Winter Weather in Apache Junction!

The weatherman warned us we were in for a cooling off and some wicked winter weather but we got more than we expected! Saturday it was sunny and 85 degrees and we woke up Sunday morning to 57 degrees, wind and dark clouds! It wasn't long before it started to rain (first rain in 3 months) so everyone in Arizona was excited!! It continued to cool off and before long we were in the 40's - over 30 degrees cooler than the day before! Then we got thunder and lightening, hail and more wind.

 This is taken at the front of our patio looking out at the water running down the street

 Pam standing with the huge raindrops falling behind her

 My poor little pincushion cactus getting pummeled by the rain

 This is hail stones all over the ground

 The ground is white around my palms with hailstones

 It looked so funny with hail over over my cacti

 Need I say anymore?

 Black sky over towards the north east

 Half an hour later the sun was out and the hail had melted!

 Still some dark clouds on the horizen

 Hail in the cactus pot!

 Looking over to the Superstition Mountains

 Hard to believe this is the same place we were roasting in a few days ago

 Still snow on the mountains the next morning

 Hard to believe it is mid-March. A first for us here in Apache Junction

At least we know here that within the day it will all melt and will warm up very quickly. It is now 3 days later and we are back up to 80 degrees and can hardly believe these pictures when we look at them!

Verde Canyon Railway, Clarkdale Arizona

We decided to drive up to Clarkdale, 2 1/2 hours north of Phoenix so we could go on a train ride through the Verde Canyon. It is a 4 hour trip and one we have wanted to do for a few years now. We need company to come to do the touristy things! Since it was spring break, we only had one day to go and that was last Friday and the only seats left were first class but that was perfect as it was what we wanted anyway. We had a lovely trip up on a sunny warm day and arrived an hour before train time as expected.

 This was our car, it was named Scottsdale

Pam and I at our seats. We are assigned seats so we could get up and move around and our seats were always there for us. We were given a glass of champagne or Apple Cider when the train started so we could celebrate the start of our trip.

 Doug and Dick facing us. Dick isn't looking too happy??? We had chips at our table and they had a buffet at the back of the car with sandwiches, chicken wings, pickles, veggies and desserts that you could help yourself to.

 We had an open outside car at the back f our car that we could go out and enjoy the view directly

 Doug and Pam out in the open air car

 The front of the train

 The train crossing the first trellis

Views of the Verde River

 

 The views were spectacular from the outdoor car

 Oor car was second after the engine so this is looking back towards the caboose as the train passes over the trellis bridge

 Dick (looking happier!) Pam, Sharon & Doug outside in the open car

 Looking down at a cottonwood tree with mistletoe on it (the bright green clumps)

 The view looking back from the open car

 We are at the end of the line and the engine has switched tracks and is now going by us to the other end of the train to hook up and head us back home

 The engine has a bald eagle painted on the side

 This was the ranch at the end of the run before we head back to Clarkdale

 The engine is now at the other end of the train ready to hook up

 The ranch house by the railroad tracks

 Doug and Dick enjoying the scenery

 Some of the rock formations we saw along the way

 Lots of caves seen along the way

 Beautiful red rocks and bluffs along the way

 We had to go through one tunnel along the way and you can see we are just coming up to it

 Entering the tunnel

 Beautiful water views of the Verde River. The river is low as the rainy season never really arrived and the area is way below normal for rain levels for the past 7 1/2 years!

 As we are now at the back of the train for the trip home, I am able to get pictures of the front of the train way in the distance

 Verde River views

 Old Indian cliff dwellings high up the cliff side seen from the train

 Canadian Connection

 Doug liked this picture as he figures all railway workers looked like this!

I had to include this picture of a rabbit in our back yard. We have named her "Dinner"

We had a wonderful train ride and would recommend everyone do this if they are visiting in the area