3/3/10

South Mountain Park and my Trip Home.

    South Mountain Park overlooking Phoenix, AZ.

 Oh, I am soooo tired!  I got back home from Arizona last night at 4:30 a.m.  We left Phoenix at  8:10 p.m. their time and arrived in Minneapolis/St. Paul at 11:50 our time. 
A one hour time difference.  And what a day we had!  The plane left a bit late due to a traffic jammed Phoenix runway.  However, we made great time and were in Minneapolis 20 minutes ahead of schedule.  But it didn't make a bit of difference anyhoo, since our pilot had to go into a holding pattern waiting for a runway to open up.
     What a sight we were.  My Mom, myself and my teenage nephew. He had traveled with us and had spent time visiting a friend in Yuma, AZ.   My poor Mom was so exhausted and I think my nephew had been running on low sleep while visiting his buddy.  By the time we caught a shuttle to our parking spot, warmed up our very cold car and drove to my Brothers home just outside of St. Paul it was 2:30 a.m.   My Mom is staying there for a few days and  I needed to get her dropped off.  I had it in my head that I needed to get home to my warm bed and my even warmer hubby.  Well off my nephew and I went.  I was fine until I got on the Interstate.  All of a sudden I was barely able to keep my eyes open.  It was just me and a lot of semis barreling down the road.   I pulled off , got a coffee and threw water on face.  From that point on I drove with my window 3 inches open.  Not real comfortable in 25 degree weather but it worked.  I made it home about 4:30 a.m.
Today my nose is running pretty bad .  Could it be the weather change?   Or could it be the the window blasting cold air on me.
And Yes, I learned my lesson!



This is the first time I've seen a green Desert!  The  desert flowers aren't in bloom yet, but it was sooo green. How cool to see a green desert!

  I bugged my brother Tom to take me up their before we left town.


Tom lives in Flagstaff, but he used to live in Phoenix.  He also was a marathon runner.  In the heat of the desert summer he would wait to run late at night.  Sometimes he would look back and their would be a pack of coyotes behind him. I used to joke with him that they were just waiting for him to drop.  Needless to say, our Mom didn't like him up there running by himself  late at night. 

There is something about the desert.  It has such a different feel to it and it  fascinates me.  The landscape is so different than Wisconsin and it gives me such an eeire feeling sometimes. I picture rattle snakes and all kinds of lizards and such.    Well my friends,I have a lot of catching up to do!  Please be patient, as I get back into the swing of things. 
Cindy

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18 comments:

  1. Hi Cindy,
    I'm glad you are home safe and sound! I am not a desert person but it can be a gorgeous place. This year it will be alive with the most gorgeous wild flowers ...California will be ablaze with our poppies and the lovely deep blue flower, lupine.
    You photo's are wonderful!!
    Mona

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  2. YAHOO!!! I'm so glad your home safe and sound and what a fun time you had with the girls...Oh Cindy I suffered envy all day last friday thinking about you guys and all the fun you were having without me ha ha!! I would love to meet all of you girl...I kid you not, I told Len about it and he said next time why don't you just fly there and meet them spend the night and come home YAHOO!! it takes lesss time that going to Texas...I'm meeting with Chari and Russell in 3 weeks in Vegas...I'm so excited to be doing that Cindy...as I have known her for over 2 years but never met her...I just know we won't be able to talk after spending 4 days together ha ha!! plus the shopping and the car show thats why were going...Too bad you and Dan can't meet us there he would love all those Rat rods...Girl now go to bed with a warm hubby and call it a night...love ya sis...Hugs and smiles Gl♥ria

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  3. Lovely pictures; a completely different world from New York (where I hail from)!

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  4. HI!!!
    So glad you made it home safely, NEVER do that kind of drive again, that scares me to death!!!!
    A green desert from all of our rain this year!!!
    I am a desert dweller born and raised and the desert still scares me to death!!! So many unsightly things to scare you!!!!
    rest up, drink lots of fluids, I hope I did not get you sick!!! Take some mucinex!!!!
    hugs,
    jamie

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  5. I'm glad you got home safely! The desert is green this year, we've had so much rain. We are high desert so it's a little different here, we don't have cactus like that. I've never seen a snake in all my years of living here. In fact the only time I've ever seen one in a yard was in my aunt's yard in Missouri :-) I'm afraid of them though, and I wouldn't get out and walk in the middle of the desert in the summertime!
    Blessings,
    Marcia

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  6. I heard that it was 74 there today...oh my, and we had 35...Glad you had some sun. Trips are so fun to go on but it's so nice to come home too! :D

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  7. I am hoping the wildflowers will be in bloom next week when Rose is here. It does look so different green!

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  8. You scare me Girl. That was about as harrowing as my drive back to the hotel Sat night from CeeKays! AGH! And neither one of us can see in the dark? I rest my case . . . next trip - HUSBANDS!!!
    Glad you are safe and sound, sorry to hear you have sniffles, and GEE! YA THINK IT WAS THE COLD AIR?
    Hugs! Karen

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  9. DEAR CINDY,
    THANK YOU FOR SHOWING THE PICTURES OF THE DESERT. I LOVE THE DESERT...IT HAS ITS' OWN UNIQUE BEAUTY.
    IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAD A FUN BUT VERY EXHAUSTING TIME. THOSE LITTLE ANGELS KEPT YOU AWAKE WHILE YOU WERE DRIVING...
    I JUST WANTED TO DROP BY AND GIVE YOU A HUG.
    HUGS
    SIMPLY DEBBIE
    I HOPE I DID TELL YOU, THAT I HAVE AN ADDITIONAL BLOG CALLED SIMPLY DEBBIE. IT IS MY JOURNEY WITH AMY WATCHING OVER ME FROM HEAVEN. http://iamsimplydebbie.blogspot.com
    IF I TOLD YOU FORGIVE ME...MY MIND IS JUST COMING BACK TO EARTH BUT I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO VISIT.

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  10. Oh you poor thing, I hope you are feeling better. The pictures are beautiful! Get plenty of rests, Cindy and hope you feel better by morning. Funny I was thinking rattlesnakes too before you even mentioned it...Christine

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  11. Welcome home!

    There is NOTHING more miserable than trying to stay awake to drive. It is the pits!

    Glad you made it home safely.

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  12. I bet you are tired to the bone but so glad to be home! Ya scare me girl, driving when your that tired. Hubby would stop, splash the water grab some protein and a Mountain Dew (he claimed it worked better than coffee) and drive a couple more hours when we had the truckin' company. I would beg him just to stop. I am so thankful you made it home safe and sound.

    Great green desert pictures. When I would go to Albuquerque in the spring to visit my maternal grandmother the desert would be in bloom. It was always amazing to me. I would be in awe of all the color the desert could hold.

    Get some rest girl and have a greatly blessed day my friend, you were missed.

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  13. Please do not drive when you are sleepy!!!!!!! My niece's fiance, and father to her unborn child, died two months ago when he fell asleep at the wheel, coming home from a late night at work. It was a senseless tragedy.

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  14. As you know this is very different landscape than I'm used to in Illinois. I love seeing the pictures. I haven't been out that way since I was in the 6th grade...memory is a little fuzzy. I'm glad you are home safely.

    Sue

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  15. Welcome home, Cindy! The dessert is so pretty! Traveling is fun, but I certainly know what you mean. I'm so sorry your drive home was so difficult! Glad you're home safely now! Hope you can get some great rest!
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  16. YEA! Cindy's back! So glad to see a post on your blog. I've been missing you. Okay, I came over here one time and started worrying about you driving in the snow, and now I come over here, and I'm worried about you falling asleep at the wheel! You crazy lady! Glad you had a great trip, and really glad you made it home safely. laurie

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  17. Welcome back! I've never seen the desert and never considered that it has a season of being green. Very interesting photos. Rest up, then tell us more. :)

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  18. I'm so glad you had a good time visiting your son, Cindy, and I enjoyed seeing the desert. I have never been there, but Mr. Magpie has and thinks it's wonderful.

    Rest up and enjoy the weekend!

    Love and warm hugs...

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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Welcome,
I would love to hear from you. Come back and visit anytime. Warmest Wishes, Cindy