March 20-22, 2012 almost time to go home

Wanderings
March 20, 2012
Titan II Museum - Peace Through Deterrence.     As a child of the Cold War who practiced "drop and cover", visiting this site fills in many questions about how the USA would respond to an attack.  All titan missiles have been destroyed and this is the only silo that remains open as an example.  The rest have been blown up, filled in and the land has been sold.  There is a Methodist Church on the old missile site in Catalina, AZ.

Watch out for rattlesnakes, a common sign whenever we're outside.    We never saw any snakes at the national parks or along the hiking trails.
Lovely blossoms on the prickly pear cactus.

The control room where 2 technicians stood at  the ready to respond if we were attacked.  Our guide explain how a 6 digit secret code would be transmitted and then 2 more steps would be required to actually fire the missile

Lovely Golf course in Tubac, Arizona

Pima Air and Space Museum - so many airplanes

One of 6 whimsically painted airplanes

My favorite - the Super Guppy use to transport space capsules

We signed up for a special bus tour through the "Bone Yard" off to the side of an air base. 

 This is where the B52 airplanes(the large planes that carry atom bombs) are destroyed as part of the nuclear weapons treaty.  The Russians come here and the USA goes there annually to  inspect each other to be sure the big see the planes are being destroyed.   Spare parts for just about any type of airplane are kept here.  The dry heat and firm sand are a perfect warehouse.                                   

How strange to see rows of airplane parts.

This is picture of the super secret stealth bomber.(It is a joke- you know, an invisible bomber) 

Winter storm alert extended till 8pm Mar 19

In the valley

Snow on the Santa Catalina  Mountains 

Lots of touring March 20-March 26

Wanderings
We've been touring with my brother and sister-in-law.  Pictures to follow of Titan II Missile site, Arizona Air and Space Museum and Bone yard Tour(where left over parts are stored for airplanes).  Then off to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon with my daughter and grandson.  Too much fun to spend time typing.  I'll catch up sometime later this week.

King' s Canyon Wild Flower Hike Mar 14

Wanderings
Today we drove over the scary Gate's Pass road through the Tucson Mountains to get to the Desert Museum's annual Wildflower Hike.   There were 2 guides and 24 of us senior"ish" hikers who set out at 8:30 for a 3 hour "stroll" through the rocky, pebble strewn King's Canyon in the West Saguero National Park.  We walked over dry river beds, scoured bedrock outcroppings and several tricky small rock walls.  Their description of a few steep trails was not exactly accurate.  The "road" back was a rocky rubble originally built by miners and the CCC.  We did learn an incredible amount about desert plants and saw beautiful miniature blossoms. 

King's canyon was a beautiful wild area.  The path was a dry wash completely natural with strange rock walls still jumbled from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. 

Parry Primrose which grows maybe 2 feet tall.

Saguero growing out of a rock wall.  How on earth does it hang on?

The path ahead - not too strenuous so far

Last year the temperature dropped to 18 degrees.  Many large trees and bushes had bare branches due to frost bite.  Amazing to see the new green growth tucked down by the roots

Bedrock - our sandy wash is gone

Most wild flower blossoms are smaller than a dime.  The guides gave us 4 double sided pages with the botanical and common names of the wild flowers we might see. 

My favorite wild plant was a desert fern.  You can't really see it here, but a fern is really surprising on this rocky desert canyon wall.

Jim and the guide look for an easier way to climb up the rock wall.

How can that little rock hold up the ledge?

Up we go to the trail above.












Ancient petroglphs.  Petroglyphs (also called rock engravings) are pictogram and logogram images .  Perhaps this was a place where water could be found.

The "road" back was a rocky rubble originally built by miners and the CCC.

Now we are in the path above the wash looking back at where we were below.

This is an irrigation reservoir in the valley below.  It is startling to see water anywhere.

This white stuff is a mixture of  calcium carbonate carried in the dust which mixes with water and coats the rocks.  It can harden enough to need a jack hammer to get through it.

We decided to drive west from the Desert Museum into West Saguero National Park.  The Visitor Center had a wonderful video explaining more about the majestic saguero that grows in these protected areas.  Someone has been shooting them, using them as target practice.  We should all be horrified to see these cacti destroyed in such a selfish, violent way.  Sagueros live to be 100 years old or more.  They only grow "arms" after 70 years.  The video explained native american perspectives on the desert.  It was very moving and inspiring to protect nature.  When it ended, the screen retracted up and curtains behind it opened.  A giant picture window gave a view of that very sacred desert landscape outside lit by brilliant sunshine. 

This is the dirt road that leads through the West Saguero National Park.  There are hiking trails and picnic sites along the way.

More incredible rocky outcroppings.  God's magnificent creation, so different from our prairie landscape.

These are the Catalina Mountains that are close to our condo.  The guide explained that the same granite from those mountains is found on this side indicating at one time, they were part of the same mountain range.   We are pretty transient, and small in the span of time compared to this land!!

Crazy weather March 18

 Today we are in a winter weather alert.  Who knew that Arizona is often the recipient of Alaska cold air stream when it slides down the west coast.  We woke up to very strong winds battering the condo walls followed by freezing rain and lots of it.  I wish I had measured the circumference of the saguero in front of the patio to see how much water it would soak up.  Still learning to desert ways.  By 10am we had patches of blue skies, but heavy blue snow clouds covered the mountains.  6 miles away, at higher elevation, the got 4 inches of snow.  We're in Oro Valley and not high enough for snow this time.  The funniest thing is to see all the people staying here all bundled up.  Even ear muffs!!  Some new families are here with kids(spring break, I guess).  The kids come out when the rain stops to ride their bikes.  Everybody has a hat or a hood.  36 is pretty cold here.  
The weather is upside down.  Still, we do not wish a bad winter for everyone in the north.  Having this  time here even when it cold, is pretty special.

 Our blue sky is all gone.   Looking west

Looking east. The mountains are swallowed by dark clouds.  It's snowing over there

Jim's second jigsaw puzzle.  The perfect thing to do on a rainy day in Tucson.   This time I sat still long enough to find about  30 pieces.  Puzzle piece searching is too frustrating for me.