Copper Mine Tour

On March 9th we drove south of Tucson to the ASARCO Mineral Discovery Center in Sahuarita, AZ to tour an open pit copper mine.  The guided tour took us to the edge of the open mine pit, then back to the plant to see how the ore is processed and copper removed from the waste rock. At this mine, every ton of ore produces about 13 pounds of copper.  But, for every ton of ore approximately 3 ton of rock has to be processed.
 Rock is first blasted to fracture it into material that can be loaded onto the huge trucks and hauled to a crusher.  The primary crusher reduces the rock to about 8 inch size pieces. A secondary gyratory crusher breaks those pieces even smaller.  From there the rock travels through large rotating mills that contain 8 inch diameter steel balls which pulverize the rock into a powder. The powder is mixed with water, lime, and other chemicals to create a slurry which goes to a flotation tank. Air is bubbled in, the extracted copper attaches to the air bubbles and is separated, dried and forms a fine powder which is now 28% copper.  At this point the powder is shipped to another site for smelting and refining.
   Huge amounts of electricity and water are needed for this process.  Much of the water is reclaimed and reused, which helps in this state with so little water resources.  Some byproducts of the copper separation process, small amounts of silver and gold, can be sold to help pay for electricity.  Some mines like this are evaluating the use of solar panels to help supplement the energy requirement.  The open pits are very controversial due to the environmental impact they have.  There are some efforts being made to reclaim the damaged earth and initiate native plants and animals to come back.  One way of doing this is to introduce grazing cattle into the area, hoping as they feed they will spread grasses and seeds over the earth.

Saguaro Lake Cruise

On Feb 28th we viewed Saguaro Lake via a 90 minute narrated cruise aboard the Desert Belle Tour Boat.  Saguaro Lake is the 4th lake in a series formed by dams installed along the Salt River. Most well known is the first, Theodore Roosevelt Dam, which forms Theodore Roosevelt Lake. Following that is Horse Mesa Dam (Apache Lake), Morman Flat Dam (Canyon Lake), and finally Stewart Mountain Dam (Saguaro Lake).

   Saguaro Lake is a long, narrow lake that covers 1100 acres.  It is stocked with walleye, bass, trout, bluegills, crappies, and catfish by the Arizona Fish & Game Department.
    Located within the Tonto National Forest, rustic campsites are available by boat access only; hiking, biking, horse-back riding, and ATV trails wind their way through the desert areas surrounding Saguaro Lake.  A few RV campsites are available along the highway leading to the lake.
    Water from these lake reservoirs can be diverted for irrigation purposes.  According to the cruise narrator, some campers using boat access have awaken in the morning to find the water table has dropped by 4 feet or more, and their boat is now on dry land!
    Before driving home, we had lunch at Lake Shore Restaurant, located near the cruise departure area.

Casa Grande Cowboy and Indians Days

Cowboy and Indians Days was a week long rodeo event held in Casa Grande in February.  Different events were held each day; participants included cowboys from both the US and Canada, and Indians from various Native American tribes.  The day we went was "Ranch Rodeo" day, where the riders were teams of individuals from actual working ranches around the area.

   The day started with shooting, where riders on horseback rode through a prepared course and had to shoot balloons mounted on posts along the way. These were timed events, and points earned or lost depending on how many balloons broke and whether the course was followed correctly.

   After this event, the rodeo "zamboni" (little blue tractor with a drag behind) smoothed the field.  Other events that afternoon included catching a wild horse, putting a saddle on and riding it to a finish line; roping calves from a herd and pretending to brand them; catching two calves and loading them in a trailer; wild bronco riding, and finally, roping a wild cow and milking it.

    Lunch was served from a circle of "chuck wagons"...each wagon had a slightly different menu but all had to include beef, beans,and biscuits.
 
 This was a different sort of rodeo to watch, but the events were entertaining.

Picacho Peak State Park

On Feb 11th we drove south of Casa Grande toward Tucson to visit Picacho Peak State Park.  Picacho Peak is a dramatic geological rocky protrudence with a unique shape that rises 1500 feet above the desert floor, reaching an elevation of 3,374 feet at the peak.   It can be seen for miles around, and has likely been used as a landmark by travelers since prehistoric times.  One of the first written records was in the 1700's when the Anza Expedition passed through this area.
   It has historical significance as the site of a battle during the Civil War.  A monument placed there commemorates this event.  A re-enactment of the battle takes place the second week in March.
   The 3500 acre site has seven miles of developed hiking trails that wind through the saguaro cacti and other desert plants.  There are picnic areas, campsites, interpretive signs, and a visitor center on site.

SkyDive Arizona

SkyDive Arizona is advertised as the largest skydiving center in the world...we were told by numerous RV Park residents that we had to drive to Eloy, AZ and check it out, so on Friday, Feb 10th we drove the 20 or so miles to Eloy and watched the skydivers...it was amazing!
    SkyDive Arizona is a training facility for individual and team skydivers...they also offer tandem jumps with an instructor for those brave enough to jump out of a plane at 13,000 feet, free-fall for one minute, then deploy the parachute and glide to earth.  (Neither of the Jax's were up for that!) 

 Also on site is a freefall simulator...that looked to be more fun! The simulator generates wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour in an enclosed chamber...you gear up, step into the chamber, and experience the "free-fall" sensation, suspended a couple feet above the floor of the chamber.  We were able to watch several individuals, including a group of young children, use the simulator.

 The fields and simulator are often used for military training.  The day we visited there was a group of about 20 members of the Royal Air Force from England doing practice jumps.

We spent a couple hours there watching the jumpers glide to earth...at times there would be a dozen or more in the sky at once, all with colorful jumpsuits & parachutes.  Everyone we watched made a safe landing!

Queen Creek Olive Mill

On February 9th we drove to Queen Creek, AZ to observe a working olive mill.  The Queen Creek Olive Mill is a small family owned company that is experimenting with growing olives in Arizona, then using those olives to produce a high quality extra virgin olive oil.  The grove of approximately 2000 trees is an assortment of varieties including Classic Tuscany (Lechino, Frantoio, Pendolino, and Grappolo); the Mission Olive; Spanish Manzanillo, Sevillano, and Arbequina; Italian Baroni; California Lucca; and the Greek Kalamata.
   The olive trees are drip irrigated; no pesticides or mold inhibitors are needed due to this region's growing conditions.  Trees grow buds in March and blossom mid-April.  By May the olives are formed on the tree; they are allowed to grow through the summer.  Harvest is in the fall.
   Olives are harvested by hand using special rakes to remove the fruit from the trees.  After harvest, the olives are washed with fresh water and ground into a coarse paste using a hammer mill.   The paste is slowly mixed to allow small oil drops to stick together and form larger ones.  A centrifugal decanter is then used to separate the oil.  The oils are stored in large stainless steel vats until they can be blended and bottled.
   At the end of the tour we were given samples of different blends, and encouraged to shop in their market for bottles to enjoy at home.

RV Park Activities

In case you are wondering, we are keeping busy here at the RV Park...Kathy has been taking part in Walk Aerobics classes held Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.  Tuesday and Thursday, we both have been playing shuffleboard. Every Monday morning there is a park meeting where activities for the week are presented, and problems/concerns addressed.  They also provide coffee & donuts!  Monday evening is Music Night, with entertainment provided by musicians from the park. Many of the selections are "sing along" with a song book provided. Wednesday night is Wii Bowling.  Almost every Friday night there is entertainment by an outside group. Anyone who wants can attend for a small fee. The night we attended there was a very enthusiastic bluegrass band playing.
    Breakfasts are served every other Saturday morning.  We learned quickly that if you show up at the scheduled time for food events, you are already at least 15 minutes late!  One evening there was a cook-out in the desert next to the park; this event is BYOB & C (bring your own beverage and chair); they served hamburgers, brats, and hotdogs, then started large bonfires to sit around and visit with your neighbors.
    Other tag-a-long events are constantly being scheduled...this month (February) we are going to an olive mill to learn about olive oil processing; and a chartered lake cruise on Saguaro Lake.
     Daily walks around the park and visiting neighbors complete our park events.