A trip South: Patagonia and Sonoita

Not wanting to fall into a rut of the same places and faces, we decided on a whim to head down south to see a part of the great state of AZ that we have not yet put our stamp on.  The trip, like all new ventures we undertake, did not disappoint.  Not necessarily because it delivered on all of its promises, but because it was new and different and surprising. 

The sky was vast, blue and moody and the hillsides grassy and creosote-spotted - what more could you ask for on a late September desert day.  There was an occasional breeze, a melon sunset and unexpected rain at 3 in the morning.  Cool.

While the highlight of the trip was the wine tasting we did in Sonoita, don't ask for any pictures since my camera died after only one day.  What a bust. 



Not before I caught this duck floating around near camp - one of the less exotic species of bird we spotted on our three day trip. 

Although Patagonia is known for its spectacular birding, (we saw egrits, herons, cardinals, hawks and orioles just to begin!) I would not recommend going on the weekend as mostly you will find humans in large groups, of the loud and sloppy variety - not your typical wilderness-loving eco-friendly outdoors-y REI types like we are used to blending with.  To each his own, I suppose.

In the words of my grandma, "It feels good to get away, but it's always good to come home!"  Home we are.

Fall Growth

Fall is my favorite season and unfortunately for us, it has nothing to do with the change in weather or the change in leaves.  Things remain green and days remain hot.  But it is pumpkin season, and the promise of chilly days to come finds me brewing up a cup of hot tea just for the sheer sake of child-like anticipation these days. 

For some rare reason - Brian thinks it may have something to do with all the rain - we had a spring morning moment here yesterday when I walked out into the yard as the sun was coming up and caught a glimpse of this magnificent beauty.  Nature never ceases to amaze and puzzle us in the best of ways.  I have been anticipating this unfolding for many days when I discovered a bloom on our Golden Torch at such an unseasonable time.  What an enjoyable surprise. 

Just look at that thing!  It is HUGE!  The fact that an ugly, prickly stick in the ground can produce such a delicate ornament is the coolest paradox and perhaps the very reason why we love to plant many different varieties of cacti in our yard.  The spring is just awesome when all around the city, Arizona's native plants are in full bloom.

Here's the Organ Pipe in bloom last May.  Wish I'd have gotten a better close up, but in any case, you can see the oddness of the flower sticking out from the top.  Such a humbling and peaceful morning sight.

So here in Phoenix we don't celebrate or welcome autumn in quite the same way elsewhere, but the cooler mornings and welcome late-summer rains have given us a gift of a different sort and we're enjoying it while we can.