We decided not to walk down the road for our steps today but to go hiking instead. However, we had two things to do before we left...put ‘bait’ out at the trail cam and do a daytime reconnaissance on the spot that Ryan recommended for scorpion hunting.
We put a small amount of ground beef on the game trail hoping the smell would bring in an animal or two. Brought the computer with us so we could check last night’s happenings. A bird...we saw video of a bird flying past the camera. Not what we were hoping for but pleased that the camera works.
After checking the camera we followed Ryan’s directions to the scorpion hangout as best we could remember. Kim got a few more pointers from him tonight when they talked. Now all we need is consistently warm weather and we should be able to find us some scorpions.
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Yesterday Kim saw that the water pumps for the irrigation canals have meters; today he said that he hopes the pumps start running again before we leave so he can see how much water pours out of the pipes. When we got out to find a geocache at the corner of Picacho Hwy and Curtis Rd., we heard a nearby pump running. Kim walked over to look at the meter: 1300 gals/minute. Wow! No idea where the water was being pumped, though. No pipes or canals in the immediate vicinity. Kim said that he has questions if he ever gets to talk to someone in a white truck that checks on the canals and pumps. I gave him my questions to ask also: 1. What is the source of the water? and 2. Why is it so warm and clear?
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Nothing makes this girl think that a body has fallen on the top of the truck like the tonneau cover being blown up into to the back of the cab by the wind. What a heart stopping noise that was! Made a quick stop to latch the cover so we don’t have that happen again...for today at least.
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Drove into Tucson to Sabino Canyon to walk/hike. We’d been there last year with Bill and Mary Trupiano and since it was a bit cool/windy to be on the bikes a hike in Sabino Canyon seemed like a good alternative. A bike ride wasn’t out of the question but a hike in the canyon took precedence.
Cacti report: Saw two crested barrel cacti on our hike today...maybe within a ½ mile of the visitor’s center. Not as distinct as the saguaro crest but certainly not a normal looking barrel cactus, either. Also saw a saguaro with what looked like long-stemmed brussel sprouts on the top of it...some blossoms waiting to pop open.
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Both Kim and I were wearing colorful tie-dyed shirts today and more than once hummingbirds flitted at and around us. Perhaps they thought we were just large walking flowers. 😎
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In the past two weeks I’ve seen two fake saguaro cacti along Sunrise Dr. in Tucson. Today was the third time driving past them...first time I thought they were fake, the second time I was sure they were fake and today there was no doubt they were fake. And we saw two more at an intersection on our return trip. That makes 4 total that I’ve seen.
We got a good look at all four today. While they do look real...in fact, one of them has fake woodpecker holes and that’s what made me unsure the first time I saw it...they are a little too perfect and they look alike. I’m no expert but I’ve never seen twin saguaros. I’m not saying that it never happens, just that I’ve never seen it.
I googled “poles in Tucson that look like saguaro cactus” and apparently camouflaging poles has become a thing. Palm trees, pine trees, cacti and even a cross serve as disguises for cell towers. My search eventually led me to a blog post by Diane AZ dated May 2009. Here is an excerpt of her post plus one of her pictures:
I followed progress on this cell tower camouflage on Sunrise Drive for about a month. Now the structure looks more like part of the Sonoran Desert landscape.
After observing construction on one stealth cell tower, I noticed a couple more phony saguaros nearby, complete with simulated woodpecker nest holes.
Granted, the fake cacti do look slightly different from authentic saguaros. But I think the artificial ones succeed in making the cell towers look less obtrusive.
Photo credit: Diane AZ...sabinocanyonblog@blogspot.com
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We were done hiking in Sabino Canyon in time for me to consider a bike ride. It was breezy all day but nothing extraordinary....actually felt good when walking along the river. The digital highway sign on I-10 read “High Wind Advisory...25-35 mph with gusts up to 45 mph”. So maybe not a bike ride today. Then a gust hit the truck which lurched us to the right. Definitely not a bike ride today.
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