”In the desert, we’re all thirsty for adventure”                “Wanderlust and desert dust.”

Everyone had a great time and the ivory keys were smokin.

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Society proudly presents the 69th Tucson Gem and Mineral Show from January 25- February 11, 2024

“Pegmatites – Crystals Big and Beautiful!”

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is the world’s largest gem and mineral show, and it has been held annually in Tucson, Arizona since 1955. The show is produced by the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society, and it is held in February.

These gems are huge.

The first Tucson Gem and Mineral Show was held in a small elementary school in 1955. The show was a success, it kept growing and growing, it’s now in the convention center and in large tents all around Tucson. The Show is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Tucson. The show attracts over 50,000 visitors each year, from all over the world and it features over 2,000 dealers from around the world. The show has a huge variety of gems, minerals, fossils, jewelry, and other items.

We went to the 22nd street exhibit that is in this huge, huge tent.

Lapidary Dave is showing us what Lapidary is. It’s the art of cutting a stone, gem or mineral seeing what it looks like on the inside and then polishing the item.  It takes different kinds of machinery and tools to look like the end result. Lapidary has its roots in prehistory, as early humans began fashioning tools and weapons from stone. In time, these techniques were also used for items of personal decorations. Stone carving has evolved as an art in many cultures throughout the world. 

The apple-green gemstone is called an Australian Chrysoprase and it had it’s first debut at the 2024 show. It’s a rare and highly prized. 

Gemstones according to history and archaeology tell us that gemstones have been appreciated for their spiritual powers and their beauty since they were first taken from riverbeds and sandy shores.

Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans decorated themselves in protective good luck charms, pendants and bracelets made of stones and gems not only for their magical powers but even for the journey into the afterlife.

With the arrival of the industrial age and modern medicine you would think it would be over for healing crystals but I hear they are probably more popular now than at any time in history. I even have some from our trip to Sedona a few years back. If they help along the way I can’t say.

I guess people instead of taking pills or seeing a doctor they turn to gemstones for physical and emotional healing. People say that a gemstone’s spiritual meaning is the emotional and physical benefits that it can bring into your life.

We think these Pyrite crystals are so unusual because they are all square without being cut that way. It’s cubed pyrite crystals are formed through a process called cubic crystal growth, which occurs when the mineral is in a liquid or aqueous solution and is in a state of supersaturation. The process is driven by the natural tendency of the mineral to form symmetrical shapes and the presence of sulfur and iron ions. The temperature and pressure conditions, as well as the presence of impurities, also play a role in the formation of cubed pyrite crystals. These crystals can be found in a variety of environments and are often associated with other minerals. I know, I know, what the heck are they talking about? However they are definitely a neat looking crystal.

Some unusal items they had at the show. 

Figures it was sold as we wanted to purchase it for inside the RV. 😂

Some more items at the show. It was a very insterting show we learned things and had a good time.

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It rained a full day so that’s a good time to go to the canyon, when the water is flowing. We’ve been there a few times, once when it was completely dry and again after it snowed in the mountains. We went to check it out and hike.

Times have changed in Sabino Canyon. It’s been a long time since you could drive a vehicle in Sabino canyon, they have shuttle you can use now if you choose and the driver tells you about the history of the canyon.

In Tucson’s early days, people took picnics to Sabino Canyon. In 1887, there was a big earthquake in Mexico, 150 miles away from Sabino Canyon. Many of the huge boulders you see in the canyon fell from the canyon walls or were moved in that quake. In 1890, the Forest Preservation Act was passed by the United States Congress and in 1905 when the Forest Service was created, Sabino Canyon came under its care.

You can see the dam flowing because of the rain.

The Scarecrow : Pardon me, this way is a very nice way.                  Dorothy : Who said that?                                   The Scarecrow : [points other way]  It’s pleasant down that way, too.           Dorothy : That’s funny. Wasn’t he pointing the other way?                    The Scarecrow : [points both ways]  Of course, some people do go both ways.

“Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley”. –  Theodore Roethke

On Tuesday February 13, In Fry’s parking lot, there sat the Wienermobile!

We were excited to see the Wiener.

There are presently 6 “Wienermobiles” traveling around in the Untited States. They are used to promote and advertise their products in the United States. The first Wienermobile was created by Oscar Mayer’s nephew, Carl G. Mayer, in 1936.

It’s new space age design.

The driver of a Wienermobile is called The Hotdogger. The Hotdogger’s job is to “meat” and greet people around the country. The duties of a Hotdogger are sharing photos and videos on social media, answering questions about the brand and the vehicle.

Only college seniors who are about to graduate are eligible to be Hotdoggers, Oh darn it all, sounds like a great job. Applicants should be graduating with communication skills. A Hotdogger’s assignment is for only one year. Recruiting for each year’s new Hotdoggers quad involves current Hotdoggers and Oscar Mayer recruiters visiting college campuses across the country. In 2018, 7,000 people applied to be Hotdoggers. As each Wienermobile carries three Hotdoggers, only 24 Hotdoggers are selected each year.

We talked to the Hotdogger we saw and she mentioned that Oscar Meyer treated them very well as to where they ate, their accomodations as well as spending money.

I think the 1952 has a lot of class.

Remember The song (Oscar Mayer Weiner by Richard D. Trentlage) that aired in 1963?

🎵Oh, I wish I was an Oscar Mayer wiener. That is what I’d truly like to be.

‘Cause if I were an Oscar Mayer wiener, Everyone would be in love with me.🎶

I don’t know about you but I’m hungry for a hotdog.

Tucson Mountain Park was established in April 1929. The Pima County Parks Commission, with C. B. Brown as its chairman, was established to oversee the park. At approximately 20,000 acres, the park is one of the largest natural resource areas owned and managed by a local government in the U.S. The park has approximately 62 miles of non-motorized shared-use trials.

Around the area of Tucson Mountain Park there is Gates Pass and Kinney Roads that are very senic with many pull offs for picnics and taking pictures. Also Saguaro National Park (West District), Old Tucson, and the Sonoran Desert Museum are amongst Mountian Park. 

From the Camino de Osete Trailhead we took the Yetman Trail, the trail takes you into desert hills with plenty of cacti. There are other interescting trails along the way which are sometimes marked. The trail takes you to the “Stone House” which is what we came to see.

“If seeds waited for perfect conditions to grow, there would be no plants in the desert.”

– Matshona Dhliwayo

In this remote valley is the remaining stone walls of this 1930s ranch house built here. The Bowen Homestead, also called the Bowen Stone House, was constructed at this hidden and out of the way location in the early 1930s by Sherry and Ruby Bowen. At the time, Sherry was the city editor at the Arizona Daily Star. They decided to move out West for Ruby’s health, as she had heart problems. They started a homestead in the Sonoran Desert Mountain Park and eventually expanding their land to some 2,000 acres.

The above picture is what is left of the bathroom, their bathtub.

What is left of the stone ranch house is only the foundation walls. But they have withstood the desert winds, heat, and storms for more than eight decades. You can see traces of old fireplaces, and the empty frames of what were once huge picture windows where the Bowens would have looked out at the cacti and mesquite trees that cover this rough landscape, also looking at the wild horses, deer, sheep, and other animals that came to nibble in their valley. It provides a look ito the family’s somewhat rugged existence during the Great Depression and World War II.

The only photo taken of the house when they left with the walls and ceiling still remaining.

Mr. Sherry Bowen and his dog Penny. Their trusty mule.

A neat place to find out in the middle of knowwhere and imagine how they lived.

February 22nd George Washington’s birthday, and Martha Washington came all the way over to Tucson to put on a show for us. We were so glad she did.

Martha first talked of how the women dressed in the 18th century with corsets or ‘stays’ as they were called,  A conical shape that pushed the bust right up to the top of the dress.  The back of the corset was cut high to keep the back as straight as possible.  Strips of whalebone (Mary, you were right) were used to give the structure to the corsets/stays and it had some flexibility to it while keeping a rigid look.  The production of stays was a male industry because of the heavy work involved with cutting and inserting the boning into hand-stitched channels. How uncomfortable was that. Martha passed around a ‘stay’, which wouldn’t be pleasant to wear, and padding they wore underneath their dresses. She also mentioned the additional layers of clothing that had to be put on. It had to take a good amount of time just to get dressed.

Martha then spoke about her life before George, with George and after George. She mentioned that George was a handsome gent and Martha was very pretty. She talked about George being 6’2″ and she was 5ft tall. George had bad teeth all his life and he was always in pain because of it. He didn’t have wooden teeth as everyone thinks. Aware of his failing dental health, George kept several of his pulled teeth and in the 18th century buying human teeth or using animal teeth was used for making dentures.. Despite all his attempts to save his remaining teeth, Washington was down to just one tooth at the time of his inauguration as the first President of the United States. Martha mentioned that his one front tooth held on his dentures. The poor guy had ill fitting dentures which he was very self-aware of the impact that ill-fitting dentures had on his appearance. The dentures made him less wiling and able to speak.

Alisa was excellent at being Martha and listening to her she made you forget that she really wasn’t the real Martha Washington.

On the path across the way, we found some additional rock formations by Karen, the rock art lady.

We found Labyrinth a circlular patternin used as a walking meditation or spiritual practice. When you see one you have to walk in it and out ir right? You just can’t pass it by.

Thios rock creation is of a Publeo Indian’s dancing costume.

On Saturday January 27, we went to a resturant in Tucson called,

Pinnacle Peak Opened in 1962 and became popular for it’s Mesquite-Grilled Cowboy Steak. It’s decorated with an old western type of atmosphere.

When you enter the restaurant you notice all the ties on the ceilings and walls. This is because of their “No Ties Allowed” policy which is to relax and enjoy without a tie. If someone does wear a neck tie, a singing cowboy comes along, cuts your tie off and gives you a small sheet of paper to write your name and the year and off it goes to the wall or ceiling. I wanted Dave to wear a tie but he didn’t bring one with him on this trip.

We have been to Abe’s on Lincoln Street in Savannah, GA where you draw a picture of Abe Lincoln on one of their napkins and they put it on the celing or wall and also No Name Pub in Pine Key near Key Largo, where you can put a dollar bill on the celings and walls too. These placs have thousands upon thousands of napkins and dollar bills just like these ties. I wonder what other places have hanging on their ceilings and walls.

Pinnacle Peak it located in what is called “Trail Dust Town” which contains Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse and the Silver Dollar Saloon, plus local shops, amusement rides, stunt shows, and the Savoy Opera House. We all said we’d mossy down to Trail Dust Town at another time to check out all the doings.

Sunday January 28, Marcia from Voyager had a Wine, Cheese and Chocolate party for us girls. Three of my favorite things!

“The desert, when the sun comes up, I couldn’t tell where heaven stopped and the Earth began.” – Tom Hanks

Pictures of decayed wood and new growth (xerophytes) in the desert.

Thursday February 1st, we went to Mission Garden.

Mission Garden is a living agricultural museum of Sonoran Desert-adapted heritage fruit-trees, traditional local heirloom crops and edible native plants. They are a non-profit, volunteer-based educational organization. Their primary mission is to preserve, transmit and revive the region’s rich agricultural heritage by growing garden plots representative of more than 4000 years of continuous cultivation in the Tucson Basin.

Mission Garden was an enjoyable and learning experience.   The mission was established in 2012 and has been growing ever since. It’s in the site of the original Mission San Agustin garden set out by Spanish missionaries near the banks of the Santa Cruz River.  

Flowers growing in the Mission.

Dave is playing a Maracas (rattle or rumba shakers) made out of the fruit from the higuero or calabash tree.

In the various plots of the different nationalities besides having the food they grew and how they did it, they also had how their plot would have looked like with a house and chairs and different items that were outside.

The Mission Garden represents all the eras and cultures of Tucson’s history, through growing plots that contain — as nearly as possible — the precise varieties of vegetables, fruits and grains that were grown in the eras being represented,  It also contains about a dozen plots representing the diverse groups and cultures that have farmed the Tucson basin through the centuries. They include the Mexican Garden, O’odham Garden Before European Contact, O’odham Garden After European Contact, Territorial Garden, Chinese Garden, Africa in the Americas Garden and several more.  Volunteers were all over keeping the place looking good.

As you drive around the downtown area of Tucson you notice a mountain with a big white A on the front of it.  The “A” was built by University of Arizona (UA) students in 1916, It’s known as both Sentinel Peak, and “A” Mountain.” You can see it clearly from where we were at Mission Garden and from the city.

“A” Mountain is a noticeable landmark, hiking trail, park and sunset-watching destination in the Tucson Mountains on the west side of Downtown Tucson. You can drive up to watch the sun-set from a couple of parking areas alongside Sentinel Peak Park.  

Hiking our way to the top of the “A”

The 2,897-foot mountain is made up of several layers of rock the same kind of rock as a volcano even though it’s not volcano. Sentinel Peak and the surrounding Santa Cruz Valley have a rich archaeological history dating back over 4,000 years. The area’s first inhabitants grew crops at the mountain’s base along the Santa Cruz River, which is known as Tucson’s birthplace. Sentinel Peak was used as a lookout and for signal fires by native Americans prior to and since 1692 and later by early settlers as well as soldiers during the Civil War.

How Tucson got it’s name with a picture taken from “A” Mountain. Looks a lot different today.

The view is great hiking along the way to the top.

We’re looking down to see the big “A” on the top of the mountain.

“Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.” – Barry Finlay

We were excited about this hike cause we haven’t done a lot of it lately. Fun day for sure!

The Big “A” isn’t always white. It’s been red, white and blue, all black, all red, all blue and all yellow on different occasions and the big “A” has been painted green every year for St. Patrick’s Day from 1993 on. We’ll have to take a picture of it when it’s green. They definitely like the “A” on the mountain.