A Windy Week

Tucson Round Two… Week Five

Hey there friends! 

This past weekend Steve and I got to go hiking at a Pleistocene era lake.

This lake is dry and part of the Sonoran desert ecoregion.  The existing lake, called Willcox Playa is only a remnant of the former lake that inhabited the region.

Steve and I were excited to do this hike.

Sandhill Cranes

There are wintering sandhill cranes that migrate annually to the playa. We were hopeful to see some and we did!  They were flying overhead and we could see them landing off in the distance on the playa. 

You can’t approach the lake during their migration season (end of Sept. to end of Feb.), but we enjoyed hearing their calls and watching them fly overhead.

It was just lovely terrain. We walked for a mile and half through what seemed to be ancient sand dunes, and the ground was white like sand as well.

We were glad to have had on our jeans as there were shrubby grass covering most of it and lots of little prickers.

Rain and Mud

The sky was blue, the clouds were puffy, it was a chilly 70 degrees (lol) and so very peaceful.

Afterwards we planned to go to Arizona’s largest corn maze for some fun, but the skies opened up and rain and hail took over. 

Steve and I were in the Jeep so we decided to do some exploring down dirt roads for a bit. My Jeep got super muddy and we had to take it through two car washes to get the mud off! 

We drove almost 12 miles down a dirt road and saw some really beautiful landscapes. The road kept going, but we decided to head back towards Tucson. 

Willcox Wine Festival

There was a wine festival going on in Willcox, so we decided to stop in for a look. They were featuring only local wines at the festival and we enjoyed walking through the tables and booths and seeing the different selections of wines, gifts, and treats and hearing some live music.

Then we hit the highway and got back to our campground in plenty time to relax, eat dinner, and enjoy the rest of the weekend. 

Tucson in the Fall

The mornings here have been quite chilly.  It had been in the 50’s when we wake up. We are still getting dressed and going for a hike in the Trust Lands.

I’ve been wearing a hoodie and sweat pants! Who would have thought back in June/July that I would ever have a hoodie on in Tucson.

Steve and I have decided we definitely like Tucson better in the fall than in the summer.  The weather is now so much better for hiking! 

Ocotillos Are Turning

The leaves here aren’t changing colors, but interestingly the Ocotillos are turning lovely colors.  So far we’ve seen some with brown and yellow. I read they can even turn orange…so I’m on the lookout for one.

It may not be fall as we’ve known it in Maine and Ohio, but it is beautiful in its own way.

A Windy Week

We also had a lot of wind this week.  The weather app said the wind gusts were 30+ miles per hour. 

It is nice to see it blowing in the trees around the campground and hearing it whistle around Airy. 

Wind like this makes me miss Maine.  We used to live on the coast (Portland) and we’d get the afternoon sea breezes almost every day. We sure had our fair share of blustery days living there.

Even when Steve and I lived there we knew we were living in a beautiful place and that some day we would miss it.

I only have good, fond memories of living in Maine.

That is were all our children were born. Steve and all the kids are Mainers, and I am an Ohioan. The saying in Maine is if you weren’t born there you are from away (and always will be). 

House Sale Process

This has been a week of process for our house. 

We have had to fill out documents for the title agency, a roofer inspect the house, an insurance adjuster inspect the house, and then we had to submit our response to the buyer on the items she wanted completed. The insurance company is going to go ahead and replace the roof due to storm damage.

So we are thinking the buyer will be satisfied and we can proceed with the sale.

Writing Class

The writing class I am taking had been quite informative. I have really enjoyed the lectures and guest speakers.

I am re-working with some of my material to better it as a result. There is so much to learn and I’m grateful for the time to press in this way. 

Half Way Mark

Hard to believe we are half way through Steve’s contract here.

We are making tentative plans for the next venture we will have.  There will be about 3 weeks from the end of this contract until Christmas.  We will be in Colorado for Christmas this year with our children.

Any ideas on where we should go for those 3 weeks?  We are open to suggestions…. 

Blessings to you!

Chrissy