WE SEEM TO FIND OURSELVES AT BOYCE Thompson Arboretum every time we come to Arizona. We always enjoy ourselves and usually see something new. This time it was the brand new Wallace Desert Garden which adds another dimension—and 13 acres with a mile-and-a-half of trail —to the Arboretum. Between 2015 and 2017 more than 5000 desert plants were relocated from the original Wallace collection in Scottsdale to Boyce Thompson and now they have taken root.
Paul's Colorful Discovery
We can always count on Paul to find something out of the ordinary. Hidden among the prickly plants, he managed to find a secluded corner with some amazing mineral specimens—amazing to him and others of his geologist ilk, at least. The Azurite, Malachite and Whatever-ite didn’t give Connie and me goosebumps but they certainly were pretty to look at.
Colorful Malachite
Desert Pricklies
As I have mentioned before, 70 may be the new 50 for folks like us but when it comes to New Year’s Eve, ten o’clock is the new Midnight. Well this year it was more like 9! I grilled some nice salmon fillets for dinner and we settled in to watch the conclusion of Up and the first act of Hamilton before hip-hopping off to dreamland. We even forgot our NYE toast with Paul’s dwindling stash of Patron Tequila Añejo.
The New Midnight for Us Boomers
And it was probably a good thing. Ursula and Chris arrived later than planned but still plenty early for a New Year’s Day. Long ago and far away, Connie was Urs’s au pair and a special bond remains. So she and Chris drove out from San Diego for a vist—what’s five hours on the road, after all. As it turns out, Chris is a budding gem collector and when he met Paul it was more Chemistry than Geology.
Chris and Paul: Student and Mentor
Connie and Ursula
While Connie and Ursula went one way for a walk-and-talk, Paul and Chris went rocking-and-strolling to look for interesting rocks. If that sounds oxymoronic to you, we’re on the same page. Never-the-less, I dutifully followed along, silencing my ignorance and enjoying a three-mile walk in the desert.
Catch of the Day
