January 29, 2010

January 29, 2010

The weather in Tucson has been unseasonably cool and wet, one of the wettest Januarys on record. We even have water flowing in the normally dry washes. All the result of a month long total of a mere two inches.
Well today it is back to warm and sunny so Aimee and I decide to get the hiking boots out and explore. We have been on a quest to visit the entire National Park System, all 391 national parks, monuments and historic sites. We are making good progress and I thought Arizona was checked off. Unbeknownst to me this list didn’t include those managed by other government agencies. Turns out there are three BLM national monuments in our backyard.


So today we are driving to the closest, Ironwood Forest National Monument. It is not going to be an easy visit though. The Bureau of Land Management doesn’t have the budget the NPS has. This monument has no Visitor Center and there is precious little to be found on the Internet. I am hoping that there will be a few roadside interpretative signs and trailhead markers. I am disappointed. There is nothing but a single entrance sign along the entire dirt road through the monument. Despite the lack of information we have a very pleasant drive through a virtual jungle in the Sonoran Desert. This place is thick with tall saguaro cacti. We are thinking this ought to be Saguaro National Park or at least an extension of it. Instead it is dedicated to the Ironwood Tree. This slow-growing long-lived tree only grows in this region and has some of the hardest densest wood. Unfortunately without signs, we are not sure which of the trees here are Ironwoods. On the way out of the monument, we stop along side the road, get out the boots and hike along what could be a trail. It doesn’t lead anywhere but the walk is pretty and takes us nearer the jagged isolated mountain that is in the center of the park.

January 1, 2010

January 1, 2010

We made the last run to Tucson in one very long driving day. Our only stop was at White Sands National Monument in southern New Mexico. I was pleasantly surprised to find the place open. We have been here before but our first visit was cut short by a missile launch. White Sands is a unique place. The “gypsum” sand is so white (and damp) it looks and acts like snow. The park even rents saucers so kids can sled down the dunes. Now that we are desert people, this is the kind of snow we like! We spent an hour hiking out away from the road so I could get a few photos with untrodden sand. It was also a good excuse to stretch our legs. So nice to be back in the land of sun!

December 31, 2009

December 31, 2009

After spending a snowy overcast couple weeks in the Midwest, Aimee and I are feeling very deficient in Vitamin D. In search of the sun, we started the long drive back to Tucson yesterday. With the weather looking iffy, we took the straight route. Spending New Years in Amarillo with Aimee’s sister, I took advantage of the stopover and saw the new movie, “Avatar” with the brother-in-law. I was surprised to find it was projected in 3-D. Uh-oh! You need two good eyes for 3-D glasses to work. Despite the poor vision in my left eye it still worked. It is amazing what the brain can do even with poor input.


Based on the previews, it looks like 3-D movies are the new thing. I must be out of the mainstream as this will be my first. But what a first one to see. Avatar was visually stunning. The movie is set in a phosphorescent jungle on a distant planet. It is inhabited by tall blue primitive aliens who hunt with bow and arrow and ride dragons thru the air. The 3-D elements are mostly subtle with no overt objects being thrown at the audience. Yet I did find myself swatting a fly that buzzed too close. This action movie was highly entertaining and the best I have seen in a while. That is despite the fact the story was a rehash of many other films. Sort of “Dances with Wolves” meets “Star Wars”. It is the “New Hollywood” Cowboy and Indians flick where the Indians now win.