Springtime In Scappoose 4 April 2009

San Xavier del Bac Mission and a Saguaro boot

I spent the month of March in Green Valley, Arizona and had a wonderful time hanging out in the sun, visiting my favorite Spanish missions, digging through dead Saguaro trees to find the holy grail(saguaro boots), and visiting with new and old friends. I realized again how much fun it is to have sunshine and how vitalizing it is.

Saguaro boots are made when birds dig deep into the tree to build a nest. The tree tries to heal the wound and secretes a substance that forms a thick, hard protective covering around the nest. When the tree dies, you can find them buried amongst the skeletal remains of the tree. The Saguaro ribs make nice walking sticks.

I awoke yesterday with the sun shining, so made a quick decision to see how Shatoosh fared with all the storms. The marina had started a new project in February to install finger piers on my dock between each boat to help stabilize the roof when there is snow pack. I was happy to see it completed. With this new addition I can now access the starboard side of my boat and it will also make docking much easier. With this in mind I was ready to give it a try. Getting out of the slip has always been easy, but it is nice to know the current can't push me over onto the next boat as it tends to do. Off I went flying down river with the rapid current and reached Coon Island in 30 minutes. The ospreys have returned and are fishing as their mates are building nests, the Great Blue Herons are nesting as well, as Mother Goose(Canada) has made her nest and is sitting on eggs on top of her favorite piling. I always comment on this atypical behavior. I tie up at the west dock on the inside and really bask in the sun for 2 hours. I do wash that dirty starboard side off with river water. I pull back into my slip around 1730 and what a delight sliding easily into my slip. I love it. What a lovely cruise and day.

Now back to Green Valley, Az. My niece, Erin and her husband, Matt participated in a fund raiser for St. Baldricks Children's Cancer Research. On 13 March in Denver , as well as other sites around the USA, teams donated money and sheared off their locks. I decided to join in as I have always wanted to shave my head. I guess it is the old monk in me. So timed with Erin and Matt in Denver, I had my head shaved also.

It is now growing and yesterday I can say I made headway into combing some of it, kinda, sorta. I love not having to do anything with my hair. Everyday is a bad hair day or a great hair day depending on one's perspective. I like to think of it as a great hair day. I'm already for summer, if it ever comes this year.