Seeing the sights before beginning work.

We took some time to see some of the local sights before going back to work.  We visited Saguaro National Park East and saw some flora and fauna.

After a short visit to the Visitor's Center and a snapshot beside a dried Saguaro skeleton, we took to the trail through the park.

What a surprise to find critters running around in the park during the heat of the day!

The landscape of the center was very well done, showing a wide variety of the indigenous plants from the Tucson area. 

Another surprise was to find so many plants blooming!

 And the mature cactus, wow, knowing that they only grow a few inches a year, this one has to be at least 50 years old.

This should give you an example of just how large they have grown.  Do you see the ring around the arm extending over my head.  That ring was caused by a freeze somewhere around the mid 70's.

We caught this young fellow heading underground....

....and not far away was a covey of Gamble's quail foraging beneath the bush. 

Just under a very dry tree stood a green plant which was in bloom and had attracted a black butterfly.  Do you see it?

And sitting on a rock catching a few rays was this cute fellow.

The cacti varied from small to large and most seemed to be in some stage of blooming. 

And they grow everywhere, even on the top of this rock.

I don't know what kind of bird this was, but it was very colorful.

The dying and the living.  They are all part of God's plan.

Then the new project month started.  From right to left are Feryl and Jim Laney, Scott Munro, the Pastor for the Mission, Billie and myself and Niki Granitsas, an 80 year young lady from Massachusetts who braves the Sower road by herself. 

We have done a few odd jobs, but the main job this week was to convert this 40 foot trailer into an office for the maintenance personnel, equipped with computer and air conditioning.

Meanwhile, the ladies have been cleaning the transition house to make it ready for the next graduates from the mission.