John Wise – Page 304 – Dreams, Moments, Travels

Farming and Spinning

March 13, 2008 JWise Photo of the Day

Tonopah Rob's Vegetable Farm in Tonopah, Arizona

After dropping Caroline off at work, Jutta and I made our way out to Tonopah Rob’s farm to play in the dirt, take photos, talk about Germany, and laugh about Jutta sticking to water which Rob couldn’t stop laughing at after asking her what she’d like to drink during lunch. Maybe he imagined too well what someone stuck to water might look like?

Jutta Engelhardt at Fiber Factory in Mesa, Arizona

Before picking up Caroline, Jutta and I hit the gym which is our routine and then we fetched Caroline so that she and her mom to sit in on a drop spindle spinning class at Fiber Factory out in Mesa. Keeping the mother-in-law busy every day isn’t easy.

Sunset Over the Desert

March 12, 2008 JWise Photo of the Day

Sunset over Phoenix, Arizona

They don’t have winter skies like this over Frankfurt, Germany. Earlier today Jutta and I were out at the farm.

Working Out & Weaving Lessons

March 11, 2008 JWise Photo of the Day

Jutta Engelhardt in the gym Phoenix, Arizona

This is not Jutta’s first visit to the gym during this trip; we’ve been here nearly every day we are in Phoenix. We’d noticed that my mother-in-law was having trouble getting herself out of chairs and sometimes required a few goes before she had the momentum to lift herself up. So, I’d decided to drag her whining and complaining to the gym to get her into shape for some promised reward but didn’t give her an idea of what that would be. I’m hoping she’ll be ready for the big adventure by the end of the month as we have reservations booked for the surprise event.

Jutta Engelhardt on the Navajo Loom learning to weave in Mesa, Arizona

Hey, Jutta’s only 73 and seems able to learn new tricks so why not go for broke? Here we are in Mesa, Arizona in the back room at Fiber Factory with Sharie Monsam teaching Caroline and her mom Navajo Weaving. My mother-in-law will have just over 4 weeks to complete the rug she’ll be taking home complete, or else!

Alpaca Show in Phoenix

March 9, 2008 JWise Photo of the Day

From the Alpaca Show in Phoenix, Arizona

We visited the Southwest Regional Alpaca Show held at the Arizona State Fairgrounds today and saw quite literally a few tons of some mighty pretty alpaca.

Jutta Engelhardt at the Alpaca Show in Phoenix, Arizona

After tending to alpaca all day, you can see the exhaustion on the chief alpaca inspector as she’s ready to call it quits and head home.

Feeding The Kid

March 8, 2008 JWise Photo of the Day

Caroline Wise feeing a goat at Chile Acres in Tonopah, Arizona

The other day it was Caroline’s mom Jutta bottle-feeding a kid, now it’s my wife’s turn. Somehow this looks easier for her than if she’d decided to have children and one of them feeding off of her. By the way, we are at Chile Acres out in Tonopah and the milk is fed from a repurposed bottle of “Liebfraumilch” wine.

Drum Circle

March 7, 2008 JWise Photo of the Day

Jutta Engelhardt at a drumming class in Phoenix, Arizona

This trip has been nothing if it’s not been about pulling Jutta into our everyday life. Her other vacations to America are typically jam-packed with travels that run her down, this time we wanted to run her down with activities that are a part of our normal routine. Not that we go to drumming workshops all the time…

Caroline Wise and Frank Thompson at drumming class in Phoenix, Arizona

…but if we did, it would only be with Frank Thompson as he’s got this down. Frank, Caroline, and I worked together nearly 10 years ago in a computer manufacturers business.