Sweetwater Wetlands

I wanted to hike this morning, so Papa suggested we go to Sweetwater Wetlands, a place he discovered on his bike rides along the Santa Cruz River.  "Sweetwater Wetlands is one of the most important functional, environmental, and educational components of the City of Tucson's reclaimed water system. Treated water filters through sediments beneath recharged basins and replenishes the local aquifer. This reclaimed wastewater is recovered by extraction wells during periods of high water demand. Since 1996, the recovered wastewater is distributed for reuse in Tucson's golf courses, parks, schools, and other large turf irrigation areas."

We walked about 2 miles through Sweetwater Wetlands, with the pathways mostly shaded.  We stopped to watch ducks and various birds.  We enjoyed seeing water friendly vegetation, like cattails and cottonwood trees.  And we were amazed to be walking in such a lush, wet place in the middle of Tucson, in the Sonoran desert!

   

Blooming Barrels

We have various colored barrel cactus blooms in the yard now.  I just love them!

Kitchen

I hung a photo on the door to our pantry yesterday.  I had the photo mounted to foam board, so there is no glass in the frame, and I mounted to the door with Command Strips.  Its a sepia toned photo taken in the Saguaro National Monument West.  Papa installed our cabinets when we bought the house in 2008.  I love our cubby of family photos, the family handprints on canvas, and our view of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

Cruise Planning

Since returning from our trip to Italy on July 14, I've spent a considerable amount of time planning our next travel adventure.  We are confirmed to go on a cruise from Dubai to Capetown, from November 6-December 9.  We will leave on November 3, with arrival in Dubai on November 5.  We have planned dinner with friends in Dubai that evening.  We plan to board the ship on November 6 with this itinerary:
DAY         PORT                
Nov 6 Mon Dubai, United Arab Emirates Embark
Nov 7 Tue Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Nov 8 Wed Fujairah, United Arab Emirates
Nov 9 Thu Muscat, Oman
Nov 10 Fri Cruise the Arabian Sea
Nov 11 Sat Cruise the Arabian Sea
Nov 12 Sun Mumbai, India
Nov 13 Mon Mumbai, India
Nov 14 Tue Goa (Mormugao), India
Nov 15 Wed Mangalore, India
Nov 16 Thu Cochin (Kochi), India
Nov 17 Fri Male, Maldives
Nov 18 Sat Male, Maldives
Nov 19 Sun Cruising the Indian Ocean
Nov 20 Mon Cruising the Indian Ocean
Nov 21 Tue Mahe, Seychelles
Nov 22 Wed Mahe, Seychelles
Nov 22 Wed Praslin, Seychelles
Nov 23 Thu Cruising the Indian Ocean
Nov 24 Fri Cruising the Indian Ocean
Nov 25 Sat Mombasa, Kenya
Nov 26 Sun Zanzibar, Tanzania
Nov 27 Mon Cruising the Indian Ocean
Nov 28 Tue Nosy Be, Madagascar
Nov 29 Wed Cruising the Mozambique Channel
Nov 30 Thu Cruising the Mozambique Channel
Dec 1 Fri         Maputo, Mozambique
Dec 2 Sat Richards Bay, South Africa
Dec 3 Sun Durban, South Africa
Dec 4 Mon Cruising the Indian Ocean
Dec 5 Tue Cape Town, South Africa
Dec 6-9         Cape Town, South Africa - Winelands & Wildlife Land Tour

Papa and I have not been to any of the ports we'll visit, so I have a steep learning curve.  I have been researching each port, the "don't miss" attractions, UNESCO World Heritage Sites nearby, tour guides, and more.  I've applied for and received 3 of the 4 Visas necessary for the trip.  Fingers crossed that the Mozambique Visa will not be a problem.  I've progressed to reading both fiction and non-fiction based in some of the places we're traveling.  The planning process is fun!

Architectural Boat Tour of Chicago

On Sunday morning, we drove down town Chicago to do the architectural boat tour.  The narrator was a knowledgeable Chicago architect.   We really enjoyed the stories of the buildings and the history of Chicago.  Nice!

Afternoon at the Beach

We spent yesterday morning, walking to the French Market in downtown Wilmette, going to the plant nursery, then playing and having a picnic in the backyard.  After lunch, we walked to Lake Michigan, two blocks away, and played on the beach for a few hours.  It was a beautiful day, sunny with temps in the high 70's.  Perfect!

Audrey and I worked in her yard for a couple hours after we got back from the beach, then went for dinner in downtown Wilmette.  After dinner we watched the movie, A United Kingdom, based on a true story about King (later elected President) Khama of Botswana, and his British born wife.  The movie was very well done and I highly recommend.  We had a good day!

Baha'i Temple

Papa and I flew to Chicago yesterday, for a few days with Audrey's family.  We had a nice dinner and got a tour of all kinds of things last night, thanks to Lauren and Taylor - the flying machine box, dancing to piano music, hair bows and headbands...  After breakfast this morning, we played in the back yard on their new swing, then walked to Lauren's new school, and had lunch at a French bakery.

The weather was perfect, in the high 70's and sunny.  Their neighborhood is beautiful with shade trees and streets lined with two story pristine houses.  We continued our walk to the Baha'i Temple, about one mile from Audrey's house.  One of only eight Baha'i temples in the world, it is a beautiful structure of ornamental concrete, with nine sides and surrounded by nine gardens, with a single dome (symbolizing the unity of all people and religions under God).  This Temple was dedicated in 1953 after more than 30 years of construction.  I was particularly interested to learn of the core principles of the Baha'i Faith, which offer a lesson for everyone, certainly relevant in 2017, and include:
Freedom from prejudice
Equality of women and men
Spiritual solution to economic problems
Commitment to education and the search for truth
Harmony of faith, reason, and science
Highest moral standards

Pima Canyon Hike

I woke up at 3 this morning during a rain storm.  The rain was coming down at over 2.5" per hour, but it didn't last too long.  We got 1.7" overnight.  It was 67 degrees outside when we got up, so Papa and I drove over to Pima Canyon for a hike.  What a beautiful morning!  The creek was running and with all the rain over the past six weeks, the Catalinas are covered in grass and wildflowers, along with plumped up saguaros and leafed out ocotillo.  We hiked about 3 miles and enjoyed every moment.  Spectacular!

  

Afternoon with our BGC Kids

Most of the kids at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson that we've worked with over the past five years are in college now.  We invited them for lunch yesterday and six were able to come.  They arrived at noon.  We had a simple lunch of sandwiches, chips, and fruit, with ice cream sundaes for dessert.  We sat at the table and talked for four straight hours, while everyone shared the details of their summers.  Alan did a month long study abroad program in Australia, Rudy went to Mexico for a month, Sergio worked and completed high school graduation requirements (a year early), David interned at a biomedical engineering firm and worked full time, Karla worked and went to Disneyland, and Destiny went to a UA Science Camp, interned in a doctor's office, and went on a trip to DC and NYC.  We're also proud of those that couldn't come yesterday for one reason or another.  Meybelyn has worked two jobs all summer - retail and restaurant, Gabi and Alex did internships in Maryland, Erika attended a weeklong science camp at Biosphere, and Tatiana shadowed doctors while on a trip in Cameroon.  All good stuff!  We are so proud of all of them!

The last ones left at 6 pm. Just after I put everything away, I looked out the window at this amazing "after" sunset.  A beautiful way to end the day!

Mexican Bird of Paradise

This Mexican Bird of Paradise is blooming in our front yard.  The yellows and oranges are bright and happy.  They make me smile every time I drive into the garage.

  

Cloud Buildup

I took this photo while standing in our backyard.  The clouds over the Santa Catalina Mountains were expanding straight up by the minute.  I love watching the clouds build up over the mountains during summer monsoon season.

Barrel Cactus

If it's August in southern Arizona, barrel cactus are blooming!  These blooms are in our garden.  Barrel cactus blooms are among my favorite, because the plant itself is so harsh, with long spines, some fishhooked.  The flowers are quite delicate and the blooms remind me of thinly folded velvet.  Just beautiful!

HF Coors Dinnerware

On the first Saturday of each month, the HF Coors Dinnerware manufacturing plant has a factory sale.  Papa and I went this morning and loved it!  They sell seconds and extras for 25 cents to $6.  We bought mugs and bowls, and spent $14.  What a find in Tucson!

HF Coors-Dinnerware Made in the USA was formed in California in 1925 by Herman Frederick Coors, son of the renowned Coors brewery founder, Adolf Coors.  Adolph Coors opened the Colorado Glass Works in 1887 to manufacture beer bottles for his brewery, the Adolph Coors Brewing company.  The Glass works was leased to German born ohn Herold in 1910, who incorporated the Herold China and Pottery Company on the brewery site in Golden, CO.  Herold used clay from nearby mines to make dinnerware and heat resistant porcelain ovenware under the trademark Herold Fireproof China.  Adolph Coors Company acquired Herold China in 1914 and the company began producing chemical porcelain in 1915 as a result of a World War I embargo on German imports.  Adoph Coors' second son, Herman F. Coors, was named manager in 1916.  Herold China was renamed Coors Porcelain Company in 1920, and the trademark "Coors U.S.A." was first used.  During Prohibition, the ceramic business was largely what kept the brewery afloat.  Herman left in 1925 to start the HF Coors China Company, to manufacture dishes for restaurants and institutional use, in Inglewood, CA.  HF Coors' assets were acquired by Catalina China of Tucson and moved from California to Tucson in 2003.  http://www.hfcoors.com/

Mission San Xavier del Bac

Papa and I stopped at San Xavier Mission yesterday on our way back from the San Rafael Valley. San Xavier was founded in 1692 by Father Kino, along a trail of other missions stretching from Mexico to San Francisco.  San Xavier is on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation, on the banks of the Santa Cruz River.  The first mission church was built around 1700 and the current mission church was built between 1783 and 1797.  San Xavier is still in active use. It is also known as the White Dove of the Desert.  I particularly love the view of the dome from the back of the church.

      

San Rafael Valley

Papa and I left home at 7 a.m. today to drive down to the San Rafael Valley.  We arrived at the overlook of the San Rafael Valley at 9 a.m.  Even under heavy skies, it was beautiful!  The San Rafael Valley is bounded by mountains on all sides, with the US/Mexico border running across it to the south, so that the most southern mountains are in Mexico.  The source of the Santa Cruz River is in the San Rafael Valley, which we discovered while trying to drive across.  The Santa Cruz River runs south into Mexico, then turns west, then north and flows past Tucson and into the Gila River near Casa Grande, or about 185 miles.  After a big rain yesterday and well over 7" of rain over the past month, the water was too high, so we turned around at that point.  The San Rafael Valley is known for its grassland and cattle ranches.  It is beautiful!  We'll go back on a clear day.