Gem and Mineral Show; Music Night

We wandered through one of the many many venues at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show.  What a collection of stuff:  gemstones, fossils, bones, jewelry, and cheap beads.  After awhile it all blended together.  I just can not imagine someone dreaming about finding that perfect fossilized walrus head.  But it was there in Tucson.

We also were treated to a music performance at the park by Arvel Bird.  This is from his website:

Arvel Bird is a globe-trekking Celtic folk / Native American rock musical poet. His vocals, violins and Native American flutes tell stories of love, life on the road and historical American Indian figures. In one seamless moment he will tap into the spirit of his Southern Paiute ancestors before taking you on a journey through the the Scottish Highlands on his violin.

Sounds sort of "different" -- but his musical skills on the violin (he was trained as a classical violinist) were astounding....Check him out on youtube!

Take this tent and go 1000 times bigger -- that is the show all over town!

No More Horsin' Around

The park is a busy place, with many guests coming & going; family and friends visiting.  A ferrier, (um guy that does horseshoes) arrived from Nebraska with his rig:  horses, hay, water, and a forge.  He was visiting his brother and offered a demo on his skills.   Ferriers are today's blacksmiths and during the afternoon show made a few BBQ skewers and horse topped bottle openers.  Everything was made from old horseshoes.  It was a pretty amazing show!

Banging away making a BBQ skewer from a horseshoe.

A real cowboy

HOT!

  The "opener" part was made by repeatedly inserting a drift / punch; eventually using the anvil to round the opening.  

Arizona State Museum

The Arizona State Museum located on the campus of the University of Arizona here in Tucson features multiple exhibits geared to the State's Indian history.  Lucky for us, our visit here coincides with a display of Edward S. Curtis's turn of the century photographs of Southwest Indians.

Mora  Mojave 1903

Suguaro Fruit Gathers -- Maricopa

Pottery Timeline

Continuing the Artistic Tradition

Saguaro National Park

Saguaro....say it like with tomorrow with an S...National Park was a bit of a disappointment.  If you are seeking a destination National Park complete with trails and variety; give this place a pass.  They did have a fun entry sign and the scenery is lovely.

The Saguaro Cactus is the monarch of the Sonoran Desert and one of the supreme symbols of the American Southwest.  Many physical features help explain the Saguaro's ability to store and conserve water.  Accordion like pleats allow the cactus to expand and hold water through its roots.  Spongy flesh in its trunk and branches serve as a reservoir.  The Saguaros collect water with a network of roots that lies about three inches below the desert surface and stretch as far from the main trunk as saguaros are tall.  In a single rainfall, these shallow roots along with small root hairs that grow in response to the moisture may soak up as much as 200 gallons of water, enough to last the saguaro a year.

We did a bird walk with a ranger and saw about nothing....and drove on down the road!

Saguaro cactus

Fun Sign!

What a Week!

We are so fortunate to have stumbled on Desert Trails RV Park.  Everyday there are new activities, new friends, and a bustling University town to explore.  We have ridden bikes, hiked in the hills, and taken a dip in the pool!  Yup....sunbathing was this afternoon's most ambitious activity.

One of the most unique aspects of the Park is the active music program.  A couple of nights a week, artists are invited to entertain the residents.  It is all "pass the hat" so if you want to hear folk guitars or blues or jazz or oldies....sooner or later it will be on the schedule.

Friday evening we attended a local favorite -- an award winning, high school mariachi band!  They were great!  I am amazed at the stage presence of these kids:  hardly old enough to be in high school and up on stage singing and playing.  They introduced themselves:  many had been playing for 8 to 10 years.

Saturday the birthday of Robert Burns was celebrated by a park resident and an expert on everything Whiskey!  He came with 16 bottles (and a pitcher of Bloody Mary Queen of Scots!) and after talking a bit about whiskeys he invited everyone to taste -- anything you wanted.

I tryed a few; the Scapa was my favorite--oh so smooth!   And in the mean time, Alan was working to learn more about his Scottish genealogy.  A truly fun day.

Half of the Band

The Other Half of the Band....most of them anyway

Robert Burns....a toast to him!

Quite an offering!  Work right to left:  light to dark!

Our generous host!