Wupatki National Monument

So after visiting Sunset Crater and the Painted Desert overlook, we arrived at Wupatki National Monument... These ruins are at least 800 years old from when the Sunset Crater eruption added minerals to the desert and made the soils in the area more fertile for agriculture.   The weather was beautiful with blue skies and 80 degree temperatures...  the views of the painted desert were amazing and the ruins were fascinating!  

A colorful view of the Painted Desert

After visiting sunset crater, we traveled about 20 minutes northeast and descended from 8000' back down to 3500' and went back from alpine forest to desert brush environment.  Here we came over a hill and the Painted Desert came into view.  It stretches for hundreds of miles to the West, North, and East from the Grand Canyon to the Petrified Forest and is today part of the Navajo and Hopi nations.  We were going from Sunset Crater to the Wupatki Ruins National Monument

And we got closer to the desert....

And then we were finally in the Painted Desert!

Next stop:  Wupatki Ruins National Monument...

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

So about 15 minutes northeast of Flagstaff is Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.  It is the cinder cone of a volcanic explosion from about 900 years ago.  We explored the base of the cone and I climbed out onto the remains of the lava flow.

The lava flow came off the volcano and cooled and solidified near the base of the cone... 900 years later a few pine trees have managed to take root in the rocks...

And finally, here is me in full social studies teacher attire climbing out onto the lava flow rocks...  Who says you can't hike in dress shoes?

Back to Flagstaff

On Friday, Jenna and her mother invited me to join them in Flagstaff for the day.  We left Phoenix around 9AM and it was supposed to get up to 90+ degrees.  But in Flagstaff the forcasted high was 62.  It is a lot warmer at 1500 feet than at 7000+ feet above sea level....  When we got to Flagstaff there was still snow on top of the higher peaks including Humphrey's Peak (elev. 12,000+ ft.)

After some sightseeing, shopping, and lunch in Flagstaff, our next stop was Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

More about that in the next post!

A coastal vibe

So another one of my mini-projects this week was to try to add some finishing details to the guest suite.  Since I had no family photos to put in the family frame that was above the bed, I took it down and replaced it with a new black and white beach photo that fits perfectly between the two windows above the bed...

And I finally hung up the final square beach print I have had sitting in the closet since January and actually got them hung level to each other!

A little corner to relax...

So I went to IKEA Tempe this week and picked up a tullsta chair and some canvas art prints to finish off the master bedroom with some art and a sitting corner to sit down and read or put my shoes on in the morning or enjoy my view out the window.  (Click on the purple links to see these products at IKEA.com... but don't forget to come back here!)

Laying around

Do I really need to say anything about these photos?

(Click on the photos to enlarge)

Let there be wind...

So this week I have been on spring break and tried to get a little work done around the house.  The most challenging project I tackled this week was installing a ceiling fan in the living room (by myself!)  Putting up a ceiling fan is really an awful task that is very difficult and aggravating to do on your own as you are trying to hold the fan motor up to the ceiling in your right hand while stuffing wires into the downrod with your left hand while standing seven feet in the air on a ladder and then the wires come springing back out and... UGH!   Yet somehow I actually did it... I also painted and installed a ceiling medallion to match the ceiling paint color and add some decorative flair to what would otherwise be a very basic ceiling fan...

The fan above the living room 

(Click photo to enlarge):

The fan and medallion up close:

The (New) Office

So I finally got my new Convertible Compact Desk from Crate & Barrel.  The desk looks like a file cabinet when it is closed but the top rolls to the side to provide a seating area to use as a desk.  I have turned the loft area at the top of the stairs into the office with my chair, desk, and bookcase all fitting nicely inside this previously useless space...

Here is the bookcase on the wall behind the desk (with my diploma proudly displayed above)  Go B.G.!

Here is the desk in the closed position with my work chair beside it.

 

Here is the view looking over the stairwell and window alcove from the office space...

Here is the desk with the top open into the "desk" position revealing the storage tray below for knick-knacks and other frequently-used items.  Below that is a drawer for other miscellaneous items and below that a file drawer that can hold letter and legal-size hanging files (I got legal size hanging files)

Here is the desk with my laptop open... I'm ready to work!  (or as I am doing right now, sitting at the desk writing this blog post...)