Summer!

April 1st, my First Light cactus bloomed, the first cactus to bloom in our yard this Spring.  My April Fool's joke this year was telling everyone that I dyed my hair red.  I even photoshopped a picture of myself.  Many people said they liked it and fell for it!  Paul told me he does not want me to dye my hair red or cut it short.  The hummingbird moths are back in our yard.  They like to hang out on our lantanas.  They were there every day for a week or two before we got them cut back and before the heat came.  

Paul and Nathan went to Cubs spring training game on 4/2.  I chose not to go because it was supposed to be hot and I didn't want to sit out in the sun.  I guess the seats he got ended up being in the shade most of the time, though.  Cubs lost :(  I went back to the Desert Botanical Gardens while they were at the game.  

On 4/5, I went to Tucson Botanical Gardens, Reid Park Rose Garden, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens and Pima Prickly Park.

The prickly pears in our yard started to bloom 4/6. 

I went to Saguaro National Park and the Desert Museum on 4/7.  

4/8, my First Light bloomed again, my white cactus bloomed and my hot pink cactus bloomed.  I also saw claret cups in the median in Oro Valley.  

I saw some cactus flowers in the median by Oro Valley Hospital on 4/9.  More of my First Light cactus flowers opened up as well as another white cactus flower and my June Noon.  

I went to see the Oro Valley Hospital cactus flowers in the medians, Tucson Botanical Gardens, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens and Pima Prickly Park on 4/11.

I went to the Lord's Supper at church on Tuesday, 4/12.  We believe Jesus died the next day since the Bible says he died and rose again 3 days later.  If we celebrate his resurrection on Easter Sunday, then he had to die on Wednesday not Good Friday.  The tomb was empty Sunday morning so he arose Saturday night.  

Easter was on 4/17.  Nathan and I went to church.  

I went to Tohono Chul Park, Tucson Botanical Gardens, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun and Green Things Nursery on 4/18.

I went to Pima Prickly Park 4/19.

I went to Pima Prickly Park 4/20.

My hot pink cactus flowered 4/23.

I went to the Reid Park Zoo to see the baby meerkats and Reid Park Rose Garden 4/25.

I went to the Desert Museum and Saguaro National Park 4/28/22.

I went to Tucson Botanical Gardens and Pima Prickly Park 4/29/22.

My First Light cactus bloomed again 5/2/22.  I also saw a Great Horned Owlet in the nest in my neighborhood!

I went to Bach's Cactus Nursery and Tohono Chul Park 5/3/22.  My June Noon and hot pink cacti bloomed that day, too.  

On 5/4, I went to Tohono Chul Park and Reid Park Zoo.  

I went to the Desert Museum and Saguaro National Park on 5/6.  I also took some more pictures of the Great Horned Owlet in our neighborhood.  That night we went for an early Mother's Day dinner at Vivace.

5/8 was Mother's Day.  Nathan went to church with me.  Afterward, Paul cooked out.  

I had one bloom open on my First Light cactus 5/10.  That one stayed open the next day and two more opened.  

I went to Tucson Botanical Gardens and the Reid Park Rose Garden 5/12.

I went to the memorial service for Belinda Davis at church on 5/13.  Afterward I made a quick stop at the Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens 5/13. 

On 5/18 my Apricot Glow cactus had 3 flowers, my new flying saucer had 2 flowers and my June Noon had a flower.  

On 5/19, 2 of my new Argentine Giant Big Bertha flowers tried to open.  The underside (outer petals) didn't look good.  I am going to keep this cactus in the shade and hope it flowers better next time.  I went to Bach's Cactus Nursery and found a pretty June Noon hybrid cactus so I bought that one.  I also went to Tohono Chul Park and the Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens.  

My white cactus with the green underside bloomed on 5/20.  That evening we ended up taking Paul to urgent care.  He hasn't been controlling his diabetes the last couple of years.  Lately he has felt very tired and he's been losing weight.  He was in the 160s a couple of years ago and now he is in the 130s.  A lot of that weight he thinks he has just lost since the first of this year.  They checked his blood sugar at urgent care and did an EKG.  His blood sugar was 280.  She also thought she heard a heart murmur so she referred him to a cardiologist.  She gave him one month prescriptions for Metformin and Simvastatin.  She told him to stop taking the Trulicity insulin he started again a couple of weeks ago, one because it is expired and two because she didn't want him taking too many meds all at once until he follows up with a primary doctor and endocrinologist.  

Paul got an appointment for today, 5/24, to see a nurse practitioner at his former primary doctor's office.  They did some bloodwork and took a urine sample.  They are going to do a chest xray, a colonoscopy, etc...  They are going to be checking for different cancers like prostate and thyroid.  He has a follow up appointment with them on 7/1.  

Paul has a cardiologist appointment set up for next Tuesday, 5/31.  He also has an appointment set up for the endocrinologist on 7/28.  They are sending him a lab work order and he is supposed to get that done 2-3 weeks before his appointment.  

We are supposed to go to Hawaii 6/14-6//27.  We have already paid for most of it, but we are hoping that Paul will be well enough to go.  Hopefully, we will find out some more answers about his health before our trip.  He has been watching his diet, taking the meds that urgent care subscribed and going to see all of these different doctors.  His blood sugar has been fluctuating the last several days.  It has mostly been in the 200s.  At one point yesterday it was in the 300s.  This morning it was down to 180, but then went back up to the 200s after he ate breakfast.  His blood pressure was a little high today, too, upper 130s over upper 80s.  He's been having trouble going #2, too, only going like once a week.  So he has a lot going on and we need to know if it is all related to the diabetes or something more.  Hopefully, he can get his blood sugar better controlled and there is nothing else seriously wrong.  The pandemic hit a couple of years so doctors weren't really seeing patients.  His company got bought out around that time and work has been stressful ever since.  So he stopped going to the doctors, stopped taking his medications and ate whatever he wanted.  Now he is paying the price.  We are praying that neglecting his health did not cause irreversible damage.     

Nathan finished the 4th quarter of 6th grade with a 89.6 GPA!  He just made honor roll!  He needed 89.5 or above.  He got a 84 in History/Geography, 91 in Science, 92 in Math, 88 in Latin, 93 in English, E (exceeding the standard) in Art, E in Music and M in P/E.  He had his honors assembly today on 5/24/22.  Yesterday they had a field trip to the Reid Park Zoo.  He said a lot of it was closed off because they are doing construction/expansion.  After the honors assembly they went to Harkins to see Fantastic Beasts and the Secrets of Dumbledore.  Wednesday they have a Field Day at the school.  Thursday, 5/26 is his last day and they have a half day.  They are having a classroom pizza party.  That night he goes over to the Academy of Math and Science to do a math placement test for next year.    My hairdresser and Wendi at church recommended this school.  We had applied to Legacy and Twin Peaks Elementary, but he was on a waiting list for both of those.  This school is further away on Prince Road, but it is supposed to be a pretty good school.  Nathan just wants to get out of his current school.  So we will see how he does at this school next year.  I hope he likes it and does well.  

Spring time again

We went to lunch with the Almeters at Oregano's on 1/8.  We owed them because they paid for dinner the last time we went to Hot Rods.  

We met the Alvirs for lunch at Macayo's on 1/15.  Afterward we went to Odysea.  Nathan and I really enjoyed it, but Paul wasn't that impressed.  

I bought a new camera from B&H Camera on 1/18.  Mine had been dropped a couple of years ago at Petrified Forest National Park.  I felt it didn't produce sharp pictures after that.  I went a cheaper route and bought a Nikon D7500 to replace my D7200.  It's basically the model that replaced my discontinued model.  I paid $1k for it.  I decided to just use the wide angle and telephoto lenses that I already had.  I had previously purchased my D7200 back in 10/16 from Amazon for $1600 including the 2 lenses and other accessories.    

On 1/21, I went to Tucson Botanical Gardens and Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens.  

Nathan had 1/2 days 2/9-2/11 for parent teacher conferences.  We had our parent teacher conference on Friday, 2/11.  His home room teacher, Mrs. Powers, had all good things to say about him.    

Bella turned 14 on 2/11.

Nathan went to Nerf Day with Arizona Adventures Camp on 2/12.  Paul and I went to eat at Cheesecake Factory to celebrate Valentine's Day and our 19th anniversary (2/17).

On our anniversary, 2/17, I went to the Desert Museum to celebrate!  We went to dinner at Dominick's and I got the chicken piccata!  

I went to Tucson Botanical Gardens and Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens on 2/22.

Nathan had Rodeo Break on 2/24 & 2/25.  

My printer died when we were trying to work on our taxes.  We didn't think that buying a new printer would be such a big ordeal.  I quickly researched printers and decided to get a HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e Wireless Color All-in-One Printer.  There was only one available in the Tucson area at an Office Max on the south side.  We paid for it online and Paul was going to pick it up after church on 2/27.  Well, we got notice that they actually did not have one in stock so Paul looked around and found one in Mesa.  He went all of the way to Mesa that Sunday to get our new printer!  That was almost $300.  We didn't realize that we actually bought our last printer back in 12/13 (8 years ago).  We paid around $150 for our HP Photosmart 7520 wireless eallinone printer. 

I went to Saguaro National Park on 2/28.  I did some hiking near Contzen Pass.  I saw a gilded flicker which was pretty exciting.  Got some sunset pictures with the saguaros.

I went to Reid Park Zoo 3/1.

I went to Tohono Chul Park on 3/3,  I was very disappointed because there was almost nothing in bloom.  So then I decided to go to Tucson Botanical Gardens.  

I had my annual gynecologist appointment and mammogram on 3/7.  My mammogram came back normal.  I had a new gynecologist this time because mine resigned.  The new gynecologist could not really help me with my perimenopause symptoms.  She said she hasn't had much feedback from her patients so if I find something that helps my symptoms to let her know.  Thanks a lot!  My weight is up again thanks to perimenopause.  I had lost 20 pounds a few years ago and this past year or so I gained 15 of those pounds back.  My blood pressure was normal.  She ran some bloodwork for me.  My glucose, A1C, CBC and thyroid were all in normal range.  I didn't have her do a lipid panel so I am not sure what my cholesterol and triglycerides are and those are usually high.   

On my walk 3/7, I noticed that there is a great horned owl in a nest in a palo verde tree in my subdivision!  I went home and got my "big camera" to get some pictures.  Looking forward to hopefully seeing some owl babies soon!

Nathan had a half day on 3/11 ending the 3rd quarter.  Unfortunately, he just missed honor roll again this quarter and once again had a 89.2 GPA.  He got a 85 in History/Geography, 95 in Science, 91 in Math, 84 in Latin, 91 in English, E (exceeding the standard) in Art, M (meeting the standard) in Music and M in P/E.  He got great remarks from his teachers on his report card, though.  His English teacher who is his homeroom teacher said he is a pleasure to have in class.  His Music teacher and Art teacher also said he is a pleasure to have in class.  It was partly his Latin grade that caused him to miss honor roll this quarter.  Right at the end of the quarter she put in a grade of 20/30 for notebook check.  Nathan wasn't sure why he didn't get all of the points.  I tried emailing her, but she never responded.  He had like a 95 in Latin up until the last week when she put in two grades that brought his grade down to a 84.  This is one thing that frustrates me about this school.  They take the grades down in the system the last week of the quarter so the teachers can finalize the grades.  They can put anything in they want to and once they do so the grades are final and can't be changed.  Nathan was so upset that he didn't make honor roll again.  We rewarded him anyway because we know he tried his best.  Yesterday, March 29, he brought home his Character Attributes Report.  He has had great marks on this report all year and this quarter one of them even went up.  Respect went up from a C (Consistent) to an E (Exemplary).  The rest were the same as the previous two quarters.  He got a C for Caring, E for Citizenship, E for Perseverance, E for Responsibility, E for Trustworthiness and C for Best Effort.  So even though he is very unhappy at this school and his grades are falling just below honor roll status, he is still acting like a fine Christian young man so we are very proud of him.    

So for Spring Break we planned to go down to Corpus Christi and San Antonio.  We left on 3/12.  Unfortunately, we didn't get far.  We were headed on I10 and a semi in front of us kicked up a big metal pipe at us.  It hit the front of the car and then went underneath the car.  Our car seemed to be the only one affected because the pipe then went in the median.  We got off the highway on the off ramp in San Simon, AZ.  All of the antifreeze emptied out of the car so the car ran hot and we pulled over.  It was no longer operational so we called Enterprise who we rented the car from.  We told them our exit #, the city we were in, we had GPS coordinates, but they said they could not find us without a physical address.  Who breaks down at a physical address?!  They told us we had to arrange our own towing to a nearby location with a physical address.  So we called our insurance company, State Farm, who had us towed to a nearby gas station.  We had to pay for the towing even though we have roadside assistance on our insurance.  We are waiting to be reimbursed for that.  So then after we got towed we called Enterprise again.  We talked to them multiple times and each time they had no record of our previous conversations.  They told us that they had no more rentals within a 100 mile radius.  They said the closest one was in Las Cruces, NM two hours away.  However, they could not arrange Uber to take us that far so they said we had to arrange our own transportation to Las Cruces, arrange for our own lodging for the night and then we could go to the Enterprise there in the morning to get another rental.  Essentially, Enterprise left us in the middle of nowhere.  We decided that we just wanted to go home.  We tried to get a Lyft to Tucson.  Our credit card denied the charge thinking it was fraudulent.  They sent me a text and asked me to approve.  If it was a legitimate charge they said to have the merchant run the charge again.  So we tried again and once again our credit card denied it!  It seemed nothing was going right for us and it was getting later and later.  We then decided to start calling friends who could come get us.  We first tried Greg Lyons.  Unfortunately, he was out of town himself.  He said he could come get us later that night, but we really did not want to sit in our car with all of our luggage in the dark at this gas station in the middle of nowhere.  Then we called Linda and Steve Almeter.  They graciously agreed to come get us and take us home.  We are so blessed to have great friends like them.  They truly saved us.  So we didn't make it to Texas.  Sunday we stayed home and tried to recoup from our ordeal.  Then we decided to go up to the Phoenix area for a few days.  Our stuff was still packed and the dogs were still at the boarders.  On 3/14, we all went to the Phoenix Zoo.  Nathan loved seeing the Komodo Dragon.  I went to the Desert Botanical Gardens on 3/15.  There wasn't a lot in bloom, but there was still plenty to take pictures of.  Nathan and I went to Odysea on 3/16.  He loves to see the pufferfish.  I took him back to the hotel and then went back to Butterfly Wonderland.  On St Patrick's Day, we crossed one thing off my bucket list and went to Fountain Hills to see them turn the fountain green.  Afterwards, we took a drive along Bush Highway and Butcher Jones Road to see the wildflowers.  There isn't a superbloom this year, but there were some scattered patches of poppies and other wildflowers.  We stopped at Portillo's before heading back home.  We also ate at Grimaldi's TWICE while we were in town.  That made Nathan and I very happy.  

I went to Pima Prickly Park on 3/22.  There wasn't a lot blooming there yet.

On 3/25, I went to Tucson Botanical Gardens and Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens. 

I went to Bach's Cactus Nursery on 3/30.  Not a lot was blooming there.  Mostly just some orange claret cups.  I ended up buying 3 small cacti, including a pinecone cactus.  Then I went to Tucson Botanical Gardens.     

A New Year

 For Halloween, Paul and Nathan both dressed up in their Top Gun flight suits.  

On 11/2, I went to Reid Park Zoo and the Reid Park Rose Garden.

We went to a NASCAR race in Phoenix on 11/7.  This is the first time we got to see the championship race in Phoenix.  Kyle Larson ended up winning that day, but of course we did not stay until the end because Paul wanted to beat the crowds.  

Tulla turned 15 on 11/9.  She can't hear very well, but she is still getting along as crazy as ever.

Nathan did his Fun Run at school on 11/10.  He was out of school 11/11 & 11/12 for Veteran's Day.  

I went to Sabino Canyon 11/17 and 11/19 to see the Fall colors.  I took the tram up and hiked down.  

Nathan had the whole week off for Thanksgiving Break. 11/24 we all went to the Desert Museum.  Thanksgiving Day, 11/25, we went to the Phoenix Zoo.  Nathan was able to see a turkey that survived Thanksgiving dinner at the zoo.

I went back to Sabino Canyon on 12/2 to catch more of the Fall colors.  Again I took the tram up and hiked down.  

Grandma and Grandpa and Carol Lambros came to visit us for Nathan's birthday.  They decided to rent a car and do a road trip.  I think they left 12/8 and arrived at our house 12/10.  The following day, 12/11, I attended a funeral for my friend Wendi Miller at church whose dad passed away.  12/13, I picked up a birthday cake that Nathan wanted who I had my friend Kelly Price from church make.  It was a tank cake and Nathan loved it.  She did a great job.  Nathan also had a dentist appointment that afternoon, but that evening we celebrated his birthday a couple of days early.  Nathan turned 12 on 12/15.  My baby is now a pre-teen!  He is also about as tall as me now.  We all took the wagon ride at Winterhaven on 12/16.  They didn't have the Winterhaven event the previous year due to COVID-19.  It was nice to be able to see it again.  

Nathan had a half day on 12/17 ending the 2nd quarter.  Unfortunately, he just missed honor roll this quarter, the first time he has ever not been on honor roll.  He had a 89.2 GPA.  He got a 88 in History/Geography, 86 in Science, 91 in Math, 90 in Latin, 91 in English, E (exceeding the standard) in Art, M (meeting the standard) in Music and M in P/E.  He got  great remarks from his teachers on his report card, though.  His English teacher who is his homeroom teacher said he is a pleasure to have in class.  His Latin, Science and Art teachers also said he is a pleasure to have in class.  His History teacher said he uses class time constructively.  It was partly his Math grade that caused him to miss honor roll this quarter.  Right at the end of the quarter she put in a grade of 65/100 for Q1 & Q2 notebook check.  I am not sure why she put both quarters all in Q2, but I guess that his notes were sloppy and not very detailed.  His take on it, and I tend to agree, is why does it matter how his notes are if he performs well on the tests and in the class in general?  He at least knows what to focus on in the 2nd semester to keep his Math grade up.  He is a very intelligent boy, but he lacks neatness and organization.  That's just the way he is.  He also rushes to be done with his work which sometimes means he makes careless mistakes.  I think he is bored and not being challenged enough so he is not putting forth his best effort.  He hasn't liked this school for awhile now so he really wants to change schools.  The problem is that I am not sure changing schools would help.  I keep trying to tell him that school, like life, is not always going to be fun.  There will always be problems to deal with.  There will always be people there who you don't like or don't get along with.  This is the 3rd school he has been at.  He attended preschool at Kid City Christian Preschool which is part of Casas Christian.  He had some minor behavioral problems even back then.  He went to Sonoran Science Academy for Kindergarten.  Academically, it was challenging, but he really excelled.  He didn't really like his teacher or some of his peers, though.  We changed him to Leman Academy the following year because we learned about the Muslim background of Sonoran Science Academy.  This is Nathan's 6th year at Leman.  There has been a lot of turnover there.  We had some concerns from the beginning.  For example, I think they have too many students there and not only is there not enough physical room for them, but I don't think they can handle that many students.  Bullying has been a constant issue.  In fact, Nathan punched a couple of boys last year because they had been bullying him and the administration was not doing anything about it.  Each year, we have felt that the school has degraded.  Nathan and his peers are not doing as well on the standardized testing compared to their earlier years.  They have changed Principals and staff a lot.  Kids have left and new ones have come.  Nathan had an 8 year old in his 6th grade class the first semester.  He was not getting good grades and he was having behavioral problems.  He was removed from the class this semester.  Not sure if he is in a different 6th grade class, if he got demoted to a grade level more appropriate for his age or if he left the school.  They decided to move around several of the students in middle school this 2nd semester.  We think that is odd to do mid-school year as well.  So, Paul and Nathan are considering switching him to Legacy or another school next year.  

Nathan got great marks again on his Character Attributes Report for Q2.  They were all the same as Q1.  C for Caring, E for Citizenship, E for Perseverance, C for Respect, E for Responsibility, EE for Trustworthiness and C for Best Effort.  C is Consistent and E is Exemplary.  

On 12/18, I had choir practice at church for our Christmas Cantata the following day.  The next day, everyone went with me to church to see our Christmas Cantata.  We went to lunch at Cheesecake Factory and then they hit the road to return home before Christmas.  

Paul, Nathan and I decided to return to Winterhaven on 12/21.  This time we walked it so that we could see it better and get better pictures.  The Christmas Vacation house was awesome and a great new addition was the Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer house.  

Christmas Eve we went to my church and then Christmas Day we just watched Nathan open up his gifts (nerf guns, Lego sets, Pug shirts, Nintendo Switch games, etc...).  

Nathan and I went to Reid Park Zoo on 12/28.  He was getting pretty bored during the Winter Break after grandma and grandpa left so he actually wanted to go to the zoo with me.  We had a great time.  

12/29, Nathan had his 12 year wellness doctor appointment.  He is 4'11 (59.4 in).  He is in the 56th height percentile.  He is about the same height as me, but will quickly surpass me.  He weighs 101.5 lbs and he is in the 71st weight percentile.  His BMI is 20.3.  I expressed some concern with his weight.  He has put on quite a few pounds in the last couple of years.  He has gained over 40 pounds since his 10 year visit.  He's grown 7 inches since then, too, though.  The doctor said they like to see the height and weight both be at about the same percentile, but she is not overly concerned about his weight at this point.  However, we know that he needs to cut down on the candy and sugar.  I yell at him all of the time for eating that junk, but Paul keeps buying it for him.  I warned that it is not only his weight that we have to worry about, but we don't want him to get diabetes like Paul.  We don't eat a lot of meals together at the table and we eat out a lot, but he does like Greek food, salads and healthy food, too.  He also spends too much time on electronics.  Again, that is something that Paul and I disagree about.  Paul doesn't see a problem with the amount of time he spends playing video games.  After all, Nathan wants to be a Computer Programmer some day.  But I would rather see him drawing (which is he so good at), reading or better yet being active outside.  The problem is that he does not like nature and hiking.  One of the reasons that he doesn't like it is because he gets a lot of mosquito bites and we think that he may be allergic to them.  The bites get very big and hurt.  We brought that up to the doctor as well.  She said we should consider bringing him in the next time that happens or showing her photographs of the bites.  If it is an allergic reaction, she suggested possibly going on a daily allergy medication like Zyrtec.  Everything else checked out fine at his appointment.   

New Years Eve we were all in bed long before midnight.  We wanted to get a good night's sleep in order to head to Phoenix early the next morning.  We decided to go to Wildlife World Zoo on New Year's Day.  We ate dinner at Grimaldi's and picked up Portillo's on the way home.  

I turned 47 on 1/2.  Everyone says I still look youthful, but some days I really feel my age.  My knee had been hurting for like a week prior to my birthday.  Fortunately, it seemed to be much better in time for my birthday.  We went to church and ate at Cheesecake Factory for lunch. 

Nathan had to return to school on 1/3.  Paul actually had the day off work so he and I had a rare day together to ourselves so we decided to go to the Desert Museum.        

       

It's Fall!

 On 7/26, I went up to Mount Lemmon to see the waterfalls since we had so much rain this summer.  I wasn't disappointed.  Lots of waterfalls.  I met my friend Greg Lyons from church and his summer camp kids up on the top for a short hike.  We found LOTS of ladybugs.  It was awesome.

Nathan had his meet and greet at school on 7/30.  This is his first year of middle school (6th grade).  His homeroom and ELA teacher is Mrs. Powers.  This is the first teacher he will have different teachers for each class and a locker.  He has Tompkins for Latin, Currie for History, Mena for Science, Ferbeyre for Art, Lowe for Music, McRae (Coach Bam) for PE and Woods for Math.  

My "Flying Saucer" bloomed on 8/1.  I put that in quotes because the nursery told me it is a flying saucer, but I don't think it is.  However, it is still very beautiful.  The summer rains also brought out summer poppies and the beautiful barrel cactus flowers this year.  I went and took pictures of the summer poppies on Skyline and Sunrise.  Then I photographed the barrel cacti by Lazyboy on Ina and La Cholla.  

Nathan's first day of 6th grade at Leman Academy was on 8/4.  I went to the Reid Park Rose Garden that day.  It was finally open.  There were beautiful roses, but the garden hasn't been maintained in some time.   

I went to Reid Park Zoo on 8/12.  I also photographed the barrel cacti at Lazyboy on Ina and La Cholla.

I photographed more barrel cacti at Lazyboy on Ina and La Cholla on 8/15.

My June Noon torch cactus bloomed on 8/17.

I went to the Desert Museum on 8/20.  I also photographed the summer poppies and other wildflowers to and from the Desert Museum.  Plus I found a pretty red barrel cactus on Hartman Lane to photograph.

I photographed the wildflowers and barrel cacti along Lambert Lane on 8/21.  I also photographed more of the barrel cacti at Lazyboy on Ina and La Cholla.  And I went to the Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens.

On 8/25 I photographed the datura growing wild along Hartman Lane.

I went to Tohono Chul Park, Pima Prickly Park and photographed the barrel cacti at Lazyboy on Ina and La Cholla on 8/26.

On 9/3, I went to Sabino Canyon.  There was actually a lot of water flowing.  So much so that the tram only went up to the first bridge.  I decided to walk it.  I went through the water at the first bridge, but then decided to turn around.  Everything was very green in the canyon.  It was a good day to go, too, because I saw a desert tortoise (the first time seeing one there or in the wild, for that matter) and a group of javelina including some babies.  

We went to Scottsdale to have lunch with the Alvirs at Grimaldi's on 9/4.

We went to Apple Annie's on 9/6.  Their peach crops got ruined, but they shipped some in.  So we bought some peaches and some other items.  We also ate some yummy roasted corn while there. 

I went to Catalina State Park on 9/13 to see the morning glories.  I had never seen so many morning glories in my life, and there were multiple colors.  I love them.  Reminds me of Georgia O'Keeffe paintings.

My June Noon bloomed again on 9/28.  I also went to Tucson Botanical Gardens and the Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens.  There were a lot of bird of paradise blooming at Tucson Botanical Gardens.   

On went back up to Mount Lemmon on 9/30.  Everything was very green, but no Fall colors yet.  

I went to Tucson Botanical Gardens on 10/1 to see the opening of the Butterfly exhibit.  It was closed last year due to COVID-19 precautions.  I was rather disappointed because I only saw a handful of butterflies in there. However, I found some morning glories growing in their parking lot so that kept me busy for awhile.  Afterward I stopped at Green Things Nursery.  

We went back to Apple Annie's on 10/9 to pick our pumpkins and to photograph the sunflowers.  I picked a peach pumpkin, Paul picked a traditional orange pumpkin and Nathan picked white and warty pumpkins.  

Nathan made honor roll the first quarter, but just barely with a 90.6.  He got a 94 in History, 88 in Science, 91 in Math, 90 in Latin and 90 in ELA. His English, Latin and Art teachers said Scholar is a pleasure to have in class.  His History teacher said he tackles new challenges with a positive attitude.  His Math teacher said Scholar is a pleasure to have in class AND he tackles new challenges with a positive attitude.  He got a C (Consistent) for Caring, E (Exemplary) for Citizenship, E for Perseverance, C for Respect, E for Responsibility, E for Trustworthiness and a C for Best Effort.  No Ds for Developing or Rs for Rare.  Not bad at all for a kid who doesn't like school this year.  He doesn't think he is being challenged enough at school.  I think he is bored.  He doesn't really like a lot of his teachers, the administration or his peers.  Part of the problem is that they have a lot of turnover in staff.  That should tell you something right there.  I have always said they have too many kids going to that school and not enough space for all of them.  They keep adding more schools within Leman without working out the kinks in the present schools.  Bullying is a issue.  This year Nathan says swearing is a big problem with the 6th graders.  It is hard for him to be raised in a Christian home, but then be exposed to kids like that every day.  We are considering switching schools next year, but there aren't a lot of options.  We don't want him going to the regular public schools so we have to find a good charter or private Christian school.  

On 10/16, Nathan and I went to Reid Park Zoo to see the animals being fed pumpkins and to see the new baby zebra.  Nathan had Fall break that week, but we didn't go anywhere this year because Paul had to work.  I was surprised that Nathan actually wanted to go to the zoo with me, but I think he just wanted to get out of the house after being there all week.  Being a Saturday and Fall Break, the zoo was very crowded. 

I went to Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens on 10/22.

We went up to Mount Lemmon to see the Fall colors on 10/23.  Bear Wallow had the most color as usual.  We ate at the Iron Door for lunch.  There was quite a bit of yellow up there.  We drove through Summerhaven and there was some color there as well.  It was a beautiful Fall day. 

My June Noon torch cactus bloomed AGAIN on 10/24.  

     

Active Monsoon Summer!

June 19th we flew to Seattle.  We rented a car and headed toward Glacier National Park.  We stopped at Snoqualmie Falls.  We stayed the night at Rimrock Lodge in Thompson Falls, MT.  We were unable to get tickets for the Going to the Sun Road the next day, but we also learned that it was still not completely open for the season.  That morning we stopped by the ranger station and they told us that after 5 pm we could go on the Going to the Sun Road.  So we went to the east side and did the Many Glacier road.  We saw bears along the side of the road and a young big horn sheep near the Many Glacier Hotel.  After 5 pm we headed to the Jackson Glacier overlook on the Going to the Sun Road.  That is as far as they had the road open.  Looks like we are going to have to return a 3rd time to Glacier to travel the entire Going to the Sun Road when it is fully open.  We found out that it opened like 4 days after we were there!  That night we stayed at the Baymont by Wyndham Helena Helena, MT.  6/21 we headed to Yellowstone.  We were greeted by elk near the entrance.  We went to Mammoth Springs and then Dawn went to see some other hot springs including the Steamboat Geyser.  That night we stayed at Cabin Village in Island Park, ID.  The next morning (6/22) we got up early to go see Old Faithful.  We were lucky to see a herd of buffalo with their babies and they came up right along the side of our car.  It was cooler out in the morning and so Paul and Nathan chickened out in the car while Dawn waited for Old Faithful to erupt.  We went over to Grand Prismatic Spring later in the morning, but the fog was still pretty heavy that you couldn't see the colors that well.  From there we headed to Grand Teton National Park.  We tried to go to Jenny Lake.  It was crowded and Nathan was complaining because he got bit up by mosquitos.  We didn't stay long and headed out of the park.  We didn't get to see much there this trip.  We ate dinner at Sidewinders where we ate in the Spring.  That night we stayed at Targhee Lodge By Grand Targhee Resort in Alta, WY.  The next day (6/23) was a long driving day as we made our way toward Cannon Beach.  We stayed the night at River Lodge and Grill in Boardman, OR.  The next day (6/24) we stopped at Horsetail Falls and Multnomah Falls.  We ate lunch there at Multnomah Falls.  We arrived in Cannon Beach and checked in at Sea Breeze Court.  Paul and Nathan stayed in the room while Dawn went to walk the beach and explore the tide pools.  The next morning (6/25) Dawn got up early to go see the tide pools again.  She saw sand dollars on the beach as well as a salp and crystal jellyfish.  There were lots of starfish and even some sea slugs/nudibranches in the tide pools.  It was hard to spot the puffins there, but I did get one decent picture of one flying.  We did some shopping in Cannon Beach that day and Nathan played on the beach a little.  The next day (6/26), we headed to Seaside and went to Seaside Aquarium.  It is a small aquarium, but we fed the seals there.  From there we headed to Ecola State Park to see the Tillamock Rock Lighthouse.  Dawn ended up doing a hike to Indian Beach hoping to see some better views of the lighthouse.  After some time, Paul and Nathan picked her up over by Indian Beach.  That night we caught the sunset on Cannon Beach.  The next day (6/27) we started our drive to Seattle to fly back home.  It was VERY hot that day.  We stopped at the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse and North Head Lighthouse.  

Nathan lost his 17th tooth on June 22 when we were on vacation at Glacier National Park.  We held it until we got home and the tooth fairy came on 6/28.  The tooth fairy gave him $17.  He has 3 baby teeth to go.  

We went to church on Fourth of July.  Then Paul cooked out for us and we did smores.  That night Paul and I watched the fireworks from our balcony, but Nathan wasn't interested.  

Nathan lost his 18th tooth on July 10.  The tooth fairy gave him $18.  He has 2 baby teeth to go.  

Nathan went with me to New Testament Baptist Church to attend their VBS 7/12-7/16.  He ended up winning 9th place for the most points earned so he picked out a nerf gun as his prize.  I helped with the penny table. 

Nathan lost his 19th tooth on July 16.  The tooth fairy gave him $20 (she must not have had $19 in change!).  He has one baby tooth to go!

7/18, Paul and Nathan found out at the evening church service that Pastor Morris will be stepping down as pastor due to his cancer.  The doctors said it is not a matter of if the cancer will return, but when.

Nathan lost his last tooth on July 23!  The tooth fairy gave him $20.

Summer Heat

 On May 11, I went to Tohono Chul Park, Tucson Botanical Gardens and Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens.

On May 21, I went to Tohono Chul Park, Tucson Botanical Gardens, Reid Park Rose Garden and Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens.

Nathan got his Master Club awards on May 25.  He earned 4 badges.    

Nathan's last day of 5th grade was on May 26.  He made high honor roll and the principal's award all year (cumulative GPA > 95.5%).  Even though he has made honor roll every year, I think this is his first year getting the principal's award all year.  To do this during a tough year of back and forth remote learning and on campus learning is pretty impressive to me.  He also got the Go Against the Grain Award.  He got a 90 for English Languages (teacher noted that he returns homework and assignments timely), 96 in History/Geography, 100 in Math, 98 in Reading, 98 in Science an E (exceeding the standard) in Latin and his Latin teacher noted that he is a pleasure to have in class, a M (meeting the standard) in Art and his Art teacher noted that he is a pleasure to have in class, a M in Music and a M in PE.  Next year Nathan will be entering middle school!

The day after Nathan finished school we flew out to Chicago.  We celebrated my grandma's 103rd birthday on 5/29.  Her actual birthday was 6/2.  Paul and Nathan went up to Paw Paw, MI on May 30 to meet Lisa and her in-laws.  Nathan went fishing, but didn't catch anything.  On Memorial Day (5/31), we went to Cantigny Park in Wheaton, IL.  My cousin Rick Cox told us about it at my grandma's birthday party.  They had a bunch of military tanks for Nathan to climb on and a lot of gardens on the ground for me to photograph flowers.  They had tons of peonies!  On June 1, I went to Brookfield Zoo.  I went to Lake Katherine on 6/2.  I saw waterlilies and other flowers, a snake!, bullfrogs, dragonflies, turtles, a great blue heron, swans, geese with their babies, etc...  That night we met Lisa, John, Aubrie, Donnie, Austin and his girlfriend at Ledo's for dinner.  I went to Morton Arboretum on 6/3.  I was disappointed because there wasn't a lot to photograph.  Lots of green trees.  The most exciting thing was a few magnolia trees.  I think it is much prettier to see in the Fall when the trees change colors.  We met my friend Debbie Madl and her kids at Portillo's for dinner on June 3.  We left Chicago and came home June 4.  

Nathan lost his 16th tooth on June 6.  He got $16 from the tooth fairy.  He has 4 baby teeth to go.  

Spring in the Desert

On 3/26, I went to Tucson Botanical Gardens, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens and Pima Prickly Park.

My Apricot Glow bloomed on 3/28 & 3/29!

On 4/1, I went to Bach's Cactus Nursery, Tohono Chul Park, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens and Tucson Botanical Gardens.

On 4/3, I photographed the claret cups on Lambert Lane and then other cactus flowers by the Oro Valley Hospital.

Easter was on 4/4.  Nathan got an Easter basket from the Easter Bunny and did an Easter egg hunt.  

On 4/5, I went back over to Lambert Lane and Oro Valley Hospital, then to Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Green Things Nursery, Tucson Botanical Gardens and Pima Prickly Park. 

I did a 3rd trip to Lambert Lane and Oro Valley Hospital on 4/6.

I went to the Desert Museum and Saguaro National Park on 4/8.

On 4/12, I went to Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Tucson Botanical Gardens and Pima Prickly Park.

I went to Bach's Cactus Nursery and Pima Prickly Park on 4/15.  I bought a pink hedgehog cactus at Bach's for $12.73.

I went to Tucson Botanical Gardens on 4/16.

I went to Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Tucson Botanical Gardens and Pima Prickly Park on 4/20.

On 4/22, I went to Tohono Chul Park, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens and Tucson Botanical Gardens.

I went to Pima Prickly Park on 4/24.

My June Noon bloomed on 4/26 and I went to the Desert Museum.

On 4/27, I went to Tohono Chul Park, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens and Tucson Botanical Gardens.

On 4/30, I went to Tohono Chul Park, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Tucson Botanical Gardens and Pima Prickly Park.

On 5/1, we decided to go see the Salt River horses.  We found them pretty quick by Coon Bluff.  We ate lunch at Grimaldi's and then picked up Portillo's to take home.

Nathan lost his 15th tooth on 5/3/21 and got $15 from the tooth fairy!

I went to the Desert Museum and Saguaro National Park on 5/5.

My June Noon and Flying Saucer bloomed on 5/6.  Well, it was supposed to be a Flying Saucer, but I don't know if it really is because it doesn't like other Flying Saucers I have seen.  It's still beautiful, though.  I also went to Tohono Chul Park, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Tucson Botanical Gardens and Pima Prickly Park. 

On 5/7, my June Noon bloomed again as well as my Apricot Glow.  I went to the Desert Museum, Tucson Botanical Gardens and Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens that day, too.  I stopped by Bach's Cactus Nursery to buy a First Light torch cactus.

My Apricot Glow flowers were still open on 5/8 and my First Light torch cactus bloomed that I bought the day before.   

We had a nice Mother's Day on 5/9.  The day before, Paul let me stop at Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens to take pictures of the cactus flowers.  Then we headed up to Mt. Lemmon.  We ate at the Iron Door Restaurant and then met my friend Greg Lyons from church with his Arizona Adventures Camp group up there.  Nathan zip lined, participated in a shaving cream fight, played games and started the fire for the s'mores.  On Mother's Day, Paul cooked out for me and gave me flowers and a card.