Cascabel Road and other adventures

We have had a house guest since the end of September.  Armando, Artur's old work buddy came to stay for a month.  This area of the country is like home to him since he's originally from Mexico and grew up in Texas.  Armando is still suffering some of the effects of brain surgery that he had years ago for a tumor which almost killed him but generally by now he is able to get around pretty well.  We just decided not to take him on any lengthy hikes so our sightseeing is limited to driving, which of course Artur doesn't mind.

We are obviously still newbies in Arizona because we took off for a drive on Cascabel Road which runs north from Benson along the San Pedro River and meanders all the way to Tucson.  After about 36 miles down the road, we realized the with half a tank of gas and only my cup of water we better make sure that there's a gas station or town around if we continue.  My phone GPS showed about another 75 miles to any paved road so we decided to get back to Benson and take gas and water with us next time around.  Still there were amazing sites just along those 30 some miles.  Artur and I decided that this would be a great place to come back to in the winter.

Our first stop was Gammons Gulch, an old movie town that has some really great building and lots of old rusted stuff!  Fun place to walk around and explore.  Not a single person around so it was really great!

Poor Armando is such a good sport!

Here are the cement quails that I had just purchased in Tucson for my front entrance.  I just love them!

I think they look better on my porch.....

After Gammons Gulch we headed North on Cascabel Rd.  The San Pedro Valley was so amazing and beautiful on this October Day....

The River Valley has amazing earth formations that look like ancient ruins but are totally out of clay molded by the river.  There are also organic farms along the river with so much variety of animals and crops.  We really do need to explore this area in greater detail.  So close to Benson.....no need to drive so far to see such interesting wonders.

Finally made it to California

When we moved to Arizona in March 2013, Tom had mentioned that we need to go visit our sister Barbara who lives in Grass Valley California after we are settled in.  Little did Barb know that it would take 5 months to finally get the trip organized.  I was naive in thinking that because Arizona and California are bordering states, the distances would not be as great but they are nothing like the Eastern States that we were used to.  Just traveling around Arizona opens your eyes to the vastness of the Western States.  "How beautiful for spacious skies"!

So we started on our trip last Friday the 27th of September at 5AM and headed up Hwy 10 towards Phoenix and took Hwy 8 heading for San Diego.  Around 10 AM we found ourselves surrounded by

fields of windmills in the Palm Springs Valley of California.  I have seen windmills in the fields of Indiana but here in California they have all different designs, shapes and sizes.  This valley must be the test field for windmill companies.

To me they look like space age palm trees.  Wonder if Bob Hope ever envisioned this while relaxing on all those golf courses in town.

Here's another "only in California" sight.....Trucks full of grapefruit.  I also spotted one full of tomatoes probably headed to the V8 factory.

We finally arrived at Barbara's around 9:30 PM.  I'm glad she's moving because it's crazy to find her place at night in the foothills of the Sierra's.  But the smell of pines and running water did my old Ohio Soul good.

Brunch with Barb in Grass Valley

Barb's a walker.....Tom and I had a hard time keeping up...

Barb's house

Love these trees!!

Tom's pulling out what he can to grow in Arizona....

I helped Barb with her computer issues and Tom did some small repairs around the house.  Tom is so generous with his helpless sisters!

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We headed for home on Sept. 30 at 6:30 AM intending to drive home via Reno and LasVegas.  Somewhere south of Reno we encountered this:

I was pleasantly surprised  and mentioned to Tom how beautiful it was and kept driving....

Just a few miles later we saw a sign "Welcome to California".  Much to our surprise we had made a right turn right back and we  were staring at the Sierra Nevada's on the other side of Yosemite.  I was happy for the detour because I got some great shots in the valley along Rt 395 heading South to Rt. 40.

Coming over the Donner Pass, trying to envision the first settlers making this trip, I can't wrap my mind around that one!

Along Calif. 395

It's Fall in the Valley

Colorado River at the Calif. Arizona border at sunset

Heading towards Lake Havasu, AZ

I decided that going back to see Lake Havasu would be worth a trip.  There's is also Parker Lake and Parker Dam with several State Parks in the area.  I had imagined it to be flat as a pancake type of landscape but I was really wrong.  It's very beautiful and Lake Havasu is a huge modern city.

So continues my exploration of the American West.

What fun!!!

Architects of the Desert

After the strong rains of this week, we discovered amazing structures in the desert built by ants overnight.  It's a testimony to teamwork and persistence.  I can see why my nephew has taken on the study of ants.  I never thought much about them in Ohio other than something to be poisoned or stepped on.  Out here I'm acquiring a new appreciation for the natural order of things that I used to consider pests.

Here's one with a outdoor toilet....

Somebody had more help last night

Looks like the pyramids of Egypt

The ATV tracks from the evening before don't bother them

Here's a duplex

This is the most interesting...a black and white family coexisting peacefully

These guys were still busy when I took their picture.

Labor Day 2013

Most people have picnic's and go on mini vacations on the last weekend of the summer.  We "labor".  We love our new entrance wall.  It makes our entrance look less stark.  Art did a great job shaping the flagstone on the top.  Now that it fits to the colors of the house so well, we're having second thoughts about repainting the house.  The pink is growing on us.  Art is still not so confident so he said for me to make a sign...."We're not gay".  He's so politically incorrect ;-)  The color makes me feel like I live in Tuscany or the on the coast of France or the Greek Isles.  

So for Labor Day, we went and bought another three gallons of pink and Art started painting the courtyard wall around 2 in the afternoon with the sun beating down on him.  He was stubborn enough to go through 1 gallon but then it got too hot.

Here's my guy, hard at work....

We walked Bear at 6PM and saw the most fabulous rainbow.  I'll be sad when the monsoon ends here in Arizona.  It's been amazing!