Morning fog in Sabino Canyon after a night of heavy rain.This fog bank is soon to overtake us as we watched it move from the creek up the side of the canyon.We read that Sabino Creek was dry for 154 days – very unusual for the winter months. I am very happy to see it full of water this morning. This is the only photo in this posting taken with the phone.Eight of the Nine dam/bridges had water on them. We have spent many hours clearing these bridges of vegetation and debris.These stonework wonders are interesting engineering as they are designed for the high waters to flow over, but to act as dams by creating recreation pools during lower water levels.The up stream side of a bridge has a quiet reflecting pond, even while the water is pouring over on the other side of the road.The water had bubbles and was dark with tannins like an exquisite root-beer.We checked out Anderson Dam area for trash…we did find some floating debris but mainly just enjoyed the beauty of the waterfall.Gneiss!We also pulled some of the grasses and weeds from the 3.7 island we had planted earlier in the season. So much easier to pull from wet soil!It seemed like a good day to improve this little corner of the park. We shoveled out the base of the sign, moved some cobblestones and placed on the slope, backfilled with dirt and will wait for the rain to push the dirt between the rocks and clean things up. We will check on it next weekend…
We drove to Phoenix to be with these wonderful people! My aunt and uncle have another seasonal rental in Sun City. We coordinated our visit to also be with Mom.We met J & J who were camped at White Tanks for an outing.The ladies all looking good in turquoise or is that teal sky!And the guys in khaki…not like we coordinated our hiking outfits.We enjoyed a picnic lunch after the walk to the waterfall. Photos from previous walk http://tealsky.com/2016/01/09/white-tank-mts-phoenix-area/A joint birthday celebration!And a very nice dinner out at Firebirds. We each had something different!We ended our time together with lunch at the Arizona Biltmore, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.The red flowers enhance the composition.As does the palm tree with the roof line.An entry canopy.We did not swim in this lovely pool but we did enjoy the rec centers in Sun City – the tennis, pool and hot tub.The Sprites….there are some of these in Dow Gardens in Midland. There were 6 here guarding the grounds.Stained glass window in lobby is classic FLW.We had lunch on the outdoor patio next to the waterfall, not this private room.The indoor portion of the restaurant.Until we meet up again, we will have the memories of this time together in Arizona.
We are doing maintenance in the parking areas and pullouts on the Catalina Highway. With all the cigarette butts, we are amazed there is not a fire every day. Smokey Bear must be watching over us.Lots of cyclists working hard for 23 mile climb to enjoy the tuck back down to Tucson. A Sky Island is an isolated Eco system: this is the equivalent of going from Mexico to Canada with the change in plants as the elevation increases.Gorgeous scenery along the way. Photos from a non-working day http://tealsky.com/2014/12/22/mt-lemmon-daytrippers/Picnic lunch at Rose Canyon Reservoir to appreciate the scenery.Complete with ducks begging for scraps.Taking in the view south from Windy Vista with the road winding its way back to the valley.Sabino Creek starts on Mt Lemmon. Sabino Canyon National Rec Area is at the base of the mountain – contiguous with the Santa Catalina National Forest for hiking but you have to drive through part of Tucson to get to it by car.It is great to see other people out enjoying this beautiful day!
We deserve a bit of a break after raking the picnic areas and cleaning out the grilles. Great placement of this table!
We realized doors were not insulated, so we carefully removed cover panels on the back doors and sliding door.We lined the cavities with 2″ thick batt insulation. We are happy with the results as it seems to cut down on cold air drafts as well as hot air infiltration.We used a total 7 rolls of 16″ x 48″ unfaced fiberglass, purchased at the local Home Depot.This is the lower portion of the sliding door. We also used some Great Stuff “Big Gap Filler” insulating foam sealant on the top and bottom 8″ of the sliding door for more efficient seal.This is the back passenger door before insulation. There is option for a storage compartment but we wanted the insulation.This is back driver side door which also shows an option for additional storage.
