Titan Missile Museum

My daughter Krista is having her 37th birthday. I never thought that the time would pass but it did so quickly. I am proud of her and the family her and Luke have. But mostly I glad to have been her mom and watch her life unfold. Happy birthday Krista!

We decided to get the Tucson Passport and do some sightseeing since the doctor said  no to bike riding or hiking for the next week after I had a skin graft on my face for skin cancer. I am thankful that Mike is there and has my back even when I get a little emotional. I am usually tough but three procedures and needles in my face made me a bit teary.

The people in our tour group were so nice to me with my patchwork face. A couple of people showed me where they had Moh's surgery and you couldn't even tell. Maybe I will start wearing bandages at work so people will be nice, if that is all it takes.

One of the engineers that designed the control panel was in our tour group and told about the sleepless nights he had while working on the panel. They wanted to prevent any potential misuse of the missile and tried to go over every scenario they could think of.

The world has changed so much in the past 50 years. It is good to know that these missiles were deterrents and never used.

The suits worn to fuel the missiles and maintenance.

6000 pound door that was so well balanced even I could move it.

Mike was hungry for a green chili burger in Tubac. We had to pass the Border Patrol station on the way south.

That is one funky kokopelli.

They actually had tastings for chocolate, caramels and honey.

This is a different way to spend our days since I am not working for a while now. We are used to getting  up and going hiking or biking in the mornings.  This is working out just fine.

Javelinas in the night and Tumamoc Hill

Last night I woke Mike because I heard shuffling noises outside and thought someone might be stealing our bikes again. When he opened the door, the javelinas scrambled. but returned a couple of hours later. It was quite a sight with him chasing them in his Jockeys and a flashlight.

In the morning, since the sky was  overcast, it seemed like a good day to tackle Tumamoc Hill.  This is a great hike up a well paved  very steep hill with fantastic city views. This hike is on university property . Tumamoc Hill is a research station that has been studied since 1906. Travel is permitted all the way to the top but on pavement only.

The Hill got its name from its resemblance to a giant horned lizard basking in the desert. Sunday morning looked like a pilgrimage was taking place with many people on the 1.5 mile trail each way that gets pretty steep the higher you get. Just when you are breathing hard and heart pumping, the views suck you in.

The top of the hill is home to many radio, television, and public safety transmitters, as well as a research and education facility.

 Tumamoc Hill was a home to the ancient Hohokam people

The U of A maintains a small astronomical observatory with a 20-inch (510 mm) telescope on the hill.

 

Doubting Mariposa Lily

The early morning crowds thinned out as we were on our way back down since we got a late start. I would like to do that one again.

St Andrew's Children's Clinic, Nogales, AZ

For 42 years, St. Andrew’s Children’s Clinic has provided free, specialized medical care to children living in Mexico who cannot get the care or afford the care they need in their home country. The Clinic is held at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Nogales, Arizona.

 

St. Andrew’s Children’s Clinic, a non-denominational, non-profit organization, with a volunteer professional health care staff. The staff sees approximately 225-250 children the first Thursday of each month except July. Every October, in cooperation with Children's Surgery International and CIMA Hospital, approximately 40-45 children have cleft palate/cleft lip surgery in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. This special mission involves volunteers on both sides of the US-Mexico border who work with the medical team to give patients smiles and a much better life.

http://www.standrewsclinic.org/

We had hoped to volunteer and tour the clinic March 3rd but had to cancel due to my own little  surgery. The volunteers help with snacks and making lunch for the children and families along with working in the clinic. We were disappointed to miss this day.

Clinic Day begins at the Border between Mexico and the U.S. All patients and families cross legally. Immigration officials donate their own time to come early to process our patients, and they greatly appreciate this. Patients and families without visas are given a one-day pass to visit The Clinic.

 

 Lines start forming at the Church around 7:00 a.m. Some patients come by private auto, but most come to the Border by bus. They are picked up at the Border by a van or school bus rented by The Clinic. Doctors start seeing patients around 9:00 a.m.

 

Because many families have been waiting a long time without food or drink, The Clinic volunteers serve a break of snacks and coffee, lemonade, or hot cocoa around 9:00 a.m.

 

 

We will be here a few more weeks so the doctor can finish her handy work with a skin graft. Then we can be on our way. We have had to stay put a bit longer than we like but sometimes a person has to do the right thing.

Red hook Cactus fruit. I haven't tried it but hear it is eatable. That has nothing to do with the rest of my stories. I just thought they looked kind of cool.

 



Buffel grass in the Sonoran Desert

 I work contracts as a traveling critical care nurse 6 months of the year to keep my skills current and help with our travel expenses. Though Banner Healthcare, I can work a contract full time or registry ICU float and schedule at least 4 shifts a month with the ability to take off those 6 months before returning.

 

After finishing a 13 week contract in Mesa, I wanted to try out Tucson and agreed to an 8 week contract at University Medical Center, a teaching hospital for the University of Arizona. On the last day of two weeks of orientation, I got a call from my dermatologist to say I had skin cancer on my nose and needed surgery. I scheduled it for the next week and called my manager. Looks like I will have a week off and return for the last four.

 

I wonder where I can get one of those nose shields Kid Shelleen wore after his nose was bitten off  in the movie from 1965  "Cat Ballou".  Anyone remember that one?

 

I have always been good about wearing sunscreen and a hat but fell short of reapplying every two hours.

 

 

While on the trails, we met a man that stopped to talk. He was telling us a story about a woman he called Buffel lady. She takes her dogs for a walk up the hill and is trying to eradicate the buffel grass all by herself.  I had to know more about the buffel grass

 

Actually, many people here are trying to control the buffel grass that was introduced from Africa by ranchers for grazing. It is hardy and has spread though out the Sonoran Desert. It looks like straw in the summer and causes wildfires that endangers the saguaros and other cacti that only grow in this region.

Fairy Dusters

Little globemallows blooming in the morning 

How do javelinas eat these prickly pears?

 A new section of the Loop bike path on the northern section. We rode from I 10 at Camino del Cerro to Oro Valley. It is 12 feet wide and smooth as can be.



Light rail and rising moon

Public transportation has always been a good way for us to find our way around. It beats driving and trying to find a parking place and which way to go to get to who knows where. Tucson invested in its light rail two years ago with grants and has been such a success that they plan to expand.

The area around the university has some great parks. We have found that college students know good places for food and beer. They definitely have plenty here.

We stopped in for lunch and should have shared our order.

Two nights of beautiful moon risings while we were house sitting.

Such a beautiful place to housesit and watch a sweet dog, but it was nice to get back to our little casa after trying out the mountain biking in Sweetwater Preserve just around the corner. We did come home with each of us having a flat. Mike's  inner tube was totally blown out. I don't know what he hit. We were just glad we made it back before it blew.

Yes, you have to walk back up here after you get done cooking.

Road and mountain biking in Tucson

Pima County has more that 100 miles of bike trails and lanes. A huge effort has been made to get grants to pay for them. We have met several cyclist from Canada and the US that return to Tucson every year to ride them. 

Since we had ended our last long bike ride at Julian Wash, why not start there and see where we ended up.

 The clouds were appreciated since it has been so warm here in Tucson this winter.

 After riding 18 miles, we ended up at Saguaro National Park on the east which has an eight mile loop with a few kickers to keep you awake. Then we headed a different way back to where we started.

Love these smooth paths. Some are chip seal but this was smooth as ice.

The bike path has all sorts of interesting art along the way.

We found the mountain biking area that we had heard about along the path and decided to return the next day.

Looking at this trail map, we thought no problem. It looked like each loop came back to the middle. Boy, were we wrong. We know better than heading out without a map or GPS in a new area. Many of the trails did not have directions posted and we found ourselves going the wrong way a few times. Good thing is was a Saturday with a few people there to set us straight.

I was glad to see these chairs which meant we were almost back to the truck.

My new bike handled the washes and dips so much better without jolting my head. Sometimes on my old bike, I would feel like I was going to knock a tooth out. I guess I should have listened to Mike and gotten a new mountain bike sooner. Looks like I might be as hard headed as he is.

Many of the flowers are blooming and we look forward to seeing the cactus in bloom before we leave in April.

The Mercado is a public market a couple of blocks off the Santa Cruz bike path and there is a constant flow of cyclists stopping here. The line to Seis where we decided to have tacos was a constant 8-10 people long. It was fun to watch the kids play in the middle and flow of cyclist visiting while they ate something from one of the shops.

Tucson is such a dichotomy in so many aspects as you go from one section, street or building. It keeps things interesting.