Days 12 and 13

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Friday:
We had a wonderfully leisurely morning; did a little laundry and started reading "Pushing Up Daisies," whose author we met last night at the book signing. We met Mary for a late lunch at Einstein Brothers Bagels. We haven't had fresh bagels in years.
After we got back to Skip and Mary's, we went over to visit Mary's dad, who lives a few blocks away. We hadn't seen him since Skip and Mary's wedding in 1976. Kerry was thrilled that Merle gave him one of his wonderful fruitcakes and the recipe to boot.
Back at the house Mary and I looked at some old pictures and we selected some to take home and scan for my project. After a delicious supper, we sat at the table and talked until bedtime.

Saturday:
We had a great visit with Skip and Mary and brought some of their delicious oranges with us. They have a grapefruit tree and a lemon tree, too.
We headed to Tucson to see the Sonora Desert Museum. We decided to get a campsite first and leave the camper. We checked with several private campgrounds and they were all full, either due to the big Gem Show in town or the skeet shoot weekend (or some such.) We finally decided to check the Gilbert Ray Campground in Tucson Mountain Park. We got a beautiful spot there. No water at the campsite, but electricity, and bathrooms were nearby. We were surrounded by many varieties of cactus and desert plants. So we left the camper there and headed for the museum.
The Sonora Desert Museum is fabulous. It is mostly out of doors with animals in their natural habitats, desert plants of all kinds, 2 aviaries, a cave, mineral exhibits and more. Like a zoo and botanical garden combined with a museum. We saw mountain lions, beaver, bighorn sheep, deer, hummingbirds, coati, and lots of other birds and animals. The gardens were gorgeous with all kinds of cacti, yucca, agave, and many other plants, trees and flowers. We stayed about 2 1/2 hours, but could have spent a whole day if it wasn't closing time.
It was quite warm today, but really cooled off fast once the sun went down.

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Photos

View from our campsite
Gilbert Ray Campground, Tucson Mountain Park

Black Tailed Prairie Dog
At Sonora Desert Museum

Coati
At Sonora Desert Museum

Bighorn Sheep
At Sonora Desert Museum

Crested Saguaro Cactus
Crested saguaro cactus are rare

Comments

[Barbara]

So that means you make the fruit cake next Christmas, right?