MORE DESERT SURPRISES

My, how time flies when you’re having fun, or something.  Here it is another week between blog postings.  There just aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish what I set out to do.  I rode Monday with the ATV club and Tuesday with 85 year old Blue this week.  Both were good rides.

Last Saturday night we went to the Florence Gardens dance from 7-10 (us old people can’t stay out too late).   Saguaro Sunset Band was playing and they are quite good.  We danced over half the dances.  I even had Aileen up for a polka.   We sat with Bill from Langley (came from Ireland 41 years ago) and Bill from Penticton.  Also Vince from Washington.  Aileen got to sit in amongst their wives. There was a good turnout which was good to see and lots of them were up dancing.

We’re having a couple’s ride again tomorrow with the same friends we took out the past couple of weeks.   Jacquie and Jim have made it south but will be staying over in the western part of Arizona at least until late January.  We may be spending the Christmas season with them over there.  No firm plans as yet-surprise! 

Aileen attended the Celiac Support meeting Monday afternoon.  They share ideas, recipes and thoughts on eating out and she learns a lot.  I spent a couple different part days helping our neighbours with their new printer setup then getting their internet back up and running after it being turned off for the summer.  

Aileen has been working on Christmas cards and tonight she finished up the ones printed.  She has done more on Mom’s diary too.   I’ve been taking lots of photos but will try to not include too many.   The desert continues to surprise us with out of season blooms.  I guess since there was a very heavy rain followed by a period of very warm weather, some of the plants have decided it is a good time to bloom.

We were riding east of the Gila River the other day and I just had to pull over to take this shot

This rock above our lunch spot reminded some of us of Roy Roger's horse Trigger

Here's Sue holding up Aubrey's ATV

I took another Red Tailed Hawk's photo

Looking way down on Monday's lunch group

Three of our major landmarks.  From l to r, North Butte, Grayback Mtn and South Butte.  The Gila River runs between the two buttes as does the Copper Basin Railroad.

South Butte aka The Sleeping Lion

A Buckhorn Cholla bloom.  We've never seen these as they always bloom after we have headed north in the spring.

Some type of beetle that seemed to be hatching or morphing or something.  Since identified by my son as a Large Milkweed Beetle.  If  you go to the comments, Richard has provided a link which is interesting reading.

Climbing Milkweed which again I had never seen in bloom.