Cool day, cool park

The weekend weather here in the desert has been unusual.   Yes, its been nice and warm, but we've had more cloud cover than I remember having during these winter days.   I'm not complaining, just commenting really.    Grey days seem to sap our energy.   We've not done much of anything this weekend except having a nice long lunch with Dave's cousin, Kathi and her husband Jeff.    And spending most of Sunday watching the NASCAR race and, sob, the last episode of Downton Abbey.

Today it was time to get out and go somewhere so we packed a lunch and headed up route 87 to Payson.   Why Payson?   Why not...we have never been through that area and we had an old cowgirl acquaintance who loved it there so that was reason enough for us.

We enjoyed the drive through wild flower filled valleys and up, around and down mountain sides.

forests of Saguaro with their feet in yellow brittle bush.

On the beginning of the drive we saw forests of Saguaro's marching along the roadside and up the mountain grades.    As we got higher in elevation mesquite and pinon pine replace the cactus giants.

When we drove into Payson we realized that spring was just beginning there at 5,000 feet.   Flowering trees and daffodils were everywhere.

We found a local park with a small lake for a lunch stop and enjoyed watching the waterfowl and the people walking the paths while we ate.

Mr. Wigeon I presume?

mixed marriage

mixed marriage part 2

a little pied billed grebe

After lunch we decided to drive just a bit further north to see what Tonto Natural Bridge State Park had to offer.

Wow, were we pleasantly surprised!   The small park is about 3 or 4 miles off 87 and accessed by a narrow road with 14% grade down to a  cleared area with an old house used as a gift shop, entry station for the park.    We payed our fee and parked in the large parking lot, not really knowing what to expect.    It was fairly late in the afternoon and the park closes at 4:30 so we opted to just hike to the 4 viewing areas.   One section of the first path had animal prints dried into the pavement.

Tree and grass roots along with long strands of moss hanging over the top of the arch were dripping with water, making for a tiny waterfall.

The arch is said to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world.  As we approached  a strong cold wind was blowing up from below.   We could barely stand along its edge.   We were glad we thought to bring sweatshirts along.

 The high walls of the canyon above Pine creek were fantastic in their detail.   We felt we were looking at open air caves!

pine creek below the back of the bridge

The trails were short but very steep, next time around we'll bring our hiking sticks and tackle them earlier in the day.   What a cool place this was.   I'm so glad we stopped there, even if it was on a lark!

The skies were dramatic tonight.  The grey cloud cover began to break up, providing us with a bit of rainbow over the mountain and a black and white sunset in the west.

a short walk down memory lane

We got up early and skipped breakfast this morning.   Not something we enjoy doing, but we had an appointment for our annual fasting blood tests.    A nice big breakfast out was on the schedule for after the testing...we thought.

The waiting period at the lab was longer than we anticipated and we weren't out and ready to eat until 11!!!   Our plan was to have breakfast and then do the Desert Botanical Gardens.    Best laid plans.

Instead we headed into old Scottsdale and lunch at the hotel we stayed at the very first night we arrived in Phoenix/Scottsdale some 45 years ago.    I remember it was a really great little hotel beside the Arizona Canal.

The Valley Ho was built in 1956 by architect Edward Varney, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright.    It changed hands a few times through the years, fell on some hard times but has been restored and rejuvenated, reopening in 2005.

Dave walks through glass doors from the outside portico to the lobby
inside the outdoor lobby.....its quite a place!

We sat outside and enjoyed a lovely lunch at their retro and very cool restaurant, ZuZu.

Inside is outside, indoor benches and seating seem to move through windows and continue outside.

It went downhill from there.    We wanted to drive around Scottsdale and see how places we'd enjoyed in the "beginning" had changed.   What we ended up doing was driving in lots of traffic through areas that were completely unrecognizable to us.   My, my, how Scottsdale has grown in these past years.
Too many people, too much traffic, too much!

After a quick stop at the Orange Patch for some fresh orange blossom honey, we headed back to the peace and quiet of home.    I had a headache and all I wanted was to take a nap....white wine with lunch is not a good thing I think.....or was it the traffic, or the heavy orange blossom fragrance in the air?

one foot down

Another desert lake

Pam and John moved to Pleasant Lake Regional Park from Tucson earlier this week.    Happy with their wonderful site, they invited us (all of us) up to spend the day relaxing by the lake.    

Pam and Lewis are inside while John Dave and Sasha relax in the shade

We looked forward to seeing them again and doing so in such a beautiful setting was icing on the cake.

they whisper sweet nothings.....

Lewis was overjoyed to see Gramma Pamma again.  

they hug

It amused John to watch his wife of many years succumb to the charms of a curly haired Frenchman.

Pam prepared a gourmet repast and provided a restful view.   She even made chocolate cake topped with an unusual and fantastically good "chocolate frosting".   The best!

After our meal Dave took the dogs for a walk along a short trail leading to a small Hohokam lookout above the lake.

The day passed too quickly and it was time to face the traffic and head home.

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the ride home.

Tuesday auto hike

We packed lunch and set off to follow the Salt River to Canyon and Apache Lakes.

Here are some pictures of what we saw and did today....nothing earth shaking but a pleasant lunch by the water and a drive into the mountains.

Canyon Lake from above

we chose a spot beside the lake for lunch

a black phoebe enjoyed its lunch next to us

the desert is blooming

we left the jeep at the edge of a canyon while we
took a short hike looking for wildflowers