refinance tucson: Desert Sunset Hike in Ironwood National Monument, Arizona
- 12/06/09 02:49 PM
That's Ragged Top Mountain in Pima County, AZ. You can get there by taking Sasco Road, a straight ribbon of dirt that passes through some of the most pristine desert you'll ever see. It starts at Interstate 10's Red Rock exit, just south of another of my favorite places, Picacho Peak. Petroglyphs Yesterday, I spent four enjoyable afternoon hours climbing the hills surrounding Ragged Top Mountain, searching for ancient petroglyphs to add to my photo collection. This Bighorn Sheep Image on the right graced a rock on that hill pictured on the left. I found two other images, one a … (47 comments)
refinance tucson: Jersey Devil, Headless Horseman, Stalking Saguaro...
- 10/30/09 03:54 AM
New Jersey has tales of the "Jersey Devil." New England's "Headless Horseman," from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, is famous for his pursuit of Ichabod Crane. Our Halloween monster, the Stalking Saguaro of the Desert, wanders the edges of Tucson's desert, frequenting lonely stretches in search of little children wearing costumes and carrying pillowcases filled with candy... Parents: Don't leave your children alone tonight near the desert's edge. ___________________ I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender. SUNSTREET MORTGAGECall me if I can help you or someone you know with a purchase or refi mortgage.(520) 349-9090 photo copyright Mike … (14 comments)
Darlin' and I were driving down the road on vacation in Canada when this wonderfully visual illustration presented itself. The bull was on one side of the road, and the heifers on the other. You know me; I just had to stop and capture the moment with my camera. I stood in the middle of the road between the two audiences. Edit: Village of Lions Head, Bruce Peninsula, … (23 comments)
refinance tucson: Jimmy Stewart's Prediction: Chance Of Rain, 10%
- 09/18/09 09:51 PM
Chance of rain, 10%. Overnight low in the 60's. That's what Jimmy Stewart, our Channel 4 Weatherman, predicted on last night's news for the Tucson area. Look at the downpour in the center right of the photo. This is a true desert thunderstorm. When it rains here in our desert southwest, we rarely have the sort of storms I experienced back on Long Beach Island, NJ, where the entire sky would scud over with low gray clouds, and the rain or drizzle seemed to be universal. Here in our quiet little community of Tucson Estates 2, (east of the Avra … (30 comments)
refinance tucson: Parting Gesture: This Saguaro Finally Had Enough!
- 09/15/09 01:25 AM
Who knows what goes on in the mind of a Giant Saguaro? Forced to stand in one place, decade upon decade, they endure the indignities of life in stoic silence. That's got to be hard. It takes a desert saguaro a long time to grow arms ~ seventy-five years to be exact. You see a lot of "stuff" in seventy-five years, and it's got to be hard when you can't just speak your mind. Let it all out. Rant! Like I said, "Who knows?" Who knows what indignity or injustice finally caused this particular saguaro over the edge mentally? It's … (27 comments)
refinance tucson: Monsoon Sunset (Tucson, AZ)
- 08/24/09 11:47 PM
There's a magical combination of light and texture in the clouds at sunset during Tucson's monsoon season. The rains have been spotty this summer, leading some to call this our Nonsoon Season. But all good things come to he who waits, and last night as I drove over Gates Pass on my way home, I could see that I needed to find a place to pull over and pick up the camera. I took this photo at about 7:20 p.m. on Kinney Road, just north of the intersection with Gates Pass Road. That's the location of Old Tucson Studios, for … (28 comments)
refinance tucson: Video Biz: Maximizing the Use of Videos in Your Business, by Course Creators, Tucson, AZ
- 08/08/09 05:00 PM
Video Biz, a class on "how to maximize the use of videos in your business," is taught by Len Elder and Theresa Barnebei, national speakers and owners of a Tucson-based business called Course Creators. Len Elder and Theresa Barnebei will be speakers at the upcoming NAR convention in San Diego. If you're going to be there, don't miss these two. Video for business While many of you jumped right in with Flip Video last year, I was not an "early adopter" of the technology. I was intimidated by it. That changed on Thursday of this past week. I signed up … (19 comments)
refinance tucson: Tucson, AZ: Tucson Mountain Sanctuary, Full Moon Setting
- 08/08/09 12:18 AM
Tucson Mountain Park's entrance is only a mile or so from the community of Tucson Mountain Sanctuary. I'm up and out at five thirty in the morning, and dawn's breaking in the east. In the western sky, the full moon is setting over this canyon wall. The coolness of the desert night is still with us, especially down on the canyon floor, and the sandy wash where I'm walking is easy on the feet. By noon, the summer temperature will have soared to 103 degrees, but at 5:30 a.m. this might as well be another world -- a magical … (27 comments)
I've landed at Sunstreet Mortgage here in Tucson! I took my first signed application this afternoon at 4:30 p.m., a VA purchase for a young family here at Davis Monthan Air Force Base. The REALTOR who referred the couple is Active Rain's Kevin Wood. One of the loan officers at Sunstreet is Cathy Radford, my riding partner from our Miracle Mortgage days back in 2004. (Her horse is named "Cash.") Thanks for all the comments on Friday's post, and your emails and well-wishes. I'll have more about the new company later this … (29 comments)
refinance tucson: Sunday Morning Surprise
- 07/12/09 10:04 PM
I was just leaving for church this morning when I looked out into the back yard, and was surprised to see this coyote walk up out of the arroyo to get a drink from my drip irrigation system. She wasn't looking my way, so I grabbed the camera, softly slid the sliding glass door open just enough to clear the lens, and whistled softly. Her head came up and around toward the sound, and her ears followed. You can see the least little blur on the ears as they tracked toward me. Unconcerned, she finished drinking, walked into the neighbors … (48 comments)
refinance tucson: Silly Saturday Night Post: Eyes In The Back of Her Head
- 07/04/09 04:40 PM
"Grandma," I asked, "How did you know I did that?" "I've got eyes in the back of my head." My Grandma said that to me more than half a century ago in her kitchen on the eastern shore of Virginia. I was trying to snag a cookie. I'll bet yours said the same to you when you were knee high to a grasshopper. So when this Western Screech Owl twisted her head around to keep an eye on me, I burst out laughing. "Hey, Grandma!" I said, as I clicked the shutter. "You really do have eyes in the back … (18 comments)
refinance tucson: What Does It Mean When A Dozen Vultures Show Up to Watch You Tee Off?
- 06/30/09 05:16 PM
5:45 a.m. and three of us had a tee time at the Santa Rita Golf Course in Vail, AZ. We played nine before starting the workday. I thought I was doing pretty well until we reached the fifth tee. We were greeted by a sight I'd never seen. Donte' Ormsby (who lives on the course) told us that these vultures roost in this huge tree every night. That's Donte' on the right. (He's the man who created my website mikeintucson.com) The vultures were catching the day's first rays, stretching and talking amongst themselves, when Kevin Wood (left) stepped up to … (24 comments)
refinance tucson: For Newbies Only: So Why Are We Blogging Anyhow?
- 06/29/09 06:33 AM
I took a little heat last week about a post that complained about the HVCC appraisal process. "Hey," said the email, "you didn't answer my comment." Here's the reason for that: (It took a little time for it to percolate in the old brain.) I'm a newbie. I've only been in the lending business since 2003. My relative inexperience is one reason that I'm so active on Active Rain. I learn from colleagues who have been at this for decades, and I appreciate them for their knowledge and willingness to share it with people like you and me. Prior to April, … (18 comments)
refinance tucson: Speechless Sunday: The Appalachian Trail...
- 06/28/09 02:57 PM
I don't know that I've ever been moved to post for Speechless Sunday. Sometimes, though, there truly is nothing to say... See the rest of the photos of these birds on my post: Babies On The Golf Course at Santa Rita: Can You Identify Them? ___________________ I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender. Call me if I can help you with a purchase or refi mortgage; (520) 349-9090 Photo copyright Mike in Tucson … (24 comments)
refinance tucson: Babies On The Golf Course at Santa Rita: Can You Identify Them?
- 06/28/09 02:06 AM
Donte' Ormsby and I played 18 holes of golf yesterday at the Santa Rita Golf Course south of Tucson, AZ. We had intended to play only nine holes, but you know how that goes. These two young hawks were roosting in a pine tree on the 18th hole. I have a few birding books, but try as I might, I haven't been able to identify them. I got a view of the back of the hawk when one flew into a sycamore tree. The tail is barred, and it's underside has the same creamy yellow that you see on the … (18 comments)
refinance tucson: Saturday Night Signoff: Dos Lagos Reflection at Dove Mountain, Marana, AZ
- 06/27/09 04:53 PM
Sometimes the most peaceful view at sunset is found looking away from the sun. That was the case this evening in Dove Mountain, Marana, AZ. I hope your week was successful, and that you had a chance to vege just a little today. Enjoy the view. ___________________ I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender. Call me if I can help you with a purchase or refi mortgage; (520) 349-9090 Photo copyright Mike in Tucson … (12 comments)
refinance tucson: Living In The Desert Is Cool. I'm Cereus!
- 06/22/09 05:29 PM
The cactus doesn't attract one bit of attention... until it blooms. Google "night blooming cereus," and you'll find a community of ardent admirers of the plant, some utterly magnificent photographs, and reams and reams of print. We're fortunate to see them in the wild here in Tucson. This one bloomed along a riding trail in Catalina State Park, just north of Tucson, AZ, in the shadow of Pusch Ridge. ___________________ I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender. Call me if I can help you with a purchase or refi mortgage; (520) 349-9090 Photo copyright Mike in … (15 comments)
refinance tucson: Tick Tock, Tick Tock... Inflation Will Make You Wish You Had Bought When Interest Rates Were At 6%.
- 06/22/09 04:11 AM
June 10th, 2009 marked the highest yield for the 10 Year Treasury bond is the past eight months. That yield was 3.9%. What that means for the would-be homeowner is rising interest rates for a 30 year mortgage. The average 30 year mortgage rate for the week ending June 18th was 5.625%. That's wonderful from a historic perspective, but not so great for buyers who could have had an interest rate as low as 4.5% only two weeks earlier. Buyers are confused as go whether rates will come down again, and have decided to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. That's not surprising, … (15 comments)
refinance tucson: Silly Saturday Night Post: Cool! You've Got A Web Browser!
- 06/20/09 04:37 PM
She turned 10 three days ago. This morning my grand daughter and I drove to the Pusch Ridge Stables in Catalina State Park for her first ride. The drive took 45 minutes, and on the way, she asked to see my Blackberry. The next ten minutes were a monologue to no one in particular, emanating from the little one in the back seat. "Cool! You have a web browser!" "I wonder if I can get to my email on Verizon.net?" "Whoa! That's fast." "Let's see what other applications you have on this thing..." "A bunch." "Grandpa, did you know you … (28 comments)
refinance tucson: Life in Arizona's Green Desert: Tucson Mountain Sanctuary & Tucson Estates II
- 06/18/09 05:47 PM
The mountains that seems to be floating in the backround are the Santa Rita Mountains, part of the Coronado National Forest. The Santa Ritas form the Tucson valley's southern boundary. You're looking southeast with me from my vantage point along the David Yetman trail in the Tucson mountains. In the photo above, the cities of Tucson and South Tucson lie to your left. You wouldn't be able to see either city, however, or hear the sound of cars and trucks on Interstate 10, because the Tucson Mountains intervene (photo on right.) Nestled in the foothills of the Tucson Mountains are … (10 comments)
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