Kilted in SOUTHERN Arizona

[Riverkilt]

Down in Southern Arizona on a quick vacation to see the grans and check out the country for "possible" retirement in a year or so. Been kilted 3 days down here so far and the only comment was a lady at a sandwich shop asking me what tartan I was wearing (was House of Gordon)...she told me she was a Douglas and thought they looked a bit alike. I politely bit my tongue.

Was at San Xavier Mission earlier today in my USA Kilts Casual in Isle of Skye tartan.



Yesterday was out and about in my USA Kilts Casual in Frazier tartan.


At a resort in Marana, AZ


And a pleat shot - checking under the "hood."

Took a short hike up to a waterfall in Ventana Canyon behind the hotel I stay at for training conferences every August....nice to go on my own time.




And the waterfall pleat shot....

[Macman]

Great set of pics, Ron. BTW, you're too young to think about retiring!

[Riverkilt]

Started working before school, after school, weekends, vacations and holidays at age 10...am close to 68 now....MORE than ready to hang it up and kick back...maybe a wee bit of kilted part time work at the most....

[Macman]

Ah, well then, you deserve it! You're younger at heart than your biological age, Ron!

My brother-in-law just retired to Arizona, and I can understand why.

[Hamish]

Ron, what a joy seeing you so comfortably dressed in your USA Kilts kilts - they are perfect for the temperatures you must be enjoying over there just now. I am intensly jealous of your warm sunshine! We have reverted, after a week of unseasonably warm conditions, to winds, rain and hail storms and daytime temps levelling out at about 52ºF with no prospect of any change. This is absolutely no good to a sun-worshipper like me and I may have to consider a move to Arizona!!

Also, I just love the Sagura cactii in your photos. On my first visit to Palm Springs six years ago, I picked up some Sagura seeds and here's how they are doing now on my kitchen window-sill (the only place warm enough for them to germinate). I know they are slow-growing and can take up to 50 years before producing a 'branch', which I'll certainly not see, but they are fun to grow although I have no-where to keep them if ever they get to more than 12" or so in my lifetime!!



I agree with David, you are far too young to retire but, when you do, I am sure you will enjoy it - retiring 14 years ago was the best thing I ever did.

Keep up the good work, my friend, and

Take care,
Ham.

[English Bloke]

I admire your sturdy resilience Ron to handle such high temps. I'd melt away like the puny Englishman I am if faced with the furnace heat of Southern Arizona. I've been there once and loved it, but must admit I was glad to climb back in the freezer. I have to agree with Hamish though, I am fed up with the howling winds and rains in UK right now. It seems like it's been pouring down non stop since before Christmas with only half a dozen days of respite in the between. We had three seasons outside my house yesterday with 10 minutes of sunshine followed by rain, sleet and hail for the rest of the day.

It does gaul me that I live in a country that generates £2bn profit for it's water companies annually yet imposes Parliamentary sanctioned hosepipe bans and other restrictions on water use due to short supply... In England and Wales there are 3.5 billion litres of water lost per day due to broken and leaky pipes. Where are the 'profits' going? (daft question). Not on fixing the flippin' pipes obviously.

Hosepipe Ban? Don't make me laugh, my garden is perpetually drowned. I'd love a bit of sunshine right now...

Good luck with your retirement. After working for 58 years, you certainly deserve it.

[Riverkilt]

Was gonna hike the Nature Conservancy bird sanctuary at Patagonia, AZ this morning but slept in, had a late breakfast, then wandered the local Earth Day exhibits in the town park. Too late for birding then so we drove on over to Bisbee and Tombstone. Having such a good time on the high desert forgot to take pics. Finally, wandering Tombstone shot a couple.



The Red Buffalo where I got a beaded hatband for my new palm WIDE brim sun hat that I bought in Tubac yesterday.



Hangin' out with carvings of Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate.

Kilt is my Utilikilts Original in digital desert sage that I wore when planning to go birding. Forgot a belt...but it worked.

And Ham - that is AMAZING that you are growing saguaros at all! So very few of their millions of seeds ever sprout and they usually need a mother plant. You've a green thumb for sure! Once read the best way to care for cactus was to read the weather report for Phoenix, Arizona and whenever it rained in Phoenix water the cactus. Makes sense.

Also when they grow, transplant into a very wide pot since their roots grow out along the surface rather then down deep like trees. But guessing you know that.

[Hamish]

.................

And Ham - that is AMAZING that you are growing saguaros at all! So very few of their millions of seeds ever sprout and they usually need a mother plant. You've a green thumb for sure! Once read the best way to care for cactus was to read the weather report for Phoenix, Arizona and whenever it rained in Phoenix water the cactus. Makes sense.

Also when they grow, transplant into a very wide pot since their roots grow out along the surface rather then down deep like trees. But guessing you know that.

Ron,

Thanks for the cultivation tips. I guess the watering habit you describe is for seedlings growing in Arizona (or neighbouring States) rather than Storrington, but I am well aware that they need very little, and then only rain water not tap water. I also know about the mother plant for shelter from the direct sun - but that certainly does not apply here in the UK!!

The largest of my little fellows is not yet quite 3" tall, so it does not need re-potting just yet but, when it does, I will remember the wider pot requirement. Many thanks again.

I forgot to mention our hosepipe ban and water restrictions as John has done. I guess we have had more rain this past week than we've had in the past six or eight months, maybe even the past year, but 'the authorities' tell us we need months of the stuff to replenish our reservoirs and natural aquifers.

Enough of all this - I have already taken your thread off at a tangent. So sorry.

Take care,
Ham.

[English Bloke]

Ham, Move to Lancashire. We're flipping sodden and have been for months.

Edit: Ron, Love the Doc Holiday and Big Nose Kate carvings. The Desert Sage is nice too.

[Grizzly]

Great pics Ron and thanks for sharing. I can only hope that I do half the stuff that you get up to at 68. Good on ya.