57 hikes with 22 friends so far

I stepped up my hiking pace this week now that we finally have crisp sunny weather. I got in three hikes at Catalina State Park. I'm up to 57 hikes with 22 different people since Dec. 20, aiming for 70 hikes by this Dec. 20 when I turn 71. With any luck I can do an extra one on my birthday!

Tuesday I hiked with Debbie, right, and her friend Anne who was visiting from Washington. We did the Nature Trail Loop and then checked out the Sutherland Wash to see how much water was still there from last weekend's flood.

Normally it's dry, but we watched two guys cross it and one stepped in a hole and got wet up to his knee. The rocks behind me were covered with water, judging from the way stream side plants were flattened.

Then I hiked with Barb on Wednesday for her birthday. We've hiked together 21 times since last December. Here we are on the 50 Year Trail, which we took to avoid having to cross water.

Today I hiked with Jan on the Bridle Trail, and she was the 22nd person to join me on my quest. It was pretty warm since we didn't go until afternoon, which is why I'm wearing the cooling scarf. It has some magic pods that soak up water and stay cold for hours. The Bridal Trail's scenery does not look like the desert!

Nearly all of the friends I've hiked with this past year are in their 70s, and think we can all identify with this. But we're still hiking and thriving!

 

Have a colorful day

Flooding in Tucson!

I was flying home from Spokane on Sunday when historic rainfall and flooding hit Tucson and the rest of Arizona. By the time I got home a little after midnight the storm itself was over but the water was still here.

On my way home from the airport, the road leading to my neighborhood was covered in mud and rocks, creating a bumpy homecoming.

This flooded road is just a couple of miles from my house. Tucson is full of dry washes -- this one is the Canyon del Oro Wash -- but during heavy rain the washes fill with rushing water and often flash floods.

The road leading into Catalina State Park where I hike was flooded, leaving mud 4 feet thick. The park had to close for two days to clear the road.

Monday morning I checked out my back yard. The rain gauge showed 4.6 inches!

I had a pond and my shade sail blew halfway down and draped over my table.

Tanque Verde Falls on the east side, where I've also hiked, was roaring. So was Niagara Falls, which was lighted in blue after election night's blue tsunami!

Here's the reason I was in Spokane: to trick or treat with little Juniper and her family. She was Abby from Sesame Street and she wanted her dad to be Big Bird and her mom to be Cookie Monster. I was also Cookie Monster. They live in a wonderful family neighborhood, and almost 30 neighbors gathered in her front yard to begin trick or treating together.

Today I went on my 56th hike since my last birthday. Barb and I did about 4 miles on the 50-Year Trail in Catalina State Park. I have 14 more hikes to go before my 71st birthday on Dec. 20!

Have a colorful day

Showy Goldeneye?

 

The stream banks in Catalina State Park were lined with mounds of golden flowers this past week. They look like little sunflowers, but as far as I could figure I think they're called Showy Goldeneye. If anyone knows otherwise, let me know!

They're cheerful and really brightened up a cloudy day.

I'm up to Hike 52 now in my plan to reach 70 by Dec. 20. I have to do a little over two a week from here on out because the extra long hot summer put me behind.

I also saw a few patches of Datura, also known as Sacred Datura, jimsonweed, thorn apple or devil's trumpet. It's highly toxic, is used by some indigenous people in ceremonies and Georgia O'Keeffe painted closeups of it.

We've been going back and forth between cloudy stormy days and sunshine, but we escaped the tornadoes and severe flooding that hit some parts of the Southwest this week.

Have a colorful day

A good day for a protest

These two signs at yesterday's No Kings protest in Oro Valley say exactly how I feel, which is why I've been joining the peaceful protests against Trump's assault on our country. Others campaign door to door or donate money to candidates, which is all great, but my niche is adding to the ranks of protesters to create a visual of how overwhelmingly we oppose what's going on. 

I have a friend who says protests don't make a difference, but I believe they do, especially with the huge No Kings turnouts that show how widespread and deep the opposition is. I hope they might give those sitting on the sidelines the push to vote out those who are assaulting our country. In addition, if everyone acts as though what we're going through is normal by not even discussing it, then these abnormal times will become normal and we'll have lost our democracy.

There were multiple large protests in the Tucson area and 3,000 nationwide. The one I attended drew hundreds of mostly middle-age and senior protesters along busy North Oracle Road. Thousands of drivers beeped in support and waved or gave thumbs up nonstop. I only saw three car passengers give us the finger, and one scowling lady stepped on the gas and raced into the turn lane too close to us, but otherwise it was all positive and peaceful.

I'm especially horrified with the Trump administration's treatment of immigrants -- and non-immigrant citizens.

My friend wore her vote t-shirt.

There were too many good signs to show them all, but here are a few that I totally agree with.

(Not all Republicans, but the ones in Congress who are letting the atrocities continue.)

VOTE

The flowering desert

 

My hikes after the summer monsoon have been a delight of colorful wildflowers sprinkled along the desert trails. Purple, orange, blue, yellow, red. These purple ones are morning glories, and they're everywhere. (The tree with the green bark is a palo verde, which means green stick, and it's a desert staple.)

My camera identified this orange wildflower as an Arizona poppy, or Kallstroemia grandiflora, and said it's a desert herb that often appears after the summer monsoon.

The purple aster and red Cardinal Climber added more bright zings of color.

Most of the flowers are small, less than an inch in diameter. I love how they crop up in between rocks to brighten the landscape.

And it's not just wildflowers that are glowing. There are shimmering tree leaves ...

... grasses

... and the magnificent saguaros of the Sonoran Desert that can keep watch for hundreds of years.

Closeup of a saguaro. That's my favorite green!

I do love the little wildflowers, but the majestic views of the Catalina Mountains and big horizons are still my favorite.

And water! Water in the desert! I crossed about four streams yesterday on the Canyon Loop Trail and it was wonderful.

Have a colorful day