Some more of Sedona-Hiking the Baldwin Trail!

One of the many hiking trails available in the Sedona area is the Baldwin Trail.
There are only two prominent features along this trail: Cathedral Rock (to the left) and another small red-rock chimney (pictured above). Cathedral Rock is visible at least 75% of the time, and during the hike I was able to see it from plenty of different angles. In addition to the rock features, I also came across many beautiful flowers, many of which were wildflowers.


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The beautiful Red Rocks of Sedona...a part of the Great Basin Desert!

Millions of years, sometimes hundreds of millions of years, went into the creation of what we now know as Sedona. A lot can happen in millions or hundreds of millions of years! Furthermore, the climate of Sedona changed over time - it has been under water, it has been a seacoast, and it has been a desert. Each type made its contribution to what is now Sedona.

The uplift of the Colorado Plateau several million years ago that created the Grand Canyon, also caused a cracking of the earth in the Sedona area. Earlier pressures caused by the movement of huge blocks of the earth’s crust also created cracks. Water followed the cracks and wore away the surrounding rock, resulting in creeks and streams. Because of this wearing away of rock during the last few million years in the Sedona area, we now have Bell Rock, Courthouse Rock, Cathedral Rock, and Coffee Pot Rock, as well as other cliff faces in the Sedona area. In general, they are capped by an erosion-resistant limestone that now protects the underlying softer layers from erosion. (see picture)

The red rocks of Sedona, then, originated, some of them, from sediment in a sea or floodplain, while others originated from blown sand on dry land or in coastal areas. They can be distinguished by their colors, some more bright orange than others, some red, some tan. The bright orange rocks are more than 250 million years old. The white or grey rocks are either limestone that formed at the bottom of a sea, or else they are sandstone that has lost its red color because the color has been flushed out by water. The red one sees is actually dissolved iron as it has drained through the sandstone.

Another interesting tidbit that I learned is that name Arizona was derived from the term "arid" "zone", thus making the name Arizona. Also, Arizona is the only state that has all four deserts in North America. These deserts are the Mojabe,which is shared with California, the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts that are shared with Mexico and the Great Basin Desert, which is shared with New Mexico.

Pink Jeep Tours in Sedona, Arizona!

For 50 years, Pink Jeep Tours has been providing the most talked about off-road family adventures in the Southwest.

Their award-winning excursions are known as the premier "must-do" tours in Sedona, Arizona.

Today, I took the spectacular Broken Arrow tour in Sedona. The scenery of the Red Rocks was just beautiful. In every direction I looked, there was an urge to click another photo. Before long, I had taken over 100 spectacular photos, some of which I will offer in a second blog tomorrow.

Whether you're seeking rugged adventure, Native American history and culture, nature, geology, or panoramic vistas, Pink Jeep Tours really has some beautiful excursions.

So today, I was able to sit back and enjoy the ride with my informative guide, Jared, an Australian no less.

Symbiotic relationship between the Paloverde tree and the Saguaro Cactus!

In the Sonoran Desert, the sahuaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is commonly associated with canopies of trees and shrubs: so-called nurse plants. One of these nurse plants is the green Palverde tree which is shown in the picture along with a baby Saguaro cactus. The nurse plant provides the young Saguaro with protection against both sun and frost. As the Saquaro gradually grows, it takes more and more of the water and nuitrients from the soil and in the process the nurse plant or tree gradually dies. This particular nurse tree is one of several that I have in my yard. Over the past few years, I have harvested and transplanted a number of the baby Saguaros around my yard, always being careful to mark the side that is south facing so that the Saguaro will not receive a sunburn!

Ocotillo and Olenders in full Bloom!

Over the weekend, my Ocotillo came into full bloom as did my Oleander bushes.

The Ocotillo is a unique native desert plant that lends striking accent with its low-branching, leafy, whip like canes topped with bright orange-red flowers. Ocotillos can grow to 15 feet in height and as wide. They are typically leafless most of the year, but profuse leafing of the canes follows periods of sufficient soil moisture. During periods of drought, these curious plants shed their leaves to reduce evaporative loss and conserve plant moisture. Widely adaptable to landscape use, ocotillos are right at home in the desert Southwest. The flower as you can see just magnificent!


The Oleander plants are near the front of my home, and while not native, they are an evergreen shrub that easy to grow and can be used as a bush, a tree or as a hedge. Oleander is low maintenance but toxic, so should be avoided in gardens with children. It is also known by the name Rose Laurel, but is most commonly known as Oleander and it is a wonderful, rewarding shrub to cultivate with spectacular blooms.

Back yard landscaping and a new tree for the back yard!

Besides playing USTA tennis this weekend, I was on a mission to buy some new cacti for the back yard and to replace a a dead "butterfly bush/tree" with a "scarlet bottle brush" tree. When I finished planting the bottle brush tree in the back yard near the kitchen, I took a step back to admire my work, and to say the least, I was very pleased. The tree is really beautiful and it is my understanding that with time the tree will branch out, and that the scarlet flowers, which are about 6" will really attract the hummingbirds!

While looking for cacti, I went to several nurseries and was amazed at the variety and the number of small cacti gardens that are distributed around the country from Tucson.

Beauitful Hedgehogs in Bloom on Back Patio!

Yesterday afternoon, I walked out to my back patio and found a group of hedgehog cacti in their full majestic bloom. Aren't they magnificent?

Piano Man and Desert Princess make a Big Splash!

Today was the first day of swimming practice for Piano Man and Desert Princess. They will be working out four afternoons a week, Monday through Thursday, and will soon be competing in swim meets against other clubs. Baby Iris looks on approvingly, while Mom is more than happy with her children's efforts and enthusiasm.

Big Victory for USTA Tennis Team!

On Saturday, our USTA team played very well and came away with a 5-0 match win, which consisted of two singles and three doubles matches. This match was at home at our beautiful La Mariposa resort, which offers many activities for members including tennis, golf, aerobics, weight training and even banquet facilities for weddings.

The 'Boneyard' that adjoins Tucson's Davis Monthan Air Force Base

ARMAC, often referred to as the 'Boneyard' is an aerospace storage and maintenance facility here in Tucson that provides a service to all branches of the US military as well as other national agencies.

Currently, the 'Boneyard' controls over 4,200 aircraft as well as many other types of military equipment. ARMAC works very hard in promoting itself as not just a 'Boneyard', but also as place where many of the stored aircraft can be returned to an operational status in a short period of time. While the planes are here at ARMAC, they are in a continual process of anti-corrosion and re-preservation work which keeps the aircraft in a stable condition during their stay.

Another major funciton of AMARC, and thus the name 'Boneyard' is that reclamation of spare parts is being done on a ongoing basis both to a schedule and to ad-hoc requests from around the world. In many ways, this is a savings to the American Taxpayer and is the only department of the Air Force that actually makes money.

Planes that are not in the process of reclamation, are sometimes returned to active flight status, as was the case with the Second Iraq War. Other planes become instructional aircraft, while others are used as targets on Air force and Army ranges, and then there are a few that find their way into museums.

The flowering of the Hedgehog cactus if the first of many cacti to flower in the Sonoran Desert!

After the wildflowers, the hedgehog cactus is one of the first cacti to bloom in the Sonoran Desert. They have a beautiful lavendar flower, which has a beauty to behold as these photos show.