Spring has sprung!

Sitting on the back deck, eating organic strawberries with Breyer's vanilla bean ice cream, listening to the frogs chirping...a relaxing end to an unseasonbly warm spring day in Southeast PA. The strawberries came from the local supermarket, but before we know it, we'll have organic strawberries from our own backyard; I saw my first strawberry blossom today.





Blossoms by the hundreds...errr thousands, have sprung forth in our backyard. The warmth of spring has coaxed the hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils out of their winter hibernation. The fruit trees are sending forth their gorgeous blooms, attracting the bees for their pollination exercise. While they bring such beauty even from afar, a personal look at fruit tree blossoms is a feast for the eyes. Which do you like better...the apple (with the pink) or the pear (loose white petals)?

Smell the pines at Chiricahua

Road-tripping Arizona is a treat for the curious traveler. There are the Catholic missions (active and abandoned), caverns (wet and dry), cities, desert, canyons, amazing geology, and the influences of many cultures. Arriving in late May, we were treated with blossoms on many of the desert plants during our 9 day trek across the state.

Driving through southeast Arizona, leaving any hint of civilization behind, we drove for 2 hours before we saw the mountains of the Chiricahua forming in front of us. It's quite evident why this part of Southern Arizona is called the sky islands. You're driving through flat desert, and suddenly, mountains start to take shape in the distance. Islands in the Sky with so much to explore.

Chiricahua (pronounced "Cheery Cow-a", according to our friendly neighborhood park ranger) is a land of hoodoos. Somewhat like Bryce Canyon, but we have a different type of rock here. Chiricahua is a land of grays and greens, while Bryce is a land of reds. Check this out...in Turkey, they've carved houses out of the hoodoos in Cappadocia.

After a drive up the deserted switchbacks of the 8 mile scenic drive, we arrived at Massai Point, where we could see beyond the hoodoos from our island in the sky, and into the desert beyond. Looking across the expanse, it was easy to understand why some Native American tribes have legends that the hoodoos were people that had been turned to stone. I really felt like we were with a tribe, and tried to imagine the Apaches during their time here. There are several trails, providing access to Punch and Judy, and Duck on a Rock, as well as formations with more staid names such as Big Balanced Rock. We took the short trail around the point, as I had made the infamous and oft-repeated mistake of trying to stuff too many things into one day.

As we made our way out of Chiricahua, we passed hoodoo formations with more clever names such as Sea Captain and China Boy. We stopped at the Organ Pipe formation, where I was quite surprised at the refreshing smell of pine in the air. I can still smell that pine, which always comes to mind when I think of my trip to Chiricahua.

Take the adventures as they come

I'm spending the weekend in Hershey, PA with my Mom. It's been raining nonstop for 2 days, and the flood warnings are running rampant. Cabin fever sets in, so we take a short drive over to Hummelstown. Oh, Sunday, nearly everything is closed.

Oh, what's this...a raging stream? And it has a walking trail beside it? Hmmm...I think this calls for an adventure. We get our rinky-dink ultra-compact umbrella out of the car, and set off on a stroll. We hear the spring peepers and the birds. Surely the birds are quite excited that the rain is starting to dissipate.


The raging water was quite a sight. You could sense the power of it. It reminded me that water is such an amazing part of life; useful, indispensable, and obviously wild. This was the unexpected highlight of our weekend.

Seasonal adventures...multiplied

Three months have passed since our last visit. March has arrived, and I just thought, where are the Spring Peepers? I haven't heard them yet. I'm sure I'll hear them soon. I'm hearing the sounds of the geese making their annual northerly trek. The songbirds are out in full force, preparing for the breeding season. It's time to learn some bird songs.

Well, we got what we wished for regarding the winter snowstorms this year. And then some! I've never seen such a thing...over three feet of snow in one week?!? Some of our plants didn't like it very much. The rhododendron took a beating and will never be the same.

We had a wonderful treat at our suet station this year. No, we weren't eating the suet...a Northern Flicker joined us! http://tinyurl.com/c2m57d We also had the typical songbirds, and 1-2-3 pesky squirrels (the squirrels seemed to multiply as the year progressed).

Today's adventure was looking for signs of perennials and bulbs starting their annual journey from the earth. I found lots of new growth, including daffodils, crocuses, tulips, coreopsis, spiderwort, coral bells, and veronica. Have you ever tried this one...look closely at the branches on your trees at this time of year. I found buds forming on the peach tree, and anxiously await the beautiful flowers. The plums and cherries are also coming out of their winter slumber.

No matter the season, approach every day as a new adventure on this journey we call life.

Seasonal adventures in my own backyard

Every season has its unique characteristics and attraction. There are obvious changes as we make the transition between spring, summer, fall, and winter. Living in southeastern Pennsylvania, I have the opportunity to experience each season in full. I wouldn't have it any other way! As much as I love Arizona, and fantasize about living there to get the chance to explore more of the American Southwest, I would surely miss the coming of spring and passing of fall.

Beyond the four seasons, each month has its own flavor. July, the month of lightning bugs. August, the month of crickets, the tomato harvest, and peaches. We enjoy the perennials, apples, and a break from gardening "chores" in September. The mums arrive in October, and it's time for fall gardening. November and Orion is back in the sky.


It's currently December, and the winter birds have graced us with their presence. Red cardinals stand out in the crowd, and the bluejays will appear soon. Purple finches, winter wrens, black capped chickadees, and juncos come for their daily visits. Make suet available, and woodpeckers are sure to appear. Aaaah, the woodpeckers. Heard in summer, seen in winter. What a joy!

It is time to prepare for winter. We hope for a snowstorm or two that we can enjoy, meaning we don't have to drive in it, and it's enough for a snowman, sledding, and for the dog to play in. As winter gets underway, I will pull out the parka and wool coat, and perhaps plan a day on the ski slopes. It will soon be time to start listening for the sounds of spring...the Spring Peepers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_Peeper, who will arrive in March. Oh, how I love to listen to the Peepers calling out from our pond. Spring is close! It will not be long before the spring crocuses appear, with early tulips following shortly thereafter. All the while, we'll be preparing for the growing season...purchasing seeds, starting seedlings so our "babies" will be ready to go out into the world when the last frost date arrives.

Florida's calling me

It seems that Florida keeps drawing me back. Am I going to be one of those Florida snowbirds someday??? Florida's not the worst place to be, but I hope it's Arizona instead.

My Dad was an adventurer (maybe this is where I get it from), and moved us to Florida from Pennsylvania when we were growing up. Not once....but twice! The first time was in 1976. I'm not sure why we moved back to Pennsylvania, but we lived in two places in Florida during that period...Clermont (orange groves, alligators, and fire ants) and Kissimmee (strawberry crepes at the A-Train restaurant, the Angus steak house, root beer, and a tornado). I've been back to Kissimmee several times, and it has changed greatly. I heard recently that the orange groves are now gone in Clermont, and it's all tract housing.

These were good times. As children, my siblings and I enjoyed the new surroundings, new discoveries, and making new friends. We had no clue what it took to relocate a family of six. This relocation to Florida lasted about a year.


After two years back in Pennsylvania, Mom and Dad made the move to Florida again in 1979. Mom loved Florida. She thought the people were so friendly, and still talks about it today. She especially liked it when you went through the grocery checkout with baking supplies, and they asked you what you were making. On this second go-round, we started in Fort Lauderdale, where my parents were helping to get a hotel/restaurant off the ground for new management. It didn't go as planned, and a couple of months later, we moved to Kissimmee again. We were there a few months before moving back to Pennsylvania, which I still call home.

When we moved back to Pennsylvania this time, I met Betty Jean, who would be my best friend for the next few years. Back in those days, you really only had *one* best friend. The new tradition is to have several, which is fine with me. We are still besties. And get this...Betty Jean has connections to Florida, too. Her grandmother moved there from Pennsylvania, and Betty Jean has now moved there as well. We've been blessed to have several opportunities to visit together there.

My job even draws me to Florida. In the last 3 years, I've worked with three separate, distinct clients in Florida. I have been blessed with meeting many wonderful people on these projects, and now have several more good friends in the Sunshine State. My brother came to visit during my first project in Tampa. He spent a lot of time fishing (one of our favorite pasttimes when we lived in Florida), and we traveled to Titusville and Cape Canaveral to visit with our Uncle and Aunt, and to see the space shuttle Endeavor launch. I have since discovered that both of my brothers have dreams of moving back to the state.

My family took one road trip together, the only family vacation that we experienced together, from Pennsylvania to Florida in 1993. Mom was going to the Chef's Convention, and all six of us (Mom, Dad, and the 4 siblings) rented a passenger van for the trip. I have since traveled to Florida for 2 more chef's conventions. Oh, then there was the year that my daughter was in the Junior Olympics, competing in trampoline....in Florida.

I don't think the state calls me strongly enough for me to make a move there, but I truly enjoy visiting and having this state play a significant role in my life.

Las Vegas - Spring Mountains

I was feeling especially adventurous during a two month assignment in Las Vegas in the fall of 2007. Most likely, the exploration bug was active because of my love of the American Southwest, and my surprising attraction to the city of Las Vegas. A visit to Spring Mountain National Recreation Area was among my many adventures during this assignment.

Mountains in Vegas, you say?!? Alas, before this trip, I didn't know there were mountains near Las Vegas, either. My friend and fellow southwest adventurer, Ken, gave me the heads-up. My client confirmed...the locals call it Mount Charleston, where many of them go when needing a break from the heat (which must be quite often if you ask me!).



So, one morning after arriving from the east coast the night before, I got up at 4am, and took a quick road trip into the mountains. Not to worry...my body was on east coast time and therefore readily able to arise early according to west coast clocks. I arrived just in time for the sunrise and a quick road trip through the area in my rented PT Cruiser convertible. (One of the advantages of traveling often and having status at National is that you can pick your car when you arrive. I pick the PT convertibles whenever I can...they are a fun kickaround car.)











It was cool and quiet in the mountains. I discovered the ski slope and several small residential areas. Great views of the desert below. If I remember correctly, it was 55-65 degrees in the mountains, and about 20-25 degrees warmer when I arrived back in the desert. No wildlife sightings on this trip.





There was an area with Joshua Trees on the way down from the mountains. Like Saguaro cactus, Joshua trees only grow at certain elevations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Tree - between 2000 and 6000 feet. Joshua trees have a very interesting growth habit...check out the "cheerleader" at the center of this picture, and the "ice skater" in the group at the left.

I am thankful for another successful, safe adventure!