We've turned the limited space in Gigantor into Santa's Workshop. Spend two days wrapping, packing and shipping. Then we have another little catastrophe. The front heating system breaks down. We're lucky the back one is working fine, because it's in the low 30's and it's cold.
Rick calls a couple of repair shops, but they can't come until the next day, so of course, he does what he likes to call "troubleshooting" which means he tears the entire system and ductwork out! It takes a good 10-12 hours, but we're fixed with a $5 switch and $50 worth of ducting.
After being cooped up for three days, we plan an excursion to a mission just outside of the Tucson city limits.
The San Xavier Del Bac Mission (sanxaviermission.org), founded in 1692 by the same Father Kino who built Tumacacori, is called the "White Dove of the Desert". It's gleaming white structure virtually glows in the middle of its brown arid surroundings...you can see it for miles.
The crisp white is set off with sand-colored detailing that produces quite a remarkable effect.
Its blending of Moorish, Byzantine and Mexican elements is considered one of the foremost examples of mission architecture in this country. In the early 1990's a team of art resorationists, lead by a curator from the Gugenheim, embarked on a six year intensive effort to bring it back to its original extravagance. It is now often called America's answer to the Sistine Chapel. 
A small chapel and garden sit next to the main structure.
Apparently, on most days, there are many vendors sitting in the parking area selling their wares. Today however is a very brisk December day and one lonely family sits attempting to sell drinks. Would like to have seen a full complement and see what they had to offer.
We are supposed to leave for Indio in the morning, but decide to spend one more day in Tucson. We really want to see the Saguaro National Park.
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