We’re on the last leg of this year’s Arizona Adventure, waiting to catch a flight back to Portland. The desert was not as I expected with temps in the low 30’s and frequent rain showers. The higher elevation around Tucson quickly took my breath away and made the morning runs uncomfortable. In any direction I looked, it was a different shade of brown, but at least the skies stayed bright blue, even with near freezing temperatures.

I first heard the word “casita” while visiting friends in Scottsdale, to describe their pool house. I didn’t realize that in Spanish it translates to “little house.” A “little house” to me is a doll house for humans. Another friend had a addition off his home that he also called the “casita,” apparently a popular and sophisticated term in Arizona. “Casita on the Prairie” immediately came to mind, or maybe “Desert Dormer?” In the Midwest we referred to it as a shed. However, these AZ “casitas” were a bit more elaborate, with a kitchen and bath, designed to privately accommodate a houseguest. “Mother-In-Law Quarters” or “bungalo” also are used in other parts of the country, so is “camper in the backyard.”

Maybe I can now refer to our crawl space under the house as a “casita?” It does have a private entrance and ceiling heights up to 14 feet depending on the steep hill angle it’s built on. It’s funny how you can live for 67 years and never hear a term that suddenly becomes a daily reference. We also saw a herd of wild Javelinas or Skunk Pigs hunting in our friend’s backyard where there should have probably been a “casita.” They don’t have one because of HOA restrictions on “out buildings.” You can’t even have a “Javelina Casita” or dog house in their neighborhood. Sorry for the continued silliness but “there’s no place like a casita!”

In a few hours, I’ll be complaining about the rain and the dampness rather than the dryness. My working wife at least gets an extra day off in honor of the Presidents. We’ll be reunited with the dogs and our own bed. This was not a particularly expensive trip thanks to the Marriott Vacation Club, Alaska Miles, a work tie-in, and good friends to provide shuttle service, room, & board. We bought some meals and souvenirs, plus paid cash for a pet sitter, so our expenses were far below $1000/day. 8 days for my wife and six days for me will probably add up to less than $3500. That’s practically free for us!