San Xavier Mission

Hi All,

After a few days of work we drove to Tucson for some sightseeing. First stop was San Xavier Mission, a beautiful church built by the Franciscans from 1783-1797. The church is on the Tohono O'Odham reservation and most of the parishioners are Native American.

In 1797 they ran out if money and never completed the right hand bell tower.

The carved statues and gilt work above the alter us beautiful.

This O'Odham symbol is a man in a maze. It represents all of the choices people have in life and assures a good outcome if the right choices are made

This is the first Native American to become a Saint just last week. The canonization of Katherine Tekakwitha , a Canadian Sioux, was a really big deal in this community.

The church interior was restored in the late 90's. Three experts from Rome, veterans of the Sistine Chapel restoration came to Arizona to train local craftsmen. Note the dark rectangle in the upper left. This is known as a "witness mark", an unrestored spot to show what it had been like prior to restoration.

It is a beautiful mission from any angle. This is also the church where the statues from Tumacacori were stored from 1848 until 1973.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Titan Missile Museum

Hi All,

We split up today. Sandy shopped in Tubac and Carl visited the Titan Missile 
Museum nearby.

When the Titan 2 ICBM System was deactivated in 1987, one launch complex was converted to a museum. Carl was fascinated by the 60's era technology and security.

Our docent describes the control room

Yes, this is where the launch codes were kept

Control panel illustrates the launch sequence.

No one was allowed near the controls or the missile alone.

Titan 2 in the silo

Here's the business end, held a 9 megaton warhead atop a two stage, 103 foot tall missile. It could deliver the warhead 6,000 miles to within a football field. This is the same rocket used in the Gemini Program.

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Tubac Presidio State Park

Hi All,

After three days of "work ", we did some shopping and local exploring. Four miles north of Tumacacori are the remains of the Tubac Presidio, a fort built by the Spanish in 1752 in response to the Indian uprising the previous year. Very little remains of the presidio but there is an excellent museum and 1885 schoolhouse.

Photo of Presidio remains ca 1900

1885 Schoolhouse, second oldest in Arizona

One of the rules for the teachers. Fortunately, marriage is no longer considered unseemly conduct ;-)

Examples of exquisite basket weaving by local Indians 

Painting depicting installation of the bells at Tumacacori church ca. 1822

Stunning sunset

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Learning About Tumacacori

Hi All,

We have spent the last two days in the Visitor Center learning the procedures and reading our way through a large pile of historical information. We also went with two different docents as they gave tours of the mission and helped visitors appreciate the history of the region. This was a great aid to our absorbing the history.

Church was built 1820-1823

East side of Church

Church Interior as depicted in museum diorama

Church as it looks today; preserved but not restored

Afternoon sun sets behind dome

The history is fascinating and the staff and other volunteers are great. To paraphrase Annie, "we are gone like it here"

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Tumacacori National Historic Park

Hi All,

We arrived at the Park mid afternoon. We got the coach parked, met the ranger on duty in the Visitor Center and took a brief tour of the museum.

Mission Church as viewed from the museum.

We are eager to start volunteering here.

We will be in this area south of Tucson through the middle of February. We are looking forward to seeing our many friends who live or winter in the area. Please call or email us when you arrive so we can make plans to get together.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Car Identification

Hi 

Spotted this photo in a shop in Madrid, NM

The front doors open backwards like cars from the 30's but it is much lower and sleeker than cars I remember.

Anyone know what this is?

Thanks,

Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Side Trip to Santa Fe ??

Hi All,

It was too windy and rainy for balloons today so we headed for Santa Fe, about 60 miles north. Instead of the interstate, we took a scenic byway called the "Turquoise Trail". Along the way, we stopped at the little town of Madrid, a former coaling mining town now taken over by about 250 hippie artists and crafts people. It is a delightful, funky town with a mining museum and great shops. We spent the whole day here, Santa Fe will have to wait for another trip ;-).

Ancient petroglyph section

Thoughtful resting spot for guys

Best looking Trash Truck We've ever seen

Most of the buildings are barely hanging on

How about a 7' Cowgirl

Rail Car from the Coal Mines

Museum in nearby Cerrillos-note the insulators lining the roof

Tomorrow we head back towards Arizona for our volunteer assignment.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

No Glowdeo

Hi All,

After this morning's balloon flight we went back to the coach for a brief nap and some lunch. Our friends Bernita and Ron Poutney, who we first met at Okefenokee, came for a visit. They told us stories about their volunteering on a balloon chase crew and the two balloon flights they got as a result. It all sounded exciting though hard work.

In the evening we returned to the launch field hoping to see the special shapes balloons light up after dark. There was a substantial crowd filling the "Main Street" of vendor tents. 

Unfortunately, a gusty wind caused cancellation of the "Glowdeo". The only glow we saw was from the beautiful sunset.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Special Shapes Day

Hi All,

This morning's program was dedicated to the unusually shaped balloons. We had seen many already and wondered if we would see any new ones. You bet; there were lots of new ones. Our only disappointment was that many just inflated on the ground but never took off. Still, it was a great sight. We even bought a program to learn all the names.

Red Bird- Unlike Darth Vader, the owner of this balloon does not have permission to use the copyrighted name so Woody Woodpecker is just "Red Bird"

Sea Fantasy- this was one of the most complex balloons. The main section is an octopus. There's a fish on the right side, a seahorse on the left and two dolphins on the back.

Bud E. Beaver

Arky

Crazy Crab

Miss Daisy & Paddy

Squawk

Reach for the Stars. Sponsored by the Make A Wish Foundation, this balloon depicts a boy in a wheelchair, reaching for a star. This was one of our favorites; it would have been great to see it fly.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

After the Balloons

Hi All,

After most of the balloons flew overhead this morning, we went back into the coach for breakfast. Suddenly, the sky darkened and we looked out in time to see a low flying balloon that had just passed in front of the sun.

The hamper was bursting so we did laundry at a local laundromat before we headed for lunch in Old Town. We ate at the Church St Cafe in the large courtyard of a home built in 1706 and occupied by the same family until 1991!  Good food and great atmosphere.

Next we went to the NM Museum of Natural History.

We were greeted by this life size T-Rex. This is an outstanding museum that starts with the Big Bang, continues through displays on the formation of stars and planets, the development of single cell life through the evolution of dinosaurs and mammals. All very well done.

Here are fossil replicas of a T-Rex attacking the biggest Dino ever found in NM, the seismosaurus (as in making the earth shake).

This fascinating fossil is Archeopterix, an evolutionary step towards modern birds 

This exhibit pointed out the fact the beetles are the most numerous animals on earth (400,000 species or 25% of all known life forms)

On the Old Town Plaza, these brass cannon revealed two interesting facts. They were cast in Boston and they were used by the Confederate Army during an attack on New Mexico. We did not realize there were civil war battles in NM.

Also in the Plaza were a group of Native American dancers performing, bringing an end to a wonderful, diverse day.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Balloons Come to Us

Hi All,

Our plan today was to sleep late, skip the balloon launch and visit some museums. One look out the window at 7:30 changed all that.

With wind from the North, the balloons were flying right towards us and some were very low.

After the first wave passed, we began to see the effect called the Albuquerque  box. Surface winds were from the North but at about 500 feet the wind was from the South so after flying passed us, they would climb above 500 feet and fly back towards the launch field. We even recognized a few balloons that made several laps around the "box".

Here comes the yellow fish.

Humpty Dumpty

This one was designed by a quilter

Many came over very low!

But the Zebra stayed high

Several balloons landed in the RV parking area.

Maybe we'll get to the museums 

later ;-).

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone