February 1998

Don't know about you but we are not sure if we are happy or sad with February being so short. Happy because the weather has been so miserable all month (there has to be an improvement in March). Or sad for there was so much we want to do and didn't have enough time to do half.

Through the luxury of cable we have watched the impact of El Nino on the Nation. The devastation is terrible to see. Especially now that we have visited many of the places mentioned. It is reported Arizona has thus far received 250 times its annual rainfall. The "dry" wash behind our campground is a roaring torrent and many of the mountains surrounding us are snowcapped. The ski-mountains claim to have anywhere from a four to nine-foot base of snow. Roosevelt Lake, the largest lake in Arizona, (it is located in the Tonto Basin of the Tonto National Forest which we will finish as soon as the snow melts!) underwent some improvements recently. They dropped the Lake's level to add 70-feet to the dam's height. The projection is 5 to 7 years to refill the Lake, but, with all the rain and snow, now the estimate is two years!

The campground owner, grocery store cashiers, even the weather persons apologize for the wet and cold weather we experienced in February. Suzi complains regularly about the temperature during Tory's morning walk. (She even knitted a pair of warm, wooly gloves just for those walks!) She wonders out loud if we'll ever be able to get all the mud out of the trailer's carpet. Fred is very tired of getting soaked every time he goes outside for a cigarette. However, all this moisture is bringing about a most beautiful change in the desert's landscape. Browns are becoming greens. Not the bright "spring" green you see back East but rather a green in various shades of olive. And bright yellows, blues and orange are popping out everywhere. There are little patches of sunny-faced daisies in shady places, stripes of a blue bell-like flower along the roadsides and baby blanket size areas of cheddar cheese colored poppies blooming. Occasionally, we see an Ocotillo with delicate scarlet blossoms bottlebrush-like at the very tip of it's branches. It would seem the more furious the the plant, the more delicate and sweet smelling the flower. Even the Cholla (perhaps one of the most feared of the desert cactus for its tendency, real or imagined, to jump out and stab the passerby) have a soft, downy appearance of new growth. The downside of all this growth is it offers abundant fuel to fires during the Summer's dry period.

When you think of the Southwest, cowboys, or the desert there is one plant that must appear in your mind's eye - the Saguaro (pronounced sa-WAHR-o). We have been told this cactus could be classified as a tree but it has got to be one of the strangest trees you will see. It has a fairly limited growing area and we happen to be located near it's most eastern reaches. While a mature Saguaro produces millions of seeds annually (it takes 380 seeds to equal the weight of one aspirin), very few reach maturity. Like the Sikta spruce of the Northwest, the Saguaro needs a "nurse" plant to aid in its growth and requires up to twenty-five years or more before it starts to sprout those characteristic "branches." This cactus can grow to unbelievable sizes (read about one that is 75-feet tall) and always assume the most fanciful shapes. Around here they seem to do best on the south facing hillsides. Their "trunk" growing straight and true while two, three or more "branches" are raised heavenward like some pseudo-cactus man offering up prayers for more rain. In a couple of months, the Saguaro will blossom a wreath of night-blooming flowers crowning each branch, with bats, birds, and butterflies crowding in to enjoy the sweet nectar. Now that's something we are looking forward to.

During the last week of the month, the Hogans joined us from San Diego to enjoy the sights. We kept them busy visiting some our favorite sights and enjoying a couple of new ones. While Globe is our primary place for groceries and such, we had not really toured the town until the Hogans' visit which coincided with their annual Historic House and Buildings Tour. The highlight was the Old Dominion Mine which stopped it's copper mining operation in 1931. Now the OD Mine "mines" water for the town and a couple of sister mines. The next day we retraced the Apache Trail with a stop at the Tonto National Monument (pre-historic cave dwellings). This was an all day sojourn along the twisting, winding single-lane dirt road, which was capped off with dinner in Tortilla Flats' one and only gift shop/bar/restaurant. (The only other building is a ice cream/convenience store.) On another day we managed to beat a heavy rain storm with a morning visit to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, and spending a quiet afternoon back at the trailers. Our last adventure was to the Art Gallery District of Scottsdale. You won't believe the number and variety of art galleries in this area and the enormous selection of southwestern jewelry and rugs. Fred is just recovering from sticker shock induced by the price on those rugs. One suggestion Mr. Hogan would like to convey after his experience here - limit sample size of the chili peanuts you try. All-in-all, a great time and good visit. Maybe you would like to join us someday?

While the latter part of February was spent enjoying the sights, the early part was spent transmitting requests for campground updates to the National Forests' District Ranger Offices. Of the 202 District Offices, we were able to transmit 144 faxes and had to mail out 58. (Really have no desire to see our phone bill.) Of those 202 requests we have so far received 98 responses. Not bad but we had hoped for a little better rate of turn.

One downside of the cold, rainy weather to us is the possibility we won't depart Superior on schedule. Any delay would naturally impact the amount of work (and play) we could accomplish during the summer months so we are hoping for the best and trying to devise alternatives if necessary. In the meantime, we will continue updating our web page, enjoy watching the desert transition from it's Winter landscape to Springtime glory, and visiting as many festivals, fairs, and special events as possible. Tough job but someone has to do it. Right? Until next month, stay warm, dry, and healthy.

Suzi and Fred