2008 All Souls Procession
9 April 2004
Rudy 1995-2008
Rudy left this life on the morning of Sept. 25, 2008 but he left behind his family who loved him very much.
An amazingly affectionate cat, he made us realize the important things in life to remember: Take lots of naps, show your family you love them every single day, and take some time at the end of each day to enjoy the wonders of nature.
Rest well, RudyToot. We're so happy you were a part of our lives.
29 July 2008
Southeast Alaska Glacier Field
26 May 2007
Genuine Risk.... Kentucky Derby Winner 1977-2008
"She was beautiful, classy, and tough...." She was Genuine Risk.
One of only 3 fillies to ever win the Kentucky Derby: Regret in 1915 and Winning Colors in 1988 were the other two fillies.
Winning Colors was euthanized on 17 February 2008 and buried at Greentree Farm in Lexington.
August 18, 2008: Genuine Risk passed away at the age of 31 in her paddock in the early morning at Newstead Farm today. In a prepared statement the Firestone family spoke these words: "“Genuine Risk was an amazing horse with tremendous heart that lived a life befitting a champion. We are truly blessed that she was a part of our life, and we are deeply saddened by her passing.”
In 1982 Genuine Risk became the only Kentucky Derby winner to be bred to another Kentucky Derby winner, the great Secretariat.
20 July 2008
Ghost Bike
6 Ghost Bikes are in Tucson in remembrance of bikers killed and as a reminder to share the road safely with bike riders.
03-JUL-2008
Lizard
This curious little one was seen on a hike in Madera Canyon. He has a turquoise collar under his chin. I thought at first he might be a black-collared lizard. Anyone know what he might be?
26-MAY-2008
Phoenix Mars Lander Mural
A beautiful tribute mural to the current Mars project being conducted by the University of Arizona. Painted in 2006.
27-JUN-2008
Century Plant
These blooming century plants are a spectacular sight to see in mid-summer on the hills.
It takes more than 25 years to create the tall flowering stalk that holds the yellow flowers. A remarkable fact in that after all those years working to attain its 12 to 18 foot height, it blooms and then it dies.
It's believed that bees and hummingbirds do the pollinating rather than bats. These plants can be found up to 9000 feet and will do their blooming from mid-June to mid-August.
27-JUN-2008
Coral Bean
Growing along the Mount Lemmon Highway in Tucson, this plant is unusual because it flowers first before showing its leaves. They bloom from mid-June to late July with brilliant red flowers. Black-chinned hummingbirds are frequent pollinators and they can be found in the 3000 to 5000 foot range in desert grasslands and oak-pine woodlands.
22 May 2008
Gila Monster
Driving along Redington Road between San Manuel and Benson (still looks like old Arizona Territory must have looked long ago), I spotted this guy moving across the road. I stopped the car and grabbed my camera (landscape lens on it, unfortunately) and trailed him as he scurried along. He stopped once and swung his head around as if to say, "Stop bothering me." I stopped and watched him walk up the side of the hill and nestle in among some rocks. Happy at last.
The Gila Monster (pronounced heela) is the only venomous lizard (12-18 inches in length) that is native to Arizona and the USA. Its bite isn't fatal to humans but if it gets a hold of you, you'll need a stick to pry his jaws loose. He injects a poison into you as he holds on and chews.
They are protected in Arizona as their numbers are diminishing due to accidents and loss of habitat.
What a treat to have seen him in the wild.
13 April 2008
Kath and the Giant Saguaro
Definitely one of the biggest and oldest saguaros we've seen! And "fat" with water from all the rains. The beautiful white blossoms will start appearing in late May and early June.
We saw this one on the Cactus Forest Trail which was loaded with blooming hedgehogs.
16 March 2008
King Canyon Petroglyphs
Etched in the varnish of the rock walls of the wash by the ancient Hohokams, these petroglyphs date anywhere from 300 A.D. to 1450 A.D.
A great hike, lined with gorgeous wildflowers, along the King Canyon Trail just across from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. You start out walking on an old mining road and then descend to the wash for a round-trip hike.
Highly recommended
8 March 2008
Screech Owl
Greeting visitors to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
8 March 2008
Fields of Gold
Thanks to timely winter rains, the Tucson area is enjoying a spectacular wildflower show.
This particular field of Mexican Goldpoppies is located near Saguaro National Park.
20 February 2008
Ichiro
Spring Training is now in full swing here in Arizona and Florida.
For more baseball photos you can visit my 2008 Seattle Mariners Spring Training gallery.
16 February 2008
Time for a Nap
This little guy was all tuckered out after a big day at the Animal Fair.
The volunteer holding the little pup was a member of one of the many rescue organizations at the fair.
16 February 2008
The Parrot Meets the Boxer
17 February 2008
Rillito Races
Due to be demolished by 2010, this historic racetrack in Tucson is winding down its 4 week quarter horse racing season.
9 February 2008
Little Hoop Dancer
18th Annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest brings Native American dancers from all over North America to compete for the title of World Champion. This little guy danced in the Tiny Tots group.
For more photographs of the event, visit my "Arizona" gallery.
5 February 2008
Scorpion Sidewalk Art
Found on the sidewalk by the HRC Gas Station on Pima and Swan
2 February 2008
Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter
This is a handheld shot of Venus and Jupiter in the predawn sky.When I first saw it, I thought they were twin ponies.
Maybe this is a heavenly way to welcome the first day of the 2008 quarter horse racing season here in Tucson?
16 January 2008
Los Santos Angles de Guevavi
Father Kino established this Spanish colonial mission, one of twenty, in January 1691 after he established Tumacacori. Two adobe walls are all that remain. You can only visit this site with a NPS ranger in the fall and spring as part of a living history tour. Tickets for visiting the missions can be purchased at Tumacacori Visitors Center.
Summer of 2003
Molly 1996-2008
Molly lost her brave fight with cancer on January 14, 2008.
Devoted to her family, Molly loved going to get the newspaper each morning, taking long walks along the nearby roads, relaxing on her couch, and playing with her family and friends.
She will always be remembered with great love and will be missed by all who knew her.
13 January 2008
Magic Carpet Golf is History
I don't know how long this miniature course has been here...perhaps it dates back to 1970?? But it's now closed and will be demolished to make way for an overflow parking lot for a car dealership.
The fate of these unique statues is still unknown. If you live in Tucson, you might want to take a drive and see them before they're gone.
For more photos of this miniature golf course's statues, visit my "Tucson Today" gallery.
26 January 2008
Tiki
It's a 100 foot climb to the top. On the day we visited, the stairs to the top were blocked off.
3 January 2008
The Very Long Baseline Array
Located at 7000' at Kitt Peak National Observatory, this VLBA is one of 10 radio telescopes across the U.S. They all simultaneoulsly collect extremely faint radio signals from objects in space. Tapes of daily signals are sent to Socorro, NM to be analyzed by scientists. This particular VLBA was involved in researching the Big Bang Theory.
You can drive up to the top of Kitt Peak and visit all the telescopes on the site. Tours are offered daily for $5.00.
It's an amazing place.
30 December 2007
Street Sketch
Found on a sidewalk near the Tucson Convention Center
30 December 2007
Firefighters Helping Santa
29 December 2007
Sundog
Caretaker of the ghost town called Ruby
(Check out the Arizona Ghost Towns gallery for more Ruby photos.)
March 2007
Arizona Wildcats
Sculpture on U of A campus
23 December 2007
Metal Lady
Mr. Jerry Hall has created this whimsical collection of people and animal metal sculptures that is on display surrounding his house and hanging in the trees. If you're looking for a fun and magical sight that will make you smile, drive by his home and take a look.
23 December 2007
Tin Can Dog
Another Jerry Hall creation
4th of July 2007
Frank Buckles - Our Last WWI Vet
I captured this photo of Mr. Buckles, age 106 of Charles Town, while watching a 4th of July parade in his hometown this summer. There are only two WWI veterans still with us.
6 February 2008 Update: With the passing of Harry Richard Landis, 108, Mr. Buckles is now the sole surviving U.S. veteran of WWI.
16 December 2007
Santa Rita Hotel Tilework
I found some beautiful tilework on the west side of the Santa Rita Hotel in Tucson. This section is abandoned and was subject to a fire at one time.
12 December 2007
Frosty Morning
We've been having some nippy nights with lots of rain. Will the rain be enough for a good wilflower show come spring?
05-DEC-2007
St. Pickalaus
Appearing mysteriously every year on the roof of a golf cart at the Voyager RV Resort, St. Pickalaus watches over everyone who plays the game of Pickleball. That's a red pickleball in his hand. He keeps his paddle tucked in the back of his pants.
30-NOV-2007
Restoration of San Xavier del Bac Mission
The mission, located on the Tohono O'odham reservation, has been undergoing a restoration for a couple years now. It's recognized as one of the best examples in the U.S. of mission architecture. On this day, 30 Nov 2007, you can see quite a bit of work remains to be done. It's open to the public daily and is actively used.
I'll return here with a new photo once the scaffolding is all down in March. There'll be a two month window to photograph the mission before scaffolding goes up on the east side to begin the final restoration work.
