tucson mountains: Desert Oddity: Ironwood Gargoyle #3
- 06/23/11 05:29 PM
~ Ironwood Gargoyle #3 ~ Ironwood Gargoyle #3 looks like a prehistoric fish, with that big eye and upthrust jaw. Like some prehistoric fossils, his head is twice as big as the rest of his body. This past February, I visited the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, and took a photo of a prehistoric fish fossil that came to mind when I saw Ironwood Gargoyle #3. Just a minute while I try to find it on my cell phone and upload it to my computer... Yep. There he is! Some of you will spend summer afternoons laying on the grass, … (7 comments)
tucson mountains: Hummingbird Food in the Tucson Mountains
- 03/26/11 04:48 PM
~ Hummingbird Food ~ Some years, the desert floor is covered with wildflowers: lupine, mexican poppy, and others. This year, that didn't happen. I don't know why. Regardless, and right on cue, the Ocotillo plants, which look for all the world like a bunch of dead sticks, pushed out their red flames all across the desert. This is the time that the hummingbirds come north, crossing the desert. It's the Ocotillo that provides the nourishment they need, in the form of nectar, so that those of you in the northwest will have the joy of seeing these jewel-like birds in … (21 comments)
tucson mountains: Super Moon In The Tucson Mountains
- 03/19/11 05:01 PM
~ Super Moon Over the Tucson Mountains ~ _____________________ I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson Arizona Mortgage Lender. NMLS #223495 SUNSTREET MORTGAGE llc ~ Correspondent Mortgage BankOffices (AZ) Mesa, Tucson, Sierra Vista, and Nogales. (I don't copyright my photos anymore. I use them for blogging and creating greeting cards for friends and clients.) Right click on my image, copy and use it to your heart's content!
~ Rising Moon ~ (the view from the back yard of that house in the first photo) Location? Location. Location! Money's inexpensive, and so are homes in the Tucson Mountains right now. Call your favorite REALTOR and drive into the Tucson Mountains (Ajo west to Kinney, then right on Sarasota) to see these new homes at Starr Ridge at Tucson Mountain Park. Second homes have not been this affordable in a long time. If it's snowing or raining where you are, and too cold to … (12 comments)
tucson mountains: Another World: After Dark in the Tucson Mountains
- 01/26/11 04:16 PM
~ Another World In The Tucson Mountains ~ There's no other description that fits so well... The Tucson Mountains after dark are another world. The sense of quiet peacefulness is created by the ridge of ancient volcanic rock separating me from the City of Tucson. Here there is the yip of a coyote enjoying that same moon that tugged me away from the comfort of my home in Tucson Estates II. The yips crescendo into a chorus of answering coyotes, howling at that big yellow moon. Tonight, the TV is off. I didn't bring my I-Pod. Give me, tonight, what … (28 comments)
tucson mountains: Tucson Mountains in May: Warm, Beautiful & Inviting
- 05/15/10 03:49 AM
The Tucson Mountains in May: Warm, beautiful and inviting I stopped in Gates Pass on the way home last night to watch the setting sun paint the sky, and thought to myself "What a beautiful corner of the world this is!" You can tell from my blog that this is so, but sometime soon you'll want to come visit and see this for yourself. I wish you warmth and beauty in your life, and extend a heartfelt invitation to come visit Tucson. ___________________ Click my Send Out Cards logo and be surprised! Send a real card to someone who needs … (12 comments)
tucson mountains: Tucson's King Canyon Trail: Bloom Where You're Planted? It's A Little Tough Right Now, Isn't It?
- 01/16/10 03:53 PM
I was hiking very early Friday morning in King Canyon, in the Tucson Mountains. The view on the right is looking up the cayon to the east toward the rising sun. Parking in the lot just north of the entrance to the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum (it's a zoo ~ one of the ten best in the world) I clicked "start" on the GPS on my Blackberry and walked up the King Canyon Trail for a mile, to the place where the King Canyon Trail crosses the arroyo you see on the right. From that point, I hiked back to … (43 comments)
tucson mountains: Warmth And Beauty In The Southwest: Tucson, Arizona In January
- 01/08/10 02:57 PM
While most of the nation was enveloped in record cold this January 8th, Tucson enjoyed a high of 70 degrees, and I took this photo at four in the afternoon near my Starbucks hangout at Country Club and Speedway. Sunset fell as I was ascending "A" Mountain to capture the westerly view seen below, looking toward Cat Mountain in the Tucson Mountains. The time difference between the two photos is less than two hours.
The light here in Tucson is different somehow from what I've experienced elsewhere in the United States, and the beauty of the landscape (whether in … (37 comments)
tucson mountains: Life's Not Fair: While The East Coast Is Buried Under Two Feet Of Snow...
- 12/19/09 01:56 PM
I used to tell my kids "Life's not fair." Not that I mind... While the east coast is trying to dig out of the biggest snowstorm in recent memory, I spent my Saturday afternoon hiking in the desert behind our home in the Tucson Mountains. Days like this--when we don't worry about owning a snow shovel--are why we moved from New Jersey to Tucson. The temperature today hit a high of 70 degrees, and the entire sky was robin egg blue. This mule deer doe was as surprised as I was when we found ourselves 50' away from each other. … (22 comments)
tucson mountains: The Sky's On Fire
- 07/11/09 06:19 PM
Sunset this evening found me at one of Tucson's most picturesque spots. Gates Pass in the Tucson Mountains is a spectacular place, especially at sunset. The city lies far below to the east, and to the west, the Avra Valley extends to the horizon. Stone buildings and walls fit the landscape. Access is very easy by car, and the parking lot (off Gates Pass Road) is generous. I've taken some of my favorite photos from this vantage point. It's beautiful. It's quiet, even when people gather at sunset. The atmosphere is almost one of reverence. It's a place I frequent … (14 comments)
tucson mountains: So You Thought You Knew Something About Tucson, Arizona? (5 of 10) The Perimeter
- 03/21/09 01:05 PM
Geographically, Tucson is huge. 900 square miles--30 miles by 30 miles. The city itself isn't that big, but the Tucson basin is fully developed, and is surrounded by four mountain ranges. To the west, the Tucson Mountains. To the east, the Rincons. To the north, the Santa Catalinas, and To the south, the Santa Ritas. I drove a signing package to a client last night, and they live on the far east side. Driving home, I was headed south on Houghton towards the interstate (I-10) when I looked west and saw this relief of my Tucson Mountains. Of course I … (8 comments)
tucson mountains: What A Difference Five Minutes Can Make: Indian Head in the Tucson Mountains
- 01/31/09 07:00 PM
The light colored rock formation on the right sits on the face of Golden Gate Mountain, right behind our home in the Tucson Mountains. Locals call it "the Indian Head." It appears that the photo was taken from a vantage point above the formation, but that's not the case. I was walking through our neighborhood early in the morning, just before sunrise. The streets are several hundred feet lower in elevation than the rock face. The formation isn't always visible unless you know where to look. The reason? It's the changing color of the mountain as the sun moves across the … (20 comments)
tucson mountains: So You Thought You Knew Something About Tucson, Arizona? (2 of 10: Geography)
- 01/27/09 08:56 PM
Few cities in the United States cover more territory than Tucson. The volcanic valley floor seen above is roughly 30 miles square. That's 900 square miles. And it doesn't include the surrounding communities that comprise the metro area of Tucson. Those include Sahuarita and Green Valley to the south, and Marana, Oro Valley and Catalina to the northwest. Four mountain ranges surround the Tucson valley. To the north, the Santa Catalinas, seen above (left,) rise to nearly 10,000 feet. This photo on the left shows the Tucson valley floor from the vantage point of a trail near the top of … (40 comments)
tucson mountains: Home, Home on the Ridge. Tucson, Arizona
- 07/15/08 03:59 PM
Driving up towards Gates Pass along Gates Pass Road, you might never know that this home sits there. It's perched on the ridge of the Tucson Mountains, overlooking the valley to the west, and Tucson to the east. I've never been to the home; access is from the eastern flank of the Tucson Mountains, and it's gated. But I look at it each time I drive Kinney Road to Gates Pass Road, on my way over the pass to Tucson. It has to be the most spectacular location for a home in all of Tucson. Sitting as high as it does … (15 comments)
tucson mountains: Capture Life! Always Have Your Camera Nearby.
- 06/08/08 05:26 PM
This has been a great day; I hope yours was, too. My Mom used to call Sunday "the Lord's Day," and it certainly was today. Our church meets in a high school gym in the shadow of the Pusch Ridge escarpment, a granite outcropping that defines the westerly boundry of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The setting, as you can see, is one that inspires awe and worship.
This evening I hiked in the desert behind our home in the Tucson mountains, and was so glad I had my camera with me, as this Desert Mule Deer doe walked out of … (31 comments)
tucson mountains: Google Juice: Posting to Localism Outside Your Home Territory
- 01/02/08 01:29 AM
I visited Surf City, NJ this summer. I wrote a post to Localism/Ocean County/Surf City. My Darlin' and I found a wonderful little bayfront restaurant on the mainland in Cedar Run, NJ. Another Localism post. I think I've written posts to Localism for every town I've visited outside Arizona since July 2007, when I joined. It's a way of giving back to Active Rain, and to the Rainers I've met around the country. I'm a "glass half full, and continuing to fill" kind of guy. Reflecting on the success AR has brought to me since I joined up... I have a question. You … (18 comments)
tucson mountains: Tucson Estates II Neighborhood Watch Program Success
- 10/07/07 04:10 PM
150 residents of the gated community called Tucson Estates II showed up for an ice cream social to celebrate our successful implementation of the Neighborhood Watch Program. Representatives of the Pima County Sheriff's Department attended as well. Tucson Estates II is one of the safest communities in this city of one million people! Taxes are low, homes are reasonably priced, and jumbo mortgages are not required! For the period beginning April 5, 2007 through October 4, 2007, our community crime statistics are as follows: Burglary: Zero Larceny: Zero Stolen Vehicles: Zero Vandalism: One Suspicious Activity: One Nestled in the shadow of … (18 comments)
tucson mountains: Hiking The Tucson Mountains: Wasson Peak's Stairway To Heaven
- 08/18/07 04:50 PM
The Hugh Norris Trail to Wasson Peak is a 4.9 mile hike each way that gains and loses more than 2,100' in elevation. A portion of the trail is created out of the mountain itself. It's a stairway to Heaven! These stone steps near the beginning of the trail have been around since shortly after the depression that hit the US economy in 1929. They were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. (the CCC) I've hiked up and down the old steps since 1998 with my old friend George Mitchell. The summer before last, I was pleased and surprised to find that … (6 comments)
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