It's Cold Out There!

Most of the time, when you visit a state park, they don't hand you a slip stating you may not be able to get out!  Well, we got on of those slips going back to the campsite last Thursday.  Depending on rain in the mountains and surrounding areas, the wash that crosses the main road into Catalina State Park may be flooded.  You either make a decision to get out (and stay out) or possibly hunker down at your camp site.  As they say, "Forewarned is forearmed". 

So, on Saturday, as we were preparing to leave and go shopping, we couldn't.  This is what we encountered:

Yep, the wash was flooding and causing the sand to accumulate across the road.  Nobody in....and nobody allowed out.

People were lined up with their vans and trailers, patiently waiting for the Park Ranger to let them through. No worries for us.....we had enough food and wine to last for days and we didn't have to be out of our spots until Monday morning.  Guess you can say we are like the Boy Scouts: we are always prepared!  This had happened to Jerry and Sandy, Doris and Gary and us about 11 years ago.  The wash had deposited at least 3 feet of sand at this spot, and we couldn't leave on Sunday as planned.  The park finally got it cleared out on Monday, meaning I missed a day of work (shucks).

It was so miserable that even the saguaro cacti were wrapping their arms around each other to keep warm. I kid you not.  See for yourself:

Four wall fever was getting to us.  You can only play so many hands of cards and board games without getting antsy.  So we bundled up and walked down the middle of the road. After all, we sure didn't have to worry about traffic.

Uh, Sandy, aren't you worried about your feet getting wet with those sandals on?  Just wondering....

 Snow on the Catalina Mountains is a good indication that there is probably a lot of snow on Mount Lemon. 

Even though we had plenty of food, the road was opened up again in late afternoon.  Food options were weighed and then all of us decided to go out for burgers and fries.  After all, we could go in and out to the In-N-Out.  Makes sense to me.

This is the view from the restaurant, taken by Sandy on her phone.  The mountains were brilliant, and God once again blessed us with a beautiful sunset.

Catalina State Park, 2017

For years we have been camping in January at this state park nested by the Catalina Mountains.  Usually, we have cool, sunny days during our time here.  Usually.......this year is completely different.  And NOT in a good way.  While the sun did make an appearance every once in a while, for the most part it has been cloudy, cold, windy and rainy. 

Last weekend, there were six rigs out here.  Here is a composite picture of our group.

The first Saturday when everyone was here, we did have a chance to sit outside and enjoy the weather. It was nippy, but at least it was dry at this point.

We even had a visitor during this time, Mary Kobida.  We have known her since she was a little girl, when her family lived behind us on Sol Place in Tucson.  Even though many years have passed, you would still recognize her!  It was wonderful seeing her again (thanks to connecting on Facebook).

What we had hoped for were days like this:

But instead we got:

Oh well, not much we could do about it.  Days and nights included lots of games: Dominos, Uno, Skip-Bo, Sequence, Bingo and Phase 10.  Weather warnings on our phones or on TV were numerous.  At least the snow was above the 5000 foot level!  You can see how bundled up all of us were on our morning walk.  Don was even in long pants!I stilled enjoyed capturing photos of the wildlife.  Right behind Doris' trailer was a very fat Coopers Hawk. 

 The hawk and one very unlucky ground squirrel:

There were a lot of beautiful, gold Lesser Goldfinches sitting in the mesquite trees,

and House Finches.  These two were enjoying the seed from the bird feeder.

The only one we didn't want to have in the campground was this fellow:

He was between our trailer and Doris' trailer.  This was the first time we have seen coyotes in the campground, even though we hear them yipping during the day and evening hours.  Maybe there are more rabbits and ground squirrels this year, who knows.  At any rate, the owners of little dogs sure can't leave them alone outside.  They would be appetizers for Wile E. Coyote!

Titan Missile Site Tour

Even though we have been camping at Catalina State Park for over a decade, each time we're here, we try to see something new or go to a place we've never been to before.  This year, we made the 45 minute trip to Green Valley to go on a tour through the Titan Missile Site.

One of the reasons I wanted to visit here is because on of my favorite bosses from American Express now works here part time.  Judie has a great sense of humor and we worked together both in the financial group and one of the technology groups.  All I can say is that I am ever grateful that I am retired and no longer have to deal with all that stress!  Amen.

During the 1960's we grew up in the Cold War Era.  Russia was an ever present enemy.  So, as a deterrent for an out and out war, the U.S. had 3 states, each with 18 Titan Missiles, ready to launch.  Tucson was surrounded by missile sites, all manned 24/7.  Below is a map showing the locations.

One interesting fact is that the sites were one continuous cement pour, so there are no concrete seams.  All the inside steel is welded, creating an absolutely airtight environment.  Steel doors are eight inches thick.  Sleeping and eating quarters were separate, and the lunch room was the only area where you could be alone.  Everywhere else, there were two people required, reducing the risk of sabotage.

Our tour started outside, taking us 55 steps down into the earth.  Anyone over 6 feet had to wear a hard hat.  That's why you see some guys with hard hats, and some without.  None needed by the ladies!

At the heart of the site was the command center.  Crews were changed out every few days.  The tour guide in the red shirt explained how many safeguards were put into place so no missile would ever be sent on it's way by mistake.  Only two people on each shift had access to the keys in the safe and knew the passwords that were needed.  Even if the decision was made to launch, the two keys had to be turned within seconds of each other by the commander and second in command (standing feet apart).  The missile here could be launched within 58 seconds! 

Behind the command center was this clock, which must be military since I had trouble figuring out what time it was.  Also behind the center was a clock set to Greenwich Standard time.  I was glad I had on my own watch, which was around 11:30.

We traversed the long, metal hallways over to see the actual missile in the silo.

Though no longer armed, it still is an impressive sight.  The missile itself is 100 feet tall.  All the sites were active for about 20 years.  By the 1980's they had been replaced by newer, updated ones.

This is what the outside now looks like.  The cover to the silo is permanently locked in the half open position, signifying that it's no longer operational.  Each site had multiple radio communications, some located above the ground, others underground that could be raised up at a moment's notice.

 View from the outside, looking down into the silo.

The Cold War is over, though we still have to distrust Russia to this very day.  The only thing to worry about at this place are the rattlesnakes!  Signs were everywhere.  Judie, my former boss, had been cornered by a large one inside the visitor center one day.  Yikes!

As I've stated before, the only good snake is a dead one!  My apologies to the non-venomous ones.

Downtown Tucson Memories

It has been 30 years (maybe even more) since Don and I were in downtown Tucson.  During my early years, it was THE place to go for shopping.  There were no malls!  Nope! What would today's teenagers do if they couldn't go shopping at a mall?  Would they survive?

I digress.  Off the five of us headed.  Sandy and Jerry's request was that we first stop at Borderlands, a brewery located in a former warehouse.  It's situated right next to the train tracks, so every 10 minutes or so there was a train rumbling right by the windows.  Maybe the vibration from the trains is good for making beer by shaking it up dozens of times a day.  Who knows?!

 Don and Doris looked at the menu and tried to decide what they wanted.  It was beer for Don, Jerry and Sandy, while Doris and I shared a Mexican Coke.  Doris didn't have a beer since she was driving and I definitely am NOT a beer drinker/sipper/guzzler!

I loved the mural on the back of the building. Someone had a vivid imagination!

Next stop was the Congress Hotel.  This hotel was built in 1919 is the place where the infamous Depression era gangster, John Dillinger, was caught in 1934.  Tucson now celebrates his capture by having Dillinger Days in January each year.

Even though I've lived in Arizona for over 60 years, this was the first time I stepped inside the hotel.  I guess it was about time!

The hotel lobby appears to be the same as it was decades ago, with the old style floors, staircase and faded paintings on the wall.  Since I wasn't around in 1919, I can only surmise that this is truly the case!

All of us were surprised to find two things that we remembered from the 1960's:  A telephone switchboard, just like the kind Doris used when she started her career at Mountain Bell:

And the individual phone booths, that even had wooden swivel seats!  Naturally, the rotary dial phones themselves have been replaced.  I wonder what a teenager would do today if they were placed inside one of these and the rotary dial phone was still there.  Would they even know they could make a call from this "contraption"?  And only pay a dime for it?

As we wandered around outside, we did come across another old landmark, the Fox Theater.  All of us who grew up in the 50's and 60's went there.

We sauntered along Stone Avenue, and I was looking for a familiar landmark from that era: Jacome's (pronounced Ha-ko-mees).  Steinfelds and Jacome's were wonderful stores, now more or less forgotten by most Tucsonians.  Probably the majority of people now living here never heard of them.

Here is what now stands at the corner:

The main branch of the Tucson library at 101 N. Stone.  I know time changes everything and I must accept it and go with the flow.  But the nostalgic part of me wishes that I could step back in time and see and experience everything as it used to be.  It was a gentler, slower paced time, before electronics and instant responses.  Ah, to be young again!  Don would say, "It's not gonna' happen.....deal with it."