January 10-12, 2025 Organ Pipe National Monument

 62 and sunny.

Cute quail scurrying around the campground. Our friends James and Judy arrived today. We will do some hiking together. John cooked a wonderful red sauce and pasta dinner. 

Sort of sunset with moon. We hiked with Judy and James from Red Tank, through Senita Basin back to the campground. It is a 6.7 mile hike with a car shuttle. James, Judy and John at the Red Tanks. This are has deep holes in the rocks that will retain water from rain etc for the wildlife. There is a drought now, so there was no water. 

Judy, James and John hiking in the arroyo below Red Tanks. Ocotillo bloom and a carpet shoe. The illegals wear these carpet shoes because it is supposed to disguise their foot prints in the sand so they can't be seen from planes or helicopters. 

Saguaro cactus forest. John, James and Judy hiking along the trail.

Judy and James prepared a delicious dinner tonight in their site. No clouds, but nice light at sunset. 

After dinner went to the evening ranger talk about bats. Very interesting. Today we went on the Puerto Blanco north drive. It says you need high clearance 4 wheel drive, so we have never been on it before.  James drove his big pickup. After doing the drive we see we could have done it with the Subaru. Beware of smugglers and illegal immigration. The park borders Mexico and these remote areas are areas of smuggler activity. We didn't see any.

Rugged peaks in the Growler Range along the drive. 

The cactus on the left has a cristate on it, a kind of cancer that grows on cactus. John, Judy and James hiking toward Dripping Springs. We had not done this hike before because we didn't have 4 wheel drive.

On the way to Dripping springs. This peak is out in the valley.

Sue and John with Dripping Sprigs. Dripping springs was once a vital water source for travelers through the area. 

Looking back at the trail to the springs. Cholla and saguaro with rugged peaks in the background. 

We stopped at Bonita Well for lunch. This well was also once a vital water source for travelers in the area.

John, James and Judy at Quitobaquito spring pond. People have lived here for generations because it is one of few  year round sources of water in the area. Water coming from the spring into the pond.

Quitobaquito spring. The Wall.

Full wolf moon in some saguaro. Sunset,

Glowing eye lights in the campground. I went to an interesting evening ranger program on the full moon. 

 

January 5-8, 2025 Tucson To Organ Pipe National monument, Arizona

 High of 65 and sunny.

I finished this basket today. It is made from dyed and natural pine needles, polyester thread, a pendant and the center is a piece of selenite that I shaped, sandblasted and painted the bear petroglyph on. The beads are gemstone chips and metal. It is 10 x 9 1/2 x 2 inches. I keep trying to make small basket but they keep morphing into bigger ones! Sunset tonight.

69 and sunny. We had the bus washed and waxed today. It looks lovely now. Mountains east of Tucson.

We had dinner with our friends Mary and Ron and Mary's sister Bebi. John has knows them from when he lived in Eagle many, many years ago. They are wintering in Mary's sister Bebi's house here in Tucson.  Yummy dinner and great to see them.  Sunset on the mountains from the deck.

Sunset over Tucson from the other deck. Holy Cow! A 45 foot 5th wheel, pulled by a semi tractor, with a pickup truck on the back of the tractor. That's a lot to try to maneuver around.

John found fuel about 50 cents cheaper than we saw in Tucson. The first border patrol station. Our side did not need to stop, but they were checking all the vehicles going the other way. John counted 18 border patrol vehicles from Tucson to Organ pipe today. 

We are now camped in Organ Pipe National Monument. One of my personal favorites for the next 10 days. We have friend arriving on the 10th. Woo hoo.  View of Twin Peaks, what the campground is named after. 

Sunset. I finished this one today. It is made from dyed and natural pine needles, polyester thread, clay beads from Chile. The one center is a piece of selenite that I sandblasted and painted the petroglyph of a wolf and the smaller center is a  glass paw print I cast. I have so many centers I am trying to use more than one in baskets. It is 8 1/2 x 7 x 1 1/2 inches.

 I was photographing this canyon wren nest in a cholla cactus and the bird burst out of it. This is teddy bear cholla, it has fish hooked spines and the segments fall off, they attaches to anything that touches it and are almost impossible to get off. You try to pick it off and they stick in your fingers. I carry a comb in my pack year round so I will have it next time one of these sticks to me. It was 63 today, partly cloudy, very windy with blowing dust. At sunset the sun was HUGE through he dust.

 

 Sunset from our site. Sunset from the campground. 

High of 60, sunny and windy. We hiked on the Desert View loop this afternoon The moon rising behind organ pipe cactus. Cholla and organ pipe cactus with a view of Mexico in the background. 

John on the trail. Moon again with organ pipe cactus.

The campground from Desert View trail. Our RV in the campground is center left 

Sunset out the window during dinner.