Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

While Wayne and I were visiting the Saguaro National Park West and Tucson Mountain Park, we stopped at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.  The entrance fee isn't cheap, but the natural displays are well done and very informative.  The trails are a mixture of paved walkways and well-pack desert gravel.  The terrain is mostly level, and ramadas made with natural desert materials give shaded rest spots along the way.

Different desert habitats are depicted including the desert, mountain woodlands, desert grasslands, and pollination gardens.

Displays include typical desert animals including mountain lions, bears, wolves, coyotes, squirrels, prairie dogs, javelinas, lots of birds, and other creatures great and small.


While the animal habitats were clean and natural, it was a bit sad to see these proud animals on display.  I guess there's a fine line between needing specimens to study and allowing animals to remain in their home environments. -- Margy

Desert Skies

We came all the way from the Pacific Northwest to Arizona to find some sunny blue skies.  Well, that isn't the whole truth (we're here for USC Women's Basketball), but it's a great side benefit.


Shortly after arriving, we drove to Tucson.  Along the way we stopped Tucson Mountain Park west of town to take a walk in the warm desert sun.


The high desert is dotted with Saguaro and many other kinds of cactus. 

Just a few hours in the sun gave our pale skin a nice pink glow. But we better get some sunscreen before it goes too far to quick. -- Margy

Come for a Ride in Our Tin Boat

I've already shared the Tin Boat once before, but it's such an important part of our life up the lake that I wanted to take you on a little joy ride.  Some days our lake is calm and smooth.  On others, it's a bit "lumpy" as breezes move back and forth.  This day, it was smooth and calm back by our cabin in Hole in the Wall, but out in the Narrows it was a lumpy day.

Then on other days, it can get outright nasty on the water.  On those days, our Tin Boat stays home and so do we.  Enjoy your Tin Boat ride in the video above. -- Margy

The Floating Garden of Powell Lake

This time of year I start working in my vegetable garden. It's unique as gardens go. It's a floating garden. Our friend John designed and built it for me to float alongside our cabin on Powell Lake in Coastal BC.


Cedar logs were lashed together to create a float. Because dirt is heavy, several 55 gallon blue barrels were placed underneath and filled with air to provide extra buoyancy. Then four raised beds were constructed and placed on top. Each bed is four feet wide and ten feet long. Because we live in Coastal BC, our winters are fairly mild. My strawberries, asparagus, and herbs survive through the winter.

Here's my garden in early spring. My daffodils are sprouting, and Mr. Bunny is happy the chard and kale are still producing.



Summer is prime time. Even though space is limited, I have potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, radishes, spinach, zucchini, peas, beans, and lettuce in addition to my annuals. Each year I rotate my crops and replenish the soil, but I have to be careful to protect the water on which the garden floats. It also serves as our drinking water.

Thank you for taking a walk through my garden. While you're here, I invite you to click on my gardening link to see more. -- Margy

Catching Reflections in Blaine, WA

Last Thursday I shared a fishing vessel called Native Sun that I found in the Blaine Harbor. The skies were blue with white puffy clouds. A rare thing lately. There was no wind, so the water was mirror smooth. So here's the Native Sun times two.

If you're a boater in the Pacific Northwest, finding moorage can sometimes be a challenge, especially for larger boats.  I just read in the Port of Bellingham newsletter that there are slips available in Blaine from 26 to 40 feet. It's close to the San Juan Islands and British Columbia's coastal waters. What better place to call your home port. -- Margy

Salmon of Sand

In the middle of Harrison Hot Springs there's a shoreline park with paths for walking, benches for relaxing, sand for sunning (hopefully soon), and lake views for enjoying. In a rock garden, I found this salmon sculpture that looked of sand.


Online I discovered Harrison Hot Springs used to sponsor world class sand sculpture contests.  Too bad they stopped.  Look at some of the spectacular sculptures from years past. -- Margy

Coastal BC Plants: Forest Primeval

Forest Primeval

The term primeval forest refers to old growth or primary growth forests, but those are rare along the British Columbia coast where logging has been a prominent part of the economy for over a century. But, there are many forests now reaching their 100th birthday and are a sight to behold. There are also a few true old growth trees interspersed among those forests that give us a hint of what it was like in the beginning.

An old growth forest includes large living trees, standing dead trees or snags, and fallen logs in various stages of decay. Under the forest canopy you will a wide variety of plants. The carbon-rich soil from the decaying logs provides fertile ground for mosses. fungi and other shade lovers. Frequent precipitation and humidity in the coastal rainforest adds to the profusion of plant and animal life.

These pictures were taken during a recent hike through an older second growth forest near our cabin on Powell Lake. Ferns and salal thrive side-by-side. Beyond the trail, the ground is covered with plant debris and a spongy duff. Duff is defined by Natural Resources Canada as:

duff. Forest litter and other organic debris in various stages of decomposition on top of the mineral soil; typical of coniferous forests in cool climates, where rate of decomposition is slow and where litter accumulation exceeds decay.

This may not a true primeval forest, but it's a mature forest for sure. On our hike, I let Wayne and John go ahead so I could be alone and surrounded in the forest's peace and tranquility. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. -- Margy