Enjoying the Winter

Lloyd got to enjoy some playground time while the weather was good last week. This was just before Denver got some snowy, slushy weather and everybody had to stay inside.

The weekend before last, Peter and Jessa and Rosie enjoyed a hike in some nice Pennsylvania weather.

They were joined by their friend Ana. (And yes, you are correct, Rosie did indeed sleep throughout the hike.)

Meanwhile, with the Ravens out of the playoffs, Mary went back to sewing and made this crossover bag.

And here in Tucson, we had a pretty sunset.

 

Getting Ready for Summer

A couple of weeks ago, Brad and I went hiking in Saguaro National Park with some friends. (It's about 15 minutes from our house.) The weather is starting to get hot and it's going to be harder to do much hiking without getting out before dawn. The saguaros were in bloom and it was great to get to see them in their glory.

This is what I mean when I say a saguaro in all its glory. The blossoms are so pretty and because they're so tall it's unusual to see them up close as they're usually up quite high. This guy had curly arms so we got a better view of the flowers.

Almost like an elephant's trunk.

Last weekend Mary and Andy went to Philadelphia to see Peter and Jessa and to leave a car with them. Peter and Jessa don't own a car, and since they have a baby due any day now, Mary and Andy kindly left one of theirs in Philadelphia so that the trip to the hospital would not have to be in an Uber.

Oops, another picture of saguaro blossoms snuck in when I wasn't looking.

Meanwhile, Lloyd is only six months old but he's already learned that it's better to be protected from the sun than to show off his guns. He's ready for the warm weather and I think the rest of us are too. Something we're all ready for is another baby in the family, so move over Lloyd, there's gonna be two of you pretty soon!




 

March Is In Like a Lion

Last week we were treated to a rare sight in Tucson: snow! It was our second snow of the year and it lasted for a few hours. 

The desert isn't where one expects to see snow, which makes it interesting to look at it. I wish I could have left home and gone out to take pictures of more desert scenes with the snow, but it arrived on a work day.

This is our ocotillo, which looked striking when covered in white.

Long after the snow cleared out, last weekend we were treated to a visit by Troy's mom, Esther. She stayed with us for a few days and on one of those days we met our friends Tim and Mary at the Tucson Festival of Books. It was a beautiful day to be out and about.

And of course, no blog post is complete without a new picture of Lloyd. At age three and a half months he's smiling and moving a lot. I'm excited to see him in a few weeks, and to see his parents and Peter and Mary too! 

 

Geneva in Town

Last weekend Brad's mom came down from Sun City to spend a few days with us. On Sunday the weather was beautiful so we went to an outdoor market.

Afterwards we visited my Aunt Joyce at her memory care place. The four of us sat outside and we had a nice long talk. Joyce was excited that Geneva was also originally from Iowa. So we talked about Iowa a lot.

On Monday we went over to a place near us called Sabino Canyon. I've been there lots of times and hiked in the lower area of the canyon, but never have I ridden the tram that actually goes into the canyon. Wow, it was beautiful! 

There's a narrow paved road that's about 3.5 miles long. The tram was a perfect way to see hidden parts of Sabino Canyon for people like us who aren't serious hikers. On the way down we got off about a mile and a half before the end so that we could walk for a bit.

There's a National Park in Tucson named after the saguaro cactus, but I'm always amazed that Sabino Canyon has as many or more as that park. 

Okay, now I think we have seen every possible grouping from the three of us!

I don't usually space my photos this way but I'm going to try something new here. Anyway, I can't come close to capturing how pretty it is in Sabino Canyon but thought I'd add a couple of more pictures to try to give a better idea.

 

These are the only pictures I have from Geneva's visit, except as you can see I do have a picture of some pie. I used the last of the cherries I pitted this summer to make a cherry pie for the three of us. I figured it would be a good palate cleanser for all the pumpkin pie that's in our future next week.

Summer's Underway

John and Troy and their dog Sirius (Simba stayed home with Troy's mom) drove over to the panhandle of Nebraska a couple of weeks ago to kick off summer. Troy spent just under nine hours riding her bike 100 miles through gravel at the Robidoux Quick & Dirty.

If that sounds horrible but you know Troy, you'll know she had a blast. And even though she literally makes the Fat Tire beer that's in the giant cooler she's standing in, she was still excited to get it at the end of the race.

A few days later Brad and I went over to the other side of Tucson to see Mission Garden for the first time. We were drawn there by a festival for the "birthday" of St. John the Baptist (and to pray for rain). The area is considered the birthplace of Tucson and is one of the longest known areas of continuous cultivation in the United States (about 3500 years) and it still has a garden at the base of what's called Sentinel Peak. 

This is looking up at Sentinel Peak from the gardens. There were also loads of fruit trees—mostly figs but also some citrus and stone fruit.

Brad's mom and dad spent last weekend with us, and this is the only picture I have to show for it. (That's Allie laying on the floor next to Grandpa.) Brad's brother Brian also joined us for a night and we all had so much fun that we're all getting together again today at Brian's house in Phoenix to celebrate the Fourth of July.

This one's kind of random, but Mary wore her Poland soccer jersey and wanted us all to see. And now you've seen too. The Harrisons' love for Poland will never die.

Peter sent this picture of a place in their new neighborhood. I'm told that Water Ice is a Philly thing. In my mind, it's a snow cone with fruit. Anyway, on a hot summer day I'm sure it's refreshing.

Peter and Jessa gave us a video chat tour of their new house, which they're doing some work on before they move in. Jessa sent this picture of Peter, who is a bit too tall for the conditions, starting some work in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Brad is painting the inside of our fountain, now that the temperatures are more reasonable and we have plenty of cloud cover.

Finally, it seems like it's lizard season in Tucson. There are so many more of them out than usual and they're so much larger than we usually see. This guy is probably around eight inches long. They're harmless and actually kind of fun to watch. 

Happenings Around Tucson and a Philly Happening for Dessert

A couple of weeks ago Brad's brother Barry, his wife Wendy, and their kids Kelsey and Kyle came down from Phoenix for an overnight. We hiked in Saguaro East National Park on one of the last reasonable days to hike before the really hot weather set in. The park is only a few miles from our house.

The saguaros were in full bloom and they were spectacular.

Last weekend I ran in a 5k and I don't mind telling you I placed second in my age group for females. Shocker, I know, and it was my first time I'd ever placed in an athletic event, which was no small thing. It was proof that training for speed pays off. (But full disclosure: it was a small race.) Much more important than placing second was that my time was better than I had trained for or hoped for.

Remember that the saguaro were blooming with white flowers a few weeks back? Now the white flowers have matured into red fruits. (They look like red flowers but they're fruits.) The birds are crazy for them. I took this picture earlier this week and didn't need to use any filters to get these great colors.

It pleases me greatly that all three of our kids are such enthusiastic and able cooks. Every now and then it's fun to brag a little about their accomplishments, especially when it's way more than I ever hope to accomplish myself. Case in point: the Napoleons that Peter made the other day. Every part of these beauties is made from scratch, even the puff pastry. Just as they're a perfect dessert to end a meal, they're also the perfect ending to a post.

 

Starting the Second Quarter of Quarantine

It's true folks. We've been doing this quarantine thing for three months already. To give ourselves some cheap entertainment, we recently got a hummingbird feeder. The birds visit the feeder often—so often that pretty soon some of them are going to have either diabetes or a pot belly from the amount they've been eating.

Maybe you heard there's a forest fire near Tucson. I took my car in for service yesterday and on the way home thought the fire looked more like a volcano. Our house is 5-7 miles to the right so we're far from the fire and, so far, we're far from the smoke too.

On Sunday the three of us drove up to Sun City to visit Brad's mom and dad. Allie likes to visit her grandma and grandpa's house. She knows she's special since she gets to go in the house, while Brad and I have to stay on the patio.

On Saturday John and Troy and Sirius met up with my sister Kathy and her kids Lauren and Brian for a six mile hike near Boulder. Sirius has come a long way from being a St. Louis couch potato to now being a Colorado hiker.

Here's the whole group.

I've been making masks. Thanks to my mom's donation of some of her quilting fabric, I have lots of fun fabric choices.

One of John's summer internships is with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. He's working remotely all summer, but for one morning this week he had to go in so, good son that he is, he sent me a first day at the office photo. Thanks John!

This week I went on my longest bike ride in years: 24 miles. My destination was Saguaro National Park East. There's an eight mile loop around the park.

I've been there before but never on my bike. It was hilly, but pretty.

(Mom, if you're reading this, oops sorry for the bug.) This week we got introduced to the mesquite bug. This is him/her in his/her I'm-still-not-a-grown-up form. My research tells me the bug will turn from red (still a juvenile) to completely brown (an adult). They're apparently harmless and definitely very interesting to look at.

And stealing the show is Peter and Jessa's new cat, whose name I'm still not sure of. But it doesn't matter. With great boxes and a willingness to stick her head through a hole, this cat has a bright future.