Sunspots & Whimsical Art

Tucson & Tubac  Arizona (68 degrees, blue skies)

Kitt Peak Observatory

(Let's just say I have a little catching up to do. We've been having a great time in Arizona and I'm behind in my posting.)

While we were working on the NOMADS project our group went on a couple of side trips together on the weekend.  We drove out about 50 miles southwest of Tucson to the Kitt Peak Observatory.  The drive up to the top of the mountain was spectacular.  The weather was perfect and the views from the top were fantastic. 

There are 22 observatories scattered over the peak. Three times a day they have guided tours of one of the observatories.  You can also take a self guided tour by picking up a map at the visitor center. I found out later they even have podcasts.  Their website is very helpful.  Our tour was led by a retired astronomer out to the 2.1m-telescope.  His explanations were very technical at times and I think he lost his audience occasionally but it was very interesting for the most part. 

The observatories are operated by the Association of Universities for Researching Astronomy and with  the National Science Foundation.  Astronomers apply for time to use the telescopes from all over the world. 

After the tour we walked out to the telescope below which is studying the sun.  It is a very striking design that descends way below the surface.

MacMath Pierce Solar Telescope

Sunspot telescope

A volunteer had set up a telescope for viewing the sun.  This was the highlight of our day.  We actually saw sun flares shooting off the surface of the sun.  Afterwards we enjoyed a picnic lunch together.  The gift shop is very nice and sells beautiful handmade baskets made by the Tohono O'odham Nation.  The prices for these baskets were the most reasonable that we have seen and they are so beautiful. 

We also planned another fun  trip together to Tubac Arizona to visit the Festival of the Arts.  There were hundreds of artists displaying their work throughout the grounds and in the art galleries.  This festival is held for one week in February. 

Metal Art

The art gallery buildings were unique and we had a great time wandering around the area.  There was good food and live music at lunchtime. 

High School Mariachi Band

My favorite area was the whimsical sculpture garden.  There were whirling wind catchers of every design and shape. 

On the way back to Tucson we stopped at the beautiful and serene Mission San Xavier del Bac. 

San Xavier Mission was founded as a Catholic mission by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692. Construction of the current church began in 1783 and was completed in 1797. A large workforce of Tohono O'odham  created the present church of clay, stone, and mortar.  Beautiful music drifted across the plaza  as we walked around the grounds.  Admission is free and we'd recommend watching the movie near the gift shop area before exploring. 

 Our NOMADS leaders Gary and Jeanne planned some fun excursions for us.  Thanks so much!

NOMADS Project - Week 2 & 3 Tucson Arizona

Tucson, Arizona (62 degrees,clear blue skies)

We have finished our NOMADS project at Hope United Methodist Church in Tucson Arizona. It was a great project and so much was accomplished in just three weeks.  Our leaders, Gary and Jeanne, did a great job organizing our project.  We made some great friendships and it really was hard to say good bye to everyone.  Here a few pictures of this group in action.

Most of the time was spent painting the church.  The original brown trim was changed to cream color.

We also did a lot of cleanup around the church grounds and school. There were lots of weeds to pull and spray with roundup.  Plus, most of the trees were trimmed by Bub and he removed a lot of old stumps with his truck. 

We also helped a church member with some yard cleanup and maintenance. She was thrilled with how much was accomplished in such a short time. 

The  basketball goal posts were painted and some general maintenance in the church was also completed.  And of coarse, all our activities were supervised by our NOMAD dog friends Jimmy and Lady. 

There was great discussion by the church on what color to paint the front door.  It was finally decided to have the members vote.  Phylis and Midge painted it in the top two colors to help them reach a decision.  The red door won!  We found out later some wanted to keep the orange/red combination.

 

The church also has a thrift store that operates once a month.  Some of our group helped organize and arrange the merchandise.  There were some great bargains.  This church does a lot of out reach in the community including a health clinic that comes each week and a fresh produce market. 

This is our second NOMADS project and we plan on signing up for more. Their motto is retirement with a purpose.  If you are interested in knowing more about this great organization, please contact us by email. 

NOMADS Project - Hope UMC Tucson Arizona

(Tucson, Arizona) 68 degrees, clear blue skies

We left Quartsite last week and spent two nights in Gila Bend Arizona at the Holt's Shell RV Park.  It was recommended by bloggers Laurie and Odel's blog (We Called It Home).  It was a perfect place to clean up our RV and do a lot of laundry.  With Passport America the rate was only $13.50/night for a full hook up site.  I wish there were some before and after pictures to show you.  John did a great job cleaning the outside of our very dirty rig.  He uses The Solution to clean the rig and it is such a great product.  I was busy inside removing a whole lot of dust.  I tried a new product called Touch of Beeswax that was purchased at the Indio rally to wax our cabinets.  They look beautiful and it was very easy to use. 

Unfortunately we were almost lynched at the campground.  John inadvertently hit the water line when coming down off the ladder.  It came apart and water gushed from it at a very rapid pace.  He quickly contacted the staff of the campground and the water had to be turned off to the whole campground.  Rigs were arriving from Quartsite at a rapid pace in hopes of  doing their  laundry and cleaning their rigs.  But, there was no water...for a long time.  We both were tempted to hide in the rig.  We breathed a big sigh of relief when they finally were able to turn the water back on.  Sheesh!

Brown trim to be replaced by a beige color

We are now at Hope United Methodist Church in Tucson Arizona volunteering for three weeks with a NOMADS (Nomads On a Mission Active in Divine Service) project.  We are here with five other couples working on several projects for the church.  We are camping behind the church and they have provided for us a full hook up 50 amp service site. 

We met with the group the first night and our leaders Gary and Jeanne outlined some of the projects.  Our major task will be to paint the trim of the church and maybe the children's school next door.  There was a huge flood that went through this area last September.  Therefore, some of us will be involved with clean up from this damage.  There also is a back flow valve that needs to be installed. 

Bill helping out with the masking

Introductions were made and we have some very talented folks in our group.  One couple has completed over 30 NOMADS projects and arrived with so many tools.  We also have a licenced plumber, two nurses, and two postal carriers.  One couple is on a quest to hike the Appalachian Trial and has already completed 750 miles of it.  We were excited to find out our leaders live only seven miles from where we will be workamping this summer in Watkins Glen New York. 

Setting up the scaffolding

Gary and Jeff spray painting

This is our second NOMADS project and its amazing how quickly everyone bonds and friendships are made.  Our first week went by quickly and we are well on the way with the painting.  Three of us have also been busy trimming trees, removing tree stumps, cleaning up weeds, brush, and removing a lot of trash.  We work hard but have a great time together.  During our free time this week we also attended a  pot luck with the church and had a fun evening together watching a movie.  Today we attended church  and then ate out at a Chinese restaurant for lunch. 

Tonight we all got together to watch the Super Bowl at our rig.  We had a great time and enjoyed lots of snacks and pizza. 

Gary and Joyce

John, Gene, & Jeff (Bub & Midge back row)

Jimmy loves football too!

NOMADS is a volunteer organization that provides labor for all types of projects throughout the U.S. and many countries.  You work from 8 am to 4 pm Monday - Thursday and have a three day weekend off.  There is usually a three week commitment.  Last year we volunteered in Eustis Florida.  This organization is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.  However, you do not have to be Methodist.  We are Presbyterian and one of our leaders is Roman Catholic. 

Front row (Me, Jeanne, Betsy, Joyce, Phyllis, Midge) Back row (John, Gary, Bill, Jeff, Gene, & Bub)

John and I are from Indianapolis and we were so proud of our city.  They sure hosted a great Super Bowl. 

Indianapolis Circle

I'll end our post today with a quote from the sermon given by the minister today.  It was written by John Wesley and it seemed very fitting to what we are  hoping to accomplish with this service. 

"Do all the good you can.

By all the means you can.

In all the ways you can.

In all the places you can.

At all the times you can.

To all the people you can.

As long as ever you can."

Volunteering At White Sands National Monument

(White Sands, New Mexico) 68 degrees, blue cloudless skies

We have arrived at White Sands National Monument (part of the National Park system) and will be volunteering here until December 31st.  It is such a spectacular place and we are so thrilled with this opportunity.  We had planned to visit our friends who are volunteering here  after the balloon fiesta.  John and Eileen were our NOMADS leaders in Eustis Florida  last winter. 

Eileen and John

About a week before we were to arrive Eileen called and said "what are  you doing after your visit to White Sands?  Would you like to volunteer here for awhile".  Our answer was an immediate yes!  A couple that had signed up to be here had cancelled.  We quickly filled out all the paper work and talked to Becky, the Interpretive Coordinator.  In return for our site we will work four days a week with Friday - Sunday off. 

John will work out in the dune fields repairing fences and removing invasive plants (Tamarisk).  He will also do maintenance around the park.  I will work two days a week in the administration office helping organize the files and the other two days I'll work in the visitor center and give a sunset stroll in the evening.  It is a great opportunity for us and we are so grateful to our friends for recommending us. 

We arrived just in time to go on Eileen's sunset stroll. She has volunteered here for seven years and it is her favorite place on earth. Both she and John and have immersed themselves into understanding the dunes, wildlife, and plants that make up this special park. They were so knowledgeable and their love for this place is so evident.

Eileen beginning stroll

The sunset stroll lasts about an  hour.  This is something I will have to do in about two weeks.  Yikes!  I have a lot to learn.  She told us these are the largest gypsum sand dunes in the world.  We walked up and down three dunes as she told us about how the dunes are made.  She also identified  tracks of little animals in the dunes and told us about the plant life and how it has adapted to live in this tough desert.

Eileen had us dig in the sand and just a few inches below the surface we found that the sand was damp.  Amazing!  Water can also be found just 20 inches below the surface and this is one of the reason why the sand dunes have not blown away.  The damp sand sort of acts like a glue and only the surface sand moves.

So, how are these dunes get here?  Eileen explained that the dunes sit within the Tularosa Basin.  It does not have any outlet such as  stream or river. Usually gypsum just washes away but this special place keeps that from happening. It's like a great big bowl.

Gypsum liquefies in the surrounding mountains and flows down into the lake bed.  Over time the gypsum forms into crystals.  The wind, freezing temperatures, and collision of the gypsum crystals break down and eventually it all crumble and becomes this beautiful white sand. 

Here is a cottonwood tree that is trying to ride the sand wave.  Some of the roots are above the sand and the trunk is inside this sand dune  and started in the interdunal area (where the people are walking). It manages to live and ride the wave as the dune passes.  The tree may or may not survive after the dune passes. Sand dunes are always moving.  They can travel in some areas over 37 feet a year and others move only a few inches. 

Skunk sumac atop a pedestal

This beautiful pedestal may survive several dune passing.  The sumac (and other plants) can create these as the dune passes due to pressure, water, and roots creating almost a concrete substance.  Most of the wildlife hang out here.  The largest mammal is the kit fox.  He is about the size of chiwawa and weighs only four pounds.  He munches on mice, lizards, and kangaroo rats.  Larger animals usually do not live here.  There is not enough to eat and very little water. 

As the dune passes it leaves these cool footprints.   It is easy to tell where the huge dune has been and it's future travel. 

Dune footprints

Eileen's tour ended at the top of the dune just in time for sunset.  Perfect ending!  What a special place.  Check back soon to read more about this very special National Monument.