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I'm a couple of days behind, but.. no one cares. Today I'm still SORE from the hike that I took along with 5 other hardy souls from Far Horizons. We went to the top of Picacho Peak! Compared to last year, I did great this year. While it was challenging and downright difficult in places, I made it without any "I can't do this." I didn't need any butt-boosting. :)
Here's a photo of the whole mountain from a distance. My first photo, looking up at the mountain, doesn't make it look too impressive. I think it's the angle.
The hike was beautiful, with many wildflowers along the way. There were big, black, red-eyed flying insects mating along sections of the path. Like a goof, I didn't take any photos of these insects, and I can't find one on the net.
I did take a few photos, and one was a panorama from the peak. Notice the curvature of the earth!
Here's one of me at the peak:
And some more taken at the peak. The first one is zoomed, and I am pointing out my car, far, far below:
Here are some of our group, as we were just getting started. This is Jack, Dwayne, Pete, Herb, and Dawn:
The hike is nearly 1800 feet of up, with some sections that are so steep that hikers have to do a sort of "batman climb," holding cables as we scale the rocks. There are 13 sections of cables on the Hunter's Trail, which is the one we did this year.
My color today is Sonoita Gold. That's the gold color that I have in my living room here, and also the color of lots of the foliage around Sonoita. We went through that region on our way down to Patagonia.
Rob and Ione drove me and the Millers down (and back) in their van. We stopped at the Stage Stop Inn and got checked in before heading down south to the wineries. We went to two of them -- Elgin and .. Urgh I am not remembering. I bought wine at the 2nd place, and a T-shirt at the first.
We went back to the hotel, and had snacks on the patio near the (closed) pool. Then I went up and lay on the bed and turned on the TV. Next thing I knew, Al was at the door, telling me that the Tres Amigos (3 of our friends here) were about to start playing down in the bar! I'd slept through dinner.
The boys were great, entertaining not just those of us from Far Horizons, but all the other people in the bar. I drank too much, but had a wonderful time, did nothing that I regret, and made it to my room by myself! LOL!
Breakfast ydy was at a place called the Gathering Grounds, a coffee shop that also made eggs and the like. I enjoyed a croissant with eggs, cheese, and bacon.
Then we gathered for the drive to Patagonia Lake State Park, where we had booked a morning boat ride! The guide was very good, showing us all the various birds in and around the lake. I got a few photos:
Cormorant:
Great Blue Heron:
Osprey:
A coot. I loved the pattern his swimming made in the water:
After the boat ride, we enjoyed hamburgers and brats on the grill at the park. Chips, salads, fruits and veggies complemented the meal. (I wish I'd gotten pix of these gatherings!)
On the way home, we stopped to get a photo of this interesting silhouette sculpture. I pointed my camera around and got a few photos of the landscape there:
Saturday night, I went with Rob, Ione, Harold, and Bill to Javalina's -- a little coffee house down on Valencia, between Houghton and Kolb. We went there to see None Too Soon, a local Tucson folksy music band. Their original music is funny, poignant, thought-provoking, and sing-along fun. They remind me a bit of Peter Paul and Mary blended with Simon and Garfunkel, with a huge portion of irreverent humor ladled over the top.
I've seen them 3 or 4 times now and loved them every time. This time, I came to my senses and bought their CD so I can listen to them all the way back home. There's an article about them with a photo HERE. I'll see if I can find a song sample for you online or get permission to post a song here!
...Sky! Yes, another beautiful day in Paradise! Today was a loafing day for me. I began the day with my walk in the Pantano River Park. I took Maddy back, and headed off to Sunflower Market, where I got a blueberry muffin -- breakfast!
I played around with email and MySpace for most of the morning, accomplishing nothing, but that was okay. I don't have to accomplish things everyday.
This afternoon, I went to the pool, talking with Donna, Pete, Gary, and some other people. :) After changing clothes, I talked with Ione about Foto Fun and our plans for next season.
Dinner was Hawaiian pizza from CPK -- frozen. Well.. I did bake it!
Yes, Robert, you're right that I didn't say anything about seeing my brother. But I didn't know that you were going to be in Indiana! :P
And some more taken at the peak. The first one is zoomed, and I am pointing out my car, far, far below:
