Monday, April 26, 2021, Desert Botanical Gardens

Since we have passes to the Desert Botanical Gardens we visit often. The flora were in full bloom and as a bonus, we spotted some fauna as well.

I really needed a faster shutter to capture this guy below but maybe the blurr suggests just how fast they move their wings. 

Bishop's Cap ( Astrophytum myriostigma) is an endangered species from north-central Mexico.

One species that seemed to be missing from the gardens was the Easter Lily Cactus so we were fortunate to have a few next to our carport. This year they put on quite a show.

Elsewhere in Val Vista, the Saguaro were in Bloom.

Sunday, April 11, 2021, Tonto National Monument, Roosevelt, AZ

Joani called about reservations for a Ranger-led hike to the Tonto National Monument Upper Cliff Dwelling (ruins). It would have normally been more than a 3 month wait but they had a cancellation for the next weekend.

The hike was short and only about a mile and a half each way with a 646-foot elevation gain. We thought it should not be too strenuous. The day was just the right temperature for a pleasant visit. The cliff dwellings you see above the visitor center in the picture below were the lower ruins and smaller than the ones we visited on our hike. 

Our hike took us through a ravine and around some large hills before we could see the upper dwelling. They are at the far right of the picture below.

We were almost there in the picture below. Maybe we were not really ready for this hike - it was a bit more strenuous than expected. 

With the ranger's description, one could imagine the ruins hundreds of years ago with the bustle of kids playing, women preparing food, and the men returning from the fields or from hunting.

That lake in the distance was not there but the river was and the valley would have been planted with crops. It was speculated that severe drought for several consecutive years forced the residents to leave.

As always, it was a much easier hike downhill. Still, it seemed a little warm for early April.

I love the juxtaposition of the layers of rock tilted at an angle by millions of years of geologic movement with the relatively young Saguaro standing straight up.

As is often the case, timing is everything and we were lucky to have the opportunity to join this National Park Service Ranger hike and peek into the lives of the people who lived here 700 years ago.

March 9 thru 23, 2021, Family Visits from Tennessee and Iowa

March was a great month for visiting family. My sister-in-law, Barbara, flew to Mesa with my Mom on the 9th. We visited the Desert Botanical Gardens a bit early to see the best of the cacti blooms but it was, as always, a great place to spend time.

Remember those days?

That's much better!

A few days later family from Iowa rented a house in Gilbert, AZ. It was only a few miles away so we joined them several times during their stay. There was a houseful with my cousin Kathy, Chad and Erica and their four kids, Cameron, Harrison, Maryn, and Emmerson, and Branon and Jamie and their two girls, Macy and Finley. Good thing they rented a large house!

Lots of catching up to do meant conversations everywhere.

Ever the consummate host, Chad says "What'll ya have?"

After a week, Barbara had to fly home. My brother, Don, flew out so he could spend some time in the sun and then accompany Mom on her flight home. The exchange overlapped the Iowa folk's stay in Mesa so he was able to spend time with them as well.

Grill master, Branon, cooks for the hungry masses.

The girls had a blast splashing in the pool. Obviously, I brought my waterproof Fuji camera for just such an occasion. On a side note, most of the family pictures were taken with the Fuji with no image stabilization so many of these pictures lack sharpness. 

Obviously, something had everyone's rapt attention.

Of course, it was an Iowa Basketball game!

After the Iowa folks returned home we still had a few days to explore. I took Don to Falcon Field hoping to see some of the vintage aircraft take flight. Our timing was off but we watched as a Learjet prepped and took off.

Before they left we made a road trip to Sedona. We only spent a few hours seeing some of the sights and stopping for lunch at the Javelina Cantina.

Sedona's Tlaquepaque Village is a favorite of mine.

It was a little sad after everyone headed home but we had plenty of Val Vista activities to keep us busy.

February 20 thru 28, 2021, Remodeling Continues, Val Vista Villages, Mesa, AZ

I don't think I mentioned it yet but we did not want to keep referring to the new place as the park model, so it had to have a name. It could be called the cabin or the bungalow but Joani thought since our motorhome was named American Dream we should call this place the Desert Dream. I'm not sure that will stick with me but I'll try.

Even though the Desert Dream was officially opened for guests and we were finally sleeping in it, there were things to finish. Floating shelves in the bedroom filled in the area where there once were cabinets.

Joani has a knack for filling shelves with just the right amount of "stuff" to give it a lot of interest without seeming too cluttered. The panels on either side are insulated covers to block the windows. A street light just outside turns the night into day making it less than ideal for sleeping. 

Our house in Georgia had a large library that we loved. We kept most of our favorite books but could not possibly recreate the library with our limited space. There was room for three bookcases provided we no longer wanted a view of our neighbor's carport. We started with some basic IKEA shelves, bolted them together, and dressed them up. 

During the Covid madness, the price of lumber became an issue.  Starting with IKEA's Billy bookcases solved that problem.

We left the blind in the window and covered it with insulation. That way it looked very normal from the outside.

Almost there, just some trim around the base and top it off with crown molding and call it good.

The shed needed a lot of work. We unstacked the washer and dryer and built a folding table above them. On the opposite wall, we built a workbench sized to hold our storage bins. We covered the yellow walls with the same paint we used inside the main house.

We are very lucky that when the previous owners built the shed they managed the ductwork so that it is heated and, most importantly, cooled.

Just outside the shed, three cacti seem happy enough in the heat. We throw some water on them once in a while but really they require no attention from us. Then once a year they bloom - wow do they bloom!

Our largest of three Easter Lily Cactus (echinopsis oxygona) has amazing blooms on long stalks.

The flower opens in the night and only lasts a day.

The drive had an awkward corner where some pavers were used that didn't work for me. When a crew showed up to pave another driveway I had them fill in a corner.

I'm sure there will be more small projects but for the most part, we were finished with our remake of the Desert Dream and now it was time to sit back and enjoy the park.

Our sunsets are often amazing. The dry desert air allows more vivid color.

We have beautiful Peach-faced Lovebirds (agapornis roseicollis) in the park. What a treat!

The Val Vista section of our park is loaded with grapefruit, orange, and a few lemon trees.