Awesome Weather, Wildflowers, and Washed Ashore

Corona de Tucson

March 

Daffodils are the birth flowers for March.  They bloom in early spring symbolizing new beginnings, happiness and joy.  They are one of my favorite flowers.  

March is my birth month and this year to celebrate, Joe and I spent the morning at Tucson Botanical Gardens.  This is a wonderful time of year to meander and enjoy the beautiful colors.

There are two new exhibits at the Gardens.  

Antartica is an exhibit of large scale images of ice-shrouded mountains, graphic explorations of deep blue ice shaped by wind and water, and intimate studies of penguins and other birds who call this daunting environment home.  Antartica is described as the highest, driest, coldest, and windiest, continent on Earth and the world's largest desert. In 2021, photographers Catherine Harold and Vicky Stromee traveled to this formidable outpost to capture the beauty of the landscape, icebergs, and wildlife.   

The detail in these large scale images is so clear, the colors are so vibrant, and the action is incredible.  My photos of them do not reveal their beauty...so worth a visit if in this area. This exhibit is on display until June 30.  
    

Washed Ashore  is an exhibit of larger than life sea creatures constructed entirely from debris collected on beaches.  In ten years, Washed Ashore has processed over 35 tons of plastic pollution from the Pacific Northwest's ocean beaches to create over 85 works of art.  

Sebastian James the Puffin

The sculptures are beautiful, whimsical, and shocking all at the same time. Familiar items like buckets, shovels, water bottles, and flip flops are intentionally placed to convey the importance of keeping beaches clean.  This exhibit is also on display thru June 30.  

Priscilla the Rainbow Parrot Fish

There were all sizes and colors of jellyfish hanging throughput the gardens.  

Edna's Cafe is temporarily closed as the Gardens is making some changes to their on-site cafe.  In the meantime, Porter's Patio Cafe is serving breakfast  (8:30 - 11 am) and lunch (11am - 3pm daily).  

Charly's BBQ and Grill, a popular food truck at taprooms around Tucson, is preparing up a yummy menu of breakfast burritos and buttermilk pancakes or pulled pork sandwiches, Sonoran BBQ chili dog, ceasar salad, and smoked chicken wings.  We each had a pulled pork sandwich and fries. The fries passed the "very yummy" taste test and the pulled pork sandwich (served on a toasted bun with awesome Texas sauce and a hint of slaw) hit the spot.  It's been a really (really, really) long time since we had pulled pork.  Chef Carlos Guerrero has a long career in the business and was banquet chef at JW Marriott Tucson Star Pass Resort & Spa before he sprouted the idea of Sonoran-style barbecue  and began his own business.  

We also spent a morning at Catalina State Park this week.  

Romero Ruins is a quick loop just under a mile with historical land marks that guide visitors thru several centuries of human history.  One of several Hohokam villages in the Tuscan area is nestled in the shadows of the Catalina Mountains within the state park boundaries.  The Hohokam lived at this settlement continuously from AD 500 to 1450 with as many as 125 to 200 people living here at its peak around  AD 900.  Their settlement spaned the entire ridge upon which it sat...about 15 acres.  The trail winds thru where their homes once stood as well as a hill where ancient trash is buried, and an oval-shaped depression used as a ball court.

The trail gets its name from the remains of  a more recent structure built by rancher Francisco Romero sometime before 1850.  The ranch is described as a lonely 12 miles from Tucson which endured many Apache raids.   The Apache claimed this ridge as their hunting range. The Romeros occupied the ranch for a dozen or so years before moving to the Tucson area.  Mr. Romero built several buildings on his ranch, but only one has been partially restored (the original walls were seven or eight feet high) to emphasize the doorway, fireplace and size. 

 

Although the trail is short and easy, it not only offers a bit history, it also offers beautiful views... 

A row of beautiful saguaros along the ridge with the Catalina Mountains in the background...

spots of color...

Lupin growing along the trail...

and wildlife.

A baby lizard not more that two inches long...

The Romero Loop was a warm up as we also hiked the Canyon Loop Trail.  It is my favorite trail in the park.  It isn't a long trail either at 2.5 miles, but packs in a lot of beauty.  We always go counter clockwise and enjoy the ridge before taking the 90 steps into the canyon.  The ridge offers wide open vistas and we are so happy that signs of the Big Horn Fire in the summer of 2020 are fading away.  

 

As we descended into the canyon we heard the sound of flowing water...always a welcoming sound in the desert.  

The climb out of the canyon is much easier in this direction.

And what a gorgeous surprise we had as we rounded the corner...

Another beautiful Arizona day in the memory book...flowing water and poppies along with the warm sunshine and spending the morning outside with Joe was the perfect combination.     

We also met Jamie and Andra for lunch at The Cheesecake Factory this week...a birthday celebration and a slice of Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple was calling my name.  No pictures as we were busy conversing, laughing and enjoying our yummy lunch and dessert.  Jamie and Andra surprised me with the prettiest flower pot and cacti which is now at home on our patio.  

 

Back at the oasis,

The Cactus Wrens continue to fuss...

Mr C adds a spot of color...

 

Sally and I enjoy the morning glow...

and Sally has no trouble figuring out what to do on a rainy Friday.

Until next time...

A late afternoon walk in the neighborhood...

HAPPY TRAILS!

Settling into February...

Corona de Tucson

February 11, 2024

Settling in at home is a wonderful thing...putting things in their place, adjusting to space, our very own little oasis, a roomy shower, and a much larger washer and dryer are just a few things that help settling in wonderful.  There are many things we enjoy about home, but the quiet might just be my most favorite thing of all about being here.  

Monday, we were up early and headed to Lazydays KOA.  Just saying/writing Lazydays KOA floods my brain with so many great memories of days gone by.  Carol and Ronnie left SD when we did and pulled right in to the KOA for two weeks of Tucson time and Monday we had plans to hike at Catalina State Park.  Anybody that has visited this beautiful Arizona state park knows that to do most walking/hiking there one must cross the wash.  Sometimes, the wash is dry...that is always sad to me...and sometimes the wash has running water...that always makes me happy.  Memories of laughing all the way across with garbage bags wrapped around our legs come to mind...just ask Sue !  No bags this week, but there were lots of laughs heard while wading thru the better than ankle deep cold water.  

Catalina is a favorite hiking place.  Joe and I both agree that we don't get there enough as it is just shy of 45 miles from home.  Afterwards, we enjoyed a picnic before heading back to town.  

Another day this week we enjoyed perusing The Gallery in the Sun with Carol and Ronnie.  The gallery DeGrazia built is a work of art in itself and while we like some of his art...not all of his art...it makes for a colorful morning with a little history thrown in the mix.  Carol is quite the artist herself and I enjoyed watching her stroll thru the gallery and pointing out things I would never even think about.  

There were two rotating exhibits on display until September 4th. 

"Rodeo" is a series of oil paintings DeGrazia did in 1954 that were inspired by the Tohono O'odham Nation Rodeo and Fair in the community of Sells, AZ. DeGrazia referred to these paintings as his "dramatic" paintings...works that capture a decisive, dramatic moment in paint.   

Titled : Wild Horse Race
oil on canvas, 1954 
I loved the bold colors and action in this painting.

And "Master Thesis Paintings" featuring a selection of watercolors and oil paintings  from his 1945 University of Arizona Master of Arts Thesis.  

Based on movements from popular classical music, his work demonstrates his theories about the correlation between the melodies, harmonies, and rhythms of music and the shapes, colors, and rhythms of abstract paintings. 

Tschaikowsky
Concerto #1 in B flat minor
oil on canvas diptych 1944
(I had to look up diptych...a painting on two hinged wooden panels which may be closed like a book.)

Throughout the gallery, are tables, benches and chairs that DeGrazia made.  I love the simplicity. 

In DeGrazi's studio, the buses caught Carols' eye.  

And in the courtyard, Carol and Ronnie paused...

to study the self image DeGrazia did in a sculpture like form that hangs in a tree.  

We also took the time to see Mission in the Sun, the first building DeGrazia built on the grounds.  

Afterwards, we enjoyed a nice lunch at Cafe a La C'Art in town.  A delightful morning, a yummy lunch, and time with friends makes for a really nice time.    

  

Back at the oasis, it has been a hodge podge of weather days....mild and sunny, rainy, windy, and cold.  

We only had one decent day for a walk...

No complaints...we need the rain! And a great day for being lazy!

The doves practiced their ice skating skills...quite gracefully I will add. I felt really bad when he started pecking at the ice for water. 

Yesterday (Saturday 2/10) we had plans.  Andra and Jamie and Carol and Ronnie came for lunch.  I made lasagna, salad and bread and Carol brought cherry cheesecake.  It was a wonderful time visiting.   It was also cold and snowing !  I didn't get photos of the people, but I did get some of the snow.  

Ozzie loves the snow!

The best part about snow  here is that it was gone by late afternoon.

We weren't sure how many birds we should see after having been gone for a month.  Filling the feeders was the first thing we did! No surprise that the Cactus Wren was the first to show.  We have had the pleasure to see Cardinals, Gila Woodpeckers, Curved-bill Thrashers, House Wrens and Sparrows...all the regulars!  

And we had a new bird in the yard...a Yellow-rumped Warbler.  What a nice surprise! 

The thistle feeder has been the busiest !

And this morning, this sweet little Costa's Hummingbird waited very patiently while I took his feeder inside to refill it.

Sally had her annual vet appointment this week.  All is good with her.  We think she is happy to be home too...

February is off to great start.  It is almost Valentin's Day !  Love is in the air...in the whisper of the trees, in the thunder of the seas, in the rising of the sun, when the day is nearly done, everywhere I look around, every sight and every sound, love is in the air.  (taken from lyrics to "Love is in the Air" by John Paul Young.)  

Until next time,

HAPPY TRAILS !