Desert in Bloom (Benson, AZ)

We are settled in the Escapees Saguaro SKP Co-op in Benson, AZ for the next couple of weeks.  Our timing was perfect for viewing many cacti in bloom.

I have been going for a walk every morning and can't stop myself from taking photos.  I have noticed that I look forward to my walks between the blue sky, the views of the valley below us, the different textures of plants, and colorful flowers....as long as I get out in the early morning's cooler temps.  By the afternoon, I am not so enthused.

I actually have a sore neck from trying to look at everything during my morning walks.  So much to see between the wildlife and the park settings.

Chollo

Almost every plant in the common areas has a name tag.  I really appreciate the park's volunteer gardeners spending the extra time to tag each plant.  

Prickly Pear

It certainly makes it easier for guests to learn the different kinds of cactus along with other desert plants.  A lot of repetition.  That is dedication!

Yellow Bird of Paradise

I turned the photos below into a collage so I could share more photos of the park.  We are on two waiting lists for a site.  One in the northwest and one in the southwest.  Our plans are to take a permanent site after our travel days are over. 

our temporary site with a view

It has not been an easy decision between Sutherlin, OR and Benson, AZ.  So, many pros and cons for both and neither is winning more pros than the other!  Besides the better winter weather, I love the Casitas built on each site.  Each one made unique by the site's lease holder.  Below are views of some of the different style Casitas from the road.  The bottom left photo shows the space behind the sites with more plants.

The next collage shows the fountain and garden near the Club House along with more blooming cacti.  The lower left photo is a back view of our coach between two sites.

Granted this area is hot and dry.  Water shortage is also a problem, but I still love the desert, the colors, the dry air, and the birds....so many different birds. Okay, so the House Sparrow below is more common, but I have seen roadrunners, quails, and others that I could not identify.

And yet, I love the northwest area as well.  We could become snowbirds and summer in OR with winters in AZ.  Hmmm, I'm glad I don't have to decide today, but I know that day is coming soon.

On The Cutting Board

Four quilts done!  Here are some quick photos of each one.  I will need to find a better spot to take photos for my Etsy shop.  The fabric collection in Cosmos quilt had me wondering what I was thinking.  It sat in the closet for quite a long time because I thought the collection was too dark for a child's quilt with so many browns and sage greens.  With a little yellow, a flash of red, and white background added to the mix and...Ta-Da!  I do believe Cosmos, the Star Puppy looks quite cheerful. 

Cosmos The Star Puppy

The Giraffe quilt is done!  The blocks were easy to do and the giraffes look quite cute, but I'm pretty sure I will not be making this quilt any time soon.

Giraffe quilt

Peek-a-boo Bears - done!  I love the way this one came out.  The scraps really pull the whole quilt together.

Peek-a-boo Bear

The last one is the Zoo panel that I have renamed Hippo and Friends.  I plan to give this one to a children's charity group since this fabric was given to me by a friend.

Hippo and Friends

That's it for now.  I have more quilt tops needing appliqué work.  I hope to have some more to show you in my next post.
Happy Quilting!

#1 Choice - Benson, AZ

So, we have been spending this last week in Benson, AZ.  We have stayed here a couple of times, but it has been awhile.  So, we have been busy driving around southern Arizona getting familiar with the area again.  We liked it quite a bit last time and what a surprise....we still do!

We drove to Davis-Monthan AFB/Tucson one day.  On the second day, we drove to Ft. Huachuca Army Base/Sierra Vista and to Patagonia to see where we would be spending our winter.  On the third day, we drove over to Casa Verde near Phoenix to see another Co-op park.  That park wasn’t as nice as the one in Benson. 

This Casita is my favorite one.

Back door

Side patio

Front overlooks the valley

After all that driving around, we decided to stay home to do a little resting and catching up on everything.  We did some walking around the park, took photos of the Casitas that we liked the best.  

The lots are very spacious and people do quite a bit of landscaping.  

Backside of our site

We were assigned a front row site and fell in love with the view.  Across the street we were able to watch a lot of different birds along with the Quail.  They really kept the cats entertained.

Time to Slow Down

We know we have not seen all of the Co-op parks yet, but we decided to get on the Saguaro SKP's waiting list here in Benson.  There are over 300 people waiting to have a site here which means it may take up to 7 years to get a site.  In the meantime, we plan to keep looking at the other parks.  We might change our minds and decide on a different park.  We can be on more than one waiting list.  We will have to wait and see.

Quails Run - Tuesday Treasury

We are in Benson, AZ sitting in Saguaro Skp Park for Escapees.  Here's a view from our front window.  Isn't it wonderful!  I know people pay hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars to get this view.

I will post photos of the park's Casitas and the lots later.

So, I have been watching the Gambel Quail run around the park area.  They are keeping our cats entertained by running by the motorhome and being very noisy.  It's a good thing we are on a boat because the cats would be tilting it to one side from gathering at one window.

Male running across the street

Wait for me!

 While walking Hitch, I notice two Quails sitting on the barb wire.  First there were just the two, then there were four of them.  I realized they were watching Hitch and I.  Alerting the others by giving them warnings as we got closer.  I tried to get a photo of all four, but Hitch had other plans and yanked on the leash just as I clicked.  By the time I got him to come back to me, all four were gone.  Darn!  That's what I get for trying to take bird pictures with a cat on the leash!

Here's my Tuesday Treasury...Enjoy!

 .....stop by Aquariann's blog below to view more Treasurys