Hot'n nuf for ya!

September 23, 2010 -  Hot’n nuf for ya has creeped back into our vocabulary.   After weathering the comfortable temps of 60’s and 70’s since our journey began, waking up in 80 degree heat was a little surprise only to be followed by temps in the high 90’s – time to readjust our body temps!   With plans to meet my cousins in Tucson at 4:30 p.m., only 5 ½ hours from our hotel (which is a short drive to us now), we relaxed around the hotel for a while when all of a sudden it hit Joe that Tucson is on Mountain time NOT Pacific time so we jumped in the car and took off.  Highlights of our journey today have been seeing the first Saguaro cactus waving at us from the side of the rode and witnessing a couple of dust devils.  (A dust devil is a strong, well-formed, and relatively long-lived whirlwind, ranging from small (half a meter wide and a few meters tall) to large (than 10 meters wide and more than 1000 meters tall). The primary vertical motion is upward. Dust devils are usually harmless, but rare ones can grow large enough to threaten both people and property.)

^{I’ve wanted to get Joe to Tucson for a long time – it’s such a part of my childhood.  My Dad’s sister, Gladys (Auntie Tootsie to us) and her family lived in Tucson.  We made many winter trips here, often with Grandma & Grandpa Olson in tow and once even my cousin, Jack, came along.  Being raised on John Wayne movies, Gunsmoke and Rawhide, the old west was always a draw to us northerners!  Today’s visit is with Aunt Tootsie’s kids, my first cousins . . . Larry and his wife Kathi, Bob, Sandy and her husband, Jim (who have graciously opened their beautiful home to us) and Martha and her husband who I am anxious to meet.}

We arrived in Tucson to find that it is NOT on Mountain time but Pacific time sooooooooooo we're sitting in a local bar refreshing ourselves and will head to Sandy & Jim's shortly.  I don't know if they have wireless Internet so I will continue this blog tomorrow.  Until then . . . adios!!