We hiked about three miles in Ventana Canyon yesterday morning. It was our first time hiking there and we found it a bit rough, with a narrow trail, and spectacular narrow mountain scenery. Lauren and Taylor had fun rock climbing and jumping rock to rock in the dry creek.
We visited Cocoraque Butte yesterday. It is located on Ironwood Forest National Monument. The road is rough dirt the last 10 miles, and we were the only visitors. Cocoraque Butte is known for it’s hundreds of petroglyphs, “from the millennium of the Hohokam period, ca AD 450 to 1450. They are considered sacred representations of spiritual presence embedded in the terrain of the O’odham cultural landscape.” Cocoraque Butte is also known for it’s “bell rocks.” We took two wooden mallets and Lauren and Taylor tapped on rocks until they found lots of “bell rocks.” Each of the bell rocks played a different but distinct tone. Amazing! We climbed over the hills of rocks for a couple of hours, watching every step we took, as there was broken pottery laying all over the ground. So much to take in and it was a beautiful day!
We had our traditional Christmas Eve hors d’voeuvres, with veggies and two dips, bacon wrapped dates, tray of nuts, a platter of fresh fruit and chocolate fondue. It was delicious! We remembered Christmases of 35-40 years ago, with little ones standing in their chairs while dipping into the same fondue pot.
Lauren decorated for days, making paper garlands that she draped around the house and on the tree. Lauren and Taylor made a gingerbread house, thanks to a gift from Aunt Claire. All was festive! We opened gifts with Audrey’s family on Christmas Day, had brunch with eggs, toast, and fruit, and the girls played with their new things. Christmas dinner was traditional, with honey baked ham, sweet potato casserole (AIP compliant), Moroccan Salad, apple pie, and peanut butter kiss cookies. We ate at the dining table, with the centerpiece created mostly by Lauren and Taylor - a forest of hand crafted trees. Claire’s family gifted Audrey’s family a puzzle, and we worked on it for a few hours. We had a family Zoom call at 7 p.m., with all four of our children and their families joining us. Loved it!
We hiked in Pima Canyon again on the 26th, worked on the puzzle, and walked to the nearest playground for Lauren and Taylor to use up some of their sugar high. We stopped for gelato at La Encantada on the way home, thanks to gift certificates for the girls from Brenda and Newton. They enjoyed cups of peppermint and stracciatella gelato. We came back to the puzzle and completed it! We’re having a good time!
We met Claire’s family at Picacho Peak at 10:45 this morning. The kids were happy to see each other and led the way on our hike up the side of the mountain. We had a picnic lunch, then more hiking. Papa and I loved spending time with two of our daughters (plus one hubby) and their four kids! Rare and a real treat!
Audrey, Lauren, Taylor and I hiked over 4 miles in Pima Canyon on Monday. It was a clear, warm day, perfect for hiking. Lauren and Taylor’s favorite spot was a large smooth rock that they climbed up and slid down over and over. We had a good time!
Just after lunch yesterday, we drove downtown for a walk, to see murals. There are over 1000 murals in downtown Tucson, so we saw only a fraction, but each one was unique and colorful, all with a message. Along the way, we saw Santa on a second floor balcony, blowing out bubble snowflakes, with helpers giving away peppermint ice cream. Lauren and Taylor had a great time!
We hiked in Catalina State Park yesterday, beginning our hike north of the entrance and bushwhacking our way for about a mile and a half, to Baby Jesus Ridge, with over 3400 petroglyphs. We didn’t find them all, but we saw lots, along with various grind holes, and spectacular views. The petroglyphs on Baby Jesus Ridge were done during the years the Hohokam lived in the area, 400-1400 AD. It was a beautiful day to hike.
Over the past few days, we’ve been busy. We painted rocks, folded trees from books and spray painted them, went on walks in the neighborhood and along the Rillito River. Audrey and the girls got their hair trimmed. Lauren and Taylor went horseback riding. The weather has been extraordinary, so we’ve spent most of our days outside, with the girls building fires in the fire pit and making s’mores. All fun!
We took a picnic and set off before by 10:30 on Monday. We had a picnic at Gates Pass, then drove up the road to King Canyon, where we hiked up to the petroglyphs and back down. It was a beautiful day and the petroglyphs are always fascinating!
