Week Two: Tucson, AZ

Greetings!  As promised here is an update on our first weekend!

Friday: Mangos Refresqueria Y Cafe

Friday evening we while trying our best to beat the heat we discovered a small Mexican café with amazingly refreshing treats.  I enjoyed a Fresas con Crema that was incredible and Steve enjoyed a Strawberry Sunday.  

Saturday: Hike Day

Saturday we went on a hike near the Saguaro National Park.  We saw some petroglyphs and a coyote!  There were some lizards too that we hadn’t seen before.  They are called Zebra Tailed Lizards and their tails are striped like a zebra on the underneath.  They wave them like a cat’s tail or curl them up like a scorpions tail.  These Zebra Tailed Lizards were plentiful on our hike and Steve and I enjoyed observing them.

After our hike we were hot and hungry and headed downtown to an Indian restaurant near the University of Arizona.  It was fun hanging out  and observing the college students that came and went as we were enjoying our meal. 

We also went to an Airstream store that we found, it really was a small nondescript place but the guy was friendly and we wanted a new door handle just in case Steve’s fix from Memorial Day doesn’t hold.  We ordered a replacement handle and while doing so met a fellow Airstream owner.  He is a retired PA who spent most of his career in the ER. He had an Excella Airstream from the 90’s that he and his wife bought sight unseen and plan to do a large trip with.  They had just hauled it out here from Wisconsin and moved to the area to be closer to their kids and grandkids.  He had just had it polished up on the outside and invited us to come and take a peak.  So Steve and I went and looked at his new “baby”. They had pretty much gutted it and redesigned the inside with their own flair.  It was spacious and carefully crafted.  Steve and I enjoyed seeing their hard work and interacting with him.  We chatted for a bit and then wished him a safe journey. 

Steve and I got back and enjoyed our evening on Saturday with a bike ride around the park and relaxing on our patio.

Sunday: Another hike – this one up high, and harder than we thought

Sunday morning Steve had a Spiritual Direction meeting and then we packed up for a trip to Mount Lemmon. 

Mount Lemmon’s elevation is over 9000 feet.  It is the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains.  We drove to the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson and started the journey up, up, and up!  We dropped over 20 degrees in temperature before we got to our trail.  The trail is called Incinerator Ridge Trail.

Steve and I had a bit of a miscommunication regarding this hike… He mentioned it was about the same elevation as the hike we did yesterday (300 feet) and that the reviews said it was a climb, but a pretty easy path.  So I was game. 

We started up and just kept going straight up on a path that was anything but easy to me and drop off on both sides of the path that were just a misstep away.  When we got to almost 300 feet I was a wreck!  I was seriously terrified of the drop offs, my knees were screaming at me, there seemed to be no end to the up, and I just kept thinking  “how am I going to get down this thing?” 

I asked Steve about the hike again and he said oh, it’s 800 feet up. 

I said I need a minute and went to a spot and sat down and had a good cry.  I was just not prepared emotionally for the intensity of the hike we were on and did not want to disappoint Steve by not continuing…but I really did want to climb up this tiny ridge with drop offs on either side any more. 

So we did some discussing and realized our miscommunication and decided that we would turn back. 

On the way back Steve had me hold his shoulder and helped me with all of the descent.  I felt like it was a picture of God for me.  He calls us up into things (relationships, spiritual gifting’s, careers, positions, friendships, parenting, ect…) and when it’s time to descend he is with us shouldering the brunt of the impact and getting us safely to our destination so that we can have the next adventure in Him. 

Once we returned to the trail head we made the drive down into Tucsan and enjoyed some Elote, Tortas, and another Fresas con Crema and a Strawberry Sunday. 

Steve had another Spiritual Direction in the afternoon and then we ventured out to pick up some supplies he needed for Hospice care this week.  Once we were home we got ready for the week ahead and hung out in the cool (95 degrees ☺) of the evening on our patio.  

Monday: Happy Anniversary

Monday Steve and I celebrated 30 years of marriage.  While he worked and I was home, we still managed to enjoy a nice dinner together and some quality time in the evening.  In honor of our 30^th anniversary I wrote a little ditty about some flirty flamingos.  I am still working on the graphics, but will share it with you once I’m done. 

Tuesday: Another hot one…

Tuesday was extremely hot and another day at the campground with no water.  However, we were prepared and it wasn’t a problem.  I had plenty water to drink and we filled up our holding tank with water for flushing the toilet.  Hopefully the campground will have the issue with the water main fixed this time. 

I spent the day getting out a story that I’ve held in my brain for years…Grapes on the Wind.  It felt so good to release it from my mind.  

Wednesday: Gelato

Wednesday the water was back on!  Yipee! 

We enjoyed another day of heat, sun, and work. 

Last night we discovered a Brooklyn Pizza shop that also serves Gelato.  I got the lemon and Steve got the Cherry.  It was refreshing and delicious.  We plan to order a pizza from there soon as they smelled and looked AMAZING!  

Thursday: Laundry and morning run

Thursday dawned and Steve and I went on our daily morning walk/run.  I ran three quarters of the way around the park today.  I am super proud of that.  When we first arrived I couldn’t run at all.  I am taking it slow and doing a little more each day, and so far my knees are holding up.  They have been sore, but other than that I’ve been good.  I am still shooting for multiple times around the park before we leave. 

This evening we finished up our laundry and Steve worked on some computer things.  

Friday: Reflection and off early

Friday I spent some time in the morning being reflective.  I have had a low level persistently sad feeling the past couple of days.  So I brought this to God. 

You know how you know something in your brain, and then you know it in your heart? 

I think the impact of this journey has made its way from my brain to my heart.  I have laid down a lot to get here…my job/career, being in close community with my friends, being known, my home, my vehicle, the routine of daily life, stuff that I have cherished, etc…  I knew what I was doing when it was all happening, but my heart has a more trickledown way of processing things. 

I think my heart has caught up to my head.  I am just feeling the sadness of loss. 

It’s normal and if I didn’t feel it I would probably be worried about myself. 

Loss is real in our lives.  It doesn’t mean it’s wrong, just that it is real. 

So I think my heart is just feeling and processing the loss.  I chose it and I don’t regret it, yet it’s still impactful on my heart and feelings.  I am seeking out the next thing that God will allow me to do. 

If you have read this far would you take a moment to pray for me?  I appreciate it. 

Steve was at 40 hours by 11 am on Friday, so the company he works for let him go home early.  Once he got back we headed straight to the pool for some cooling down and relaxing.  We met a couple from PA who have been doing a road trip out west for the past couple months.  They shared their adventures with us and it was fun to see things from another’s perspective. 

Steve and I went on a dinner date to an Indian/Spanish fusion restaurant called Bombole’.  We had empanadas made out of Indian favorites.  Afterward we went for Ice Cream. 

It was 111 degrees outside and the air conditioner in Steve’s truck wasn’t working.  So it was like driving around in 111 degrees with the HEATER ON!!  I was sooooo hot. 

When we got home I took a cool wet cloth from the bathroom and went to lay down on the bed.  When I flopped back I was at just the right angle to knock my head on a shelf by the bed.  I split my head open and it was bleeding. 

I don’t think I have ever split the back of my head open before.  It was very painful, on top of the heat exhaustion. 

It took me some time (and some nursing from Steve) but eventually I was cooled down and my head stopped throbbing.  I’m ok and didn’t need stitches or have a concussion…but whew!  What an ending to my day!

 Until next week… Blessings!