Hummers

We have purchased more hummingbird feeders and still get a thrill of watching them come to eat. This year we added a birdbath and a thistle seed sock for finches. However, it is too late in the season for most of the birds here so we have only seen birds drinking out of the birdbath and we will post pictures when they come back. Somehow the finches haven't found our thistle seed yet either but we trust they will.

These photos were taken through our office window and screen so they aren't quite as clear as they could be.

Halloween 2011 Here in Tucson

Halloween is always a fun time here. We both enjoy the little kids in their costumes. This year I carved jack-o-lanterns again - I really enjoy doing it. I tried a more contemporary pattern in one of them.

We had eight 'real' trick or treaters but probably about 20 parents/adults. Some of the adults also came in costumes.
                                                                                                                                                       

Our cutest Trick or Treaters this year

   

Michael with his usual 'scary' mask and our neighbor Linda

Nothing to do with Halloween but I liked the way the landscape lights lit up our cholla

A fun time as always!

Animals this last week

For the first time we managed to get a photo of a bobcat walking through our yard. We have not been successful since we moved it. They always appear and disappear before we have a chance to get the camera out!

Javelina at rest

In another vein when we were in Tacoma we bought a gamecam/trailcam to try to catch wildlife in our yard during the day and at night. Michael went out to get the SD card today and we found that for the last two nights we have had javelinas (have seen evidence that they have been here but have not actually seen them this year) and deer! We are very excited and look forward to seeing what appears in the next few nights. The night photos are infrared so they are always black and white photos.

We have seen one deer during the day before but were very pleased to see two more!

Salty Dog days at the Marina

Kelly, a friend here at the marina, and I raced against each other in the survival suit race.

Another friend, Linda, managed to catch most of the race in photographs.

Taking my sea sickness pills (M&Ms in a bag)

Spelling out SOS with small rocks

Kelly beat me by 3 seconds!

Valley of the Gods, Utah

Near Gooseneck State Park in Utah is the Valley of the Gods on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management.











There is another 17 mile high clearance/4wheel drive road which we opted to take to see sites that are similar to Monument Valley without the crowds and without the movie history.





It was beautiful! The monuments are pretty spectacular and the drive was fun.

A little "off roading" from the off road

Wildflowers are starting to bloom

Goosenecks State Park, Utah

Our friends Ed & Joanne also suggested we stop in to see Goosenecks State Park in Utah since we would be so close to it.

We did and it was fascinating. We viewed the gooseneck formations from above but did not hike down this time. It is amazing what the San Juan River has accomplished over time.

Thank you Ed & Joanne.

Monument Valley

We left Kayenta for Monument Valley. We had planned our entire route home to include Monument Valley as we visited there two years ago in our car and didn't have enough clearance to drive the valley so we returned in our new 4Runner.

Expect to see cowboys on horses going by

'The Eiger Sanction' scene with George Kennedy and

Clint Eastwood while he was training was filmed here

At sunset

Spent the night at Historic Goulding's Lodge where John Wayne, John Ford and other people in the movie business have stayed. Mike Goulding's potato cellar was John Wayne's cabin in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" and is open to the public to view (see picture).