Fall Color

Today was one of those rare days for the Alexander family in that we decided to blow off work and just do something fun.

Destination - Around the top of Mt. Lemmon where you can see the Aspens turning.

We loaded up the paint boxes - this was the first time in awhile we had painted as a family and so that was a big chore. Greg made sure everyone's box had brushes and paint and he rounded up all the paraphanelia it takes to make a plein air painting.

I've been working long hours this week and so I hadn't been to the grocery store so our picnic supplies had to come from the the Circle K on the corner -- we were not to be detered by this.

After all, we decided, it's not about the food but the experience. And we had places to go!! Besides, the kids weren't that upset that I had to pack chips, candy and cokes for their lunches... And of course there's the quick stop at the art supply store to pick up panels.....and then the long drive across Tucson to the Catalina Hwy.

William was sure we'd have to stay in a hotel before we got there because it seemed to him that we'd been in the truck forever.

But finally we are on our way - we'd stopped and paid the day fee and met a lovely woman who admired our dog, Cookie and had a chat with her.

And then the truck died. ON the highway as we were CLIMBING up the grade. It just sputtered and quit. This can't be happening! Our luck wasn't all bad as there was a pull out we were able to crawl into.

Got the truck started again but couldn't turn around at that tight spot and so we went a bit further and stopped at a picnic grounds.

Greg decided that we should let the truck cool off and go ahead and have our junk food picnic.

The kids were wonderful and didn't complain as I explained to them that there was no way we could go on up the mountain today. Maybe the Snickers and Hersheys bars helped or maybe it was that we realized it was a beautiful picnic spot.

We were no where near the Aspens but hey - we'd been in the low desert all summer and here there were pine trees and oaks.

William, who had been looking forward to seeing real fall leaves decided to go look for some. So we hiked a bit and sure enough there were bushes and small trees - I didn't have a field guide so I won't try to name them - that were turning red and yellow and orange. He had found what he'd come for.

And so we set up and all painted. Nothing as pretty as those leaves. We didn't even keep our paintings but went ahead and wiped them off while they were still wet. But I think the kids will remember our fall leaf adventure for a very long time.