11 May

Tucson, AZ

Mount Lemmon
Damn Colleen is about as easy to get a picture of as I am.
She took us up Mt Lemmon not far from their home.  We were at 9100 feet.  Guess you could say we were really high.
Then we took a ski lift (yes, they can ski in Arizona when they're that high) up to the top and hiked up to a geocache.
The road is 23 miles of winding switchbacks.  The Subie was way confused after driving through the desert the day before.

They had a fire on the mountain a number of years ago, and while it's regrowing, the scars still show.

 

They have rebuilt the cabins that burned down, and they are beautiful A frames and cabins perched on the side of the mountain.  Not happening for this flatlander!

10 May

Tuscon, AZ

Desert Museum

Costas Hummingbird

I was sitting on a bench in the hummingbird aviary and he flew in behind me.  I was truly about 1 foot away from him and he sat and let me take pictures of him.  I wish that the bright purple on his throat had shown better in the light.

Antelope Squirrel

This little bugger was playing around by himself and when I tapped on the glass he started posing for me.  Way too damn cute.  When he realized I wasn't going to give him treats (window) I think he gave me the finger.

Mr & Mrs Bobcats

Yes, V, they were too damn pretty.  And no, they don't need a new home! LOL

Saguaro National Park

They say that a Saguaro has to be 70-80 years old before it grows an arm and then 10 years for each arm.  There were some that we counted 10-12 arms on.  Unbelievable how old these giants are.

 

Yes, Subie was 4 wheelin in the desert of Arizona!

9 May

Tuscon, AZ

We had to share our campsite with a nesting hummingbird. 

Sabino Canyon
Stu took us out to the canyon that is just a couple of miles from his and Colleens home.  They hike here all the time.  We took the easy way and took the bouncy tram. 

 

butch, Stu, and me

Colleen and Stu took us out for Mexican (after all we are in Arizona), and after stuffing ourselves and drinking a Prickle Pear Margaritas, we went off to the casino.  We went to Casa del Sol and didn't really loose too much money. 

6 May

Las Cruces, NM

 



 

They sold sleds at the gift shop so you could sled down the sand dunes.  There will be no pictures of that since there is NO WAY IN HELL that was going to happen!

Mountains ahead...yep, we went over them.  .Las Cruces is on the other side.  The road, it is long, straight and flat on this side.  Cruise control and you could take a 30 mile nap.  Sure different that the roads in PA that are built on deer paths.

 

White Sands Missile range.

(I will not make a phallic comment-snicker)

3 May

The Natural Disaster Tour 2013
sponsored by Valium/Draminine
continues...

We had to stay out of Memphis for a day due to the tornado warnings.
We then got out of there before the Mississippi came up for the flood warnings.
While in Dallas, we got hit by 30mph gusting to 40mph winds and since driving a 36' motor home in that is not too cool, we stayed until this morning. 
When hell froze over.
Well, it didn't exactly freeze over, but it was the record coldest May day in Dallas.....ever.

The campground we were in there was really convenient to Cowboy stadium and Ranger stadium, but it was also next to Grand Prarie airport.  Which wouldn't have been bad cause there weren't too many small planes in and out.  However, there must be some kind of helicopter training facility there cause they hovered over us until we were asleep and woke us (okay, me) at 6am.  Not amusing.  It even got to him.  When we got to Midland tonight and turned on the TV we realized just how damn loud they'd been since the TV was screaming loud.

There really is nothing in west Texas.  Except oil derricks and thousands of giant windmills in a huge wind farms.

So, we're in Midland for the night and will be heading out to Las Cruces NM tomorrow for a couple of days.

Wonder what we can bring to the state of New Mexico....

1 May

Texas Ranger Ballpark
Arlington, TX

We went to see the Rangers play the White Sox.  There were 5 home runs hit.  You should see the fireworks and light show when someone hits a home run. 
Rangers won 10-6.  Yu Darvish started and gave up all 5 runs, but struck out 8. 
Pics we took were on cell phone and I haven't got them transferred over yet so you'll have to take my word that it was a beautiful night for a ball game.

Cowboy Stadium
Arlington, TX

view of the field from the press box

roof 

 

butch in Jerrys "man cave"

 

this is where the VISITING team enters the stadium. 

 the light is to not let them forget where they are.



$92,000.00 a locker

made from some special wood from south Africa

entering the field

  

 happy cowboy fan

 

 

why butch became a cowboy fan. 

 I think he was hearing angels sing.

(maybe it was just cowgirls)

Ok.....REALLY BUTCH???

27-28 April

Clinton Presidential Library
Little Rock AR

 

Cabinet Room

The Big chair

This railroad bridge couldn't be renovated by Little Rock due to funding, but they deeded it to the library and now it has been turned into a park with a walk across.

The formal setting that would be used for state dinners

down the hall

Oval office

 



butch peeping into oval office

 

 

They had a collection of photographs of blues musicians.

 





Louis Armstrongs trumpet

Johnny Lee Hookers hat and guitar

 

It was an unbelievable place to go.  As usual, we take about twice as long to tour something as what they estimate the time.