Catching Up

 Since our hike at San Tan, we have been walking here in the resort and working on our craft projects.  John finished this stunning keepsake box.  It is made of padauk wood with turquoise inlay.  I think it is the most dramatic and beautiful box yet!

He also made this gentleman's jewelry box.

I finished a band saw box.

My next project started when I brought home this rock from the yard at our old funeral home in Castle Rock.  We visited there last year.

It is quartz and will make some beautiful jewelry.  Last week I took the rock into the lapidary shop in the resort and had these slices cut off for me to use.

John is now working a a mini intarsia eagle to decorate one of the boxes he has made.

Tuesday there was a Mardi Gras parade here in Canyon Vistas.  We enjoyed watching them walk and ride by.

The resort staff is working hard to provide activities in these Covid times of social distancing and masks.  

Hiking on My New Knee

It is a new year and I have a new knee, so we decided to go for a hike last week.  We headed to San Tan Regional Park, south of our resort, where we knew we would find some trails that are relatively level.  There were hills up and down, but nothing that made me think of going up and down stairs.  I knew that would be difficult at this point.

We saw plenty of cholla cactus.  This is called hanging fruit or jumping cholla.  Those pods hang down and easily catch on clothing or animal hair.  That helps the seed pods spread beyond just the base of the original plant.

This is another type of cholla cactus.  It looks soft and fuzzy.  It's not.  Touching it is a good way to get lots of cactus spines in your hand.

                                            

This is another cactus with wicked spines.  Don't fall on it!

Not this one, either.

Arizona is home to a lot of saguaro cactus.  Here are three very different specimens.

The trails at San Tan are open to hikers, bikers and horses, but not to motorized vehicles.  We saw lots of hikers and bikers and one group of folks riding horses.  They are the only ones I photographed.

At the end of the day, I had walked 12,000+ steps.  My knee is obviously healing well.  Though it is uncomfortable at times, it doesn't hurt like it did last summer on our hikes in Colorado and Utah.

It has been worth it!