Jeeping with Friends, Happy Hour, Days Get Hotter Still

It was around 7 when I got up on Monday, Jan. 29^th and made my tea. Half hour later Bill joined me for his coffee. Clemson brought up the rear about 10 minutes after that. I read a few blog posts from yesterday that I missed last night and we grabbed a bite to eat. Bill had cereal, I had a clementine and some yogourt. With a bottle of water and a snack bar each we joined Tom and Deb around 8:30.

We were offered a jeep ride today on our choice of trails. 

This was a fun trek and rather than try and name where we went I will sum it up by saying that Tom took us to the Crystal Hill, Scott Well and the MST & T Tower Areas off Pipeline Road. Time sure flies when we’re enjoying ourselves. We stopped many times to take pictures, thank you Tom, and saw some beautiful views. I’m going to let my pictures speak so you can see how our 4 ½ hours played out.

Perhaps Tom should slow down, EH?
4 mph!!

We saw so many Teddy Bear Cholla

Up close and personal

And actually some green ocotillo
Deb's favourite

Beautiful mountain ranges, love the colours

some little caves

some interesting rocks

some windmills

some interesting tent campsites

played with the saguaros
see the baby?

Looks like a night shot
but it was late morning

Tough walking if you dared

The inner workings of a saguaro
Now I truly understand how water makes them swell
It is like a sponge inside

Teddy Bear Cholla Reunion

the flowers reminded us of buttercups

We met Tom and Deb's cactus friend from their previous journey

When we got back at 1 pm Deb and Tom pulled their coach out to get in line to dump and get a water fill up. Bill downloaded his many pictures and I sat outside with my book. That sun was beating down and if not for the wind, it would be an extremely hot day. As it was, it was hovering around 79F/24C. I actually turned my chair away from the sun and Bill put the awning out and the sunshade.

Happy Hour photo
Tom, Patsy, Deb, Len, Brenda, Suzie, George
(thanks Bill for taking it today)

Around 2:30 I could hear Bill inside sawing logs while counting sheep so I took a short walk down towards the Magic Circle. I’m sure those folks will appreciate the heat today and I hope they use sunscreen! It was our turn to host Happy Hour so I placed our chairs against the Suite so we could all fit in the semi-shade.

Clemson was loving Len's massage

George and Suzie came over first and we caught up for 15 minutes when we were surprised to see Len and Brenda walk around the corner. Tom and Deb weren’t too long after that, returning their Stinger “B” to its site and walking over. Today’s conversation was about disposable gloves, Gem World, solar and burgers. I tell you, we covered a variety of conversations, sometimes many people talking at once!

Clemson settles on Suzie for a while

We said goodbye to our ‘visitors’ around 5:15 and Bill lit the Weber for grilling. 

Tonight, he had a pork chop and I had a boneless chicken breast and we both had a salad. We grilled up an extra chicken breast so I would be able to make another pot of soup in the next day or two. Supper was good and filling.

We cleaned up dishes together and sat at our laptops to download pictures from today’s adventure. This has been a fun day, different than any other we’ve had. 

Pink mountains to the east tonight

Thanks Deb and Tom for taking us out on the trails today.

Deb and me

Tom and Deb

Not much fanfare, but a pretty sunset

Thanks everyone for reading today. If you wish to leave a comment, I would enjoy reading it.