After leaving the Hoaster Family in Boulder CO I headed for Payson AZ to visit my brother Ernie Griffanti and his wife Vicki in Payson. The plan was to arrive in Payson via Alamosa CO, Farmington NM, Holbrook AZ and Payson. Traveling to Alamosa and Farmington there was some outstanding scenery of the Rocky Mountains and the Rocky Mountain Plains. When I got to Farmington I called Ernie and we talked about by-passing the evening stop in Holbrook and spending an extra night in Payson. So the nextmorning I got up early Partly because I wanted an early start and partly because I put the wrong local time in the clock and it woke me up at 4 AM instead of 5 AM. Those Manhattan cocktails I'm making every night in the motel seem to affect the brain in a strange way. I don't believe I've ever felt those Manhattan sensations before (har har). Anyway, I ended up arriving at the Payson home of Ernie Griffanti and wife Vicki around 2 PM. We had a beer and sat on the deck overlooking the 4th green of the Payson Country Club enjoying the peace and tranquility. Of note for the day, my navigator for the day screwed up again. She had been doing so well ever since I chastized her back in Kentucky. We arrived in Payson and she was directing me to Ernie's home at the Payson Country Club. She told me to turn right off AZ-260 W and go three miles and turn on some other street. I turned right and was on a narrow hardtop street. As I proceeded the street turned to dirt and I passed horse stalls and pens hoping that very soon the dirt track would return to hardtop. Instead, I ended up in the front yard of a home with nobody home so I did a 180 and got back to 260W but not before having an angry conversation with my navigator. Note, it is very unusual for me to get angry. I took control and naturally, all Marines are good navigators and I ended up directing my navigator to the target.
When Ernie and I decided it was 5 O'clock somewhere, he made some Manhattans that made the hairs stand up on my arms, pretty weak but he was planning on getting better and really did.
This is the sunrise taken from the 2nd floor deck of Ernies house. It was 0615 and the Elk rutting season was just starting and the male Elk were all bugling. It was awesome hearing nature up that close.
I'm standing on the second floor deck of Ernie's and Vicki's home looking across the #4 green of the Payson Country Club. The beauty of the entire area is awesome. After taking these pictures, Ernie and I cleaned up and suited up and I took him on the motorcycle up to the local airport where they have a greasy spoon that makes the best chicken fried steak and gravy, fried eggs, hash browns and muffins. After breakfast we waddled out to the bike and returned home. The plan was we were going to take a couple hours and clean up the bike because it was in really bad condition with dirt and dead bugs. We were about half way through cleaning the bike when Vicki got a call from the gal that watches her cat at their home in Scottsdale (Desert Mountain) AZ. Seems the ice machine water systen was leaking and there was water on the kitchen floor. So we jumped in Ernie's Corvette and headed down the mountain to Desert Mountain( 1 1/2 hour driving time). Ernie found the shutoff valve and shut off the water, We mopped up the water, went to Subway for lunch and headed back up the mountain. We got the bike cleaned just before Annie and Jim Brister arrived to spend the night. Annie and Jim have a place in Desert Mountain and a second home in Flagstaff AZ. I have known Annie for a number of years from my visits out to see Ernie. She and Jim were married a couple of years ago. Vicki cooked another fabulous dinner and we spent the remainder of the evening catching up. 
Ernie's taking Vicki for a ride. Notice how smooth he was. The beer bottle never fell off the cooler. He said that was similar to his flying abilities in the F-4 Phantom. I let that one go with nary a comment.
Next morning Vicki made a fantastic breakfast and then Ernie, Jim and I headed for the Payson Country club and a 0915 tee time. It's a beautiful course with first class treatment from the staff, and yours truly played a very good round using borrowed clubs. Shot 41 on the front nine and 47 on the back. The back really got to me. It was very hilly and we're almost at 6000 ft and I was puffing from the thin air. Regardless, we had a good time.This is a picture of the Griffanti's and the Bristers. After golf, the Bristers headed back to their Flagstaff home and Ernie and Vicki napped and what else could I do, so I napped too. When we all woke up Ernie made Manhattans and we sat out on the terrace and watched the sunset
Next morning it was departure time and it was really hard to leave. Ernie and I have become like brothers and each time I visit it is harder to leave. But it was a great visit and I thank both brother Ernie and Vicki for their hospitality. Now it is time for them to come East and allow me a chance to reciprocate.
My next visit is with Houn'dog Bassett and his wife in Austin Texas. Tonight is the first of three stop-overs before arriving at Austin. I am staying in Socorro NM. Of note today, I rode through Pie-Town NM. There are two cafe's and that's it, not even a gas station. But the owners of each cafe make daily fresh pies of all types. I stopped and had a piece of warm apple pie with coffee. It was really great. The owner came out and we talked. He is originally from Baltimore. I asked what kind of pies he had made for that day and he mentioned Strawberry Rhubarb. I said I hadn't had that since I was a kid in Connecticut so he cut a piece, said it was on the house and thanked me for my service. He had spent some time in the Coast Guard. That about catches me up. Goodnight folks. I'm having a great time out here. I'm knocking on wood, but so far I've been out 23 days and have had only one day of rain.
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