Over the years, we have recorded many miles traveling I-10 east and west, but for our east coast road trip, we left I-10 before Ft. Stockton taking I-20 to Pecos on our way to the Dallas/Ft. Worth.
After checking in at the Hampton Inn, we decided to go to dinner at The All American Inn, which just happen to be located across the street from the historical Judge Roy Bean building.
As Joy and I often do we shared our dinner, this night a spicy southwestern hamburger and order of fries. However, the burger was not cut in half when served, so we asked for a knife. Our server, a young Vietnam girl (maybe 12 years old), said it was not cut because they didn’t have any knives, none in the place; but she could bring us a plastic fork. Have you ever tried to half a hamburger with a plastic fork — it’s not easy.
A Vietnamese family owns the restaurant, and on this Saturday evening, the father, daughter, and very young boys were there.
The burger had plenty of spicy souce and jalapeño. Other than being extremely hot, it was very tasty.
The youngest boy was fighting to stay awake while watching a movie.
All in all, the day was a good start to our rode trip. — kenne and joy
Surphur Butterflies on Creosole Bush Blossoms In Sabino Canyon (July 27, 2021) — Images by kenne
The recent monsoon rains have greened up the canyon, bringing out a lot of butterflies. Unfortunately, I only had my 18-70 mm lens, so trying to photograph the mostly surphur butterflies became challenging.
The Telegraph Fire is a wildfire in the Tonto National Forest that started west of Globe, Arizona on June 4, 2021. The fire burned 180,757 acres and was fully contained on July 4, 2021. It is the largest wildfire in the United States of the 2021 wildfire season so far. State Highway 77 was closed several times during the life of the Telegraph Fire. These images were taken July 2nd as we drove back to Tucson after spending a few days in Pinetop, Arizona.
I was originally scheduled to lead the SCVN Turkey Run Trail hike tomorrow. However, because of some nagging leg problems, I had to bow out. Instead, I did hike Turkey Run with two friends (Tom and John) last Friday. Usually, by this time of year, there are plenty of wildflowers, but not this year. The gallery contains cow parsnip, New Mexico Locust, and silverpuff.
Although Madrid still likes to consider itself a ghost town, it represents a unique example of resurrection. In the 1920s and 30s, Madrid was as famous for its Christmas lights as for its coal, and airlines used to reroute traffic during the holidays to show passengers the sight. Coal became important in the 1880s, but when the demand for coal diminished after World War II, long forlorn rows of identical company houses stood empty. By the 1970s, the sound of hammers could be heard throughout the town from renovations to these houses.
Early Blooming Wildflowers on Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains (May 17, 2021) — Images by kenne Click on any image to see the flowers with descriptions in a slideshow formate.
Gila Topminnow, once the most widespread fish in the Gila River basin (including Santa Cruz River), the Gila topminnow now claims Cienega Creek as its last stronghold in the United States. This guppy-like fish is good at thriving in less than ideal water conditions and loves to feast on mosquito larva. — Source: Pima County
Sunday Morning Quail Walk (Gambel’s quail – Callipepla gambelii)– Photo-Essay by kenne (Click On Any Image For A Larger View In A Slideshow Format)
As quail families go, this is a small family — two chicks and two adults (the male is not pictured because of his scout position). This family was probably much larger at one time since the female may lay six to nine eggs. Snakes and other predators may eat the eggs before they hatch, and survival doesn’t get much better as little chicks.
Tanque Verde Wash Tail — Photo Essay by kenne (Click On Any Image To See In A Slideshow Format
I have been walking the trails along the Tanque Verde Wash for over ten years, taking many photos of the art and still have no idea who is the artist(s) — for me, it’s a mystery.
