The world is green again

 

When we were last in contact, we were on a little vacation in the White Mountains. Our thanks to Becky and Tracy for watching over Mom Virginia while we were gone. 

We packed a lot into the week and had a wonderful time. Sam's back was feeling better after his procedures, so we hiked 8 miles through the forest!

Near the beginning, we had an encounter with Big Foot. He and his housemate were surprisingly friendly!

But our favorite part was the quiet, peaceful walk through the woods. It was very fulfilling to be out in nature again. 

Another day, we browsed through thrift and antique shops, and were captured by these innovative yard sale signs. They were also prophetic, as we found some interesting items. And put them in our trunk!

Sam enjoyed planning and preparing several special dinners. And I enjoyed eating them with him. I think this was steak and potatoes. He also did a seafood medley. 

On the subject of eating, one day we drove east to Springerville and on to Pie Town, New Mexico, which Sam had seen on a TV show. We found very large and unusual portions of pie, unusual structures, a gift shop and a friendly resident cat.

We pushed on east to the middle of nowhere New Mexico and the Very Large Array. It's a radio telescope facility with 27 giant dish antennas pointed into space. It is featured in several movies from the 1990's, such as Contact and Independence Day. Sam has learned a lot about it, and although we couldn't get close, it was an amazing sight. More here: Very Large Array

On the way back to Show Low, we pulled off on a forest service road to explore some interesting cliffs and peaks. A small sign said Sawtooth Mountains.

At first we weren't sure if we were on the right road, but the sun came out, making things pretty. 

We passed this interesting formation. 

Then the valley opened up and the rock faces were spectacular. What a fun find! And we didn't see another soul on this whole side trip.

Unless you count the "Cows in Black" road blockade on the return trip to the highway. They looked a little intimidating, but eventually let us by.

Another highlight was at Sunrise Park Resort, a place with many good memories of snow skiing in my earlier single days. This time, thanks to the encouragement of Sam and my sister, Becky, I took a ride on the longest zipline in Arizona, nearly one-half mile!

I'm the one coming in slower (not the experienced Apache guide who pulled herself in with her own strength). It was exciting and scenic, scary and amazing and a real rush! I would do it again in a heartbeat. Want to come with me? We could make a quick trip next weekend!

Back at the ranch, Sam spent much of his summer break buffing, polishing and restoring paint on vintage and other special vehicles, such as this 1965 Porsche 356C. 

Also several Volkswagen bugs, an RV and a Mercedes. And I've probably left a few out. He worked hard and does a great job.

He also worked on installing several more new appliances for Mom Virginia. Obviously, she was not thrilled to have a large refrigerator in her living room, but she likes it now.

For the past 2 or 3 years, southern Arizona has been in a drought. But this year, God sent the rain!

Rain!

More rain!

And the desert blooms again. 

The tarantulas come out (2 or 3 in our yard; we love seeing them).

And the garden goes wild! Sam's automatic watering and fertilizer system helps a lot, too.

Asparagus beans, jalapenos, other peppers, and tomatoes. Actual harvest is only a few per day, but it adds up.

I may have to learn how to can vegetables soon.

Look at our pretty new okra this year! The fruits are dark red, too, and we are enjoying the developing color. 

Frankie and Dingus approve. They want to "help" every day. 

Sam goes out at night with his blacklight and has found 20 or 30 horn worms on the tomato plants. He's in charge of finding all pests.

So that's about it. I'll leave you with some views of how the rain has changed the desert this year. 

This is all right around Mom's house and our trailer. Of course, the biggest impact is the increase in our groundwater. The flowering plants won't last forever. This is a desert, after all. But the water underground will be replenished, and we are thankful for that.

Have a great rest of the summer, everyone. 

P.S. Did I mention our resident gopher snake? A week ago I was walking by the vintage trailer we got from a neighbor (and which I haven't cleaned out yet since it's been too hot). I heard thumping coming from inside, like a bird hitting the window or something. Instead, this is what I found. Normally, he would slither away, but the thumps continued. I'm thinking he got ahold of lunch--a rat or mouse or large lizard--and wasn't about to let go! When I went back an hour later, it was quiet and all I saw was a small gopher snake head peeking around this same corner. We love having him as a neighbor!