And I thought it was going to be a slow photo day ...

Kept the keys to the car, but since we were headed to Tucson to tend my bro's kids - I went and picked my mom up early from her Temple work ... mainly so I could get some photos of the Mesa Temple:

The temple was apparently built in 1927 since there is a big dated corner stone ('ish) date on the temple. I like the reliefs that were up high on the top edge of the back side. They might go all the way around, but I didn't notice:

And, of course, if you are at a temple and it is humanly possible - there will be flowers:

Drove to Tucson. After Dad got done at the temple, he headed down and immediately told me we had to head out. The light was good in Saguaro National Park (West) to take photos. I cut my phone conversation short with Gary and off we headed. Got a ton of photos and it was hard to decide what to put in - and ended putting in waaaay too many:

At the top of the mountain that I dutifully climbed / hobbled up were some petroglyphs:

A TON of saguaro's:

Cool animal petroglyphs:

Apparently I liked the swirl ...

Grandpa kicking my butt taking photos. Every time (just now as I was loading photos into the blog) he would show me a photo of something from the last 3 days that was absolutely stunning that I never even saw ... maybe one day I will get a photographers eye ... but it ain't anywhere these days ...

Braved / ignored the sign that said the gates would be closed at Sunset and stayed to get sunset photos. I mean - who would close a park AT SUNSET ... maybe an hour after - but - come on - we weren't the only photographers up there defying the decree ...

I had made the command decision that I was going to head out for a 2 - 3 day romp - ON MY OWN - to visit some sights near the border. I didn't want my father to have to miss his grandsons football game on Saturday and church on Sunday. So I said I was going alone.

Well.

That didn't go over very well. I think he would have refused to lend me a car (which, I would have said there are car rentals - but I would have had to get myself there ...). Gary mentioned that it would not kill him to miss church and he was down here just 2 weeks ago for a football game - so we are off in the morning.

Chiricahua National Monument, Bisbee (J.A. Jance fans ... she is an author ... might know the place ...) and Tombstone are on the agenda - and what ever else strikes our fancy.

So I am off to bed ...


... night