ART PHOTOS

As we were driving down the highway I saw this great photo of us mirrored in the back of a truck.

SOUTHWEST STEVE

We have been having such a great time together...exploring and learning. We started building Steve a pair of tall moccasins when we arrived

in Santa Fe. A friend of ours owns Santa Fe leather and let us use his cutting table in the shop. The moccasins have become an art project. We add as we go. Steve hikes in them all of the time and says they are super comfortable.

BURRO CREEK CRITTERS

We found an incredibly beautiful place to camp just south of Wikieup, AZ. If you are a rockhound...this is your place! So many varieties of rocks are available. I found my first Apache Tear here. But there are also many critters. Lizards coming out of their cool dens to warm themselves and heron perched on the sides of cliffs waiting to see the elusive fish in Burro Creek.

FASCIATION

This is probably one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I had read about it years ago and have been searching for years to see one of these and finally it happen 2 days ago!! I am sure you are all familiar with the Saguaro cactus. These giant sentinels of the desert are so fascinating to me. A saguaro without arms is called a spear and it usually takes up to 75 years to develop a sidearm. The arms are grown to increase the plant's reproductive capacity. However, rarely fasciation takes place. Fasciation (or cresting) is a condition of plant growth in which the apical meristem becomes elongated perpendicularly to the direction of growth, producing flattened, ribbon-like, crested or elaborately contorted tissue. It is caused by mutation in the meristematic cells, bacterial infection, mite or insect attack. I can't begin to tell you how excited I became upon finally seeing one of these. It was truly a gift of a lifetime!

HIKING IN THE RED ROCKS

We drove about 4 miles up Schnebly Rd and pulled off by a wonderful little creek and had lunch. From there we followed that creek up a ways until we reached another draw coming off of the red rocks and decided to see where it would take us. In the process Baylee fell into a Prickly Pear cactus and impaled her arm with numerous spines. After picking them out we kept heading up the draw. We ended up at a awesome overhang fully expecting to find some unexplored ruins. It was not to be! Had a wonderful hike back down with only a minor fall by me and Steve being stuck in the leg by an agave!

RUINS IN THE SEDONA/COTTONWOOD AREA

Wanted Baylee to experience more ruins. She had been to Mesa Verde when she was younger but one can never experience too many ruins. Each has it's own fascination.We drove miles down a dirt road back to Palatki. What a wonderful place for the Sinagua ( without water) to build their homes(1100 to 1400 a.d.) and to plant their crops. You can no longer get to the ruins as there is a crack in the cliff above the pueblos. You may only view them from afar. Then on to Tuzigoot (Apache for crooked water) just out side of Clarkdale, Az. by the Verde river. There are 2 to 3 story pueblos with 110 rooms. These were built from 1125 to 1400 a.d. It sits on top of a hill with a 360 degree view of the valley.
 We did learn there, that if a child died, the parents would bury the child beneath their floor to keep the child close to them