Dream Catchin' on a Southwind!

VOYAGER VISIT.....FUN WITH RAY AND TERRIE !!!

 

MAY 13-20, 2012....A WHOLE WEEK OF FUN!

We anticipated this visit for a LONG time and finally they were here.....in Tucson,

 
Looking for us...looking for them at the Tucson Airport....kind of blurry (like the airport!) but still a valued picture!  Glad to be on the ground and eager to make another chapter in our book of memories together!  And we have some really good ones!

 

Saguaro Cacti in full bloom...it's that time of year!  

 

 

 

 

We were excited to see them and eager to share our lives here with them.....and  share we did.  I think they got a good taste of it, despite the HOT summer temperatures here in the desert.  We crammed a lot in and still had some down time to relax and visit.

Every morning we were up between 6:00 and 7:00, headed for the Voyager Resort Pool.  I am committed to doing my aquasizes at least 4 mornings a week and since Jud had taken the week off, we all enjoyed the pool....it is a wonderful way to start the day!!!  (and that's from someone who has rarely seen the light that early in the AM!)

 

 

 

 

 

We did so much that I can't give a day by day account....We went with the "flow" and the course and current were true!  So... these are the highlights!  Hope you enjoy!  We sure did!

 

 

After Sunday lunch here in the 'Dreamcatcher' and getting them settled at their room at the Voyager Inn, we took a "short" ramble south toward Elgin, the Empire Ranch and the Hauchuca Mountains.  We hoped to see some wild life and the wineries....we did!

An incredible Pronghorn Antelope startled us! Close enough to get a good look, but by the time we got the camera out...he was making tracks in the opposite direction!

 

 

 

 

 

 

And an impressive Hawk....

But even a "short" ramble was a lot after someone has been traveling most of the day and is struggling with jet lag....we are learning, slowly, maybe by the time we leave we will have it down pat. 

The Desert Museum proved to be as exciting as ever.....Ray and Terrie seemed to enjoy it....

Inside we did see Javalinas....but believe me that was not the most astounding sighting....more about that later!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They put Terrie's new camera to good use and learned a lot about it in the process...made some terrific pictures!

 

 

 

And we always see something new at the Museum....that's why we love to go....so much so, we became Desert Museum Members!

 

 

 

This time.....Leopard Frogs.....

Lots of them.....(click to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

 

 A Road Runner....

  ...hot, tired and seemingly very frustrated.  He appeared to have gotten himself into a situation he was having trouble getting out of it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And in the Hummingbird House.....

A teeny, tiny nest, filled with two precious babies....all mouths and big eyes! 

Mom buzzed in and out with food, keeping an eye on her babies and all us sight-seers!  What a beautiful miracle!

 

You can't come to Tucson without trying Mexican Food....We ate at Guadalahara

 

 

 

 

 

Ray had a Jalapena Margarita....with a "kick"!

 

 

Horseback Riding at Colosol Cave Mountain Park proved to be a challenging experience (I think....I did not go, but I got first hand accounts from Ray, Terrie, and Jud)

 

 

 

Terrie got along well with her little mare, "Bay Rum" (I think)

 And Jud rode "Ted"....

 

 

 

 

But guess what, Joel!  Ray drew "Ned"!  And yes, he is still a stubborn horse from all accounts!

 

Plus Ray broke the cardinal rule and lost both his hat (which he regained) and his clip-on sunglasses (which he did not!)  But they managed to see a Jack Rabbit....

As well as some "free-range" cows!

 

Mount Lemmon, one of our favorites was beautiful as always....but a different season!

Ray and Terrie near the top at the ski lift...surrounded by beautiful Aspens, showy with their new spring leaves and gorgeous white bark!  (Isn't this a handsome couple!)

This Turkey Hen seemed pretty oblivious...intent on pecking out a dinner for herself....Perhaps she was one of the many turkeys we saw when we last rode the Mountain with Peggy and Zack.

And the Hoo Doos were still there!!!  (Wonder just how long they have been there and how many folk they have seen come and go????)

Although "hot as blue blazes" in the valley....the crest of the Mountain was cool and pleasant!

 

Biosphere2.....new journey for all of us and very, very interesting!

 

 

Constructed between 1987 and 1991, Biosphere 2 is currently owned by the University of Arizona and is being used today for research, outreach, teaching and life long learning about the earth and it's systems....studies are being initiated to study the earth's flow of water.  Originally, this artificial closed eco-system was built to include 5 biomes...

Rain Forest...with water fall!

(click to enlarge and appreciate)

Ocean.....with Coral Reef...

 

Beach and Wave Action!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other biomes still in place today include Mangrove Wetlands, Savannah Grasslands, and a Fog Desert. 

This enclosed ecosystem, the size of two football fields, included an area for 8 humans to live and work along with an area for agriculture, where they grew a large portion of their food. 

 

"Life in a Bubble"....?

 

 

 

September 26, 1991, 8 people  were sealed within Biosphere 2 along with 4 pygmy goats, 1 billy goat, 35 hens, 3 roosters, some Indian Jungle fowl, 2 sows, 1 boar and a stocking of numerous talapia fish.   The mission....study the interaction between humans, farming, technology, and nature... to better understand Biosphere 1 (our own planet Earth).  This is the largest closed system ever created.  The inhabitants were required to produce their own food, maintain the ecosystem, conduct experiments and explore the possibility of closed biospheres for space colonization.  Officially the group exited two years later, September 26, 1993.  With both positive and negative findings.  Very interesting!  I think all of us thoroughly enjoyed the visit and though we learned a lot....we found we wanted to know more!

For more information see:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosphere_2

 

Moving on to Bisbee, AZ....a neat mining town!

Though the old Lavendar Mines are closed, the unique old town has struck "gold" in tourism.  A historically rich, quaint, artsy, community that's always fun to visit.

 

 

 

 

 

Ray and Terri remembered a friend from the past lives in Bisbee and discovered that she is now performing there....Terry Wolf....

   ...she was scheduled to perform at the Copper Queen Hotel on Friday....unfortunately we had previous plans for Friday night.

 (Small World!)

 

 

We visited with this 91 year old gentleman in his own museum....one he established just last year...an original Bisbee building which he bought to house his own collection!  

A veteran of 3 wars....a survivor of both the Bataan March and 4 years in a Japanese prison camp.

He'll be 92 in August...and takes no medication! 

Amazing! 

Informative and FUN!

 

 

 

 

 

Leaving Bisbee we ran into Jimmy's Hot Dogs....with Airstream appeal!

We couldn't pass this up....besides it was lunch time.

Ray, Terrie, and Jud all tried the dogs  (it really had not been terribly long since breakfast at the Horseshoe Cafe in Bisbee...I wasn't hungry so I passed) 

Truth is....(or so they reported)...they don't compare with Albany's Jimmy's Hot Dogs....they still can't be beat...

Well, almost....we all tried the Sonoran Hot Dogs in Tucson....bacon wrapped juicy beef wiener, in a soft bun, covered with a wide selection of salsas, cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, pickled onions (from an elaborate salsa bar)...so that each one is individually crafted and YUMMY!  We actually tried them twice at different locations in Tucson.  Sorry, no pics...too busy scarfing them down!

 

 So much to see and do....we left it up to Ray and Terri and they made good decisions!

 A trip to the University of Arizona Campus....for a tour of the Museum and their display of Basketry Treasured...featuring utilitarian and artistic pieces created by Apache, Hopi, Seri, and Tohono O'odham basket weavers throughout the ages.

 

Followed by an outdoor Spanish Guitar Concert at U of A's Main Gate Square....

 

Saturday....our last day....

We left early for Sabino Canyon....another first for us!  located in the Santa Catalina Mountains, this canyon offers narrated tram rides up the canyon with opportunities to disembark and take advantage of hiking trails and exploration.  Noted for it's rugged desert landscape and abundant wildlife it is one of the most popular attractions in the area....so popular in fact that it is usually far too crowded for us....we had been twice before and left due to the throngs of people

However, it's summer temperatures now...100 + degrees...hence, only the brave ventured into the canyon....It is a beautiful area, but most of the wildlife were seeking shady refuge!  We captured a few neat photos though....

 An inquisitive little Round Tailed Ground Squirrel!

 A handsome lizard with a long, long tail!

 

 

 

 

 

and a family enjoying one of the several pools of water that collect when the snows melt...these pools provide watering holes for the wild life and a cool dip for visitors!  It looked refreshing and fun!  I was tempted....

From there we crossed to the opposite side of Tucson, past the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation to one of the four Tohono O'doham Reservations...the Sans Xavier (Wa:k) to visit the Mission Sans Xavier del Bak...also known as "The White Dove".

Ray captured a different angle...
 

 

 

 

 

 

We visited with Joel and Brandi last Thanksgiving... both times it has been impressive, reverent, and beautiful!

Founded by Father Eusebio Kino, 1692.  This building was begun in 1783 and completed in 1797.  Today it serves as Parish for the Tohono O'odoham.

Beautiful inside and out.....a statue honoring the first Native American Saint, lovely grounds and courtyards....all create a sense of spirituality and peace....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We managed to stay busy and see a lot...but that did not keep us from our morning swims, our delicious meals at home (a few...one or two)

Breakfast burritos with scrambled eggs and cheese, link sausage, salsa, R&T's special guacamole, sour cream, rolled in scrumptious Guerrero Soft Tacos (Riquisimas Sabor Casero)!!

Delicioso!

 

 

Playing games....like "Apples to Apples" (a gift from Ray and Terri) and "Quirkle" (another gift from Ray and Terrie!)  both lots of fun.....Quirkle especially!  I won!  I beat Ray by one point!!!!

 
Must have been the "Man Bait" lollipops (maple and bacon flavored) !  I didn't eat one.

And just relaxing, talking, laughing and watching our own birds around the table under the carport!

And that's right where we were when the BIG 'ole javalina strolled right though our back yard....biggest one I have ever seen....broad daylight...a single male!  We all got to see him but none of us had our cameras out.  You'll just have to take my word for it!

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday morning....the crack of dawn.... As bad as we hated to see them go, we had to have Ray and Terrie to the Tucson Air Port at 5:00 AM.

But we made a lot of new memories and it was another chapter in our journey....our destination.  It was a great time!

SOLAR ECLIPSE.....TUCSON'S TAKE

Sunday....May 20, 2012

 

Solar Eclipse as viewed in Tucson.....

We started watching about 6:40 (I think)....our time!

Jud pulled out his 3-M Computer Privacy Screen for us to view the changes.  (We didn't want to miss it but we didn't want to go blind either!)

 

We got some pretty strange but colorful results!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not sure what I am sharing with you....except we watched, we photographed it and we were amazed!

 

Ray and Terrie got home safely, we had a terrific visit and enjoyed their being here so much....we were thankful for all of it!

More on our adventures next time.

CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION!

 

 

Cinco de Mayo...  AND... Super Moon , 2012

 

Though Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day (as I used to think...) it is widely celebrated here in Tucson ....a day to celebrate Mexican Heritage and great pride in that heritage!  Lot of that here!  The "settlement" of Tucson (Tuk' son), as far back as the 1600's, all and those who lived here were subjects of Spain, then Mexico. The Gadsden Purchase in 1853 made this area part of the United States. Those who lived here became American citizens.  Many, many who are native to this region trace their roots back prior to that date!

(Photo of painting at Taco Bell reminded me of Cinco de Mayo....Yes, we have those around here along with about 1000 "authentic" Mexican Food restaurants, but we still enjoy our Taco Bell!  Live Ma's!)

 

 

 

Celebrating the Beauty of the Season

May is perhaps the prettiest month in Tucson.  You would think the desert would be very different from Georgia...the whole South East...and it is!  But lots of different things bloom here.  May is the month and it's all vibrant!!!!

Don't know what this bright plant is but it's mighty cheerful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying a neighbor's "color pot"!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Mexican Desert Poppies....bright yellow with red/orange centers...good as a camp fire!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is one of our mini cacti....doesn't it look like a baby owl?  It's very small...except for it's big "yellow eyes"!  It's so cute!

 

 

 A different kind of Palo Verde....during the day these seem lit up from within!  Brilliant!!

These lovely night-bloomers last only through the night...a single 12 hour span....but such luster and feathery texture!

 Each creamy white bloom looks like it was individually brushed inside with this awesome green!

 

Pure perfection and symmetry....breathtaking!

 

 

This one just about knocks your socks off!

 

 

And below....

 

Evelyn's special Rainbow Cactus!!!

Looks like a hand painted Native American vase with a splendid bouquet!

We are as proud of it as she is!!!

 

 Celebrating New Neighbors!

 

Road Runners!  A pair!  Right here in front of our "house"!   We have seen only a few since coming to Arizona....and none in the park.

This one has something in it's mouth...not sure if it is a mouse (?) or maybe a baby that it is moving to a new nesting location (?) 

 

 

 

 

 This one was right on our patio!

Jud has decided to put out water for them (and the other birds....we have LOTS) so maybe they will stick around!  I hope so!

Celebrating the pleasure of another Day....a gorgeous Sun Set!

About 6:00 pm we rode over to the old Vail Steak House for dinner...afterwards we drove out the Senoita Highway to watch the Sun set and the Super Moon rise....both put on a magnificent show!

As the sun slipped over the horizon....

The moon began it's steady rise....

 

....a faint glow at first, but as the Sun withdrew it's light, the Moon began to glow and turn into a golden orb as it rose to it's full glory and magnificence!

Celebrating the Super Moon...The Flower Moon of May!

We watched in awe.  It was ....none of the words I can think of would begin to do it justice....

HUGE!  GORGEOUS!  HUMBLING!  SPIRITUAL!  REASSURING!

We watched it's ascent....to the West the embers slowly died....

 

And in the EAST......!!!!

 

...the wind whispered through sage and grass...a few doves still fluttered seeking shelter for the night and calling softly to one another....We felt a surge of contentment....

But...decided to celebrate this glorious day anyway....with ice cream at Baskin Robbins!

I chose (appropriately, I thought).....their Flavor of the Month.... Luna Cheese Cake....

Oh.. My..Word!  If you have not tasted it, you must!  Go straight to your local BR and ask for it.  Delicious!  Tastes like Key Lime Cheese Cake. 

REALLY, REALLY, GOOD!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
By the time we headed home that big 'ole Super Moon rode high in the sky!  By now it was like polished silver and it's light filled the night sky!

 

 

 

 

 

 

It beat us home...lit up our street....I would have loved watching it all night!

The Flower Moon of May....a super moon indeed!

12th Street...our street!
We slept well knowing that the Lord is definitely still in control!

 

ANCIENT FIRE.....IN IDAHO

 Craters of the Moon

            More Reflections On Idaho Trip.....16 April 2012

  Lava to the left!

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Lava to the right!

 

 

Stand up, Sit down, fight, fight fight! (...No, no, no!  Though it's true there was lava on the left and right....this is no cheering matter!   A serious subject and very, very eerie!)

 

 

 

Ancient volcanoes, similar to these photographed in Hawaii, occurred along the Snake River Plain....not as one volcanic eruption....but as long fissures that spread over an area of more than 750,000 acres,  creating this unique surface, which became known as the "Great Rift."  Beginning about 15,000 years ago lava spewed forth from beneath the crust of the earth to produce a vast flow of molten lava.  The most recent eruption is believed to have occurred just 2,000 years ago.  Geologists believe that future events are likely!

 Inferno Cones

      and

Spatter Cones....

 

 

 

Northern Shoshone are known to have traveled through these dark mysterious lava lands on their annual migrations from the Snake River to the Camas Prairie.  They left many trails and rock structures, including stone circles on top of the hardened lava.  Euro-Americans, of the 1800's, looking for gold or farmland mostly avoided the area.  Little else was known until the early 1900's. 

In 1923, Geologist, Harold T. Stearns, saw a "place devoid of vegetation....dark craters and cold lava flow... similar to what the moon might look like through a telescope."  He described the area as the "Nation's most recent fissure eruption (outside Hawaii)" and became a strong advocate for preserving it.   In 1924, Craters of the Moon became a National Monument.

 

Below is a satellite picture of the Great Rift.....

....some 52 miles of hardened lava fields that stretch to the southeast.

 What we saw with our own two eyes.....

                    (Remember these are color photos, but it's a "black and white world!")

 

 

 

What looked like huge black dunes....actually mounds of cinders....most likely remains of Cinder Cones.  This guy most likely was "off the trail"....a real "no-no"...but I could see that it could be tempting... if it weren't so windy and COLD!

 

We rounded this cinder dune and parked.

From our place we could see actual Cinder Cones nearby...Jud did walk up to the crest of the first one.

 

 

 

We both checked this one out....a Lava Tube....DEEP....partially filled with un-melted snow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These blobs of lava thrown out of cinder cones,  most likely hardened in flight and landed to create various unique forms and shapes.....Lava Bombs!

(sort of like "Sling Statue")

 

 

 

 

Patterns are unmistakable....Lava Flows....

  Cascades...

 

and Spatter Cones....

 

 

 

 

 

 

It takes thousands of years for the Earth's surface to recover from volcanic activity.  On a summer's day this black top sizzles with 150 degree temperatures.  Winter extremes bring snow, strong winds, and winter cold.  Plants and animals that live on black volcanic cinders adapt and triumph over adversity.

Mother Nature prevails and life returns.  Indeed there is an amazingly diverse group of plants and animals....

Hardy Limber Pines are the first trees to take hold in the merciless lava habitat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cinder Gardens develop.  Wild onions, Dwarf Buckwheat, Antelope Bitterbrush, and Monkey Flowers are tenacious enough to survive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 So that a whole dark hillside of cinders looks like it's  kissed  with a zillion snow flakes and a promise!

 

 

As for animals....Sage-Grouse, Pygmy Rabbits and Yellow Bellied Marmot  make their homes in the plentiful cracks and crevices.

We managed to catch sight of one of the Marmots....

(click to enlarge)

 Also known as "rock chucks" and "whistling pigs", they whistle to warn others and then promptly hide in a rock pile.  I didn't hear this one whistle, but he quickly disappeared in a "rock pile"

Below, a better picture from Wikipedia...

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-bellied_Marmot

 

 

And while nature soothes the earth and begins the process of restoration....

There's also the Devil's Orchard with hundreds of "statues"....a solumn reminder that it's (most likely)... not over yet!

 

 

 We were pleased to see it, but glad that things were quiet the day we visited!!!!

 On the way home, we caught a photo of one of the many Magpies that we saw in Idaho.  They are beautiful birds....this picture, one of my favorites, seems to fit in well right here.

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MORE IDAHO! CAMAS PRAIRIE AND CENTENNIAL MARSH

Today...Tuesday, May 1, 2012

An absolutely gorgeous "May Day" in Tucson...azure blue skies and a balmy 88 degrees!

               
                   

 

 

 

             Yellow Palo Verde...and...White Oleander  

 

Reflections .....April 18-20, 2012....Idaho

....Finishing Sunday, April 19th....first full day in Idaho....North of Mountain Home....

Snow covered mountains beckoned!  We still had lots of daylight so we ventured north traveling the Sawtooth Scenic Byway, US Highway 26.....seeking Sun Valley and Ketchum where the "rich and famous" get away and play!

 

A beautiful, well kept resort....Sun Valley and the adjacent Ketchum.....both very up-scale!  Lots of trendy shops.

 

 Purposefully established near Dollar Mountain and Bald Mountain....affectionately known as "Old Baldy"

 At 9150', it provides an excellent challenge for experienced skiers. 

While Dollar Mountain (also close by), at 6,638' is  smaller, gentler and treeless....perfect for beginners.

Skiing is paramount....  The slopes were still being enjoyed while we were there and it seemed strange to us to see folks walking the streets wearing heavy winter clothing and boots with skis slung over their shoulders...(but what do we know????)

In the early days, like so many other areas in the west the valley was populated by miners....in this case for silver and lead.  But in 1936, the Union Pacific Rail Road was developed as far as Sun Valley.  Quickly, the area became very popular with celebrities like Gary Cooper and Ernest Hemingway.  Hemingway loved to fish and hunt the rivers and mountains.  In the late 1950s, he bought a home overlooking the Wood River.

 

 

 

 Same picture....just too much to capture in one....simply "splendiferous"!  No wonder Hemingway loved it here.  But Hemingway was a complex man.  He loved Cuba, and Key West as well....he carried dual burdens....an incredible gift and a dark demon.  It was at his home in Idaho, that he committed suicide.  Both he and later his wife, Mary, were buried in the Ketchum Cemetery.  

 

 

 We walked through the cemetery, but did not find their graves. 

 Dusk was advancing, so we headed back to Mountain Home beneath painted skies.

 Monday was another day....another journey!!!  Jud was still free to ramble, so early we took off for Camais Prairie and Crater of the Moon....both to the East of Mountain Home. 

Just beyond our motel was a marker for the Oregon Trail.....

By 1864, stage service had commenced.  Rattlesnake Station was established here at the junction of Rocky Bar Road (to the mines) and the Oregon Trail.  In 1878, the station owners decided to change the name from Rattlesnake Junction to Mountain Home. I suppose they thought it sounded more inviting!  By 1883, the Union Pacific RR had built out into the valley.  Over-the-road stage lines and freight lines dried up, so the town of  Mountain Home was moved down Rattlesnake Creek to the Rail Road Station, where it exists today. 

Several remnants of the Oregon Trail exist in the Mountain Home vacinity today.  Well worn wagon tracks made by emigrants bound for the west coast....Oregon. 

You can see the embedded tracks to the left in the photo above.

 

But back to our road trip.....

 

 

We had been warned about wild life, so we were cautious and eager!!!  Camera ready!

 

Not long into the trip, we rounded a curve...there above us on a grassy knoll .....

 

 

 

Our first Elk!!!  In fact there were two of them!  This one stood still for me to take her picture then both of them were off like a flash!  Beautiful creatures!  We were thrilled to have seen them!

Further along....another exciting spotting!

Pronghorn Antelope.....alert, daring....it seems their first instinct is to freeze and stare at you, then to bound off a distance before stopping and turning to stare again.

We made a turn toward the Camas Prairie and Centennial Marsh....

 

Grassy plains dotted with lakes....lots of water....we began to see many different species of birds!

A pair of long-legged cranes dancing in the sunshine...

 
Hundreds of Red-Winged and Tri-Color Black Birds....

We reached the Marsh....set aside as a preserve.....and rode into it on a small dirt road...

All kinds of Ducks!

 

 

 

 

Northern Shoveler

(Click to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many different species....pairing off, settling in....

Seeking just the right spot for nesting....(these are geese)

Even this Seagull!  But he/she seemed right at home except that we were disturbing the peace!

 

Feathers bristled....we were scorned...after all anybody in their right mind could see there was water over the road...

And there was...but somewhere out here there was an island....the sign said so....we intended to find it....

We went through the water....(deep breath)

the road held...(long exhale)

 Soon we came to the island....

 

 

 

 

(click to enlarge)

With an "Out-John!"  Hallelujah! 

 

Obviously, well used, probably by duck hunters....several campfire sites...small in size but an incredible view of the Marsh....and the Mountains!

Overhead...there was a whistling and chirping like I had never heard before....more tunes than a Mocking bird!  After looking and looking.....I found him!

 

Such joy, such harmonious music!  I could hardly believe it was coming from this squat, chubby little bird....a true concerto from a master performer!

Perhaps a Western Meadowlark...

We stayed a little while looking at the natural beauty, watching the birds and the ducks, enjoying the peace and Presence of that special place.

 

 

 

We left the Marsh.....saluted by a tiny little prairie dog....

On watch to be sure we were finally leaving this paradise...empty handed!

(Click to see how handsome he is!)

We were leaving, for sure!  Craters of the Moon was on the road ahead....I wasn't so sure I needed to see that, but Jud was....I'm so glad we did!

 

 

 It became obvious we were almost there when we started seeing Lava fields on both sides of the road!

 

Very interesting....but I was unprepared for what we found!

Come back for Craters of the Moon.....

WATER, WIND, FIRE & ICE.......IDAHO!

27 April 2012......Friday

We flew home Sunday night (April 22) from our trip to Mountain Home AFB near Boise, Idaho.....got here about 9:30 PM.  It was an amazing trip, one we will always remember....so much LIFE!  Where there is life there is change... and so it is in Idaho. We got to see it first hand!!

  I believe Spring "sprang" while we were there!  Fruit trees and ornamental shrubs were just starting to open...

We stayed at the Best Western in Mountain Home, where "Connie" served us breakfast every morning at the "Wingers" Restaurant next door.  We got to know Connie and she gave us valuable information about what to see and how to get there!  Such a delightful lady!  We felt like good friends by the time we left.

The first weekend, we saw a lot of Southern Idaho...mentioned that in the last post....all that beautiful farm land! 

On the first Sunday, we were able to see some of that on our way to Thousand Springs, Shoshone Falls and Camas Prairie Marsh.....

As we headed for the Snake River Canyon....right away we noticed the wind....and the tumbleweeds!

They were everywhere!  It was the first time we had seen so many just rolling along the highway, crossing and seemingly playing tag!  We started having a weird scratching noise under the car which drove me crazy with all kinds of imaginings until Jud finally stopped and removed the "hitch hiker".....a large tumble weed.  They really made tracks until captured in some ancient wind and water carved trap....

(click to enlarge)

or along a pesky fence line!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tumbleweeds fascinated us....they seemed to have personalities of their own....to be caught up in the same kind of windblown journey as we were.....kindred spirits!

 

The Snake River, itself, was awesome!

This gorgeous "Snake" winds its way across Idaho from Montana all the way to Oregon....we saw a lot of it and became friends before our journey was done....It was on this river we first saw White Pelicans in Idaho!

At first we weren't sure.... (Click to enlarge)

It's hard to get a group portrait!

Ah, yes!

It's them!!!

 

 

 

Especially hard if they are floating swiftly down the river...riding a Spring current of melted snow!

They seemed to be having a ball....but don't you know those webbed feet were freezing!

This river crescent was home to "The People" for approximately 15,000 years....they lived along these waters, farmed this fertile soil and hunted in the hills.....

(Enlarge please)

 We followed the twisting river upstream to Salmon Falls...

In 1812, Joseph Miller found 100 lodges of Indians spearing thousands of salmon each afternoon.....by the end of the summer they had dried a year's supply....

 

 

 

 

After 1842, the Native Americans traded Salmon to Oregon Trail Emigrants.  John C. Fremont marveled at the 18 foot drop as a place of beauty that "the traveler would return to again and again to fix in his memory."....I can totally comprehend his feelings!  But this wasn't the only one.....

We drove parallel to the river and on the opposite bank.....

We had found the Thousand Springs area!  Ancient lava flow changed the geology of this area, moving the river and creating thousands of reservoirs and underground conduits.  Waters burst forth from these subsurface channels creating these magnificent falls on the canyon walls!

These are only a few, we finally quit taking photos and just enjoyed them....they were breath takingly beautiful!  Each newly discovered fall created a quickening in the soul!

 

And of course, all kinds of water fowl swimming, nesting, flying about. 

 

 

 

 

(Click to  enlarge and see his blue bill!  This one may be a Lesser or a Greater Scaup..sometimes called "Bluebills"....Maybe not?)

 

 

 We rolled along in our rental car (against the current), our parched souls savoring every minute, every curve of this rushing river....According to our friend, Connie, Shoshone Falls was up-river and a "must-see"!

 But....we took a little side trip (or two) on our way.....

Through lava canyon walls to Balanced Rock Park...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here, sculpted by fire and eons of wind, water.....48' high, 40' wide at top, 3 1/2' wide at bottom...

Balanced Rock

....no doubt a landmark for mankind throughout his existence on this continent!  A question mark for all to ponder?

We turned and traveled a road to the small town of Buhl....our most pressing question....What's for lunch?

We found..... ice cream....Why not? ....milk, eggs, potatoes!

That's right, they advertised Potato Ice Cream!  We had to try it.

We did....and decided to pass.  It was OK....sort of like vanilla with mashed potatoes mixed in....not my favorite.

Instead, we had a chocolate covered coffee bean...."something"... that was delicious. 

 

Much like Ben and Jerry's Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz which is my all time favorite!

See that smile?  I had one to match.  We obviously made a good lunch choice!

Plus we saw a very pretty little town and more signs of Spring!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We returned to the Snake River valley and continued East to look for Shoshone Falls, "the Niagara of the West."  It was well worth the journey.....

On the way, this incredible water fall....just a prelude....

This fall was to the right of the winding road near the entrance to the park...the rushing water disappeared under the road to come blasting out the other side headed for the downhill rush to the river.  As we rounded the curves we could hear the roar of Shoshone Falls...and soon we could see them!

    (Please click to appreciate)

 

           

 

                        

 

                                        

 These photos do not begin to do justice to Shoshone Falls justice.....Tall and wide....it was impossible to capture all of it....the mist, the noise, the majesty!   "...basalt cliffs surrounding it are relics of the Bonneville Flood, a catastrophic torrent that ripped through the canyon about 15,000 years ago. (Park Pamphlet)"  The water tumbles 212 feet to the canyon floor.....50 or more feet further than Niagara Falls.

Plummeting waters, swirling mists, swooping birds, and the promises of multiple rainbows...no  wonder people have traveled here throughout the centuries to behold this magnificence!  And once the falls are mastered...the water continues it's swift journey downstream with the flow of the Snake.....

We were fortunate to be here in the Spring....the best season... when the river is swollen with snow melt and the falls are at their peak performance!  Later in the year, much of this water will be diverted for hydroelectric power and irrigation of Idaho's vast fertile farmlands. 

We didn't miss other signs of Spring at this beautiful park.....

Wild Irises....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bird's nest, we decided. (?)  It was about the third one we had seen.

And a tree with green blossoms.....

......I have no idea! But it was gorgeous!!!!  (I thought about Brandi!)

 There was still plenty of daylight to burn.... We turned north...leaving the beautiful Snake River behind...we headed toward those snow covered mountains!

The wind blew, the willows danced showing off their tiny new golden leaves.....

 

 

.....and we looked forward to what just might lie ahead!!!!

 

Come back to find out what we discovered in the Mountains of Idaho!

 

 

 

 

 

SPRING ARRIVES SLOW......IN IDAHO!

April 18-20, 2012.....7 days in Idaho!

Definitely a new experieience for us!  This is our first visit to Idaho and it is considerably cooler here than in Arizona!  A jacket feels GOOD!  Also another totally different landscape from any we have seen before.....snow on the mountains, big big skies, grasslands, lava fields....so far, mostly farming, small towns.....puts me in mind of Grant Wood's painting , American Gothic.   ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_gothic )

In this area, there is strong evidence of an ethic of hard work, love of land and "stock"......a way of life that may resemble that of those who settled this area a century ago.

 

 

 

Jud is working this week at Mountain Home AFB as a consultant.  We are staying at Mountian Home, ID, about 40 miles southeast from Boise.

Certainly, spring comes slowly to this area but there are glad signs of warmer weather on the way!

Pear trees blooming in front of our Best Western Motel......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A solitary Forsythia, generates it's own sunny spot of color!

 

 

Few formal flower plantings in this part of the state, but clearly there are those who relish those first signs of spring, popping up randomly, seemingly on their own time table. 

 

 

I would have to be one of those....

 

 

 

 

 

 

but obviously the most important indications are the farmlands........

Vivid green acres of grass....for hay.....

 

and Alfalfa....

 

 

 

...or what we believe to be Alfalfa...(enlarge to verify)

 

 

 

 

Despite the snow capped mountains, these crops are already well on their way to provide food for the hungry stock.....while farmers are busy preparing the fields for their cash crops.... 

Potatoes and Sugar Beets!

Everywhere there is water!!!!  As the snow melts, rivers and streams are full and swift!  Run off and spring rains cause rivulets that criss cross the prairies and the farm lands.....plenty of water here!

 

Barns, with "ginormous" stacks of hay bales (the remnant from the winter months?) lie within easy distance of every farm house..... 

 

 

Enormous granaries and berm-type barns suggest preparations necessary to survive harsh winters..... 

 

But the "stock" seem alive and well, thoroughly enjoying the new growth that sustains them during the spring and early summer before the drought comes.

Large herds of beautiful cattle...all kinds...Angus, Charolais, Hereford, Black and White Dairy Cows, as well as mixed herds, dotting the hillsides, grazing on tender new shoots in open ranges or nearby pastures.

On all the twisting winding roads we were cautioned..."Watch For Stock"

 

 

 

 

 

 There was plenty of it!  We were fascinated!

Incredible horses....lots of them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sheep......grazing on lava strewn hillsides!

And enclosed irrigated pastures....

 

More sheep than I have seen before, but we read that many early emigrants came here to raise sheep.

 

 

 

 

Llamas.....these were young, but there were many scattered throughout this area.  Yes, that is a miniature horse to the right....and there is a goat too, though I think he's hidden behind the black llama...

 And Bees!  Lots of bees!

This southern area, along the Snake River Valley, from Boise to Idaho Falls seems to be primarily agricultural.  Most towns are small, with miles between.  Neighbors are in sight (because you can see "forever") but may actually be a mile or more apart.  We are impressed by the hard work and modest living that we see in this part of the state.  It can't be an easy life.  Certainly some of the "smells" would take some getting used to!

 

 

But granted, we have only a few days and are seeing only the southern part of this large state.   These are just first impressions....good ones. We loved the farm lands!

After arriving in Mountain Home, late, Saturday evening, we spent Sunday and Monday exploring.  Jud did not have to report until Tuesday morning.  We put those two days to good use!!!  We started rambling to get a feel for the land and to explore the Old Oregon Trail, Shoshone Falls, Thousand Springs, Craters of the Moon, the Camis Marsh.......There are many geological mysteries, historical sites, and much wildlife to see. 

It's amazing to watch the earth come alive anywhere, but to see this drastic change in seasons is an awakening for me.     Emerging signs of Spring in Idaho! 

We found them!   So there's much more to follow...... 

MORE MAINE MEMORIES....CAMDEN CONTINUED (PART 2)

Written:  Wednesday....April 11, 2012

        Reflecting upon Memories from September, 2007

 

 

I love, love, loved every single moment and every single thing about Camden, Maine!!!

 

The sea, the vivid colors, the smells, the boats, the wildlife, the people, the food, the ambiance, the art, the architecture, the villages, the culture....I could go on and on.....

It felt much like a precious balloon....one that a child holds onto, tightly....for as long as he/she can.  She knows it won't last forever, but oh, if only it could!!!!

I can't imagine people in Maine ever wishing they could live anywhere else.....but perhaps a few of  them do.

 

 

In Camden and all along the coast there are shops, galleries, sculptures, works of art, monuments....attempts to express the beauty, the exhilaration and surging joy....that is Maine... no wonder so many of the GREATs have taken their inspiration from that lush green land and those incredible indigo seas!  Inspired by a napkin holder we found in one of the shops....Ray later made this for me....
    I treasure it still.

Great works of art and literature have emerged, but nothing compares to that which occurs naturally and/or of necessity in this beautiful place....such as:

 

 

 

The Bass Harbor Head Light...manned by the United States Coast Guard, part of US Homeland Security.

 
One of the many incredible light houses we saw.  We took this photo on our way to the Acadia National Park...natural beauty born of necessity!  We even loved the fog and the bongs and gongs of the channel harbor buoy bells, somehow more noticeable in the heavy grey mists!  I wished I could record their music.

On to Thunder Hole, where we made this.....my favorite picture!

 
Sophie and Terrie, Hannah and Ray

And this.....

Us and Lucy....She loved Maine and her cousins, too.  We surely miss her!  Such a sweet baby and a wonderful little traveler!!!

 

On top of Cadillac Mountain, not far from Bar Harbor, located in Acadia National Park...

We could see forever....1,532 feet above sea level, this point is first in the US to witness the sunrise from October 7 through March 6 (I'll have to take their word for that!)

But from our position, on this day, we managed to capture this unusual phenomenon.....

 

 

A Phantom Ship!

That's Bar Harbor, ME below....a strange photo for sure......We descended the winding and scenic road into that Downeast Maine fishing village.....to discover another extraordinarily picturesque and interesting place!

Welll....We had been looking for Moose!!!

This was just one of many unique shops!  And there right in the Harbor we found our phantom ship!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, we are sure it is the same ship....but I have no clue as to how we captured it floating in the fog above Bar Harbor in the shot of the Phantom Ship above.....one of the mysteries of that rugged coast! 

Camden, itself, was one of favorite places....so beautiful and so much to see and do....the Library was an important part of our journey....opened in 1928, this beautiful building overlooks the harbor providing a fabulous view of, rolling grassy lawns and

incredible gardens,

 

 

 

 

 

 

spilling right down to the water's edge....

 

 
The reading room became a sanctuary for learning to blog...Terrie got me started, taught me the basics, and we spent several hours in this beautifully appointed room doing our "creative thing".."very quietly!"

When we weren't busy enjoying music and camping, wineries, old book sales; exploring, looking for sea glass, blogging, attending festivals, boating, partaking of gorgeous Farmers' Market offerings, shopping at Hanafords (yummy onion bread!), cooking delicious meals. romping in Merry Spring Meadow with the pups offleash....etc, etc, etc (SO MANY GOOD MEMORIES!!!).....we explored Camden, it's intriguing streets, shops, gardens....

 

 

 

 

 

(I don't know what makes the difference...but I've never seen such vibrant colors, enormous blooms...and not just the sunflowers....could it be the short growing season, the rich soil, the abundantly cool humidity????  Simply Sensational!).....

....and architectural offerings!  Castles, cottages, barns!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All kinds of expressive, noteworthy features....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not far from Camden the "Belted Galloways" at Aldermere Farms!

   

Such beautiful creatures!

We had never seen any like them!  But we have since... just one other time....can't remember where???

 

So much to see and do...I keep remembering....Lobster!  Not my favorite but a terrific time to try it...Lobster rolls, Lobster salad, Lobster pots, and Lobster festivals.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was good...just not my "favorite"!

 

Oh and Coffee Shops with Music!!!  What was the name of that Coffee Shop in downtown Camden?

There's only one thing I like better than hearing my brother(s) play and sing.....that is listening to him and Terrie play and sing together!  With the whole family gathered round!

Speaking of family....

Ethel, Fred and George (our three crows -"groupies") seemed to be loving Maine.  They were still with us and we frequently caught sightings.

 Ethel quickly picked up on the "Camden Crow Crawl"... a special Contra Dance, I guess!

Click to see how well she mastered those steps!

 

 

 

 (Note:  They did not follow us to Arizona....and we miss them!)

I need to explain (for my own 'remembering's' sake) that we actually spent almost three weeks, total, with Ray and Terrie in Camden!  We left the Boston, Salem, Magnolia, Massachusettes area, traveling north, over the Piscataqua River Bridge into Maine, finally arriving in Camden, 20 July 2007.  After 13 wonderful days, we left Camden, 2 Aug 2007, to explore the rest of the state and travel on up into the Canadian Maritimes, i.e. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.  After several weeks on the road and lots of wonderful experiences, we returned to Camden, 10 Sep 2007, for another glorious week!  Actually, this blog post includes both times!  And while we stayed quite busy there was still time to relax by the campfire....

...and get in a little exercise....

Camden, Maine is a wonderful place to do "whatever"....it has sooooo much to offer plus the "Mainiacs" are really into "green", "organic", "recycling", "conservation", and "preservation"....EVERYTHING IS SO CLEAN!  Very appealing!

On the Camden Public Library lawn stands a bronze statue of Edna St. Vincent Millay.

Born in Rockland, ME, she moved with her Mother and two sisters to Camden as a young girl....

In the Children's Area of the Library, inscribed around the edge of the rotundra are these words, "All I could see from where I stood was three long mountains and a wood.  I turned and looked another way and saw three islands in a bay...Edna St. Vincent Millay"

A Pulitzer Prize winning Poet's description of Camden....beautiful and appropriate!

 

 

 

 

On the last morning, Jud and I drove to the top of Mt. Battie to enjoy the whole of Camden and the harbor....we took our coffee, chairs and our little Lucy Dog.....

 

There spread out below us was the wonder of it all...a beautiful place of renewal, inspiration, creativity....

 

 

 

 
A bitter sweet "goodbye"....only we hope someday to return!

We will not likely forget Camden!

SHARING THE BEST OF TUCSON...

 

April 2-6, 2012....Five, full,  fun-filled days!

 

Jud's sister, Peggy and her grandson (our nephew), Zachary came to visit us and to experience Arizona.  We picked them up at the Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Monday evening around 6:00 PM.  After a delicious meal at an Italian restaurant, where Zach and I discovered we liked the same kind of pizza (cheese, black olives, and mushrooms) we drove back to Tucson.  It was late even for us, but they were suffering a three hour time lag!  I wasn't sure they would be up for the day we had planned on Tuesday.

But they were up bright and early and we headed for our favorite attraction, the Desert Museum....

We always feel a little uneasy about planning an agenda... not everyone likes the same things we do.  But in this case, the museum was a decidedly good choice!  Zach and Peggy both loved it!  And we did too...we always do!  And because we are members, they allowed Zach in free, so there was only one ticket to buy!

 

This majestic Harris Hawk is one of a family of four, featured in the Raptor Free Flight Demonstration.  This family flies together, as they commonly do in the wild.  Quite a show.

 

 There is so much to see and do at the Desert Museum....we always see something new!  The flowers were incredible!

(Click to enlarge and fully appreciate!)

 

 

 

 

 

Zach moved eagerly along the paths and we kept up best we could....He was really excited!  We got a good view of the Javelinas, most all the animals.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zach loves all the sciences!  He was thrilled with the rock and mineral displays and eager to search the mine tailings for take home specimens....Over the course of the week, he gathered quite a rock collection!

 

But he was equally excited about the dinosaur bones and fossils....

And like the rest of us....he earned his bat ears!!!

Hot and tired, we decided to fore go our next destination....Old Tucson Studios....maybe next time.  Instead we headed for Pinnacle Peak for a Steak and a Show.  Another of our favorites and certainly one of Peggy's and Zach's...

We got him a tie...'cause you're NOT suppose to wear one....

And he met the Sheriff....

Our dinner was delicious and as is the custom, he had to sacrifice his tie to the wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Sheriff, himself, took care of it....unfortunately they did not get it hung up before we left.....next time!  He was a little disappointed about that, but soon was caught up in the show which he thoroughly enjoyed.  His enthusiasm was delightful and we loved watching him loving all of it!

The show was funny....the Sheriff's daughter turned bank robber and tried to get away with the money and her partner in crime....a real slap stick comedy with lots of stunts, including an explosion!
But somehow, it was Zach that ended up in jail....

Wednesday Morning.....we gave them a choice.

Zach chose the Reid Park Zoo....(told you he likes animals.)  That was a great choice for us because we had not been to the zoo, here.  It was beautifully done....we all loved it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think this is perhaps the best zoo I have ever seen. Clean, open, shady, lots of water....the animals were very healthy and seemingly content.  And there were all kinds of habitats....open, aviaries, canyons, grassy areas....it was educational and amazing to see.  Terrific photo ops.  Please click on the small pictures for some of the best photos we have ever made.  Oh yes, wanted to tell you about the lion family.  The royal dad above has a mate and two year-old cubs.  We watched as one of the cubs quietly circled the large shady and grassy area, leaped over the creek, slowly stalking his father....he jumped the creek again and with great stealth approached from the right side of the rock wall to suddenly pounce on his dad...Dad gave him a quite a tussle and then a good licking and they both appeared to enjoy it as much as we enjoyed watching.

We had worked up an appetite, so from the Zoo we headed for Five Guys, delicious burgers and fries.

 

 

On to Mount Lemmon....a nice drive after so much walking!  

But also great opportunities for rock climbing and hunting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The higher we went the cooler it got!  And soon at the top (9,130 feet above sea level)...it was cold!

 

For this South Georgia boy, it was a sight to behold and something to "get into"!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We wanted to make a snowman, but the stuff wouldn't stick together....

There were wild turkeys on the ski slopes....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We watched the sun set.....

And the full moon rise.....(click to appreciate)

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that was just Wednesday....we still had Thursday to go!

 

 

Thursday AM....Up a little later, we road south.....

 

To Kartchner Caverns.....One of the wonders of Southern Arizona.....a living cave.  330 million years ago a shallow sea covered this area (about 9 miles from Benson AZ).  Layers of sediment hardened into limestone.  Millions of years later pressures within the earth uplifted and formed the Whetstone Mountains.  A fault was created, as the limestone floor dropped far below the mountains.  Rainwater, filtering through cracks in the surface over millions of years eroded the limestone and drop by drop created the caves and all it's amazing formations!  The caverns were not discovered until 1974. 
The discovery of the caverns was kept secret for many years in order to preserve it.  This is a living cave, that is it is still being formed.  The State of Arizona bought the land and created a state park.  Great effort has gone into preservation of this amazing natural treasure.  It has 13,000 feet of passages and two large rooms (the Big Room and the Throne Room), each the size of football fields.  We took the tour that carried us to the Big Room.  In the late spring, over 1000 female bats migrate to the Kartchner Caverns....they enter the Big Room in late April and each gives birth to one baby (pup).  The adult females go and come from the cave to eat insects, but the babies stay in the cave until late September when they and their moms leave to migrate to their winter home. During their stay, they excrete huge piles of guano.  This guano sustains the other life forms found in the caves.  We were one of the last tours to see the Big Room this year as it is closed while it serves a nursury for the baby bats.  Beautiful Stalagtites, Stalagmites, Draperies, Columns, Soda Straws and Turnip Shields adorn the cave walls, ceilings and floors....most all are wet, still growing drop by drop.  It was an amazing journey to venture beneath the surface of the desert to see this totally different habitat.  In an effort to preserve this environment, visitors must make reservations before visiting, and nothing is allowed to be carried into the caves.  That means no cameras....so, sorry, no pictures, here.  But you can read more about Kartchner Caverns and see pictures at: 

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=my-myy-s&va=kartchner+cave+arizona

 

Next stop....Benson, AZ for brunch at our favorite....The Horseshoe Cafe!  Best food in Arizona....or at least we think so and Peggy agreed! 

Then on to Toombstone..."The Town Too Tough To Die"

The shops are great for all sorts of imaginings...and shopping...

Of course the Gunfight at OK Corral came off as predicted....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Earps won!  The stage rambled on....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a handsome Cowboy!!!!

 Smart!

And a good shooter too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think he loved it all....would have liked to have gone on the Ghost Tour....but we'll do that "next time!"  There's just too much to do it all!

 

 

Zach and Uncle Bubba (Jud) became good "buds"...

...and Peggy seemed really pleased to be here (though at this point she and I both were ready for a sit-down and a nice cool drink!).....she was really happy that Zach was enjoying everything so much.  We all had fun!  There's nothing like a kid to bring out the "kid" in all of us! 

Thank you, Peggy and Zach, for visiting us here in Tucson!  We loved it!

HAPPY EASTER!

April 18, 2012

Easter thoughts and prayers from Tucson....from us!

MAINE MEMORIES......CAMDEN!

Thursday.....March 30, 2012

Jud is working long hours....I'm watching too much TV.  But the Red Lobster commercials remind me of Maine, so I decided to review my photos...what a treasure.  I remembered I never did a post about that part of our journey...and it was the all time favorite!

Rewind back to Jul-Sep 2007 (almost 5 years ago....that's amazing!)....Our first year "on the road."  In the winter of that year, we traveled South to Key West (the beginning/end of Hwy 1, depending on your point of view); then in the fall we headed North up the coast to Maine (the other end of Hwy 1)....so much to see and do!  We loved all of it!  But Maine remains our favorite!

 

 

 

We made our trip to the "Keys" with Ray (my brother) and Terrie (my SISTER-in law).  They were terrific guides!  It was a wonderful trip!  By the time we got to Maine, they had beaten us there and had taken up their new post as Camp Hosts at the Camden Hills State Park, Camden Maine....so we were excited to be visiting them!  Jud and I were in training....R&T (Ray and Terrie) were teaching us how to get the most from our travels, how to blog, how to really live this new life!  We looked to them for guidance and they provided it by showing us!

We arrived in Camden....

It was better than I ever imagined....the most beautiful little village right on the water with boats, boats, and more boats!

We arrived at their site.  A neat setup with their vintage airstream, affectionately known as the "Toaster."  Their "home" away from home for several months at a time.

That's Hannah (that sweet gorgeous girl.) She was waiting to greet us!  (enlarge to see how beautiful she is.)

We were delighted to be there!

 

 

 

Everything was so lush and green!!!  I appreciated it then....I really appreciate it now!  We got set up in our spot....#45....a little ways from R&T...but within walking distance and right across from the restrooms.  A great site!

 

 

 

Right away, Terrie took me to see the Fairy House built at the base of a huge old tree.  Seems there is a delightful custom in Maine....building houses for the wee folk.  This one had fallen into disrepair, so R&T "fixed it up" and embellished it some.  While I was there, I fashioned a mini birch bark canoe and carved a tiny paddle, in case the fairies decided to venture into the bay.  Such fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I remember correctly, we spent that first afternoon just getting situated, relaxing, having a delicious dinner cooked over an open fire and just catching up....maybe we even had the pleasure of Ray and Terrie's music....Him on the guitar and her on the auto harp....both singing.  A real treat anytime for us!!!

But....right away we were out and about trying to experience this rich rich culture and all the beauty and charm of this very special place...We booked a lobster boat tour that promised real lobstering and live Puffins!  Early, the next morning, we headed into Port Clyde, near Camden and soon met our captain....

 

Port Clyde another picturesque little fishing/lobstering village was fascinating!  Look at all the buoys!  Every color imaginable, each one with a lobster trap attached at the bottom.  The water....a magnificent deep blue!  Like none I've ever seen before.

 As we left the harbor, the captain made a comment about "the journey" being "the destination."  That phrase inspired a song, written by Brother Ray....one of my favorites. It has become sort of our theme for our travels.

Our boat was the Windsong....I don't recall the captain's name, but he really educated us about lobstering.  As we watched they pulled their lines and examined their catches.  Some lobsters they kept, some they returned to the waters...specifically females that were fertile and producing or those too small.  We got some great pictures of the lobsters with their big old claws....but alas, some of our photos "cannot be opened" now....hope we find a way.

 

 

 

It was cold and breezy on the water but exhilarating!!!  Terrie and I loved it....so did the guys!

As promised, we approached a rock island, habitat for the Puffins and hundreds of other water birds. 

 

I had never before seen Puffins....this was a thrill for all of us....and there they were....clown-like...diving, swimming, short flights....just flat-out too cute! 

Incredible!

After watching and trying to capture them in photos for a  bit, we puttered on and passed the Wyeth Compound....a simplicity represented in Andrew Wyeths works, creativity founded in an atmosphere of pure natural bliss......serene yet inspirational.....I can only imagine!

  

N.C. Wyeth was a famed illustrator.  His illustrations appeared in Treasure Island, Robinson Cruso and many, many more.  He nurtured creativity in all his own children, especially that possessed by his youngest son, Andrew Wyeth.  Andrew, 1917-2009, became a celebrated artist in his own right.  One of the best known U.S. artists of the 20th Century, he is well known for his Christina's World.  In trying to find out more about Andrew Wyeth, I found these quotes.... they impressed me and hopefully will inspire me....

 "With watercolour, you can pick up the atmosphere, the temperature, the sound of snow shifting through the trees or over the ice of a small pond or against a windowpane. Watercolour perfectly expresses the free side of my nature." - Andrew Wyeth

 "N.C. [the father] wrote in a letter to Wyeth [son, Andrew] in 1944:"

"The great men [ Thoreau, Goethe, Emerson, Tolstoy] forever radiate a sharp sense of that profound requirement of an artist, to fully understand that consequences of what he creates are unimportant. Let the motive for action be in the action itself and not in the event. I know from my own experience that when I create with any degree of strength and beauty I have no thought of consequences. Anyone who creates for effect — to score a hit — does not know what he is missing!"

 

We were told that visitors could go ashore at the compound if they came on the mail boat....maybe another trip!

Part of my life dream is to have a magical "place" to go that will somehow release my spirit, enable me to express "the free side of my nature."  But even Andrew Wyeth had a teacher, a mentor..... his father.

 

Back to the "journey".....

The return trip to Port Clyde was just as exciting ... being on these lobster filled waters, seeing the boats, and the birds.....the sights, the sounds, the smells....all quickened our senses....made us feel happy to be ALIVE!

 

 

(Click to enlarge)

So many others on the water, experiencing those same sensations!  What a life!

 (no doubt a difficult one during some seasons!)

 

 Soon we approached Port Clyde.....the journey had indeed been the destination!

 

The following day we set out on a road trip.....headed for the Full Circle Summer Fair....but first we had to see Owl's Head Light Station.....

 
Picturesque and Necessary along these rocky shores!

 On down/up the road (I forget) the Full Circle Summer Fair was summoning us!

...a unique celebration of music, dance, family, and fullness of life!

Very interesting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of terrific talent with an open "Mic"...rophone and plenty of opportunity to hear and be heard!!!

Maybe even "discovered!"

 

 

 

Finally....the one we came to see and hear!  Brother Ray!

....singer, song writer, player of many instruments....a truly talented guy......even if he is bare footed and my brother!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed the Fair....loved being there!  

But that's just the begining....there was so much more coming!

 

 

 

Meanwhile, I cannot begin to put into words how lush, green and incredibly beautiful the Maine country side is.....at least in the fall......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wild roses are everywhere....covering rock walls, road sides and spilling over cliffs down to the sea.

 

And so many other plant specimens, unfamiliar to me....gorgeous color.....intricately patterned  foliage.  Rich and lovely!

I think I would love to spend at least one winter in Maine.  However, there are those who say "not." No doubt it would be a different world.  I understand the cold is extreme.....terribly harsh!  ......I do wonder how the Fairies manage????

I've so much more to share (to record while I can still remember) and hope to cover all of it in several posts....this is a terrific exercise in reliving a wonderful time!

But Monday, Jud's sister, Peggy, and her grandson, Zack, are coming to Tucson for a visit.....We've  planned a full week so there may be a break in my posting. 

Soon, I hope to return to my "Maine Memories"....in Part II....to relive some more of it!!!

"MARCH MADNESS"

Sunday....March 25, 2012

 So how did I spend my 69th birthday?  Doing just what I wanted to....Jud is very obliging and caring!

 He allowed me to sleep late....had coffee made when I got up.  We just relaxed, drank coffee, snacked and watched Basketball! 

 

Two games....

On the Road to the Final Four.

 

 

 

 

 

Baylor vs Kentucky

            and

Kansas vs Univ of North Carolina

In the first game I pulled for Kentucky and they won!  Final Score:  82-70 

Game 2, University of North Carolina (my team the one I'd been following) was pitted against Kansas.  

 

Early in the game UNC led.  At the half they were tied....and in the second half the point difference was only 1-2 points with each team taking and relinquishing the lead....very fast moving...very exciting...really aggressive!  Until in the last three minutes, Kansas pulled ahead and no matter how hard UNC tried they just could not make the shots....while Kansas did!

Final Score:  80-67   I was VERY disappointed!   :(

Jud has never much cared for basketball, but it was a big part of my life for many years....about 11!  I loved being a cheerleader and dating basketball players!  That was all before I knew Jud.  This month he has watched the March Madness with me, for my sake, but before long he was caught up in it too.

The commercials were pretty entertaining!  Two of my favorites:

"Wanna share some Nachos?"  (State Farm)

                                    

                                    Always a favorite!  (Coca Cola)  

But I also loved the one with the dog, "WE GO"....Here, WE GO!  Did you see it?

 

My horoscope for yesterday was pretty apropos....

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You might not be able to do a handstand,  [Definitely not...any more!!!] but you can shake a hand  [I still get excited, shake all kinds of body parts, and have trouble staying calm and seated, once a referee threatened to throw a whole group of us out of the gym]. Ambitions could get in the way of friendliness in the week ahead, but by being personable and friendly you can use your energies in the best way.  [I'll keep that in mind as I play "WORD" this week]   (from the.....San Jose Mercury News)

 
 After the games, Jud took me out for a special birthday dinner....

.
A wonderful fondue experience!  Remember when we all had fondue pots back in the 70's???

Our special "chef" was welcoming, personable, and very good at his job!

The food was outstanding!

 Four Courses:

A rich creamy cheese fondue with breads, apples, and raw vegetables for dipping.

Fresh green salads with homemade dressings.

Entree of assorted meats (shrimp, tuna, sirloin, chicken and angus beef) to be "fondued" in a pot of stout broth with vegetables and assorted sauces for dipping.

Dessert:  A decadent hot chocolate sauce with Grande Marnier for submerging fresh strawberries, slices of banana, cubes of pound cake, brownies, rice crispy squares, and cheese cake....Oh My!

YUM!!!!

If you haven't had fondue in a while....I highly recommend it!  Fun and Delicious!!!!

    I also enjoyed a spirited Bourbon Berry Bramble!

    WOW!  Sensational!!!

    My new favorite beverage!

 

 

 

 

    It was a lovely day....a wonderful birthday!  Thank you, Jud!

 

 

 

 

And thanks for all the good wishes....cards, emails, facebook messages, packages in the mail, phone calls.....!

All of it made me feel very special.

Most of all thank you for the love and support of family and friends....That has made the past 69 years a rich and beautiful journey.

 

BACK SIDE OF THE LEMMON

Thursday....March 22, 2012

 

"The Bear went over the mountain...to see what he could see!"

 

 

And so did We!

 

Saturday, 17 March.....St. Patrick's Day!

Mt. Lemmon is definitely one of our favorite destinations.....a must see for our guests!  The highest peak in the Santa Catalina Mountains which overlook and provide spectacular views of the city, it is frequented by bi-cyclists, skiers, wildlife enthusiasts, and those seeking cooler temperatures!  With an elevation of 9,157 feet and an estimated 180 inches of snow, annually, it is the southernmost ski slope in the U.S.  It can be 80 degrees in Tucson and Mt. Lemmon will have snow remnants at the top!

 

We have been to the "top" many times.  Every time, we notice a forest service road that branches off near the top and runs down the back side of the mountain.  Each time we promised ourselves to explore that road/area.  This was the day!!!

 

This was the original road, departing Oracle, AZ on the North side of the Mountain...a 29 mile, one-way trek with up/down traffic alternating at different times of the day.  It was the only way to the top of Mt. Lemmon for many years.....until the incredible scenic Catalina Highway was built from Tucson on the south to Summer Haven, ski slopes and an observatory at the top.

Just our kind of road!!!  Bless our little "Towed's" heart!!!  She still does very well!!!

 

Soon after turning onto this "North Control Road", we began to experience the thrill of nature in it's most primitive state.... 

No telling how long this "Alligator Juniper" has withstood the prevailing winds, drastic temperatures, and curious invaders.....Boasting the "silver", that comes with tenacity and endurance, it was still alive, though it bore marks of thoughtless folk who preceded us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We came out of the forest to a spot where we could see what lay beyond the mountain!

Seemingly a paradise for wild life....very soon we spied this flock of wild turkeys!

 

On our left, grazing at a good distance from the ridge we were traversing.... approximately five fat fowl!  I've always heard that turkeys have keen hearing and eyesight....They must!  As soon as we started "clicking" they sensed our presence and began to disperse!

 And just a little further, to the right, in another small valley......

 

Four beautiful deer....probably Mule Deer since their ears were so large....note the dark color of their coats.  Truly beautiful!!

Small ponds existed in these hillocks....the source of life for all these amazing animals!

 

Beautiful!  Serene!

 

Another herd of deer....higher up (we were traveling up and down over these wonderful grassy hills)...

 

They seemed unconcerned with us....they took note and returned to their grazing....We were surprised that their coats were so much lighter....but then so was their environment....lots of golden grasses!

 

More wild flowers....like finding Easter Eggs!  We relish finding them and taking their pictures...

 

Above...an attractive plant with a most unattractive name....."Rattle Snake Plant"!

 

"Shortstem Lupine"....

 

 

"Indian Paintbrush"....                         

 

 "Desert Paintbrush"....

 

Who said there are no bugs in Arizona?  Oh, I believe that was me!  But there are!  Jud found these beetles.  He said they were actually larger than our Georgia "Pine Beetles"......

 

 After many miles of rough road and incredible scenery, we had left the Coronado National Forest, and came acoss a home perched with an amazing view and a back (and front) yard open to all this magnificent wild life (and more?)

 

 

And grazing free! 

 

 

Very close to the road!  No fences!  Mutual curiosity!

 

 

 And this is "Pudding Stone"....Jud was thrilled to find this! 

 

 

 

 

 

 (click to fully appreciate!)

 This particular area was covered with a type of "Pudding Stone".....a conglomerate of smaller, often varied colored rocks that contrast with the "cement" that holds them together.....a hard rock, that can be cut and polished with unpredictable and beautiful results. 

 There were literally tons of it!  Jud eagerly looked for a piece small enough to bring home.

 

 

About 25 miles and 3.5 hours we reached the bottom.....and Peppersauce Campgound!

 A troop of Boy Scouts were having a terrific weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A riparian forest....so GREEN.....so inviting!!!!

I wished we had a tent....or at least a picnic!!!

Shortly, we arrived in Oracle.  A small town, but rapidly becoming a bedroom community for Tucson...  Originally a mine town (gold and silver....like so many others).... named for a ship that brought the founder to North America.

At the point where the back road....the original road....the North Control Road.... enters Oracle there is a market....and pictured below, the Oracle Historical Society.....(fun to say!)

What a fun day!  We saw lots of wild life, beautiful mountain slopes....and satisfied our curiosity! 

Like the bear, we went over the mountain to see what we could see.....the back side of Mt. Lemmon!!!!

A great way to spend St. Patrick's Day!

Love, love, loved it!!!

 

THE GHOST OF RUBY....

Wednesday....March 21, 2012

 

Saturday, the 10th, was a glorious March day....robin's egg blue skies, no clouds, just right temperatures....This day, we decide to go in search of "Ruby".....

 

 

Headed South on Highway 19, toward the border town of Nogales, we stop for a delicious lunch at Tubac....then press on to turn off the Interstate....

and into the hills just north of the US/Mexico Border. 

We must have had just enough rain to encourage the wild flowers....plentiful and beautiful to see!

 

Vivid carpets covering the hillsides.....a mix of Mexican Gold and white poppies....

   

 

 

 

 

 

Along roadsides, creek beds, grazing lands, hillsides....EVERYWHERE!  Such cheerful little beaming faces...about the size of a 50-cent piece (do we have those anymore?) 

We see the warning signs, take note and proceed along the road through an area well known and patrolled for illegal immigration and drug smuggling....but we figure in "broad daylight" and if we stay on the move, in the car....besides the idea of the ghost of "Ruby" is very alluring!

Incredible scenery!  We enter the Coronado National Forest and discover Pena' Blanca Lake ....

 

There are others here....folks come to fish!  It makes us wish we had our Porta-Boat.

Just the sight of water in the desert always excites us and this is truly a beautiful restorative place....right near Thumrock....ages old....a landmark for centuries or more!

The great masses of wild flowers aren't as obvious here but nearly as prolific....wild purple "Verbena" covered the hills in a much quieter display.....

with "Fairy Duster" bushes here and there...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                         Blue Lupine (?)

This easily could have been our destination but

 

 

"Ruby" continues to call our names...so we travel on.

 

 

 

 

 

Soon we pass this sign.....

...the road has become a rough and winding Forest Service Road and we know we are driving right along a "...travel corridor for a large volume of illegal migrant and drug smuggler traffic.  Nogales, which is on the Border is 35 miles south-east of Arivaca. Located just 11 miles north of the Border, Arivaca is at one end of Project 28, the test of SBInet.  SBInet is the effort by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Boeing Corporation to secure US land borders using technology.  It involves 98-foot high towers with radar and cameras that send information to bases in Tucson and Sells, where directions are sent out to specially equipped Border Patrol vehicles about targets for apprehension...Project 28 is the effort to test this strategy on a 28-mile stretch flanking the border on either side of Sasabe."

 (...above quote from Arivaca, Arizona - Wikipedia)

And true....this back hill country is crawling with Border Patrol!  We pass an official vehicle, or they pass us, about every 10-15 minutes....but we aren't "apprehended"...the presence is reassuring.

Finally,  we reach Montana Peak....

 

.....this is the landmark we've been looking for...

 As early as the 1700s, the Spanish discovered rich minerals just below this unmistakable peak....they did primitive mining but soon lost interest.  Almost a century later, two gentlemen, Charles Poston and Henry Ehrenburg discovered some rich veins of gold and silver in Montana Gulch.  They, and others who heard about the discovery, took up where the Spanish left off.  By 1870, a settlement had formed at the base of the peak.  It became known as "Montana Camp." Discoveries of lead, copper and zinc soon followed.  Prospectors flooded the area.

Just 4 miles from the border, and like most other mining camps, lawlessness prevailed.  Attacks from Apaches, neighboring hostile Mexicans as well as the unscrupulous were common.  It was a primitive existence.  Most of the miners lived in tents or adobe huts.  There were no businesses other than the Mercantile Store.  Most men provided for their families by hunting or in some cases....cattle rustling.

So what about "Ruby"?  Well....Lillie Ruby Andrews was the wife of Julias Andrews.  Julias purchased the Mercantile in 1897.  Ten years later, he applied for a post office to be opened in his store.  Finally the permit was granted, April 1912.  Julias named the Post Office and the town "Ruby", for his wife.  What happened to Lillie Ruby?  We don't know, but the town slowly grew, as the mines yielded some gold and more and more silver.  In 1914, Mr. Andrews sold the mercantile to Philip Clark and his wife, Gypsy.  They built an improved store just up the hill.  But the situation was so bad that this couple kept weapons in every room of their home and the store.  A superstition circulated and became a common belief among Mexicans of the area.......the building that housed the Mercantile and Post Office was cursed because it had been built over the grave of an old Padre. Mr. Clark and his wife became fearful for their safety and left Ruby after selling the Mercantile and Post Office to brothers, John and Alex Frasier.  What followed only heightened the fears and superstitions that already circulated.....A series of gory murders, connected to the Mercantile and involving "gold teeth", followed.  For all the details you can go to.....

http://www,ghosttowns.com/states/az/rubypaper.html

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/az-ruby.html

The Nogales Weekly Oasis reported: "...tragedy is nothing new over there [Ruby]...In the wild and rugged region there has been always a harbor for a bunch of desparate characters, whose depredations have been felt by American cattlemen and ranchers through many years."   

It reads like a made-for-TV movie!

Despite the lawlessness, murder, and mayhem, Ruby continued to grow.  By the 30's the Montana Mine was Arizona's leading producer of lead and zinc, and third largest in silver production. 

But finally the mines played out...the town died...the Ruby Post Office closed forever May 31, 1941.   Ruby became a Ghost ...Town!

 


This is Ruby today.....taken from a distant hill.  We are really excited to finally find it!

We follow the road and ride on down into the town

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It looks deserted alright!  No signs of life.  We continue winding down toward the remains of the town until we come to a chain across the road....no signs of a caretaker.  Not really willing to pay a $24 admission fee, we decide to forego trying to rouse the caretaker and be satisfied with what we can see from where we stand.  Actually not much.  Many old tumble down buildings....the remains of the school which once provided the 3 R's for as many as 300 children, a warehouse, a row of outhouses at the edge of the town, remnants of the Mercantile Store, foundations which may have been homes....several old buildings most of which we can not identify. This is what is left of Ruby...once a "home" to as many as 1200 residents.  Children were born and raised here. Despite the rough conditions, their parents sought a livlihood here....they worked hard, lived lean, and some even died here.  

Somewhat disappointed that we didn't get in, we resume our journey, traveling 11 miles further west to Arivaca....

The scenery looks like a movie set from an old John Wayne film.....

It's easy to imagine being on horseback, leaving Ruby behind... wary of what might be around the next curve, or over the next hill ....
Remember, we are still following the travel corridor being surveyed by the SBINet, so there is a sense of danger (just a little) and adventure.  

It's reassuring to come upon a Border Patrol station....in the middle of "nowhere"....

with a herd of visitors....

 

   Curious about us!

Soon we reach Arivaca, nearest town....

 

 

Population....150 (plus or minus)

But they have a Mercantile Store!!!

 

 

 I imagine this must have been similar to the one in Ruby all those years ago ??????

 

Just 24 miles back toward the interstate.....at Arivaca Junction...we come upon...

The Longhorn Grill!  Back in the 70's and 80's it was the Longhorn Bar....then it became an artist's studio.  Today, with the addition on the left, it's a restaurant......still a man-made landmark!  Pretty impressive even from a distance.

We'll have to go back....maybe.

Arizona has many ghost towns.  Their histories are fascinating.  We enjoyed this particular visit to the past. Those who search for ghosts, have claimed they "felt a presence" while visiting Ruby....certainly, the violent history (as well as current events) could lead one to believe there may be restless souls still trapped in/around this old ghost town.....so close to the Mexican border.  And while we found it fascinating, we did not encounter any spirits...other than our own.

 

 

 

 

 

SUNSETS....SANDHILLS

Friday.....March 9, 2012

 

When Jud got home last night, we decided to make a ride down to Wilcox to see the Sandhill Cranes.

When we got there, it was almost sunset and we thought we were going to be disappointed.... but suddenly.....they began to arrive!

Flying low over the grasslands....making their way to their roost for the night!

Soon there were waves upon waves of them (literally thousands) flying beyond the little pond where we were parked....

Some directly over our heads....

Others traveling further....westward....beyond us.  But a flock landed nearby, diasppearing in the tall wet reeds....we could hear that unmistakable warbly sound they make (I love it!).  Slowly and silently as possible we moved to try to locate them.....

There!  See!  Softly calling to one another as they rustled their wings and settled in for the night.... 

 

The March Moon rose....as the last vestiges of the sun's light disappeared behind the mountains...

We stayed until we could no longer see ....but we could still hear the musical sounds of these stately birds, imprinting that age-old mystical migration pattern, and soothing their young in this ancient family nesting ground....

Our souls were fed.....

COWBOY WAYS....PART 2 (Rodeo)

Thursday....March 8, 2012

Believe me,  I know it takes "different strokes for different folks".... and this post won't appeal to everyone.  However, it's a definite part of the West, the Cowboy Way, and Tucson in particular....

 
Sunday, Feb 26, we joined 10,998 others for the....  

"87th Annual La Fiesta de los Vaqueros" 

(Festival of the Cowboys)

The Tucson Rodeo was well attended and offered $300,000 in prize money...the largest winter outdoor rodeo and one of the better rodeos across North America.  There was excitement in the air!

The Quadrille de Mujeres have opened the rodeo for the past 33 years.  These Arizona Horsewomen enter the arena with daring speed and precision riding.  They set the stage for the events to come. Mounted on their beloved quarter horses they dazzle with skill and flair!

 

 

 

 

 

                                             

 

 

 

 

 

Very impressive!!!

 

This is Sunday, the Sixth Performance Finals.  School has been out this week, youngsters have been competing and the preliminaries are done....Now the top professionals compete for the real money.

 

First comes Bare Back Riding....

 

 

 

Rider must stay on the horse for at least 8 seconds.

Scoring: 100 points possible; 50 for the horse and 50 for the rider.

And the Bare Back winner is.....Will Lowe, Canyon Texas, taking the winner's circle.  The horse he rode to victory was Hollywood Hills.  Hollywood looks a lot like the horse Will is riding below but it's definitely not the same horse.

Personally, I always pull for the horses (or the bulls).  As mentioned above, they get judged too.  Their scores plus the scores of the riders are combined to determine the winner for each event.

Now's a good time to talk about the animals.  Healthy Livestock (horses, bulls, calves and steers) is essential in ProRodeo.

Quoted here from the Program.....

Some facts regarding the care and treatment of rodeo livestock

• Human skin is 1-2mm thick, while a horse's is about 5mm thick and bull hide is about 7mm thick.  The animal's thick hide resists cutting or bruising.
• Horses buck out of instinct and bucking is often a part of a horses nature.
• Licensed veterinarians must be present at all rodeo performances sanctioned by the PRCA. [i.e. Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association]
• All animals utilized in PRCA rodeos are inspected beforehand to ensure that they are healthy.
• In 2001, a survey was conducted at 67 PRCA rodeos, encompassing 205 rodeo performances and 85,638 livestock exposures.  There were no animal fatalities and only 25 injuries for an injury rate of.00029%. 
• The average bucking horse or bull works less than five minutes per year in the rodeo arena.
• Many rodeo bucking horses are more than 20 years of age.
• PRCA rules prohibit sharpened spurs.  Disqualification and/or a fine is the result of violation.
• Top equality bucking horses and bulls can sell for more than $100,000 per animal.
• PRCA stock contractors protect their investment with exceptional care, quality feed and proper exercise.

I was glad to read this but I still worry about the animals and consequently don't enjoy the action as much as some.  But from what I witnessed, the human competitors get the worst end of a very short ride.  I don't see how they do it. 

Tucson Rodeo veterinarian, Dr. Edward Taylor, top equine vet in Arizona says "These are not animals that are mistreated in any way.  They are sound and healthy and I think a lot of them enjoy what they are doing."

Next Event.....Steer Wresting!

Ethan Thouvenell, Napa California, took this event's prize in 4.6 seconds!


Then came Saddle Bronc Riding....I have to look at the program to tell the difference between bareback and saddle bronc riding.....it's hard to tell from the stands.  But I guess it's pretty obvious..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The winning ride below!!!  Wade Sundell, Bonie TX, riding Full Deck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tie-Down Roping sponsored by WRANGLER was next on the program....

This is perhaps my favorite event.  It requires speed, skill and incredible teamwork between cowboy and horse....just watch

It's amazing that these horses are trained and know to back up to keep the rope taut....and they do!!!  Fascinating to watch.

 

 

And then there's the little rascal that gets clean away!!!  I love it when that happens.  (Click to see how cute he is!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team Roping requires a "team" and lots of coordination...

Actually there was a team member from Albany GA, Kaleb Driggers....we were pulling for him and his partner Jade Corkill from Nevada.  Alas they did not win.

Apparently it's not real easy, but again the horses are incredible!

 

 

Finally the Women!  Barrel Racing.....speed and agility!!!!

 

A race against the clock....around three barrels in sort of a three cornered figure eight.....at full gallop....the horses almost lay down as they round those barrels and the women manage to maintain control and urge them into an upright head on race for the next one and then to the finish.  It's amazing and exhilarating I'm sure for horse and horsewoman.

 

 

Sunday's winner:  Fallon Taylor, Whitesboro TX.

Interestingly enough, while cowboys can hop a plane from one event to the next, these women must travel with their horses cross country from one rodeo to another....driving the distance and pulling their special "compadres" in special horsey trailers.

 

One more event.....perhaps the most exciting....Bull Riding...maybe that's why they save it 'til last  (otherwise I would have been outa there...hard benches, bright sunshine, and mostly Spanish all around us.....it's hard to eavesdrop when you don't speak the language!  But it doesn't keep you from looking at their shoes!)  

 

OUCH!

 

 

The Bulls pulled a fast one....not a single rider stayed on for the required time!!!!!  So here's just a couple of the beasts doing their thing....i.e. tossing the riders into the dust!  (Click to fully appreciate the action)

 

 

 

 

A lotta BULL and that's no "bull"!

And so ended the 87th Annual La Fiesta de los Vaqueros!  It's definitely part of the Cowboy Way and has been for well over 100 years....the first La Fiesta de los Vaqueros was held in Tucson in February 1925!  It's still a big deal!  I'm glad we got to experience it.  Been there, done that!

COWBOY WAYS...Part 1 (Poetry and Music)

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

  Couple 'a weeks ago (Feb 25) we rambled on down to Sierra Vista for the....

Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering....

 

(Logo "borrowed" from their website  http://www.cowboypoets.com/Site/Home.html  )

We've been aware of Cowboy Poetry ever since Jud saw Baxter Black from Benson AZ, on the Johnny Carson Show years ago....and have been hoping for an opportunity to experience a "gathering."

Our new friend, Lorry Wendland, ventured along with us and we three joined a host of others for a full day of fun, funny, rollicking, good times!

These characters, men and women, are great talents!  Singers, song writers, story-tellers, poets, comedians....all are terrific entertainers!!!

You really have to be there to appreciate it.....so I've included some You-Tube sites so you can experience what I'm talking about.   Here are just a few of the performers we loved.....

 

TONY NORRIS....

Tony hails from Flagstaff, AZ.  A gifted Folklorist, he tells tales, plays his Martin Guitar and sings....a funny, funny man!  When he is not performing, he often conducts story telling workshops.  Check out...

"Mrs. Abernathy's Pies"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRH_7HzLQ0A

 

 

 ARVEL BIRD.....

 My personal favorite!  Scottish and Southern Paiute roots, Arvel Bird is simply outstanding!  He is an exceptionally talented musician....Award Winning Celtic Fusion Violinist/Flutist.  I could listen for hours.  We purchased a CD and a DVD.  Currently his home base is in Nashville, TN but he travels constantly performing "live" all over the US.

Listen!

"Ride Indian Ride"

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVHnJneSOLY&feature=related

 and...."Tatanka~Buffalo~Music by Arvel Bird"

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLsJR8g7y-A&feature=related

 

BILL BARWICK....

Love this deep base voice....you'll recognize it!  Bill Barwick is a celebrated Singer/Song writer, Guitarist, and Story Teller!  For a better picture of him (of all of them) you can go to the website just under the Arizona flag above.  These photos were taken by us during  performances from a distance.

See if you recognize this voice..... 

 

"Bill Barwick Live"

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TOxVLqhE_XU

"Ghost Riders in the Sky"

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdg18I-KHQY&feature=related

 

  ALLEN "HOOK" HILL.....

Jud's favorite, Allen "Hook" Hill, is hilarious.  He is "elderly"  (90 I think) but still performing and has the funniest stories around!!  He takes on a Mexican accent, learned in his environment as a child, and keeps his audience in stitches.  One story after another rolls off his tongue recounting a lifetime of experience, good humor, and love of telling a good story.  Reminded me of some of my relatives!  Unfortunately, I could not find any You-Tube sites for "Hook."  But we did get one of his DVDs.  Believe me, he "hooks' his audience and we didn't want him to let go!!!!!

 

Our friend, Lorry is definitely not shy!  She'll chat-up anybody that looks interesting.  Here she is talking to one of the performers.  I think it's Ken Mikell. If so, we enjoyed the music he and his wife Lyn made together....Ken is a vocalist and guitar player, Lyn plays the harp!  

That's one of the things I admire about Lorry.  She's not afraid to ask....she gets lots of good information that way!  I really wish I were more assertive in that area.

 

 This Gathering was held at Buena High School in Sierra Vista, AZ.  An absolutely awesome facility..... this is just the hallway!

 

The auditorium had amazing acoustics and two adjacent rooms/pods that could be accessed by rotation (somehow ??) to enlarge the seating capacity.  A gorgeous "lunch room," also with a stage, round tables, multiple levels and even an outdoor patio area.  A state of the art Library with lots of glass and vivid color. Who wouldn't love to go to school here?   However, there are mixed reviews on the internet...guess the structure does not make the "school", but it surely was a great venue for the 20th Annual Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering.

According to Bud Strom, another performer, Cowboy Poetry is about many things....preserving the past; celebrating the cowboy; hanging on to memories of a lifestyle that could be lonely and boring, except those who spent time in the saddle, often sleeping under the stars, entertained themselves and others with tales, poems, music. Indeed, it is also about a concerted effort to enjoy and promote this art form.  In the past 20 years, those involved in these pursuits have carried their passion into classrooms to encourage gifted young writers to discover their talents and develop them.  Thousands of kids have been motivated and are responding with poetry of their own....the birth of a whole new generation! 

I haven't written any Cowboy Poetry (yet) but here's one of my favorites....ENJOY!

 

The Flying Horse 

As a cowboy "making a circle"
You can see some funny things,
But the strangest one I ever saw
Was a horse that sprouted wings.

It was way up on the Hulsey Bench
When the summer grass was high;
One of those days so filled with beauty
It'd bring a tear right to your eye.

I was riding ol' Spud and leading a mule,
Packing in a load of salt,
When a bend in the trail brought to my eye
A sight that made us halt.

There in the meadow asleep like a babe
Laid a big ol' buckskin mare.
She was dreaming the dreams of the pure in heart;
She didn't have a care.

She must have filled her belly in the cool of the morn
And when the sun got high
She found her a sunny spot to sleep
And just dream of the by-and-by.

Now the thing that was odd about this scene,
That would get your attention twice,
Was off to the side stood a big black crow
Just as cool as summer ice.

The ol' crow seemed perplexed, he wasn't quite sure

If the mare was alive or dead.
So he hopped to and fro all around ol' Buck
From her tail plumb up to her head.

Now where to begin on this pleasant repast,
The ol' crow sat there and thought.
To start at one end and just work my way through,
That's the best was as likely as not.

Now if I start at the head I'll run into them bones,
And they're mighty hard on my beak.
But if I stick to the soft parts and bypass the rest
I ought to have him gone in a week.

So Mr. Crow hopped up around to the back of ol' Buck,
Just to find him a good place to start.
He looked up and down from the him and the hock
Just to find the tenderest part.

Now with ol' Buck stretched out like a stiff on a slab,
It sorta left her tail stickin' out in the air.
And right there underneath seemed a good place to begin;
Why, there wasn't even no hair.

Mr. Crow looked again and said to himself,
"Oh, my, is that a bullseye I see?
I swear, that shows me right where to start,
And the best part of all, it's plumb free!"

So, without further ado, he raired back and pecked
And hit that bullseye right there on the dot,
But his joy turned to horror when Buck's tail clamped down
And Mr. Crow realized he was caught.

Ol' Buck quit the earth like a space shuttle flight
Just leaving the launching pad.
To be woke from her dreams in just a fashion
I figure it drove her plumb mad.

She jumped, she bucked, she whirled, she kicked;
She was clearing the tops of the trees,
With that ol' crow's head clamped tight under her tail
And his wings just fanning the breeze.

Now the higher she'd buck, the harder he'd flap,
And they both had something they wanted to lose,
But the harder he'd pull, the tighter she'd clamp;
It was kinda like one of them "catch twenty-twos."

'Course from where I was sitting it was easy to see
How ol' Buck could've cured all her ills.
If she'd just lifed her tail and broke wind real hard
She'da blowed that crow plumb over the hill.

But when I seem 'em last they was tearing down trees
And clearing the brush, far and wide;
Ol' Buck trying to pinch the head off that crow,
And him just a whippin' her hide.

Like I said at the first, as a cowboy at work
You can see some peculiar things.
But the strangest thing I ever saw
Was that horse that sprouted wings.

 

PART 2...MY "CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'" (con't)

So many pictures to share....I know, I know I should just set up an album.  But this is a record for me too...to enjoy when I have trouble remembering!  I'll be able to pull this out and continue my "California Dreamin'....

Our "suite" (living room, kitchen, dining area, bedroom and bath) in the Best Western Motel, Carlsbad California, right on Hwy 101 across from the beach was "home" for three nights....and we loved it!

Boasted a pool and a hot tub....but the temps were just a little too chilly for us to relish taking advantage....but the courtyard was incredible!

 

 

 

 

Beautifully landscaped by a gifted and hardworking gardener....wish I had gotten his picture.  I certainly enjoyed his efforts!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our room opened right onto the courtyard, so we had ample opportunity to enjoy the beauty just outside our doorway....

 

 

 

 

 

AS WELL AS....just across the highway....

......A small green area where we watched the continuous parade of joggers, bikers (bicycles), dogs walking their people (every breed imaginable..take it however you want), strollers and precious children...families loving being outdoors!

From there we could move down a ramp to the beach for our own stroll along the shore!

 

 

 

We drove North....toward Los Angeles.

Through colorful beach communities and townships....

with sidewalk cafes....

 

 

 

 

 

 

inviting hotels...this blue Victorian just one example!

Wine tasting rooms....

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would love to live here!!!!  There is EVERYTHING any person could want....

And always the water!!!  Magnificent!

Approaching Dana Point....

Imagine living here and being able to wake up each morning to these views!

Just incredible!

 

A little further North....the city of Laguna Beach!

 

Opportunities for whale watching cruises abound and apparently this is the time of year to take advantage of them.....but we failed to :( ...therefore this is the only whale we saw!

But the scenery at Laguna Beach more than made up for it....this city park along the coast offers natural beauty, paved walkways, and tropical plantings for walking, jogging, breaks from business, photography, inspiration....meditation!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Tidal pools below supporting all kinds of sea life in tiny little ecosystems....

And a little further along....

 

 

Sea, salt, sun, satisfaction.....and those enjoying all of it in their own special ways!

 

 

 

 

 

 Kayaking!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying the camaraderie.....Searching Tidal Pools together.....

 

 

 

 

 

Loving the view and the feel of the sun on your face!

We enjoyed every minute!!!!!  It was lovely!

Sooooooo......

Carlsbad, California..Cottage overlooking the ocean..29 years old..Best shape of my life ..Strong sense of self and well being..2 precious, adorable children..thoughtful and fun lover ..yellow VW Superbeetle..Chocolate Poodle..Bicycle with trailer stroller..Swimming in the surf..Building sand castles..Biking with the kids...Masses of flowers..Beautiful sunsets.. Balmy breezes.. WITH

FULL RETIREMENT W/BENEFITS!

When I think about it....It's not just "dreamin"....I have actually had ALL of it (except the bicycle with trailer stroller...but then I had a kiddie seat on the back...almost the same)!  Granted, not all at the same time, but over the course of this life all the things I deem important have been provided. 

As a gentleman said to me recently...."you had your time".... Guess what....I still am!  It's true, there is a season for all things.....Life is not a snapshot in time but a composite.  We can choose what we reflect/dream on....my "dreams" and memories are pretty darn good!  For that I give eternal thanks!

MY "CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' "

Carlsbad, California..Cottage overlooking the ocean..29 years old..Best shape of my life ..Strong sense of self and well being..2 precious, adorable children..thoughtful and fun lover ..yellow VW Superbeetle..Chocolate Poodle..Bicycle with trailer stroller..Swimming in the surf..Building sand castles..Biking with the kids...Masses of flowers..Beautiful sunsets.. Balmy breezes.. WITH

FULL RETIREMENT W/BENEFITS!

(Well...if one dreams, one may as well dream bodaciously....... even irrationally!)

Was it "The Mamas and The Papas" that recorded that song?

Today is actually a beautiful "winter's day"...in Arizona.  Warm temperatures (78)  clear blue skies and incredible desert scenery, BUT we just got back from a fabulous five day trip to California and it set me to dreamin'....WATER, COLOR, VIGOR, YOUTH, PRIORITIES....past, present, future!

The California coast is so incredibly gorgeous, so vibrant, it brings out the best...the best ME, the best MEMORIES, the best INSIGHTS, the best GIFTS....it makes my heart sing its own sweet song! 

We set out to make it to the coast in one day (a little over 8 hours...we stopped along).....not a problem....arrived on Sat, Feb 18, just after sunset, so even though we saw the water (!!!!!!!) we didn't get a good picture of the Ocean until the next morning.....then, we couldn't get enough!!!!!

Our intent was to find a room (Best Western overlooking the beach), ramble up and down the Coast (HWY 101) as far as the Mexican Border, South and Los Angeles, North...relax, enjoy, keep it simple....that's just what we did and it was WONDERFUL!

 

 

Coffee and breakfast every morning overlooking the water!  Heavenly! 

Afterwards, we walked on the beach...rode the scenic highway (101)...tried to soak up as much as we could!!!  Headed South towards San Diego, we were awed by the water and the awesomely picturesque shoreline!!!!

Surf pounding...pelicans playing follow the leader.... noisy acrobatic gulls peeling and pealing......this one paused long enough to pose!

     
 

 

 

 

 

 

Masses of flowering plants....riots of color and sweet fragrances!

 

 

 (Click to appreciate!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of these are foreign to me....but truly magnificent!!!  God's own palette...

We found Ocean Beach!   

A surfer's paradise!!!!!

But no parking available...at least not for us...

We had to enjoy it from a distance.

Besides, we didn't have our... wet suits (?)

 

 

 

 

 

 ....an undeniable invitation to climb aboard and fly with the wind and water!   If only....

 

....and one of the the Dog Beaches!

So many four-legged family members enjoying the water, the weather!!!!  Makes me miss Lucy so much (and Maggie and Sophie...all our little furry girls)!!!  I'm longing for another puppy!

 

San Diego Harbor....beautiful!  beautiful!  beautiful!

 

Imperial Beach....just below San Diego...

 

Magnificent bronze sculpture honoring the Lifeguards of Imperial Beach...

     

 

 

 

 

 

Note below the island (key?) in the fog just off the coast.....

 

......and always the children!

I miss them the most!  This little girl was on a quest for just the right beach bounty...I could identify!

 

Pressing on, we traveled a bit further South....as far as we could go (without a passport) and ran into.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right across that concrete wall, just visable beyond the wooden fence....Tiajuana!  We were satisfied to view it across the Border.

Headed back we passed this gorgeous Church?  Cathedral?  Not sure...

Continuing North along the coast....we arrived back at "our" beach in time to experience an awesome walk on the beach.....and the swelling Presence of that which is greater than ourselves.... 

Sweet nectar for a parched soul!

 

(to be con'd)

"PEOPLE OF THE GREAT PLANTED FIELDS"

15 January 2012

           Attempted:  Monday, Feb 13, 2012

 

Why would anyone give their lives for this?  It's incredibly beautiful....But?

It was a different time, a different place.....a people who adapted to their time and place.  It was survival, memory, oral traditions, those who went before, sacred....  It was home.

It's hard to understand, much less to explain, but having seen and researched this my heart is wrenched when I consider the history of my own culture's aggression, greed, misunderstanding, total disregard and the utterly devastating consequences.  There was no choice for the Navajo...simply defeat at the hands of the "Hairy Faces" and the Spanish.

History:

The Dine', "the people," are believed to have migrated from northwestern Canada and Eastern Alaska. Indeed their oral traditions still reference this migration. They were hunters and gathers, traveling with the seasons, the food sources.  As they moved south, by the 1400s, they encountered descendants of the Pueblo people and later the Spanish.  The Spanish first referred to them as Apachu de Nabajo.  By the 1640s they were known as the Navajos though they still referred to themselves as Dine'. 

 

They settled in the area between the four Sacred Mountains:  Dook'o'oostiid, i.e. San Francisco Peaks (Abalone Shell Mtn) in Arizona; Dibe'Ntsaa, Hesperus Mountain (Big Mountain Sheep) in Colorado; Sisnaajini', Blanca Peak (Dawn or White Shell Mtn), Colorado, and Tsoodzit, Mount Taylor (Blue Bead or Turquoise Mtn), in New Mexico. This came to be known as Dine'tah. And the people traditionally believe they should never leave.

(The above photo is one of many incredible mountains in the region, but not one of the Four Sacred Mountains)

The Dine' were extremely adaptable.  They learned farming from the Pueblo people,  raising crops such as squash, corn, and beans.  Influenced by the Spanish/New Mexico colonists they began to keep herds of sheep and goats for food and trade.

Spinning and weaving the wool into blankets and clothing for personal use and trading soon followed.  The Dine' became so dependent upon their flocks that sheep became a kind of currency and a families wealth was measured by the numbers of their flocks.

(Note: Herds of sheep and goats are still an important part of the Nation's economy ....we saw many small flocks...much more often and in greater numbers than horses or cattle)   

These adaptations enabled them to remain in this land, to become permanent residents, to make this their sacred home.  It was reported by the Spanish, as late as the 18th century, that the Navajo had large fields of cultivated crops as well as large numbers of livestock. Apparently, life was good for the "People of the Great Planted Fields!" 

Canyon de Chelly is one of several national monuments located within the current Navajo Nation.

These cliffs  and streams have supported families for thousands of years.  The ancient Puebloans settled here due to the presence of natural water sources, fertile soils and abundant wild life.  They built sophisticated cities in rock overhangs and cultivated fields in the rich bottom land.. 

Sometime in the mid-1300's they abandoned their homes, left the canyon, possibly to seek better farmlands.  The Hopi people (descendants of the Puebloans) took up residence on the mesas along the rims of the canyons, descending to the lower levels to plant crops of corn and peach orchards.

Enter the Dine'....in the 1600's, they were semi-nomadic farmers....their migration to the Southwest brought them to the lands between the four sacred mountains, including Canyon de Chelly, deserted centuries earlier by the Pueblo .  They quickly adopted the ways of the "Ancient Ones" and the Hopi and settled in the canyons...  building their hogans, cultivating their crops, increasing their herds.  A century later they were well known for their sheep, their finely woven blankets and their fields of corn. Canyon de Chelly was the Navajo stronghold.

But hostilities grew between the Navajo and Spanish colonists who had established settlements in New Mexico.

By the time they encountered the U.S. Army in the 1800s....In fact at the time of the American Civil War....they were the largest Nation in the Southwest and one of the largest remaining Native American Nations in what is now the entire continental U.S. 

During the Mexican American War, 1846, a small party of American soldiers traveled deep into Navajo country.  A peace treaty was negotiated but not kept by the Navajo nor the New Mexicans.  Raids for stock continued on the part of the Navajos;  Spanish/New Mexicans together with Utes continued to raid Navajo homelands taking not only stock but women and children to sell as slaves.  Other treaties followed...the U.S. established numerous forts in Navajo Lands to "protect citizens and Navajo from each other."  Promises were made, but not kept.  Treaties failed. "New Mexican (citizen and militia) raids increased rapidly in 1860-1861, earning it the Navajo name Naahondzood, 'the fearing time'." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navaho-people)

The Navajo Wars ensued.  Defeat came in January, 1864 at the Battle of Canyon de Chelly.  Col Christopher H. "Kit" Carson had been successfully waging a campaign against the Navajo, using a "scorched earth" policy, destroying homes, food and supplies.  He was ordered into Canyon de Chelly to conquer the Navajo once and for all.  By the time Carson's men entered the canyons the Navajo were already weakened by attacks from the Utes and the New Mexicans.  One of the Navajo leaders, Delgado, determined that they could not survive the attacks and the winter.  He and his followers surrendered.   Two other Navajo leaders, Manuelito and Barboncito, vowed they would never surrender.  They positioned themselves and their followers at what is now known as Fortress Rock at the confluence of the two canyons. 

Here they had stockpiled food and were able to hold out for a time.  However, winter was upon them and their supplies could not last.  Many surrendered.

Carson ordered a final sweep through the canyons...to kill, capture, men, women children....to destroy all crops, livestock and dwellings.

Cold, tired, facing starvation most of the Navajo began to surrender.  Some, including Manuelito, refused and managed to escape to Navajo Mountain, in Northern Arizona/Southern Utah.....

the Grand Canyon, the territory of the Chiracahua Apache and parts of Utah.

(Note:  Naatsis' Aan (Navajo Mountain) pictured above is considered one of the sacred mountains of the Dine' People.  It is revered as the "Head of the Earth".  Geologically it is unique....a laccolith...i.e. a mass of igneous rock pushed up through layers of sandstone  This mountain provided a safe haven for small bands of the Navajo who managed to escape.)  

   In the Spring, 1864, "The Long Walk" began.  9000 Navajo men, women and children were forced at gunpoint to embark upon the 450 mile trek, on foot, from their homeland to a concentration camp, Bosque Redondo, near Fort Sumner, New Mexico.  It took 18 days and as many as 200 died along the way....the weak, the sickly and elderly left to perish where they dropped.

(Restless Spirits of those gone before?????)                          

When they finally reached Ft Sumner, NM... between 8,000 and 9,000 people were settled onto a 40 square mile area that was Bosque Redondo.  About 400 Mescalero Apaches had already been interred there.  Old enmities flared and many disputes ensued.  Originally the plan was to contain 5000 people there....just less than half the actual numbers of men, women and children.  Water and firewood shortages, crop failures, food shortages, flooding, and inept management of supplies meant for the reservation led to major issues....raids, starvation, abuse. Many Navajo left. 

Finally, in 1868, the "experiment" (Bosque Redondo, "the first Indian Reservation west of the 'Indian Territory'") was acknowledged a failure and abandoned.  A treaty was signed between the U.S. and many of the Navajo leaders.  A new reservation was to be established, there were to be restrictions on raiding, a resident Indian Agent and agency, compulsory education for children, seed for crops and farming implements provided, rights of the Navajo protected and.......they would be returned to their native lands between the Sacred Mountains (...or a portion of them....3.5 Million acres....about 10%) which would be designated the Navajo "reservation"  

June 18, 1868 bands of Navajo (previously scattered) who called themselves Dine' began the long trek home together....one of the few instances where a native people were returned to their traditional homelands by the U.S. government. 

Thus began the "Long Walk" .......Home!

NAVAJO NATION...FASCINATING! HUMBLING.

Saturday Morning.....14 January 2012

 

 Jud and I returned to Tucson, Jan 11.....     ....only to leave again the following Saturday morning....early!  Our plan, to ramble the North Eastern corner of the great state of Arizona!  Our map is turning yellow as we highlight the roads we've traveled....but this area was noticeably without "highlights."  It was an ambitious trip for three days (over the MLK holiday) and we ended up taking an extra day.  It was worth it!

Past the Salt River Canyon....

Twisting and turning to follow the river.... a breathtakingly scenic drive.....spectacular! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond  "Show Low" and "Snowflake;" beyond the Petrified Forest....on and on...

The elevation continually increased and we began to see snow accumulation!!!

....before long we recognized evidence that we had entered the Navajo Nation!

Hogans....

...traditional Navajo homes (this one boarded up; significant, but we didn't know at the time)

Goats....shaggy with long twisted horns (click to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

....scattered-site homes with small personally tended fields....(click to enlarge)

 
These were just observations....we had much to learn before our trip was done.

We hoped to make it to the town of "Window Rock," capital of the Navaho Nation, that first day.  We did!  Late in the afternoon...when the light is golden and at its best!

We found the small but attractive Best Western Motel and checked in....a very nice room, clean and comfortable....with some representative art that appealed to me...

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having taken care of that...we went exploring.  Close to sundown we found ourselves at...

 

...the heart of the Navaho Nation...

....largest, single, federally recognized tribe of the US......some of their capital buildings.....

 

    

   

Seemingly proud but unpretentious.....No gold encrusted domes here!

 

Instead, a far greater magnificence!

 

Window Rock....long a special place. sacred, a center of activity for the

Dine'... i.e. "The People."

  

 

 

  You can understand why!  A beautiful natural setting, well utilized by "the People" even today.  All the capital buildings are located here as well as a park, well done, full of symbolism....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

with multiple memorials....

One of the most impressive ....The Legendary Code Talkers

The monument and the story...fascinating....be sure to read this....(click to enlarge)

Key words....HONOR and DIGNITY

Today the Navajo Nation comprises 26,000 square miles....located in the Four Corners area, encompassing lands in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah....(but it's only 10% of their original lands!)   Initially called " Navaho Indian Reservation," in English, the official name was changed in 1969 to "Navaho Nation."  There are over 300,000 tribal members today and though Navajo is spoken throughout the Nation, most also speak English.

Yet today, though these people have been returned to their ancestral homes, over 40% live in poverty.  Land is owned by the Nation (no For Sale signs here!), but there are tradional homesite leases.  Many families live on these inherited properties.  Traditionally, this is a matrilineal system.  Daughters receive generational property inheritance.  Married males move to their wives homes to live among her mother's people, her clan.

Every mile or so is a "settlement", perhaps also called, an "outfit."  There exists something akin to a compound composed of several dwellings....always a hogan, then perhaps a small contemporary wooden house (usually less that 1000 square feet) or two, a double-wide or mobile home or three, various campers, and some outdoor ramadas or summer work shelters...We speculated these may be the "inherited" acres where families live together. (???)

Many members of the Nation live in-town, in apartments or homes built by the Navajo Housing Authority....much like federal housing with which we are familiar....but throughout our travels we witnessed the life style as much simpler than what we are accustomed to....no "MacMansions" NO WHERE!  No motorcycles, no "TOYS," mostly older vehicles and lots of well used utilitarian pickup trucks.

Unemployment levels fluctuate between 40 and 45 percent for the Navajo Nation, but in some communities it can go as high as 85 percent or as low as 15 percent.  Makes me wonder....makes me humble.

Lots of dogs!  Mostly mixed breeds, running loose....some friendly...some not so much!

 

 The people for the most part were open and friendly, but a couple of times we felt a bit uncomfortable.

We had/have lots of Questions!  Why?  How?  What happened here?  What is the history of this honorable, dignified people????  We want to know more!  Our fascination turned to humility and concern.  What could we learn from this?

 

Welcome Back!

7 Feb 2012 - Tuesday  

Welcome back!  Sorry I have been so delinquent in posting our journey!  BUT....I have been trying to figure out FACEBOOK as a means to providing an "alert" when I complete a post. 

In the midst of that I've gotten caught up in "Words With Friends," hoping to play with Grace....She and I haven't hooked up yet but my dear friend Mary is "whupping" me good!!! 

When I agreed to play with her, I forgot she is a Scrabble whiz!!!!

See how happy she is???  Right now the score is 278 to 187...she's winning!

Anyway, it's fun and I'd rather lose to her than anybody else, I know.  

I really never planned to join FaceBook....we'll just see how it goes.  It's a new challenge for me!

Meanwhile.....Offline, Jud and I have been ramblin' every chance we get....mostly weekends and really loving every minute.  Soon after I returned from our Christmas trip, we had a long weekend, took an extra day and drove all the way to "4 Corners".....through the North Eastern part of Arizona (the Navajo Nation) to the point where Colorado, Utah and New Mexico meet Arizona.  

  Surrounded by flags from all four states and open air market booths where Native Americans from each state display their wares....

One can stand on the bronze plaque pictured above and be literally in all four states at once!

 

The flags were beautiful against that deep azure sky, but it was so windy, we weren't able to get good pictures of all of them.

New Mexico and Colorado

 

 

 

 

 

As we looked in each direction the views appeared very different.

 

Colorado                   New Mexico               

 

 

 

 

Utah                           Arizona

  It all looks very barren....but the landscape has a beauty and majesty all it's own.  It's really awesome!  And the colors are magnificent!

We enjoyed visiting with the vendors and bought a few of their handmade items.

We were not the only visitors but it wasn't terribly crowded.  We were carefully watched by one of the locals....

 

 
Such a glossy black presence!  I have heard that ravens are believed by some to be spirits of the ancient ones....ancestors if you will.  There are so many of them in this region....the Navajo Nation....I can't help but wonder.

We reached 4-Corners on Day 2 of our trip and were glad to experience it but the real pleasure was traveling there and back through the Navajo Nation!  We learned so much! I'm eager to capture and share some of it.  But right now I have to check to see what "blow" Mary has dealt me and if it's my turn yet.....

1912-2012, Statehood.....BUT WHAT CAME BEFORE?

 

- 2012 -

Arizona Marks

100th Anniversary as

State!

 

It's hard to believe that our house in Marshallville was already 52 years old when Arizona became a state in the Union!  So what was this region like before?  The mountains were here, the dessert, many of the ancient Saquaros....gold seekers, adventure seekers, pioneeers, cattle ranchers and cowboys....lawlessness, gambling and prostitution, hired guns, folks with a past they hoped to leave behind........and Native Americans! 

Certainly this year of celebration will concentrate on all that has happened since 1912; a vividly colorful past, but we are still interested in what went on before..... 

I returned to Arizona, Jan 10.  Jud met me at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.  Our Christmas with family and friends had been wonderful!  We enjoyed the full spirit and meaning of Christmas and shared lots of laughter and merriment with those we miss back "home".  We had managed to leave our camera in the car, parked at the airport in Phoenix, so Jud bought a new one "for me" (?) for Christmas.  We/he took lots of pictures.  Some turned out well (some...not so good!  We have to get the hang of it....reading the manual would probably help.)  Perhaps I will share some of the better pictures at a later time. 

The flight was a late arrival, so we spent the night in Phoenix with a plan to "ramble" back to Tucson, the next day....

About halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, near Coolidge AZ, the renowned Casa Grande Ruins was our primary destination....we made it!

Sun baked soil, extreme temps, no moisture....the middle of the Sonoran Dessert!  How could any people have existed here?  Yet they did!!!  Casa Grande is the remains of a village that existed and flourished for almost 1000 years, from about 350 AD to 1450 AD (some believe it may have existed some 600 years earlier!)  How is that possible and what happened to the people?  The "how" has been documented, but "what happened" is still a mystery.

The inhabitants of this area had no written language.  The first written history of Casa Grande was recorded in 1694, by Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino (Founder of the Mission San Xavier del Bac, "The White Dove" which we visited at Thanksgiving).   He described these abandoned remains as "casa grande" (Spanish for "big house").   It has been called that ever since.  During the 1860's and 1880's, more people arrived in the Arizona Territory.  A railroad pushed through nearby and a stage coach route passed right next to the site....articles were written, souvenier hunters arrived, resulting in graffiti (you know how we are!!!) vandalism and theft of artifacts.

Back East, some became concerned. Their influence convinced President Benjamin Harrison in 1892 to declare Casa Grande Ruins as the first prehistorical and cultural reserve in the US.  One square mile surrounding the ruins was set aside in the Arizona Territory....20 years before AZ became a state. 

In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson redesignated Casa Grande Ruins as a National Monument to be administered by the National Park Service.

So what?  Well....conservaion, preservation began, archeologists began to unravel some of the mysteries.  In 1937, the ramada that had been built for preservation was replaced by the Olmsted Shelter.  Though somewhat incongruous with the ruins, it has worked well to preserve the ruins, so that what we saw is very much like it was almost 100 years ago.

Archeologists continue to excavate, evaluate and speculate!  And they have determined that this was a four story structure, most likely abandoned about 1450....built by the Hohokam (a word the Pima use for their ancestors, a word meaning "all gone", all used up").  Most likely they were descended from Archaic hunter-gatherers who inhabited Arizona for thousands of years.  But unlike their predecessors, they were far advanced with engineering and scientific abilities.  They tamed the Gila and the Salt Rivers, built a network of canals with villages about every three miles along these canals and changed from nomads to successful farmers.

They irrigated their land to raise crops (corn, squash, gourds, beans, agave....even cotton and tobacco!) which supplemented the gifts of the dessert: edible plants that provided beans, fruits, buds, seeds and cacti (like Saguaro and prickly pear).  Game was plentiful....rabbit, pack rats, big horn sheep and mule deer from the distant hillsides; along with fish, waterfowl, turtles from the rivers.  The Hohokam flourished and increased in numbers...and knowledge!

 
Our guide, a very knowledgeable gentleman who obviously enjoys what he does, began to share his understanding of the ruins.  This four storied building, 60 feet long, is an ancient marvel.  Hand built of caliche (a subsoil found beneath the dessert floor....a natural composite of sand, clay, and limestone... when mixed with water makes mud like concrete!)....

An aside:  Jud tells me the caliche beneath the dessert floor is one of the reasons, the "Boneyard" for US Aircraft is located here at Davis Monthan.  It provides natural compacted support for the weight of the planes parked here in the dessert.  Back to the ancient construction of Casa Grande....  

.....Support beams of juniper, pine, and fir were cut and carried from mountain sides 60 miles away (there were no beasts of burden available to this culture).  Saguaro ribs were laid perpendicular to the beams, covered with reeds, then more of the caliche....the walls and rooms grew!

 

This is the largest structure known to exist in Hohokam times.

It's four walls were intentionally aligned with the four cardinal points of the compass (North, East, South and West).  A circular hole in the Western Wall...

...aligns perfectly with the setting sun during the Summer Solstice (Jun 21).  The square hole in the upper right wall lines up every 18 1/2  years with the setting moon at an extreme point in it's cycle.    Other openings line up with the sun and the moon at specific times of the year....one capturing the luna eclipse.

Perhaps it was built as an observatory!

These people were accomplished engineers, users of the land and observers of the heavens....they must have used their knowledge and skills to determine when to plant, harvest, worship and celebrate a rich and fulfilling life!

Though plenty of doors and stairs were evident, we weren't allowed to enter the structure for preservation and safety reasons.  But we had a good view from the outside-in!

 

Excavators have determined that this was also a center for trade.  The Hohokam were artists as well as engineers, farmers, and scientists.  They created beautiful and useful "red on buff" pottery, woven cotton textiles, baskets and elaborate jewelry.  These items were traded to other existing cultures for shells, mirrors, Macaws, and copper bells among other things.

 

 

Surrounding the "Big House"....ruins of pithouses, open plazas, walled compounds and platform mounds have been discovered......even a ballcourt!

 

This three story home was most likely built against the compound wall.  It is just one of many homes that stood inside this two acre compound which included the Casa Grande.  With just a little imagination we could envision a lively, noisy community...... people working grinding corn, cooking over open fires, creating baskets, going to and from the cultivated fields....children playing, dogs barking....day to day living.  But this would have been only a small part of a single village...numerous compounds and other buildings covered a square mile around this site.  The ballcourt in the center of the compounds may have been a gathering place for all the "neighborhoods."  A place to trade, compete, entertain, celebrate...additional remains are visable from a platform in the picnic area. 

Of course archeologists can only speculate, but due to the size of the Casa Grande,  the evidence of the vast system of canals and archeological findings.....this must have been an important place....a large community where a people lived, loved, worked, prospered.....and finally disappeared.

The only inhabitants of Casa Grande now are a  pair of Horned Owls......

 

Living in the rafters of the Olmsted Shelter for the past 15 years....this male is on his second mate.  Unfortunately, the first female died...but like some (most ?) males, it didn't take him long to find a replacement!

Their only neighbors, those dessert creatures that inhabit the ruins when the tourists are gone.....and perhaps the ghosts of those long ago people....the Hohokam.

 

 

2012 promises to be a good year....another journey!  Hope it is a happy one for you!

Note:  For more about the Hohokam, visit:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohokam

ADVENT..PREPARATION..ECLIPSE

Wednesday....December 14, 2011

We are in the midst of Advent....that season of preparation that precedes Christmas!  And like everyone else we are busy getting ready!

Our little tree is "lit"....

Topped with a Star for Hope and a Dove for Peace ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

             An Angel of Grace for Grace....

 

 

 

 

 

                A Generous Long Lived Old Man for Cole....

 

 

A Bird in her Nest for Family and Safe Haven....

Our newest addition (this year)...a tiny hand knitted sweater by a lady in Tubac who turns remnants into bits of beauty....a Sweater for Creativity, Nurturing, Warmth and Children everywhere!

Underneath....a jolly old Cowboy for the one that helps fulfill my dreams and completes me!

But this Christ-mas tree is really about blessings....Gratitude for Gifts of the Spirit, the family, community, safe haven, creativity, possibility, love, hope, faith, salvation and laughter.

Oh, we have been busy, busy preparing!!!!  Outside as well as in...the porch...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the front...

 

 

 

 

the door..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are packages to wrap and mail, programs and parties to attend (we enjoyed a delightful gathering at our neighbor's last night!), shopping to finish....reservations to make and the anticipation of actually flying "home" to Georgia.

So much to "DO"!  So easy to get immersed in the "preparation."

Right in the middle (well almost the middle) there occurred an eclipse of the moon!  EARLY Saturday morning, Jud and I were up to watch this phenomenon....

Except for the cool clear light of a full Winter Moon, it was dark and COLD....I wasn't worried about how I looked (no one was up but us!)..... I needed to be warm....the hot chocolate helped!!!

It started out with black velvet sky showcasing a crisp clear moon ....so bright that the stars were hard to see....but soon the shadow of the earth began to pass over the moon..... just a nibble at first....

6:14 AM

  6:40 AM

 

 

 

 

...the shadow gradually covering that familiar orb, shutting off the light...

7:05 AM

  7:10 AM

 

 I was so intent on watching the eclipse the moon in the West, I almost missed the magnificent drama taking place in the East....a daily occurence, most often taken for granted.  Fortunately Jud watched and captured both!

In the East....

 6:38 AM

6:59 AM

  7:10 AM

 

 

 

 

 

When we realized what we were missing, we jumped into the car and headed for a better view/a better perspective!

 7:27 AM 

7:35 AM....the sun in all its glory peeped over the horizon...flooding the valley with light and eliminating the darkness!

  

 

Clouds had gathered and as the moon disappeared, the clouds obscured our view of the final covering of the moon and its reappearance....somewhat disappointing after all that "preparation and anticipation"...we wanted to benefit from the "whole enchilada"....but by changing our view, our perspective, enlarging our focus, we experienced instead the color, the magnificence of a new day dawning!

It's an old message...but one which sometimes needs remembering....

Advent is a time for Preparation of the heart and spirit for receiving the blessings of Christmas.  When we get so caught up in the activities of the world....the "doing" rather than the "being"....we run the risk of allowing "things of the world" to Eclipse the wonder and celebration of the true meaning of Christmas....the birth of Christ!

....the angel said...

"Fear not; for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall come to all people.  For unto you is born this day , in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

Luke 2:10-12

May God richly bless you during this season....May you take time to ponder and to experience all this Holy Season is meant to be for each of us!!!  And in the process, I hope you are blessed with....

Faith....Hope.....Health....Love....Joy....Peace....and Laughter!

BEGINNING TO FEEL LIKE CHRISTMAS!

Tuesday....December 6,2011

Snow is on the mountain tops and frost is in the air!  It's 31 degrees out side....cold for Arizona!  I've been listening to Christmas music and a hummingbird just paid our feeder a lengthy visit!

Saturday, it rained.....one of those cold drizzly rains that keeps on coming down....much like December weather in Georgia....but VERY unusual for Arizona.  Despite the weather, we traveled back down to Tubac for their Annual Luminiaria Fiesta de Navidad....

Thousands of traditional luminaries lined the streets and roofs of the adobe shops....  

All of which were open...welcoming...some with warm wonderful fires....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All with delicious aromas of hot apple cider, fragrant candles, Christmas music, and friendly shop keepers!  (Note:  As I write this, our hummingbird is back!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And all serving refreshments!  In addition to the hot cider...cocoa, wine, coffee, Christmas cookies, chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, fudge, dips, aged cheeses and crackers, fruit, homemade pizza bites...We simply wandered from shop to shop admiring the incredible art work for sell and grazing!

Of course Tubac, founded in 1752 as a Presidio, is an artist colony today and a mecca for shopping.  The friendly shop keepers/artists were hoping to sell their wares...many visitors were buying!  We bought a few small items.  I absolutely love to go down there just to look ...so many lovely, creative, works of art there...always inspiring!  (But if I had a house here.....oh my!)  The music, horse-drawn wagons, luminaries, delicious taste tempters, the gifting, the Mission Church with it's beautiful nativity and the obvious good cheer among strangers...despite the rain... set a special mood and promised Christmas soon.

Sunday, we began to pull out our decorations and get them up....still working on that.

Winter Snowbirds are arriving every day and and all over the Voyager, residents are decorating....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sunday evening, we had a long anticipated treat!  Tickets for the Mannheim Steamroller Concert!!!  The tickets arrived weeks ago and finally the day was TODAY!  We love this music and I've been a fan since their first CD came out, back in the '80's.  I remember the first Christmas  (hummingbird is back..this may be the male, full ruby head and throat!!)

...our son-in-law , Andy, was in the family.....I had a CD player that gave continuous play and had it loaded with Mannheim Steamroller and maybe some other Christmas music.  Andy asked Amy if that was all we listened to....I think the reply was something like "Yes, that's Mama's music...nobody changes it"...I would have!  Anyway...The concert was Sunday night at the University of Arizona's Centennial Hall....we were excited about it.

We arrived early enough to stroll through the University down town area....

Seems even Santa is a UA Wildcat Fan this year!

We've learned that you don't HAVE to stand in land at Centennial Hall if your tickets are seat designated so we stopped for a cup of coffee and watched the crowd gather...

Being on campus is always stimulating....the students with their backpacks, walking, on bikes, snugged into the coffee shops with their computers and each other....many memories come rushing back (not computers, mind you...but books and lots of coffee!)  I suspect most of them are "sweating" exams, trying to get through and go home for the holidays.  

And the crowds of people our age who support the events sponsored by UA intrigue me.  I figure many of them are alumnae, but by watching you can tell that they have...

(hummingbird is back ...this must be the female).... traveled in many different directions.  I love to just sit and watch....there are no dress codes in Arizona.  People intentionally or not make their own statements.  Fascinating!

I guess we all do.

But the CONCERT was everything we imagined and more!!!! 

We've done a lot of listening through the years but have never seen them perform.  It was a fabulous experience!!! ............... (Male Hummingbird is back!) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lighting, the  wonderfully entertaining visuals, the "steam", that incredible music were just awesome!  "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing"... "Little Drummer Boy"..."Joy to the World"..."O Holy Night"

I was particularly drawn to the drummer above....Tom Sharp.....he appeared to be the youngest member of the main five soloists...fascinating and entertaining to watch!  I'm sure that my interest was motivated by our grandson's involvement with "Hero's Percussion Theater."  I could just see him up on that stage having all that fun!!!  Or for that matter, he could be playing the guitar!

 

When the group returned after intermission, they had shed their white coats.... More!  "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"..."I Saw Three Ships"..."Good King Wenceslas"..."Hallelujah"..."Carol of the Bells" 

Standing ovations for the merrymakers!!!!!

 Applause and calls for More!!!

Gave us two more including "Silent Night"!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clowning around....while the crowd went wild!

 

 

 

 

 

We learned a little about Chip Davis, creator and founder of Mannheim Steamroller from the handouts.  He no longer travels with the band to all their performances due to cervical disc damage.  But he still writes, arranges, produces and directs the sounds of the band...Today there are two traveling troupes composed of original members and several young musicians.

No record label would take Chips music during the early '70's so he started his own label, American Gramaphone.  His music style was dubbed "18th Century Classical Rock" and a whole new genre of New Age Music emerged.   When he decided to do a Christmas Album in 1984 the music industry told him "it will signal the end of your career."  Chip produced Mannheim Steamroller Christmas on his own and sold five million copies of that first album.  Chip Davis is the #1 Christmas Artist in history!

Despite the fact Chip was not with us, his troupe of outstanding musical artists stirred our spirits and the embers of our souls....we came away intrigued and inspired! 

(That hummingbird is back!  I caught him this time!...Him, watching me, watching him!  I can almost hear the music in the whirr of his wings!  Certainly he seems to be a "merrymaker")

 

 

 

Last night after buying groceries we hurried home to Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps, one cookie, and A Christmas Carol, starring George C. Scott on AMC.  If you haven't seen it, try to catch it!  This interpretation is well played!

Hope your hearts are filled with hope, peace, joy, and merriment this Christmas Season...it doesn't just happen (at least not for me).  Last week I couldn't "feel" it, but after our weekend's events, it just sprang upon me.  I guess it's like most things....you get out of it, proportionally, what you put into it.  I think old Ebenezer would agree!

GIVING THANKS! PART 3

November 22-23, 2011......Friday and Saturday

Thanksgiving, 2011    

Friday morning, we planned to have breakfast at this incredible little patio restaurant that we discovered last week when we attended the Tour de Tucson....then spend time at the Museum of Art and History and a little time touring downtown Tucson. 

We got up early, checked the weather and decided it best not to have a picnic lunch....the breakfast would tide us over!

We reached cafe' a la c'art only to discover that they were CLOSED  for the holiday....Thankfully, Joel and Brandi are wonderful sports and very flexible....too!  We found a really neat little ethnic restaurant downtown with croissants, muffins, wraps, special coffees (you know....sounded great to me) and settled in.....ONLY Jud and Joel couldn't find anything on the menu they wanted!

 

Fortunately, Brandi and I are wonderful sports and very flexible.....we all just got up and left!  We ambled on over to Jerry Bob's for a delicious man-size breakfast....another on our list of favorites.

The Museum was also closed so after riding around downtown, we moved on to Mt. Lemmon in the Catalina Mountains, north of Tucson.....The weather was overcast but warm.....very pleasant!

The winding road led upwards.....the spread of the city below was spectacular!

Joel and Brandi loved the Saguaro Cacti marching up the side of the Mountains....

.

Soon we could no longer see the city.....we were in the clouds...our view of the valley was blocked.  What we could see was a brilliant riparian forest nestled in a near by gorge...

At the mid-point look out...

.


The bank of clouds began to obscure everything....

 

We continued to climb....through the clouds...

 

and suddenly......!

All the clouds were below us.....skies above were crystal clear....a perfect bright blue...

A few more winding miles and we were near the top....totally and joyfully astonished.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

SNOW!!   (Actually rime or hoarfrost....)

coating EVERYTHING.....

SHIMMERING ICE CRYSTALS, TRANSFORMING THE WORLD!

We weren't the only ones enjoying the beautiful winter wonderland.....lots of people....and this stunning Stellar Jay! He stayed put long enough to pose for us!

We found the Fudge Shop and hot coffee (YUM) and enjoyed everything about this magical place!

 

 

We returned the way we came, back down out of the snow, to the cloud bank, below the clouds to the fall colors, down to where the lights of the city could be seen again, past the marching Saguaros and down into the valley....It was a spectacular Mountain Top Experience.... full of nature's best!  We all loved it.....Perhaps the best shot was this one of Brandi.... 

  Taken by Joel...Her expression says it all!

Upon returning to the Valley, we were ready for authentic Mexican!

This part of our plan was working.....At Guadalahara, where they create the salsa right at your table and to  your personal taste!  No pictures, just good food and fellowship!!!

 

Saturday dawned....it was our last day.....hard for me....but we had until almost 4:00 before they flew back to Atlanta.  We decided to share the Desert Museum (another of our favorites) with Brandi....!  Joel visited the Museum last year....but he loved it and there is always something new to see...

 

  This time....Beautiful flowering desert plants....

 

 

 

 

 

Hummingbirds.....

 

The Aviary....

 

 

Yes, parrots, in the desert...from Mexico!

Brandi and Joel enjoyed quietly watching some of the birds playing in a sparkling trickle of stream.....

 

A beautiful little Inca Dove....

All of us were all happy as "two... [ javalinas ]... in the sunshine!"

 

A truly perfect day....one of wonder and discovery....

 

And finally we had that picnic!

 

We made it to SkyHarbor Airport in Phoenix in plenty of time....I surely hated to see them go...but Joel reminded me it was "necessary"...(I knew that, but still....)After seeing them through Security, Jud and I started our trip back to Tucson.....

A perfect evening for us....an end to a perfect holiday visit to us....We continue to give thanks for our kids, our family, and friends...the many blessings we enjoy every day...God has richly blessed us and our kids and for that we "Give Thanks!"  Visits are extra blessings....blessings that we anticipate and truly appreciate!!! 

(click above to appreciate the sliver of moon and the single twinkling star!)

GIVING THANKS! PART 2

November 22-26, 2011.....Thursday

Thanksgiving, 2011

The "plan" was brunch at home, horseback riding, then Thanksgiving Dinner at the "Old Pueblo Grill."  I kept thinking we surely needed a reservation, but Jud was confident that a buffet would not require one.  Finally, Wed evening about 6:00 I called on our way into Pinnacle Peak just to be sure.

Guess what!  Old Pueblo Grill was "no longer taking reservations"...they already were maxed out at 500!  I  remained cool on the outside, but inside I was freaking out!

This was the first time Brandi had visited us.....for Thanksgiving no less!  And my dinner plan was a bust!  Fortunately, I had purchased a delectable Honey Baked Ham and had potato salad and a few other delicacies to "pull out" while they were there.   I flexed!

Our breakfast/brunch turned out great.....favorites....Sausage Balls, Bacon and Egg Breakfast Casserole, Cantaloupe, OJ, Nuts and Bolts, and $300 Chocolate Cake....

I'm not sure who was more excited about the Horseback Riding....Jud or Brandi.  Joel was eager to try it but had a few reservations, I think!  They left for the stables at Bandit Outfitters, near Vail, inside Colossal Cave State Park.....(I stayed at the RV and started "pulling out/together" a Thanksgiving meal)

""Ned," "Burt" and "Tuffy" were waiting!
Jeff Walden, a 56 year old bare back bronc rider and bull rider was ready to take on these "city slickers" and guide them on the trail. 

Soon all were saddled up and heading out.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The scenery was incredible (or so they raved!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From all accounts, it was a major highlight of the trip!  They returned to the coral far too soon... as far as they were concerned!

And I think this guy really hated to leave ol' "Burt" behind.....

They got back to the RV just in time for a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner....Honey Baked Ham, homemade potato salad, Steamed Carrots with Dill, Lessuer English Peas, Cranberry Orange Muffins, Texas Caviar and chips, White Wine and Salsa Dip, Olives, Pickled Watermelon Rind, Pickled Garlic, Sweet Tea and homemade Pecan Fudge along with the cake!

Not too shabby....plus we were able to stay home, relax, watch football and just visit!  I got to hear all about the Trail Ride!  I think Jud will do that again.  Next time.....I might.

Between games and before sunset, we drove down to Elgin...just to show Brandi and Joel our favorite area. On the way we enjoyed a CD of rodeo tales as relived by Jeff Walden...good times and big laughs!

Clouds were rolling in....scattered showers were forecasted for overnight and the next day.

It called for a re-think of our picnic plans for Friday......covered in Part 3.

GIVING THANKS!

 

 

November 22-26, 2011.....Tuesday - Saturday

Thanksgiving 2011

We're still giving thanks for all the blessings that Joel and Brandi are receiving and enjoying...the amazing way God is working in their lives!  As well as our wonderful visit with them, here in Tucson during Thanksgiving! 

They arrived in Phoenix,  Tuesday night....late....11:30pm, our time!  They were tired but happy and we were thrilled to finally have them here safely and to get our arms around them!

 

 

They looked good to me!!!!  It was already after 1:30 am their time and we still had a 2 hour drive back to Tucson.  We loaded them up and headed "home."  When at last we made it, everybody was eager to turn in and to sleep late the next morning (including me)....So that was our plan.

That part of "the Plan" worked...always have a plan, but it pays to be flexible!

 

 

Wednesday morning we enjoyed a late breakfast at the Voyager Grill and then headed out to visit "The White Dove"....

The Sans Xavier Mission.

 Oldest intact European structure in Arizona, this holy place was founded in 1692 by Father Eusebio Kino. At the time, the land was part of New Spain and the mission was established to serve the "local community" of Native Americans....it continues fulfilling that purpose today, with regular masses scheduled throughout the week.  Located in the Village of Wa:k (correct spelling...not sure how to pronounce it...) which is part of the Tohono O'odham Reservation, it was registered as a National Historic Landmark, 1963.

Under Father Kino, a small mission church emerged with dreams of building a cathedral at some point in the future...

 After the death of Father Kino, Apache attacks destroyed the mission but under the direction of Franciscan Fathers, Juan Bautista Velderrain and Juan Bautista Llorenz, construction ultimately began and was "completed" (?) between 1783 and1797.... 7,000 pesos were borrowed from a Sonoran rancher; Spanish architect, Ignacio Gaona, was hired; and a workforce of Tohono O'odham began construction of this truly awesome Baroque structure. 

One element of Baroque architecture is balance, balance, balance.....so why is there only one bell tower?  According to the guide, money....The gorgeous cathedral was built as money was made available.  They simply did not have the financial means to finish the bell tower on the right.  Traveling artisens did most of the decorative work, consequently when the money ran out, they moved on leaving incomplete areas inside and out....Not only the bell tower but the Baptismal Font remains unfinished.  
Note the brilliantly painted Baroque cubic style in the vestibule and the same unfinished design inside the Baptismal Font.  Two wall paintings are also incomplete. 

The ornately decorated entrance....every carving manifesting balance and profound symbolism....

....invites the seeker inside....

Through these original doors, thousands have entered offering up prayers....seeking and finding spiritual blessing, understanding,forgiveness, guidance and solace.....Note the smaller door with the worn threshold cut into the large left hand closure.  High above the shell to the left and right are carvings of a mouse (left) and a cat (right)....

 

 

 

 

According to oral tradition, as long as the cat does not catch the mouse the world will continue...

 

Inside....a Holy Presence.... and a treasure of original art, balanced by a master planner....

 

 We joined a tour already in progress and learned that the interior has been refurbished and the brilliant colors inside would have been a reflection of those originally used on the facade....outside, time and weather have taken their tole....fading and almost erasing the original brilliant hues.

So many incredible pictures....it's hard to select just a few to include!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many Saints, including the first Native American Saint....added in more recent years

As well as original paintings....this one of the Lord's Supper

 

 

 

 

 

...unique in that it includes a "portrait" of Satan...in the far lower right corner, near Judas...almost, but not quite, hidden!

(Remember...Click to enlarge)

In 1872, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet opened a school at the mission.  Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity still run the school, teaching Native American Children of the San Exavian Reservation.  The Nuns reside in the convent there at the mission.  

Very much a part of the community....mission work is vital and ongoing, reaching out to others as it has for hundreds of years.

I really can't find adequate words to describe my experience....while not of the Catholic Faith, I have never failed to experience a Special Holy Presence in Catholic worship centers....there is an awsomeness and reverence that touch me and I come away blessed for having been there.  There's lots more I'd love to share!

Outside, a distance away, there were Tohono O'odham vendors cooking up tantalizingly aromas!  Joel was introduced to one of the specialties of the area....FRYBREAD....HOT, delicious and very aromatic!!!

We all shared and enjoyed the one....Certainly could have eaten more!

And across the way a very small shopping plaza....

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took a picture of Brandi in front of the wall surrounding the plaza...the symbol Man in the Maze is significant to both the Tohono O'odham, Hopi, and Pima peoples (as well as others) and occurs in many Native American art forms.

"According to O'odham oral history, the labyrinth design depicts experiences and choices we make in our journey through life. In the middle of the "maze", a person finds their dreams and goals. When one reaches the center, we have one final opportunity (the last turn in the design) to look back upon our choices and path, before the Sun God greets us, blesses us and passes us into the next world."

http://www.sanxaviermission.org/Tohono.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_in_the_Maze

Another point of interest for me.....posted in one the mission rooms were these words:

"Christianity is perhaps more highly prized by our Indian People than by Anglo society.  That they practice it in their own way is but tribute and proof that they have incorporated it into their own cultural roots...Christian concepts and practices have been here at Wa:k for a long time, longer than many of your own cultural traditions.  The Catholic 'Padre' has been family to the villagers for three hundred years."

Food for thought!

 The "Dove" is one of the most attended sites in the Tucson area....why we had not been before now, I don't know.  It was definitely "timely", and well worth the time we spent there!

After a wonderful experience, we decided to travel a bit further (South on US 19) down to Tubac.... a growing artist colony with over 80 shops featuring hand crafted items, restaurants, and lodging.  A fun place to visit.  That's where we attended an Art Show last year and did a bit of shopping during Mary's recent visit.

Brandi got a little shopping done at Beads of Tubac, while the guys relaxed outside and enjoyed the gorgeous weather!!!  If interested in Brandi's handcrafted jewelry, you can visit her website....

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/BKBDesignAtelier

You may very well soon discover some gorgeous pieces made with beautiful natural beads from Tubac!

Meanwhile....it was Nov 23, mine and Jud's 39th Anniversary!  We were married on Thanksgiving Day in 1972 (which happened to be on the 23rd that year).  We were celebrating in the best way possible!  Should have had a picture made of us....but this one is way better!

  November 23, 1972

(OMG!  We were a lot younger then!)

And this one....of Joel and Brandi...2011...

What a great couple...we enjoyed them so much!  They are fun and easy to be with!

P.S...Sunglasses are REQUIRED!  And see...we do get some fall color!

To continue the celebration we returned to Tucson for dinner in Trail Dust Town at Pinnacle Peak....where they cut off your tie (if you wear one...we didn't) but have the most delicious mesquite-broiled steaks we've found...not a bad sacrifice!  A really neat place to go...one of our favorites...usually included in our plans when we have the pleasure of guests!!!!  Sooooo, you may have been there with us!

Now a really neat complex of shops and restaurants, Trail Dust Town sprang from the abandoned set of an unfinished Glenn Ford western movie.  At the time, it was well outside the town limits but today is totally surrounded and incorporated into the fabric of Tucson.

The steaks were scrumptious as always....the company even better! A terrific way to wind up a very special day!

Thanksgiving was the next day!  And there's lots more to share...like being really flexible when your plan goes awry!  Please come back for Part 2!

 

TUCSON....ALWAYS A HAPPENING PLACE!

Saturday.....November 19, 2011....in Tucson!

I love this mural, painted on the wall of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Angel Youth Center in downtown Tucson.  The motto belongs to them and I hope big things are happening for that program....

 

but in truth, big things  seem to be happening in Tucson all the time!!!  Every weekend there are concerts, art shows, outdoor activities, sports events, museums, theater, ethnic displays, seminars, open houses....and on and on....It's a "happening place" and we miss a lot when we travel.  So, when we are here, we try to be sure to take advantage.....it's often hard to pick and choose.

This weekend was one of those times....we picked three "big happenings" on Sat.

 EARLY MORNING ....EL TOUR DE TUCSON!

 9,000 bi-cyclists!  111 miles through and around Tucson.  Amazing to see!  (People bicycling all over Tucson, into the surrounding mountains, is a common sight.....but this was something else!!!)

 The first quarter mark was a right turn onto our road, South Kolb...very near the entrance to the Voyager.....we beat it down to stand on the sideline and cheer them on....

Here they come!!!!
The first wave!!!!  Not sure how they orchestrated this but this was the first of many "waves"....thousands of cyclists!

 

 

 

 

They just kept coming!!!!  And coming!!!!

 

 These men and women (novices, professionals, hobbyists, survivors, and health nuts) come from all over the world.  This was the 29th Tour de Tucson held annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.  Not everyone enters the 111 mile race....there are also 85 mi, 60 mi, and 42 mi tours....as well as the Fun Runs (for families and kids)...all sponsored by the University of Arizona Medical Center.  Proceeds (last year $1.6M) provided support for 21 charities.

As soon as the majority of the cyclists had passed us we took a long detour to get downtown to see what was going on at Armory Park, where they began and would finish.  

The park was a happening place!  The Finish Line was well marked and lots of temporary towers and camera equipment were in place for the media.  Already food vendors were setting up for the day.  Ronald McDonald....himself...

 
was on hand to encourage the youngest participants....

 

 

 

 

These youngsters were mostly enthusiastic and peddling hard....tricycles, big wheels, bikes with training wheels and some without!  Some were a little awed by the spectators, and parents and grandparents were alongside on foot offering encouragement!!!

This little girl finished last.....

 

She didn't seem to mind and she worked on until she finished!  She took her time, oblivious to any pressure....just having fun....and  got her medal too!

We enjoyed free coffee, provided by McDonalds, as we joined the parents and other onlookers.
About that time the older kids came flying past the finish line!  Very Exciting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Families Having Fun!

 

(Enlarge to fully appreciate....just double click on each photo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were amazed by all the different configurations!

 It was all terribly exciting and motivating....it convinced me I should get two knee replacements and plan to participate next year (almost.....)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another neat thing about going down to Armory Park.... we walked around in the downtown area.....the houses there are older and most all restored....many of the small yards are works of art....we loved them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     
   

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe more about this in another post....I certainly want to go back and just walk....and look!  It's a beautiful area...fascinating!

 

By afternoon we had moved on to the Tucson Museum of Art "Show and Sale"....

OMG! 

More excitement....more motivation....more color....more of everything!!!!  It was simply fantastic!   I decided not to worry about bicycling....there is so much I would love to do!!!!   Just look at what people are creating!!!

Paint and collage....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pottery.....textiles...

 

 Live Music....

 

Rhythm....Color....Utility.....Decor...Expression.....It motivated all the senses....

Lots of Folks and their "best Friends"....enjoyed the day..... and supported the artists!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hated to leave, but we kept finding too many things we liked and wanted to buy... besides we had tickets to see Bill Engvall that evening!  We decided to head home and sneak in a nap before we had to be at the Desert Diamond Casino for the show.

No nap, but we did relax a litte before getting ready to head out again....

7:15 PM found us on our way.     What can I say about Bill Engvall????

"Here's your sign!"

He was great!  Very casual, low key, conversational....but hilarious! We laughed out loud along with everyone else!

It was a wonderfully full day..."big things happening"... and just a sample of all Tucson has to offer....there is no way to do it all!  Certainly there is something for everyone....

Through it all and in the middle of it all....Occupy Tucson continues the watch and the rhetoric! 

I don't know enough about the movement here, but I appreciate their sentiment and perseverance!

 

 

Several of the artists wore badges saying "I'm part of the 99%."

 

 The item I wish I had bought at the art show and didn't...was titled

 "Peace"

But then you can't buy peace, can you?

CARVED BY THE COLORADO: PART 3.....LAKE HAVASU THEN HOME!

November 11-13, 2011....Friday -Sunday  (Con't)

It was like leaving the "99%" and traveling to the "1%".....

......journeying from the dry, hot, thirsty, desert city of nomadic dwellers on Social Security and Medicare (Quartzsite) to the land of the rich and famous (Lake Havasu City)!!!! A place of real "means" with the ambition and where-with-all to use it to advantage!

We got a glimpse....

The shores of Lake Havasu first provided R&R for WWII troops - as the Army Air Corp Rest Camp....

But money talks (and buys).....in 1963, multi millionaire Robert P. McCullock (the chainsaw baron) purchased 3,500 acres on the east side (the AZ side)  of Lake Havasu for his "planned community".....the "point/peninsula" became an island, when the Bridgewater Chanel was dredged.

In 1968, Mr. McCullock purchased the London Bridge from the City of London England (yes!),  for $2.5 million......

........had it disassembled, stone by stone....shipped to Arizona, and reassembled to the tune of an additional $4.6 million....(see how effective the 1% can be!!!!)  The London Bridge now spans the 930 foot long man-made canal  to connect the "island" to the mainland.  The bridge opened in 1971.  McCollock's "planned" city grew and became incorporated in 1978.  (creates lots of questions in my mind.....)  But it saved the bridge from being destroyed in England and made "sisters" of the two cities.....today this London Bridge is the second most visited site in Arizona, behind the Grand Canyon  (it's a beautiful man-made area but believe me there is no comparison to the GC....)

and close ups......(don't want you to miss any of it!)

British Flags and US Flags flying....

(with a few Christmas decorations, which disappointed Jud....he thought he might have crossed that bridge over the Thames River when he was in Germany....still not sure.)

But the parks along the Canal were lovely!

 

 

 

 

A wide variety of trees, planted as memorials, provided cool refreshing shade....

 

 

 

Walks, park benches and bike trails lined the sparkling water...

 

A beautiful haven for all kinds of water birds...even a covey of quail....

..scurrying across the parking lot!

 

 

 

They are so funny!  They can't seem to decided whether to stick together or scatter!  So they run sort of back, forth and forward!

 

 

We found a Camp Host spot....right in the park...

...across from the Beach to the right!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and the Dog Park to the left...

....with an inviting bar and grill just half a block away.....

What more could you ask.....?

There was probably lots more to see and do but we had seen what we came for and needed to point our little "toad" towards home!

Leaving Lake Havasu City and all those gorgeous homes....

(One of many!  This one boasted a view of the river PLUS it's own waterfall cascading down the front!  And a beautiful Golden Retriever on the porch!)

....back along these weird grey dunes....

...back along the swift flowing Colorado River....

...back to Parker, where we veered South-East back into the desert....

 

Taking back roads....toward Salome....

We crossed I-10 headed South.... and found a surprising little place to take a break....

 

Around Gila Bend we began to  see canals along the road...

...an old bridge, over the Gila River,  still in use....

with ruins of a house (?) near by...

 

 

 

 

 The river barely a trickle....

     Still....all kinds of fields!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

....and farms....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHRIMP????  IN THE DESERT??????  HOW????

Turns out this unique aqua farm raises sweet delicious shrimp in ponds fed by mineral rich waters, pumped from underground wells...i.e. deep ancient sea beds that exist beneath the Arizona desert.  Waters are less polluted, resulting in the sweet flavor.  The effluent (waste water from the shrimp ponds) is used to irrigate the company's olive groves...wheat, sorghum, cotton and alfalfa fields.

A little further.....

The Gila River Power Station....HUGE......that explains the vast fields of Solar Panels!   And all the wires overhead!

We find we discover the most interesting things by leaving the main stream....traveling the back roads!  And one of the things we've discovered about Arizona is that it is a most resourceful state...a community committed to experimentation, preservation and balance....

The cliche..."Necessity is the Mother of Invention"  seems to apply here....a place where water is a valued commodity and folks are challenged to make much of nothing....

We were almost home....

 

....the day almost done...

 

And this journey to the South-West part of our current "home" state was just about done, as well!

We got home safely to rain soaked streets and desert floors!  A Gift!