Tucson

"To walk alone is possible, but the good walker knows that the trip is life and it requires companions." - Dom Helder Camara

This quote appeared in my Sojourners daily email the day I returned from a three-day hiking trip in Tucson with my friend Bev Groff. How fitting! Both literally and figuratively for nearly twenty years, Bev has walked with me through life’s journeys. I am blessed to call her my friend.

During our three days on the trails there were some challenging moments, but we didn't rough it in the back country. Rather, we launched our adventures from the comfort of the Best Western on Oracle Road (clean, affordable, free breakfast and happy hour!). Oro Valley has gotten a much busier and developed than the first time I saw it. But ten minutes into any trail, the serenity of the desert landscape overcomes any sense that one is minutes from a major city. Here is a recap of our hikes:

Saturday - Pusch Peak
Bev's trail name is "The Hungry Tortoise," but I think she should be called "Brave Billygoat." Pusch was a surprisingly tough, with false trails, loose dirt and rocks, and heart-stopping vertical scrambling. We did OK, but my lack of preparedness, combined with ominous rain clouds stopped us short of the summit. If at first you don't succeed, try try again. I will summit Pusch someday in the future. Who's with me :) ?
Sunday - Romero Pools at Catalina State Park
The Romero hike was a true "walk in the park" compared to Pusch. We spent about five hours on this trail. The out-and-back hike is about 3 hours. There are some breath-taking vistas overlooking Oro Valley, but the best part of the hike is lounging by the mountain pools and waterfalls.
Monday - Blackett's Ridge at Sabino Recreation area
This was a gem of a hike. Not too difficult, but definitely challenging. Six miles out and back, approximately four hours of hiking. The trail ends on a steep overlook of Sabino and Bear Canyons. The trail is impeccably maintained, and features a number of vistas.

I was in search a peaceful place that would help me heal. Each day moved me incrementally towards my goal.
Here is a link to some of our photos. I will post a youtube video as soon as I get it uploaded.

Tucson Hiking pix

Sunny San Diego January 2012

I spent "Little Christmas" with Anastasia and family. As always, we packed a lot into three days!

Saturday:
Christmas presents, Natural History museum at Balboa Park, and Babysitting!
Since the visit was so close to Christmas, we waited on presents until I got there. They were hilariously enthusiastic over some pretty modest gifts. Too cute! The big hit was a book titled, Chalk, a simple wordless story about a magical day in the park.

We spent the afternoon at the museum. Its a real kid-friendly place with some hands-on (and belly-on) exhibits. I took in my very first 3-D film, SeaRex . Toby and Madeline gave the movie rapt attention.

On Saturday night, the kids were all mine. Anastasia and Chris went out to celebrate 12 years married. We stayed home, read Chalk, and played Headbanz ;)


Sunday:
Church preschool, Chalk in the park, dinner with Laura and Scott
Sunday morning I got to see Anastasia in action as the Church preschool teacher. Her lessons use the alphabet, stories, and games to teach lessons from the bible. Patience and Quickness to Forgive were the lessons of the morning. Later we went to the park and did chalk drawings and conjured up some creatures the emerged from the sidewalk.
Sunday night, I headed over to Little Italy with Scott and Laura and had my very first polenta.

Monday:
A visit to Madeline's school, excursion to San Diego Safari Park
Monday, Maddie was back in school. I got a quick peek at her kindergarten classroom, and was blown away by how grown up she has become overnight.
Toby, Anastasia and I headed north to the San Diego Zoo Safair Park. Toby was our wildlife photographer, snapping away at animals, birds, and occasionally his feet.

Thank you Thank you Thank you to the Brewsters for a really great weekend!

Click here to see: Photos on Picasa

Mike starts 2012 with annual icy plunge

2012 started with a morning trip to Southie. I am a witness that Mike submerged himself not once, not twice, but three times into Dorchester Bay. I would have done it too, but someone had to hold the bathrobe and take the photo.