Severe Weather Warning...... Clouds tomorrow!!!

The desert has been hot, really hot.  We have had no rain since we arrived on December 30th.  Okay, I realize that back home on the "left coast" rain has been scarce as well.  We often will check the Victoria weather in the morning and most days it is colder here in the desert than it is there.  However.... pause for effect.... the daily high in Victoria is often only a few degrees higher than their low.  Our daily high today was 79F, or 25C (close enough..).  Humidity this afternoon was 9%.  The toast I had for breakfast had more than 9% humidity!  Humidity in Victoria this evening:  100%.  The impact of the drought here is that rivers are shrinking at an alarming rate.  The Salt River, one of our favorite birding areas, has been reduced to about 30% of its' normal width.  I cannot get any information, online or otherwise regarding the current threat.  It is almost as if the local population were oblivious to what is happening.  Gives me a "dancing while Rome was burning" sort of feeling.  Or was that the Titanic sinking?  Whatever.....

We have been busy, dancing.  No, no....  We have been busy with lots of stuff.  Dana was put on the DL for today's league Bocce game.  Upper body injury.  Day to day.  Should be a game time decision for our next ride.  (Dana has a chest/head cold and is fine, just cranky that she missed the Bocce Ball game...)  Our neighbour Spence subbed.  We won the game 15-4.  All of us made some good shots and the opposition struggled much like we did last week.  It was good to get into the win column.  I think we were all inspired by the Seattle Seahawks big win on Sunday.  Wow!  We're going to the Super Bowl!!  On Sunday morning we participated in the "Cole Bike Ride", part of the P.F. Chang's Phoenix Rock & Roll Marathon event.  We rode the marathon route ahead of the marathon.  Got the t-shirt so we don't have to do that again.  Best part of the day was spending time with friends and going for breakfast at the Waffle House in south Mesa.  Wow!  That was a lot of food.  Not something to do everyday.  We did eat everything they brought us.....

We rode mountain bikes in the desert last Saturday, 50k rode ride Sunday, part of that the marathon route, and we rode our normal 50k rode route yesterday.  Yesterday afternoon and this morning we got out for a bit of birding.  My 2014 Arizona bird species count is now 89.  I feel good about surpassing last years total of 125 however, that means I need 37 more species.  I might be a bit optimistic but we will have fun trying.

I do have a couple of photos to post.  I feel like I am in a bit of a slump.  Actually, we have been birding in the afternoon or late morning and we need to go earlier as the birds seem to be scarce in the heat of the day.  They are smart birds.  Especially this talking Ring-necked duck.  The Black Vulture didn't have much to say...  Enjoy the photos.    For more photos you can check out my Flickr page at:     http://www.flickr.com/photos/95573509@N08

Ciao!

Talking Ring-necked Duck at the Gilbert Water Ranch

Mature Black Vulture, one of 18 we observed this morning.