Yelapa, Mexico.

This week, Krista shares her photographic idea about keeping optimistic while enduring a frigid northern winter. You can read her challenge post here. Knowing what cold winters are like after living in Fargo, North Dakota for 35 years, I, too, needed much optimism to get through those bitter cold winters. The closer I came to retirement, the more I thought about escaping to warm and sunny tropical beaches. As I got closer to retirement, I looked forward to traveling to a warmer climate, saving my vacation for January and February so that I could escape the cold, even for one or two weeks. Hawaii, Mexico, anyplace south where I could sit on the beach and enjoy the warm sun and tropical breezes. This week, my photo challenge response is a photo of a beach in Yelapa, Mexico.

A couple of years before retirement, I took advantage of a weak housing market in Arizona and found a house at a bargain price. Now that I am retired, we spend our winters in Buckeye, Arizona. Though not as warm as those tropical Mexican beaches, the area seldom drops below freezing temperatures at night and always warms up during the day. We spend our leisure time hiking in the Sonoran Desert, at least 100 miles in the winter season. Attached is a small gallery of images taken while on our hikes. Though we miss the ocean here in Arizona, we make up for it in enjoying the warm winter in the Valley of the Sun, Phoenix Arizona’s nickname.

Hassayampa Wildlife Refuge near Wickenburg, Arizona

Saguaros along the trail.

Elephant Butte.

Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area in Northern Phoenix.

Superstition Mountains where many hope to find the gold of the Lost Dutchman Mine.

A forest of Saguaro in the Superstitions.

Estrella Mountain Saguaros.

John Steiner