allegro wanderer

Hamburgers and Fellowship

2012-05-17T20:00:00.000-05:00

Following the Reception at the Officer's Club, we skipped the dinner and instead Alek and a few of his pilot trainee friends had a cookout in one of the park areas on the base, just across the street from where we had "The Bus" parked.

It was a nice get together and gave all of us an opportunity to enjoy some "Hamburgers and Fellowship" and get to know some of the new pilots and their families.

Retreat

2012-05-17T13:52:00.000-05:00

After a guided tour of Laughlin AFB, the pilot trainees assembled, in their flight suites, for a Retreat Ceremony, when the United States Flag is lowered for the evening.

Alex's class started with 35 trainees, but only 27 finished to graduate. Of the others, one quit and 7 washed out for various reasons.

Following the Retreat Ceremony, we all gathered at the Officer's Club for a Reception and Cocktail Party to "kick-off" Graduation Week, during which the United States Air Force will accept 27 new pilots.

Congratulations and good luck to all of the graduates.

Laughlin AFB - OUCH!

2012-05-14T16:31:00.000-05:00

We left Bottomless Lakes and the Roswell, New Mexico, area to attend the Graduation Ceremonies of Carole's grandson, Lt. Alek Krallman. Alek is in the U.S Air Force, has just completed Pilot Training at Laughlin AFB near Del Rio, Texas, and will receive his wings in Graduation Ceremonies this week.

After two days of driving, we arrived at Laughlin AFB and were met by immovable barrier posts at the West entrance to the base. The barrier posts were arranged such that an auto has to zig-zag through an obstacle course at slow speed to enter the base. The purpose, obviously, is a matter of security to prevent someone from entering the base at high speed . . . but these were designed for an automobile, not a 40' Motor Home with tow car behind.

Well, when I stopped "The Bus" for identification and inspection half way through the "obstacle course", the guard told me to pull on through the gate area and park on the right side of the road for further inspection. As I turned to the right to miss the last of the barriers, I heard a loud "crunch"! I was not yet clear of the middle barrier and scraped it on the side of "The Bus".

OUCH!

We made it to Laughlin AFB, but entry to the base sure hurt . . . another repair job when we get back home. The sad part is that those barrier posts are retractable. That is, the guard can just activate a switch in the Guard House and the barrier posts lower into the driveway flush with the surface . . . which the guard did for me AFTER I scraped the barrier. Thanks a lot, but too late!

From that nerve wracking experience, we drove to the Base Famcamp, an RV Park on the base where we have a nice location to park "The Bus" with full hookups, on a concrete pad, with a concrete patio and picnic table.

We plan to stay here for a week to attend all of the activities and ceremonies associated with the training and graduation of an Air Force Pilot. Also, a dozen of Alek's relatives are here from the Pacific Northwest to share the experience. So it will also be sort of a mini-family reunion for a part of Carole's family.

This should be an exciting week in spite of the "OUCH".

Hail in May

2012-05-13T17:24:00.000-05:00

Who would expect, or even believe, that we would have "Hail in May" . . . in the desert, of all places.

But as we were returning to Roswell from visiting a neighboring town in the mountains, Ruidoso, New Mexico, we ran into a serious hailstorm in the desert. The highway was nearly covered with hailstones about one-half inch in diameter. We pulled off the road for a closer look and discovered the "Hail in May" was at least a couple inches deep here in the desert..

UFO Museum and Research Center

2012-05-04T14:44:00.000-05:00

In 1947, a UFO reportedly crashed in the desert Northwest of Roswell, New Mexico. The Roswell Army Air Force Base was charged with investigating and cleaning up the crash site. Needless to say, the Army hushed it up, even declaring that the "Roswell Incident" was just a weather balloon.

People involved at the time were threatened with their lives if they revealed what they had seen, or even discussed the event with anyone. Some 30 years later, however, people began to talk and a group of people in Roswell seriously investigated the event . . . obtaining the stories from those involved.

They assembled all of this information, along with exhibits, and established a UFO Museum and Research Center in downtown Roswell.

My son, Greg, and I toured the museum and found it very enlightening . . . and educational. Much of the material exhibited was in the form of copies of newspaper articles, newspaper photos, statements (supported by affidavits) of individuals involved in the incident, from the rancher who discovered the crash site and gathered debris to members of the Army who walked the site gathering debris and people who saw and/or examined the bodies of the four aliens who were reportedly aboard.

One of the exhibits had recreations of some of the debris as described by people who had picked them up originally in 1947. All of the debris was described as being of unknown materials which they could neither bend nor burn.

Reportedly, four aliens were found in the craft or nearby, one of which was still alive. The bodies were taken to Albuquerque and the debris was all taken to Houston and then transferred to Wright-Patterson Field in Ohio. The museum had a model of one of the aliens in a glass case and also one on an operating table with a doctor and a secret service agent nearby.

In addition, there was an exhibit of a hovering flying saucer with four aliens walking around on the ground below.

A model of a flying saucer crashed into a hillside is supposedly a re-creation of the crash site.

Even after all these years, the Government still maintains the "Roswell Incident" was just a weather balloon. However, this UFO Museum and Research Center, with all of it's displays and documents presents a very convincing case that the "Roswell Incident" really involved a UFO, a flying saucer from outer space and that a crew of four aliens was aboard.

We may never know the real truth until our Government, in all it's wisdom, releases the debris and documentation from the 1947 "Roswell Incident".

On the lighter side, Greg did try on a pair of alien sunglasses in the Museum Gift Shop. He looks like he could be from Outer Space!

On a more serious note, if anyone ever gets to Roswell, New Mexico, I recommend the "UFO Museum and Research Center" where you can review the exhibits and make up your own mind about the "Roswell Incident". You will find it very enlightening . . . and educational.

Bottomless Lakes

2012-05-03T22:53:00.000-05:00

The Bottomless Lakes area about 18 miles Southeast of Roswell, New Mexico, was an underwater seabed thousands of year ago. When the inland ocean receded, underground salts and calcium were dissolved leaving large open caves. In some places, the roof was not strong enough to support the weight of the rock above. So, the roof caved in leaving sinkholes which subsequently filled with water.

In the late 1800's, cowboys driving cattle through the area tied their lariats together to see how deep the lakes were . . . but were unable to reach the bottom. So they called them "Bottomless Lakes". Today, however, we know that these lakes are 90 feet deep, pretty deep for such small lakes (or sinkholes).

This is the area where we decided to park "The Bus" for a few weeks . . . Bottomless Lakes State Park . . . an area encompassing about ten of the Bottomless Lakes . . . an area of unique geology and a quiet beauty. Each of the lakes is surrounded by red rock bluffs, the sides of the collapsed sinkhole.

The largest of the lakes within the park boundary is Lea Lake, with a large sandy beach, pavilion, picnic tables, and a bathhouse with showers, a refreshment stand (open only in the Summer), and a place to buy ice . . .

There is also a small marina where the Park Rangers dock paddle boats and pedal boats for rent in the Summer months . . .

And a very nice campground with full hookups for RVs, each space with a concrete patio and picnic table with canopy, and a level river rock filled parking space . . .

This is where we are spending three weeks, just quietly admiring the scenery and watching for UFOs here in the "UFO Capital of the World".

UFO Capital of the World

2012-04-21T17:39:00.000-05:00

With the weather warming up and Spring replacing Winter, we decided it was time to get out of Tucson . . . before the daytime temperatures got too hot. We need to be in South Texas mid-May, so we decided to go to the high desert in New Mexico for a couple of weeks to see some new scenery and kill some time enroute.

A park near Roswell, New Mexico, really sounded interesting; Bottomless Lakes State Park. This would give us interesting scenery and unusual geology, plus we could be on the lookout for alien sightings in the Roswell area . . . the "UFO Capital of the World".

So, with adventure in the wind, we pulled up stakes in Tucson and set our sails for Roswell, New Mexico, and the Bottomless Lakes.

Tucson at Night

2012-04-20T23:40:00.000-05:00

Throughout the winter we spent in Tucson, our good friends, Joe and Marty Chandler from Fort Wayne, Indiana, were telling us that we really needed to see "Tucson at Night" . . . driving North up to the end of Campbell Street in the foothills above Tucson. So, during our last week in Tucson, we all drove to the end of Campbell Street to see "Tucson at Night".

Sure enough, it was worth the trip. We were just high enough in the foothills North of the city to be able to look down on the city lights. It was very pretty, like flying into a city after dark . . . "Tucson at Night".

The Cold War - Revisited

2012-04-18T22:52:00.000-05:00

The Cold War extended from the end of WW II to 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed. During that time, the United States was at war . . . "The Cold War". US stratagy was called "Mutual Assured Destruction". That is, if either side initiated a nuclear strike, the other country had the capability to destroy the opponent. This strategy gave birth to the Inter-Contiental Balistic Missile . . . behomuths of metal, electronics, rocket fuel, and multiple nuclear warheads.

One of the most awesome of these behomuths in the United States assenal was the Titan II Missile which was on alert, at-the-ready, in blast-proof underground silos in 54 locations across the country. These awesome liquid fueled rockets with multiple nuclear warheads stood 103 feet tall, but were buried from view and destruction in these underground silos.

At the end of "The Cold War", a treaty between The United States and the Soviet Union required the dis-mantling of both missles and the silos in which they were protected. All such missles and installations in this country were destroyed except one, all under the watchful eye of scientists from the Soviet Union. With the Soviet Union's approval, that one Titan II Missile and one silo were preserved as a museum near Tucson, Aizona. The missile and the silo are, of course, inoperable.
My long-time friend, Joe Chandler, and I had the opportunity to tour this facility . . . truly "The Cold War - Revisited".
A large metal building in front of the underground silo serves as a Visitor's Center and Museum, where many exhibits provide an introduction to the events of the time.

The missile silo behind the Visitor's Center is covered in concrete with massive steel blast-proof doors which were designed to roll away for firing of the missile, but today are permanantly blocked from opening more than half way . . . and the Russians monitor this site by satelitte and personal inspections.

The Titan Missile in the silo is shockingly huge. The viewing area was only about ten feet from the warhead which, of course, is a dummy approved by the Russians.

The missile itself is very tall. We only went down to the second level of the silo, where the Control Room is located, but there are eight levels in total. The lower levels were used primarily for fueling and maintenance. This is a photo looking down into the silo from the second level.

We toured the crew's quarters and walked down long blast-proof hallways passing through massive steel doors and 20-30 foot thick walls of reinforced concrete to the Control Room. Everywhere we looked, there was piping and huge electric cables.

The Control Room was awesome . . . a computer room from the 60's with so many redundancies. No crew member was ever allowed to be alone anywhere in the silo, except in the Crew's Quarters. It took at least two crew members to do anything, especially a launch.

The Tour Guide led us through a simulated launch of the Titan Missile, which could be launched within 58 seconds of a Launch Command and be delivered to a target up to 5,500 miles away in less than 30 minutes. Our tour was extremely educational and really, almost kind of chilling to see the world of the 50's and 60's . . . and what could have been.

It really was "The Cold War - Revisited".

Thunder and Lightning

2012-04-16T21:43:00.000-05:00

The Davis-Monthan AFB at Tucson put on an Air Show over the weekend, which they called "Thunder and Lightning Over Arizona". A couple of guys here in the RV Park and I decided to take it in. The wives had no interest.

Rather than getting into the 100,000+ people crowd on the air base, we decided to set up chairs just outside the base on the back side, about 150 yards from the control tower. We had pretty good seats, but the telephoto setting on my camera didn't do the action justice.

The show included flyovers of the C-17 Globmaster transport, the heavy-duty long-range B-1B Lancer bomber, and the stealth flying-wing design B-2 Spirit bomber. Demonstrations of the A-10 Thunderbolt (nicknamed the Warthog), which are stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB, included simulated strafing and bombing passes.

At one point in the show, an A-10 flew in formation with the much smaller WW II F-51 Mustang. That brought back a lot of memories because when I was in the U.S. Air Force, my unit flew F-51 Mustangs.

The C-130 cargo plane, which is also stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB, demonstrated airborne refueling of two helicopters.

The T-33A Shooting Star put on quite a show, including some nice acrobatics.

An MV-22B Osprey, which takes off like a helicopter, then rotates the propellers forward to fly like an airplane demonstrated it's capability.

There were many stunt flying and aerobatics demonstrations . . .

Including a wing walker . . .

and a number of sky diving demonstrations . . .

But the highlight of the show was precision flying by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. They put on quite a show . . .

They flew six F-16C Fighting Falcon's with four of them demonstrating precision formation flying while two of them were performing low-level near-miss passes over the runway and manuvers with one flying right-side up and one flying upside down. They finished with all six flying in close formation and performing a starburst manuver. It was quite a sight!

I'm sorry my camera didn't record these arial demonstrations better . . . but, then, as they say, "you should have been there" for the "Thunder and Lightning Over Arizona".

Millie's Easter

2012-04-09T20:18:00.000-05:00

On Easter morning, I stepped outside to pick up the Sunday morning paper and discovered that the Easter Bunny had visited during the night. There, on the steps of "The Bus", was an Easter basket full of dogie treats. It must be for Millie.

I picked it up and took it inside for Millie. As far as I know, this is the first Easter basket Millie has ever received in her estimated 5 years of age. She thought it was pretty nice and was anxious to get into the treats.

We found that our neighbor here in the RV Park, Karl & Teri Kellner from Oregon, were the Easter Bunny.

On behalf of Millie, thanks Karl & Teri. The Easter basket is really cute, very cleverly decorated.

And . . . yes, Millie sure like the treats!

A Dog's Life

2012-04-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

We adopted our dog, Millie, in late-November, just before we left Kansas for Arizona. We were a little aprehensive about how Millie would take to RVing and how she would relate to other dogs in the area. But when we arrived at the RV Park in Tucson, we were pleasantly surprised to have a small Yorkshire Terrier named Missy right next door.

Millie:

Missy:

Millie and Missy became good friends and playmates almost immediately. The two of them spend lots of time under the awning on the patio running, wrestling, jumping, attacking, and just having a doggone good time.

Both of them mind well and stay close to the RV. Millie is lucky to have a lively playmate right next door. It gives her a lot of needed excercise in addition to the walks I make with her.

All of this along with a warm place to sleep and a dog dish that's always full of food. She may have been a "junkyard dog" before we adopted her, but look at her now. What a dog's life!

Up Mount Lemmon: From 85 Degrees to 40 Degrees

2012-03-30T17:56:00.000-05:00

Northeast of Tucson in the Santa Catalina Mountains, up a very winding road for some 30 miles is the summit of Mount Lemmon, 9,157 feet above sea level. We had heard it was a pretty drive, so we decided to see for ourselves.

We went from 85 degrees in Tucson on the desert floor, to 40 degrees at 9,000 feet. As we started the drive, at about 2,500 feet among the mountain Saguaro cactus, we had a nice view of the City of Tucson spread out in the valley below.

When we got above 3,000 feet, the Saguaro cactus landscape gradually gave way a mostly barren desert mountain landscape as we drove up the winding mountain road.

We saw a lot of barren rock areas . . .

. . . and then many interesting rock formations along the way . . .

Including numerous hoodoos (tall spires of rock) . . .

Gradually, as we passed 5,000 feet, the landscape transformed into a mountain scape of tall Pines . . .

And then when we reached about 9,000 feet, we ran into snow and one of the ski lifts. We didn't see anyone skiing, but the lodge was open and the lift was running. However, the temperature had dropped to 40 degrees.

Not far from the ski slopes, is a small mountain ski community called Summerhaven, with extravagant, but very nice looking homes built on the mountainside.

Some were crammed in very close together even though there was a whole mountain next door . . .

Some were built right on top of the road with no place for a garage and no where to park . . .

Some of the homes looked like they were barely hanging on to the mountainside, but I guess the owners wanted to be on top . . . Must be a nice view from up there.

Mount Lemmon is a beautiful location with lots of nature and nice scenery, but I can't imagine living up there and commuting to Tucson everyday down a winding mountain road for 30 miles. But then, from the way the homes look, maybe the people who build up there don't have to work.

Must be nice . . . but it's cold up here. I'm going back down where it's 85 degrees!

Hail in the Desert

2012-03-21T17:30:00.000-05:00

Wow! This morning we awoke to a racket on the roof of "The Bus". We looked out the window to see our "front yard" covered with hail.

Who would have expected precipitation in Tucson, Arizona, here in the Sonora Desert? Especially hail! But here is our neighbor's car being pelted by hail.

One of our lawn chairs on the patio collected a few hail stones too . . .

The hail stones were not large, but were certainly unexpected here in the desert.

Daytime temperatures have been in the 80's, but last night a cold front blew through from the northwest and brought some rain, sleet, and hail to the desert. We should be able to "tough it out" though as the 80 degree temperatures are expected to return in a day or two.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

2012-03-17T21:44:00.000-05:00

St. Patrick's Day is another excuse for a dinner and a party. Many of the residents here in the RV Park got together in the Clubhouse for a traditional St. Patrick's Day dinner of corned beef and cabbage along with all of the trimmings.

It was a good home cooked meal and everyone certainly got enough to eat. And we enjoyed all of the conversation with our neighbors dressed in green.

St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Park

2012-03-17T21:43:00.000-05:00

Here in the RV Park in Tucson, Arizona, the residents enjoy themselves every day. I guess that goes with retirement and St. Patrick's Day was another opportunity for them to have fun.

The residents had a parade through the streets in the park . . .

. . . golf carts, bicycles, tricycles, scooters, and walkers; plus some residents walking the route. Many carried noise makers including pots and pans with wooden spoons. What a racket!

Most were dressed in St. Patrick's garb, or at least something green. Carole and I sat it out. After all, every parade has to have spectators. Our neighbor, Karl Kellner, took our dog, Millie, in the parade. Below is a picture of Karl dressed for the parade leading Millie.

Everyone enjoyed themselves. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Pima Air & Space Museum

2012-03-08T19:01:00.000-06:00

The Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, has over 300 airplanes on display, from a full-size replica of the Wright Brothers first airplane . . .

to an F15 Eagle.

From the smallest . . .

to the largest, a Super Guppy.

On display are many historical military planes, like the F51 Mustang . . .

the B25 Mitchell Bomber (like General Doolittle's group flew from an aircraft carrier in the Pacific in 1942 to bomb Tokyo) . . .

the B17 Flying Fortress (famous for bombing missions over Germany) . . .

the B29 Superfortress . . .

and World War II planes from other countries including a British Hawker Hurricane . . .

and a Japanese Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscar".

The display also included aircraft from the Cold War, like the B52 Stratofortress . . .

A Russian MIG . . .

Lots of trainers, fighters, interceptors, and bombers . . .

many helicopters . . .

and an SR71 Blackbird, a long-range Mach 3 reconnaissance aircraft, which could outrun a ground-to-air missile shot at it . . . and what a beautiful airplane this is!

We spent five or six hours walking around the many planes and exhibits at the Pima Air & Space Museum and could easily have spent much more time there. It is a great collection of aircraft, both military and civilian. We saw so much more than the few I've shown here. I plan to return and I strongly recommend this museum to anyone interested in aircraft, flying, or history whenever you are in the Tucson area.

Greg's Visit

2012-03-07T23:31:00.000-06:00

My son, Greg, was able to visit us in Tucson, Arizona, on Friday and Saturday. It was nice to see him as he had not been home since last June. He lives in Guam and only gets to the Mainland occasionally, this time he had a couple of free days between business meetings.

We tried to make the most of his short time here, so after I picked him up at the airport Friday morning, we went straight to the Pima Air & Space Museum.

Greg is shown here in front of an F51 Mustang which had been flown by an Ace from Kansas City who had flown combat missions during World War II in Europe, Africa, and the South Pacific.

After the Air Museum, we toured the Arizona University campus, then stopped at the Wildcat House near the campus for some wings and a beer. Then we picked up Carole and drove to Chad's Steakhouse, where we all enjoyed a wonderful steak.

Saturday morning, we went out for breakfast, then drove through the Saguaro National Park so Greg could get up close with the Saguaro. Those cacti are mush larger and taller than they appear in most pictures. So Greg stood beside one to get a good perspective. That cactus must be about 40 feet tall!

And, of course, Greg had to check out the desert flowers . . .

After touring Saguaro National Park and some nearby desert areas, we returned to "The Bus" where we put some brats on the grill and had a beer . . . then, sadly, it was time to take Greg back to the airport.

A very short visit . . . but I cherish every one of "Greg's Visits", no matter how short.

Desert Flowers

2012-02-29T12:20:00.000-06:00

I have often heard about the desert "exploding into a mass of color" in the Spring, and I am very excited to be in Tucson, Arizona, in the Sonora Desert this Spring. The desert flowers have just begun to appear, so we drove out into the desert this weekend to see for ourselves.

The bright yellow California Poppy seems to be the most prevalent right now. They make a beautiful yellow carpet for the desert floor.

We also found a pretty purple flower, mostly along the roads and trails.

And occasionally a patch of white flowers.

I'm told that the flowers are just beginning to bloom here and that there will be many more in a few weeks. I can hardly wait . . . so, maybe more pictures of more desert flowers later.

Old West Comes Alive

2012-02-18T15:36:00.000-06:00

About 65 miles Southeast of Tucson is an area out in the desert where a movie extra acquired some land and began moving in old buildings from ghost towns and abandoned areas to build a movie set. Along the way he has been acumulating lots of antiques, so the "movie set" has also become a museum, Gammon's Gultch.

Every "Old West Town" needs a Main Street. Walking down this one, you feel like you're in the movie "High Noon".

All of the buildings here are very authentic, most having been torn down in old West desert towns or ghost towns and then re-assembled here.

The Town Hall . . .

A place to sleep, the Hotel . . .

A place to park your horse, the Stable . . .

A place to get a whiskey, or maybe a Sasparilla, the Saloon . . .

A place to get new shoes for your horse, the Blacksmith Shop . . .

A place to pick up some supplies, the General Store . . .

And, of course, an Assayer's Office to weigh your gold . . .

And, if you don't behave yourself, the Sheriff is nearby . . . and he has a jail!

Or, if you are guilty of a serious crime, the town has a gallows . . .

And an Undertaker . . .

In addition to all of these various buildings in Gammon's Gultch, many of the building have historical displays, so the the whole town is like one big museum.

There are displays of many historical firarms and law enforcement equipment . . .

And many displays of various utensils , tools, and equipment of "days gone by" . . .

Gammon's Gultch is truly a place where the "Old West Comes Alive".

Shuffleboard . . . Sport of the Retired

2012-01-24T20:00:00.000-06:00

Retired people should continue to be active . . . to what ever extent they are able. Some are unable to do much running, walking, or climbing; so that rules out tennis and basketball. No wonder many retired people are attracted to shuffleboard.

I'm still able to do a little jogging or walking, but while watching a shuffleboard game here in the Park, I had to sign up for the challenge of a shuffleboard tournament.

I dicsovered the courts here have been recently refinished and take some getting used to. I've never seen such slick shuffleboard courts. The pucks slide so easily they move like the stones in curling. So this kind of court was a new experience for me.

So far in the tournament, my partner and I are playing 500, having won 4 and lost 4. I don't think we're on track to win a trophy . . . but it has been fun.

Sabino Canyon

2012-01-22T22:23:00.000-06:00

On the Northwest side of Tucson, Arizona, is an area named Sabino Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains. The canyon is billed as the "most camera worthy scenery in the Tucson area". Today we rode the shuttle bus up through the canyon to check it out. The bus had an open top allowing full view of the scenery, and it did not disappoint.

Carole's friend Nancy Westgate and her husband, Larry, were visiting from Michigan and accompanied us on the tour of Sabino Canyon. Nancy and Carole are shown here seated in the open-top tram at one of the many stops.

The Canyon is very scenic with some interesting rock formations and, of course, lots of Saguaro cactus growing here in the desert.

Even in the desert, a stream runs down through the canyon. Some places it's rather tranquil . . .

and some places it's flowing rapidly.

But whether it's the rock formations, the desert vegetation, or the stream; the Sabino Canyon is a very scenic area near Tucson and well worth the tram trip or a hike up through the canyon.

Dorothy, This Can't Be Kansas

2012-01-21T14:42:00.000-06:00

"No, Dorothy. I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!"

What a difference in landscaping between the Midwest and the Southwest . . . especially the desert area around Tucson, Arizona. This might as well be the Land of Oz!

This is a landscaped area along the driveway to a home, typically made up of a variety of cactus, desert trees, and rocks . . .

Sometimes, no trees. Just cactus and stones . . .

Or no cactus. Just desert plants and dry grasses . . .

And sometimes, mostly rocks . . .

Even in a very large yard, the gardener probably only has to come once a month . . .

What a spectacular driveway planting. When giving directions to your house, just say, "It's the house with the giant Saguaro cactus with eight arms beside the drive".

At some homes, it looks like they just left part of the native desert growth in place when they built the house . . .

If John Deere or Lawn Boy depended on this area for lawn mower sales, they'd be in big trouble!

"Yes, Dorothy. I'm sure we're not in Kansas anymore."

Breakfast with "The Gang"

2012-01-19T19:52:00.000-06:00

Here in the RV Park where we are staying, an Activities Director schedules various activities including some outings. This morning was a "Breakfast Out". About 16 residents gathered for breakfast at a local restaurant nearby.

The food was great, the atmosphere was casual, the company was interesting, and the conversation was thought provoking. It was a fun start to the day, having "Breakfast with the Gang".

Sentinels of the Desert

2012-01-17T12:39:00.000-06:00

The Saguaro National Park is split into two areas, one on the east side of Tucson, and one on the west side, together totalling nearly 100,000 acres. The park sets aside a part of the Sonoran Desert with much of it officially designated as Wilderness Area.

The Park is named after the Saguaro cactus, a variety native to this area, sometimes called the "Sentinel of the Desert". Legend of the Native Indians holds that when you die, your soul becomes a Saguaro . . . and that if you stand silently in the desert, the Saguaros begin to look like people, maybe even some of your ancestors. The Saguaro is, indeed, a fascinating plant.

The Native Indians harvest the fruit of the Saguaro and make jelly, jam, and syrup. It is illegal to sell commercially products made from the Saguaro Cactus. These products can, however, be sold on the Indian Reservation, but they are so labor-intensive that the Indians make very little for sale, but instead consume most of it themselves. What little they do sell is extremely expensive.

Although the park is named for the Saguaro, many other species of cacti also grow in the park, including the barrel, cholla, and prickly pear.

It is the Saguaro, however, that I find most fascinating.

These "desert trees" can take 75 years to develop the first "side arm" and some plants live to be 150-200 years old. Roots of the Saguaro only grow about 3"-6' deep, but spread out well beyond the arms, as far as the plant is tall. Fine hair-like roots can suck up as much as 200 gallons of water during an infrequent desert rain . . . enough water to last the plant for up to a year. Following a rain, the size of a Saguaro trunk is visibly larger after it has absorbed all of that rain water and expanded like an accordion. Its waxy skin minimizes loss of water by evaporation.

Many places in the park are literally "Saguaro Forests".

Although the tallest Saguaro I saw was about 30 feet tall, a Saguaro cactus can grow to 50 feet tall.

The cactus in the above self portrait was 25'-30' tall. The immensity of these "Sentinels of the Desert" is overwhelming. One of the wonders of this marvelous planet Earth . . . God's handiwork.