September 22, 2021

September 23, 2021

This is the time of the year when Aimee complains of having to refill the Hummingbird feeders daily. After several years of photography we know these night raiders are Lesser Long-Nosed Bats. I remind Aimee that they will be gone in two weeks.

Last night I watched a PBS show, the "Bat Man of Mexico" that featured my little friends. These long-tongued nectar-loving creatures are major league travelers. They breed in southern Mexico and then migrate north along the west coast following the Nectar Trail of blooming cacti. They home in on the brilliant white flowers of the tall Saguaros that are a beacon for them in the twilight. More importantly for me, I learned they are also important pollinators of the Blue Agave. As a result they have been nicknamed, the Tequila Bat. Margarita lovers in Mexico and Arizona banded together to save this bat from the edge of extinction. I tell Aimee we must do our part!

September 7, 2021

September 7, 2021

I had another swimming companion this evening. This is not a trend I am happy about. Our overly wet monsoon this summer is causing everything to flourish. This time I had to coax a Desert Toad back onto dry land. He is the first live specimen I have seen. The only other ones were roadkill. Apparently they hibernate most of the year and only come out after a summer rainstorm. When they emerge, life is on a fast track. Eat and reproduce before our ephemeral streams dry up.

Desert Toads have a poison gland behind their eyes. Apparently it is toxic to pets but is hallucinogenic to humans. I just hope my new friend is a he so I don’t swim with tadpoles tomorrow.

September 4, 2021

September 4, 2021

One of the things Aimee and I love about our Tucson home, is the proximity to nature. We both enjoy watching the owls, roadrunners and lizards, even when they are stalking prey. We are well aware that just below the surface are more menacing creatures, like rattlesnakes, centipedes, and bats. Normally these nocturnal beasts give us a wide berth. Last month I saw my first Gila Monster, and only because a friend called to let me know it was sleeping on their patio.

So imagine my surprise, during my afternoon swim, finding the largest bug I have ever seen, in our pool! Aimee thought it was a frog. I used the skimmer net to pull it out, but it kept jumping off, swimming rapidly across the pool and taking position again just below the surface. After taking a couple photos, I got him out of the pool and tossed him over the fence.

An Internet search, identified it as a Giant Water Bug, one of the largest of all insects. It can fly from pond to pond. A great swimmer, it carries its own air supply underwater. This ferocious hunter waits to ambush passing prey, from shrimp to fish, to even small turtles, snakes, and ducklings. The Internet has some astounding videos! It is also nicknamed the Toe-Biter, for its propensity to attack humans who wade in ponds and lakes.

I can’t wait for our record breaking monsoon season to end and dry weather returns, and all I have to deal with are tarantulas and scorpions. There are no sissies in the desert.

August 30, 2021

August 30, 2021 

Aimee and I are usually enthusiastic golfers; although that feeling wanes considerably with our level of play. For several years we have been meaning to play Tubac Golf Resort. Many scenes from the Kevin Costner/Renee Russo romantic comedy "Tin Cup” were filmed there. Since this is the 25^th anniversary of the August 1996 release of the movie, we had special impetus. So with some Chicago friends we made the hour pilgrimage south.

The Tubac golf course winds through a forest that straddles the Santa Cruz River. It looks nothing like our typical Arizona desert. No wonder it could play the part of a Texas golf course. With the record-breaking monsoon summer we are having this year, it is even more lush than normal. And strangely the rain has also brought us swarms of small butterflies! The many forced carries, frequent water, and unusual layout made the course very tricky. My generally poor play was redeemed on the final hole, a par-3 hole to an island green. I made my three-foot putt for birdie!

We had a late lunch at the nearby Longhorn Grill and Saloon. The restaurant entrance sports a giant Longhorn skull. Before digging into our burger lunch, we toasted my birdie finale and our wedding anniversary (albeit a day late).