I had a really nice birthday. 

Early morning yoga class.  Next breakfast at FirstWatch with a free birthday breakfast coupon. Then Will and I drove up Mt Lemmon to get away from Tucson heat and enjoy the scenery and hike a trail. Nice way to spend the day. Stopped at Starbucks on way home for my free birthday coffee drink.

Dinner was decidedly not free, but a favorite for special occasions. 

Cards, phone calls and messages, Facebook posts, calls from the kids and a really precious video from Lia and Aeri topped off the day. They sang Happy Birthday to me.

Always enjoy the wildlife that shows up in our yard. Apparently some quail hatched while we were gone. Two families, in fact. Each have a brood of two chicks.  I don't know if that's what they started out with, as they usually hatch out more than two. Maybe those resident owls have found them. Those little ones would be just a perfect morsel!! Oh no.

Welcome home committee

Everything was fine 

in the house when we arrived back home, except our patio needed some serious cleaning.  Our friend the Screech Owl is back and has used our patio rafters as a roost.

I will gladly clean up the mess if he would stay around but alas, this morning he wasn't there.  He doesn't like the commotion  of people living beneath him.  I bet he is close, just waiting until we leave again.

Home

Saguaros!! That means home is close!

Didn't want to see this!!

Looks like wildfire east of Camp Verde somewhere.

Exactly 2 months since we left Jack and Wanda in Sedona and started our summer adventure. Lots of lovely memories.  Thankful for good travels, no mechanical problems we couldn't fix, no storms--in fact, very little rain. On going aches and pains but nothing that slowed us down except momentarily.  We know we are so Blessed that we can do this together. 

Now we need to get turned around for next trip in less than 2 weeks.  No RV this time. Off to Singapore again.

Utah to Flagstaff

Destination-Flagstaff, AZ.  It's a scenic drive all the way along hiway 89 and Vermilion Cliffs to Lake Powell and especially south of Page looking across the Colorado River.

However, it was windy and particularly no fun for Will driving. We wanted to get to Bonita campground north of Flag. Its s very nice National Forest Campground that we thought no one knew about because we have never seen it full. Secrets out, we got one of last sites! No cell or Wifi so we  drove out and down the road a ways to wish Aeri a Happy 5th Birthday!

Bryce Canyon NP

We trekked over to nearby Bryce Canyon for a grand breakfast at the Lodge. 

Then hiked a bit along the rim of the canyon and took a bunch of perfect pictures in the morning light. Another special place. 

We were on the road again by noon.

We did another all day run to get here but then stayed two nights in a nondescript campground at the east entrance to Zion and "did Zion" in a day. 

It was plenty hot here, like 101 degrees so when the day heated up we left Zion valley and did the drive up onto the Kolab highlands above the park. Beautiful drive and were surprised at all that is up there. You go in and out of park boundary and finally find a reservoir at the end.

Back in the valley at the Narrows. Probably most famous place in Zion. The Virgin river comes through a slot canyon here and a popular thing to do is hike up, in the river--when water is at summer low. We hiked up trail until you had to hike in water of river and then came back. Water too cold and still too deep for me--but we are wimps!!

Iconic colors of Zion.  We have been here several times and have great memories of this place. Very busy, very popular with foreign visitors. Can't tell you how many languages we overheard.  It is a Natinal Treasure.

Back up on Kolab Plateau.

Knew it was going to be a good day when we came upon Big Horn Sheep as we came in East entrance of park early morning.

Travel day

Today was an 8 hour driving day.  Starting our journey back to Tucson. Once we left the mountain range and Wallowa Valley it pretty much looked like this all the way southeast across Oregon and into Idaho.  Stopped finally in Twin Falls,  Idaho at a nice county park.

Had time to check out Shoshone Falls.

And the Snake River and  bridge that takes you onto Twin Falls

Little relaxing after a long day.

Valley Foundry in Joseph, Oregon

Toured a foundry today. At end of tour we actually watched them pour molten bronze into the molds.

This was a great hour and half tour through the Valley Foundry in Joseph where they cast all manner of bronze for artists and special commission art.  It's a big operation. There happen to be several foundries in the area,  this is first and largest and several of the others were started by people who learned the craft here and went out and started thier own.

Our guide explaining all aspects of the lost-wax process--and there are a lot of very exacting steps. Here is a piece in the "wax stage."

We got to see the whole process. 

This eagle head is huge. This

finished full bird is going to be enormous. You can see how it is cast in pieces and then welded together.

Waiting for final patina.

This one is on Main street in downtown Joseph. Along with several others commissioned by the city and cast by local foundries. The art and galleries is one of the big draws to this area. 

Another draw to area is Nez Pers Native American history and traditional homeland. This is honored as the beginning of the tragic pursuit of Chief Joseph and running battle between US Army and a band of Nez Pers as they attempted to flee to Canada. Chief Joseph's father,  Old Chief Joseph is buried here. 

And Wallowa Lake recreation and the state park at the head of the lake is another popular destination. 

Oh those sunsets. We had a shower pass through but sun poked through just as it was setting.

Wallowa Valley

We are spending a few days here. We didn't know anything about this part of Oregon and have really enjoyed it. First thing we had to do was take the tram up to top of Howard Mt. at 8,000 ft and have a look. There are about 2 miles of hiking trails at the top so you can get a 360 view. 

Mid July and still plenty of snow patches. Looking east towards Idaho and Hell's Canyon of the Snake River.

Eagle Cap Wilderness beyond

Lots of wildflowers blooming up here but most of them alpine adaptive and very tiny.

We took a two hour "rail rider" trip through the country side on abandoned railroad track. We had to pedal for power. We coasted out but had to work coming back as it was a 1.5 percent grade. Wasn't hard, just had to keep pedaling. Each pedal is independent so I could put my feet up and let Will do the work--except he wouldn't let me!!

Red barns here, too.

Following the group of rail riders

We drove out to a Nature Conservancy managed prairie which was pretty interesting.

The town of Joseph is a pretty vibrant community tucked between Lake Wallowa and mountains  and the farm/ranchland of the valley.

I zoomed in from on top of Mt Howard and spotted our RV park. See those white dots all in a row in the trees. That's us.