We had previously walked the Rim Trail and they finally opened the Island Trail at Walnut Canyon National Monument - the rest rooms are open (one person at a time) but the Visitor Center is still closed. I had done this trail several years ago but Patty had not. It is indeed 736 stairs as the sign indicates.
As we descended the stairs, we could see across the canyon and even though it was around 11:00 a.m., we could still see the moon in the distance.
Looking back up, we could see the visitor center - a fairly large building, but awfully small as you got down the stairs and then went around the "island" - it is not really an island but Walnut Creek goes nearly 360 degrees around this outcropping of land where the trail takes you by many homes that had been built into the sides of the cliffs.
Theres is nice educational signage about both the people who lived there 800 years ago and about local flora and fauna.
One day in our back yard, we discovered that some animal had been digging in the stone wall.
While we have bird feeders, we were sure it was not the birds.
We called a local exterminator, he placed three traps and sure enough, we caught a rock squirrel - which he took away and released it into the Coconino National Forest. He left the cages for another day, no further animals and so he took the cages away.
Patty ordered a new carpet for the patio.
And the next day, we saw another rock squirrel digging in our stone wall. So the exterminator came back with the traps, and a second squirrel was caught and removed.
Patty sent me to get ingredients for paella and kale soup - but several of them were not available.
The paella was made with substitutions (found by searching online while in the store) and it tasted great!!
One of the items with our CSA bag of veggies was microgreens which we have used in our salads.
For more do it yourself projects, I added another shelf in the downstairs closet and reorganized it more.
I still have not figured out what to do with this section of that closet.
Patty painted one wall of the guest bedroom. My involvement was removing the connection for the never used alarm system (patching the hole, sanding and painting) and painting over the two samples of other colors on a different wall.
We still do not go out to restaurants, bars or museums, many of which are not open. We do try to hike and get fresh air. And so we continue to stay at home most of the time. Arizona's numbers of cases and hospitalizations continue to decrease - but universities have started classes, including NAU here in Flagstaff and local news stories bemoan the uptick in positive coronavirus tests and the lack of face masks and social distancing at college student gatherings and parties. While we had been improving, I think it will get worse - again.
Much of the construction many stairs was done by the CCC during the Great Depression.
Looking back up, we could see the visitor center - a fairly large building, but awfully small as you got down the stairs and then went around the "island" - it is not really an island but Walnut Creek goes nearly 360 degrees around this outcropping of land where the trail takes you by many homes that had been built into the sides of the cliffs.
Theres is nice educational signage about both the people who lived there 800 years ago and about local flora and fauna.
One day in our back yard, we discovered that some animal had been digging in the stone wall.
While we have bird feeders, we were sure it was not the birds.
We called a local exterminator, he placed three traps and sure enough, we caught a rock squirrel - which he took away and released it into the Coconino National Forest. He left the cages for another day, no further animals and so he took the cages away.
And the next day, we saw another rock squirrel digging in our stone wall. So the exterminator came back with the traps, and a second squirrel was caught and removed.
Patty sent me to get ingredients for paella and kale soup - but several of them were not available.
The paella was made with substitutions (found by searching online while in the store) and it tasted great!!
For more do it yourself projects, I added another shelf in the downstairs closet and reorganized it more.
I still have not figured out what to do with this section of that closet.
Patty painted one wall of the guest bedroom. My involvement was removing the connection for the never used alarm system (patching the hole, sanding and painting) and painting over the two samples of other colors on a different wall.
We still do not go out to restaurants, bars or museums, many of which are not open. We do try to hike and get fresh air. And so we continue to stay at home most of the time. Arizona's numbers of cases and hospitalizations continue to decrease - but universities have started classes, including NAU here in Flagstaff and local news stories bemoan the uptick in positive coronavirus tests and the lack of face masks and social distancing at college student gatherings and parties. While we had been improving, I think it will get worse - again.
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