Mike and I have been keeping pretty busy while in Tucson. One of the things we did last week was visit the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. Our daughter, Amy, went there earlier this year to see the special exhibit, Chihuly in the Desert. Dale Chihuly is a famous glass artist who does AMAZING things with glass. It was fabulous seeing the art amidst the desert landscape. As a bonus, there were lots of plants blooming, cacti included, and we got to see a butterfly exhibit, too.
I took lots of pics. LOL. I’ll keep this post focused on the Chihuly art. Other interestingness will be shared in a future post.
The place was crazy-busy. I think this is prime season for the facility since so many of the plants and trees were blooming.
Boat full of glass.
Same boat full of glass from a slightly different angle.
These columns of green glass are actually standing outside of the entrance to the gardens.
I didn’t take notes, so I can’t share the proper names for each piece.
This one reminds me of hot peppers.
I tried hard to get shots without people in the background. Those yellow trees were in bloom all over the desert around Phoenix last week.
Here’s another shot of the hot pepper glass with a less-busy background. I think it was about 15 feet tall (~5 meters).
Blue spears amid cacti.
I really like the colors in this one. It could be desert colors or ocean colors.
Colorful spears of glass near what I think might be Organ Pipe cacti (tall plant on left with multiple stalks).
A closer look at the colorful spears of glass.
This big ball of squiggly green glass was about 9 feet across (~3 meters).
Here’s a shot of the same piece with a different background . See the blooming Ocotillo plant beside it? They are in bloom in many places around Phoenix and Tucson.
A real close-up look.
Red spears stacked sorta like tipis.
Purple spears.
This one isn’t as colorful as many other pieces, but I still like it. It wasn’t one of Mike’s favorites.
They also had a number of pieces on display indoors. I didn’t photograph every piece, but I think I got a few good shots.
Blues, purples, and greens are one of my favorite color combinations.
Flattened jellyfish?
Close-up scramble.
Orange stuff.
Two smaller pieces.
Another smaller piece (about 2 feet tall (2/3 meter).
More orange/yellow stuff.
Red tubulas.
I hope you enjoyed the pics. If you are ever in Phoenix, the Desert Botanical Garden is a lovely place to visit. The Chihuly exhibit will only be there through mid-June, I think. I really do feel like Spring is probably the best time to visit if you want to see lots of blooms, but I bet it is beautiful in its own way any time of year.
One thing for sure, you will see an amazing variety of cacti no matter when you visit. 🙂
On Friday, March 25, we were forced to make the decision all pet parents dread. We had to say goodbye to our sweet little baby girl. I really miss my dog. It hurts so much that I have really been struggling to find the words to say what I want to say.
Belle really was the best dog ever. How do I briefly sum up the life of a dog that brought so much love, joy, and laughter to our lives? She’s been such a huge part of our lives, especially these last few years when she was our only dog. Our lives will never be the same. She was such a special girl.
We adopted her in January 2009 when she was 18 months old. I met her first. She was a beautiful, spunky little princess with the cutest face and most expressive eyes. One look and I knew. It really was love at first sight. Not just for myself, either. When I met Belle, I knew she was exactly the kind of dog that Mike needed. She became his little girl immediately.
The bond was strong.
Belle was never a full-on face licker. She gave the cutest little tip-of-your-nose kisses that melted my heart every single time. She liked nuzzling ears, too. And snuggling her head up under my chin when I was holding her.
Smiley Belle (she loved, Loved, LOVED going “bye byes” and riding in the convertible).
Even as she aged, and it got harder and harder for her to get around or even just to get comfortable, she stayed sweet. As her vision and hearing got worse and worse, she became more and more anxious and leery of strangers, but she was never aggressive. And she was always such a smiley, happy dog. When I walked with her, almost everyone who saw her would smile at her. She seriously loved walks.
The previous image of Smiley belle is from earlier this year. She still had some of that special light of happiness in her eyes, which we saw less and less as the weeks and months progressed. She had always been a champion at hiding pain and discomfort.
Speaking of discomfort, she HATED baths, but she was very obedient and didn’t fight them too much. I think her last full bath was before we went to North Carolina for Christmas 2021. We had to give her butt baths periodically because of her issues with urinary incontinence, but she didn’t mind them as much as full-body bathing.
She really used to LOVE walking. As her body aged and her senses started failing, she enjoyed walks less and less. If Mike and I both walked with her, she was happy. All she really wanted as she aged was to be with her two favorite people.
She couldn’t do much toward the end, but she sure loved car rides. Especially in the Mini convertible.
Belle and Mike at Big Bend National Park.
She loved being with her people and hated being left alone in the coach so we took her everywhere we went. If Belle couldn’t go with us, we stayed home.
Belle looking out of her window.
“Where you been, Mama? I missed you.”
Belle looking out the window behind me. The back windows never stayed up for long when Belle was in the car.
Belle riding in the coach. She was the best co-pilot ever.
Even as she got older and grayer, people would often comment that she was such a beautiful dog. They were right. She was beautiful inside and out.
Lucky for us, we have good friends who didn’t mind having Belle around. Or who hid it well! LOL.
Belle enjoying a New Year’s boat ride on the Suwannee River.
Belle getting a little butt-scratch from Dad during the boat ride.
Belle enjoying the Suwannee River boat ride (photo courtesy of Bridget Machida).
Belle enjoying the Suwannee River boat ride (photo courtesy of Bridget Machida).
Below is a picture of our three-pack. Before Belle, we never, ever would have imagined that we would have three dogs at once. We adopted Belle as a companion for Meg (upper right), but the age difference was too great. She ran circles around Meg, literally, and made Meg a little crazy, which drove us all a little crazy, too. So we adopted a third dog, K (left), as a playmate for our feisty little Belle.
Belle was the youngest member of our three-pack.
It did not take long at all for Belle and K to become friends. They loved running and playing together. They especially enjoyed “wrastling” together, and so did we. It was so much fun to see and hear them wrestling! They made the funniest faces and sounds.
Belle and K were always two-peas-in-a-pod!
After K passed in February 2018, Belle was never quite the same. She didn’t like being an only dog. We did what we could to make sure she got lots of love and attention. And we made sure she had friends.
Zephyr and Belle
Her bestest friend was Zephyr, the miniature Australian Shepherd pictured with her above. We met him when he lived across the street from us. His Mama, Amy, was a firefighter and paramedic in training that worked long shifts. For about a year and a half or two, Zephyr would stay with us while his Mama was working. They had so much fun together and really did seem to just enjoy each other’s company.
His mama would drop him off at the house early in the mornings, while we were still sleeping, and Belle was always so happy and excited to have him there. The two of them were quite a pair. We are so glad he could give her the friendship she needed during that time. She even loved walking again when Zephyr was with us.
Her other two friends were Bodhi (a Lab) and Symon (a Golden) Richardson, pictured below. She loved their people, too, and always enjoyed staying with them while we were traveling.
L-R, Bodhi, Belle, and Symon.
L-R, Belle, Bodhi, and Symon in September 2021
The boys were much bigger and younger than Belle. Bodhi and her were friends first, then Symon joined the family. They were all very good together. Their house was a happy, safe place for Belle. She really did love their people, too, and I will forever be grateful to them for opening their home to our baby girl.
She really did hate being alone. I think she was always a bit anxious, but having Meg and K as pack mates, two dogs with big, extroverted personalities, helped manage and hide or distract her (and us!) from that part of her personality.
Belle relaxing on the front porch of our Warrenton home.
She loved being outside more than anything. Especially if one or more of her people were out there, too.
I have so many great pictures of Belle enjoying the outdoors. From hunting with K at the West Virginia place to just hanging out with us while we were doing yard work or whatever.
Speaking of hunting…
One of Belle’s proudest moments. The day she caught her first squirrel.She pranced around the yard, soooo happy and proud to have caught one of those little buggers.
I am 100% convinced that the day she caught that squirrel at our yard in Maryland was one of her best days ever.
Belle was always a great “helper” in the yard.
She chased squirrels at our Virginia house, too, but never caught any. She did come very close a few times, though.
Our co-pilot.
I loved seeing her face in the mirror when we were riding in the Mini. Thats when she was happiest toward the end, when “going bye-byes” with her two people.
She was such a happy, goofy dog at times. Maybe she just put up with us, but we sure had a lot of good times and laughs with her.
Mike and Belle sporting some tacky sunglasses, freebies from our first big RV show.
Break time during a workday when Dad came to visit my office.
Convertible hair!
She loved hanging out with me when I was cooking. Yes, I always gave her some little nibbles.
The image above was taken just a few weeks ago in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Belle loved the snow!
This is Belle’s impatient look. She got tired of me taking pics.
A happy greeting from Belle.
Belle in January, chillaxin’ with her people in the screen house at our campsite in Florida.
Belle with us and our friends Lynne and Jerry in February when we visited Fredericksburg, Texas.
Belle posing with Mike in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Belle at White Sands National Park in New Mexico.
Belle at White Sands. We believe she thought the sand was snow.
Belle was a bit winded after following Mike to the top of a dune at White Sands.
Mike and Belle waiting for me to stop taking pictures and get back into the car!
One of my favorite pictures from that visit to White Sands.
Belle enjoying a hike with us near Las Cruces, New Mexico.
“Mama, are you coming?” The hike was a little hard for her, but she still enjoyed it. She was, after all, doing fun stuff outside with her people.
Walking was getting harder for Belle, but she so loved doing things outside with us. And we loved having her along.
Mike and Belle in San Antonio, Texas back in January.
Belle and Mike exploring one of the missions in San Antonio, Texas in January.
I took this sometime over the last month or so. I could tell her special light was starting to fade.
Belle around Christmas 2021. She was such a trooper and was so tolerant of having to wear diapers while in the house.
I could tell that Belle’s incontinence bothered her. She always seemed so confused when she wet herself. We never, ever yelled at her for it. We just cleaned her up and assured her that it wasn’t her fault and told her that she was such a good girl.
Here’s Belle watching the moonrise with me in Terlingua, Texas. I will forever miss my little shadow.
A few days before Belle’s death during our visit to Saguaro National Park (west).
Over the last couple of months, I’d noticed it was becoming harder and harder for Belle to maintain her favorite head-hanging-out-a-window position in the car while we were on car rides. She was getting tired more and more quickly.
Belle and I on March 19th at the Coronado National Forest outside of Tucson.
I’d seen the light leaving her eyes gradually over the past couple of months. I’d known her time was approaching. Mike knew, too. We didn’t talk about it, though. We just kept hoping beyond hope that she’d rebound yet again.
But, when she woke up sick again on Friday, and continued being sick as the morning progressed, I knew.
She’d slowly been losing control of her bowels and it scared her. I will spare you the details. Just know that on Friday morning, I knew in my heart that it was time. That light had left her eyes and our little girl was suffering.
Belle on Friday afternoon.
People always say that pet parents know when it’s time. It’s so true. I knew it for CeCe, then Meg, then K, and now Belle. It’s a horrible feeling. It’s when you know for sure that your beloved friend has been suffering and that they’ve finally had ENOUGH. It’s when you know you have to make the awful sacrifice necessary to end your beloved friend’s pain and suffering.
I knew it was time. Mike knew it was time. I think Belle did, too. None of us wanted to let her go, but we did what we felt was the best thing for Belle. We loved her so much.
She was so scared at the end, which made it even harder than we knew it was going to be. It was awful, but we stayed with her to the very end letting her know that she had always been such a good little girl. She was and will always be our pretty little girl.
Belle enjoying a beautiful sunset in her favorite North Carolina yard.
She has left such a huge hole in our hearts. I know this heart-wrenching pain, like everything else, will pass eventually. But right now it is very raw.
Mike and I both love and REALLY miss our beautiful, extraordinarily special, happy little girl.
Until we meet again, baby Belle. Please know that Dad and Mama will forever be grateful for every single second that you were with us during our Earthly lives, and that we look forward to seeing you again when we get to the other side.
So, we are almost ready to leave Las Cruces, New Mexico and I am still not finished sharing pics from Big Bend/Terlingua, Texas.
I have just above zero motivation to use my computer these days. I think I am still recovering from the trauma of my last job! Funny, not funny.
Anyway… the coolest thing about our camping spot in Terlingua, Texas, just outside the Maverick Junction entrance to Big Bend National Park (BBNP), was that we had a pretty good 360 degree view of the sky. So we could see moonrises and sunrises as well as moonsets and sunsets. It was pretty awesome.
The next two images are moonsets.
Terlingua is a great jumping-off spot for visiting BBNP. If you decide to visit BBNP and don’t have an RV, or have a small RV or tent, look for lodging at the Chisos Mountain Lodge or Campground. You will not be disappointed.
One of the weirder things about RV life is that the days can sort of blend together. Maybe it’s not RV life as much as retirement life. It’s my fault, I believe, as my days don’t really have any structure. I’m okay with that most days. Until I think about the fact that we’ve been in three different campgrounds since we left the Big Bend area on February 25 and I STILL haven’t finished sharing pics from Big Bend.
In case there are new folks reading, we recently spent 24 nights camped outside of Big Bend National Park (BBNP) in Terlingua, Texas. BBNP is one of the bigger, more iconic national parks in the US national park system, and for good reason. It’s in a pretty remote location in West Texas on the border with Mexico. It’s a vast, magical place in the Chihuahan Desert.
Dogs are not allowed on any of the trails at BBNP. That wouldn’t be an issue for us if Belle was okay with being left alone in the RV. Alas, she is definitely NOT okay being left alone. Rather than both of us missing out on some of the things we wanted to do in the park, we decided to each take turns going into the park to do some of the things we wanted to do.
One of things I really wanted to do was hike. So, for my first solo excursion, I chose to drive into the Chisos Mountains and hike to The Window. (My friend, Lynne, says “La Ventana” [Spanish for The Window] sounds much more romantic. I agree, but the hike is publicized as The Window in all the park brochures, so I’ll stick with the English label.)
Chisos Mountains
As I mentioned in a previous post, one of the more-unique features of BBNP is that it has its own mountain range, the Chisos Mountains. As noted on Wikipedia, “The mountain system covers 40 square miles (104 square km) and is contained entirely within the boundaries of Big Bend National Park, making it the only mountain range in the United States fully contained within a national park.”
It’s a beautiful spot.
Heading into the Chisos Mountains. I did not see any bears or mountain lions.
Closer look at the rugged Chisos Mountains.
On our previous quick visit to the Chisos Mountains, I’d heard the volunteer at the visitor’s center talking about the Window View Trail, which is an easy, 0.3 mile round trip, paved and wheelchair accessible trail that circles a low hill and features excellent views of the mountain peaks surrounding the Chisos Basin as well as a view through the distant window.
Window View Trail
The Window as seen from the Window View Trail.
Zoomed-in view of The Window from the Window View Trail.
I explored the Window View Trail first. It took all of about 15 minutes, including photos! That’s when I decided to do the Window Trail. It’s rated moderate, has a distance of 5.6 miles round trip, and descends 900 feet through Oak Creek Canyon to the Window pour-off, framing panoramic desert vistas. During wetter periods, a creek actually flows through the canyon and must be crossed several times. Hikers are warned to use caution on the trail as the top of the Window pour-off is slick rock with no railings. The entire Chisos Basin drains into Oak Creek and out through the window. The sand and gravel carried by the water is what caused the rock to be so smooth and slick.
Heading down toward The Window.
Footing on the trail was a little rough at times. I was glad I was wearing hiking shoes. Fortunately, there were “steps” worked into the trail to make the descent easier. I took my good, sweet time and paid attention to my footing the whole way down.
Views along the Window Trail. (See the log “step” in the trail?)
I so enjoyed getting a closer look at the mountains and all of the desert vegetation along the way.
Large Agave plant.
That Agave was at least three feet (roughly one meter) wide and tall.
Heading into the canyon.
The closer I got to The Window, the more the trail started to feel like I was walking through a canyon.
There seemed to be more vegetation in the canyon, which makes sense since that’s where the creek flows (in wet seasons).
I really enjoyed seeing the signs of erosion as I walked through the canyon. What an impressive sight it must be to see the creek flowing after a heavy rainfall!
The rocks were really impressive in the canyon.
Actual steps have been cut into the canyon walls in various spots to facilitate easier and safer passage for hikers.
Me in The Window.
The canyon walls were probably about 100 feet tall on either side of The Window. The rock looks shiny at the bottom because it’s been worn very smooth by sand and rocks carried in the basin runoff.
It was such a cool spot. I couldn’t help but wonder what The Window looks like from the other side. I used Google when I got back to camp and found this image.
The Window as seen from outside of the Chisos Basin. (Photo credit to wideopencountry.com.)
After taking some pics and admiring the view, I ate my lunch then started the return trek.
Climbing out of the canyon.
Cool eroded boulders.
Walking out of the canyon.
Up, and up, and up.
It was a lot easier walking down into the canyon. A 900-foot (275 m) elevation change is nothing to sneeze at, especially for one who is overweight and out of shape like me.
Hiking back up to the visitor center.
Beautiful light hitting the rocks.
If I’d been thinking clearly before the hike, I would have realized the hike was potentially beyond my current level of fitness. I probably shouldn’t have gone to The Window — it was a struggle for me to get back — but the views were so worth it. I am really glad I pushed myself and made the trek. I’m also glad I didn’t wimp-out near the end and hitchhike from the campground back to the visitor center.
Rather than post all 50 images here on the blog, I created a Google Photos Album for those of you who would like to see the rest of the pics. There are quite a few good ones, in my humble opinion.
We were supposed to be in picturesque Carlsbad, New Mexico this weekend. Instead, we are staged at an RV park on the outskirts of El Paso, Texas, waiting for our Monday appointment at an RV dealer where we hope to have our finicky water heater repaired. Then, hopefully the same day (Tuesday at the latest), we need to go to an auto glass shop to get replacement glass installed for the inside pane of the driver’s window that mysteriously shattered last week.
Urban RV parks are not our usual thing. This park is older and was designed for skinnier RVs. You know, back when not every RV had multiple slide-outs. Spaces are very close together. Mike actually measured the distance between utility posts to satisfy our curiosity. It’s 21 feet from post to post. Our RV is 12.5 feet wide, with the slides out. In a site that’s 21 feet wide, we have an “extra” 8.5 feet. That’s barely enough room for a lawn chair, not that we’d want to sit outside in this less-than-favorable environment. And we’re pretty close to the interstate, too, so there’s traffic noise day and night. It’s a depressing place.
El Paso overview map. The green arrow points to where we are “camped.”
In the image shared above, you can see how densely populated the area is. You can also see Juarez, Mexico in the lower left third of the image.
We are hoping the water heater and glass repairs all happen tomorrow (Monday) so we don’t have to return to this spot in East El Paso. It’s definitely not a happy, relaxing place. The sooner we can get out of here, the better.
I’m not complaining, really. It’s all part of the adventure. Besides, with nothing else to do, I can go through more of my pics from Big Bend National Park (BBNP) to share here.
If you look at a map of BBNP, you’ll see there are several distinct areas. Our campground was near the western side of the park in Study Butte/Terlingua. On our fourth trip into the park, we drove to the eastern side to see Rio Grande Village.
Rio Grande Village map
Looking south toward Mexico from the Boquillas Canyon Overlook.
Looking toward the Sierra del Carmen Mountains (in Mexico) from the Boquillas Canyon Overlook.
It would have been nice to hike through the canyon, but we had Belle with us. At BBNP, pets are not allowed on trails, off roads, or on the river. Basically, your pet can only go where your car can go. Having Belle along limited what we could do in the park, but she hates being left alone in the RV. We both agreed we would rather miss out on a few activities than severely stress Belle out at this advanced age in her life (she will be 15 in June).
Mike and Belle waiting while I took some photos.
You can see Boquillas Canyon in the top-center of the frame if you look closely and use your imagination.
Prickly Pear Cactus with pink needles.
The Sierra del Carmen mountain range, which is in Mexico, can be seen in the distance.
I think this was called a Rainbow Cactus.
Looking at the Sierra del Carmen mountains from the parking lot of the Rio Grande Visitor Center.
Tunnel near the Rio Grande Overlook.
Belle and Mike waiting for me to finish taking pictures again.
Big Bend Blue Bonnet (wildflowers)
Petrified Wood
Pink Prickly Pear Cactus
Petrified Wood
Thompson’s Yucca
Driving toward the Chisos Mountains.
One of my favorite rocky outcrops not far from the Maverick Junction entrance to the park (near Study Butte/Terlingua).
The best thing about staying close to the national park over an extended period of time was that we didn’t feel forced to cram a bunch of stuff into every day. Some days, we didn’t even leave the campsite.
Another good thing about staying close to the park is being able to visit at different times of day. Believe it or not, things look different throughout the day due to the ever-changing angle of sunlight throughout the day.
BBNP is truly an amazing place. In my next post, I’ll tell you all about one of the hikes I took while we were there.
We’ve been camped in Terlingua, Texas, a few miles from one of the entrances to Big Bend National Park (BBNP), since February 1. Knowing we were going to be here until February 25, we have not been exhausting ourselves, cramming myriad activities into each and every day. Some days we leave the campground and explore. Other days we just “do retirement things”, as Hubby Mike says. Retirement things include reading, napping, watching movies/other shows, stitching, blogging, making future campground reservations, etc. Essentially, whatever the heck we want to do or not do as the case may be.
This is my third installment about BBNP here on the blog, but that doesn’t mean we’ve only been into the park three times. On this particular day visiting BBNP, we drove into the Castolon area on the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, which ends at the Santa Elena Canyon. I didn’t think anything could top the views we’d seen on previous visits in and around the Chisos Basin. I was wrong.
The drive through the Castolon area to Santa Elena Canyon was spectacular.
View from the Sotol Vista, one of the overlooks along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive.The layers are geologic history on display.The Mule Ears Peaks as seen from the Mule Ears Viewpoint.I am always amazed at how quickly and dramatically the scenery can change.Some of the remains from a fire in May 2019 that destroyed much of the Castolon Historic District. (The fire started in Mexico on a windy 110-degree day and jumped the Rio Grande.)From the site of the Castolon Historic District, you can see where Santa Elena Canyon cuts through the rock.Cerro Castellan (aka Castolon Peak and Castellan Peak) is a conical mountain that tops-out at 3,293 feet (1004 m) from the desert floor.Santa Elena Canyon as seen from the parking lot for the Santa Elena Canyon Trail.Photo captured from the Santa Elena River Access a little ways downstream from the canyon.Castolon Peak and some adjoining mountains. I am constantly amazed at all the different colors that can be seen in the rocks.We nicknamed this area chocolate-chip-ice-cream-rocks.This rock outcrop is one of my personal favorites. I love the colors and shapes of the various layers.Random desert scenery (I like how the plant looks rather spidery).Look at all the colors.
The next five images are all of the same two mountains. I chose to share them here to demonstrate just how quickly and dramatically the views of the same two peaks can change as one proceeds along the road.
Two peaks with impressive red-rock outcrop in the middle of the foreground.Closer look at the same two peaks with desert vegetation in the foreground.View of the same two peaks with chocolate-chip-ice-cream-rocks in the foreground.View of the same two peaks with the rocky desert floor in the foreground. Look at that range of colors!More-distant look at the same two peaks with desert vegetation in the foreground.Another side of the layered mountain I shared earlier with a purplish Prickly Pear as an accent.Cool mountain/rock formation seen as we approach Sotol Vista from the canyon end of the road.Cool mountain/rock formation with the Homer Wilson Ranch in the foreground.Heading north along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, just south of the Burro Mesa Pour-off Trail.One of my favorite pics from the day.
As nice as these images are, I still say they don’t do the place justice. We are so blessed to be able to spend time here seeing this amazing scenery first-hand. Hopefully, those of you who may not be able to travel to such distant places are enjoying these pics I have been sharing. For those of you who are able to travel and enjoy visiting national parks, BBNP and the nearby Big Bend Ranch State Park should definitely be added to your bucket list.
