Jack and Peggy Visit Arizona #4

On our final trip, Jack, Peggy, Jim and I went to Mt. Lemmon, 25 miles above the desert floor. Traveling up the Catalina Highway, you climb from 2,389 feet to 9,157 feet above sea level. As you can imagine, the changes in the landscape are pretty spectacular.

At the bottom of the mountain range, we're in an area of cactus, mesquite trees

and large homes.

As we climb, it doesn't take long before the scenery changes. About 7 miles up the highway is the Gordon Hirabayashi Campground.

The elevation is 5000 feet above sea level with lots of large oak trees as well as mesquite, catclaw and manzanita The campground was originally the site of a federal prison camp. During WWII, it was  used to detain Japanese-Americans. It is named after Gordon Hirabayashi who was one of only three Japanese-Americans to directly challenge the government's relocation order. He defied the order to evacuate his home in Seattle then turned  himself in to the FBI and fought his case to the Supreme Court.  He lost the case and was required to report to the federal prison camp. But the government would not provide transportation, so Hirabayashi hitchhiked alone from Spokane, Washingtion, to Tucson to serve his sentence at the prison camp in the Santa Catalina Mountains.

The next area of interest on the highway is Windy Point.

At 6,600 feet, the Point has a visitor's stop, rest area and some of the most spectacular views overlooking the city of Tucson. The area was built by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, using a large number of prisoners  from the old prison camp over a period of 18 years. The strange rock formations in the area called hoo doos can be seen for several miles along  this part of the road.

Next stop: the top of the mountain and lunch at the Iron Door Restaurant in Ski Valley.

The restaurant is near the summit of the mountain and the temperature as we got out of our car was about 62 degrees. Quite a contrast from the heat of the desert. We sat on the patio and were comfortable with the sun warming us. The patio is famous for its hummingbird feeders which attracts lots of birds. If you're not familiar with these tiny creatures, they are very territorial and you'll see lots of dive bombing by the more aggressive birds to keep others away from their favorite feeders.

The view from the patio is the ski area with its runs and its ski lift. The lift runs all summer long, taking visitors up and down for great views of the valleys surrounding the Santa Catalina Mountain range.

After lunch, we drove to the top of the mountain and Peggy and Jack hopped on the ski lift and rode it down. Peggy had never been on a lift before and was a bit hesitant at first but, when she got down, she let us know it was quite a ride!

Jack and Peggy Visit Arizona #3

On the last day I spent with Jack and Peggy - Jim's cousins - we visited two of my favorite places in the world, Sabino Canyon and Mt. Lemmon.

Sabino Canyon is located  at the foot of the Catalina Mountains. It is minutes from the central city area. One minute you're in downtown Tucson and 15 minutes later, you're in a wilderness area. 

We decided to take the tram up the 3.8 miles to the top of the Sabino Canyon Trail. We sat in an open air tram, under the shade cover, while we made our way up the canyon with our driver narrating the trip.

The saguaros were blooming and the white flowers looked like crowns on the heads of many of the cactus.

The canyon is a perfect environment for the saguaro cactus - below 3500 feet in elevation, abundant summer rains, frost-free, and plenty of southern slopes. The hillsides are covered with saguaros and it's quite a sight.

   

Because we had good rains this past winter, the water in the creek was running throughout the canyon. The trail crosses several bridges and we heard the glorious sound of rushing water - precious water, the lifeblood of the desert.

Peggy kept looking for the perfect Palo Verde tree in bloom. The trees are golden for a only about two weeks so you've got to be ready to capture them on film. But they're worth it!

When we got to the end of the trail, we unloaded and began walking down the canyon trail, all 3.8 miles of it, but you get a much better feel for the canyon environment on foot. Thank goodness it was downhill because the morning was warming up.  

The canyon is a favorite place for walkers and joggers to get their morning exercise and we met lots of folks on their way up and down the trail.

Water is especially appreciated!

After we got down the traill, we stopped in at the visitor's center and watched a DVD on the history, plants and animals of Sabino Canyon. It felt good to just sit in a cool place and learn more about the area.

Jack and Peggy Visit Arizona #2

Jack and Peggy wanted more. More Arizona sites, more scenery, more South Western towns. So we took off to the east.

They are both history buffs and the Amerind Foudation, near Dragoon, is perfect if you like Native American pots,  silver jewlery, Hopi katsina dolls and lots of early artifacts from our area.

The Foundation is in Texas Canyon.

It's surrounded by incredible rock formations that locals call "dinosaur poop".

Amerind is a beautiful set of pink buildings in a desert area of grasslands, oaks, yuccas and tall flowing grass. It's a pretty special place.

We spent two-plus hours looking at and reading about all the Native American crafts, artifacts and art collected and preserved by William Shirley Fulton.

That left our brains full so we set off for the "Town Too Tough to Die" - pure tourist bait - Tombstone, Arizona.

We began walking through the old town but were talked into taking a tour on an old time bus by a lanky man in black. He sat on a bench and gave us a taste of the history of the olden days - but just a taste before he suggested we take the tour. He was a good salesman.

During the ride, our driver gave us lots of Tombstone history and we saw, among other sites,

Wyatt Earp's house

Big Nose Kate's saloon

(She was Doc Holliday's girlfriend)

The old Courthouse, now a museum

and Boot Hill 

What fun!

Our final stop for the day was Bisbee. It's an old mining town that has had many revivals. Lots of folks think of an old hippy town when they think of Bisbee. It may be that but it's more. The town has been listed as one of America's best places to live by the AARP publication "Modern Maturity".  Quirky is a word that was used in the publication. That's a good description for this community built on the side of hills.

When we arrived, we drove down Tombstone Canyon Road to give our guests a feel for the area. We stopped at the Bisbee Courthouse, a fine example of an Art Deco courthouse, and walked through the building.

These are the main doors of the courthouse.

Bisbee has some fine restaurants but we arrived at an odd time - about 3:30 p.m. and several restaruants weren't serving until 5 p.m. However one of my favorites, Santiago's Mexican Restaurant, was open. It's located just east of the Copper Queen and has wonderful food.

The corn chips were delicate, not greasy but full of flavor. The salsa was a traditional  cooked salsa with wonderul heat, not too little, not too much. I had spinach enchiladas with red sauce and a topping that was a treat - a wonderful pesto that included pumpkin seeds. It was yummy!

After our meal - we were stuffed - we walked down the main street of the old part of town. The weather was perfect and the crowds had already departed.  It was a great time to gawk in the windows of the art galleries and the jewelry and craft stores.

Before we left, we drove by the old copper mine and looked down into the Lavender Pit. It's impressive, made me feel  pretty insignificant. Lots of history in that old mine.

 

Our day was complete and we drove back home, Jack and Peggy once again happy with their travels. Our next sightseeing trip will be to two of my favorite places in the world. I can't wait to tell you about them.

Jack and Peggy Visit Arizona #1

Jack and Peggy are visiting. They are Jim's cousins and this is the first time they are in our Sonoran desert. Saturday, we drove through the Santa Cruz Valley and did some touristy things.

Just the drive down I-19 is worthy of any Saturday. The area is greener than further north in Tucson and this time of year, since we had some good winter rains, it is especially beautiful.

Our first stop was the Santa Cruz Spice factory. As soon as you get out of the car, you can smell chili powder, garlic, oregano, cilantro and other spices I can't  even identify.  Inside, there is always a large bowl of tortilla chips with several salsas and dips, some mild and some that bring tears to your eyes. Thank goodness, there are signs next to each bowl warning you about the heat. The chips and salsa was our appetizer.

Next came lunch at Wisdom's Cafe in Tumacacori. Wisdom's has been around since 1944. It started as a place that served breakfast and, in the evenings, provided a bar for local cowboys. It's got personality as well as great Mexican food. Lots of artifacts from its early days hang throughout the building. The business has stayed in the family, and generation after generation of folks who appreciate good food visit Wisdom's. Many know the family members who continue to work there and meet the new kids coming up. There aren't many businesses like Wisdom's still around.

Then it was on to Tubac. This area, with a history of missions, mines, wars and  ranches, is now an artist colony with lots of galleries, shops, and restaurants. First, we viewed the outdoor sculpture gallery.

Below is a scupture from the Karin Newby Gallery and Sculpture Garden.

History also figures heavily in Tubac so after visiting some galleries, we toured the old one room schoolhouse and the ruins of the oldest Spanish Presidio site in Arizona. I hate to admit it, but I remember desks like that.

We also found time to go through the Tubac Presidio Museum filled with information, artifacts and exhibits.

It was a full day! But Jim and I hadn't done such a complete tour of the Santa Cruz area in a long time. It's funny how you need someone from the outside to get you to visit the treasures of your own area.  We won't wait so long for our next visit.

The Cats #2

My neighborhood's feral cats are alive and well. I have to respect them. They're survivors.

I've tried oh-so many ways to keep them from pooping in my yard. I've read all kinds of advice and have spent a good deal of money trying to keep my yard poop-free.

I've tried:

Pepper - "Cats dig and don't like the smell and the feel of pepper. It irritates their paws." Baloney! I've used black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes. These cats haven't been phased.

Ammonia - "Soak rags in ammonia and cover areas where cats have defecated." The rags seemed to keep cats from pooping in their old territory so they pooped right next door and, soon, they were spraying the rags. The result? My yard smelled of ammonia, poop and urine. Not cool.

Bagged powered coyote urine - I bought packets of coyote urine to hang in my tree above the area the cats viewed as their own private sand box. "It may take a week or two but cats, afraid of coyotes, will soon abandon the area." Ha! I'm surprised they didn't climb the tree and smack the bags around. I left them in the tree for a month. No difference.

Spreadable powered coyote/fox urine - This fairly expensive stuff was supposed to be "the ultimate weapon to keep cats out of your yard". I bought boxes of it and spread it all around the area, in my yard, behind my wall - which the cats had also discovered - and it seemed to work for a few days with fewer poop-piles, but it was no magic bullet. I bought more, spread it thicker. Soon the cats seemed to prefer where the powdered stuff had been spread, and we were back to the same old patterns.
Oh dear.

Plastic drop cloths - I thought if the cats couldn't get at the areas they so passionately desired, and they had to find new places, maybe I could break their habit of using my yard. I took plastic drop cloths, covered the ground and anchored them with bricks. I pulled them up each morning and put them back each night so the ground didn't get moldy or diseased or who knew what else. This worked. After about a month of the daily routine, I left the sheets off. It took about two days for the poop-piles to reappear. Damn, those cats were persistent!

Chicken wire - This is the best solution I've been able to find. I bought rolls of vinyl chicken wire or netting. After I cleaned the area thoroughly and watered it down to get rid of as much smell as possible, I cut and laid the netting over the whole area and secured it with stakes. I continued to spray the area with water to clean the dirt of smell. At first this wasn't perfect. If I left even a small space between the sheets, the cats pooped there so I pulled up the sheets and over layered them. I also found that if there was even a speck of old poop left, the cats would simply defecate on top of the netting. Again, I pulled up the sheets and recleaned the area. I also continue to water every other day. So far, so good. It's been about a week without any poop-piles. But I'm not holding my breath. It's hard to believe how driven these cats are to keep their old territory.

If this doesn't work,  my next step will be to live-trap the cats and take them to some hermitage or humane society.

So what's the old saying - no good deed goes unpunished? I sure hope Leona has learned her lesson.

The Cats #1

The cats have taken over my neighborhood.

It all began when Leona, across the back alley from me, noticed 4 kittens in her yard, two black cats, one calico, and one redhead. When she investigated, she discovered that a stray female had the kittens hidden under her storage shed.

What could she do? She set out bowls of food and water.

The cats stayed and, eventually, when I looked across the alley through her chain link fence, I saw the kittens slinking around her legs, their tails raised, their necks rubbing against her ankles. They had found a home, but it was an outdoor home. Leona did not make the cats indoor pets.

I watched as the kittens in her yard rolled around playing with each other, chased and pawed at leaves when they drifted to the ground, jumped straight up to catch grasshoppers.

How adorable!

I didn't take long, the kittens grew, and they began exploring. Soon they were visiting my yard. I woke up one morning to see two cats lazing in my tree while the other two chased each other on the ground. When I opened my back door, they scooted quickly over my wall.

What fun! How clever they were!

Of course, the dogs behind me - one little dog that yelped, one medium dog that looked out of the gate at me with sagging eyes, and one large yellow dog that barked and barked and barked - took notice of the cats when they sat on the wall above the dogs and slowly and gently swished their tails just out of reach. Or as they sat in the grapefruit tree in the dogs' yard and looked down with pity at those poor creatures doing whirling dervishes in frustration.

The situation changed, however, when I found mounds of dirt in my yard. When I took a closer look, I realized that the cats had left "gifts". There were several gifts in the soft dirt under my Chinese Pistache tree, gifts that needed to be cleaned up, that smelled, and that, occasionally, I accidentally stepped in.

Word seemed to spread among the neighborhood cats and one day I saw seven cats in Leona's backyard. The original four kittens, mostly grown, and three strange felines, all relaxing and feeling right at home. Soon, the piles of dirt multiplied in my yard.

I was not a happy neighbor.