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Picacho Peak
The Peak and the state park are located between Casa Grande and Tucson.Chapter 4
January 15—First day at work! I was so nervous, but got through it ok. I didn't have any hard ones to do, which is good. There is so much paperwork, it is unbelievable. It takes15 minutes just to go through and get everything signed after the return is complete. Wonder what happened to that paper reduction act passed a few years ago. Apparently, it doesn't apply to the IRS!
January 22—I'm glad I am only part-time. After not working for several years, it's going to take me awhile to get back in the swing of it. I don't have to be in the office until 11:00. I told Marylynn that I wasn't a morning person!!!
January 23--We went touring again today up to Picacho Peak State Park. The peak sticks up by itself out of nowhere and is so familiar looking. I think it must have been used in a 100 movie backdrops or something. Anyway, the park is very nice, with drives, hiking trails, an RV park and all kinds of desert plants, including the saquaro cactus. I'm told that the word is pronounced sah-war-yo, the q is silent. We drove all around the park.
Hugging Cactus
Two saguaro in an ouch embrace. Dan was very patient, stopping time and again for me to take pictures.
Near the park is an ostrich farm. We drove down to it, but the birds were feeding and not close to the fence. I got a long, zoom shot of them, though.
On the way back home, we stopped at the Casa Grande airport, which is a popular area spot for skydivers. There is even an indoor skydiving place, which I guess is kind of a school. We watched the whole process, from newbies learning how to fold up the chutes, to divers suiting up. We watched the plane take off and drop the divers one by one. Since the sun was high, I couldn't get a good angle to catch them high. I caught several as they got closer. There wasn't a lot of wind that day, so everyone appeared to be able to control the chutes pretty well. A couple caught some gusts just as they landed and got pulled along the ground a bit. One guy landed in a big mesquite bush and took a few minutes to get untangles. It was fun not only to watch them come down, but also
Ostrich Farm
The farm or ranch is located by Picacho Peak and charges admission to get in. I "got in" with my zoom! to fold up their chutes and pack them away. The chutes were very colorful, not only in the sky, but spread on the ground.
It was a fun day. Dan and Joy are very good tour guides! I enjoy being with them. After we got back to the RV park, we had a light supper and played some cards. I think Dan won!
January 25--
Cali--Mommy got all excited today. She saw a bird in the area behind the RV and dragged out her camera. She kept saying, “It's a roadrunner, it's a roadrunner!” I don't know why she was so excited. It was just another bird and she doesn't try to catch them to eat. She sure is funny. I must say, though, I do like watching the birds. Yep, I saw my first (and so far, only) roadrunner. I sure have seen some great wildlife on this trip. There are also some quail that live behind the park. They have a little topknot on their head and look like little queens running around.
Sorry this chapter is not longer. I'm a working girl, you know! Hope the pictures make up for it!!
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That hugging cactus sure is funky. It kind of creeps me out for some reason. lol For my 30th birthday next year I am going to celebrate by going skydiving. But not by myself - I'm not sure I trust myself. I'm doing it in tandem, so I can be attached to a pro who knows what they are doing. My parents saw a road runner at church the other day, but I didn't see it. I was trying to get them to describe what it looked like. Now that I've seen your picture, I know! : )