Corona de Tucson
March 14, 2022
What a crazy week we had. Started off with nothing on the agenda and a couple of lazy days. We like lazy days...and are figuring out after years of working and years on the road with one adventure after another, that sometimes you just need to be lazy. On Wednesday, we had plans to visit Pima Air and Space Museum with Randy. The museum is another one of those places Joe and I had never visited in all the years of coming to Tucson.
Pima Air and Space Museum is one of the largest non-government funded aviation and space museums in the world. It originally opened in 1976 with a mission to preserve historic aircraft. Today it features a collection of nearly 400 military, commercial, civil and experimental aircraft housed in six indoor exhibit hangers and on display outside spread out over 80 acres.
Once again, we have Randy to thank for sharing his time and knowledge as we perused several of the hangers and spent awhile outside walking several rows of aircraft.
There is so much history, so many displays and such a large area to cover that I am pretty sure several visits to the museum are necessary to take it all in. My brain gets really tired after a few hours !
There are tiny planes...
...and gargantuan planes and everything in-between.
Some had pointy noses...
...and others had multiple tale fins.
Some aircraft had small crowded spaces...
and others had spaces large enough for a bed and bath.
My sense of it was that each plane had unique capabilities that earned a spot in this museum.
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| A-10 Warthogs...first manufactured in the mid 70's, still fly in combat throughout the world today. |
We had a really good time, but the best part for me was watching and listening to Joe (Navy) and Randy (Air Force) . They both have lots of memories and lots of stories.
I'm wearing my vet tech hat this week! Sally has four meds.
Our plans to have lunch with Randy last Saturday were cancelled because we didn't want to leave Sally here by herself.
So yesterday, he stopped by with a birthday gift for me...a Desert Rose. A Desert Rose is a succulent plant, not like any succulent I have ever seen. Google says they are not difficult to grow provided they get enough sunlight and warmth. And overwatering is a no-no.
You might already know that Arizona is the Copper State. Copper is abundant in the Earth's crust, but what sets Arizona apart is its wealth of mineable copper which it owes to a copper-rich granite formed in ancient volcanoes.
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| Beautiful Arizona rocks... |
I hope to be posting photos of pretty red blooms in a few months ! Thank you Randy !
That's a wrap and another week gone by. Until next time, enjoy the warm sunshine...
don't forget to look up...
and...
An excellent outing for the two veterans. Looking forward to photos of your Desert Rose. I admit I had to look it up.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun listening to them…oh the stories!
DeleteHoping I will be posting photos in a few months of some very pretty blooms!
The museum is a wonderful place. When you add on the outside tour, it is a long day full of interesting info. Glad you finally made the visit. Happy Birthday!! Can't wait to see the Desert Rose blooming. So glad Sally is doing better and the tooth cleaning/removal went well.
ReplyDeleteThank you Pam. The years sure fly by! Fingers crossed on those blooms…hopefully in the summer!
DeleteWe loved the museum but like you said, we had information overload and tired brains! When we visited the museum there was not a B29 there, the plane Mike's Dad flew in as a gunner--I wonder if they have one now. A dear friend and neighbor (who lived to be 98 years old) was the guy in that bubble of the B17--can you imagine!!! Glad to hear Sally is feeling better! I had to chuckle at your "vet tech" display. When I left for Arkansas I left Mike a chart just like that! :)
ReplyDeleteYes, there is a B 29 Super Fortress or what the Army referred to as a “Hemisphere Defense Weapon” on display in one of the hangers. Joes dad trained to be a waist gunner, but was reassigned when the Army found out he had 3 daughters. I can’t function without charts and lists anymore…👍🤣
DeleteThe museum is an interesting place but best visited a few times to get it all without burnout! We also enjoyed the "boneyard" tour that was across the street! Anything that flies peaks Dave's interest! Can't wait to see your birthday rose in bloom! Glad little Sally is on the mend...it's so hard when they're not feeling well.
ReplyDeleteJoe has always had a “love” for anything that flies as well. It was fun being there with him and Randy. I don’t have a green thumb, but it effort counts then maybe we will have blooms…🤞! So agree sick puppies (or any pet) and babies are always hard.
DeleteWe have been by Pima several times but have never stopped. I think it is time next time we are in the area!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely worth a visit…and when you are in the area, give us a shout!
DeleteWe also haven't done the museum yet - and Mom lived in Tucson for decades. Thanks for the great summary of such a diverse collection. I drive by the acres of old, taped planes all the time but getting to see what else they have is a treat. Glad Sally is feeling better, it's so hard when they feel bad.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jodee! The museum is definitely worth a stop…full of history!
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