2012-10-24: Sabino Canyon
We traveled into Sabino Canyon aboard the tram. The area was beautiful with many different kinds of cactus and saguaro forests. The saguaro lives more then 150 years and takes up to 75 years to develop an arm. They have a shallow root system so the arms grow to help balance the plant and keep it upright.
2012-10-25: Mission San Xavier
Mission San Xavier del Bac was founded by a Jesuit pioneer and explorer in 1692. In 1783, with 7,000 pesos borrowed from a rancher, Juan Bautista Velderrain began building today's church. The church was completed in 1797 and in 1854, by the Gadsden Purchase, the mission and surrounding area became a part of the United States.
2012-10-25: Retablo
The White Dove of the Desert, which is what this mission is called, is considered to be America's finest surviving example of Spanish Colonial architecture. Statues dating to the 1750's, vivid late baroque alters and original paintings adorn the interior of the mission. Entering into the mission one is essentially transported into the 18th century.
2012-10-25: Bells
These bells rise above a small shrine at the mission.
2012-10-26: Saguaro
The saguaro cactus dominate this part of Sonora Desert. It's amazing to think about how old these might be! We were told they can grow to be 40-60 feet tall and amazingly only grow in the wild here in Arizona.
2012-10-27: Cotton Bale
We were surprised to see how much cotton is being grown here in southern Arizona. It was interesting watching the cotton-baling machine as it did its thing right at the cotton field. A cotton-picking machine went up and down the rows picking the balls. It then dumped its load into the baling machine that compacted the balls and formed a bale like this one. Another truck came by and picked up the bales to take them off to the cotton gin. Very interesting operation.
2012-10-28: Sunset
Desert sunsets are beautiful!
2012-10-29: Full Moon
The full moon in October is called a Hunters Moon. The picture just can't do justice to the real thing - it was big and a yellowy color with the craters standing out so it almost felt you could reach out and touch them.