2013-2014 in Arizona

We arrived October 22, 2013 at our new home site.  We are renting a spot on the north side of Queen Valley.  Our address is 792 W. Silver King Rd. Queen Valley, AZ 85118.

The new home site!

If you can come to visit, here are the directions. Heading east on Hwy. 60 from Phoenix/Mesa, travel to Florence Junction [Exit 212] and turn left. You will be headed north, turn left at the "T" and then right onto El Camino Viejo going north.  Keep going on this road until you come to a "narrow" bridge. Right after the bridge is a right turn onto Silver King Road. You will travel 1.5 miles and see the following two views as you get closer:

You can see our landlords home up on the top of the hill as you

travel along Silver King Rd.

We are on the north side of the road - two mailboxes together.

Direction sign and decorations

Looking from road up to house

Front yard looking west

From parking spot looking east

Backyard behind storage unit

It is really nice to have so much nature around us.  We've had over eight different species of birds in our yard, plus a cotton-tail bunny. It is fun to be here.

   

BIRTHDAY TRIP FOR PA

Bert has major withdrawals if he doesn't make two PBR events a year.  They did not have one in our area so we traveled to Albuquerque, NM for the event.

PBR Clown Frank Newsome

We did a walking tour of Old Historic Albuquerque

A plaza of little shops

Interesting window coverings on Church

My very own shop

Bandstand in park in the center plaza

The Catholic Mission Church

Entrance to the Old Town

Central Street is the old Hwy 66

We found the original Garcia's Kitchen for supper.

Excellent Food

We took Hwy 191 through the Coronado Trail scenic byway on the way home.

Copper Mine on both sides of highway

Coming off hills toward the copper mine

Old Train depot in Clifton

Gila Valley Temple in Safford

Prickly Pear "forest"

Winter 2013 in Arizona

Winter has been colder and wetter than last year.  It is just now getting excellent exploration weather.  Puzzles are my favorite past-time when not reading, crocheting, sewing or being outside.

Puzzle fun in the Winter

We took a ride to see the progress on the Gilbert Temple.  They are landscaping, working on some finite details on the outside and of course, inside.

After our last rainstorm we had this amazing light show at sunset.  The picture doesn't do it justice.

We discovered some new areas on Bert's birthday ride.  We came up from Coolidge on Hwy 89 to Chandler.  Look how green the grass looks after all the rain.

February 20-21, 2013

What a rudeness!  Can you imagine, snow on the ground in Queen Valley and Mesa.  I did catch a rainbow after the storm in Mesa.

Superstition Range from Apache Junction

Superstition Mountain after storm passed

Storm on the Mountains - Major downpour of rain in town

Snow at the house

Rainbow after snow in Mesa

Boy Scout Hike and Magma Mine

Saturday we took the Boy Scouts - "Panther Patrol" on a hike to learn and practice orienteering.  Then we went for a drive around Superior and drove up to the Magma Mine.  Beautiful area.

Working on getting the map and compass oriented.

Coming to the last part of leg 1.

Looking up the next leg.

MAGMA MINE AREA east of Superior

One of two water areas 

The mining dericks

Red rock and Green foliage

Small pond with rock retaining wall

Organ Pipe Cactus

We took a long bike ride to visit the Organ Pipe Cactus Monument.  It is directly below Gila Bend closer to the western side of Arizona and just miles from the Border.  Lots of Border Patrol check points and visibility.  We saw some different types of desert and rock formations than are near us. We went by the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Gunnery Range and through the O'ODHAM Indian Reservation in our travels.

Distant Mountains going toward Ajo, AZ

Black volcanic hills

Entrance to the Monument

Dense Desert growth

Mount Ajo - 

At the Monument - Cholla, Organ Pipe and
Saguaro cactus

Prickly Pear and Organ Pipe - The Organ Pipe Cactus
grows abundantly in Mexico, but only in the Monument
Reserve in the USA.

Beginning of low plant desert with multi-colored mineral
deposits in the mountains - Reservation Area

O'ODHAM Reservation - DESERT

Round buttes of Lava - colorful when you are in them.