Arizona Day 5 - Wild Mexican Cows

As Southeastern Arizona folklore goes, the Wild Cows of Mexico crossed the border under the cover of darkness avoiding border fences, border patrol and Governor Jan Brewer.  Taking to the hills they have survived on tumbleweed, mesquite leaves and an occasional nut or berry.  To date, they have not been allowed in American barns and although their calves are born American bovine their rights to cloven hoof health care and education is currently in jeopardy due to the threat they impose on the herds of American cattle in the area.  Recently a program has been started to corral and ID all Wild Mexican Cattle.  Despite their contribution of fertilizing Arizona's landscape they are to be immediately deported.

Day 4 - Bird Overload

Birds I saw today that I know the names of:  Belted Kingfisher, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Acovet, Dowitcher, Sandpiper, Anna's Hummingbird, Mockingbird, Cormorant, Cinnamon Teal, Green Winged Teal, Ring Neck Duck, some sort of Thrasher, some kind of parakeet that people released to the wild and it survived and multiplied, various sparrows, geese and about 20 others I haven't ID'ed yet.  My eyes are tired.  Tomorrow I meet my bird guide at 7am for 10 hours of more birding.  Yippee!!
PS  This is me at Saguaro National Park.  Why people refuse to put your feet at the bottom of a photo I'll never know.  I didnt really care if the podium was in the photo, but the top of the cactus would have been great.  ;-)

Arizona Day 3 - To Tempe I Go

Woke up in Sedona at 33 degrees.
Had my second bagel at NYC Bagel (btw...nothing like NYC Bagels :-))
Red Rock State Park for a hummingbird fly and a close up of some sort of woodpecker I have yet to ID.
Dead Horse Ranch State Park to peruse three lagoons full of birds.
Checked in at my airbnb spot in Tempe, got a hot lead on a birding spot in next town.
Arrived at the Riparian something something as the sun went down and saw more birds in one hour than I've probably seen in all my birding outings combined.  Dozens of hummingbirds feet away, a rabbit, water birds, osprey, herons and a bird in a cactus.
Going to bed in Tempe at 73 degrees.  Tomorrow's high is predicted at 80.  Yikes.
Goal for tomorrow:  Don't let my cold slow my brain down enough that it wastes time I'd rather be doing something other than driving to long to find a place I should already be.

Arizona Day 2 - Things I Learned in Sedona

Things I Learned In Sedona
1)  Everything coming out of the ground has sharp, flesh-tearing spines.
2)  Sometimes a Hummer Tour has one bump too many.
3)  Even if you get airsick the views from a helicopter are amazing.
4)  My heart beats really quickly if I see more new birds than I can snap photos of all at once.
5)  Red Rocks are beautiful in any light.
6)  Just because you've lived at sea level your whole life is no reason to forget that higher altitudes suck the breath out of you.
7)  Denzel makes a good action flick even if he is kind of annoying.
8)  The Chocola Tree has the best potato soup in the states.

Arizona...Day 1...The Day I Sat Down

Here's where I spent most of my day.  Riveting.

Places I sat down today:
The sofa to check my e-mail
The bed to put on my shoes
The car to ride to the airport
The airport waiting for my flight
The airplane for 7.5 hours
A rental car for 2.5 hours
A Sedona backyard under the stars...sigh.

Today's highlights:  Being surrounded by cacti as I drove from Phoenix to Sedona, hanging out in the flight cockpit chatting with the Southwest pilots, having the Budget Rental Car attendant thank me for being a teacher because they had changed his life so much, realizing the place I'm staying is one block from an organic vegetarian restaurant, 2 block from a Whole Foods equivalent and three blocks from the turn to the airport where I have my helicopter tour tomorrow.  I believe I have left the locusts behind!  More to come tomorrow when I plan to spend more time standing up than sitting down.

Trip Preparation...Dream Style

Okay, good news...when I woke up last night and wondered how many more days of school until the vacation, I figured out it was Saturday and didn't turn my alarm on.

However, I then fell back asleep and dreamt about my impending trip.  The place I went to was snow covered and I had to walk along a hilly, icy dirt road for 20 minutes to get anywhere from where I was staying. During my fourth trip into town I was carrying a 5 X 8 rolled up carpet on my shoulder for reasons that escape me.  When I finally arrived, there was a beautiful river full of birds I've never seen only feet away from me.  I realized at that point my bird guide, scope and a camera would have been a better option to have carried there than a large carpet.  So back up the hill I trudged along with several other grumbling people who kept sliding on the ice and barely escaping being hit by cars zooming by.  I realized about a quarter of the way back that I had a car and could be driving to town instead of walking along this dirt road.  I won't even get into the thrift store boots I purchased, the basketball competition, moving bedroom, piglets, goats, a bus crashing into a church, taxi ride with a scantily clad driver, eating a chicken wing at Houlton High School at which time a stranger said, "You're not supposed to eat that are you?", lemonade or fire building.

Things I learned from my dream:  Drive, don't walk, to interesting locations.  Always keep birding supplies close-by.  Don't carry around a carpet.  Beware of any accommodations that start to move.

Ready to Hit the Road

Sunday I take off on my next adventure.  Arizona...here I come!!