First Hike of 2015 & Other Happenings!

We are back in Arizona, and it is as lovely as ever! Curtis had his first day of his LAST semester last Thursday. He basically has the best schedule ever for a senior in their last semester, with classes only on Tuesdays and Thursdays! We are so excited about all the extra days for hiking!

That windblown look!

So excited, in fact, that Friday found us back on the trails and getting back in shape for everything we want to do this winter/spring. We started off this year with an easier hike that we had done before - Wasson, the highest peak in the Tucson Mountain Park and in the West side of Saguaro National Park. As you can see from the above picture, it was very windy! 

My handsome husband!

Curtis, putting his Christmas gift to use. Thanks to his fancy new eyeglass, he was able to see Kitt Peak and Mt. Lemmon Observatories, other peaks we'd hiked, and even specific buildings in Tucson, such as our mall. It was clear enough to even be able to see Miller Peak in the far distance!

Panorama of Tucson from Wasson Peak

My husband looks sooo awesome :)

We did it! Yay! Now to get out of the wind!

We completed the hike in 3 hours, counting the 30 minutes we spent at the top. So we ended up hiking 7 miles in 2.5 hours - last time we did this, it took 6 hours, so we cut our time in half! The switchbacks were still pretty tiring, so I feel justified in thinking that last time. :)

Sentenial Peak from the Santa Cruz River Walk

After we finished, we were able to grab a few new letterboxes in the area. We really enjoy it when letterbox planters place boxes on trails that haven't been used before!

View of downtown Tucson from the Santa Cruz River Walk

We have a growing appreciation for the multiple River Walks around the city. They make for great spots to walk/run/bike for exercise. Oh, and do not be deceived - "River walk" just means you're walking along a wash, where the water would be if we had any - it's dry for most of the year. ;)

Someone's in the Cone of Shame!

But while we were out having fun, Charlotte was getting fixed. :( We picked her up later that day. She was pretty dazed and drowsy, and ended up sleeping for the rest of the afternoon/evening. She did great through it all though, and was super sweet and cuddly. 

It took a while for her to regain her hunger, but now, 2 days later, she's totally back to her old self! The hardest part is trying to make her settle down and take it easy. 

Charlotte, loving all the extra attention and pampering that she's receiving.

On Saturday, I stayed home with her and let her sleep on me most of the day while Curtis was out helping a friend. When he walked in the door, she sprung to life and was thrilled to see him! We removed the Cone of Shame on account of good behavior, and she's left her healing wound alone. We're happy to see that this experience hasn't taken away her spunk!