good-times-rollin: winter in Vail

Thursday, March 2, 2023

A Gathering and Two Visits to the Park

Corona de Tucson

March 2, 2023

Sunday night's clear sky and sunset after a snowy, windy start to the day sure was nice to see.

The following days warmed nicely and Tuesday, I had a case of cabin fever. It was off to Saguaro National Park East (SNP) for a needed dose of sunshine. We have hiked there many times, and never grow tired of the trails or the views or the desert plants.

Wednesday a day trip took us southeast about an hour from home to Dragoon Road.

It was a special day...

The stars finally aligned and we had a wonderful gathering at Janna and Mike's who live in Pearce. Sue and Dave, Pam and John, and Jodee and Bill...folks we call good friends, folks we met years ago, and folks we have wonderful memories with from days when we were full-time rollin'...were all there. It's like Sue said, we do stay in touch thru our blogs, but catching up face to face is way better and much more fun. Of course, no gathering is quite complete without good food to share. The second we walked into Janna and Mike's beautiful home, the mouthwatering aroma from a brisket Janna had put in the over earlier filled the air. Mexican cornbread (Pam), cowboy beans (Jodee) , slaw (Sue), and macaroni salad (me) sure made for a very tasty lunch! Top that off with chocolate chip cream cheese bars (Pam) and it was lunch "fit for a king" as my grandma would say.

Mike, Janna and Emmi

Funny stories, lots and lots of laughter, reminiscing, and plans for the future have a way of making the hours seem like minutes. And just like that it was time to head home. Thank you Janna and Mike and Emmi!

As predicted, the forecast for late Wednesday afternoon called for strong winds with a winter watch arriving in the wee hours of the morning. We have become accustomed to the winds here, but always take notice when the forecast calls for strong winds. Strong winds are usually 40+ mph and sure enough, Wednesday was no exception at 55 mph. And sure enough, when we woke up today, there was snow on the ground...4 inches of snow. That was the most snow at one time so far and the third snow for the season. Today's adventure found us back at SNP East for an auto hike. It was a sight to behold !

Our family back in South Carolina and North Carolina are in shock ! We are in shock ! This is the desert you know. The ranger at the park says these wet, cold winters are on an 8-10 year cycle. Our first winter in Tucson was in 2013 and in all the years after that we have not experienced anything like this winter. It isn't a complaint...we are way happy to see the desert get so much water after so many years of going without. And fingers crossed for lots of wildflowers and cacti full of blooms. While we were there, there was a mix of dark gray skies, light gray skies, and blue skies with white clouds.