To Rise From the Ashes of the Phoenix

Soon our desert floor will erupt with an array of flowers.  Keep your eyes open around the Tucson area.  Take a road trip down to Kitt's Peak where I think our wildflower season will be a hit.  Today's photos were taken in Tucson at the Tucson Botanical Garden.  The normal desert floor will turn from a brownish green to a burst of intense pinks, yellows, blues, reds, and oranges.  This year promises to be spectacular. And as always, if you can't make a visit to our desert for vacation, I'll be snapping the shots of our "spring" season here.  Stay tuned for more....

Black Eyed Susan

Blackbirds

Red Winged Blackbird

So many blackbirds. On a recent visit, I went to check out the loud and beautiful breeding calls of the Red Winged Blackbirds at the Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson off of Prince Road.

Today I learned about many things.  My eyes are sharper to detail now and this place is like a soap opera on TV.  All you have to do is watch it all go down.  Commercial free.  I try to be good and not talk to many birders on the trail, but once in awhile I break down and ask my one big question for the day which was....

"Why are some of the reds on different birds brighter than others?"  The nice lady told me that the closer they get to breeding season; the redder the tips of the wings get.  And those tips are called epaulets.  Like I said, something new everyday.  The males are territorial.  He can have up to 10 females in his area to protect.

But if you look deeper into the wetlands, you'll notice a segregation of different kinds of blackbirds.  Not only did I see the Red Winged Blackbird, but also the Yellow Headed Blackbird......

When they flew amongst the reeds, it was quite beautiful.

But at times, it was hard to distiguish with all the fast fluttering who was who!

Because from a distance, you could only see black.

The calls were different, but there was one thing that they both had in common....the reeds.  However they all stayed in their own colonies. It was like "the hood" but with birds:)

As the sun began to set over the Catalinas, the blackbirds flew more and more around the wetlands.

And as the sun set, their calls were drowned out by all the other birds in the area.

....And so it began.....settling down somewhere safe.  Somewhere protected. And are you ready?  Stupid newbie. Get ready.  Look what I learned today:)  Every beginner has had this issue including me....

Female Red Wing Blackbird

What you're looking at here is not a Sparrow or an Eurasian Quail but the female Red Wing Blackbird!!!  Was that a shocker!

Yellow Headed Blackbird

They too also nestled in the reeds because the ominous darkness would slowly take over the lands.

Because lurking around twilight......

.....two Harrison Hawks waited to make their kill.  At first they nonchalantly landed on the radio towers above.  But like most Harrison Hawks do, they work in unison and plan their strikes together. And so it began.....

....the hawk flew towards the wetlands and went out to make the kill.  The blackbirds flew in crazy patterns all around me......a bobcat even jutted out of the bushes and then turned around......

.....the other hawk sat waiting....

.....and eventually the sunset and the drama would end before nightfall.  Did the Harrison Hawk catch a meal before sunset?  Will the blackbirds find love?  Did the bobcat catch a duck for dinner? Like I said, it's better than any daytime drama on TV......and it won't be cancelled:)  More tomorrow.

Why Color Was Created

Ornamental Kale

 Who says your garden in Tucson has to look drab over the winter?  Here are some colorful ideas to inspire while you wait for Mother Nature to get going.    My posts have been all over the place from hiking to birding to a lot of other things.  But I have been working at El Presidio on the gardens and prepping for this spring season.  During the months of January and February, Tucson gardeners can plant some things like bareroot roses or fruit trees.  Maybe work on some cool vegetable gardening.  I usually clean up palms, trees, etc before new leaf growth.  But remember..March 15th is when you can really start thinking about your dream garden.  I would just plan right now and save your money for the big spring sales around town. For now, here are some interesting winter ideas for your Tucson garden......

Think color contrast.  I love the purple on this Ornamental Kale.  Use it in repetition and then combine it with other flowers.  Look below.....

I enjoy this design because it uses garden art in a cool way.  Your eye is drawn to the pomegranates on the leafless tree, the bench, Ornamental Kale, and the flowers in the basket.  Some excellent choices are Zinnias or even bulbs!!  But the key here is to be creative and mix color up with repetition and plant combinations. I think that is one sexy setup.

For more on the gardening journals for our Tucson landscape, head over to January 2011 where you'll find a lot of information on plants at the El Presidio Gardens. Right now several of the hot topics are fruit trees and their chill hours.   My place is slowly achieving balance but the gardens are still incomplete.  I'll have more updates as we go plus I'll be taking you to some key locations around town where I think the landscaping is dynamite!  The biggest challenge for me in the garden is the maintenance which include our old Oak trees that drop acorns, leaves and pollen around spring which should be a time for renewal.  Thankfully the homeowners come together and help clean this mess up:)  More tomorrow.....

Ghost Hunters

Recently, we went on a LONG drive to the former ghost town of Jerome.  I say former because this place shows a lot of life today and thrives on thousands of visits everyday.  It is home to people who like to ride motorcycles, artists, and people who like to sing Stevie Nick's music.  Not that there is anything wrong with that:).....but I believe that the ghosts have been chased away from this tiny little town on the hill.  BUT it still has a lot of charm.

Jerome has fantastic views, shops, and restaurants.  Parking still sucks and scares the crap out of me.  Remember to turn your wheels and put on your parking brake if you find a spot somewhere on the hill....and you will.  Just be patient:) It's also rather cool this time of year so bring a jacket:)

I love this place in the summer.  Miners made this land crumbly and a thicket of the Tree of Heaven(or Hell) grows around the tiny village.  It's really beautiful actually.

You can see the red rocks of Sedona only 27 miles away.  Honestly, I'm not a big Sedona fan and the people searching for spirits in these rocks are a bit coo coo in the cocoa puffs. Let me explain.  Before the rich came and developed this highly sought after land, there were spirits and ghosts.  But they are all but gone today.  It's nothing more than a tourist trap now and if you hate crowds, you'll hate these places.  SO....if you are a nature buff, what you really need to focus on (if you are like me) are  the trails of the mighty Mingus Mountains behind Jerome or the lovely trails of Sedona where it's a bit more difficult to walk for the regular tourist crowd.

At the Mingus Mountains in the 90's.

I know many of you reading this post actually love these places and I enjoy them for what they are.  But like anything discovered, the charm can sometimes evaporate from places like Sedona and some will argue Jerome as well.  I remember the late 80's when it actually felt like a ghost town and Sedona wasn't as built up as it is now.  In fact Oak Creek Canyon was free to all at one point, but today it sadly has to be managed due to crowds of people stomping over the grounds. Go during the weekdays.  It's less hectic and you won't have the weekend crowd from Phoenix.

Jerome still has a nice feel to it.  The buildings are still old and they've done a great job making it a place for people to want and visit. 

So why visit?  Well, I get a lot of artistic design for my garden and home from visiting places like these.  While a lot of the stuff can be overpriced, ideas are free.

King Tuzigoot joined me for a drink.

If I were in the area, I'd check out this charming B & B and her gardens.  It was one of my favorite finds. I'd stay here!  The night really calms down as all the tourists disappear.  And I think that's when this town really comes alive!

The place is called the Surgeon's House and it really had some great landscaping and garden going on.  There is a water fountain and the inside of the building is really really charming.  Expensive?  Maybe.  But if you're looking for a little R and R for yourself and spouse, lover, boyfriend, girfriend, life partner, mistress, I'd stay here:) Or if you're just looking for a quiet getaway for yourself, this looks like a great place to get lost.  Reserve ahead of time though because it looks like a popular place to stay. 

The streets are hilly.  The people are friendly. Food and drinks are aplenty, but sadly the ghosts and other spirits have moved elsewhere:)

But it's still worth the visit.

The Watcher

Gambel's Quail

 How do you know if you've passed the test for a successful bird sanctuary in your garden for Tucson?  It's not a permit by the city or by the environmental people.  The true answer lies here with the Gambel's Quail.  On my nightly walks into the Encanto neighborhoods, I heard the unmistakeable cry  from the watcher.

 He glimpsed me passing into his territory where he kept an eye out for his family below.  Here, the watcher peers over the mesquite tree.

 On the fence, his back is turned to me, but that quickly changes to a more defensive stance in the pic below.

This is one of my favorite desert birds here in Tucson.  You'll find these birds on the outskirts of town and anywhere that is a desert sanctuary in town like the Encanto neighborhood in midtown.  If you wonder whether or not you have a real wildlife sanctuary in Tucson, the true answer lies with this bird.  It is finicky about certain places and if you have them in your garden, give yourself a pat on the back.  You've just won Mother Nature's approval.

Keep your eyes open this spring for the chicks.  I know a lot about these birds because a family, one year, decided to join my rainforest collection.  If you remember my post from a long time ago on Small Patio Spaces, you'll remember that I had been renting an apartment up in the Foothills without an outdoor space.  So I created this protective area and the Quail found a way inside where they laid eggs and sat on them for a quite some time.  I had been worried that the chicks would fall to their death after they hatched so I moved my patio table and created a chute for them to scoot down.  And they did.  And they lived for several days on my small patio where I fed them chicken feed.  But one day, Father Watcher cried one last time for the birds to leave the area.  Momma took them out....all 13 of them! and left my patio for good.  It was a really sad moment for me but I actually felt good about helping this Quail family out.  Will the El Presidio gardens pass the test? Only time will tell:)

The King Of Tuzigoot

Recently, I took a trip up to Northern Arizona to Tuzigoot National Monument(Too-zie Goot), but unfortuneatly I didn't have a guide.  So I summoned the powers of the Spanish Gods to bring me the King of Tuzigoot.  The only compromise?  Provide glasses and regular human clothing to keep him "incognito" amongst the commoners.

He began with his story of his people...the Southern Sinagua.  It was a prehistoric culture that once flourished in the Verde Valley but around the early 1400's disappeared for unknown reasons.  "King Tuzigoot"  explained that it may bave been from overpopulation, disease, changes to weather patterns, and depletion of natural resources.  And with the Spanish conquistadors and their own beliefs, he said many of his people changed their spiritual ways.  He also explained to me that he was surprised that this place was still preserved hundreds of years later.

He missed the old days and tried to summon his people from on top of the hill.  These were the fields were his people worked and lived.  But a road and developing suburb stained the landscape and reminded him that his people no longer existed.  No trace left behind but these ruins.

In the winter, much of the land appeared brown and dead, but the Verde River nearby supplied fresh water and opportunities to hunt for food.  While appearing like nothing more than a moderately sized home by our standards today, this village was inhabited by around 50 people.  Eventually it doubled in the 1200's.  And again later, and this is when the people would disappear.  I explained that the same thing was happening on our Earth with the ENTIRE human race.  He simply shook his head and together we both said, "Birth control. "

One part of the land was for harvesting corn and other crops.  While on the other, trees covered another area which made great habitat for wildlife like birds and deer.

King Tuzigoot recalled his days milling corn and he smiled.

He also noticed a beautiful visitor center and an entrance fee of about 5 dollars.  I explained to him that in our culture today we "traded" this money for food, education, maintenance, etc. and that this paper would help preserve the memory of his people.

So he went to the other side of the hill and looked over the riparian section where he chanted and placed a magic spell over his former home so that it would be forever preserved for others to learn about his people and their past.

From inside his home, we sat and enjoyed a bit of shade from the intense sun.

Sadly, we had to depart as the gates to his park closed at 5 PM.  I explained that it was necessary to protect his home from vandals and those who would do harm to his lands.  He said good-bye to the tourists below, but they ignored him and went on their way.  I shook his hand and thanked him for the tour.  I drove back to Tucson with a lot to think about that evening.

For more information on Tuzigoot, click here.  Easy walk for everyone.  On the day we went, there were 50-60 year old people with their parents.  It was really touching and a great way to spend time with family.  It's kid and people with special circumstances friendly. Wheelchair accesible except for the very top of the village.