Agamemnon at Coolidge Dam

Once the Gila and Salt Rivers flowed pretty much year-round, making the Phoenix valley a rich agricultural region for Hohokam and O'odham peoples. When the Anglos laid out Phoenix's water lines, they used the existing canals dug by the ancients. But today, thanks to irrigation and municipal diversions and wells, plus climate change, these rivers sacred to the old peoples are mostly dry.

The Coolidge Dam was built in 1935 on the Gila River, just before it flows north into a canyon, then west into the Phoenix basis where it is joined by the Salt River.

It must have been quite attractive in its heyday, with art deco ornamentation. Now it's quite run down, as if abandoned.

There's a campground that looks like it used to be popular destination. It's run down with only a handful of campers, a dinghy or two with bass fishermen, and picnic shelters by the boat launch that you would not want to use (the tables or the launch), unless you are a vulture.  There were several hanging around.

Octoberfest on Mt. Lemmon

Summerhaven, more precisely, Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley, has an Octoberfest celebration on the weekends. Shari and I took the bait but didn't get hooked.

$5 parking, $20 for a couple of bratwursts, and $5 bottled beer are a bit rich for us. And I should have anticipated the music. I detest German oom pah pah. We could have ridden the short chairlift to the top of the ski run, but at $9 each, it wasn't worth it either.

However, the drive up Catalina Highway, a sky island scenic route, is stunning. Giant saguaro cactus are plentiful at the lower elevations, then oaks and junipers, and above 6,000 feet, pine forest. At the top, which is 9,157 feet, there are stands of aspen.

Next Octoberfest, we will bring a picnic lunch and take Jasmine & Nazar for a walk in the forest. Once at the Mt. Lemmon quasi-German function is enough.

Autumn on Its Way

It was in the low sixties this morning as we took our two furry children down the street for their morning walk. With a chill in the air, this was the first time I have worn jeans and a thin cardigan since early spring.  Like March. Jasmine is frisky. We think she likes the chill.

Dress is changing, at least at night when it's colder. Now I remember why I still have jeans and cardigans.  All these will be forgotten each day as the sun gets higher in the sky. We are expecting 99 degrees today and 100 tomorrow. But the evenings, nights and especially early mornings have a slight chill to them.

Did anyone see that full moon? Gorgeous. And in the early morning, if I stick my head outside and look up, the pre-sunrise sunlight has obscured every star in the sky except for two bright objects, Venus and Jupiter.