Saguaro National Park - Raptors + Desert life + Tucson Gem and Mineral Show

                    Saguaro National Park - West 

Saguaro National Park-West

is actually a zoo of the animals in the area in their natural habitat.

There are many wonderful exhibits, but the most fun is the Raptors Free Flight.

Sometimes the birds fly so low that they ruffle your hair!

The Great Horned Owls

We were told that the birds would fly if they did not feel threatened.

So, we were told to act like a bush.

The birds did fly often to each side of the observation crowd.

( to get treats from the handlers)

I felt lucky to get these photos!

Yes, it's pretty exciting to see these guys in action. 

( I think they enjoy putting on a show)

These are Harris hawks

A wonderful show!

They got their ducks in a row.

The Bobcat - just takin a little snooze

Coyote surveying his territory

Grey Wolf

"just lookin at ya"

A familiar sight!

BIG CAT

Big Nap

We say this unusual cactus on the Mexico Baja trip

it is called Boojum

(Weird cactus, weird name)

 

This is a Crescent Saguaro,

can eventually grow to 6 feet wide at the crest.

They are not sure why they do this occasionally.

Tucson Gem and Mineral Show

There are so many booths, products and unusual items.

I had to ask about this vendor.

It apparently started out by the parents and boy digging around dumps and outhouses, looking for any relics, fossils and oddities.

They have many 'reconnected' fossilized dinosaur bones.

Just in case you are looking for a Russian doll

( the ones that have several nested inside the large one)

Perhaps you'd like a dinosaur skeleton.

or a whole tray of Trilobites.

It has been a pretty exhausting day at the museum and Gem Show.

(but pretty fabulous!)

 

Week 3 - end of work week, more weekend fun!

 

Lou and Wendell working on the 'transition house'.

Dave (on the right) is the facilities manager (our boss).

This is where the ladies are working toward leaving the program, self sufficient, and able to return to society with job, self management skills, and sobriety.

Chores include fixing the French Doors, adding trim,

and blinds.

Deb likes the trim painting

(Sometimes getting up is harder than getting down)

Running the roller is for me

but sometimes the area to paint is pretty small 

(bumping butts is interesting with painting!)

The boys had another bathroom to paint, but Deb and I just supervised.

Celebration Dinner!

We finished the week off with an "experience" dinner 

at The Angry Crab.

They put the chosen fish and other dinner items (potatoes and corn) in a bag, boil the whole thing, then bring out the bag, bibs, gloves and an abundance of paper towels.

This is a "Work for your Dinner"

The aftermath-

just try not to get it on your clothes!

This was our second SOWERS project, a fun and productive experience.

See the next blog post for the weekend enjoyment.

Week 2-"Livin the Life"-workin and playin!

 Helping at the Women's Center - more painting, adding a door, and tidying up the work and storage areas

This storage shed really needed a door - 

one that was not infested with dry rot,  mould, etc.

Lou's job was to organize their tool shed,

 now they'll probably wonder where their stuff is!

This newly reorganized pantry has more food than some of the grocery stores!

Weekend fun:

Starts with a short trip to the air field

Lou "rescued" this airplane from his sisters garage.

His dad flew this plane over 30 years ago.

It still flies and with a little modification it flies again.

Then:

Saguaro National Park - East

They say that the Saguaro stores water and that a big one can weigh 4000 pounds.

How do they measure that?

 "Jumping Cholla"  

(cause it will jump out and attack you if you walk too close)

Cholla cactus stump.

All done jumping.

Red berries caught our eye--

Mistletoe berries

A walk in the park - or bike if you prefer.

A trip to the Pima Air Museum - "must do"

It's always fun to revisit the Wright Brothers story.

The Wing Warping was the early way to turn the plane.

The pilot had to lay prone and shift his hips from side to side in order to guide the plane.

Bumble Bee - Worlds smallest bi-plane

Interesting looking helicopter!

Such variety

Unusual helicopter - ur- 'hoppicopter'

"OUCH"

legs as a landing gear??

And Lou flew one of these

The "Women in Flight" section recalled the hard won battles that women had to fight to overcome the prejudices that 'women weren't smart enough --etc."

Since we had learned about Glenn Curtiss in one of our previous trips, it was interesting to see that he had deliberately rigged his plane so that his first woman student would not be able to fly the plane.

The entire wall was painted to show what was inside the bomber.

That poor tail gunner!

Along with hacksaws, chocolate and caramel were included in a survival kit.

A map lovers globe - 6 ft in diameter, weighs several hundred pounds.

Lunch with friends - Shirley and Earl Murphy

Sunday Jan 23, 2022

We met Nate and Sue Carry at Casa Grande- Pinal Cowboy Church

We met Nate several years ago at the Samaritan's Purse Flood Relief in Lyons Colorado- been Facebook Friends ever since.

Can't do better than a saddle for a pulpit!

Best Baptismal ever!

That church knows how to love on its community -

They hold rodeos on the church property, and had a fiddlers contest last weekend.

After lunch - we went to the other 

Saguaro National Park - West

Looks like a big climb to see the petroglyphs, but its ok.

We are calling these short jaunts a "FIKE" (fake hike)

Lovely day, week, work experience.

We are blessed indeed!