My Big Sister, Susan

    In 1961, Susan was 15 years old and would experience two major events that would forever change her life.  Event one - I was born!  Event two - our father had a massive heart attack when I was four months old, putting Susan in the situation of being the mom to both me and our seven-year-old sister, Joan.

Susan is 18.  I am 3.  I am holding my beloved yellow baby.

    As a young child, Susan always had fun activities for me to do, and I have some pretty cool memories.  Now we are adults and finding new ways to bond as equals.  This trip was a blast, and we had a good time.  We have tentative plans for more roadtrips/hiking trips.

My sister is awesome!

Susan with a calavera.

More Cacti

   Because my blog would not cooperate with me..... I have two posts on cacti.

Teddy Bear or Cholla cactus.

The birds that make these nests do not sit on them.
 They make holes in the bottom of the nest and go in through there.

I don't know the names of these cacti.  Susan calls them "meltdowns".

Organ pipe cactus

I call this "Purple Cactus"!

The Amazing Cactus

     There are hundreds of cacti species. Thousands of books have been written about the cactus.  These pictures are what I saw.

The Amazing Saguaro

    The saguaro is the iconic image of the old west, and yet it is found in only a small portion of Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico. Saguaros can live an average life of 150 years, some even topping 200!  They can way up to a ton, and stand 20 feet tall.

Cacti grow from tiny seeds.  The plant flowers at the very top of the plant, and produces fruit which is quite tasty.

This is a nest that has been hollowed out by a bird. 
Cacti can act like desert apartments or condos for a host of animals.
 When one moves out, another moves in.

Once a cactus dies and falls, it is still a home to the
 insects and snakes that live on the ground.

This is a cactus boot.  When a bird hollows out the pulp of a cactus to make a nest, the cactus
 protects itself by forming an airtight scab.  This boot is that hollow scab.  Once the cactus dies and falls,
 the boot can still be a home to an insect of snake.  Susan and I were able to find a boot to bring back for
 my science table at school. 

Every saguaro has an internal set of ribs.  Once the cactus dies, the ribs can be used
for a variety of purposes, such as making furniture.

I love this photo because the cacti are growing among rocks and go all the way up the mountain.

This is a crested cactus.  Scientists are not really sure how the crest forms. The most common
 theory is that the cactus has developed a virus or a bacteria has affected the growth.

Got Tequila?

     The alcoholic beverage, tequila, is made from the fermented juice of the agave cactus.

There are many types of agave

Even baby plants have spines.  When they are all balled up before blooming, the spines leave
 impressions or scars on the other leaves.

A giant asparagus?  This is the agave flower.  They are taller than I am!

Saguaro National Park

     Located in two sections to the east and west of Tucson,  Saguaro National Park is the first national park or monument set aside to protect a species of plant, the mighty saguaro cactus.  I don't have any pictures or memories of visiting this area back in the 80s, with my mom, aunt and uncle.  But, I am fairly sure we must have driven through this area as it is near Old Tucson, a western movie studio, that we did go to.
Some History

    In March 1933, President Herbert Hoover set aside land to the east and west of Tucson to protect the saguaro cactus.  Presidents Kennedy and Johnson would add more land to the monument.  In 1994, President Clinton would again enlarge the protective area and make Saguaro National Park the 52nd national park in the United States.

Some Science

    The Sonoran Desert, located in Arizona and northern Mexico, is a diverse and fascinating home to several species of cacti and a host of animals.  The Desert Museum, located near the entrance of the park is a fascinating place to visit and see the diverse animal life that lives in the desert.

   Susan and had limited time, and would like to come back to hike the trails we did not get to.  Here are a few of the animals that live in the Sonoran Desert.

Prairie Dogs - they had a glassed in enclosure.  However with their vast network of tunnels, they probably could get out of the enclosure.

A humming bird on her nest.

Western Screech Owl

Parrots!

A map of the Islands in the Sky - where parrots live.

Puma or Mountain Lion

Kestrals - a type of hawk

Mule Deer

Can you find the Mexican wolf?  He is camoflaged.

Snakes

Tarantulas

  Other animals include rabbits, javalinas (don't call them pigs!), foxes, coyotes, brown bears (really!) tortoises, river otters (we did see these, hard to photograph) and fish found only in this region.

Islands in the Sky  

     The high mountains in Arizona and Mexico attract clouds filled with rain.  With this high amount of rain, semi-tropical rain forests develop, attracting parrots.  This was a fascinating fact that was new to me.

     I loved this park and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves nature.  The Arizona-Sonora  Desert Museum is located in the western section of the park, and is a great place for adults and kids alike.

San Xavier del Bac

     When I was 22, and had just graduated from college, my mother took me on a trip to Arizona to visit family members.  My aunt and uncle lived in Mesa, and my sister and her husband lived in Tempe.
      One day, my Aunt June and Uncle Lee took us south of Tucson to see the Old Tucson movie lot, where many western films were made.  They also took us to the mission of San Xavier del Bac.



  My first trip to San Xavier del Bac was when I was young and tiny. My one request for this current trip was to revisit Xan Xavier del Bac.

Some History

     The mission church was constructed over a period of 14 years, from 1783-1797.  It is a blend of Moorish, Byzantine and late Mexican Renaissance styles.  The interior has frescos painted into the plaster - the first time I would see this type of painting.  I had thought I would have to travel to Italy to see them at the Vatican, and as a young 22-year-old, I was in awe. (If you want a good demonstration of fresco painting, rent the movie The Agony and the Ecstasy with Charleton Heston.  He actually had to train with a fresco painter to do the scenes in this movie where he portrays Michelangelo and they Sistine Chapel.)

Historical Perspective:  1783-1797 was the time in which George Washington was President of the United States.  John Adams was the vice-president.

     The mission was named by Father Kino for St. Francis Xavier who was the Jesuit "Apostle of the Indies."  Father Kino visited the area in 1692 and started the mission.  Father Kino died in 1711, and did not see the church that exists today.

     The mission is a vital, living one, and the church is used regularly by the nearby Tohono O'odham and San Xavier Indians.  On my current visit, the last Saturday before Lent, many babies were being baptized, and children were being lined up for first communion. (These sacraments are not performed during Lent.)   Therefore we did not get to go into the chapel. Famous around the world, San Xavier del Bac gets many requests for marriages.  However, only actual mission residents can have their sacraments performed in the church.

     Each Catholic congregation/parrish has it's own idiosyncracies.  San Xavier del Bac is a combination of Catholicism and Tohono O'odham beliefs.  The "Bac" part of the mission name comes from an O'odham word referring to water.  The mission name means Saint Xavier of the Flowing Waters.

    Susan and I will find another time to revisit this beautiful mission  church.  Enjoy the photos.

A hill to the south of the mission, it is not part of mission property.  The next three pictures are of a shrine dug into this hill.

The Church Complex

Ossuary (house of bones) where the bodies of two early priests were once kept.  It is now a holy shrine,

Francis of Assisi

Keteri was one of the first O'odham converts in the 1600s. 

This young lady was getting ready for her first communion.  We got to speak with her.

We asked permission to photograph these two small children.  They posed themselves!  The little boy's tux has the Virgin of Guadelupe embroidered on the back.

A beautiful place!  The left tower has been restored and is whiter than the right side.

Our Lady of Guadelupe.  Guadelupe literally means Valley of Wolves.  This word is a combination of Spanish and Arabic, as the Arabic word for valley is wadi.



Yard Shrines

The good Hispanic and Indian Catholics of Arizona often have shrines in their front yards.  These small shrines consist of a statue of the Virgin Mary or Jesus Christ, or a favorite saint.  Some are in simple alcoves, while others have elaborate groupings, statues, strings of lights. 

Susan and I had a great time looking for these and photographing them.  Enjoy!

Shrines of Guadelupe

Near Phoenix, is the town of Guadelupe.  The vast majority of the people here are Hispanic, Yaqui Indian or a combination of the two cultures.  The town is quite poor, but the faith is high.  Here are the yard shrines I was able to photograph:

Local Catholic Church



The Shrines Near Tubac and on the way to Tucson

The owner of this shrine got a bit upset with me until I told him I was taking a picture of the shrine and not his home.  He mellowed considerably and said to take all the pictures I wanted.
 

Close-up of the above photo.  There is a small Christmas in there.