FEB 26-28 IN CHANDLER, PHOENIX

We are off on a jaunt to visit Bob & Pat Allin, our old friends from Banff who spend their winters here. 
  It’s an easy 2+hour drive and good to be back in familiar territory with these two. We go back a long way in our wine club, camping/concerts in Banff, and have a wonderful rapport with them. We can’t take them in our RV so we whip around Chandler in their snazzy wee BMW sportscar with not too much bending like pretzels to get in. 
 Bob has kindly picked up free tix for us to return to the lovely botanical garden in Phoenix (a saving of $50) compliments of the local library and we thoroughly enjoy a return there. Sadly the butterfly garden opens the following day!
  They are active members of their community here so one evening they put on an Elton John show (3 DVDs) with free popcorn at the clubhouse. 
  I’ve ordered a swimsuit (replacement for the one I have absolutely loved...) to be delivered to their place and with a. bit of difficulty, Bob sorts it out with the post office and we go there to pick it up. Ah to have the right contacts!
  I get lots of pool time with Pat yo checkout the new suit!
  Another evening we take in a show at the UofA music faculty, with 50,000 students! It’s obviously a very. Vibrant campus and we see a well produced Kurt Weill musical with a cast of 30+ for $14 each!
  I take advantage of a washer/dryer and finally do laundry. Our last night there it’s community potluck supper, we are last there so not so much choice but we again meet a variety of really nice and friendly people. 
  Later we drive into downtown Chandler to visit The Perch, a neat bar with lots of big cages with rescued parrots who seem to love the NOISE! Notices like “0 days since I have bitten anyone” and “All unattended children will be eaten by the birds.”

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