Bikes, Trains, and Autos...

Corona de Tucson

August 18, 2024

Barrel Cacti are a member of the genus Ferocactus  meaning "fierce or wild cactus".   These thick barrel-shaped body cactus with long hooked spines and prominent ribs are fiercely armed with heavy, strong spines.  Some species, like the ones we see here in the Sonoran Desert have curved spines like a fishhook which gives them the common name fishhook barrel cactus.  They can grow to be 6-10 feet tall with a life span of 50 to 100 years old.  Barrel cactus grow along washes, gravely slopes, and beneath canyon walls.  Thursday, Joe and I enjoyed an adventure at Saguaro NP East to find these blooming beauties.  

The flowers always grow at the top of the plant which I refer to as a crown.  Native Americans boiled young flowers in water to eat like cabbage and mashed the older boiled flowers for a drink.   

Native Americans used the fishhook spines as needles, awls, and for tattooing. They also used the cactus as a cooking pot by cutting off the top, scooping out the pulp and inserting hot stones.

Once the buds unfold, the cactus flower lasts from a few hours to several days.  But each plant has lots of buds so the bloom season can last for a couple of months.  

These blooms range in colors from yellow, orange and red and usually appear in September thru October.

These gorgeous flowers are not only visually appealing but also serve an important purpose....They attract pollinators like bees and birds that transfer pollen from one flower to another enabling the cactus to produce fruit.

Saturday mid-morning, Jamie, Andra and Ozzie came to visit.   

We had a great time catching up with lots of laughs, lunch (toasted bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches with cheese, macaroni salad and fruit) playing, and sitting on the patio watching the birds and an awesome storm complete with rain, thunder and lightening rolling by.  

Thank goodness the skies cleared as we had Saturday night plans for a double date.  Tucson Botanical Gardens had an event hosted by the gardens and Truly Nolen Pest Control.  There was a display of lowrider bikes which are highly customized bicycles with styling inspired by lowrider cars.   Lots of chrome, overspoked wheels, long curved banana seats and ape handlebars are common.

Complete with a spare tire, and blue dice tire valve stem caps...

Back in the 1920s, Old Pueblo, was coined by the locals as a name for Tucson to bring tourists, snowbirds, health seekers, and retirees to the area.  It represents the location with its Spanish-Indian past and was first used publicly in a 1937 issue of Arizona Highways Magazine.  Also on exhibit were Old Pueblo lowrider cars.  The bikes were cool, but the cars were way more cooler !  These unique vehicles which are an expression of identity...social, cultural, and aesthetic...feature extended bodies and a "low to the road roll".  They have been a popular choice for cruising and a popular pastime in many American communities...Tucson is no exception !  Lowriding puts both the cars and their riders on display.  Beautiful colors...

The suspension can raise and lower rapidly causing the car to hop and jump.... sometimes completely off the ground !  We saw one entering the event last night doing just that!

...artisitc designs...

Low and Slow is the lowrider motto.  This phenomenon had its origins in the 1940s when Mexican American communities in California began customizing their vehicles... a contrast to the muscle cars built for speed that also began in the 40s.   

...and unique and one of a kind vehicles invite conversations and interest. 

Also on display were vintage VWs. I do have a soft spot for VW Beetles.  When I was 15 and got my learners permit to drive, my grandfather had a Beetle...a 1965. It was a baby blue color with chrome bumpers and a stick shift.  Back in those days our state had tax collectors and my grandfather was one of them. He had a route he traveled monthly to collect payments.  During the the summer when I was 15, I would go with him at least one day during the week and drive him to his stops.  We traversed the backroads of Troup, Meriweather, and Harris Counties.  I loved it !  Country stores and out of the way full-service gas stations were my favorite stops ...fresh hoop cheeses and crackers and homemade summer sausages, and salted peanuts dropped in bottles of coke were always on the lunch menu for the two of us.  Such wonderful memories.  

The last exhibit is actually a permanent exhibit at the gardens.  The Great Garden Express brings classic model trains to life while featuring landmarks from national parks/monuments and southwest missions nestled in high desert plantings and also structures that mimic the picturesque, rocky landscape of the Southwest and Arizona.  We walked under elevated tracks with engines pulling passenger cars...

and along the path we watched as engines pulled freight thru tunnels and around points of interest.

There are six G scale model trains winding their way thru the exhibit.

Taos Pueblo in Taos, NM dating back between 1000 and 1450 AD.

As we meandered thru the exhibit it was fun looking for structures like Tucson's own Mission San Xavier, the Canyon Diablo elevated bridge near Flagstaff, Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon Depot.  I wish we had been given a check list of the structures.  After doing a wee bit of research, I know I want to return to see them all.  

Grand Canmyon Depot was completed in 1910 and the last passenger train passed thru the station in 1968.

The Great Garden Express was custom designed and made for Tucson Botanical Gardens by Laura Busse Dolan and the team at Applied Imaginations...nationally-recognized for garden railways using only natural materials.  Everything they design and build is made with plant materials that these artists select to hand-sculpt each unique architectural element...pods, barks, cones, branches, leaves, and even fungus.  With the proper coatings, these models can "live" for decades.  The Great Garden Express is the only Busse railroad in Arizona and the first to debut west of the Mississippi.  

Simple designs...

very elaborate designs...

The crepe myrtles were blooming...a reminder of our Georgia home.

Huge evergreen bushes of Cape Leadwort were full of gorgeous blue blooms.

I had to look up to the sunflowers...

and we saw signs that maybe fall is just around the corner...

It was a fun date night with the kiddos topped off with dinner at Edna's Cafe located inside the gardens before heading home.   

 

Back at the oasis, we had wind, rain, and hail on Thursday.  That was exciting !  

Sometimes we just get a nice rain shower...we love rain in the desert !

I made a veggie quiche...it was yummy !

The skies never disappoint...

The birds are entertaining...

Busy little hummers...

Still molting...

The first hawk to stop by in awhile...

It's always important to take time to smell the flowers...

And that's a wrap on the week.  Until next time...

Coral Vine at TBG...

Sunset from the patio at Edna's Cafe when we had dinner...

HAPPY TRAILS !

Auto Hikes and Monsoon Skies

Corona de Tucson

June 30, 2024

Sunset photo taken from the cart path behind our home...

Joe and I enjoyed a quiet week around the oasis.  Sunday, Sally had an appointment for a summer cut and pedicure.  it was a 4:00 appointment time and we ran into a storm on the way...tis the season and we are not complaining !

Joe and I do not like the shorter cut, but Sally loves it and as much as she doesn't like going to the groomers, it's just easier for her and us.  Monday, was dentist day for Joe...he had a root canal and a temporary cap put on and that was the last of the appointments for the week.   

This time of year, auto hikes and adventures go hand in hand.  It's nice being surrounded by beautiful nature and not sweltering at the same time.  We had errands to run...the library, Petco, groceries, etc. so we decided on a drive close to home and close to places we had to go to.  I wanted to see the saguaro with all it's gorgeous red fruit so we headed for Saguaro NP - East to do the loop drive. 

 

Pictures from the jeep don't really show how glamorous the saguaro are dressed in red fruit, but there were a lot of ooohs and aaahs as we slowly made our way on the loop.   

  

We only saw a couple of other vehicles so it was easy to get out and walk some too. 

Saguaro fruit ripens in the summer and provides moisture and nutrition to animals and insects.  I read that there is an average of 150 fruit pods per saguaro making it a veritable fast food drive-in for insects, birds, bats, coyotes, and other mammals.  For centuries people also depended on the saguaro fruit in the hot, dry desert as a food source as well.  When the fruit ripens, it splits open showing the juicy red pulp and small black seeds...up to 2000 small black seeds per pod !  I have not tasted the saguaro fruit, but read that it is very sweet and the seeds, which are high in protein and fats, have a nutlike flavor.  

Nesting White-winged Dove in the Sonoran Desert are a major pollinator for the saguaro blooms enjoying the nectar and pollen.  And when the fruit splits open, they feast on the seeds and pulp from the fruit. 

  

On Saturday, we headed up Catalina Highway for another adventure.  

Our destination was Rose Canyon Lake.  At about 7 acres, this lake sits at 7000 feet tucked away in a stand of ponderosa pines on the slopes of of the Catalina Mountains.  There is a paved road thru the Rose Canyon Campground that leads to a small parking area (with bathroom facilities and a small store with ice cream, ice, fishing supplies and camping supplies).  The lake and campground are maintained by the Forest Service and we paid an $11.00 fee for day use activities.  Tall trees and rocky slopes line the shore and a trail (Rose Canyon Lake Trail #37) traverses the waters edge and provides access to the water for fishing.  

The narrow two-way road thru the campground (tents only) and picnic areas...  

Rose Canyon Lake...the right side of the lake has a paved walk (wheelchair accessible and the left side is a packed dirt trail. 

Serious fishermen...the small lake is well stocked at all times with rainbow trout, catfish, carp, crappie, and walleye. A permit is required for bank fishing, casting, and fly fishing.

It was a nice walk...overcast skies, a slight breeze, 82 degrees and the wonderful scent of pine trees! 

Back at the oasis,  we are loving our monsoon storms and skies.  We have had a couple of storms and a couple of teasers this week.  It rained during the night  and as I write this post, we are under a flash flood advisory for this afternoon.  

Summertime mornings are the best ever and I look forward to our early walks !

We aren't the only early birds...

Summertime sunsets are also the best ever and I look forward to those walks too !

No editing needed on any of these photos !  

 

 My idea for keeping the birds out of my pots did not work...

so the pots have been replanted...fingers crossed !

A new to me plant...Gaura and it takes full sun. 

We found an egg on the metal plant shelf that is on the patio...we are pretty sure it is a mourning dove as a pair of them made several trips to the shelf one afternoon.  After laying the egg, they did not return.  Joe carefully moved the nest...although not much of a nest...and the egg to a nearby spot.  The egg didn't last long.

This very cute juvenile male cardinal put a smile on our faces...great entertainment with morning coffee.

We squeeze in walks with Sally when we can...

and spend lots of time in the mornings and late afternoons on the patio.

This morning as I was walking thru our bedroom with an arm full of sheets that I was taking to the washer, the puppies photos and my cross-stitch caught my eye in the early morning light.  Sure brought a tear or two or three to my eye.  We love our time with Sally, and at the same time, we sure do miss Wrecks, Dover and Jack.

We flip the calendar tomorrow...I can hardly believe it is July already and 2024 is half gone.   In case I don't post again, Happy Fourth of July.

Until next time,

Catalina Highway

The sunset glow behind our home...

HAPPY TRAILS!

Oh, I almost forgot...isn't the Desert Willow tree so pretty with its blooms?  These two little trees we paid $15.00 for (from Tucson Electric) are growing fast...