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Mission San Xavier del Bac

SW Trip part 1

 

Yesterday I returned from a ten-day roadtrip in Arizona, Nevada and southern California. It was a whirlwind journey with a new adventure everyday in places I’ve never visited before. My friends Jennifer and Judy, otherwise known as Notable Exceptions and also two thirds of Horse Crazy Cowgirl Band, have been touring in the SW since November and invited me to join them for a two week break from their musical gigs. It was a great opportunity for me to see a new part of the country and spend time with friends. They travel in a 33 foot motorhome with two cats and a dog.

Our first stop was the St Xavier Mission near Tucson. Actually our first stop was Trader Joes but I didn’t make any pictures there. According to its website, the mission is ‘the oldest intact European structure in Arizona’. Construction was started in 1783. It has suffered from an earthquake and a lightning strike. Work continues to restore the building. We were awe-struck by the colorful paintings and sculptures inside the church. The colors are vibrant and full of warmth and life. We were also impressed by cool temperature of the interior. Its thick walls protect it from the desert heat. On the day I arrived it was over 80. Only a side door away from the sun, was open and inside it was nearly chilly.

I know little about the Catholic traditions so much of what I observed was a mystery to me but I could not help but be in awe of the majesty of the mission.

The ceiling
There were two of these lion-like figures that were recently restored.
Only smokeless candles sold in the Mission’s store can be used in the church. Generations of smoky candles have left their mark on the walls.
Only smokeless candles sold in the Mission’s store can be used in the church. Generations of smoky candles have left their mark on the walls.
The pews looked none too comfortable.
This painted pattern was repeated throughout the bulding
The one open door
A Pyrrhuloxia, a life bird for me.
A fairyduster flower.
Cactus Wren nests in saguaros often appear to be heart-shaped.
Local dog
Shadows

Surf’s Up

Meanwhile, I’ve barely made a dent in the photos from our road trip.

We enjoyed watching surfers playing at Sand Dollar Beach. The weather was so perfect and the water so clear and blue. It looks quite different from the Pacific on the coast of Washington. We went to the beach in the morning before the crowds arrived and again in the evening for sunset. Most folks were there in the heat of the day. When we left late in the morning there was a steady stream of folks walking down the steep stairs to the beach.

Morning on the beach
Playing at the edge of the surf
Nearly midday
Approaching sunset
Evening surfers waiting for waves

There and Back

It was nice to be able to visit friends both coming and going to and from the beach. We saw old friends and their dogs. On the way we stopped in Olympia and had five black dogs altogether! Going to the beach I was lucky to have perfect driving weather with blue skies and no rain or snow. Coming home was a different story. Snoqualmie Pass was closed for avalanche control and opened shortly after I got there. Most cars had to put on chains. Lucky me with my AWD and traction tires, I could skip that tiresome step. Still, the going was slow with bumper to bumper traffic all the way over. A drive that normally takes half an hour took two hours! I was greatly relieved to arrive in Cle Elum and take a break. Blewett Pass was not in bad shape – just compact snow but folks were driving too fast or too slow and it took longer than usual too. What a relief to arrive at Kim’s house. The next day, it was snowing hard in the Wenatchee valley and we enjoyed a walk in the orchard before I left. It weather improved as I got farther north and across the Columbia for the last time. Sadly there was a terrible accident and the highway was closed for three hours and I had to backtrack and take a longer detour through still another snow storm. I can’t tell you how good it felt to get home. The dogs were amazingly patient with all that car time.

A bad picture taken from a moving car but compare it to the photos from the return trip.
Brenna (12), Ty (2), Ella (11 months), Sky (6 months) and Luna (7).
Stopped just outside of North Bend
A walk in the orchard before the last leg of the trip
Luna!
Zur, in the background and Ziggy – Luna’s oldest dog friend.
Ick
The last snow storm on the way home

Summit Lake

Summit Lake has a small provincial park with a campground. When we arrived it appeared to be full and we were considering going on up the road towards Nakusp, unsure if we’d find anything better and available. We enquired with the park host who said the young folks putting up the toadlet fence were leaving that afternoon and we ought to check with them. Sure enough, they’d mostly finished with the fence and had most of their gear packed so we moved in before they were all the way moved out. It was a double spot and we shared it with some nice folks from Castlegar. We also met some other nice folks from Kamloops and an unplanned party went well into the evening one night! We really liked their dog and they were pretty nice too. By this time we must have been missing our dog, back home at Rover’s Ranch.

Summit Lake is a lovely lake for paddling and fishing. I saw numerous canoes and kayaks – more than I’ve seen in one place in a long time. Common Loons must have nested there this year. I saw an adult with an almost grown youngster. Ken enjoyed the fishing – catching some very large rainbow trout that we enjoyed, cooked over the fire.

The toadlet fence is designed to keep the toads out of the campground and also to funnel them to a highway crossing. They are born in the lake and spend their life there as tadpoles til they metamorphose into western toads and then they need to go to the mountains. In order to get there they have to cross the highway and it’s a dangerous gamble for the tiny creatures. We were told that in the past, so many toads were squished on the highway that it needed to be sanded. That’s a lot of tiny toads. Unfortunately all the toadlets don’t understand that they are supposed to come out of the water on the other side of the fence. We saw numerous ones on the road to the boat launch who did find the fence and some were able to squeeze through the tiny holes. Western toads, like many amphibians, are having a hard time these days. Summit Lake is considered a stronghold for them.

That’s it. The last post from the vacation. It was a fun road trip and we will probably re-visit that area again someday.

Summit Lake
Summit Lake
Very healthy devil’s club. This is a wet climate to promote such growth.
Dinner cooking on the campfire
Ken demonstrates proper use of cooking utensils including a shovel and pliers
Hold it like that
Dinner is served!
Toadlet fence along the road to the boat launch
Toadlet fence
Tiny toadlet thinking I can do it, I can get over this thing.
How do they know where to go?
I told you they were tiny
The dark dots are toads
We were there at the start of their season
Learning to crawl before hopping
Last paddle, the last morning of the vacation.

Off and Running

Luna and I are at Loon Lake to attend a canine agility trial. We are total novices at this. Yesterday we had a pleasant drive across eastern Washington birding in various spots.

Through the fog across the plateau

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Are we there yet?

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Lots of fuzzy caterpillars at reardan ponds

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The historic Davenport cemetary can be a birding hotspot. Not yesterday

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Historic Loom Lake school

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Tired after playing ball

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Loon Lake

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Budhas hand? New to me in the produce aisle at Deer Park

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