There was a change in our plans. The temperature in Fountain Hills was expected to reach the high 90s, so we had to arrive at 9:30 AM. All four of us were ready to leave Sedona at 7 AM!

As we got on the highway, Nick was “in his glory,” as my mom used  to say. There were no other cars on the road and the speed limit was 75 mph. As we proceeded southward, additional cars entered the highway and drove south, too. Then the traffic increased and the speed limit decreased.  Eventually, we were in rush hour traffic heading toward Phoenix.
We were on our way to visit my cousin Tom  Aiello  and his wife Marie in Fountain Hills, a suburb of Phoenix. Tom grew up in Queens, New York, as I did. He and Marie met as young teenagers and enjoy a wonderful life together. They have a very active life style. Tom plays tennis  and enjoys hiking and kayaking. He participates in many volunteer activities, including coordinating the Fountain Hills Response Team that supports the Fountain Hills Fire Department and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. He is a member of the McDowell Mountain Preservation Commission. He volunteers with the Sonoran County Conservancy Trailblazers, building and maintaining trails.   In 2019 he was named Fountain Hills’ Volunteer of the Year, an award that was well deserved.We arrived at their condo and were made very comfortable by both Marie and Tom. Their beautiful home reflected Marie’s decorating talent.

Tom wanted to take us to see wild horses in native territory, so we had to get back on the road before the temperature got too high. Off we went. We parked the car and walked beside the Salt River,
in which locals were cooling off.
We continued to walk in areas where the horses can typically be seen, but there was no sign of them. Suddenly Carla saw a gray horse under a tree! The wild  horse saw us but made no attempt to move on. It remained there, nibbling on wild grasses. Tom talked with other hikers who said they had seen a dozen horses further on, but they did not come in our direction.

Meanwhile, Marie was preparing lunch. No one leaves Marie’s home hungry. There were platters of meats (prosciutto and capicola) and cheeses (parmigiano reggiano and manchego), Caesar salad with chicken breast and croutons, ciabatta rolls, shrimp cocktail,  roll ups and pepperoni pizza. It’s likely that there was more, but I was too busy enjoying the food to take complete notes.

It was time for Nick’s nap. Nicholas, Carla and I headed over to the pool with Marie, which was so refreshing. Marie and I chatted, catching up on her three sons and their wives, and seven grandchildren.

When Nick woke up, we checked into our hotel, The Inn at Eagle Rock, which was about six miles away. We had beautiful rooms, each with a terrace, a fireplace, and a great view of the moon and stars in the night sky. We  met with Marie and Tom at Sapori d’Italia for a delicious Italian dinner that included the largest serving of coconut cake for dessert  that we have ever seen.  Then, after warm good-byes, we prepared to go to our inn for the night. Marie and Tom told us that we were welcome to go back to their house the following morning before we had to leave for the airport.

12,718  steps