Diving into fall

YAY, the weather has finally started cooling off enough for some outdoor activities, like hiking with the Shady Ladies, neighborhood walks and outdoor concerts -- all this past week.

Three of the Shady Ladies met up last week to hike at Catalina State Park, our favorite destination. Our hiking muscles went soft over the summer, but we surprised ourselves by being able to get up the long ascent at the beginning of the Canyon Loop Trail without having to stop!

Because of all the monsoon rain, the streams in Catalina were running. This dog was standing in a cool pool looking so content.

The record rainfall also made the saguaros happy. They were bright green and plump, looking so healthy. This was especially nice to see after the big fire of 2020 that left them scorched and shriveled.

Wildflowers also were abundant.

The morning after our hike, I set out to walk in my neighborhood and found myself surrounded by serious runners! It was a triathlon, and I sure felt out of place.

I don't know why there are summer outdoor concert series in Tucson when the temps are over 100, but we caught the final concerts of two series over the weekend and the weather was beautifully balmy.

Saturday night was Rene Taylor at Catalina State Park. Her smoky, jazzy voice took us through sunset and into a starry night with tunes going back to the 1920s. Great singer and fun concert.

Then last night, we caught the final night of the Tucson Pops at Reid Park. It was actually rescheduled from earlier in the summer when it was rained out. This one started after dark, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. We passed around food and sang along and had another great evening.

I'm so looking forward to more outdoor fun now that we've turned the corner on the heat!!!

 Have a colorful day