Back at Catalina State Park!

 Reservations were made a year ago so we could once again be at Catalina State Park in Tucson.  Our group varied in size according to the time and day we gathered together.  At some points there were just 5 of us occupying 3 sites. One weekend our group had reserved 7 sites.  We are flexible that way for we know our bodies sure aren't as flexible any more!  LOL

We have changed, but some things remain the same: our love for laughter, each other and our love of food. Mimosas were on the agenda one morning and a toast was made.

The first Saturday morning we feasted on biscuits and gravy that Greg and Lori made.  Add some scrambled eggs plus some coffee and you have a great breakfast.

I think Bob must have had some leftover on his cheek!

Camping would not be complete without beignets made by Sandy and Jerry.  They are always a hit.  What is better....plain, with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or honey?

Allen tried one while Doris cleaned up around the table.

These are best served with a napkin.  If you stand you must expect some powdered sugar on your shoes.

Jerry showed Shelley the fine art of coal placement on her Dutch oven.

It worked perfectly! Cherry cobbler for dessert.

And the first in line was Don.  He loves Cherry pie and cherry cobbler.  He even managed to talk Shelley into giving him all the leftover cobbler.😂😃

For the most part, the weather was cool and sunny.  However, one afternoon we had invited Bob and Carol (sister and brother-in-law) and John Eaton (a cousin) over for snacks.  The weather was iffy in the morning and by 1:00 PM the clouds had rolled in and the wind picked up.  By 2:00 PM it was raining.  That made for a short visit.

This year two people brought propane campfire pits.  Boy, were they a blessing!  After dinner the sun went down and it became cold very fast.  We all huddled around the fires to keep warm.

After this picture was posted, Doris got a comment about sitting there with the propane tank between her legs!  OOPS!!  The next night it was moved. Can we label ourselves as risk-takers after this?

Another one on the books.  Most of the time I keep my posts more up to date but this year I had to wait until we returned home.  Internet reception was lousy most of the time and sometimes it didn't even work.  The next 5 posts all relate to our 2 week time while camping at Catalina.  Happy Trails to you until we meet again.

Biosphere II

 A trip to see Biosphere II was on our "to-do" list this year.  It is the largest contained ecological system ever created, covering over 3 acres of land. The original structure was built between 1987 and 1991 and housed 8 individuals.  These eight people lived, farmed, did experiments and kept meticulous records for the 2 years they were there. One of the volunteers told us that two" biospherians" were later married and still live in the area.

It was a perfect day for Doris, Sandy and me to wear our Route 66 shirts.  We were even lucky enough to find another set of matching shirts at the gift shop!

Allen, Shelley and Jim stopped in front of the sign also at my request.

Covid is still around, and everyone was required to wear a mask when inside the structure which is nestled in the foothills of Oracle, Arizona.  Allen took this photo and most of the others at the Biosphere.  My camera's battery went dead at the start of the tour.  Poor planning on my part since I left the Nikon at the trailer and it had just been charged.  Allen to the rescue!

Here's our group, fully masked and in compliance with the COVID rules.😏

The tour took us through the living quarters plus all the distinct areas of the Biosphere: a rainforest, an ocean area, mangrove wetlands, savanna grassland and a fog desert.  The "bisopherians" grew vegetables, raised chickens, dwarf pigs and pygmy goats, ate fruit off the trees, fished for Tilapia in the ocean and even roasted their own coffee!  We found out that they only had one cup of coffee every 2 to 3 weeks since the process took so much time. Hard for me to imagine since both Don and I love our morning cups of coffee.  The above photo was taken in the savanna area.  Below is the ocean complete with a tiny beach.  

The majority of the plants and trees were labeled.  However, Sandy and I came across this absolutely beautiful flower that had no name by it.  I later found it that it was a Hong Kong Orchid tree, and they grow well here in Arizona.

As we entered the door into the tropical area, we immediately noticed the difference! It was warmer and a lot more humid than all the other sections.  Off came the jackets!  This area even had a man-made mountain and waterfall.

Trees inside this area reached over 19 feet tall and some of the branches were pressing against the glass panes of the structure. Some trimming was definitely needed.

The photo below was taken before we entered the rainforest area.

Sadly, the original project ran into numerous problems.  Oxygen levels ran low, plants and animal species died off causing weight loss among all the individuals. Virtually all the pollenating insects died.  There were 2 different attempts to make it work.  However, during the second attempt in 1994 the company supporting Biosphere II was dissolved, leaving the project in limbo.

In 2007 the University of Arizona acquired the facility and it is now used for research and tours.  I highly recommend going here if you visit Tucson.

We Like to Hike and Bike

 Yes, there is more to camping than cooking and eating!  Somehow, we managed to get rid of the excess calories by riding our bikes or hiking on some of the various trails located within Catalina State Park. One of our favorite biking trails is right across from the campground.  It runs north and south along the Canada del Oro River.

Don and Doris are ahead of me.  On the left is the dry riverbed and on the left is Oro Valley Marketplace.

As we headed north the paved trail turned into gravel.  This stretch was ridden only by Doris and me since Don had pulled his back the day before.  

The first Wednesday we were there, Jim, Shelley, Allen, Doris and I hiked the Romero Ruins trail. Rain was predicted in the afternoon, but the sun was out during the time we were walking.

The trail took us across the wash and up the steps in order to reach the ruins.

Beyond the cholla cactus is a view of our campground with the Tortolita Mountains in the distance.

This huge old saguaro cactus is situated amongst the ruins.  These type of cacti are only found in the Sonoran Desert located in Arizona and northern Mexico.  They are extremely slow growing and a 10 year old saguaro may be only 15 inches tall.  I wonder how old this one is.  It surely has lived through a lot of changes during it's lifetime.

The next week included a hike on the 50 year trail that starts in the park.  It isn't far from the campground stables where Jerry found a new friend.

"Uh, Jerry, a little higher up, please."

"Jerry, come back, I'm not done enjoying your scratches yet!"

I digress, got caught up with horsey pictures.  Anyhoo....back to the 50 year trail.that starts by the stables.

It yielded a nice view of the campground and the Catalinas.  It was a perfect day for hiking.

Jerry and I did a 2 mile round trip but Jim, Shelley and Doris continued on to the gate that marks the state park boundary.  I guess the big thing to do is rattle the gate once you get to it.

This was done to the tune of "Shake, Rattle and Roll"!  Just kidding.  Those two sure know how to make a racket.

Other Side Trips

 We spent one morning in downtown Tucson visiting the January 8th memorial site and Tucson Visitor Center.  The memorial is  located in front of the historic Pima County Courthouse which had been closed for many years and just re-opened last November after multi-million-dollar improvements.

This permanent memorial was dedicated Jan. 8, 2018.  It commemorates the sad event from 7 years earlier where 6 people were killed and U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords was seriously injured during her meet and greet event.

There is a beautiful garden, a memorial wall and reflecting pool.  The wall is covered with all types of symbols, each having a special meaning to all six victims. Don's cousin John Eaton, Don, Jerry and Sandy took a few moments by the shallow pool.

Christina-Taylor Green was only 9 years old, making her the youngest victim.

Behind Jerry and Sandy is Allen Forbes, a cousin from Reno. He was also camping at Catalina with our group.  Doris and Sandy still have their masks on since part of our time was spent at the Tucson Visitor Center located on the ground floor of the courthouse.

Our last side trip was to a miniature train museum located in the Flowing Wells area of Tucson where Don, Doris, Sandy and I grew up. It contained all the different sizes of toy trains, some of them dating back to the 1940's,

One thing that I have never seen before in a miniature train set up are mobile homes!  Usually it's regular buildings and houses.  Do you see them?

I think we all got a chuckle of the sign by the church.  It read: Lost Souls Community Church. Cremation is your last chance for a smoking hot body!

The creator of this had a good imagination and a sense of humor.  It was the Inter-galactic Party Bus.  If you pushed the button in front of the display the yellow M & M guy went up and down. The flying saucer was also lit up.  It doesn't take much to entertain us old folks.😏😉 LOL

A History Lesson: Steam Pump Ranch

 The last Saturday during our stay the 5 of us checked out the farmer's market at the Steam Pump Ranch.  We were looking mainly for fresh veggies and this market was not focused on that type of thing.  All we bought were cups of coffee to keep us warm.  It was cloudy, windy and by the end it was raining.

However, it was not a bust.  The historic house at Steam Pump Ranch was open and tours were free.  Free is my favorite 4 letter word.  Besides that, it was much warmer inside the house than outside.  Doris ended up taking all these pictures and shared them with me.  After all, who brings a Nikon camera to a farmer's market?  

A German immigrant by the name George Pusch came to this area (now Oro Valley) and established the Steam Pump Ranch in 1874. The ranch was one of the biggest in the Arizona Territory.  At that time, water was abundant and he built a steam pump to bring the water to the surface.  Later on, cattle from various ranches were brought to the ranch on their trip to the market.  George got 15 cents a head for each cow that was watered. 

In 1933, Jack Proctor who operated the Pioneer Hotel in Tucson acquired the ranch.  After his death, it was taken over by his grandsons, Henry and John Leiber.  It stayed in their family until the town of Oro Valley took it over through eminent domain.

Below is a picture of the site of the steam pump and water tank.

Inside the house was a crib from the late 1800's, around the time George and Matilda Pusch were married.  They had 9 children but two died within weeks of their birth.
After looking at the information boards about the process used for doing laundry and ironing, I was thankful I wasn't born in that era.  Good grief, each process took a whole day.  Makes me wonder how mothers with large families handled that along with tending gardens, cooking and other chores.

As I researched the history of Steam Pump Ranch I found out that Hank Leiber, a major league baseball player, lived in the house built by his grandfather George Pusch until his death. He died in 1993 at age 82.

The exhibits change monthly at this historic house, so if you are in the area, this is a must-see exhibit.

Sunsets, Sunrises and Rainbows

 We always are blessed with amazing colors during sunrises and sunsets at Catalina.  Some days are better than others, but our God never disappoints us.

There are many ways to capture these wonderful scenes.  I'm still old fashioned and choose to take pictures with of my two cameras.  Most others prefer their cell phones since they are handy at all times (except me!). Doris found a new way to take pics without even leaving her trailer in the morning! Very creative.👍

One evening the western sky revealed brilliant hot pink clouds against a blue sky.

But the most spectacular scene was on January 19th after a brief rain shower.  First came a full rainbow over the Catalinas.  As portions faded, the colors deepened, and we were treated to a double rainbow that seemed to end in one of the canyons. The double rainbow is on the right side of the photo.

Rainbows are a reminder to us of God's promise.  Blessings come in many different ways, some more obvious than others. 😊