We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, and know the place for the first time

T.S. Elliot

A wondrous ride into Tucson, continuing through the Chiahuahuan desert and now into the Sonoran desert, arriving 15 minutes early and our friends just arriving same time. A drive to their beautiful home purchased a few years ago. They had lived in Alaska for years but time to become snowbirds. Camille more than Joe. He loves it here year round, Camille loves it in winter but the heat bothers her. Alas I do believe there is no perfect place. Tucson’s personality seems to be desert, although people have not necessarily adapted to the desert. They still maintain a daytime routine standard american life. But it is beautiful.

Their home is delightful, roomy and a backyard landscaped as all yards here in desert motive. They removed the scrub when moved in and planted a variety of cactus and plants. There is a patio in the back which is incredible for looking at stars, the sky, and sitting and drinking coffee in the morning watching and feeling the sunrise. Sunrise over the Rincon mountains to the east, with blasts of the first sun onto the Santa Catalinas and Mt Lemon, rising 9170 feet above sea level. (2795 meters). Sunset show alpenglow over the Catalinas. I love it, with desert down here.

And in true American style the home owners association spends its time worrying what other people do. Joe and Camille have received a notice their blue painted door does not fit the color scheme. They put a screen door up which semi hides the blue. Then they received a notice they had weeds in the ravel in front yard. The weeds seem to be local wildflowers, but obviously unacceptable, thus Joe took a weed burner to them. Unfortunately the flame touched the saguaro and a streak now runs up one side. Then while we were there they received a notice that second 3 meter saguaro which had blown over in a wind storm was unacceptable. It was tipped at a 45 degree angle. Nice to have people worry about what you do.

I feel like I am getting my desert time while here. I walk about and feel like I am hovering over a coral reef, discovering the numerous numbers of plants and signs of animals, but I do not have to be below the surface of the water.

Monday, Camille had made reservations at the mirror lab, no one really sure why the mirror lab was. I thought being around halloween a house of mirrors. Au contraire! It was the most amazing place ever, and possibly the highlight of trip for me. Turns out the University of Arizona is one of the leading universities exploring the universe, cosmology, astronomy and such. The mirror lab is making the the mirrors for some of the largest telescopes made, including the 24 meter Magellan telescope to be place near the Atacamba desert in Chile. We had a 2 hours tour starting with a lecture of its history and the process of making an 8 meter mirror with a reflective surface within 3-5 nanometers discrepancy. As they noted your fingernails have grown more than that in the time you have read this paragraph. As it happens I have been reading a Scientific American magazine about black holes and the current knowledge theories, and it includes the physical entities of that exploration which includes the upcoming Magellan telescope. I was fascinated. Someday we may know where we came from and where we are going.

During the time here I have had yet another birthday celebration. I try to avoid them because apparently my grandparents died of too many birthdays, but people insist on celebrating. I am now old enough to not count in years but centuries, hence I am 3/4 old.

The rest of time we spent here with our friends delighting in their yard and house, and going hiking or biking every day. Sometimes difficult as we tended to wait until noon or so and hot, alas we cannot change our ways. But delightful hikes and bikes, interspersed with incredible meals.

And so we are moving on. A yet another delightful meal with Joe and Camille and drop us off at train, where we just walked on. It was dark so not much to see except lights of the freeway . Arrived here in Los Angeles for a 4 hour layover, before catching the “coast starlight” train to Portland where we began a few weeks ago. The tv here in lounge is giving us updates on freeway conditions and preparations for today’s parade of baseball team LA dodgers. Fortunately it starts 2 hour after our departure, but despite the darkness we can her the helicopters, and cars prepping.