Arizona, Day 5

I hang around the pool, and people tell me their stories. Some lovely, interesting characters at the resort have made my vacation even richer.....

Ted is a nervous bundle of energy from Milwaukee who recently separated from his wife. He brought his two young, autistic children here for Spring Break, God bless him. He’s infinitely patient when his little daughter tries to grab people’s drinks and throws things in the hot tub. I honestly do not know how he manages them all by himself. He usually sits in the lounge chair to my right, and tells me the on-going saga of his life. He is a kind, good father, and I wish him well.

Josh is an eight-year-old boy from Denver who is the first one in the pool every morning. He’s thrilled that Little Squirt gets to the pool only minutes later. Josh has taken my son under his wing; teaching him water somersalts and sharing his snacks. He has given Little Squirt a new pair of goggles daily, each of which my son has broken within 30 minutes. He has truly enabled my son to gain confidence in the water.

There is an older couple from Rockford that love to swap Chicago-living stories with me. They, too, have gotten out of the cold, rainy Midwest for a bit of relaxation in the sunshine. They share real estate magazines with me, and we dream together about moving permanently to the desert. They miss their grandchildren, and have immensely enjoyed watching Little Squirt frolic.

Karen is a homeschool mother of two who has a passion for cloudless, blue sky. She has driven down with her family all the way from Vancouver, Canada. We trade “restaurant reviews” with one another. I have eaten at many ‘a place around here based on her recommendation.

Don is our shuttle driver. On the even hours, he will drive us wherever we need to go, and pick us up when we call him for a return trip to the resort. On our first day here, I tipped him $5 each way. Then Super Hubs later informed me that gratituity is included in the room charge. But how can I now disappoint Don, when he’s expecting my daily $10 tip?? And he’s been so accomodating and friendly! He’s taught us about all the desert wildlife, and given us the history of the town of Carefree and nearby Cave Creek. And he recognizes my voice by phone. Last night I called him from the restaurant in Cave Creek to come and pick us up, and after “Right away, Mrs. M,” I heard running footsteps and the shuttle tires squealing. He showed up within 7 minutes. Now that’s service!

Lance is a Native American of the Hopi tribe. He is employed by the resort as the Story Teller. He sits around the campfire at sundown, and entertains the guests with his intriguing narrations of All Things Arizona. He’s invented more variations of the s’more than I knew were possible. He is enchanting.

I love me some resort vacationers. And these are my favorites.