Beginning of May

How is it May? No really... We got married like a couple days ago, moved to Arizona, and now we've begun packing and planning our next big move. Where did the past 2 years go?! This month is going to be crazy, that's for sure! More on that later though. :)

But now, on to our weekend! We started off with an Astronomy Research Recognition Ceremony. It was basically a little gathering where all the Astronomy graduating seniors shared what they had done research on and were given plaques. There are 10 seniors graduating with degrees in Astronomy!

On Saturday, we hit the road for a day trip. Here, I am imitating Charlotte's concern about her daddy leaving us in the Jeep while getting gas. It makes her so anxious - where is he going, when is he coming back and why can't I go too!!

First stop was to the ghost town of Sasco, AZ. It was rather hot here, in the high 90's with no shade! Charlotte enjoyed running around and chasing lizards and kangaroo rats.

Sasco (the name of the town, and an acronym for Southern Arizona Smelter Company) is kind of in the middle of nowhere, but it is a popular area for paint ball. Once we visited the site, we could tell why - the ruins of one of the buildings made an awesome maze! We enjoyed walking through and checking out all the hallways and rooms.

 This place used to be the premier smelting site for mining in Southwest Arizona. In the early 1900's, it was home to about 600 people, and the smelter employed about 175 men. However, in 1909, the owner had to file for bankruptcy due to mining issues in Tombstone. Then in 1919, the Spanish Influenza struck the area and wiped out the area, and then the Silverbell mine closed in 1921. Finally, in 1933, most of the buildings here were demolished, along with the train tracks that ran through the area. 

However, all that remains is still interesting and worth visiting. The above picture and the next 6 pictures are all of the same large building! It's just unfortunate how vandalized the area is. 

It was on this trip that we learned that Charlotte has a real interest in ghost towns and ruins like we do! Not only does she get to see what remains, but I'm pretty sure she was picking up on some interesting smells as well. ;)

This area is West of Red Rock, AZ, and gives a very unique view of Picacho Peak. I remember feeling so proud of hiking it last November, but from here, it really doesn't look that impressive!

The Smelter!

Usually when we're out walking, it takes some convincing to get Charlotte to go back to the Jeep, but on this very warm day she was more than ready to get back and have some water! (Drank straight from my water bottle!)

After this, we did a quick visit to Casa Grande National Monument. It always amazes us how big and intricate these ruins are! Having grown up in the Midwest, whenever we think about the Native Americans, we always picture teepees or wickiups. But down here, they really have some amazing ruins that we've enjoyed visiting - such as Montezuma Castle, Wupatki, and Walnut Canyon!

"Casa Grande" is Spanish for big house. These ruins would have been the largest structure on site - this building was 4 stories tall! We're thankful for the National Park services for doing all they can to preserve it now.

Charlotte also enjoying sniffing around this area. :) I love her curiosity! 

After this, we drove to Gilbert where we were able to attend the middle school musical that Curtis' sister's school was putting on, and then enjoying dinner and catching up with Lydia and Jeff. Charlotte enjoyed sniffing around their entire back yard, as usual. 

We stopped for our Krispy Kreme doughnuts - something we must do every time we are in Phoenix - and then drove home. While we were driving, it looked like there were rainstorms in the distance with lightning flashing, but we soon realized that what looked like patches of rain turned out to be clouds of dust! It wasn't that bad and didn't affect the roads, but it was pretty epic!

And that was our weekend - have a great week everyone! :)

Welcoming Changing Seasons, Family, and The Puppies We Wish We Could Have

This weekend's "Saturday Adventure" is more like a series of extended weekend adventures thanks to Curtis' super light schedule. So enjoy reading about our Thursday-Friday-Saturday adventures. :) 

Monsoon season is officially here, as we've had rain off and on during the week. With it came some humidity. (what?! Yes, it's true - Arizona doesn't always stick to the "dry heat" rule! So unfair.) While that may be an unfortunate part of this season, there's one thing that has made up for it: beautiful sunsets!

No, we don't always see sunsets like this - monsoon clouds make it so much better. I've enjoyed looking and taking pictures of these every night this week!

 

They called Thursday night's sunset the "Arizona flag sunset" because the lights really do look like the flag! (Compare above picture with below - how cool!)

Of course, we saw this sunset as we were walking to the puppy store. Today, I'll share pictures of all our furry babies ;)

Puggle (pug + beagle) on the left, Boston Terrier on the right. 

Dachshund! His name is Franz. (Yes we name them, what would you expect?)

As much as we love Franz, the Puggle was our favorite of the week! Curtis said he thinks it's so cute, he would name it Puggle rather than coming up with another name. It's hard to get pictures of little active puppies, but Puggle loved looking at my camera. :)

Aww, Puggle & Boston are best friends - we're obviously getting both. ;) 

Another top favorite pair of the night - the English bulldog and the Schnauzer. 

He was also interested in my camera. I used to think bulldogs weren't so cute, but looking at this little face, how could I say no?!

We loved the "tiger stripe" patterns on the bulldog as well! Such pretty colorations!

So, why don't we have a dog yet? Sadly, it really just comes down to us being "responsible adults." We are definitely dog people and very much want one, and when we started seriously considering getting one earlier this year, we decided to wait till fall at least so that we could take it outside more without the heat. (This was before we knew how much we liked the heat!) But the more I think about it, the more I realize how it might not fit into our lifestyle very much. While a dog would probably love hiking and going on walks with us all the time, we also do lots of traveling, and so we'd either have to have a dogsitter, or try to do dog-friendly things only. We already have some "extreme trips" planned for the near-future, and honestly I don't think we're ready for the commitment that comes with dog ownership. It breaks my heart to think that, but I think that acknowledging this is the right thing for now. Someday I will hopefully have a cuddly, lovable puppy to keep me company while Curtis is away. :)

Curtis' week was actually very light, and he was able to work from home several days. On Friday, we got up "early" to beat the heat and claim first finders on several new boxes in the area. Nothing was too strenuous, just a stroll through a park, and a delightful morning together.

Prickly pear cactus - they are beginning to grow their fruit! I snapped some pictures while Curtis retrieved a box because I want to remember all these little changes and "seasons" the desert goes through.

Here's the fruit as it begins to grow. It starts off green, and if you don't know what it is, you might think it's just a new growth to the prickly pear.

Above is a riper prickly pear fruit, but still not finished. When they're ready, they are a much deeper purple-red color. I've seen prickly pear jellies for sale but have personally never tried it, though I've heard that javelina really enjoy them!

Friday night's sunset - we got to introduce our friend Mitch to Culver's and then had a stamp carving party at our apartment.

And now, for today's Saturday Adventure! We drove up to Phoenix to help Curtis' sister, Lydia, and her husband, Jeff, move in to their first home. Well actually, Curtis was really the only one who was needed to move heavy things, and that didn't take long at all so we were able to enjoy the day catching up and playing games. We're excited they are finally here, as unfortunate as it may be to have to move to Arizona in the heat of the summer! They have a lovely new home, with high ceilings and big windows that bring in lots of natural light. It'll be fun to see how they make it their own. :)

After a fun afternoon, we left their place, and instead of heading straight home, we decided to grab some letterboxes around Gilbert. We had a nice walk around the downtown area before heading over to some parks.

A big random statue near some tennis courts. Yes, after a hot and sunny day in Phoenix, the clouds and winds were moving in and starting to cool things off. While Phoenix is only 5-10 degrees warmer than Tucson is on any given day, that 5-10 degrees makes a huge difference! 

Beautiful skies and singing our lungs out the whole way home. :)

And finally, tonight's lovely sunset! I love this place. We're finishing tonight with delicious cherry cheesecake brownies.