It's Been Almost Three Weeks...

Corona de Tucson

May 25, 2022 

An e-mail this morning from our brother-in-law who lives on the east coast asking if we were all right sparked some motivation for a blog post.  It doesn't seem like almost three weeks have gone by since I last blogged.  Time has a sneaky way of slipping by even when we are not adventurous or especially busy.  Joe always says, "The difference between a rut and a grave is the depth of the hole."  I don't think we are in a rut and we certainly have not dug a grave.  Home just seems like a really good fit for us right now...it is peaceful and quiet, safe, and cozy and comfortable. There really isn't any where else we want to be and no where we want to go right now.  I also have to say that I have been a bit under the weather...a case of Covid interrupted our everyday routine for me.  Yes, I have been vaccinated and boosted.  I assume my symptoms were on the lighter side, but they put me in the bed for a few days with a fever, horrific headache, aches, and a very stuffy nose...much like the symptoms I had with the second vaccination and booster.  Life goes on.  

I love mornings and so does Jack.  We have changed his nickname from Mr. Excitement to Mr. Morning as HIS alarm clock is pretty consistent between 4:55-5:05.  I always enjoy getting up with the pups and going to the back yard...especially when pastel skies greet us at the door.

It has been windy and we haven't had very many days with clouds.  Clouds are beautiful and important.  I miss them when they are not there and enjoy them when they are.

May 11...late afternoon

May 22...early morning

BC (Before Covid), Joe and I knocked out a couple of small projects that were on "the list".  First, Joe built a shelf cabinet for the closet in the third bedroom that we don't use for a bedroom.  Much needed storage for me. With the help of the bestest supervisor ever, I painted the shelves.

Dover is never far away...

Second project was a facade to hide the AC unit.  We built and stained three fence like panels in the garage.  We assembled them outside.

I like the view a lot better !

We still enjoy our early morning walks .

Mornings are spent in the backyard and on the patio.  The birds get fresh oranges, butter bites, and clean water everyday.  We all have our jobs.

Some mornings it is a race between Jack and me as to who can get in the rocker first.  Mostly, Jack wins !

Some visitors come and go...

...others stay awhile...

Two Cactus Wrens

...some seem to get along nicely...

A Cactus Wren and Curved-bill Thrasher

...while others try new things...

Gambles Quail

...some are quite messy...

female Gila Woodpecker

...and others are very neat.

female Cardinal

I posted a photo of a female Gilded Flicker at the end of April and hoped she would send her handsome beau to the Taylor's.

He made his appearance this morning.  And he made my day !   

I'll close for now.  Yes, Chuck, we are all well and life is good at the oasis.  And thank you for caring !  Until next time,

  HAPPY TRAILS !

Madera Canyon

Corona de Tucson

May 6, 2022 

This beautiful piece of southwest Arizona is Madera Canyon.  Madera is a Spanish word meaning lumber or wood and over a century ago, this canyon served as a major source of timber for the city of Tucson...thus its name.   Today it is a haven for diverse wildlife (especially birds), a home for a wide variety of plants and trees, and a relief from the scorching heat for many of us in the summer.  The canyon lies on the northwest face of the Santa Rita Mountains in the Coronado National Forest.  We have hiked here many times in our visits to Tucson...once to Josephine Saddle via the Old Baldy Trail and Super Trail  loop back in 2016. 

My toe is better.  And you know what that means.  Tuesday, we headed to Madera Canyon with Randy to do a "new to us" section of the Proctor Trail.  We parked at the Amphitheater parking area to begin the climb to Mt Wrightson Picnic and Trailheads area.  From the get go, it was mesmerizing...a shady welcome, scents of pine and dirt, birds singing, golden grasses, and mountains and views.     

A few wildflowers added pops of color along the way.  

My dear mother-in-law always said every room needs a splash of red.  I agree !

This section of Proctor Trail meanders up and down with lots of twists and turns as the narrow trail hugs the mountain side.  

We made a wrong left turn so didn't actually make it all the way to the Mt Wrightson picnic area which is at the end of the scenic drive through Madera Canyon.  Next time, we will know to go right.  We walked Madera Canyon Road back to the Amphitheater parking lot.  We saw a group of turkeys (I counted at least nine) by Madera Creek.  

Did you know a group of turkeys is called a rafter?  That is because they like to roost in the rafters of barns and old structures.  

If there are no rafters, they choose to do their roosting in trees.

I just happened to look up as we walked past a rock wall and something red caught my eye.  It was several claret cup cacti just growing out of the rock.  So amazing and pretty...a true rock garden ! 

Back at the oasis, nothing much is going on.  The dahlias are popping up.

We had a new backyard visitor...a Brown-crested Flycatcher.

They are seen in the southwest during breeding season.  Old woodpecker holes...now I know they are called boots...in saguaro are critical for their nesting habitat.  

In addition to the hike, we have had a couple of early morning walks.  

And Thursday morning, we went to Lowes.  

We never come home empty handed.  

I have been practicing with the focus on my camera.  The globe mallow and hummingbird are on the other side of the wrought iron fence.

And the cone flowers are behind the chair.

So until next week, 

HAPPY TRAILS !