Tag: hiking

Day 2287

Sunday January 7th 2024

Dear Journal:

SNOW! As we wake this morning we can not see the Picketpost mountain, as day breaks we are engulfed in low laying cloud cover, totally obscuring our view of the surrounding mountains. It is raining as we prepare to head to the visitor center for another day of volunteering. I already know that it will be a long boring day in admissions, but the Arboretum never closes so we are headed to the visitor center just before eight o’clock.

As we walk to the visitor center this morning we can see snow on Picketpost Mountain at least what we can see of the mountain under the cloud cover. Most Sundays we are hoping to exceed 1000 visitors while today I’m thinking maybe 100 could be a stretch. But I’m starting a new book today, so I will be able to occupy myself if the visitors don’t come to the Arboretum today.

This is not a book to read on a busy day, this is most likely one of the most difficult reads that I have ever undertaken. Think history book kind of reading, dates, facts, and a complete history on every new associate that he came in contact with.

A complicated history on the man who brought the atomic bomb to life, and how the country that had picked him to perform such a task then turned him into a villain following his actions. As I read this I realized that the division in America is not something new.

As the day proceeds the clouds start to lift and Picketpost mountain come into view with the snow and even some blue sky starting to open up. We are actually in some sunshine at the visitor center.

On these long boring days I’m usually left in the admission booth by myself, Miss Laurie spends her day helping in the gift shop either restocking shelves or managing the store while staff is performing other tasks. And as you may know I get bored and while reading my book I happen to notice this incest on the admission booth window with temperatures just over the freezing mark, not a temperature that brings out bugs. It also would appear that I need to clean the glass in the admission booth windows.

There were no admission records set today, I read until my head hurt, and the day just kept getting better, the temperature never climbed much today but we did get a little sunshine which always makes cold days a little more bearable. The clouds became whiter and the blue sky opening became larger, and the snow became more obvious. And as much as I tried to avoid them I still got the top of those damn port-a-potties in the bottom of the photo.

Our work week is over, we are off now until Friday, the coach was chilly when we returned, usually with any amount of sunshine the coach warms up quite nicely, but on cloudy days not so much so I’m firing up the electric heaters as we prepare to kick back and watch some television, news, 60 minutes, then some YouTube videos.

Blog 502

Day 2286

Saturday January 6th 2024

Dear Journal:

Well it is a damn cold this morning here in Arizona, we had rain over most of the night and with the cold temperature we must be almost cold enough to have snow. There is no sense of urgency to get to the visitor center before a rush of visitors, so we have a second cup of coffee as we know it will be a tough day. I actually download an extra e-book as I’m thinking there may be some extra reading time. The cloud cover is very low and the top of Picketpost mountain is no where to be seen.

There are a number of events scheduled in the arboretum this morning as with most weekends, today we have a “Forest Bathing” session happening, it was planned for an open area in the Arboretum now there is a scramble to move it to a covered area. I will try to explain Forest Bathing to everyone once I understand it, all I know for sure is that it sells out when ever offered. As the first Arboretum visitors are mostly the Forest Bathing participants there is lots of time for for me to catch up on my reading.

One of the staff just came to the booth as she had never seen snow and today we are seeing the occasional flake falling, it is hard for me to understand someone never having seen snow, but it is a rarity in the Phoenix valley, although common enough at higher elevation. Which could explain the common driving hazard here in Arizona when after a snowfall at elevation the valley folk drive north on Interstate 17 then pack the shoulder of the highway to walk or play in the new fallen snow, causing a real driving hazard.

Miss Laurie snapped this photo from behind the admission booth mid morning when the cloud had lifted to expose Picketpost Mountain, a spectacular photo of Eucalyptus tree, Saguaro cactus, the sun peaking through the clouds and a skiff of graupel on the ground, even the 100th centennial sign at the visitor center.

Well we made it through what seemed like a very long day, and other than the Forest Bathers early this morning there were very few visitors today, there are some members that come out just to see the Arboretum when it is wet, and as much as it has been a cold rainy day the creek is still not running. This type of day is so good for the gardens as it allows the moisture to seep into the soil as opposed to just running into the creek.

There was a wet winter forecast this year and it has been with lots of gentle rains, and unlike last year when Queen Creek was running hard so much of the time this year the water is soaking in and I suspect there could be another super bloom in the spring. Not a lot more to be said other than it was a long day in our little booth.

Blog 501