We spent a month at Elk Pines RV Resort in Overgaard beginning June 19th. There are two towns, commonly referred to as Heber-Overgaard. We enjoyed getting to know some of the residents at the park and ran into a couple we knew from my Motorola days. The RV park also hosts many events throughout the summer. We enjoyed the "Thanksgiving" potluck.

On Father's Day and my birthday, we had a nice breakfast at the Wild Women Restaurant at Bison Ranch, a small western style area with condos, restaurants and shopping. After breakfast we went on the Black Canyon scenic drive from Heber. The road winds through rocky hills and farm land. We hiked up to the Polimana Pictographs. From there the road goes past a couple of historic ranches and ends up on part of the 300 Rim Road, near Black Canyon Lake.

There isn't much to do in Overgaard, so we spent some time in Show Low, taking various hikes, going to the movies and visiting friends who have a park model home there.

We spent a couple days camping at Rose Creek, one of our favorite camping places when our boys were young. The area is not very well maintained and there was a devastating fire there a few years ago. There are many dead trees on the east side of the road. The creek is overgrown with bushes and vines. A bear was sighted in the area but we never saw it. We drove to the top of Workman Creek waterfall and were amazed by the profusion of columbine flowers along the creek.

We left Rose Creek and explored the small town of Young before heading for Woods Canyon Lake for an overnight stay. We enjoyed watching the elk meander through the campground there. The views from the Rim Walk near the campground were amazing. Several days later we returned to Woods Canyon Lake where we rented a boat, watched Fish & Game stock the lake and we also hiked around the lake. The best experience was being awakened early in the morning by elk fawns running around our tent.

Everyone turned out for the Fourth of July celebration in Heber-Overgaard. The Anvil Shoot was a unique event. We got up early in the morning to watch them set up the anvil on a container of gun powder. A fuse is lit and Ka-boom!!, the anivil shoots into the air about 200 feet. We then went to the Pancake breakfast and later the parade. The parade is all about the water, with a wet zone and a dry zone. People on the sidelines had buckets, hoses and soaker guns. At the end of the parade the fire trucks pumped water high in the air and everyone in the wet zone got drenched!

One evening Jam Pak Blues 'N' Grass Neighborhood band shared their music and instruments with Joni and Friends at Bison Ranch. We enjoyed the band's music and the grins on the faces of people trying out the instruments.