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TUESDAY, February 26:
TRAVEL DAY: Baker
City to Battle Mountain, NV, 383 miles
We are off! We pull out of the driveway around 8am to
clearing skies and cold! The bikes have
a dusting of snow on them in the bed of the truck and we are glad we never did
pull the ends out on the trailer while packing.
No need – you can’t put anything in there anyway!
Rick ends up
driving the whole way today. Said he was
doing fine and doesn’t mind cruising along at 60 mph on two lane highways! And except for the 70 miles down to Ontario
and Exit 3 inside Idaho, and then 55 miles from Winnemucca to Battle Mountain
on I-80, we were on the blue highways of the west the rest of the day!
 |
| Mountains nearing Jordan Valley |
 |
| Steens Mts |
We gas up in Ontario at the Pilot, still
disgusted that gas prices have risen nearly 40 cents a gallon in the last three
weeks! Ouch!! So much for my initial estimate for auto
expenses….especially since the truck manages to average 9.2 mpg today!! We think perhaps we are heavy, we fought a
bit of a wind at times, and there was CONSIDERABLE up and down!!! Gas has been an issue for today….just how many
opportunities are there between Ontario and Winnemucca – a 255 mile
stretch. If we average under 10 mpg, we
can’t travel more than 200 miles MAX before we run dry! Rick knows there is a station in Jordan
Valley. We also discover two stations in
McDermitt, (one 11 cents cheaper than the other….we won’t discuss which one we
stupidly stopped at!), another at Orovada, and another at the junction with
Paradise Valley. Why aren’t these on Gas
Buddy or AAA? So….no worries.
Mostly today was a panorama of snowy
mountain ranges – beginning with the hills bordering I-84 enroute to Ontario,
the pass into Jordan Valley, the Steens, and then mountain upon mountain in
Nevada. Some completely snow covered, others with dustings which brought out
the multi-layered textures of the hills.
This stretch is soooo much
prettier this time of year!
 |
| Paradise Wilderness area south of McDermitt |
At McDermitt, after buying gas for 4.01
because we didn’t see the Texaco around the corner for 3.89, we grabbed a few
goodies from the fridge and kept on ‘truckin’!
Good thing Rick only put 8 gallons in to make sure we could get to
Battle Mountain.
 |
| More mountains south of McDermitt |
I nearly
completed the needlepoint on an entire camel today!
We find the RV
park in Battle Mountain, but the attendant doesn’t arrive until 4, so we take a
walk around the area to stretch our legs.
(We had arrived at 3:30). It is
cold….high 30’s. Forecast for tonight is
chilly – originally in the teens, but Rick heard a new forecast for 21!!! A warming trend! We both shower and after doing the dinner dishes,
Rick heads back out to disconnect the water and sewer lines and put them
away. No sense in taking any chances
with freezing!!!
 |
| Our spot at Battle Mt. |
Quiet evening reading, puzzles, typing
(that would be me!) and playing a game.
I had internet connection earlier, but as evening has come I can’t get
back on. Probably the unsecure network
is overloaded!! It was free
afterall! I’ll try again in the morning
to post things.
Another adventure
has begun!!!
WEDNESDAY , February 27:
TRAVEL DAY – Battle Mountain to Beatty, NV 304 miles
BRRRrrrr! I just got up at 6:15 and checked the
thermometer I stuck on the outside window:
22 degrees. But as I opened the
shade I also saw the beauty of the full moon in the western sky just before it
slipped into some scattered clouds above a snowy ridge. I didn’t go out to take a picture. (I have no shoes on, it’s cold out there, and
the view was obstructed by power lines and other trailers anyway! Excuses, excuses!) Thank you God for the wonderful sight!
We slept warm
enough and I probably slept more than I thought. We opted to only bring one heavy sleeping
bag, knowing as the spring warms up we won’t need them and will be just storing
it away somewhere. But last night we had
all four light blankets and the sleeping bag in our bed….and slept close! My feet were getting cold at times, but
overall, not too bad!
 |
| Shoshone Mts. southeast of Battle Mt. |
Back again from a
glorious day of mountain views! Settled now into Beatty RV Park, after driving past it once, checking out other parks in
Beatty, and deciding what I had down was indeed our best bet at $25. However…..while it advertises free internet,
the speed is so bad I can’t get connected.
So….night #2 with no internet at a place that advertised such
service. :( I hope I don’t get grumpy!!!
 |
| View from Austin Summit, looking down on town and valley |
The mountain
vistas between Battle Mountain and Tonopah more than made up for the high gas prices and poor mileage! We paid
$4.19 in Austin, NV!!! Burned again as
we passed another station about 15 miles down the road at an obscure
intersection for much less. Who would
think? Fortunately, Rick only put 5 gallons into the
tank. When will we learn?? In Tonopah, we turned onto our highway and
found a station for over $4 also. We
knew better! Turned around and saved 30
cents a gallon. In Beatty, with prices
in the 3.89 range, we decided to just fill up with the extra 5 gallons we had
been carrying, and get into Vegas where prices are moderately more reasonable! As I write we have spent $250 for gas
to travel 688 miles. Ouch!!
 |
| Little church on Austin hillside. |
But, the
mountains, ah the mountains!! Snowy
mountains on our left, on our right, down the road in front of us. Craggy peaks with snow, rounded knolls etched
with snow patterns. HUGE broad valleys
of grasses. Mines, often abandoned. I remembered a description of Austin from
reading William Least Heat Moon’s Blue
Highways – and it matched perfectly, although I imagined a town down on the
flats, not an old west mining town tucked into a narrow notch dropping down to
the valley floor. From Austin we pulled
up over Austin Summit at 7400’, the highest we will cross this part of the
trip. Snow all around, but clear
roads. After the summit the road curved
around through the pass and then dropped down into the Great Smoky Valley –
again lined with mountain ranges on both sides.
 |
| Carvers Roadside Park |
We stopped in the
old mining town of Carvers at a county park, roadside rest for a potty stop and
a bite of lunch. Icy snow along the road
in patches, the park was ringed in cottonwood trees. It would be a nice oasis in the heat of the
summer.
Tonopah is
NOTHING to write home about. What a
dumpy town. Did have a classic old
courthouse with a silver dome that looked like an observatory.
Another 110 miles
from Tonopah to Beatty – and our mountains lost their snow for the most
part. We dropped down into a yucca
forest. The kind that look like
miniature Joshua trees. I can’t remember
what kind they are – I need my southwest cactus refresher course. Also could see dry lake beds and alkali flats
in the distance, as well as the mountain range that divides Nevada from Death
Valley National Park.
One other town to
note: Goldfield. It made Tonopah look
good. Every building seemed to be
falling apart, the old tuffstone school sagging. Debris scattered everywhere. A mining boom town gone bust. So sad.
 |
| Blackbirds in the trees at Beatty RV Park |
Beatty is pretty
well kept. It is the major Nevada
junction for traffic into Death Valley.
We arrived around 3:30, checked out the parks, bought sandwiches for dinner
at Subway, and then backtracked north of town to Beatty RV Park. Only 5 other rigs here, pull-throughs so we
can make a fast get away in the morning.
The park was inundated with starlings when we arrived. Evidently they live here. They are gone at the moment and it is quiet,
but they will probably be back with sunrise in the morning! The attendant also said we could expect the
caws of large ravens, quail, and a few coyotes wandering through the park!
We eat our Subs
and then take a walk about a mile up the highway north, just getting some
exercise and taking in the flora and fauna!
Showers in the first RV Park bathroom that I have ever
photographed! A beautiful tiled walk in
shower stall – private like bath.
Amazing. Quiet evening. Could be nearly as cold again tonight, so we
don’t even bother hooking up the water since we have no dishes to wash and a
good shower otherwise.
 |
| Sunset on mountains west of Beatty. |
We had a major condensation
problem last night because we forgot to leave an air vent in the trailer. Basically our condensation froze on the
canvas above the bed, and as the sun came up it started to drip, drip,
drip. We traveled today with the
mattress folded up on the couch unit, and all the bedding with it. I wiped up the last of the puddles when we
set up and we have better ventilation set up for tonight! Lesson learned!!
Hopefully I will
get a chance to post all this soon!! In
the meantime, sunshine!!! PS. Completed my first camel today – to the point
where it is waiting for stuffing and the final gusset stitching! One down, five to go!!
THURSDAY, February 28
TRAVEL DAY: Beatty, NV to Wickenburg, AZ 361 miles
Click HERE to see today's pictures
Wow! What an eventful day - in many
ways!! I hardly know where to
start. We pulled out of Beatty at 8:10,
with a beautiful sunny morning to lead the way.
The birds were NOT too noisy or too early this morning. We slept much warmer as well.
 |
| Death Valley NP mountains in distance |
Relatively uneventful
drive through high desert mountain ranges toward Las Vegas. Shortly after leaving Beatty, we passed two
trailers which had seen better days set out in the middle of scrub land: the
sign said NAKED WOMEN and we commented….typical Nevada in many ways. I am not used to seeing Borellos openly
advertised!
In the distance to the
west we could see the mountains on the WEST side of Death Valley at 11,000 plus
feet.
 |
| Mountains west of Las Vegas |
And the 11 thousand
foot mountains just west of Vegas were a surprise – complete with ski
area! We passed under an Air Force
testing area north of Vegas and saw a drone land! We got turned around trying to follow Hwy 95
through the northwest end of Vegas and learned – just stay on the freeway….it
IS Hwy 95!! But we made it through the
big city relatively painlessly. Stopped
for gas in Henderson and rejoiced that the mileage continues to creep UP!!
Rick had been looking
forward to driving over the new bridge at Hoover Dam. We saw it ‘in construction’ the last time we
were through. A disappointment….no
pull-offs or viewpoints, and you can’t SEE the bridge as you go over! We did get a few views of Lake Mead as we
descended down from Boulder City.
 |
| We made it to Arizona! |
My highlight upon
entering Arizona? WILDFLOWERS!!! Yellow and purple flowers covered the area
along the freeway. Mostly just around
the dam area, but a welcome sight!
From the dam down to
Kingman, we cruised through desert vegetation and sage brush, trying to refresh
our desert vegetation knowledge once again.
Arrived in Kingman around 12:30, intending to gas up, grab a bite, and
move on!
Well,….we got off on
Old Route 66 by mistake, so we stopped at the Visitor Center to use the
restrooms. I got directions to cheap gas
and we followed the Old Route for about 3 miles back to the freeway where we
found the Flying Jay was only $3.53 a gallon!
Thirty six cents cheaper than what we saw entering town! Hurray!
 |
| Trailer gets new tires at the Big O in Kingman! |
Our biggest blessing of
the day occurred next. A man named Ben
came up while we waited to get gas and said our trailer tires were going
bad. He worked for a tire shop. Granted, his story may have been contrived
and he was out drumming up business, BUT ….the tires WERE bad! Ben was a little TOO helpful and quoted us a pretty
high price for new ones. We said we need
a little time, went in and asked for a phone book and called a Big O Tire
Store, which provided two services: confirmed the need for new tires AND a
reasonable price for new radials. Again,
this is a case of poor quality installed on new vehicles/trailers. Anyway, an hour plus and $220 less, we were
on our way!!
 |
| Sajuaro Cactus! |
The stretch of Highway
93 from the interstate down to Wickenburg is called the Joshua Tree Forest
Highway. Mostly we saw sajuaro cactus
for the first half of it! Many of them
in all sizes and shapes. They are so
cool. The southern half of the drive we
found the Joshua trees. They are
beautiful right now with white spikes emerging from each arm. We had forgotten how much this stretch goes
UP and DOWN, over and over!
The good news??? Somewhere in here, Rick announced that our
mileage had crept over the 10.1 mark average for the trip! The new tires might just help.
I had selected Desert
Cypress RV Park for the night, but it proved to be most unaccommodating with
only one remote site available and high prices, so we left. We were running a little late because we
forgot about the time change into Mountain Standard time. Stopped at MacDonald’s for a bite,
fortunately right ahead of a tour bus loaded with senior citizens….ok, most of
them were probably our age!
 |
| I clicked a quick picture of the sunset just as we were setting up the trailer. |
We drove the two miles
out of town to Horspitality RV Park, which I had originally discounted, to find
hospitality plus!! We are settled in one
of the last remaining sites, have no idea what we are paying because we are to
settle up in the morning, but the people were great, the internet actually
WORKS, and the sunset behind the palm trees was stellar.
Tonight was Lectionary
Bible Study in Baker City where Katy often begins asking, “Where did you see
God this week?” I emailed Katy earlier
with my response:
1. Mountain range upon mountain range of glorious snow
capped peaks.
2. Our first view of the season's wildflowers as we
crossed over Hoover Dam and into Arizona.
3. Our first peak of the majestic Sajuaro cactus, and then
more and more and more! Joshua trees blooming with white spikes out their
many tips.
4. A man named Ben who came up to us in Kingman and said,
"Your trailer tires are bad. I work at a tire store. You
probably are only 100 miles from a blow-out. While we didn't go to Ben's
tire store, we did buy new tires at a Big O, and avoided what could have been a
nasty accident. They confirmed Ben's analysis!
5. Gratefull that the tires didn't go as Rick wound his
way through the traffic of Las Vegas and narrow busy lanes.
6. Because we arrived at McDonalds BEFORE a full tour bus,
we were able to arrive at the RV Park BEFORE they closed at 6 and obtain one of
their last two sites for the night.
7. Grateful for the campground hosts who stopped closing
down to get us fixed up.
8. Internet that WORKS for the first time this week!
9. And finally??? A beautiful sunset behind the
silhouettes of palm trees from our spot here in Wickenburg.
10. Today was the day I switched to short sleeve shirt and felt
HOT in the sun on the truck! Tomorrow could be shorts! It is 50 degrees
outside as I type (and dropping quickly as the sun goes down, but
nevertheless!)
11. A chorus of music last night from blackbirds, ravens,
coyotes, burros, pidgeons and quail.
THANK YOU, GOD!!!
FRIDAY, March 1
TRAVEL DAY: Wickenburg, AZ to Tucson 192 miles
Click HERE to view pictures (There aren't many!)
I almost hated to leave Horspitality with its wonderful internet connection and friendly people, but Tucson is beckoning! We pull out around 9am, deliberately waiting abit so we don't get into Phoenix at anything close to rush hour!
And we find ourselves in the outskirts of Phoenix in just 30 minutes! We opted to stay on Hwy 60 until Rt 101 which was a mistake in hindsight. We ended up with nearly 10 miles of stoplight highway! UGH! (Next time - take 303 down to I-10) Did find a gas station along the way (probably not the cheapest, but it WAS convenient!), so when we hit 101 we were ready to get on the freeway and stay on it! Let's just say that Rick was glad to be done with both Vegas and Phoenix! However, I think both still rate higher than Salt Lake City for cities to drive through!
We enjoyed the sights of Picacho Peak south of Casa Grande and all the GREEN of the desert at the moment. Also amazed at the amount of crops being grown in the area.
We pulled into the CHRPA lot around 1pm - and finally found Lorene and Walter. It took us awhile to get the trailer jockeyed into the spot because a couple cars were parked preventing us from just pulling straight through. But we are now all settled in - finally with both ends pulled out, and items out for the first time for a more lengthy stay.
FINALLY - at 2:30 - we opted to just eat dinner, since we had basically skipped any lunch! It was warm - I switched to shorts and flip flops (Rick started the day in shorts!) so we just had salmon mixed into the salad and ate up!
Late afternoon we were ready to explore a little. Rick reminds me now that Friday afternoon during rush hour is NOT the time to set out on the major throughfares of a major city!! We did run into a little traffic! We found the site of our Bountiful Basket pickup for tomorrow morning, and then I weighed in at Weight Watchers (and lost 1.6 pounds!). A little shopping at Walmart and Joann's and we were driving back to CHRPA to a beautiful sunset in the west.
Tomorrow morning after Bountiful pickup at 7:45, Rick and I have been invited out to breakfast with Lorene and Walter. Our CHRPA experience begins!
SATURDAY, March 2
SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK
Click HERE to view all the pictures
Today up to pick up our Bountiful Basket. Group does the entire distribution out in the middle of a park next to a middle school. Do they do this all winter long outside? A different system than we are used to - which involved more pre-work on their part, but the check-in and out was quick and at once! Each basket was numbered and all 'extras' had already been placed with the basket. We were divided into four groups alphabetically. So....late getting started, but quick to leave! And a good 'haul'!
Didn't want to be too late because Lorene and Walter were taking us out to breakfast! We went to a little Mom and Pop Pancake house - good meal at reasonable prices. We sat for some time visiting with the Goods and getting to know more about the SOOP program and CHRPA. Lorene and Walter have been coming to work in the winter for 16 years from Illinois. For the past few years they have just left their motorhome parked behind the CHRPA shop rather than drive it back and forth.
It was 11am and the sun was warming up considerably by the time Rick and I headed off for Saguaro National Park's eastern Rincon Mountains district - about 7-8 miles from CHRPA HQ east. We visit the VC quickly to gather some materials, and then select a trail for the day. Short, as it is going to be in the low 80's and the sun is intense! An 8 mile loop road winds through much of the 'cacti forest' one way. About 3 miles in a dirt road heads off a short distance to the Mica View picnic area and trailhead. Mica Mt. is the highest point in the park at 8,666' and still has a little snow on the northern slopes.
We have much to learn about the Saguaro "forest". We mostly observe and ask questions of each other, finding most of our answers later as we get around to reading the park brochure. We learn much! We can identify prickly pear and barrel cactus. Fish-hook looks like barrel, only with hooked spines. There are lots of different cholla varieties, but on this trail we mostly see teddy bear (fuzzy looking), a plain cholla, and one with LONG spikes. Not much ocotillo on this hike, but we see alot later on the rest of the drive. We figure out three different bushes/trees: palo verde (easy with its bare green branches), mesquite (larger with pinnate leaves), and creosote (smaller with tiny almost oily looking leaves). And everywhere??? Saguaro cactus in all stages of growth. Ten interesting tidbits we learned (and so I won't forget!):
1. Saguaro cactus grows VERY slowly, maybe only a half inch in their first year, 12 inches in 15 years, 7' in 50 years.
2. The cactus don't bloom until 30 years, and produce their first arm buds after 75 years.
3. A saguaro is 85% water and may weigh over 8 tons.
4. You spell it with a G not an J! (I just had to correct all my spellings!)
5. The cactus only blooms after sunset and the blooms last about a day.
6. Each saguaro fruit holds over 2,000 seeds.
7. The spines not only protect the plant, but also shade the skin.
8. Each plant may produce as many as 100 blooms over a period of time.
9. Saguaro roots are only 3" below the surface, but run underground as far as the cactus is tall.
10. In a single rainstorm, a cactus can absorb 200 gallons of water - enough to last a year.
And all this...not to mention the unique personalities and character inherent in each cactus!!
Once we completed the 2 mile Mica View Trail (so named because it is the only place in the park where you can see Mica Mt.), we finished driving the loop road. At one point the view expanded across the city of Tucson to the Tucson Mts. in the west and the other unit of Saguaro National Park. (We visited part of that park with Luke two years ago.)
It was warm....very warm to us Northerners!! We returned to the trailer, got a snack, and relaxed in the shade of the trailer! We talked for awhile with a gal from Michigan who is visiting a college friend living in the VS house. They are Methodists!
Dinner sitting on the west side of the trailer watching a beautiful sunset. Again...the temperature drops quickly as the sun sets!
SUNDAY, March 3
Mennonite Worship and More....
What a gorgeous morning! I sit out in front of the trailer and read for awhile after showering for church. It is nice to have almost a lazy feel!! We have decided to just stay here and attend worship with our new friends, Lorene and Walter Good, at the Mennonite Church just 50 feet away!
Shalom Mennonite Fellowship, which is the parent church for the Mennonite Volunteer Services house (VS house of mostly young people, similar to YAVs) and CHRPA headquarters and shop. Church was full with many new volunteers having arrived. We seem to be the only ones staying at "Resort CHRPA", as others are residing in the SOOP house or in RV parks of their own choosing. All of us were introduced!
The service was casual - the opening song was one of the theme songs from General Assembly - "Here in This Place". I was surprised to find the Mennonites follow the Common Lectionary! The service was contemporary at times with a little praise music, drums and guitar, as well as screen and projector, and very traditional at others. It was comfortable!
We didn't stay for what they term "Second Hour" or Sunday School. The rest of the SOOPs were going out to lunch, but Rick and I said we would see them at our gathering this evening. They were fixing for Asian, and I had promised Rick a Mexican restaurant!
We found a little place called Poco & Mom over off Kolb Rd and drove over. It was busy with few tables, but we signed our name and waited. A young couple came in after us with a little 4 mo. old baby girl. When our table came up it was for four, so Rick invited them to join us so they didn't have to wait any longer with the baby. (The table was also in a corner and perfect for the high chair.) As anyone who knows Rick can imagine, within 10 minutes he had that little girl in his arms! The waitress gave Rick a hug of appreciation!! And to top it off, the food was great and prices very reasonable! We shall come back!
Afternoon spent doing laundry, catching up, and Rick took a walk (with the bike road map in his back pocket so hopefully he doesn't get lost!)
Tonight all the SOOPs met for a couple hours in the SOOP lounge - puzzles, a round of Chicken Foot dominoes, and plenty of light treats. Nothing too fancy. We were joined later by the three living over at the 27th street Mennonite house. Dwayne and Bonnie are probably leaving on Tuesday - hoping Dwayne gets a clearance from his heart doctor. (He had to have emergency heart surgery in January!) Walt and Loreen will be here for a few more weeks, as are Bruce and Marj from Ontario.
I didn't take ANY pictures today, other than 'scanning' my drawings via the camera!
FRIDAY, March 1
TRAVEL DAY: Wickenburg, AZ to Tucson 192 miles
Click HERE to view pictures (There aren't many!)
I almost hated to leave Horspitality with its wonderful internet connection and friendly people, but Tucson is beckoning! We pull out around 9am, deliberately waiting abit so we don't get into Phoenix at anything close to rush hour!
And we find ourselves in the outskirts of Phoenix in just 30 minutes! We opted to stay on Hwy 60 until Rt 101 which was a mistake in hindsight. We ended up with nearly 10 miles of stoplight highway! UGH! (Next time - take 303 down to I-10) Did find a gas station along the way (probably not the cheapest, but it WAS convenient!), so when we hit 101 we were ready to get on the freeway and stay on it! Let's just say that Rick was glad to be done with both Vegas and Phoenix! However, I think both still rate higher than Salt Lake City for cities to drive through!
 |
| Picacho Peak |
We pulled into the CHRPA lot around 1pm - and finally found Lorene and Walter. It took us awhile to get the trailer jockeyed into the spot because a couple cars were parked preventing us from just pulling straight through. But we are now all settled in - finally with both ends pulled out, and items out for the first time for a more lengthy stay.
 |
| Set up at CHRPA headquarters |
Late afternoon we were ready to explore a little. Rick reminds me now that Friday afternoon during rush hour is NOT the time to set out on the major throughfares of a major city!! We did run into a little traffic! We found the site of our Bountiful Basket pickup for tomorrow morning, and then I weighed in at Weight Watchers (and lost 1.6 pounds!). A little shopping at Walmart and Joann's and we were driving back to CHRPA to a beautiful sunset in the west.
Tomorrow morning after Bountiful pickup at 7:45, Rick and I have been invited out to breakfast with Lorene and Walter. Our CHRPA experience begins!
 |
| The CHRPA PVC sign Luke helped create still graces the front of the office. |
SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK
Click HERE to view all the pictures
Today up to pick up our Bountiful Basket. Group does the entire distribution out in the middle of a park next to a middle school. Do they do this all winter long outside? A different system than we are used to - which involved more pre-work on their part, but the check-in and out was quick and at once! Each basket was numbered and all 'extras' had already been placed with the basket. We were divided into four groups alphabetically. So....late getting started, but quick to leave! And a good 'haul'!
Didn't want to be too late because Lorene and Walter were taking us out to breakfast! We went to a little Mom and Pop Pancake house - good meal at reasonable prices. We sat for some time visiting with the Goods and getting to know more about the SOOP program and CHRPA. Lorene and Walter have been coming to work in the winter for 16 years from Illinois. For the past few years they have just left their motorhome parked behind the CHRPA shop rather than drive it back and forth.
 |
| Ginger near the visitor center |
 |
| Classic saguaro |
1. Saguaro cactus grows VERY slowly, maybe only a half inch in their first year, 12 inches in 15 years, 7' in 50 years.
 |
| Saguaro forest and Mica Mountain |
3. A saguaro is 85% water and may weigh over 8 tons.
4. You spell it with a G not an J! (I just had to correct all my spellings!)
5. The cactus only blooms after sunset and the blooms last about a day.
6. Each saguaro fruit holds over 2,000 seeds.
7. The spines not only protect the plant, but also shade the skin.
8. Each plant may produce as many as 100 blooms over a period of time.
9. Saguaro roots are only 3" below the surface, but run underground as far as the cactus is tall.
 |
| Prickly pear and another pair! |
And all this...not to mention the unique personalities and character inherent in each cactus!!
Once we completed the 2 mile Mica View Trail (so named because it is the only place in the park where you can see Mica Mt.), we finished driving the loop road. At one point the view expanded across the city of Tucson to the Tucson Mts. in the west and the other unit of Saguaro National Park. (We visited part of that park with Luke two years ago.)
 |
| Watching the sun go down through the mesquite trees. |
Dinner sitting on the west side of the trailer watching a beautiful sunset. Again...the temperature drops quickly as the sun sets!
 |
| There is something classic 'west' about this picture! Near the Mica View trailhead. |
Mennonite Worship and More....
What a gorgeous morning! I sit out in front of the trailer and read for awhile after showering for church. It is nice to have almost a lazy feel!! We have decided to just stay here and attend worship with our new friends, Lorene and Walter Good, at the Mennonite Church just 50 feet away!
Shalom Mennonite Fellowship, which is the parent church for the Mennonite Volunteer Services house (VS house of mostly young people, similar to YAVs) and CHRPA headquarters and shop. Church was full with many new volunteers having arrived. We seem to be the only ones staying at "Resort CHRPA", as others are residing in the SOOP house or in RV parks of their own choosing. All of us were introduced!
The service was casual - the opening song was one of the theme songs from General Assembly - "Here in This Place". I was surprised to find the Mennonites follow the Common Lectionary! The service was contemporary at times with a little praise music, drums and guitar, as well as screen and projector, and very traditional at others. It was comfortable!
We didn't stay for what they term "Second Hour" or Sunday School. The rest of the SOOPs were going out to lunch, but Rick and I said we would see them at our gathering this evening. They were fixing for Asian, and I had promised Rick a Mexican restaurant!
We found a little place called Poco & Mom over off Kolb Rd and drove over. It was busy with few tables, but we signed our name and waited. A young couple came in after us with a little 4 mo. old baby girl. When our table came up it was for four, so Rick invited them to join us so they didn't have to wait any longer with the baby. (The table was also in a corner and perfect for the high chair.) As anyone who knows Rick can imagine, within 10 minutes he had that little girl in his arms! The waitress gave Rick a hug of appreciation!! And to top it off, the food was great and prices very reasonable! We shall come back!
Afternoon spent doing laundry, catching up, and Rick took a walk (with the bike road map in his back pocket so hopefully he doesn't get lost!)
Tonight all the SOOPs met for a couple hours in the SOOP lounge - puzzles, a round of Chicken Foot dominoes, and plenty of light treats. Nothing too fancy. We were joined later by the three living over at the 27th street Mennonite house. Dwayne and Bonnie are probably leaving on Tuesday - hoping Dwayne gets a clearance from his heart doctor. (He had to have emergency heart surgery in January!) Walt and Loreen will be here for a few more weeks, as are Bruce and Marj from Ontario.
I didn't take ANY pictures today, other than 'scanning' my drawings via the camera!
