Payson, AZ has been a great area for us.  It had everything we needed.  Repair parts for the travel trailer, a tire store, a Walmart with toilet paper, tens of thousands of recreation acres in town, and for fifty miles in all directions.  Getting outside and working on our immune system is a big deal for us.

Shelter-in-place has been relatively easy.  We are either in the trailer, truck cab, or on a hiking trail.  The greatest Covid-19 stress point of the day is if we have to go shopping.  We wear our homemade no-sew masks, and pray for a healthy outcome.  For the most part we are on our own.  We don’t know the neighbors, we go to church on-line, and the restaurants are closed.  We will continue to shelter in place, our place just so happens to move around.

So far there has been 60,000 confirmed U.S. Covid-19 deaths in 2020.  The total estimated influenza deaths for 2019 was 61,000.  Source CDC   https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html

Estimated U.S. Influenza Burden, By Season

 

Mogollon Rim

Payson is just south and below the Mogollon Rim, which is pronounced “mug-ee-yun,”  Much of the land south of the Mogollon Rim lies 4,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level, with the 200 mile escarpment rising to about 8,000 ft . Extensive Ponderosa pine forests are found both on the slopes of the Rim and on the plateau.  This has been a wonderful place to be confined.  Thank you Covid-19.  BTW, I’m still waiting for my stimulus check.

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest

Pine Trailhead

Jerome, Arizona

Jerome, Arizona was built on Cleopatra Hill above a vast deposit of copper. Since 1876 the mines, the workers, and those who sought its wealth formed Jerome’s history.  Now it is known as a tourist destination.   Knowing that most of its attractions would be closed, we went anyway.  Because, that’s what we do.