Saguaro fun

Snow on Cactus part2

It was still dark when the boys and I first ventured out.  The snow just getting started.

The arboretum is a beautiful place especially when it is covered with a white blanket.

Some unusual formations with the spines offering resting locations for snowflakes.

A Quiet Wake Up

See what we woke up to on Friday morning?

The park closed for the day, but it was a fabulous morning walk.

We got about 3 inches.

A Fab Tour

   A week ago several of us volunteers had the opportunity to tour a local processing facility in Superior.  OMYA  Ever heard of it?  None of us had heard of it either.  Their are 183 of their plants throughout the world.  So what does the local plant process, you ask?  We were given an array of safety products to wear during our tour. 
   Calcium Carbonate.  What is Calcium Carbonate?  Before last week, I had no idea.  After, I know that it is white.  It is mined in the winter in Amboy, Ca which is 50 miles west of Needles, Ca.  The ore is hauled to Superior by truck all year long.  The product is pure white.  Pure is the right word because this product is pure enough for food and pharmaceutical use.
   The raw ore, which looks like crystal, is unloaded into vats and then goes through a series of grinders and comes out a fine powder. There are a couple of powder sizes based on the future applications and packaged either in 50 lb bags or in 2 ton bags. 




  We were surprised by the scope of the items that calcium carbonate is added to.

General Mills cereals have CC added.  Chewing gum.  ( You know the white powder when you unwrap the stick of gum?  That's CC )

A fashion statement, don;t you think?

   
A fun and informative day.

Bark

Great texture

Sky Pilot

I'm back

Went in to town today.  Have not been able to get online so I found a computer store in Gilbert, one of the suburbs of Phoenix.  My laptop was showing that I had signal from my Verizon Jet Pack and but nothing would come up.  After checking this and that the tech, Gary, asked me about my virus software.  I told him that I had recently added McAfee.  "Bingo!", he said.  There's your problem.  Can't tell you how many of those Nortons and McAfees I have removed for the same reason.  HE inserted his jump drive he called "The McAfee Sucker" and sucked it out of my machine.  TaDa !  It works again.  Gary said, "You don't need those programs. Window 10 has it's own that work better with Windows.  Makes sense.
  Anyway I'm a happy camper.  Thanks WrightPC in Gilbert, Arizona.