Whew, yesterday we made it to the post office and the grandkids Xmas packages will arrive Xmas Eve! Talk about cutting it close!! I was even late mailing the Xmas cards this year. We did a bit more checking out of the local shopping area and found that we have everything we need right on our west side of Tucson. Just up the street is Boot Barn, my favorite western wear store! But, sadly, this time I have already accumulated enough western shirts and jewelry to out dress Annie Oakley!! It’s just that I have enough credit points that if I buy something for just 10.00 more dollars, I can get $15 off my next purchase! There MUST BE SOMETHING western that I NEED (or is just wan?t!)! Then we discovered Texas Roadhouse was nearby so last night we went out for dinner and I got the ribs, which I really like at that restaurant.
Yesterday afternoon we took a 10 mile drive out in the desert to see what another campground was like that friends told us about. There was just no comparison to what we have where we are. The drive was nice however and I got to take some pictures of the back side of the mountains in front of the campground. Camera out the window, I caught closer shots of cactus growing high the mountain sides. The ones with arms just seem to be waving and saying “Hi, there, welcome to Tucson”. The Saguaro Cactus is a significant sight because they only grow in this part of the country. It takes a Saguaro Cactus 75 years before it starts to grow arms! Amazing! There is also lots of the desert cactus and the Chillo Cactus looks like its branches are coated with cotton. But beware! Beauty can bite! Those branches are also covered in sharp spines. Also, here is a view of Tucson heading back into town.
I think living in the desert takes a hearty soul. The ground is just dirt with the typical desert growth, and I can only imagine what it is like when the wind is blowing strong. We have been in sand storms before and they are not pleasant! Of, course, if you want to spend a fortune on gravel, watering system, and plenty of concrete and blacktop, you might manage a small clean spot. But I am still fascinated by the colorful rock formations that seem so bright in the sun. Each time the sun moves, the rock seems to change color. Love that blue sky!! You can see the dirt in front of the house in the picture below and that is typical for a yard, but some folks make even that beautiful with cactus gardens and lined driveways and paths with stones. It is just the warm weather most of the year that draws so many people to the area permanently and for the winter, like us.
We have had some beautiful days here! Upper 70s and lots of sun, breezes, cool nights, pretty sunsets and sunrises. We both just love being back out here in the west again! This is our view from our front door of Mt. Lemmon and the sunrise this morning. Wait…shadows of palm tress in front of the mountains?! I still can’t get used to that, it should be shadows of cactus!!!. We have one more day of warm weather on tap and then that old cold air comes through again. Yuck…
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