Spring 2007

Spring 2007
With all our hikes this winter, we have gotten to know the desert. Or at least we thought so. The desert seems unchanging and earth colored, but beautiful in its own way. We are now seeing changes. First yellow wildflowers have started popping up. Then the Ocotillo, which all winter was just a dead-looking thorn branch has suddenly sprung tiny green leaves and an orange flower spear tip. They are quite pretty. The totally green Palo Verde trees are turning a brilliant yellow. Still pretty tame changes. But now we are seeing the first cacti start to flower. Apparently each species will flower at different times thru the next couple months. How out of place and opposite looking flowers are on a cactus! Many of the cactus flowers we have seen so far are quite large and stunning. What I find so fascinating is the biggest, prettiest flowers are coming out of the ugliest, smallest cacti!

April 10, 2007

April 10, 2007
Somebody recommended Tohono Chul (means Desert Park in the local Indian language) to us a few days ago so we spent a couple hours there today. It is mostly a botanical park that we would think is nice if we hadn’t gone to the Desert Museum yesterday. Unfortunately it is a weaker cousin. They do have an interesting greenhouse gift shop. If we weren’t going back in the RV soon, I would like to buy something.

April 9, 2007

April 9, 2007

When we visited Tucson five years ago, we stopped at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. It is supposed to be Arizona’s second most visited sight after the Grand Canyon. We remember it as being very nice so we go again today. It is a combination zoo, botanical garden and natural history museum. All designed to help people appreciate the desert.

We can vouch for the museum’s popularity, as the large parking lot is almost full when we get there. When are all these snowbirds and tourists going to go home? The Raptor Free Flight show starts shortly after we arrive. They have a trained owl, hawk, and raven that they let fly around the desert in front of us going from post to post for food.

After this short show we walk the mostly outdoor park checking out the desert animals and plants they have. In spite of all the desert hiking we have done, I have to come here to see a mountain lion, mountain goat, javelina, and rattlesnake. We listen to a very humorous lecture on diamondback rattlesnakes and dealing with a bite. The lecturer says the typical victim is young, male, intoxicated, with tattoos, whose last words were “Hold my beer” and “Watch this.”

Aimee likes the group of nesting hummingbirds flying around chasing flower nectar. I like this green parrot that says “hello” repeatedly to me when I enter the birdcage. This same parrot whistles at Aimee. Despite seeing this park already, we enjoy it again. It is very nicely done; no wonder it is so popular.

April 6, 2007

April 6, 2007
We went to the Tucson zoo today. Probably not good timing because a lot of people had the day off. The park was crowded but not intolerably so. It took us only an hour and a half to see everything in this tiny zoo. The facility mostly has animals that like the heat. Besides the usual lions and tigers and elephants, they have pink flamingoes, ostriches, peacocks, and giant anteaters. The zoo is actually known for its anteater-breeding program. Aimee especially liked the newborn zebra. She didn’t like the polar bear that happened upon an unlucky duck and was using it as a rag doll.