Friendly downtown Apache junction Arizona

Apache junction is kinda in the country and kinda in the city (Phoenix) The air was crystal clear today after the rains. Supposed to hit 80 here Sunday!! Yahoo.. Pictured are the Superstition mountains just east of A.J.

Evening Saguaros

This is a picture that I "snagged" off the internet. I'm usually inside for the evening when these pictures are available.

Supposed to get a heavy rainstorm this evening. Time to hunker down and ride it out!!

Different

Some mountain off in the distant caught between two saguaro cactus. The camera doesn't do it justice, mid day pictures get "washed" out!!

The three bears

If you use your imagination you can see the "three bears" in this photo near Peralta trailhead (Gold Canyon Az). We hiked up there today and took some pics. There were about 30 of us from the RV park that went up. Nice day, windy but temp. was just right!!

Lander peak

Pretty country over north and west of Big Piney Wy. Lots of long "valleys".

Off to the woods with the local hiking group today, supposed to be an easy hike in the Superstitions somewhere, about 6 miles round trip. Hopefully I'll see something interesting to take a picture of???

Upper Jean lake

A picture of Upper Jean lake near Fremont peak taken from an aircraft several years ago, the picture is distorted by the window pane in the plane. Had to cancel on the Renaissance fair this morning, headed out that way and traffic was slow and go for as far as you could see, we simply turned around and went downtown Phoenix and had a nice lunch at a "spaghetti factory". Few things I dislike more than stop and go traffic for miles on end.

Sunrise in the Superstitions

Took this earlier this year one fine morning near the Superstitions. I'm going out with the hiking crew Wed. so maybe more pictures, if I remember my camera!! Of to the Renaissance fair tomorrow for a few hours, with all the rain yesterday and today it's probably a big bog hole out there (about 6 miles south of Apache junction Az)

Winter is really going fast, hard to believe that just over 6 weeks and we'll be headed up to Hurricane Utah. Then only a month there and on to Pinedale on or about May 17th...

Life light next door

Wow, must have been a bad wreck just outside our park, this Lifeflight helicopter just landed next door to haul some poor soul off.

International space station

During this recent partial eclipse, the photographer caught the ISS at the same time. Hard to see it but the ISS is in the upper left hand corner of the sun. Kind of a rare photo I guess. Hunkering down here for a pretty good weekend of rain. Haven't had much of it down here this winter. I've got to shape up my picture taking, haven't clicked the shutter in several days now. You can only take so many saguaro cactus shots and you forget which is which....

Towards Wolf lake

A really old tree on a hillside. This thing has probably been hit numerous times by lightning strikes over the years. On the two track road into Wolf lake about 10 miles southeast of Boulder Wy

Island lake east of Pinedale Wy

Took this from a helicopter a few years back. Island lake is beautifully framed by the struts in the chopper. That little white area in the center between the two struts (just touching the water) is where we theorize that a fellow fell in a few years back and disappeared from the area. That area where the falls enters Island lake has been eroded through thousands of years and none of us could figure how far back it went. The search dogs hit on a scent in the area and we think the guy may be in there ??????? With todays high tech it may be plausible to put a camera down tethered to a long wire and look at the area??? I dunno??

Long arm of the law

Our first night here last fall was Halloween. This fellow was apparently the long arm of the law. The fellow behind him could use some ice cream!!

2' of snow

I'd forgotten what 2 feet of snow looked like, pretty rare indeed here in Arizona. My old detective partner from years ago sent this to me....

A couple more pics from Mesa Air museum

Couldn't resist loading multiple pics (as Judi suggested), hey, that was easy...

Very common bomber

Not sure what F- designation this has, they made lots of them and used them a lot for bombing in Vietnam and the middle east. This particular plane was piloted by a fellow who spent some time in the "Hanoi Hilton" in north Viet-nam. They launched these off of Aircraft carriers.

Mesa air Museum

Went to the Mesa air museum today with some folks from the RV park. This is a picture of a Mustang fighter plane (ww2) Next pic if the inside of a B-17 Bomber showing a machine gun on either side and the belly gunner station in the center below the yellow thingie. Then a Russian Mig fighter plane, The B-17 Bomber showing a window gun

Was a fun day, NICE 71 degrees f.

600 Horsepower

What a cool little car, saw this at Golden Corral friday in Casa Grande Arizona. It said 600 hp on the side. Yikes, that sucker would jump out from under you!! Warmer today here, supposed to hit 70. We'll take it!!

Gourd festival

This "contraption" is made out of gourds, it has movable legs attached to some mechanical thingie attached to the bicycle. The pictures below this one are some of the art at this years festival. This is the 3rd year we've attended the gourd festival.

Old jail in Globe Az

This old jail cell would hold some memories. The tour guide told me that they locked these prisoners up winter and summer in the heat and cold and it was pretty awful. Nowdays they'd sue you and make you buy them an Air conditioner and a stove. My clausterphobia would only allow me in for a short visit...

Off to the gourd festival tomorrow with cousins from Nebraska. So, we'll have lots of those corny gourd jokes that we'll have to re-hash.

Film at 11

Mr. personality

On our tour of the old jail in Globe Az., we were told about this fellow. He was the jailer many many years ago, his looks matched his nastiness so they say. He would beat the hell out of anyone who lipped off to him. He was only about 5'2" in height but made up for his size with his tenacity. This guy was truly to be feared.