Christmas Lights-Dec. 13

Christmas lights are one of my favorite parts of the season.  We went to the Mesa Temple to see their wonderful display.  ENJOY

Motorcycle Road Trip - Dec. 8

After a cold spell, it warmed up to 55 at the house and so we headed east on Hwy 60 to Superior, south on Hwy 177 through Copper Basin to Hwy 77 at Winkelman, then south and west past Mammoth and Oracle [north of Mt. Lemmon] to the Pinal Pioneer Parkway (Hwy 79) to Florence and then north to Hwy 60 and home.  It actually got up to 68 in the Copper Basin [Between Superior and Hayden], but didn't stay there.  We had put on extra layers with our chaps and coats, but used our seat heaters too.

Pinal Mountains

Picketpost - west of Superior

Looking South - Pinal Mountains

Beginning of cooper mine

Huge Cooper mine

Fall Colors - Dec. 8

Cooper smelter

Lost Dutchman's Park-Superstitions - Dec. 6

December 6, 2011 - Road trip up Hwy 88 from Apache Junction toward Roosevelt Lake 

  

Superstition Mtn.

Canyon Lake

Superstition Mtn.

Rugged Country 

Snow and Desert

Wild Variety

Lime-green lichen on all sides

Totilla Flats School House

Rough Day!

Weaver's Needle

Our Animal Friends

Snow on the Mountains 12/4/2011

We hung our bird feeder, and the wind scattered seed.  Look what we had visit us on Sunday, Dec. 4.

Mourning Dove on ground

Woodpecker hanging on feeder

Chipmunk with sunflower seed on rock

Heading for the High Country

Saturday, November 26, 2011 - We packed a picnic lunch, left home and headed east on Hwy 60 to Globe; then north on Hwy 188 to Lake Roosevelt.  [Yes, we've been on that part before].  We went past Tonto Monument entrance and followed the lake.  Hwy 188 came to a "T" at Hwy 87.  We decided to go north to Payson - more like home - Junipers and Pinon Pines.  It became very cold as we hit wind and higher elevations - about 58.  We found a picnic table where we could sit in the sun and listen to the Ponderosa Pines.  We then headed south on Hwy 87 until we hit the 202 loop north of Mesa and then on home.

Bridge over a portion of Lake Roosevelt

Juniper hills near Payson

 Headed south from the Rim

Thursday, December 1, 2011 - Pictures from our hike:

Cholla blossom/fruit

Rose-like fern plants in rocks

Fruit of the barrel cactus

Casa Grande Ruins

Saturday, November 19 we did a large loop of exploration.  We left Queen Valley traveling west on Hwy 60, then onto the 202 Loop and then I10 toward Casa Grande.  There is actually a town named that, but the ruins are located in Coolidge.  We had a fun ride, coming back through Florence to the Florence Junction with Hwy 60 at Marker 214.

The big house is four stories high and 60 feet square.  They refer to the "Hohokahm"[all-gone or all used up] who built it in their interpretive materials. It is made from native materials - Caliche (cuh-LEE-chee) which is a mixture of sand, clay and limestone.  It will soften when soaked in water and is then spread over itself, or frames.  For the big house they brought in juniper, fir and pine from over 60 miles away to form the ceiling or floors.  The Saguaro ribs are laid perpendicular across the beams and then covered with reeds and topped with caliche.


These people had an amazing irrigation system for their faming.  They understood about planting corn - which takes nitrogen from the soil with beans next to it.  Beans add nitrogen and then use the stalks to climb on.  Then squash was planted on the outside to retain moisture with their huge leaves.  These are called the "three sisters".

Cotton field waiting to harvest with bales in background

 These people grew and traded raw cotton, as well as products made from cotton to peoples as far away as Iowa and South America.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park

November 1, 2011 - We traveled toward Superior to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum.  We now have an annual pass to all Arizona State Parks.  We only did about half of the area today, as it got way too hot.  Notice some unusual plants we found - among the thousands:

Flowering Agave - related to Yucca

FLowers on Cardon Grande from South America - like Saguaro

Dad called this Palm Agave because it sheds as it grows up

Boogum - looks like a tree

10.28.2011-1st Excursion

Early on Friday we went for a walk around part of Queen Valley township. We saw lots of the official mascot - the quail, and also a huge Saguaro and a Palm tree growing next to each other:



We are going to go on a weekly excursion, at least.  We chose to travel east toward Globe and then head north on Hwy 188 toward Roosevelt Lake in the middle of the Tonto Recreation area.  We visited the Tonto Monument and found Cliff Dwelling Ruins.  Only the lower ruins were open until next month, but it was interesting to learn about the Solado people who were farmers in this area, and the various natural calamities that changed their was of life, and eventually caused them to move to other areas.  Enjoy the views:

Lake Roosevelt

Village ruin on hill across from Cliff Ruins

Lower Tonto Cliff Dwelling

Tonto Ruins - Lower

Hiking and the Welcome Committee

Following game trails we saw signs of deer, but they were older tracks.  It is hunting season down here and we see campers and ATVs everywhere across the desert.  We came across a welcoming committee of one - take a look:

From our vantage point with a zoom on the camera, he(she) didn't look too scary.
We also saw some beautiful blossoms ready to open - Here winter is like our Spring and the rain will come and the desert will change.