Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.........

Another great Valley of the Sun adventure has come to an end.  I think I will break into an all-time favorite Jimmy Buffett song to kick-off my last post.  Sing along everyone.......


Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes
By: jimmy buffett  1977

I took off for a weekend last month
Just to try and recall the whole year
All of the faces and all of the places
Wonderin’ where they all disappeared
I didn’t ponder the question too long
I was hungry and went out for a bite
Ran into a chum with a bottle of rum
And we wound up drinkin all night

Chorus:
It’s these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Nothing remains quite the same
With all of our running and all of our cunning
If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane

Last I wrote we were in Twin Falls, Idaho heading west.  From TF we headed west on I-84.  After a "short" 500 miles we arrived at Lake Lenore, Washington.   I should add that before we got to Lake Lenore we drove through the farmland around Othello, Washington in hopes of seeing Sandhill Cranes.  Although they should have been plentiful we saw exactly "zero" cranes.  Strike three on crane hunting for us.  We spent a fabulous 2 nights with Uncle B and Aunt L, and Midnight.  We had time to visit and share experiences, eat good food, drink good wine, sleep and get in some needed exercise by walking Midnight.

From Lake Lenore we continued west over the Snoqualmie Pass and into Seattle.  While in Seattle Barry did a bit of power shopping at the Patagonia store on 1st Ave.  We departed Seattle ahead of rush hour and proceeded up the I-5 to the border.

We were finally back in Canada.....for about 35 minutes as we crossed back into the USA to spend 2 nights with Dana's parents at Point Roberts.  While at the Point, Dana's birthday month continued with 2 more birthday dinners.  The first dinner came complete with a chocolate cake complete with 6 candles.  Of course the fam sang her all the birthday songs which put a great big smile on her face.  The second dinner came with fresh baked apple pie and ice cream.  Yummy!  Thanks to all the bakers!

While at the Point we had a window of sunshine and I was able to go to Boundary Bay Regional Park where I chased the female Harrier in hopes of getting a few good photos.  i am sure this is the same hawk I chased in December prior to our departure for Arizona.

We arrived home yesterday.  We were warmly greeted by friends on the street.  When we got inside our house we found a couple of surprises.  Bruce and Sue had done a bit of grocery shopping for us, plus a 6-pack of beer and fresh cut flowers on the mantle.  In the fridge we found pork chops, milk, eggs, apples, oranges and lettuce.  There was coffee, bananas and bread on the counter.   What a welcome home!!!

Our Valley of the Sun 2014 adventure is over but the memories will last a very long time.  I'm writing this with one eye on the television where the Vancouver Canucks are losing yet another game.  It reminds me of one of my memories this winter which was the visit to Jobing.com arena for the Coyotes vs Canucks game.  I wrote some very negative things about the Canucks after their poor effort that night.  Since that game, or shortly before, the Canucks have posted a dreadful 7-13-4 record.  I believe I predicted that after seeing them in the desert.

We have so many great memories of our stay in Mesa.  Street get-togethers, impromptu happy hours and coffee sessions, Bocce Ball with Tony and Gail, cycling with Steve and Joanne, golf with bro Mike and gang on Thursday at Superstition Springs, where I owned the 15th hole, and Sunday mornings with the "Royal Canadians".  I enjoyed my weekly tennis fix with the 1.5 group, actually wishing I could have done an extra day each week but finding no time in our calendar.  Dana and I birded the most ever this winter.  We counted 164 species during our time in Arizona shattering our record of 124 last year.   This year we had visitors from home on 2 occasions.  Robin and Robert for a week and Bruce and Sue for a week.  We had a great time and hope they did too.

Finally, I couldn't re-cap without mentioning my bird photography.  I am still learning about digital SLR photography.  I was blessed in Arizona with a bounty of willing and not so willing subjects.  I was able to capture some good images of the beautiful birds that inhabit the desert in the winter.  I have shared many in my blog.  I want to thank everyone who commented favorably on my photos.  (cheap and gratuitous plug for products to follow....)  I will be making several calendars for 2015 depicting Arizona birds.  Let me know if you want one (or two...).  Greeting cards will also be available.

This is it.  Time to put a wrap on this gift we call an adventure.  We hope that we will be able to return in 2015 for more adventures in the Valley of the Sun.  Between now and then we have a lot of life to live and adventures to be had.  I can tell you one thing that I will not be doing and that is wasting time following the Vancouver Canucks!  So until next year.....

It’s these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

Nothing remains quite the same

With all of our running and all of our cunning

If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane

I leave you with a couple of photos from our last days on the road.  Enjoy!!

Adult Bald Eagle at Boundary Bay Regional Park

Immature Bald Eagle at BB Regional Park

Uncle Bob, Dana and Midnight at Lake Lenore


Good-bye!!!!

On the road in Springtime?

3 days into Spring and we are freezing our butts off!

I am writing this post from our hotel room in Twin Falls, Idaho.  It seems forever since we left the state of Arizona.  So, how did we get here?  Well, it has been a very long 4 days.

We left Arizona on March 20 having driven from Sierra Vista via the Chiricahau Monument then over a US Forest service dirt track (20 miles of gravel, switchbacks and steep grades topping out at 7,200 feet elevation) to Portal, Arizona then into New Mexico and our first night at Deming, NM.  Our main reason for this route is that it eventually took us to Interstate 25 where we began our northern migration.

On the second day out of Arizona we stopped at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Sanctuary.  The sanctuary is 12,900 acres of wetland, farmland and riparian forest.  While most of the hiking trails were closed this time of year we did drive the perimeter.  Unfortunately our timing to see birds in any significant numbers was off by about 1 month.  We were too early for the big migration and too late to see the Sandhill Cranes, which we seem to keep on missing....  We departed the Bosque and continued our northern migration stopping at the town of Las Vegas, NM for dinner and a bed.

The following day we continued north into Colorado.  Now I am sure that this a beautiful state.  Rivers, mountains, pretty towns.  What we saw was clouds, heavy interstate traffic and blizzard conditions through Denver, which pretty much covers the top half of the state.  We thought that traffic moved fast in Phoenix.  Ha!  Denver was a madhouse.  Those folks need to smoke a bit more pot and chill out...  We drove the entire state stopping only for gas, food, coffee and tea.  We ended the day in snowy Cheyenne, Wyoming.

We arrived in Cheyenne around dinner time.  It was snowing lightly and the temperature was around 25F or -4C.  I wanted to stay in the 4Runner and drive back to Mesa.  Dana skillfully talked me "down from the ledge".  What she said was "Stop whining and get your butt out of the truck."  Works every time.  After we checked into our hotel we skated over to the Outback restaurant for dinner.  Later that evening when we had successfully made it back to the hotel we took a hard look at our travel plans and made some decisions for the next leg of our trip.  Our original plan was to continue north into Montana and then swing west into Idaho continuing into Washington and the coast.  The weather in Cheyenne and what we would face to the north caused us to alter our route.  Today we turned west and drove the entire width of Wyoming, into Utah and then Idaho where we are tonight.  Today's leg was a long one. We clocked about 610 miles over 8,000 foot passes, blowing snow and 50+ mph head winds for much of the trip.  And truck traffic?  We were practically in a truckers convoy for most of the day.

So, here we are in Twin Falls.   I'm not too disappointed with the trip so far.  We have seen a lot of the country in the past 4 days and we know that there was a lot that we did not see.  I finally made it to Wyoming only to find it cold and snowy.  We finally got to Colorado, only to find it cloudy, cold and snowy.  Utah was nice, the part that we did see.  Idaho so far is okay.  At least we have had some sunshine today and tomorrow looks to be pretty good.  So maybe things are looking up.  I hope so.  I don't want Dana to have to talk me out of the 4Runner again on the trip home.

I am posting a couple of photos from the past couple of days.  Enjoy the pics!

Ciao!

We stopped at the Enchanted Garden Tea and Coffee Shop in Raton, New Mexico.  The store used to be the Silver Dollar Saloon which dated back to the 1920's.  This is a photo of Dana at the original saloon bar, now the coffee and tea bar.

Dana at the gas pump in Cheyenne, Wyoming

The snowy scene we found when we prepared to depart our hotel in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  The temperature was 15F or -8C.  Brrrrrr......

Mile High Stadium in Denver.  It is located beside the Interstate.  This is not a great photo as it was snowing heavily.  Fortunately, we had come to a halt in heavy traffic so at least we got a photo.  I have added this photo as it brings backs memories of the trashing the Seattle SeaHawks gave the Denver Bronco's in the Super Bowl.

Leaving Arizona - Part 2

No rant tonight.  On our last day in Arizona we visited Whitewater Draw near McNeal, Az., about 30 miles from Tombstone, Az.  Whitewater Draw is a birding hotspot in southern Arizona.  It is best known for Sandhill Crane viewing.  At peak season visitors can see up to 20,000 Sandhill Cranes in a single day.  This day we did not see any Cranes but then again it is late in the season and we did not expect to see any.  The excitement today was that after 82 days in Arizona I finally got a good photo of a Roadrunner!  Yes!  Also, we added a couple of birds to our yearly species count in Arizona.  We departed the state with a final count of 164 species.  Not that I am competitive, ahem.... but we (I) leave the state ranked 41st in the Top 100 eBirder listings for 2014 in Arizona.

The only photo I am posting tonight is the Roadrunner.  This iconic Arizona bird is seldom found off the ground.  We found this bird perched 20 feet up in a dead tree.  The photo is a bit overexposed but otherwise clear and sharp.  I dedicate this photo to our friend Bruce who has been pestering us for a photo of a Roadrunner.  So, Bruce, here it is!  Enjoy!

Ciao!

Leaving Arizona. No regrets. Happy thoughts.

(Editorial content solely the opinion of the writer.......)

This is our last night in the 48th State of the Union of United States of America.  Arizona is 102 years old but to me it is as new as a freshly minted quarter.  There is much to be concerned about the state of the State of Arizona.  The "populist" government, the outward display of intolerance and bigotry by many elected officials, the struggles of the poor to achieve their simple dreams of education and jobs that pay a fair wage for work performed and a society that is deeply divided along economic and political lines.  It is not all doom and gloom.  There are many people who are active on both sides of the economic and social divide that are working hard to change things.  From my small isolated community in Mesa, where, and I have to keep reminding myself,  I reside temporarily, it is hard to be optimistic about the future of Arizona.  Water is and will continue to be at the forefront of any major policy decisions in the state.  Where to develop, where and where not to farm, how much to divert to recreational activity vs conservation or wildlife habitat.  Human migration continues to change the face of the population and with it the laws and policies affecting present minorities in the state.

Will we return?  Why will we return?  Is our mere presence in Arizona, even for 3 months a year contributing to some of the problems that affect this state?  Is our economic contribution, small as it, have a positive or negative impact?   Do we have any impact on the politics in the state?  The answers are both simple and complex.  Yes, we plan on returning to the Valley of the Sun in 2015.  As for our impact on the environment we try to live simply.  Our "foot print" is small.  As for the answers to the other questions, I do not have any answers.  We have met many wonderful people in Arizona.  All I can do is wish them luck in resolving their issues and hope that they can create a more tolerant society.

Now that I have finished my editorial for this years blog, on to the good stuff.....  I last wrote about our "wonderful" experiences at Tubac and Madera Canyon.  Yesterday we moved on from Green Valley and birded our way south and east to the city of Sierra Vista.  First of all, I had quite naively imagined Sierra Vista as a small, quaint town in the middle of the high desert of southern Arizona.  Ok, I got the high desert of southern Arizona part right.  What I did not get right was the size of the city and the level of economic activity in the area.  Plus, either the people here have discovered the fountain of youth or the city is filled with, yes, young people!!!  Having spent almost 3 months in a retirement city, it was quite shocking to all of a sudden be surrounded in stores and restaurants by young men, women and even children.  A large part of the economic engine here is the Military Base, Fort Hauchaca.  It's big, real big.  We feel quite safe here.  I doubt we will be attacked by any outside forces.  We sleep soundly at night....

As this leg of our return trip to Canada is all about birding I will, finally, get right to our adventures of the last 2 days.  First of all some numbers:

12.  The number of hours we spent birding in the last 2 days.  Like any hobby or activity, if you go at it to hard it is going too start feeling like a job.  I think I have gone past that threshold.
4.  The number of locations we birded at.  Patagonia Lake State Park; Paton's House in Patagonia, Az; San Pedro River Riparian Nation Conservation Area, twice.
113.  The total number of species we identified at the 4 locations.
17.  The number of "new this year" to us species in the last 2 days.

I mentioned that we birded at Paton's House.  This was the residence of the Paton family.  Until this year the Paton family owned this property.  For many years they invited people into their backyard to view the many birds that lived or transited the area.  It became a "hotspot"for birders.  A few years ago the Paton family decided that it was time to sell.  An owner was not found until this year when the Tucson Audubon Society bought the property with money raised for the purpose.  Birders are now assured that this property will be preserved and will remain open to the public for bird viewing.  A feel good story for sure.

Dana and I are checking the map for a good route to the Chirachaua National Monument, then on to New Mexico.  Tomorrow night we are staying in Williamsburg, New Mexico.  The following day we want to spend a few hours at Bosque del Apache, a good birding area located on the Rio Grande River.  From there we will continue north to points yet unknown.  Weather will be the main decision maker.  One thing I know for sure, today is the last 80F day we will see until July and then maybe, maybe not.  Time to dig out the pants, gloves and toque.

I am including quite a few photos from the last 2 days, mostly hummingbirds at the feeders at Paton's House.  Unfortunately not all are good images and many of the terrific birds we saw I did not get to photograph.

Enjoy the photos.  Good bye Arizona.......

Ciao!

Female Broad-billed Hummingbird.  Note the accessories she is wearing on her head....

Female Broad-billed in flight

Male Broad-billed.  Does not look thrilled to be photographed.....

Black-throated Hummingbird

Elegant Trogon at Patagonia State Park.  

Green-tailed Towhee.  Sitting pretty.  

Red-tailed hawk.  I can never have too many "hawks in flight" photos....

Rufous Hummingbird

Violet-crowned Hummingbird

Tubac Hawk Watch

Citizen science at work.....

Birding enthusiasts like Peter Collins deserve a round of applause and a word of thanks from all of us.  Peter leads a Hawk Watch initiative in Tubac, Arizona.  Each year for the entire month of March he can be found at the community park in Tubac from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Today he told us that he occasionally will go to the park in the evening to catch the hawks and vultures circle the area to find a roosting place for the night.  Dedicated people like Peter are known by but a few birders.  His contribution to the science of ornithology is felt by many.

Today Dana and I were among about 35 participants and observers at the Tubac Hawk Watch.  Peter Collins was there to lead the watch.  He also was active in ensuring everyone was aware of the birds in the air.  Whenever a Common Black Hawk was spotted, Peter would yell out to everyone at the park, "Common Black Hawk in the air" and give the detail on where in the air one could find the bird.  Of course it was not only Common Black Hawks that were spotted on this day.  Here is a list of the approximate numbers that were spotted and identified:

Common Black Hawks - 14
Zone-tailed Hawks - 2
Red-tailed Hawks - 13
Turkey Vultures - 8
Black Vultures - 6
Osprey - 1
Coopers Hawk - 1

Dana and I found ourselves front and centre at the watch.  Equipped with our binoculars and I think given our experience participating in the Tubac Hawk Watch last year and the Eastern Oregon Audubon Hawk Watch last September, we felt capable and confident in spotting incoming birds and offering identification of same.  Dana nailed several identifications before anyone else.  Spotting a bird a mile away and knowing that it is Common Black Hawk and not a Red-tailed Hawk or a Black Vulture is not easy.   Getting it right is "priceless"!

In addition to all the birds migrating north on this day we were treated to viewing about 8 Gray Hawks that have taken up residency in the big cottonwoods that line the Santa Cruz river which is next to the community park.  These birds are slightly larger than Coopers Hawks but quite a bit smaller than a Red-tailed Hawk.  Throughout the morning we were treated to their aerobatic flying over the cottonwoods.  Gray Hawks are also quite vocal.  At times it seemed that there were many more than the 8 or so that were confirmed.

Although most of the hawks and vultures flew high over our location as they caught the thermal highway north, unexpectedly one Common Black Hawk decided to fly low over our location.  You should have heard the camera shutters clicking when that bird made a pass over our heads at about 100 feet in the air.  I think there were probably 10 or so serious photographers on hand (I'll include myself in that category).  It sounded like paparazzi at Pamela Anderson photo-op.  No offence to Pam, who is a fine Canadian gal, I think our bird was better looking,,,,

I didn't get a lot of photos this day.  Here are two memorable ones.  I hope you enjoy them.

Happy birding!

Ciao!

Common Black Hawk at the Tubac Hawk Watch

I capture this image of a young Gray Hawk as it perched on a Cottonwood tree.  It is not a great image as the bird was high in the tree and the light was poor.

March Madness

Greetings sport fans.  We are on the eve of another NCAA March Madness.  When I finish this post I will go direct to ESPN.com and submit my bracket predictions for the upcoming tournament.  I see where Mr. Moneybags himself (Warren Buffet) is putting up One Billion U.S. Dollars for anyone who successfully predicts the outcome of all 64 games.  He is worth an estimated $50 billion so don't worry about his ability to pay.  Besides, losing is apparently insured by the insurance company he owns.  Apparently the odds of being 100% correct on all the games is something similar to being hit by lightening twice in one day, then being run over by a bus.  Wonder what I'm going to do with all that money????  A 600mm lens???  Yes!

For Dana and I our March Madness is doing some power birding while still in Arizona.  Not the same as NCAA b-ball but mad all the same.  Oh, I forgot to mention that we departed our winter home in Mesa yesterday bound for Canada.  Our return trip to Canada will take us south from the Valley of The Sun to Green Valley, where we are today, then east to Sierra Vista, Az., Bosque del Apache, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington then home to British Columbia.

I have to say that we were very sad to have to leave or friends and family in Mesa.  After doing this gig for 4 years it just never get easier saying our good-byes.  To all of you, have a great summer and we will see you in December!

The 4Runner is loaded down with all our worldly possessions.  The 4 bikes are dismantled and stored.  This means that hiking and birding are our only physical pursuits.  Speaking of birding (slick segue, eh?) yesterday we spotted our first ever Crested Caracara in farmland south of Casa Grande, Az.  These hawk-like birds are gorgeous.  They have large white patches on the underside of their wings.  When the sun catches these white patches they look almost silvery.  A very cool sight.

Today we birded in Madera Canyon, south east of Green Valley.  We identified 29 species including several first of season birds for us.  These were; Bridled Titmouse, Board-tailed Hummingbird, Magnificent Hummingbird, American Redstart, Bell's Vireo, Acorn Woodpecker and Canyon Wren.  I have included photos of some of these birds in this post and one of a Red-tailed Hawk that we spotted yesterday.

Tomorrow we head to Tubac for the hawk watch.  I report on that in the next couple of days.  It is 9:20 p.m.  Dana is already asleep.  I'll accidentally wake her in a few minutes.  She will thank me in the morning.....  The weather here continues to be hot and dry.  We have had strong wind here since we arrived yesterday.  Makes birding a challenge but it also keeps the temperature in check.  I think the high today was 75F.  A bit cool but like I said, dry.....

All from me today.  Enjoy the photos.

Ciao!

Bridled Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch  (actually much more attractive in the wild)

Want to be a top notch bird photographer?  Rule #1 - Follow the Signs!

Acorn Woodpecker.  In my opinion one of the more interesting looking birds in Arizona

Red-tailed Hawk.  He was not impressed with me approaching his position

.......so off he went.  And I got him!

Chihuly in the desert, and other stuff.....

Sleep, eat, golf, eat, sleep.  Repeat!  That was 3 days last week when friends Bruce and Sue were in town.  The other days were the same, minus the golf.  Well, Bruce and Sue had several pool days and we did go to the Desert Botanical Garden and the Queen Creek Olive Mill.  I am posting several photos from the Desert Botanical Garden.  The Chihuly glass exhibit was amazing.  The photos in this post don't do it justice.  The glass art is scattered throughout the garden.  Very beautiful.

Speaking of golf, the 3 days of golf last week was fantastic.  We golfed 18 holes at LongBow with brother Mike and friend Bob on Wednesday.  The 4 of us did 9 holes and breakfast at Superstition Springs on Thursday.  Bruce and I did 18 at Kokopelli on Friday.  Saturday I slept in.....

Birding has slowed.  First of all we have been busy in the park and spending time with friends.  Also, this time of year the birds are migrating to their summer breeding grounds so the numbers are not the same as they were 3 or 4 weeks ago.  We hope to see some different birds next week when we head south.

Dana and I have ridden twice this week after a 3 week layoff.  I can't tell you how great it was to get back on our bikes.  It was hot, but worth it.

I have already mentioned this to a few but my photo of the Cactus Wren dancing on the Cholla cactus was selected by Cornell Ornithology Lab and posted in the online newsletter.  You can see the photo in my previous blog post.

The rest of this week will go quickly.  We have a block party Wednesday followed by dinners with friends and family on Thursday and Friday.  We will pack the truck and clean the park model on Friday.  Saturday is check-out day.  We will be sad to say good-bye to all our friends here.  We have had a wonderful 2 1/2 months in the Valley of the Sun.  We are not finished our adventure as we plan to continue south for a week or so before we point the 4Runner north.  I will blog at least one more time before we close out the adventure.  Until then, enjoy the photos.

Ciao!

Anna's Hummingbird at the Desert Botanical Garden

Gila Woodpecker at Gilbert Water Ranch

Verdin carefully perched on a Saguaro Cactus at the Desert Botanical Garden

Chihuly glass art at the Desert Botanical Garden

Dana, Sue and Bruce at the Desert Botanical Garden

Snowy Egret at Gilbert Water Ranch

Harris's Hawk just off the Bush Highway, Mesa, Az

Raino, raino fall upon the earth again.....

As I sit here at the computer listening to the rain pound down on our tin roof my mind drifts to songs about rain or with the word rain in the lyrics.  One of Canada greatest rock bands, Chilliwack, released the song "Rain-o" on their 1970 self titled album "Chilliwack".  I've always enjoyed this bluesy-rock song.  On the album the song was over 6 minutes in length.  Perfect for that last song of the evening after too much beer, wine, rum and.....other things.   

Here are the lyrics to the first verse of the song.  If you are lucky enough to have an original copy of this album as I do, drag it out late some evening, toss it on the old Akai or Dual vintage turntable and crank it up.  It is most effective on a stormy evening but can also be enjoyed in any weather at any time of day, or night, with or without the beer, wine, rum....or other things.

Raino, raino

fall upon the earth again

and make it good.

make it cool and fill the river,

fill the pool, quench the thirst

of every fool and every sage

and every sour soul

who's lost so much

he doesn't know his need.

Read more: http://artists.letssingit.com/chilliwack-lyrics-raino-c9qxnqd#ixzz2um0H74LE 

LetsSingIt - Your favorite Music Community 

So why am I seemingly off on a tangent about bluesy-rock songs about Rain?  Because, Dear Watson, after 73 days it has rained in the Valley of the Sun.  I mean soaker type rain.  The streets are flowing with the stuff.  Are we unhappy?  Are we grumpy?  Hell no!  This rain is a blessing.  It started about 3:00 a.m last night and has continued off and on all day.  This afternoon around 4:00 p.m. it really let loose.  Believe it or not I actually moved the 4Runner out of the carport into the street to wash off the dust that has accumulated since I last washed it.  One downpour and it was done.  

Rain here seems to us to be dramatic.  The reason I feel that way could be that it is so dry most of the time and any water is surprising.  it could also be that cloud bursts are the norm.  Rain here is never "light" or "misty" like it can be back home.  it is more "CRASH-BOOM-CRASH-POUND-POUND-CRASH".   I think you get the idea.

By tomorrow morning the weather system that brought us this welcome rain will have moved north east to Colorado and into the mid-west only to slam into some cold Canadian air to become another foot of snow in Minnesota and Manitoba.  On the other hand we will go back to warm sunshine with highs back up to 80F by Wednesday.  Yippie!

It has been 10 days since my last confession.  Whoa!  Flashback!  I mean it has been 10 days since my last blog post.  In that time Robin and Robert arrived from Canada, birded, hiked, travelled to Jerome and Sedona, golfed (twice for Robert), birded some more and oh, did sleep some.  I think they were going home to have a rest.  Great having you guys here.  We had fun!

Birding has been excellent.  We went to Boyce Thompson Arboretum this past week and saw not only the regular suspects but two possible rarities for that location.  (Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Fox Sparrow). We also finally got 100% positive identification of a Costa's Hummingbird.  The icing on the cake was the spotting of a hummingbird nest with 2 chicks and a mom.  Wow, wow!

We wrapped up our Bocce Ball league with another loss.  Enough said.

I wrapped up my tennis assistant coaching duties.  I hope to be asked to help out next year.  It was a lot of fun, and rewarding too.

We have not been on our bikes for over 10 days.  If the roads are dry in the morning we will ride our normal route.  We are both feeling the need to ride our bikes.  

The week ahead will be busy.  Friends Bruce and Sue arrive on Monday for a one week stay.  Party on, Dude.....

Before I close I want to say that someone from Russia and someone from Ukraine viewed my blog last week.  I wish there was some way I could get them together to talk about what is good in their world and encourage them to reach out to their friends and appeal for peace.  I wish you guys a long and peaceful future.

Here are a few photos shot in the last ten days.  Enjoy!

Cactus Wren Dancing on Cholla Cactus

Costa's Hummingbird

Male and Female Hooded Mergansers at Ayers Lake, Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Mom Anna's Hummingbird feeding the twins

Twin chicks being very still......... shhhhhh.....

Grand Hotel, Jerome, Arizona

Red rocks of Sedona

More red rocks of Sedona

Black-crowned Night Heron at Gilbert (one my favorite images...)

Dana in Sedona.  Not sure what she is trying to say......

So, how hot is it?

A few hot jokes courtesy of the internet:

Q: How hot is it in the Valley of the Sun?

A: So hot every fat guy sweating in the city smells like Bacon!

Q: How hot is it in Mesa, Az?

A: So hot that I saw a fire hydrant chasing a pack of dogs! 

Q: What happened after the mom purchased a loaf of bread from Albertsons? 

A: By the time she got home it was toast!

 Q: What do you need to visit Death Valley, Arizona? 

A: Dental Records

Q: What are the only two seasons in Phoenix, Arizona? 

A: Hot and Hotter.

 Q: What did the one pig say to the another at the beach? 

A: I'm bacon! 

Okay, the weather is certainly the new of the week.  80F every day!  I sure miss the cold damp weather back home.  I miss the downpours.  The dreaded wet flurries.  I miss sloshing through puddles on our daily walks.  No I don't!  Ha!

I went to Gilbert this morning to catch the sunrise on the Riparian Preserve.  I got there a bit after sunrise expecting to see many birds to be in the ponds.  I think the number of photographers outnumbered the birds.  It is unusually hot and dry and the birds are flocking off to cooler climes.  I did get a good shot of a Verdin and Black Phoebe that I will post here tonight.  We are going to have to scope out some new birding spots.  Maybe Robin and Robert can help us with that next week!

Last Wednesday was the monthly street party.  This month almost everyone on our street got together for a pot luck Valentine's Day theme breakfast.  Great food and a good time was had by all.

Last Thursday I golfed with Steve at his Red Mountain Golf Club in north Mesa.  The course was fantastic.  It is your iconic desert golf course with elevated tees looking down on green fairways lined with cactus and Palo Verde trees.  Of course there was lots of sand and designer Pete Dye took full advantage of the setting.  Diabolically he added sand traps around each green to add to the challenge.  Thanks Pete.  This was only the second time in 14 years that I golfed a full 18 holes.  Not unexpectedly I shot a high number, but less than the previous 18 hole effort in Victoria in December.  I had some brilliant holes and some that were memorable only to be forgettable.  Steve was not rattled by my erratic play and played well from tee to green.  The two 80 year olds who made up our foursome were amazing.  I think the fellow birdied the last 3 holes while the gal was consistent throughout and was perhaps the best chipper/putter that I have ever golfed with.

We rode our bikes several times last week.  Of note is Dana's record setting time on the Usery hill.  The hill, a steady 5k climb, is on our regular route.  Last Wednesday Dana set a personal best time up the hill.  Her new time of 15:57 was amazing and is a new standard for her.  On Saturday Steve, Joanne, Dana and I rode the Wild Horse trail on our mountain bikes.  This challenging desert trail offers some technical sections that kept all of us alert and focused.  Joanne took a spill in some soft sand and got up sporting a clump of Cholla cactus attached to the side of her knee.  If you have never had Cholla cactus stuck to your body think a pin-cushion of porcupine needles.  These things do not come out easily.  Impressively Joanne yanked them out of her skin with little fuss.  

Friday we dined at our fav restaurant, The Blue Adobe, in downtown Mesa.  It is always a treat to go out and even though we say we should do it more often, we don't.  It does make the times we do go out that much more special.  Enough said on that.

I golfed with the Sunday "Royal Canadians".  This is the regular "9 and Dine" group from our RV resort.  Fun time for all although I putted as though I were putting with a croquet mallet rather than a putter.  I clearly need work on this aspect of my golf game.  Then again, there is little of my golf game that does not need work, and a lot of it!

Yesterday we took out 4Runner in for a little preventative maintenance.  This gave us reason to hop the Light Rail to Tempe Town Lakes for a morning of birding.  There were not many birds in and around the lake but we did identify 3 new species to add to our Arizona list for 2014.  These were Eared Grebe, Brown Pelican and the very striking Cliff Swallow.  The Cliff Swallows have made quite an impact in Arizona over the past 3 days being reported for the first time this year in many locations in Southern Arizona.  I think they all few in at the same time....  Our yearly bird species count stands at 123, thanks in part to the arrival of the Cliff Swallows.

Here are some images captured this week.  Enjoy!  

Ciao from the Valley of the Sun.

Dana, looking fast in her Garmin Giro d'Italia jersey minutes before she set her PR on Usery Hill.

Barry before witnessing Dana's PR......

Steve and Joanne on the Wild horse Trail

Joanne with Cholla Cactus embedded in her knee.  Ouch!!!

Black Phoebe.  Damn if he isn't just one cute bird.  What do you think he is thinking right now?

Verdin - these birds are very active building elaborate nests quilted out of sticks, feathers and other building materials they can find.

Morning Glow - Snowy Egret at Gilbert Riparian Preserve

Biking and Birding for fun.......

I want to know who stole at least 4 days from us?  Was it you?  You?  No?  Okay, relax you're off the hook.....for now......

Yes, the days are screaming by.  Feb 11?  Maybe it was the Super Bowl hangover.  Ground Hog day?  Well, not that.  No one celebrates or recognizes Ground Hog day in the Valley of the Sun.  I mean really.  It is already summer, or early spring or something.  We read of the Polar Vortex but most desert dwellers think that a Polar Vortex is a new ice-cream bar and they can't wait to try it.  But I digress.....

Recap of the week.  First of all a "drum roll".......

Dana and I rode our normal road bike route on Monday (yesterday), joined by our friends Steve and Joanne.  As is the custom we stop at the base of hill on Usery Mountain Road to shed unwanted clothing bits and have a drink of water before starting the climb.  As we were doing so a group of 8 "roadies" rode by us.  Steve and I got on our bike and pedalled hard to catch the small group.  When we caught them, which didn't take long, I noticed that they were all wearing Vision Quest team jerseys.   I called out to one rider that I train using Vision Quest training videos.  The rider said, "That's great.  That is Robbie Ventura on the front of the group".  (note: Robbie Ventura is the founder and main spokesperson for Vision Quest cycling training.  Robbie is also a former professional cyclist having won dozens of professional races.  He was part of U.S. Postal professional cycling team and a team mate of Lance Armstrong for several of their Tour de France winning teams).

When I heard this I immediately road up to the front of the group, put my hand on Robbie's shoulder and said, "Robbie Ventura.  I can't tell you what a thrill this is for me to ride up this hill with you and your guys".  Okay, I sound like a complete starstruck goof but I meant every word.  Robbie didn't miss a beat, welcomed me to ride with them and introduced me to several of his team including Dan and Dave from his training video that Dana and I have used each winter, before we come to Az, for the past 3 or 4 years.  17 minutes went by like it was 5.  We chatted about his videos and his upcoming cycling camp, his Ironman in Penticton.  He listened to me talk about my recent decision to retire from racing and encouraged me to keep riding "for the fun of it".  Near the top of the hill I did something pretty dumb but it was spontaneous and in keeping with his training video on hill climbing.  Near the top I told him that I wanted to see him sprint to the top and crank out 1,200 watts of power.  So, about 1/2 k from the top I said, "Okay, let's go", and I took off at a full sprint to the top......by myself.  Dumb.  Dumb.  Dumb.  I pulled over and waited for everyone to come over the top of the hill.  They were good natured about it and waived and high-fived me on their way by.

Steve and I waited for Dana and Joanne.  I told Dana what had occurred and who I had ridden up the hill with.  She was very, very disappointed that she did not get to meet Robbie, Dan and Dave.

From biking to birding......  Today we finally met up with our birding friend Marcus.  Marcus lives in Mesa.  We met him last winter while birding at Granite Reef which is on the Salt River.  We were joined by Judy and Carl who are snowbirds from Iowa and North Dakota respectively.  The five of us travelled west to Buckeye for a day of birding.  Our goal today was to find Thrashers (Sage, Crissals, LeConte's and Bendire's), Sparrows (Sage and Bells) and Hawks.  A big ask!

When one goes birding for specific species it can turn out great in that you find all the species you were looking for, or it can turn out great that you don't find everything you were looking for but you find other cool birds.  On this day we did not find all the birds we were looking for but we found a couple of them and many other great birds.

First of all we found a Crissal's Thrasher.  I have a not so good photo if it but I am posting it regardless as you have to see the bill on this guy.  Impressive!  We also found a Sage Sparrow.  The photos I got of this bird is okay and shows most of the field marks for this bird.  Both of these birds are hard to find and just as hard to photograph as they are very timid and do not let you get close.

In total we found 41 species.  Of this 6 were new to us this year.  Of the 6, 3 were completely new to us.  The six were:  Western Meadow Lark, White Pelican, Cattle Egret, Long-billed Curlew, Sage Sparrow and Crissal's Thrasher.  The last 3 were new life birds for us.  Some of the other birds we saw were Merlin, Ferruginous Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Black Vulture, Harris's Hawk, Bald Eagle, Great Egret, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and the list goes on.

The Long-billed Curlew was the highlight of the day.  We were travelling down a farm road when Marcus spotted a flock of birds.  We estimated the flock to be approximately 400.   He pull over and we all saw the large flock of large birds land in an alfalfa field.  We got out binoculars and cameras and scanned the field to find necks and head of birds with very long bills sticking out of the alfalfa.  After some hooting an hollering we regained out composure to take a few photos.  The flock was very active.  I got a decent shot of one of the Curlews in flight.  I have posted that photo together with a shot of them in the field.  In the photo you will see a few birds standing on clumps of earth and others wading through the alfalfa.  What fun!

We returned home mid-afternoon to play our weekly Bocce Ball league match.  We lost a close one.  This season is a bust.  I can almost identify with the Canucks.  Almost.....  At least no one on our team is going get traded before the end of the season and our coach/captain is not going to get fired. But I digress...

All in all a fantastic week.  The weather is outstanding.  We are both in good health.  Albertson's grocery store is well stocked with Tillamook ice cream.  Life is grand!

That's a wrap.  Have a good week.  Enjoy the photos!  Ciao!!   Go Canada!!!!!!

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  (best photo of the day)

Long-billed Curlews in the field

Long-billed Curlew in flight

Merlin in flight

Sage Sparrow

Western Meadow Lark

Crissal's Thrasher