San Xavier Mission, near Tucson

On our way out of Tucson, heading south we stopped at the San Xavier Mission.    The mission was one of many opened by Father Kino in his travels through what is now Arizona, establishing missions to convert the natives to Christianity.
We joined a tour group but I had trouble hearing what was being said but the church is a fine example of early mission architecture.  It makes a nice stop.  

View from the roadway

The church in the middle with the mortuary chapel on the left and the  convent on the right

the front of the church

The choir loft 

Statue on the exterior of the central structure

Lovely cupola painted by native hands

It was very serene in the church.  I could have sat there for some time in meditation.  The church is located on Indian land and there is a small community right there with a school that is supported in part by donations from the public.  Donations also help with the upkeep and maintenance of the church.

Hello from Lo de Marcos

I promised I would put some more pictures of our trip to Tucson.  These photos are from the Reid Park Zoo.  It isn't a large zoo but it was fun to see the animals and birds and watch the reactions of others visiting.

Giraffe eating pumpkin; she's a beautiful animal

This is her companion.  She is also filling up on pumpkin

This is the third female at the zoo.  She's enjoying some fresh grass

 This is Herbie the tortoise.  He's not very old because he was quite small

This mysterious creature is actually a slumbering rhino.  We went back  before we left to see if it had moved.  No.

These two didn't see eye to eye about something because they were ready to go at each other's throats.

Something was making him/her mad.  Look at the hair on it's back.  I was happy to be behind  the glass.

No zoo would be complete without a flock of snoozing flamingos

Mama lion watching the crowd watching two of her three babies nursing

Looks like he's still napping

Show's over for today

Just when we wanted to shoot them they moved, but the colours are still wonderful

There were three anteaters here, all in separate compounds.  Wouldn't like to run into them in the dark

These were two sisters.  They are black panthers.  Seen up close and not through glass, their spots  are visible

Hope you enjoyed our trip to the zoo.