this evening and a couple of episodes of Downton Abbey on the television - all in all, a damned nice day.