Sonoita Creek

Hi All,

Last Wednesday we moved about 30 miles from Tumacacori National Historic Park to Sonoita Creek State Natural Area at Patagonia Lake State Park. It's a beautiful place with a great group of volunteers.

A lovely campsite

With beautiful sunsets

Saturday was our first shift in the Visitor Center

Greeting guests

And going on the birding boat tours

Being on the lake, watching the birds and soaking up the scenery; this will be our "job" for the next two months.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Mirror Lab Tour

Hi All,

Today we toured the Stewart Observatory Mirror Lab at the University of Arizona. This facility casts and polishes huge mirrors (8.4 meters or 27.5 feet in diameter) for astronomical telescopes.

It starts with 45,000 pounds of special boro-silicate glass from Japan

The glass is melted at 2130 degrees F in this huge furnace that spins at 7 RPM. As it spins, the molten glass "sloshes" to the edges, creating a concave surface, very close to the parabolic shape needed for the telescope. It takes over a month to melt the glass, spin the mirror then slowly cool the glass.

Once the cast glass blank cools, it is polished on this huge machine. The guy standing on the mirror is in his socks. This mirror is for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope.

At another polishing station, this mirror is being worked on. This will be part of a seven mirror Giant Magellan Telescope being built in Chile. The effective diameter of this telescope will be over 72 feet! With all this light gathering power, this telescope will explore the very edges of the universe.

In case you wondered where the university found room for all of this immense machinery, it is housed under the grandstand of the Arizona football stadium.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Fiesta de Tumacacori

Hi All,

Our last work days at Tumacacori were for the big Fiesta, a multicultural celebration that includes craft and food booths, hourly entertainment, kids activity and more. Close to 3,000 people attended.

We were on duty from 6:15 AM to 5:30 PM, directing traffic, greeting and counting visitors and working shifts in the Visitor Center. Sandy also spent time working with the kids and Carl gave tours of the mission. 

It was a long, fun, tiring weekend.

Ready to Greet Visitors

Border Protection Mounted Patrol

The Little est Photographer

Plenty of Peppers

Park Superintendent Bob Love chatting with visitors

Tumacacori Church

Staff and Volunteers after two day Fiesta.

Wednesday we move about 50 miles east to volunteer for two months at Sonoita Creek State Natural Area.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

San Rafael Valley Ranch

Hi All,

Today we went on a tour of the San Rafael Valley Ranch with volunteers from Sonoita Creek State Natural Area where we will be volunteering next month. This state owned property is currently closed to the public due, primarily, to its proximity to the border and associated drug and illegal alien activity.

The 1900 ranch house is an outstanding example of territorial architecture

The adjacent barn and shop

Wood stove in kitchen

Poster from one of many Hollywood movies filmed here

Very photogenic old farm implements

Drill press in workshop

Fox spotted sleeping in rafters

At its peak, this ranch had 17,000 head of cattle!

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

First Visitor

Hi All,

Sunday morning when Carl went out to turn the "Closed/Open" sign, he found our first visitor, a palid bat, sleeping behind the sign.

If you are freaked out by flying mammals, don't scroll down to the photos. 

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Saguaro National Park

Hi All,

A few days ago we visited the west section of Saguaro National Park. The diverse landscapes and different cactus formations were fascinating.

These two cactus seem to be hugging

The white sections are new growth

Here's a stone picnic shelter built by the YCC in the 30's

At Signal Hill we saw numerous petroglyphs.

How's thus for an expansive view across the valley?

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Fall Foliage in Southern AZ

Hi,

This pear tree in the Tumacacori garden is putting on quite a show. We didn't expect color like this down here.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502