Here is a view of Navajo National Monument from behind the visitor center.  This was taken prior to the hike down to the ruins.

is this for real?!

The State of Arizona wants to close 8 of our state parks because of budget issues. And the Director gets an 11% salary increase? Wha..wha..what? Are you kidding me? Where is the logic is this? If someone can explain it to me, I’m all ears.

interesting…

Scott sent me this link and I must say, it deserves some contemplation. Shoes that are like gloves. How’s that for a draw in?!

ancient pornography?

Yesterday, we spent a wonderful day out in Ironwood Forest National Monument, near Tucson. This is one of the monuments Scott helps to protect through starting Friends Groups and working with the BLM.

Today we visited Inscription Hill, which is a large rock pile that houses a ridiculous number of petroglyphs. Here is one example, which Scott informed me is basically known as ancient pornography as it appears to depict two people having sex. I am not so sure about this but I CAN see where one might get that from. There are amazing petrogyphs at this site and I am very happy to have had the chance to go.

a Sunday afternoon

Yesterday Scott and I took a walk around the park by our house. It was a gorgeous day, with just enough wind to make it light jacket weather. Of course neither of us wore a jacket as we wanted to cherish the non 1oo degree weather days. Something about these trees made me stop and capture their picture.

bird living in a crested saguaro

While Scott spent the day yesterday tabling at an Archaeological Expo at the Arizona State Museum, I visited the Tucson Botanical Gardens. I spent roughly three hours there, wandering through the16 different gardens and spending a significant time in the butterfly greenhouse. You have to pay extra for the butterfly exhibit but it is worth it. The rest of the gardens are ok- although I have to say this time of year is probably not ideal. Give it a few more weeks to see somethings in bloom. The Children’s Garden is fabulous for kids. Overall, I had a great time. I’m getting more and more comfortable with exploring things on my own.

another perfect Saturday

Today, Scott and I headed up to Black Canyon City to take part in a trail head dedication ceremony. The Black Canyon Trail opened up its newest stretch of trail today and it was a perfect day to do so. The weather was a lot warmer than expected so we quickly ditched the fleece jackets. After spending some time walking around the booths and listening to the dedication ceremony speeches, and after Scott touched base with several work colleagues, we headed out on the trail.

Wow!! What a beautiful trail. It was all hand constructed by volunteers and they did a magnificent job. I have to say that this is probably one of my favorite trails. You are surrounded by tremendous amounts of vegetation and beautiful specimens of desert plants. Like I said earlier, it was warmer than expected, giving us a gentle reminder that hiking after noon in the desert is not always the best thing. I actually ended up with a slight sunburn on my forearms and face.

The trail takes you down to the Agua Fria River, which was flowing rather fast after all the rains we have had. It is always a special treat to see a healthy river in Arizona. Usually you would be able to follow the trail across the river, but due tot he high waters and current, it is unsafe to pass right now. So, we sat down near rivers edge and had a snack while enjoying the pleasant scenery and sounds.

All in all it was a wonderful afternoon, as not only did Scott get to take business , but we got to get out out and hike a beautiful, must-see trail.

After a little rest and shower once we got home, we headed out for dinner at an old favorite: Los Olivos Norte. Scott and I frequented this restaurant, and by frequented I mean we ate there like three times a week, when we worked at Staples together. The atmosphere is great and the food as delicious as ever. Since we both have changed jobs, we don’t get here very often, so it was a great way to end our Saturday.

Since we both have changed jobs, we don’t get here very often.

what a wonderful day

Today was a wonderful day. Scott and I got to sleep in, which is a real treat for us. I had my morning coffee while we both fiddled on our respective computers. After taking a shower, we decided to head out to AAA, with the hope of gathering some information for our honeymoon. We are trying to decide between Hawaii, Alaska or mainland US. It has proved to be a very frustrating decision. After meeting with a travel assistant, we determined we would most likely just plan the trip ourselves, especially is going to Alaska. We enjoyed a nice lunch at Blimpies before heading home to pick up the dog for a short hike.

Scott, I and Sipapu enjoyed the Lookout Mountain Circumference Trail. The desert is really green right now which made the hike even better because the scenery was that much more appealing. Aside form a small rabbit hopping in the desert when we pulled into the trailhead, we did not see any wildlife. Papu did a really great job on the trail, aside from not having manners when we encountered two other hikers with dogs. He apparently has never seen a dog before. It was a great afternoon and it felt really good to be active.

After a brief rest at home, we headed out to the Apple store to drool over the new MacBook Air, which we both would absolutely love to own. While there we checked out the new Nano and the iPod Touch. There is a strong likelihood that I will be getting the iPod Touch sometime soon, to condense my electronic devices from 3 to 2, as the Touch appears to have decent PDA functions (minus a to do function). We’ll stew on that for a while to make sure the right decision is made.

The day was capped of by a dinner at Lone Star. This was our first dinner excursion at this restaurant. We’ve had lunch there many times. We both enjoyed our meals and of course each others company. It was a great way to end what had been a really good day.

do I have food on my face?

This picture sums it up for me. What other reason do you need to absolutely love nature than knowing you have the chance to see something like this? Truly spectacular. I only wish I could take credit for the picture!

12 National Parks at risk due to global warming

According to an ENN Article, 12 National Parks in the American West will be at risk due to global warming.

The article states that the temperatures in the West have increased faster than any other part of the country and that studies show a connection between global warming and environmental changes.

“Rising temperatures, drought, wildfires and diminished snowfalls endanger wildlife and threaten hiking, fishing and other recreational activities” in the parks, Spencer said in a telephone news conference. “Imagine Glacier Park without glaciers or Yellowstone without any grizzly bears.”

Global warming has increased bug infestation across the west, including beetles that invade the white bark trees. This prevents bears from eating the pine seeds and forces grizzlies to move further into land that is inhabited by humans. When this occurs, there is more clashes between humans and bears, resulting in bear casualties.

The evidence of global warming impact on the parks can also be seen in parks such as North Cascade, where glaciers are melting away and peaks are left bare. When this happens, wildlife is effected immensely.

I truly hope this report wakes people up. Scott and I love to explore our National Parks and it saddens me that in a short amount of time, there may be no more Glacier National Park- or at least it would be renamed- Invisible Glacier National Park, or something to that affect!