Feliz Año Nuevo!

“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
― C.S. Lewis

May this new year bring you joy, succes, cherished moments and most of all a year filled with good health.

2024 was a difficult chapter for some of our dear friends and family having health issues. These people are fighters who made it through the roughest part of their journey. They and their spouses are an inspiration to me and Dave and everyone who knows them.

They keep on fighting and never give up hope and know they gotta keep laughing cause laughter is the best medicine. 🙏✝️ Keep the Faith and Stay Strong 😊💗

Voyager had a golf ball drop that we were planning on attending but unfortunately I read the write-up wrong and thought “The Golf Ball Drop” was going to happen close to 3pm.

We never attended a golf ball drop but this one of the ways it’s done. Participants enter the contest by purchasing a golf ball with a number on it. Then, at a designated time, you drop a large number of golf balls onto a golf course from a helicopter, crane, or cherry picker. The owner of the ball closest to the hole wins a prize.

So we did our own Golf Ball Drop on New Year’s Eve 2024. Maybe next year we’ll show up at the right time.

“May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door, and occasionally wine and chocolates.” — Irish Proverb

I went to a New Years Day party at my friend Alicia’s new house in the Cove, part of Voyager rv park. It was a good time with friends from Voyager.

 

Me and 3 of my friends went to the sock hop. It was a rockin and a rollin good time.

Did you know that the 1950s American high school gymnasium phenomenon of a “hop” is short for “sock hop”, so named because kids were required to take off their shoes before hopping around to music so as not to scratch up and ruin the gymnasium floor. I didn’t but sock hops were a bit before my time.

“Well, I know that you’re in love with him ’cause I saw you dancing in the gym. You both kicked off your shoes, and I dig those rhythm & blues. song American Pie

The band played Elvis, Chubby Checkers, Buddy Holly, The Everly Brother’s . . . . .

ALERT: for January 25th a Prisoner escaped from UPDATE (1/25): ASPC- Arizona Prison Complex in Tucson, prison staff responsed immediately and implemented escape protocols and alerted local law enforcement to locate Elijah Palmer. He is an inmate that was sentenced out of Pima County for the unlawful use of transportation on August 06, 2024. He is at the Whetstone Unit at the Arizona State Prison.

The Arizona State Prison is a minimum security prison across the street in the dessert about about 3 miles from Voyager.

Elijah Palmer escaped from the prison at 4:00 am. He hid in the desert until approximately 9:00 am. Our friend Alicia when taking her morning walk saw a suspicious man with no shirt on and orange pants rolled up into shorts heading her way. She called the security in the park and the park was shut down and the enternace gates were closed. At 10:00 am Dave & I were walking Cooper, we saw sherrif cars go through out the park and up in the sky was a hellicopter flying all around Voyager. Our first thought was it must have been an illegal immigrant being chased but we were informed a prisoner had escaped from accross the street.

We heard that he took a broom and started sweeping an area near the resturant, then he was seen at the golf club house getting a drink of water.

Palmer, has been in prison since August 6, 2024 and his projected release date was May 12, 2025. The question is why would he try to escape when he had only had four months left? Now he will have to be be in jail for a lot longer.

Just before 2 p.m., the Pima County Sheriff’s Department posted on social media that he had been captured.

That was the excitement that morning at Voyager RV Resort. Prior to this prison escape there hasn’t been one for 29 years.

The best news on January 25th, our friends from Georgia, Skip & Nancy came to visit us here at Voyager.

Actually they didn’t ride their bikes here they came with their camper and their lovable dog Bubah.

We visited the Presidio San Agustin Del Tucson with Skip & Nancy. The Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum is a reconstruction of the original Tucson Presidio that was a Spanish fort built in 1775. It was definitely an interesting place located behind large adobe walls.

The main entrance has gift a shop where you purchase your tickets. There were also some displays and artifacts of Tucson’s history. This area is located in a house where an original Sonoran Row Home was built inthe 1870s. 

A company of Spanish soldiers started the construction of the fort started in 1755.  At first it consisted of a scattering of buildings, some inside a high wooden fence and adobe walls. It was complete in May 1783. The fort measured about 670 ft. The main gate, the presidial chapel, the commandant’s house all were in the center and the interior walls were lined with homes, stables, and warehouses. The massive adobe walls that required constant maintenance, especially when attacks by Native Americans were anticipated. The fort remained intact until the American arrival in 1856, when Arizona became part of the United States.  Afterward, it was dismantled, with the last standing portion torn down in 1918.

 The Presidio Courtyard is made to look like the Presidio San Agustín during its height of occupation. 

On the left is a representation of the living quarters of a soldier with a family, while the space on the right reflects a barracks for bachelor soldiers. The soldiers staying in the barracks hung their uniforms on pegs on the wall and also stored their weapons here. They also ate at a communal table. On one of the barracks beds is a cuera.  It is made from seven layers of deerskin and was worn as protection from arrows.

Soldiers served for 10 years, some would re-inlist because they had a place to live. During the period between the 1790s and 1820s, between 100 and 106 soldiers were stationed at the fortress. As soldiers retired, many stayed on in the community with their families, working as farmers in fields on the Santa Cruz River floodplain.

  The mural was painted by Tucson artist Bill Singleton and his sons.

This Presidio Courtyard murial was painted to look like the Presidio San Agustín during its height of occupation. 

In 1821, Spain accepted Mexico’s Independence after an eleven year conflict. For residents of the Tucson Presidio life did not change much. The Mexican Army did not arrive for a few years and when it did the Spanish flag was taken down and the Mexican flag was put up.

The Presidio remained in use as a protective fort until the Americans entered Tucson in March 1856. By then, residents were interested in newer constructions and bricks from the Presidio were taken and used.

The Siqueiros-Jacome House, built between the 1860s and 1870s, is notable for the fact that the soil used to create its adobe bricks was extracted from a large pit located in the house’s backyard; essentially, the house’s very foundation was “mined” from the land directly behind it. 

How the Siqueiros-Jacome house – Gift shop looks today.

We found the museum impressive, with it’s layers of Tucson’s historical past and the unique stories that go along with the reconstruction. It was a good way to learn about the very beginnings of Tucson. Cause ya know you gotta preserve & appreciate history.

I heard from friends that you have to go to Boca’s Mexican Resturant on 4th street downtown. Now I know why, the food was delicious! Maria Mmazon The chef of Boca’s was featured on Top Chef, Food Network, New York Times, and Travel Channel; Tucson City of Gastronomy Certified; James Beard Award Semifinalist, not bad.

I’m glad we went there with Skip and Nancy it was La comida era excelente!

January 30th, 2025

You walk through the gift shop and then into the museum with everyting from horseless carriage to a new 350 Shelby, with lots in between.

We liked the 1909 Buick Model 10 above because of the open rumble seat or “mother-in-law” seat in the back. It must have been a bumpy ride.

The Horseless Carriages.

There are 48  Ford Model Ts, one of the company’s most successful vehicles that sold more than 15 million units from 1908 to 1927. The last picture is a Mid-Teens Ford Model T Speedster.

Dave is standing by a 1966 Mustang Coupe. He got one when he was a kid, a few years back, fixed it up somewhat and sold it. Could this be his old Coupe?

1968 Mustang GT/CS Nice car, I like the display with the chairs, gril and green drinks in the bottles.

A 1967 She Country Mustang, color is Bermuda Sand.

Bill Goodro Ford in Denver, Colorado was a well-known Denver dealership. After Bill Goodro passed away on May 5, 1965, his wife, Ann, took over the business. Ann Goodro marketed a She Country Mustang starting in April 1967.

The She Country Special had a decidedly feminine design flair, beginning with the vehicle’s color. Goodro ordered 48 She Country Specials for her dealership, including 12 each in the pastel colors of Limelite Green, Bermuda Sand, Evening Orchid, and Autumn Smoke. Each vehicle came with an orchid corsage and a personalized nameplate mounted on the dashboard that included the engraved name of the purchaser. Goodro took the female theme a step further by installing the first women’s waiting lounge in her dealership, which she decorated with colored lights and stuffed animals. The She Country Special was a rousing success, as it helped Goodro increase the dealership’s sales by 12 percent. Ann Goodro eventually became the first female president of the Colorado Auto Dealer’s Association in 1977.

The She Mustang was so popular it is now available through GreenLight Collectibles in a die cast models with all the 4 original pastel colors. of Limelite Green, Bermuda Sand, Evening Orchid, and Autumn Smoke. I sure wish I had the real thing not a die cast model.

They had old bikes thru out the museum. Dave had a brand new 1966 Fast Back growing up. He was stylin. . .

I would also take this 1957 Thunderbird off their hands.

 They had some Ace Hardware trucks around, here are pictures of two. Remember their Jingle “Ace is the place with the helpful hardware store?”

The museum had old restored.fire trucks.

They restored this truck into a replica of the truck on the series “Emergency” in 1973.

This is a long 1923 ALF tiller straight frame fire truck. It had a service ladder that was unique because its rear drive wheels could be steered by a tillerman sitting on the seat in the back. This allowed for enhanced maneuverability in tight spaces. The truck is about 40 ft. long and it took 4 or 5 firemen to work this truck. They just had this fire truck out and about, it would have been neat to see how the operate it.

An old fire truck pulled by horses was called a horse drawn fire engine. Fire departments used horses to pull hose wagons, steam-powered pumpers, and hook-and-ladder carts. 

That makes me feel safe, that’s when you use your fire bucket

Inside the building where the fire trucks are they have a mock fire station.

When you jump make sure you aim for the red dot. I learned at the museum that fire buckets have round bottoms, you can see from picture. The rounded bottom creates a strong, directed stream of water when it’s thrown at a fire and they can’t stand up on their own, making them less likely to be stolen.

They have some early roadsters. They have a sporty apperance and perform like sports cars. 

Here’s some heavy duty machinery.

We all thought this was really neat. Wouldn’t it be fun to ride in one?

The museum also has a doll collection and a collection of old chain saws.

Joe Findysz is the owner of the museum, began collecting cars at age 14. There were volunteers in the museum that actually had their cars there. People who put a lot of time into restoring the vehicles who were proud of the work they did. The volunteers all had stories to tell and they all had an obvious affection for old cars. A great place to visit if your into classic cars.

On February 3rd we took our friends to Sabino Canyon. The Canyon is always listed in the top 5 things to do in Tucson. We love Sabino Canyon and we knew our friends would too.

We took a trail and saw a rare Broccoli saguaro, also known as crested saguaros. They have a fan-shaped crest at the top of their main stem or arms that look like broccoli. Scientists estimated that for every 200,000 normal cacti, there is only one Broccoli Saguaro.

Howdy All, It’s February 4th, Dave and I have enjoyed being in Tombstone again with Skip and Nancy. We went here to see The Good Eenough Mine Tour, eat at Big Nose Kate’s Returant & Bar and see the famous “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. It’s a fun place to visit to check out the historical landmarks and learn about the just how wild the Wild West was.

“The town was established on Goose Flats, a mesa above the Goodenough Mine. Within two years of its founding, although far distant from any other metropolitian area. Tombstone had a bowling alley, four churches, an  ice house, a school, two banks, three newspapers, and an ice cream parlor, alongside 110 saloons, 14 gambling halls, and numerous dance halls and brothels. All of these businesses were situated among and atop many silver mines. The gentlemen and ladies of Tombstone attended operas presented by visiting acting troupes at the Schieffelin Hall opera house, while the miners and cowboys saw shows at the Bird Cage Theatre and brothel.”

Photos of Tombstone in 1881

Before and after, the Bird Cage Theatre and brothel where the miners and cowboys hung out.

Tombstone Silver Mines.

The Gunther’s and Gerber’s

Old mining equipment around the mining areas.

The history of mining in Tombstone began when Ed Schieffelin filed his first mining claim in 1877 he named it “Tombstone,” because he’d been told that his tombstone was all that he would find in the parched, Apache-ruled hills of southeast Arizona. A year later, when he filed his second claim, he named it “Good Enough” because the silver ore was so rich that it was good enough to satisfy him.

By 1880 there were over 3000 mining claims in the Tombstone district. Most of these claims were small operations that did not make a lot of headlines with their productions. However, there were several established operations with machines that produced thousands of tons in ore. Some of the notable mining operations in the district included, The Lucky Cuss Mine, The Tribute Mine, The Tough Nut Mine, The Owl’s Nest Mine and the The East Site Mine.

We took The Goodenough Mine tour that was led by a knowledgeable guide. He took us through the original 1879 workings of the mine, learned all about nineteenth century hard rock silver mining. Saw what the ore looked like and he told us how it was processed, we also was some pretty rocks and minerals. There were old artifacts and structures that have been in place for 130 years.

The whole mining area here in Tombstone is about 400 miles of trails starting at the surface and going about 500 ft. down, it’s like a city down there.

Yes you can get married in the mine. This is what the miners used when they had to relieve oneself.

Our guide told us how hard a miner’s life was. They faced many dieases and dangerous working conditions, miners died when they were only 30 years old. Early miners used a series of ladders that descended hundreds of feet into the ground. Some fell off ladders and slipped on rocks. At the end of the day, when the miners were tired, not everyone made it to the top successfully. Hoists and open cages replaced ladders, but miners sometimes fell or banged into jutting rocks. Miners suffered from mercury, lead or arsenic poisoning. Plus metals like copper, zinc and non-metallic minerals like asbestos, talc and borax. Many got sick from drinking dirty water and living too close together. Power drills and electric lights were advancements that also carried risks. Power drills created more dust, so miners who inhaled too much silica developed the chronic lung disease called silicosis. Many miners were electrocuted after electric lights were installed in underground mines. Also from bugs like hookworm and dynamite explosions.

In the early 1880s, the silver mines of Tombstone produced vast riches, and the thousands of miners making four dollars a day were spending lavishly at Tombstone businesses. While many movies have been made about Tombstone, none of them have captured the frenzied scene undoubtedly unfolding every day on the streets of Arizona’s largest city at the time.

“Mining has always had this glittery Powerball mentality.You can strike it rich, even if your chances aren’t good.”

We all enjoyed the tour, it was definitely a unique and authentic adventure. I never realized and was amazed at how hard a job it was, especially working 10 hour days. As you can tell the life of a silver miner blew me away, I hope I didn’t bore you. Mining continued all over Tombstone for a couple of decades until the mid-1920s when most of the ore had been mined out. By 1930 most of the mines in the district had closed down and most of the miners left town. Mining however continued on small scale for more years. Today the town of is a small town of just about 1000 people. People still venture out into the desert in search of gold and silver using metal detectors and other simple tools.

Estimates vary widely as to how much silver was mined a Tombstone, but it is said that over 32,000,000 ounces were produced, worth over a billion dollars today.

This is a Zebu cattle, also known as humped cattle. The man who owned the Zebu said it was like his dog, he petted it and said once a week it jumps this 6 foot fench and wanders around Tombstone. He said sooner or later someone will tell him where the Zebu is and he’ll bring it back.

Big Nose Kate’s Saloon first got its start as The Grand Hotel opening in September 9, 1880.The Grand Hotel was declared as one of the finest hotels in the state, the hotel was luxuriously furnished, provided thick carpeting, and its walls were adorned with costly oil paintings.   The hotel opened with an invitation-only ball on September 9, 1880. During its first few years, the hotel often housed some of Tombstone’s most famous residents including Wyatt and Virgil Earp, Doc Holliday, Big Nose Kate and the Clanton Gang. Sadly, The Grand Hotel did not survive the devastating Tombstone AZ fire of May 25, 1882. Today, the building is home to Big Nose Kate’s Saloon.

Kate and Doc Holiday

If your ever in Tombstone stop at Big Nose Kate’s for a bite to eat. They have good food and a fun atmosphere. There is always someome singing and people are having a good time.

Theses guys are the real deal, Virgil, Wyatt, and Morgan Earp and Doc Holiday.

The first picture is Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, John Hudson and DeForest Kelly in the 1957 movie

The second picture I’m sure you know, are Val Kilmer, Sam elliott, Kirk Russell and William Paxton in the 1993 movie.

If your in Tucson you gotta go a little further to Tombstone and and see The Famous Gunflight at O.K.

Corral. And if you have time check out Boothill Graveyard with it’s unquie grave markers.

The show was fantastice! Darwin Santos was the lead singer, if you closed your eyes you would think it was Steve Perry on stage. The band was great too, featuring lots of high energy musicians and vocalists who sounded grear together. The fellow second from the left was on the keyboards and guitar, he is from Buffalo NY.

“Better than a tribute band, Voyager killed it note for note, song after song. Vocals, guitar-unbelievable! Highly recommend you see them!” – Morris F. Lots og good reviews

Voyager is an awesome Journey tribute band, they travel all over the world so if their ever in your area you gotta go see them. What’s your favorite Journey song? Is it . . . . Anyway you want it, Faithfully, Don’t Stop Believin, Send her My Love, etc. Or maybe you just don’t like Journey.

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Alisa Dupuy did another fantastic show on Female spies of WWII.

She dressed exactly like a professional lady did in the 1940s with high heels, hat and gloves. She even pretended to be smoking a cigarrette while talking.

Vera Atkins was the Greatest Female Secret Agent of World War II. She is known as the Spymistress. She climbed her her way to the top in the Special Operations Executive, or SOE: Britain’s secret that was created to help build up, organize, and arm the resistance in the Nazi-occupied countries. Throughout the war she trained and mentored the agents for the SOE’s French Section, which sent more than four hundred young women and men into occupied France. But as the woman who carried out this astonishing effort was quintessentially English, Atkins was nothing of the sort. As we follow her through the devastation of postwar Germany, we learn Atkins herself covered her life in mystery so that even her closest family knew almost nothing of her past and were reported “Missing Atkins recruited,

Then Vera Atkins talked about an amazing spy Virginia Hall. Vrginia was an American working for British intelligence during World War II France. She had lost a leg in a hunting accident years before. She named her prosthetic leg Cuthbert, she went by the name of Marie, Brigitte or any of a half dozen other names. Some saw her as a middle-aged newspaper reporter. To others, she was a doddering old woman. To the Nazis, she was an elusive enemy, “The Lady Who Limps.” She was so feared her that Klaus Barbie, among the most savage of Nazi leaders, ordered an urgent search for the woman he called the most dangerous of all Allied spies. She went on to become the first woman field agent sent into France before and during the occupation. She set up spy networks and safe houses, and engineered a prison escape and the explosion of Nazi supply lines. She also organized resistance groups, helped conduct sabotage operations, and reported secret intelligence back to the Allies. She was never caught, and escaped France by trekking 35 miles (56km) across the icy Pyrenees, in constant pain from Cuthbert. She was the first agent to live behind the lines in Vichy. She was one of the first women agents in the CIA and was the only civilian woman of the war to receive the Distinguished Service Cross. Virginia Hall is quite a lady with her immense personal courage and determination, and how she broke through the barriers of physical limitation and gender discrimination to become America’s greatest feared spy of World War II.

Vera Atkins talked about a few other American spies in WWII

Audrey Hepburn, as a teenager growing up in the Netherlands, the Oscar-winning actress bravely carried messages for the Dutch resistance during the Nazi occupation.

Julia Child, years before she learned to cook, she worked for the OSS during World War II. Child had wanted to join military services, but was denied because of her height – a statuesque 6’2. but she wasn’t too tall to join the OSS. She helped develop a shark repellent, so sharks would no longer accidentally trigger bombs. Ever modest Child said, “I was not a spy, only a lowly file clerk.” She received an Emblem of Meritorious Civilian for her work.

Women spies greatly helped in ending WWII, some say it would have lasted a lot longer or we wouldn’t have won the war. Either way, I never realized there were so many women spies that helped tremendously during the war with different skills and abilities. When Alisa Aupuy studied for this show she didn’t realize how many spies there were, especially American women, so she had to only pick a few to talk about. She also mentioned how these great women who were tremendous spies went back home to presume their roles as housewives, cooking and doing the laundry. Not telling any body of what you went thru during the war. If they did tell I’m thinking they would walk away thinking “what the heck is she on”

We have visited both Saguaro National Parks a few times and now it’s time to decide which is best East or West?

The photos above are from both parks. I believe that I prefer West, and Dave maybe East? I’m not sure, we’ll have to go back a few times and maybe decide.

It’s the end of February, Dave & I celebrated our anniversary and it’s also an awesome guys birthday on the 27th. Can you guess who? We celebrated at Little Anthony’s a 1950’s diner in Tucson.

We would like to say “Hello” to a friend of ours, Dick Albright who we’ve known since our first voyage in Florida. He’s a great guy who been reading our blog since the beginning! Take care dear friend!

Holy Mackerel!! It’s Almost Christmas! What the heck . . . .

Here’s what we’ve been doing while the time as been flying by ……

Once again, I went with my friend Marcia and some of her fans to Madera Canyon to bird watch. It’s located on the northwest face of the Santa Rita Mountains in the Coronado National Forest. It’s known for it’s mesquite, juper-oak and pine tree woodlands that offer some of the world’s best bird watching and hiking areas.

What the heck, t’s fun coming here as there are more than 250 species of birds that can be found in Madera Canyon. Among them are the highly sought-after Elegant Trogon, Elf Owl, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Red-faced Warbler, Painted Redstart and more than 15 species of hummingbirds.

Below is the list of birds we saw

Subject: eBird — Madera Canyon–Santa Rita Lodge — Oct 25, 2024

Stationary 90 Minutes

10 Mourning Dove
3 Rivoli’s Hummingbird
1 Anna’s Hummingbird
1 Broad-tailed Hummingbird — Buffy flanks and slight spotting on gorget. Pale eye ring and green back. Bill dark
3 Broad-billed Hummingbird
1 Berylline Hummingbird — Visiting feeders infrequently. Slightly decurved dark bill. Rufous wings and with a green dark head and throat. Buzzy rattle noted prior to feeder visits
11 Acorn Woodpecker
2 Arizona Woodpecker
1 Hutton’s Vireo
13 Mexican Jay (Arizona)
1 Common Raven
6 Bridled Titmouse
2 Violet-green Swallow
4 White-breasted Nuthatch (Interior West)
1 Bewick’s Wren
14 House Finch
1 White-crowned Sparrow
1 Painted Redstart

Number of Taxa: 18

I don’t know if I saw the complete list, if I did I couldn’t tell you what the names of the birds or what colors they are. I know I did see the Arizona Woodpecker, Morning Doves, House Finches and the Raven. Most of the birds I know are common birds that you see everywhere. It’s fun watching birds and bird watchers.

It’s Halloween Eve, it used to be called it Begger’s Night. Dave, me and Sharon went to see Haunted Honeymoon at the movie room in Voyager. Sharon made great popcorn for the show.

It was the first time we saw the movie, we thought it was pretty good. It opened nationwide on July 26, 1986. The movie was the last feature film appearance by Gilda Radner (prior to her diagnosis and death from ovarin cancer. She died in May 20, 1989.

On Halloween Voyager had a lot of hootin and hollarin goin on.

Trick or treating was fun! The people who were handing out the candy wore great costumes.

Cooper got on his bowtie and cuffs and joined in on the parade excitement.

There was a lot of decorated golf carts and dogs and people in costumes. I didn’t get to take half the pictures of the people in golf carts or the dogs that participated. It was a lot of fun, especially for the dogs they got treats from kind people who were watching the the parade.

Halloween night it was time to party!

Even the band got dresses up for Halloween.

There were so many good costumes this year and I only got a chance to take a few pictures, because you can’t take pictures and dance. So I choose to dance. It was a great dance and a great day.

A few of our family members choose to celebrate Halloween too.

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It’s

In the desert

By the end of September, rain has dissipated, leaving behind an autumn desert surprisingly vibrant. Fresh green growth bursts forth, cacti are laden with fruit, and a flurry of wildflowers adds splashes of color. A sense of harmony is restored after the rains. Hope is renewed. Anything seems possible because it has rained in the desert. The low slant of sunlight adds new golden hues to the landscape. Skies are sharp and clear, with views stretching for miles.

~castle hot springs~

A walk in the desert across from Voyager.

Dave and Cooper are

On

Taking walks around the park you always get a nice showing of the sunsets.

“Don’t forget: Beautiful sunsets need cloudy skies…”

The weather here has been incredible almost everyday since we been here in October and so far December as been great too, so we’ve been at the pool in Voyager for a many a day. Especially Dave who does laps. I do laps too, but with a noodle, Not quite the same.

Novemember 21, me and some friends went to Karaoke Night at Voyager. Sharon had the courage to sing “Funky Cold Medina”

Jodi sang “These Boots are Made of Walking” by you know . . .

This guy sounded good singing “Beyond the Sea” by Bobby Darin. I remember the song, but didn’t remember the singer.

I didn’t get a picture of this guy but he sounded really good singing “The Auctioner Song.”

I also didn’t get a picture of the lady who sang “Black Velvet” a song sung by Alannah Myles in 1989. I also didn’t know the song was about the King Elvis Presley.

A good time was had by all. The songs people sang were really diversified. Everything from Frank Sinatara’s song – Fly me to the Moon- to Radio Head’s song – Creep – and everything in between.

A bunch of us in the park get together for Happy Hour at Fat Willy’s on friday, the restuarant inside Voyager. Sometimes we want to try a new place, so we tried BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse on Broadway Blvd. in Tucson.

BJ’s was founded in 1978 by Jim Kozen and Leonard Allenstein. It first opened in Santa Ana, California, as BJ’s Chicago Pizzeria. The original name was BJ Grunts, but due to a federal trademark conflict with RJ Grunts, a Chicago-based hamburger restaurant, the name was changed to just BJ’s.

I took a picture of Elisha and Kathy when when the food came, but once I started eating I forgot all about getting a picture with Bert and myself. The food was very good.

I was to full to try one of these but next time I’m going to leave some room for sure.

The real, original, classic ice cream cookie dessert that brought about a hundred imitations was created at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse. They call it the Pizookie. They havenearly a dozen different Pizookie flavors with inspiration from other beloved desserts, but the Chocolate Chunk Pizookie remains one of their earliest and favorite BJ’s innovations. The combination of a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie with cold, fresh vanilla bean ice cream is one of those desserts that you must experience to believe. Each Pizookie is baked thick in a deep dish pizza pan so it’s crisp on the bottom, chewy on the edges and soft in the middle. It looked as good as they describe it.

I can’t believe that it’s this time of the year already! I hope ya’ll had a great day.

We went to see Alisa Dupuy as Mary Jemison “The White Woman of the Genesee.” Also known as: Deh-he-wä-mis. We saw her twice before when she was at Voyager. Once she portrayed “Mathra Washington” and last Christmas she did the “Christmas Carole” she acted out all the roles of the different characters in the movie. She did a great job doing those so we went to see her again as Mary Jemison.

She talked about the life of Mary Jemison who when she was 15 was taken from her western Pennsylvania home by a Shawnee and French raiding party. Her family was killed, but Mary was traded to two Seneca sisters who adopted her. She lived to survive two Indian husbands, the births of eight children, the American Revolution, the War of 1812. In 1833 she died at about age ninety. She talked about the Indian ways and what she had learned. Her mother told her never forget how to talk english and always remember her families names, which she did.

The first picture is of Mary when she 15 and adopted by the Seneca Indians. Pictures of Mary old & young, the first statue is at Orrtanna, Adams County in Pennsylvania and the last picture is the statue at Letchworth State Park in Castile, N.Y. 

She alsospoke of how each tribe has its own language, religion, customs, governance structure, judicial system, and history. The different functions that men and women had. The men would spend their time hunting, trading and fighting. Male children would learn hunting and warrior skills from their fathers and uncles thru competive games like lacross. Women would run the planting and harvesting to sustain their villages. Female children would help their mothers with crops and household chores. Other duties of the women were to choose the clan leaders and they could also remove leaders from power. The women also played a big part in day to day tribal operations, tribal governance, and the practice of the tribe’s religious traditions. For certain Indian tribes, a women can obtain status equal to a man. A lot different then what the Western society still feels today. Way back then women were actually an important part of the tribes. When the native people presented their Western ancestors with some of these same societal notions, particularly the valuable contributions of women, Westerners were repulsed and dismissed these ideas immediately as a savage, inferior way of functioning. What the Hell!! For the Indians their power was shared equally among everyone in the Tribal Nation, with decisions made by consensus in this pure democracy, the oldest continuing one in the world.

According to the Iroquois creation myth, a prominent Native American story, the world was formed when a pregnant woman, known as the “Sky Woman,” fell from the sky onto the back of a giant turtle, essentially “stomping” on the earth she brought with her to create the land, with the help of animals like birds and beavers who brought her soil from the bottom of the ocean; this is why some Native American groups refer to the Earth as “Turtle Island.”. 

You have to admire Mary as she overcame tremendous hardships with sheer willpower, and an acceptance of present circumstances. Her story epitomizes the self-determination that defined the lives of early Adams County settlers”. If you want to learn more about her there are lots of books.

In Tucson, Arizona, the fall and winter growing season is from November to February. If there is a frost it’s usually around December 9th. Fall is a great time to plant in Tucson because the soil is still warm and there’s lots of sun. You can plant native perennials and cool season vegetables like beets, lettuce, carrots, radishes, spinach, turnips, onions, and peas. 

From mid-December through mid-June, Throughout this time, several wildflowers and cactus start blooming. With the greatest number of species in bloom in the first week of May. 

Different cacti through out Voyager park. There seems to be colorful flowers and cacti growing all the time which I didn’t expect in a dessert.

Oh…. I forgot to mention the citrus trees.

In December some citrus trees in Arizona are ready to be harvested. Which is wonderful because lots of people at Voyager have grapefruit, lemon and orange trees, which they so kindly pick and put in front of their home for people passing by and they are yummmmy!

It’s that time of year when the saguaro, ocotillo, agave, prickly pear, etc. cacti and tree trunks of the Palo Verde and Mesquite trees are decorated with Christmas ornametns of all kinds just like a Christmas trees. The folks at Voyager love to decorate as you can see.

People put lights on their cacti, Ouch…. Those prickers are mean, and you have to put the lights on and take them off. Their fingers have to be sore..

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We did go see another barbershop quartet show in the park. It was a Christmas event and they all harmonized splendidly. Another fun show.

A barbershop quartet originated in an actual barber shop where each barbershop actually had its own quartet. The first written use of the word barber shop, as in referring to the harmonizing, came about in 1910 along with the publication of the song “Play That Barbershop Chord”. Barbershop harmony can trace its beginnings to the 19th century. The songs were originally sung in unison, but over the years they slowly began adding harmony. There was no sheet music at this time, so the singers sung solely based on listening.

During this era, the local barber was more than just a hair dresser. Barber’s also pulled teeth, and performed minor surgeries. Talk about being well diversified with more than a couple occupations, it sounds like one stop could fix a few things. Barbershops slowly became a place for the town to gather and play instruments and sing while waiting for their turn.

At the turn of the century, amateur male singers would gather in quartets to perform at parties and picnics. Often time’s barbershop quartets would perform at Minstrel shows as a way to pass time, since no equipment was necessary.

A barbershop quartet there is is usually four singers who perform a cappella in the barbershop music style. The four voices in a barbershop quartet are: 

• Lead: The voice that usually carries the melody
• Bass: The voice that provides the bass line
• Tenor: The voice that harmonizes above the lead
• Baritone: The voice that often completes the chord

Some of the songs they sang.

All-female barbershop quartets are sometimes called beauty shop quartets. The ladies on the left “Havin A Blast” won 4th prize in the USA female barber shop quartet contest this year.

Golf carts in the parade. ❄️ 🎵Oh what fun it is to ride in a golf cart or ride a bike 🎶🎄Or just watch like we did.

Instead of using cigarettes lighters, we were cheering folks on with our cell phones.

We spent Christmas day with our dear friend Alicia.

Alicia made a delicious Christmas dinner with a Danish dish called Pork Roullade made with Prunes and Danish and red cabbage which was scrumptious. Along with mashed potatoes with gravy and green bean casserole. yummy.

We also tried Taffel Akvavit, also known as Aalborg Taffel Akvavit, it is a Danish spirit that’s been distilled since 1846: Flavor: A bold caraway flavor with hints of poppy seed, citrus, lemon, aniseed, and black pepper.  In Croatia where my grandmother is from, the popular drink there is Slivovitz (Plum Brandy). Just like Taffel Akavit, Slivovitz knocks your socks off as you can tell my Dave’s expression. We all had a great time. Thank you Alicia!

“Christmas—that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance—a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.” —Augusta E. Rundel

See you in 2025!

Short and sweet, “BEEP BEEP!” As the only words spoken by the fastest bird in the West, ~The Road Runner~

On Sept. 23rd, we said good-bye to family and friends back East, and headed towards Wytheville, Virginia. where we stayed overnight.

The next morning, September 24th, we headed to Johnson City in Tenneese. Our friends moved here in June so we went to check up on them.

We got to Beth’s & Fran’s new place about 12:30, hung out with them, chatting about anything and everything.

the next day September 25th, we went to check out The Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park in Elizbethon Tennessee.

The state park is listed as the most important places in Tennesse’s history. There is a museum where Dave is standing which has interesting displays, stories and artifiacts. In back of the museum stands The Fort at Sycamore Shoals which is a replica of the original replica of Fort Watauga, which is right by the Watauga River.

There is a shallow stretch of the Watauga River near the fort where The Cherokees used as a meeting place. When the settlers came they used the same location. By 1772 there were so many settlers moving to northeast Tennessee, so they figure they need some kind of government to provide law and order and organize their defense against Native American attacks. Ya’ll knew something like that was going to happen. The settlers met here, at Sycamore Shoals, to form the Watauga Association. Today this is considered to be the first majority-rule American democracy.

Three years later in March 1775, settler Richard Henderson went to negotiate with the Cherokee for the purchase of Middle Tennessee and much of Kentucky. Henderson and the Cherokee leaders met at Sycamore Shoals, those negotiations are known as the Transylvania Purchase or The Treaty of Sycamore Shoals. The Cherokee leaders sold the land in exchange for gifts. But when Dragging Canoe, son of the Cherokee chief Attakullakulla, found out he was upset to say the least. He warned the negotiators that there would be deadly fighting over the land purchased that day, he and his followers stormed away from the negotiations.

The Transylvania Purchase got settlers moving into the Middle of Tennessee. Which also started a war between settlers living in northeast Tennessee and Cherokee warriors. Fort at Sycamore Shoals the replica of Fort Watauga, a few months after the negotiations settlers living near the fort were attacked. Cherokees led by Dragging Canoe got together with the British with plans to drive the settlers back across the Appalachian Mountains. The settlers then formed a Committee of Safety. The Comittee acquired arms and built forts, including Fort Watauga. On July 21, 1776, a Cherokee invasion attacked Fort Watauga. The Cherokee’s attack was unsuccessful as John Carter, James Robertson, and John Sevier held the fort for a victory.

A display of the”Cherokee Attack” on Fort Watauga in May of 1776.

On September 25, 1780 the Battle of Kings Mountain at Sycamore Shoals begins. The over the mountain men, frontiersmen from Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, were sent a message across the countryside for all able-bodied men to meet at Sycamore Shoals and about a thousand showed up. Led by Colonel William Campbell, Colonel Isaac Shelby, Lieutenant Colonel John Sevier, Charles McDowell, and Colonel Andrew Hampton.  They set out to find British Major Patrick Ferguson, who had threatened to “hang your leaders and lay waste to your country with fire and sword.” The Overmountain Men crossed the river to intercept British Major Patrick Ferguson and his Loyalist army. They defeated Ferguson in just over an hour in the epic battle of King’s Mountain. Many historians believe that the actions of these men at Sycamore Shoals turned the tide of the American Revolution, and saved America from British rule and control.

The The Overmountain Men crossing of the Watauga River to defeat British Major Patrick Ferguson and his Loyalist army. 

On September 25, 2024 Members of the Overmountain Victory Trail Association will recreate the march cross the Watauga River at Sycamore Shoals, just as the Overmountain militia crossed 244 years ago. They have recreated the historic march to King’s Mountain since 1975. Following the crossing, join members of the OVTA inside Fort Watauga as they share the story of the Campaign to Kings Mountain and the patriot victory that turned the tide of the American Revolution. Free Admission!

We were all excited to see the historic march take place by the reinactors. But . . . because of swift flowing water the recreation of the crossing of the Watauga River evented was cancelled. This would have been the 50 year anniversary, we were disappointed. 😒.

Pictures of last years march.

We took the Sycamore Shoals trail to see where the march would have taken place.

They would have crossed the river by the fallen tree. When we got to where they would have crossed you could see the how fast the river was flowing. A reinactor told us he was thankful they weren’t crossing the river because the boots he wears are authenic to what they wore back then, not good for crossing a river, and he did’t want to slip and fall.

All was not lost as we went to check out Fort Sycamore Shoals.

Dave ancestors are Tiptons they call themselves The Tipton Family Association of America. The Family was one of the earliest and largest families to settle in the Watauga Settlements arriving from about 1773 onward. This frontier in East Tennessee was part of colonial North Carolina at that time. His ancestors include great granfather’s and great uncles, that owned property and fought in the Rvolutionary War and Civil War. The Association got to place a Tipton Family Historic Marker on the grounds of the Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area in Elizabethton, Tennessee. The Tipton’s were very fluentical in the area and were involved in making Tennessee a state. We’ll be back here for sure checking out The Tipton’s history.

Then we went to the museum to check it out.

The museum had displays, artifacts and reinactors who talked about what their role in the area and at Sycamore Shoals Historic State Park during the Revolutionary War.

It was for sure a impressive place ad we decided we’d have to go back to see the River Crossing one of these days.

Later in the day we went to Elizabethon, Tennessee.

Settled in the late 1760’s, Carter County does have a lot of history behind it. The City of Elizabethton is home to both the oldest building in the state of Tennessee, the Carter Mansion, and one of the first written constitutional governments west of the Appalachian Mountains, located at Sycamore Shoals State Park.

Downtown Elizabethton has a variety of restaurants, vintage and boutique shops. Beth and Fran go here for different things like sporting events and concerts. It definitely seems like a nice city to visit and see what’s happening.

On a hill in the city there is a section of old mansons that looks really neat.

Elizabethton grew throughout the 19th century. However, Lynn Mountain was kind of cut off into the east and the Watagua River lay to the north. The Doe River flooded often and limited growth to the south. To grow westward, to the site of the current downtown, the city would need a bridge over the Doe River. After extensive debate, in 1882 the Carter County Court approved $3,000 for the bridge and $300 for approaches. The court appointed a committee to select a site for the bridge. However, the committee encountered an unexpected problem — the men could not find a qualified contractor to erect the bridge.

After county officials were unable to find a bridge contractor, a local doctor, E. E. Hunter, accepted the contract and hired experienced people to work on the bridge. Hunter selected Thomas Maston who had been an engineera for a railroad as an engineer and architect. Hunter referred to the bridge as his “five dollar bridge” since he made a profit of $5 as contractor.

Although logs from a lumber operation and a barn were thrown against the covered bridge and its supports during a disastrous flood in 1901, this was the only major bridge in the area to survive.

The first court meeting was held under a sycamore tree in May 1772 in Tennessee. The court was called The Watauga Court Association. The Watauga Association was the first free government in North America, established by settlers in the Watauga Valley. The court was likely the first English-speaking court west of the Alleghenies. The dedication plaque from July 4, 1991, reads: “In 1772, four years before the Declaration of Independence, settlers in the Watauga Valley adopted the Articles of the Watauga Association, the first written constitution in North America.

The sycamore eventually died to disease and age, and the stump still stands near the old covered bridge in Elizabethton. The tree is located on the west side of the Doe River, across from an old covered bridge. The stump of the tree still stand there.

I think it’s neat that they preserved the memory of a meeting under a tree. Couldn’t image any kind of governemrnt meeting held under a tree now.

After we left Elizabethon we went back to our friends place. As it was starting to sprinkle and we had our excitement for the day, so we hung out there for the rest of the day. It rained off and on during the night but nothing bad.

On September 26th we started to hear about the hurricane getting closer and they were predicting rain later. Since we couldn’t do a whole day event. Our friends took us thru different subdivions near Johnson- city that they have been checking out , as our friends haven’t decided if they want to stay in an apartment or not. They were all really nice areas, as they have been checking these areas to see what’s there and are looking at the houses that are for sale. Hurrican Helene hit Johnson City that night with lots of rain and strong winds.

On September 27th, a lot places were closed and didn’t have electricty or even running water to drink. We couldn’t go to the places we wanted to, so we decided a good choice was to go to the town of Jonesborough, Tennessee.

We wanted to go through the shops and and check out their merchandise but they were all closed due to Hurricane Helene, with no power and minor flooding. But we did see the Fall decorations that were out side the stores, they were all very impressive.

The Chuckey Depot and W.C. Rowe Park officially opened in October 2017. The park project started in 2011 following a railroad expansion project that was going to leave the Chuckey Depot in danger of being torn down. It is now a railroad museum because the Town was important in bringing the railroad into East Tennessee. 

Close to the rail road museum is the Tweetsie Trail.

The Tweetsie Trail is a rails-to-trails project to cut across the former ET&WNC railroad right-of-way between Johnson City and Elizabethton.  It’s been nearly two decades since trains rumbled down the narrow tracks and emitted a unique high-pitched whistles that gave the rail line— “Tweetsie” and now it’s called the Tweetsie Trail.

Beth & Fran walk on The Tweetsie Trail a lot and we all wanted to join them.

When we started walking down the trail we noticed some people walking back that were in front of us. That’s because the hurricane did much damage on the trail and the surrounding areas.

Tweetsie Rail road to remain closed for fall season as community focuses on Hurricane Helene Rocovery.

Hurricane Helene left a trail of devastation across the High Country, impacting countless families, small businesses, and employees. Due to the widespread damage, Tweetsie Railroad will remain closed for the rest of the fall season, allowing our staff and the surrounding area to prioritize rebuilding and restoring what was lost.

After we couldn’t continue on the Tweetsie Trail so we went back to Johnson City and walked on the Winged Deer Park path.

On September 28th We knew Helene did a ton of damage in Tennessee. Where we were staying we were higher up so there wasn’t any flood damage but we had a few power outages and saw numerous trees and fallen branches.

We checked on a places where we wanted to go but they were closed due to the huricane, so we went to the zoo, because it was

At Bright’s zoo in Limestone, Tennessee.

Great picture of Fran sitting on the gorilla’s hand.

The last parrot is called a Scarlet Macawa. You gotta like parrots, they are beautiful colors and they even talk back to you.

This is an East African Crowned Crane, check out their hair. The Grey Crowned Crane even has a wine named after it.

Thi is a male Southern Ground Hornbills, I know that because a female would have a patch of blue on her neck with the red.

The Canis Mesomelas, black-backed jackal, looks so cute and calm, I felt like taking it home and giving Cooper a brother or sister.

This cute but prickly animal is an African Crested Porcupine. Beth and I watched as they were teaching it to go into his inside cage and come out in the winter to be fed.

The Scottish Highland Cattle are known as the cow with the bangs.

Camel Fun Facts: One of the camel’s most notable physical traits is its hump or humps. While the dromedary camel has one hump, the Bactrian camel has two humps. They store fat in these humps, which later can be used as an energy source.

They have other features that allow them to survive in the desert, such as double rows of extra-long eyelashes to help keep sand out of the eyes. They are also able to close their nostrils to keep out sand.

Wouldn’t you like them for pets?. They are so cute especially together. Their an endangered spicies.

This zebra sat right next to me and said have a seat, so I did.

This Ostrich kept following Dave and making a kind of skreech followed by a kind of thumping sound. I wonder what he was trying to tell him?

This is a Two-Toed Sloth, they can turn green. They can grow a layer of algae as a camouflage method to help protect them from predators.  And cause they hang up side down all the time, the hair on a sloth’s belly is parted to help water flow off, instead of having a part on the top of it’s head. 

I don’t know what these animals are but I believe that they are Scimitar-Horned Oryx and Sable Antelope. I didn’t get a picture of their sign. But what ever they are they like hanging out together.

I saved the best part for last!

A rare spotless giraffe was born in a Tennessee zoo, and we got to see her!

A female reticulated giraffe was born at Brights Zoo on July, 31st 2023. But unlike her mother she was born without any spots, a rarity. Giraffe experts believe she is the only solid-colored reticulated giraffe living anywhere on the planet. Zoo officials say the only record of a reticulated giraffe being born without spots was in Japan in the 1970s. Her name is Kipekee, which means “Unique” in swahili.

It was definitely awesome seeing Kipekee

Brights Zoo is a private, family-owned facility in East Tennessee. Animals living here include some rare & endangered species such as addax, bongo and scimitar-horned oryx, and bactrian camels. The center also contains more common but exotic creatures like red kangaroos, spider monkeys, pandas and zebras.

I don’t know if we saw all the animals that are mentioned above, but we all enjoyed Brights Zoo. It reminds me of Reid’s zoo here in Tucson. Both are prvately owned and sometimes that gives them a more personal touch.

Beth made delicious chilli for us on Sunday September 29th. We hung out at their apartment and walked around the apartment complex.

They are Buffalo Bills fans, as you can tell.

Beth made popcorn for Dave. He loves her popcorn as you can see, she made a tub for him for the Bills game and for our trip back to Tucson. Unfortunately the Buffalo Bills lost that night. 😒

We left Monday Morning to continue our journey west. Thank you our dear Beth & Fran for your hospitality! Your food, home, and company were an was awesome. We’re So grateful to have great friends like you!

In the Hills of Tennessee there are one lane bridges next to a nice subdivision, old barns going down the road to another new subdivision. It’s nice to see both old and new the same road.

Our friends told us to stop at Buc-ee’s cause it’s definitely a different kind of shopping experience. We stopped at the Sevierville, Tennessee. location. They say they are the biggest convenience store, I agree with that. They have Texas-style BBQ, Buc-ee’s brisket sandwiches are the chain’s biggest-selling item at all locations. Clean restrooms and 120 gas pumps, (60 double-sided pumps) are their claim to fame. They have just tons of everything. People consider it a vacation destination and even get Buc-ee’s T-shirts? If i’m near one, I’ll stop in , especially if I have to use the rest room cause they are clean.

Our next stop was Memphis Tennessee where we stayed over night.

Our next stop was Fort Worth, West of Dallas, where you don’t want to take the highways during rush hour, or should I say any hour.

It gets a bit nerve racking.

The road from El Paso, Texas and Tucson, Arizona are mostly flat stretches on interstate 10. Texas has desert scenery of an oil field, followed by an oil field, followed by you got it, another oil field. With lots of signs saying to watch the occasional wind storms.

We made it to Voyager in Tucson AZ. on October 3rd.

Where we’ve been spending a lot of time in the pool, when we first got here it was in the low 100s.

Voyager Sunrise and Sunset

We like watching skies where ever we go. In the first picture the moon is passing under a cloud and it contines to pass thru the cloud making it black until it passes above moon.

It’s getting close to the end of October and people are starting to come back to the park, which means there will be lots of fun Halloween things happenings. 👻🦇🎃. We’ll keep you posted.

We are also very greatful that our dear friends Mary , Mike, and Dave’s brother Jeff are beating cancer. Yippee!

Two things I like about August are Watermelons and Sunflowers.

“August is here – the month of watermelon, falling stars and sunflowers, the last care-free month for the school children.”

It’s time once agaon for the Summer Olmpics, from 26 July 26 to August 11th. It’s an uplifting experience to see the world getting together for something positive like the Olympics. Especially since The USA and other countries seems to be divided as to what they believe in. To see sportsmanship and cheering for people all around the world is definitely positive. You feel inspired and hopeful in the trying times in our country and the world’s. LET’S GO TEAM USA! !

It’s been hot and humid here so we go to Dave’s sister’s for a swim.

Boy, it felt wonderful! We miss the ocean and going to Voyyager’s swimming pool.

Besides the pool it’s always great to see Karen’s impressive flower gardens.

She named all the flowers. Which I only know a few of of the basic, you know like roses, tulips, daisies and sunflowers. She laways does an amazing job on the gardens.

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What a great water front view of Lake Ontario.

Darcy made a delious lunch for us including a birthday cake for Mike.

It was a fun day celebrating a birthday outside, looking out on the lake. They have a beautiful home both inside and outside.

Hibbard’s has been in the same location since 1939. How does it taste so good? Frozen custard uses much less air than ice cream, Less air = richer flavor. And yes they have a secret recipe. My sister and I have been going there since we were little tikes.
Less air = richer flavor!

Walked around the Town of Lewiston for a bit. If your ever in the area, check out Hibbard’s and the historical town. The town and the area is full of history.

I didn’t get a chance to see a lot of the Olympics but when I did I felt “patriotic” you know a feeling of pride watching the US athletes and althletes from 206 territories compete in amazing sporting events. You felt as if everyone competing and watching from around the globe were a massive group united as one. A positive event that the all the world was viewing.

USA topped the overall medal chart with 126 total medals (40 golds, 44 silvers, 42 bronzes). Way to go USA!

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On August 22nd Dave went on another e-bike ride with his friends.

Dave went e-biking with his friends to Niagara Falls, NY.

They started at Gratwick Park in Wheatfield up towards the Falls and headed back the same way.

One of the stops along the way is the Old Stone Chimney.

The Old Stone Chimney is 31-foot-tall, 60-ton masonry chimney originally part of the barracks and mess hall of the two-story barracks on the site of the French “Fort du Portage,” or “Fort Little Niagara,” by Daniel de Joncaire in 1750, when the Niagara River and its shores were part of New France on the North American Continent. The chimney was primarily used for cooking and heating, and has been repurposed several times since by British and American interests. During the French and Indian War (1754-63), the barracks was invaded by the British and burned. Only the chimney remained. General Peter Porter incorporated the chimney into his private residence, which was eventually demolished except for the chimney.

Relocated three times (1902,1942, and 2015), the Old Stone Chimney is currently located between the Niagara River and the Niagara Scenic Parkway east of the Adams Slip along the bike path on the river. The new site is accessible from the parkway with a small parking lot. The bike path crosses in front of the chimney and the Niagara River is behind it.

Old Stone Chimney in its new location is close to the Niagara River in Niagara Falls USA. In the second picture you can see the skyline of Niagara Falls Canada in the background.

By Paul GromosiakTHE OLD STONE CHIMNEY
“There’s nothing in surroundings now
To match these time-worn stones,
The hum of commerce here has drowned
The rythm of nature’s tones;
Be quick to act, ye who have care,
‘Tis here your duty calls,
Or stones historic soon may grace
Some modern cellar walls.”
— John R. Barlow, Jan. 1, 1912

“Cool winds, open roads, and the gentle hum of an e-bike, that’s the recipe for a perfect day!”

Niagara Falls, where nature is the party and the mist is confetti. “Niagara Falls is the hanging tongue on the face of the earth, drooling endlessly over its own beauty.” – Vinita Kinra

A favorite Niagara Falls State Park attraction for more than 10 years, the Maid of the Mist, the journey begins at the Observation Tower, where guests are given a souvenir rain poncho to wear and board the double-deck Maid of the Mist tour boat. From there, the boat ferries past the base of the American Falls, and onto the basin of Horseshoe Falls–the dramatic passage leading you through the roiling waterfall whitewater and massive rock formations. The Maid of the Mist returns guests to shore with newfound appreciation of the power and grandeur of Niagara Falls.

“Electric bikes make every hill a thrill and every ride a cool glide.”

“Hear the roar of 600,000 gallons of water crashing down around you every second. Feel the mist as it drenches everything in its path. Feel the sheer might of Mother Nature. Seeing the water crashing down right in front of me gave me a sense of thrill, I felt like I was in a “Pirates of the Caribbean” film.” ~ Joey Hadden~ If you ever get to Niagara Falls check it out, it’s definitely worth it. Cave of the Winds in Niagara Falls is fun thing to do.

Niagara Falls was once considered the “Honeymoon Capitol of the World” one of the most romantic places back in 1801.

One of the saying you hear about Niagara Falls is from a little girl who lived by the falls who wrote letters to her best friend and always ended them with it’s “Yours Till Niagara Falls, Falls. Another says is “Yours Till Niagara Freezes Over.” Some people feel the need to go over the falls, either intentionally by daredevils in barrels or across a tightrope, sucicide attempts or accidentally. Some survive, but not to many.

The first recorded person to survive going over the falls was school teacher Annie Edson Taylor, who in 1901 successfully completed the stunt inside an oak barrel.

Sunday September first we went to Donna’s and Jeff’s Annual, we figure 20 years, Labor Day Party.

Along with the Annual Labor Party, is the Annual Kickball game.

When we’re in town Dave is always the pitcher for both teams. I don’t believe it’s an elected position. I think it’s cause he’s older, wiser and cute they let him. 😊

We had a picnic at my cousins on September 2nd.

My cousin got a surrey, with the fringe on top, for her grandsons. We were all excited because it looked like the one my sister and I had when we were little. Actually every little kid in the neighborhood rode the surrey, it was a good time.

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On September 7th I also visited Niagara Falls with my sister and her husband.

We ventured to the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, that is located in the 1863 U.S. Customs House that overlooks the former location of the International Suspension bridge, a point of crossing for many freedom seekers including Harriet Tubman.  The Heritage Center is an experiential museum that reveals authentic stories of Underground Railroad freedom seekers and abolitionists in Niagara Falls.

During the 19th century, Niagara Falls was one of the last stops on the Underground Railroad – a network of secret routes and safe houses that allowed enslaved African Americans and others to escape into Canada. The Underground Railroad was not an actual railroad but a network of individuals, both black and white, who provided assistance to fugitive slaves seeking freedom. One of the most daring and dangerous routes to freedom involved crossing the Niagara River. Escaping slaves would often travel by foot or boat to reach the river’s edge, where they faced the daunting task of crossing the suspension bridge or taking a boat ride to to Canada. Niagara Falls was a strategic location on the border between the United States and Canada it was a vital crossing point for those fleeing slavery.

Harriet Tubman often led slaves to freedom by crossing the Niagara River into Canada. She crossed over the Suspension Bridge that once stood where the Whirlpool Bridge is today. This 1859 photograph shows the Suspension Bridge from the Americam side of the Niagara Gorge. The bridge was designed by John A. Roebling and built in 1855, supporting a railroad above and a walkway underneath. In 1897, a steel-arch bridge was built around the existing bridge. The Suspension Bridge was then dismantled, leaving the current Whirlpool Bridge you see today.

Another way to freedom was to go down the stairs to the river and get into a boat.

The stairs were very difficult to climb, especially in the dark, the only time the slaves could escape to freedom. Some of the stairs have been repaired but the trail is still described as a challenging experience particularly due to the steep steps and rocky terrain.

Augustus Porter, Parkhurst Whitney built the first stairs near The Heritage Museum in 1818. A similar staircase was built on the Canadian side in 1820.

The slaves at the bottom of the staircase are ready to get on a boat to freedom.

P. Whitney started a regular ferry service with small rowboats to carry passengers and slaves across the river to Canada.

The way to freedom was described as “a stairway which is laid in a deep excavation of solid rock. The bank was very steep, and was slippery with rain and half-melted ice. When we got down at the bottom we were drenched to the skin by the mist, walking over some broken rocks, deafened by the noise half-blinded by the spray, and wet to the skin, at the river getting into a row boat to freedom.”

We didn’t have time to take The Gorge Stairs Trail but we definitely want to.

True patriotism springs from a belief in the dignity of the individual, freedom and equality not only for Americans but for all people on earth.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

Free at last, free at last
Thank God Almighty
We are free at last.
— Martin Luther King

I went to the Buffalo Zoo with Gail and her two grandsons, Axel and Archer, who are both so cute . I can’t remember the last time I was at the Buffalo.

Originally a deer park in the northeast corner of Frederick Law Olmsted’s in Delaware Park, The Buffalo Zoo was established in 1875 and has really come along way since then.

This is a capybara, it’s a large rodent and it’s cute.

The Delta Sonic Heritage Farm recreates a historic farm from the mid-1800s with heritage breeds of domestic animals.

Lions, tigers and bears, Oh my . . . . . wait it’s Zebras, Giraffes and Otters.

And a Snow Leopard

The Zoomagination was impressive during the day, I hear it was awesome at night all lit up.

On a sunshiny day, September 12th, I got together with four awesome friends for lunch and a walk by the river.

We went to Woodcock Brothers in the old Wurlitzer building in North Tonawanda for our lunch, which we all enjoyed!

We started our walk from Webster Street, North Tonawanda and continued along The Shoreline Trail (part of The Empire State Trail) which is a continuous multi-use paved pathway along Lake Erie and the Niagara River, within both Erie and Niagara Counties. It’s a popular trail for biking, running, walking or just sitting, relaxing while enjoying the river.

“Life is much like a river. I can’t determine where the river comes from or where it’s flowing to. But I can immerse myself in it as it’s flowing by me.” – Craig D. Lounsbrough

We walked awhile on the path and then headed back, but you can ride a bike from downtown Buffalo to Niagara Falls NY, that’s the e-bike route that Dave took earlier with his friends.

It was such a great day we had to end it with ice cream at Platters! If you live near North Tonawanda, NY and you haven’t been to Platter’s don’t hesitate go now. The ice cream is great but the homemade chocolate is delicious.

We went to our friends Gail & Tim’s grandson Archer’s 1st birthday party on September 14th.

The party was held at Mayer Park, right nex tto the Erie Canal in North Tonawanda.

My Dear friend Tami, made me a drink called an “Aquarium,” made with fruit pebbles on the bottom of the glass, Tequila, some kind of juice that made it blue, and a gummy worm on top. There was probably other ingredients in it too. It was for sure a good drink for a hot summer day.

Archer birthday party was fun. We got to see people we haven’t seen in a bit and I got too see Tami and Gail, great friends that I’ve known most of my life.

May he have many, many more brthdays and be blessed with loads of Love, Happiness, Health and Success.

A Thanksgiving Dinner on a Summer’s Day September 15th.

Since we haven’t been here for Thanksgiving My cousin Kathy made a wonderful turkey dinner with all the trimmings for us.

Everything was delicious! Everyone couldn’t come but we were thankful for the ones who could.

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Today September 18th and every Wednesday since we arrived in North Tonawanda, Dave has joined his friends at Scooter’s Place for lunch. Scooter’s has been in Pendleton for a long time. It’s owned by a friend of ours and a great place to go, the food is always great!

Dave and friends (The Lunch Club) on Scooter’s porch. Sometimes, the men would let us join them, only if we sat at another table, just kidding.

Scooter’s always has fun things happening, and they had a birthday on August 8th, 1980. I can’t believe their 44 years old. Congratulations!

Before we left we went to visit Dave’s brother Jeff, sister Karen and sister-in-law Donna. It’s always nice to see how their yard is decorated for every season. The mums with the pumpkins between certainly gave a pleasant sense of Fall.

Dave always helps his brother Steve with projects to remodel his house when were back home, it’s an ongoing mission to fix up an old house, although their nearing the end of the mission One of the projects was to put in a new floor and ceiling. It’s lookin good!

Like the sign says “Summer Favorites” which they are. Before we left I got together with Gail & Tami for lunch and ice cream at Mississippi Muds.

That’s how we spent our Summer in New York, I left out some things because I just wanted to get the blog done since , what the heck, it’s already October 8th and we’re in Tucson Arizona!

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“Brings the symphony of crickets and the dance of fireflies in the evening air.” — Unknown.

We got to celebrate the 4th of July going to three seperate gatherings!

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Wouldn’t it have been a blast to have a bounce slide when we were kids.

We saw the fireworks in Pendleton where we use to live from our friends backyard.

Thanks to my cousins, friends and my former boss and her family, we had a grand 4th of July filled with delicious food and laughter.

On Sunday July 7th myself and my cousins.

You gotta have really strong triceps & biceps to do these stunts.

First there was one motorcycle, then there were two.

Clowns are the pegs on which the circus is hung. – P. T. Barnum
 Be a Clown. – Barnum & Bailey Circus:

It was a fun time seeing the circus, but I missed them not having animals.

I’ve been helping Warrens Corners Methodist Church get ready for their

It was from Friday July 12th to Saturday July 13th.

They have great helpers who set up the tables inside, the garage and outide for the sale. As well as people to work at the sale and people who pickup after the sale.

The Sale was a huge succes! I truly enjoy going to this church because of all the awesome people.

Everything was Excelente!

Lots of food and drinks that were delicioso, just like a mexicano restaurante.

Thanks Tasha for inviting us to the party it was magnífico seeing you and friends.

We went to CanalFest a large outdoor festival along the banks the Historic Erie Barge Canal. It is a 8-day festival that is shared by the Twin Cities of Tonawanda & North Tonawanda close to where we’re staying in Western New York. Our main reason for going was to see the Seneca Chief. It’s a replica of the original Seneca Chief that was the first boat to travel down the Erie Canal when it opened nearly 200 years ago in 1825. It is 73’ long, 12’6” wide, and it will weigh over 40 tons, rebuilding it has been a community project with 200 volunteers that came to the Buffalo Maritime Center at the Longshed to build and bring the Seneca Chief to life. This It has been under construction for four years and it came to Canalfest to show off!

The “Seneca Chief,” was built to celebrate the Bicentennial of the Erie Canal happening in October 2025. It will depart on the voyage from Buffalo to New York Harbor to commemorate the Bicentennial of Gov. DeWitt Clinton’s 1825 Inaugural Voyage. The Boat is central to the story of the Erie Canal and the history of New York State. One objective of the Erie Canal Boat Project is to work with the community to teach and preserve traditional boatbuilding skills. Another objective is to inspire awareness and conversations about how the Erie Canal has impacted the people and places of the state and the rest of the country.

The original “Seneca Chief,” with Gov. Dewitt Clinton on board, made the first Erie Canal trip on Oct. 26, 1825, travelling 4 mph and being pulled by mules traveling adjacent on towpaths.

Governor Clinton and his party boarded the packet boat Seneca Chief, with two wooden barrels of Lake Erie water, to begin the journey from Buffalo to New York City. Eight days later, Clinton ceremoniously emptied the water into the Atlantic Ocean to marry the waters as a symbol of the importance of this canal.

 The construction of the Erie Canal was a landmark civil engineering achievement in the early history of the United States. When built, the 363-mile (584 km) canal was the second-longest in the world (after the Grand Canal in China). Originally 40 feet wide and 4 feet deep, it is now 120 feet wide and 12 feet deep with 34 locks in its current 351 miles.

 A tremendous success, the waterway accelerated settlement of western New York, Ohio, Indiana, and the upper Midwest including the founding of hundreds of towns such as Clinton, in DeWitt County, Illinois, and DeWitt, in Clinton County, Iowa.

On July 21st The church that Dave belonged to growing up in Swormville had their annual 175 church picnic. D It was a three day event. We met some friends who have been going to the picnic often. We were saying that on the first picnic they came in horse and buggy.

It was fun seeing friends there.

Dave went e-bike riding with friends.

He borrowed a friends e-bike to go for a 31 mile round trip. They on Cleveland street in Tonawanda and continued to Delaware Paark and then the Peace Brifge and back.

Unfortunately one of the guys got a flate along the way, but the issue was solved and they headed back to Cleveland street.

Dave enjoyed riding the e-bike. He said it was a work out becasue they did pedal often. And if they had regular bikes they would never driven 31 miles in the lenght of time they did. I’ve only driven an e-bike once for a very short time, it was defintely different and great for up hill. I’m not ready for an e-bike and I don’t think Dave is either.

“Make hay in May for you may never know what June is coming with and you may never know what July will present! When you see May, make hay!” ―Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

 Sabino Canyon is one of the most popular hiking and recreation areas in Southern Arizona. For more than a century, Tucsonans have made their way into the Catalina Foothills to picnic and play in the scenic canyon. What is nice is thar it is a National Forest, so if your old like us you can use your National Park Pass to get in at no cost.

On May 1st, we hiked on over to Sabino Canyon, Also known as An Oasis in the Desert. We have been to Sabino Canyon a few times last year and this year, as it’s a great spot for hiking and taking in the scenery.

Hiking on familiar roads and paths we’ve been on before.

Hiking now off the familiar path. Sabino Canyon is a unique place where there is mountains and water in the desert.

We noticed the nest above, is right inside a cactus’s branches. Ouch!! It’s the nest of a Cactus wrens, they are skilled at slipping through the sharp spines of cactus thickets, choosing to build nests and raise their young there.

On a hot day in Tucson, we did what Tucsonans do. Go for a hike and find the nearest water spot, take your shoes off and enjoy. It felt really good.

Sabino Canyon is located in the Santa Catalina Mountains in the Coronado National Forest. The Santa Catalina Mountains began forming 12 million years ago. There is evidence in pieces of pottery, or shards, and pit house foundations that the Hohokam people lived in the canyon between 300 and about 1400 AD.  With the Gadsden Purchase in 1854, Sabino Canyon became part of the United States.

In 1890, the Forest Preservation Act was passed by the United States Congress and in 1905 the Forest Service was created.

In 1938 two ladies relax in Sabino Canyon and in 1959 University of Arizona students are doing the same.

In 1992 two guys runnung across the top pf the dam and people swimming at the bottom of the dam in 2010.

Cars were allowed to drive up the canyon through the 1950s and 60s.

In 1978, the first shuttlebus service began in the canyon. Soon after cars were no longer allowed. Today, trams take Sabino Canyon visitors to the end of the road. In addition to riding the tram, people hike, bike, swim, and picnic in the Sabino Recreation Area.

A great hike at the canyon.

What a great way to end our hiking trip, with a stop at Little Anthony’s for a chocolate shake. We also had chicken fingers and fries. It was very good.

If you like the color pink, this is Little Anthony’s Pink Flamingo. All hitched up and ready to go.

Jennifer my sister and Doug her husband gave us a restaurant gift certificate forour anniversary in February and we used it at

It advertises Real Southern Smoked BBQ in Arizona.

We started out with a bottle of Vodka which Dave is pouring in our glasses, Actually it’s water.

Dave had a pulled pork sandwhich and fries. I had a Smoked Zucchini & Grilled Cauliflower Steak, which was cauliflower and zucchini grilled with roasted cherry tomatoes, onion, pepper and a bit of cheese then smoked in tomatoe-vinaigrette, It was really good! Who needs meat?

It was fun and the food was delicious! Thank you Jennifer & Doug.

How Exciting, Fat Willy’s restaurant at Voyager now has what is called “Wednesday Night Bar Bingo”

What the heck, me and a couple of my friends from Voyager have been going.

During the busy season Voyager has Tuesday night Bingo in the Ball Room. The place is big and it’s packed, with money prizes in the $300 & $400 range. We don’t go to that cause it’s well . . .boring.

On May 20th we left Voyager RV Resort to head back to Niagara County NY to see our families and friends.

Our first stop was

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Then

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And then

It took seven years, $13 million, and 43,226 tons of stainless steel to build the Gateway Arch. The Arch is 630 feet high, situated in St. Louis, Missouri. On June 2, 1987, it became listed as a National Historic landmark, being the world’s tallest arch and the tallest human-made monument in the western hemisphere. They say on a clear day you can see a 30-mile views over the St. Louis skyline and the Mississippi River. We didn’t go inside this time but maybe next time.

When we were staying at St. Louis we heard this very, very loud noise we thought it was from a factory we could see, but it was the cicadas! You know those bugs you’ve been hearing about on the radio & tv.

This spring marks the first time since Thomas Jefferson was president 221 years ago that periodical cicada Broods XIII and XIX will emerge in the U.S. at the same time. There could be as many as 60 billion cicadas in St. Louis city alone,” said Nicole Pruess, invertebrate keeper at the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House. Cicadas are the only insects capable of producing such a unique and loud sound. They can produce a call in excess of 120 decibels at close range. This is approaching the pain threshold of the human ear!

But. . . It might not be as bad for some people who might have an inkling to eat one, as cicadas are high in protein, fiber and minerals. Anything you can make with shrimp you can make with cicadas,” said Pruess, who said it’s best to collect them just after they emerge and have molted, so their exoskeleton is still soft. “I’m very excited to try it.” I know we’ll pass on that.

We also stayed in

This one “humanized deer” was close to where we stayed .

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Stayed overnight in Willoughby Ohio

We stayed at our friends Bill & Barb’s house.

Bill & Barb took us to a brand new ice cream parlor by them. Because of the location of Jojo’s I know it will do good and people will continue to keep coming back, I know I would. 😊🍦

Jojo’s is by Osborne Park a lakefront park located on the shore of Lake Erie in Willoughby. It has a great swimming pool that has really tall water slides, plus a lot of other amenities. The pool is huge, we could do our laps, me with a big noodle underneath my arms like I do at Voyager.

We truly enjoyed ourselves visiting our dear friends Barb & Bill. Thank you again for your time, hospitality and great memories. You guys are the Best. 🥰

May 25th arrived in North Tonawanda, NY , where we’re we staying until September.

One of my cousins had a Memorial Day Party

How many of you have tried Weber’s new mustard potato chips? Weber’s is a big name in mustard in Western NY. We all thought they were good.

It was a nice day so how about tossing water balloons at each other?

Only a few brave people joined in.

And then the heavy loaders came out . . .

We had a fun day and it was really nice to see some of our family.

Welcome

On June 3rd we helped our dear friends Beth & Fran move to Tennessee.

It didn’t take much time at all and they were loaded up and ready to go. We’re going to miss them not being in the area 😒, but we know for sure we’ll see them in our travels.

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” – Paulo Coehlo.

If by chance your planning a trip to The Canadian side or American side of Niagara Falls make sure you have the correct paper work to get you across both borders. It’s definitely better to see the Falls from the American side as you can see Horseshoe Falls (also known as the Canadian Falls) Which is definitely the largest falls. Nearly 90% of the Niagara River flows over these falls. Goat Island separates the Horseshoe Falls from the Bridal Veil Falls, which is on the American side. If it’s a nice day you have to take a ride on the Maid of the Mist.

June 4 th

Nestled in the corner of the Niagara Region just beyond Niagara Falls, the picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake definitely has old town charm, you feel as though your walking thru a 19th century village. It’s only about a 20 minute drive from the Canidian falls. It has much history and is bordered on both sides by waterfront among lush gardens.  Wander along the streets and you discover boutiques, antique shops and bistros, wineries and even a horse drawn carriage or two.

My friend Marcia, from Tucson also was in the area, so we visited Niagara-On-The-Lake.

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Marcia & myself lived in the area so we both new about Niagara Home Bakery. The bakery was eatablished in the 1960s and has contiuned to make awesome bake goods. We just had to stop in and buy some sweet treats.

Niagara-on-the-Lake is also hot spot for film makers. In fact several popular movies and television shows have been filmed here such as Dead Zone, The Ref, The Old Feeling, When Michael Calls, Canadian Bacon, etc. and TV shows like, Kings of Napa.  Looking like a little village that’s straight out of a Christmas movie, it’s no coincidence that Niagara-On-The-Lake has been used several times as a location for Christmas movies. Including he Holiday Calendar, Christmas Inheritance and a few Hallmark movies as well.

the clock tower they have as been in different movies.

We went to Niagara on the Lake when I was little and I remember it looking like these pictures. So check it out in the winter too.

 Father’s Day, in the United States is the (third Sunday in June) to honour fathers. Credit for originating the holiday is generally given to Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, whose father, a Civil War veteran, raised her and her five siblings after their mother died in childbirth.

We all love our Dads, and miss them when their no longer here, you can have a father figure in your life that can be uncles, grandfathers, god fathers, elder brothers, family, friends, father’s of dogs, etc.

Someone you connect with on a emotional level. Actually there were two fathers there but lots of other “father’s” like Dave were there. It was a good time.

（づ￣3￣）づ╭❤️～（づ￣3￣）づ╭❤️～（づ￣3￣）づ╭❤️～（づ￣3￣）づ╭❤️～

I can’t believe that it’s the end of June already, and what have we been doing? You know when you get older you go back home because of doctor’s appointments, we’ve been doing such.

We would like to express our sincere concerns for our dear friends Bill, Mike, Mary and Jeff, and their families as they have been going thru their own specific health concerns. They are all brave, awesome individuals that are going thru a rough bout but will make it thru being stronger, confident while always being the priceless folks they are. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you.

The roses are blooming all around Voyager, boy do they smell nice.

Voyager has a flute circle in the park. A group of people who play the flute, teach the flute and plan events.

Each year they have famous flutist’s play at Voyager.

I went again this year, I like listening to the flute players. The sounds it makes can be both soothing and inspiring, or like this last guy in the picture upbeat and lively.

We went for a walk across the street to the desert.

 Checking out the Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) above. The color is so vibrant and pretty.

Walking on a trail and suprise!

And suddenly there was a bunch of them checking us out. We figured we best get out of there. The cattle are wild and we didn’t want to press our luck. We’ve walked all different paths here, how neat to see the herd of cattle roamng about.

We took another hike to Saguaro National Park West to hike a different trail to see Petroglyphs in a different area.

At Red Hills visiting center

We started hiking down the Manville Trail to Signal Hill, then to Encinas Trail and back on to Manville trail. A good trail lots to see.

The first picture is Dave hiking on the trail and then a Saguaro is giving us the peace sign. The one next to him is rather nosey.

We’re on Signal Hill where the Petroglyphs are.

We also saw Cristate or “crested” saguaros. The growing tip of a saguaro’s main stem or arms form cells in the growing stem and begin to divide outward, rather than in the circular pattern of a normal cactus. This is an unusual mutationform in the cells is which result in the growth of a large fan-shaped crest that looks like broccoli.

How about a visit to the Tucson Botanical Gardens! On Tuesday April 23rd, that’s what we did.

On Tuesday morning we went to the Tucson Botanical Gardens, and found it to be an amazing 5.5-acre area in busy midtown Tucson. It has impressive collection of plants spread across a variety of 20 themed gardens, including a rose garden, zen garden, herb garden, shade garden, and cactus and succulent garden, etc.

Tucson Botanical Garden began as Rutger and Bernice Porter’s family home (built in the 1920s) and their business, Desert Gardens Nursery. When Rutger Porter died in 1964, Bernice donated the property to the City of Tucson, but she continued to live in the house. Bernice passed away in 1983, and the city deeded the property to Tucson Botanical Garden.

The Ocotillo is Dave’s favorite cactus cause of the way it looks, the color and it’s sharp spikes.

I know we’ve all seen these very neat but shocking sculptures. Each sculpture illustrates the tragedy of plastic pollution and aims to encourage conversations about how individuals can reduce the amount of single-use plastics in their lives to help improve water quality. The Washed Ashore artists have intentionally placed familiar items like buckets and shovels at children’s eye level to convey the importance of keeping beaches clean.

What Defines a Botanic Garden? A botanical garden is not merely a collection of plants but a meticulously curated space dedicated to studying, displaying, and conserving plant species. These gardens serve multiple purposes to Research, Conservation and Education.

Strolling through the many different cacti.

In this area they had cacti in pots, a kind of a look and touch section.

It’s fun how the cacti are named like the Bishop Cap cactus, Boxing Glove Cholla cactus and the Mexican Old Man Cactus each resembeling their names.

We knew that Barrel Cacti look like a barrel. We didn’t realize that there is different types. Each type has its own unique characteristics, but they all share that classic barrel-like shape. The first picture is a Hatpin cactus, then a Red cactus, followed by a Fire cactus, and then a Fish hook cactus, the spines are curved at the ends to look like a fish hook. Last is a Golden cactus. When they bloom they all have beautiful flowers.

Moseying once again thru various cacti.

There is a lot of Mesquite trees in the deserts.

I love Grapefruit, I don’t know about you but I’m glad they came into being.

The Floral Patio is a really nice spot with all the beautiful flowers and their wonderful smells.

The Herb Garden was very nice too. With all kinds of herbs different herbs. These are some of the ones I use, First herb is peppermint, spearmint, rosemary and lemon grass, Plus lots more that I shpuld use.

We liked the names of these plants in the Desert Ramada. Like the Melon Spurge, Snowflake, Baseball, Live stones, like the green ones, Green ice, Lady Finger and the Horse Clipper Cactus, I wouldn’t want to be the horse that stepped on it.

The Kitchen Courtyard had a nice sitting area, as most of them did.

Tranquil Oasis in the Heart of the City

Dave is sifting the sand in the Zen Rock Garde. It is a special place is given to every plant, rock and the sand in an effort to create harmony, tranquility and balance. Zen gardens are designed to create sense of balance and harmony.

Uncluttered spaces help unclutter the mind, invoking a kind of meditative state

The act of raking and sifting the sand and creating patterns is a meditative practice that can help promote mindfulness and inner peace. In addition, the color and texture of the sand can affect the atmosphere of the garden, creating different moods and emotions.

 

I really enjoyed the The Barrio garden, it is where the landscape reflects a traditional sense of place where family and heritage guide the growing of plants that nurture both body and spirit. Often hidden behind sheltering walls, these gardens remain an integral part of Tucson’s Hispanic cultures. Hispanics recycle family momentos like the bikes, tire swings and spikes, things that a family member used as well as recycle items like chairs, bathtubs, sinks, pots, etc. to put in their Barrio Gardens. Do you have any handed down things like silverware or lots of keys in a drawer, how about making some wind chimes.

It seems every where you look there’s a picture to take.

They have a Butterfly & Orchid Pavilion too! All kinds of beautiful butterflies and orchids. The big muti-colored moth that’s brown with other colors is called an Atlas Moth, she lives in the forests in Asia, her wingspan is 9 inches across. She is a big & beautiful moth.

We both enjoyed the botanical gardens, with all the different types of flowers, cacti etc.

My mom loved gardening with her different flower beds all around our house. Her fondness for gardening didn’t get past down to me. A lot planning and work go into gardening, my bestie Mary has beautiful gardens surrouning her house, also my friend Cindy.

Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.

~ Liberty Hyde Bailey

Dave found a new place in Tucson to get Chicken Fingers, Raising Cane it isn’t in NY yet but it is going to be soon. I have to admit I like it too.

April was a great month, good weather for hiking in lots of scenic places and also visiting awesome places and taking part in activities here.

Avast ye! hearties and scallwags we be singing a shanty cuz we found our doubloons. So grogfilled we be feasting on our salmagundi at the galley. That’s pirate talk for well . . . I’m not saying.

On Tuesday March 12th, we went to the Gaslight theatre, our third time there, to see The Curse of the Pirate’s Gold. “There’s romance and adventure a-plenty as the buccaneers search the Spanish Main for the Lost Pirate’s Treasure. Our merry pirate band encounters sea-shanties and rip-roaring action as The Captain and his mateys tirelessly try to avoid the infamous dreaded curse as they go in search of The Pirate’s Gold”

It was a lot of fun and laughs.

I just want to be a pirate…But I couldn’t get my ship together. May your anchor be tight, your cork be loose, your rum be spiced and your compass be true. Captain, can I bend your ear? Not for free; it’s a buccaneer.

After The Curse of the Pirates Gold, they did a spinoff on the “Hee Haw Show” it was just as good and corny as the show on TV, if your old enough to remember it.

Hee Haw was an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971. It was hosted by country music stars Buck Owens and Roy Clark. It was really corny but lots of fun to watch and the Play they did was just as memorable and funny as the show.

Our “Hee Haw Olio” is a hoot! 🤠🌽 Part of the fun! If your ever in the Tucson, AZ. area you should stop and see a show at The Gaslight Theatre.

We ventured once again to Sweetwater Preserve, south all the way down Tortolita Road you’ll hit a dead end, a parking lot and you’re at Sweetwater Preserve.

Sweetwater has 15 trails so we headed to the Desperado Loop to NightHawk then Oxbow to Red Tail, Red Canyon, Ocotilla Hill up to Wildflower then Roller Coaster and we were done.

We went for a lengthy hike in the desert but it was fun for us two old codgers.

This sign is at the enterance tells about Joseph Conrad Fraps. He came to Arizona from North Carolina in 1908 and was a railway machinist. To fulfill the requirements of the 1862 Homestead Act, Mr. Fraps built his house right in Sweetwater Preserve. He dug a well, built and lived in a one-room wooden shack with a metal roof and raised goats on the land, and paid $18 in fees and commissions. He was there from 1927 until he died in 1963. He was 90 years of age.

You can’t built anywhere in Sweetwater now, but people build their mansions as close as they can to the Preserve to look at the great views. So much for Joseph Fraps one room house.

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

– Matshona Dhliwayo

On Thursday March 31, We finally got to see the Voyager Wild Dogs softball team in action!

Voyager Wildcats are a co-ed softball team, players have to be 55+ to play, they are sponsored by Voyager RV resort. They have games on Thursday mornings here at Voyager. There is one lady on the team and I have to applaud her because she is good and she still plays the game. I couldn’t be out there playing it’s been so, so, long since I played on a team.

I always liked that song. We got free fresh baked chocolate chip cookies that were delicious and a Sonoran hot dog from the food truck, yummy. It was a fun morning for us but we don’t know if they won or lost because we had to leave before the game was over. Hopefully we can attend another game.

Arizona National Scenic Trail

We were on a small portion of The Arizona National Scenic Trail. It is a trail that goes from Mexico to Utah that spans the whole north–south length of Arizona. The trail begins at the Coronado National Memorial near the US–Mexico border and moves north through parts of the Huachuca, Santa Rita, and Rincon Mountains.  The lenght of the trail is 800 miles.

We started our hike at the Gabe Zimmerman Davidson Canyon Trailhead.

The trailhead ” Gabe Zimmerman Davidson Canyon,” is a memorial for him. On January 8, 2011, at a Safeway in Tucson a gunman killed six and wounded 13, Gabe Zimmerman was one of the six who died. He was 30 years old and was a well known congressional aide and social worker. He hiked all around this area.

It’s a nice trail and it was great to see all the greenary along the way, Walking along we came to small area with water and then we came to where we had to cross a wide area of water. Dave & Cooper were all for it but . . . Not me. All I could see was myself getting all wet, not a pretty site. So we turned around and went down the Bicycle Bypass which didn’t take us where we wanted as we wanted to hike by the railroad trestles and bridges.

It was a great day for a hike, the temperature was perfect and we saw a lot of green scenery. And they say Arizona isn’t green.

On Friday March 29th we went Saguaro National Park, West. Both East & West parks are in Tucson and are home to the nation’s largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west.

We were greeted by a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. He didn’t have much to say.

We took the Kings Canyon Trail Wash that follows the sandy wash bottom between the canyon walls to the junction and return via the King Canyon trail (an old mining road). There were several rocky “stair-step like” sections in the wash bottom. There is also an old stone building built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the early 1930s on the trail.

Dave & I both like Saguaro Park West the most, due to it’s rocky terrain.

About a mile up the trail on both sides of the wash by a small damn, there were petroglyphs. Created by the local Hohokam people, who called southern and central Arizona home from approximately 450 to 1450 AD. The petroglyphs are believed to have been created during that time.

Petroglyphs are created by removing part of the rocks darker surface patina or desert varnish. There are multiple techniques thought to have created these petroglyphs, and it’s believed most of them here have been pecked out through indirect percussion, meaning a second rock is used like a chisel between a stone and the host rock’s surface.

The cabin the CCC built.

“National parks are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.”

Horace McFarland, president, American Civic Assn., 1916:

Ironwood Forest National Monument is located in Marana in the Sonoran Desert. The monument covers 129,055 acres and contains a significant system of cultural and historical sites covering a 5,000-year period. This also includes several desert mountain ranges including the Silver Bell, Waterman, and Sawtooth, with desert valleys in between.

A large number ironwood trees Olneya tesota) are found in the monument area, along with two federally recognized endangered animal and plant species. More than 200 Hohokam Indian archaeological sites have been identified in the monument, dated between 600 and 1450.

The ironwood tree is notable for its slow growth rates and extremely dense wood. Its wood even sinks in water. While scientists consider ironwood to be the “old growth” tree of the desert, standard tree-ring dating of its wood is difficult. Estimates show some trees to be 800 years old, and it is likely that they live even longer.

Titan II Missile Interpretive Site

Located in the mist of The Ironwood Forest was once a full operational Titan Missle Site. Which thet say many Arizonans don’t know about, it was dedicate on November 17, 2016. The U.S. Air Force and the BLM partnered in the conversion of Titan Missile Site 570-3 into a historical interpretive site. They took out or buried whatever was in the site.

Signs and ground where it once stood are all that remain of the Titan ll Missle. This site is one of 18 surrounding Tucson Arizona. The Titan II Missile sites were located in three places in the U.S. as a deterrent to nuclear war during the cold war period. They were also in Arkansas and Kansas and they were manned 24/7 for 24 years, from 1963 to 1987.  Each site was capable of launching a Titan II Missile in 58 seconds in case of attack on the United States from Russia. The Titan II missiles were capable of 25 times the speed of sound and had a target range of 5500 miles. Russia had the same weaponry aiming at the United States at that time. Scientists say that if a missle hit the US or Russia nothing in the area would have survived.

People can come here now to check out the Sonoran desert plants and get an informative tour of a piece of military history.

Dave & I visited the Titan Missile Museum which is in Green Valley AZ. on November 17th, 2023, which is the only preserved Titan II missile site, officially known as complex 571-7. It is all that remains of the 54 Titan II missile sites that were on alert across the United States from 1963 to 1987.

 

Since we were in Marana we read about a cactis that had 80 arms! So we had to check out.

Dave is counting her arms.

Here is ‘Shiva” the Saguaro and her 80 arms. The name “Shiva” references a Hindu god often depicted with many arms.

They say it’s a normal, large saguaro, well over a hundred years old.” “Probably something to do with one of the hormones in the cactus that control that kind of stuff.” “It’s not rare to have an arm grow an arm, but it’s not ever as common as this.” Shiva is a healthy and happy saguaro that could be around for long time if it isn’t disturbed.

Different views of Shiva.

We hope everyone had a Happy Easter.

We had a great March here in Tucson. Took great hikes and saw beautiful scenery.

Words that describe Arizona

The Talented Quilt Makers who pick out the material and use their kownledge and imagination and time to create these masterpieces are awesome!

Characteristics of Quilting: Quilting is a method of stitching of layers of material together. The use of bold colors and prints, high contrast and graphic areas of solid color, improvistional pieceing, minimalism, expansive negative space, and alternate grid work.

Just a sample of the quilts that were in the show. Another great quilt show, and I won $100 at the raffle they had!

A quilt will warm your body and comfort your soul

I‟m a material girl – want to see my fabric collection?

We celebrated Dave’s Birthday February 27th at our friends Garth & Sharon’s house.

Garth made this really nice wooden bowl for Dave’s snacks.

This cacti has eyes, a nose and ears on top of his head.

I know, it looks kinda like a Teddy Bear?

More beautiful sunsets in Tucson from the park.

Dedicated in February 2011, the Julian Wash Greenway is part of the Chuck Huckelberry Loop. The Huckelberry Loop is 130+ miles of paved pathways all around Tucson. So bring out your bike, your sneakers, skate board, scooter even your horse and enjoy the scenery.

The trailhead parking lot where we started is near Voyager at 7501 S. Kolb Road (one mile north of I-10). The trailhead parking areas have a restroom and drinking fountain, so that’s nice. Also on The Tucson/Huckelberry Loop trail is an impressive lineup of art and sculptures along the path to enjoy. The Loop connects parks, trailheads, bus and bike routes, workplaces, restaurants, schools, hotels and motels, shopping areas, and entertainment places. Visitors and Pima County residents definitely enjoy The Loop. It was Voted the Best Recreational Trail by USA today in 2022.

Artwork on the Loop.

The Loop connects parks, trailheads, bus and bike routes, workplaces, restaurants, schools, hotels and motels, shopping areas, and entertainment places. Visitors and Pima County residents definitely enjoy The Loop. It was Voted the Best Recreational Trail by USA today in 2022. It’s a really nice path to walk or ride whatever.

How about some good old Blues Tunes.

A fun blues concert in the late afternnon and the hot pretzels were good too!

We hiked at the The Sweetwater Preserve. It is a 880+ acre preserve located in the eastern foothills of the Tucson Mountains. It’s only 1/2 mile from Saguaro National Park West) our favorite and Tucson Mountain District. It is a biological research preserve owned by the University of Arizona.

We started at the marker to the Saguaro Vista Trail to The Roller Coaster Trail then followed Wildflower Ridge Trail to The Spine Trail and back. Great walk with lots of great scenery.

It was nice to see the flowers blooming in the desert. Dave & I have like and admire Saguaro Cacti. It’s kinda like the saguaros have personalities cause their so different looking with all their arms and legs. Like in the fifth picture it looks like the cactus grew legs and is ready to start walkin in the desert.

There are quite a lot of old and wise saguaros here. They only place they grow in the world is in the Sonoran Desert in Tucson Az.

What is nice about Sweet Water Preserve and other desert areas you can mountain bike. We came across a few people riding their bikes some of them had their dogs running behind them. It definitely woldn’t be an easy task on most of the trails they have here, you really have to be one with your bike to handle the rough terrain especially going through and over the rocks.

Voyager has concerts in the ballroom every Wednesday. They have actual groups or singers, Dave and I have gone to some. On Wednesday March 6th, was Listen to the Music a Doobie Brothers Tribute band. They weren’t the real deal but the band sounded just as good. My friend Marcia had an extra ticket and I am so glad she gave it to me.

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC is a tribute to the Doobie Brothers which has some of the best musicians and singers in Canada. These very talented musicians. They definitely give their audiences a true experience of seeing and hearing the Doobie Brothers band perform live. If you like the Doobie Brothers Music you will want to see this amazing show . As Listen to the Music travels out and about all over the USA and Canada.

Dave & I wanted to check Hotrods Old Vail for something to eat. It is a racing themed bar, restaurant and a restoration garage located in Tucson. Where you can eat and and watch the retoration of cars behind the glass windows.

Hotrod’s likes to honor America’s love for the automobile. The design of the building has a working custom body shop garage with a high-volume split level restaurant.  Multi-use spaces are used to have backdrops for car shows, bike rallies, drag races, and special events. It also has an elevated patio to watch the car races.

Dave is looking at the menu and to his left you can see the classic cars that are being worked on thru the glass windows.

it was a neat building, It would be a great place to see a race, bike rallies, etc. and the food was good too!

On March 17th, I went on a birding trip with my friend Marcia, the bird lady. We met up with a lot of other birders as it is an important event for watching hawks in Tubac AZ. Actually this event attracts bird watchers from all over the world. Hundreds of bird watchers come here daily from March 1st -31st.

“Several thousand raptors (bird of prey) migrate north above the Santa Cruz River to the delight of birders from near and far.  Among the hawks that migrate through is the Common Black Hawk.  Over half of these southern hawks enter the United States through our valley, many roosting in our cottonwoods overnight before continuing their journey.  March 2024 will be the 12th year that Peter Collins will count the hawks over Ron Morriss County Park.”

It was a nice morning and I got to see the Tubac area which Dave and I want to go and spend a day here. It is the oldest Spanish settlement in AZ. with lots of history, shops and resturants. Lots of things to see and do. At the bird watch today we saw a Black Hawks which are only seen in the canyons of the lower Southwest states and Mexico.