Welcome

Welcome to my photo journal.


Friday, February 29, 2008

Picacho State Park

Off for a drive to Picacho State Park north of Tucson, a photo in todays paper looked nice. We were glad we went, it is just awhsome. We visited with a couple who has lived in the area for 15 years and this is the 3rd time that they have seen a display like this. There were flowers everywhere in the first two loop trails. We even saw some we hadn't seen anywhere else in our hikes. We have some work to do to learn the flowers names.
These we do know the Mexican Poppy and Lupine.


The view from the trails vista. It was only a .7 mile hike but with taking photos it took us over an hour. I took 109 photos today! The temp. today was 82.
I hope everyone enjoyed the extra day!!!

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Picture Perfect Day

It was a picture perfect day with the temp. at 81. Ken played golf this morning with the park follows and I cleaned the RV. After lunch we decided to go for a hike, one we had seen listed in a book as easy. It is out Gold Canyon way for those of you who know the area. It is the Hieroglyphics Trail about 2 miles long one way, it took us about 2 and half hours to do. It was easy. There were lots of blue flowers out on this trail, a few poppies, there were bigger patches of poppies we could see off in the distance.
Here are the hieroglyphics, there was a small waterfall and two pools, I didn't make it to see the pools as it got a little rockier than I like. I saw the waterfalls there were 3 kids skipping school climbing around them.

Can you make out the animal drawings?


Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Hiking Treasure Trail

What a beautiful day, temp was 78, a good day for a hike. We drove up 87 to First Water Trailhead and took off on one of the trails and ended up on the Treasure Loop Trail. It took us up Superstition Mtn.
It took us about 4 hrs. since I walk slow and we take photos.





Not many poppies yet!





It was a nice hike and a pretty view of the mountains and beyond, on top we could even see the buildings of Phoenix way in the distance.

I wanted to do a watercolor from my photos not yet printed so I set up my little studio. I didn't want to use the table as Ken needed it for his project of cleaning his camera.




Monday Ken played golf with the park golfers and I had breakfast with Mom and we found a program on her computer where she can play with her photos. Tomorrow I am having lunch with her maybe we will go though the possess of downloading photos again.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

A big photo day

It turned out to be a beautiful day, temp 67, perfect for the Lost Dutchman Days parade.
We got up early to watch the Budweiser Clydesdales get ready for the parade.
It was fun to see them; before they were taken to the staging area they were bathed and groomed.
Everyone from the horses to the dog knew their spot.


There was a huge crowd for the parade, everyone enjoyed the fun, the dogs, the clowns, the horses, the old cars and the motorcycles, it lasted two hours.





We then walked back to our car at the Clydesdales staging area at AZ Joes resturant and decided to have lunch there waiting out the traffic. The lunch was very good, the Clydesdale handlers were there having lunch too, of course the horses had already been taken back to Goldfield to their stables.



We checked on the cats, opened the windows for them then went to the Arts and Crafts Show. Bargains crafts, Ken bought a rusted iron butterfly to display outside the RV for $5.

We then went out to the desert looking for wildflowers, we found a beautiful spot for them.
I have never taken so many photos in one day before 220, aren't you glad there is not space for all of them in my blog. Ken took 442 photos!!!

Friday, February 22, 2008

A no Photo Day

It's another rainy day in AZ, not alot just a few showers so it was a good day for a movie. We saw There will be Blood with Daniel Day Lewis, it was OK, I don't see where he should get an award, it is his usual role, it reminded me of his role in The Gangs of New York.
This morning I went to the parks yoga class, it would be nice to go every week but it is in the middle of the morning when we would like to be out doing things.

Yesterday, we went to the VFW's brats and meet the Clydesdale.

Then had dinner with Mom.


You can call yourself an Arizonian when....a rainy day starts putting you in a good mood.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Clydesdales in town

The Clydesdales are in Apache Junction for Lost Dutchman Days this weekend, we went out to Goldfield where they are being stabled. We hope the predicted rain for Sat. morning won't dampen the parade, I was planning on going.


This afternoon at 4 the park served pulled pork sandwiches, beans, coleslaw for $4. We sat across a fulltiming couple who were from Austin, MN.


Ken went hiking with the group from the park this morning. I cleaned the RV and then had lunch with Mom.





Last night I took this photo of the moon and Superstition Mtn. I won't be able to get the ecilpse tonight as clouds have moved in and we may get rain tonight.



Yesterday, we went out to the Peralta Trailhead and poked around. No poppies!




Monday, February 18, 2008

Desert Color

We had a fun day, the temp started out cool at 45 and got up to 67. We were outside all day and I can feel it on my face. We should sleep well tonight!! This is on Weaver's Needle trail. We went out this afternoon looking for wildflowers.
We found the beautiful poppies.




Jojoba blossoms and many other tiny blossoms.











I went along with the park golfers this morning to play 9 holes at Royal Palms executive golf course. I did well for putting 2 balls in the water, my score was 39 with 14 puts.




Here are my partners Dottie, Donna and MaryAnn, they are from the midwest also. Donna lived in Kearney for a couple of years. There were six ladies in the group.






My BD wine.





Ken thought this lady was a twin for my BF Cheryl. We saw her a week or so ago when we were having breakfast at I Hop.

Two roads diverge in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. Robert Frost






Sunday, February 17, 2008

Art Fair

Finally the sun has returned and it is a nice day to visit the Scottsdale Art and Wine Fair. Admission was $2 and the wine tickets with a real wine glass was $10.
I had 4 samples of wine and one sample of beer, they were quarter glass samples. Ken bought me a botte white merlot of an AZ wine that I thought tasted good for my BD.

It's a nice souvenir glass!!


Robin was also visiting the art fair!



And just like the Plaza Art Fair there were the dogs.
Yesterday we spent the day with Mom, we hooked her up to a printer, one of these days we'll get her on the internet.
Blessed be the Cracked for they let in the light.




Friday, February 15, 2008

Rainy day

A rainy day all day. It was a good day to check out the swap n shop, Ken's first time. Here is Ken looking at the Mexcian imports.
The new thing is the Red Dirt dyed Tees, shirts, hats and bags. We'll have to go back to get us a couple. I guess you should wash them a couple of times alone first the sign instructed.

We took Mom out for lunch yesterday to the Olive Garden. Mom's printer isn't working and Ken is trying to fix her up with one.
Only in Arizona....You can get up to 25 years for destroying a cactus.
You can call yourself an Arizonian when...shade, not distance, is what you look for in a parking spot.


Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Hike

Another beautiful day in the valley, temp about 74. We decided to join the RV parks hiking group this morning. About 30 of us hiked Meridian trail into Usuary Park and back about 5 miles of easy walking. They get together every Wed. and hike about 5 or more miles, a different trail and usually a moderate difficulty, todays was easy. Good for me since I am out of shape and not really good with steep grades.
We did learn about a few other trails and the fees needed for some.


There were four poppies blooming on this trail. They told us there were more on the back side of the mountain which they hiked last week.

WalMart roses!!! Enjoy your Valentine's Day!
Remember this, that very little is needed to make a happy life. Marcus Aurelius



Tuesday, February 12, 2008

How many love birds?


Saw the love birds at Dreamland Golf Course, these are just a few of them.




Another trip to Gilbert Riparian Park, more bird photos!!




Temp today was 77.
Wild West Quotes
Leave me alone and let me go to hell by my own route. Calamity Jane shortly before her death in Deadwood, SD in 1903