· Twilight Stages: This pre-sunrise light is divided into stages—civil, nautical, and astronomical—with civil twilight providing enough light for activity.
Another person summed it up this
way:
So, the reason you can see light in your sky before you see the Sun is
that the Earth is round, and the Sun can shine light above you into your sky
from beyond the horizon before you can see it. Okay, I get it now.
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Over the years, I’ve
been curious about the history of Picacho. The most I could ever find was information
about the 1862 Civil War battle at Picacho Peak. That’s all a good piece of history but I’ve
been looking for something about the town of Picacho…the where, what and why of
it.
A man posted a
picture of Picacho Peak on the Facebook page “I Grew Up In Arizona” and it popped
up on my news feed. I read some of the comments and on Feb. 16, I messaged him,
explaining who I was and about my curiosity about Picacho. Haven’t thought much
about it, then yesterday he sent me a message: There was a very thriving community at one time all the
way into the 90’s, then the railroad bought all the land on the right side of
the interstate over to the tracks! There were many businesses that were vibrant.
Picacho Restaurant & Motel, two gas stations, a store, several bars, motels. I grew up on Picacho Blvd just up from the KOA.
Many of my friends still live there. My mother and aunt worked at Picacho Restaurant
for many years from the 60’s into the eighties. I’ll send you some info and
pictures later this evening! I wrote back, thanking him for
responding, etc. I haven’t received any pictures or more info but considering
how long it took to respond to my first message, I’m not holding my breath on
that one.
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Went to Sabino Canyon Rec Area in Tucson for a walkabout. Low clouds
were hanging over the tops of the Catalina Mountains today; it was quite
dramatic. Overall, the day was cloudy and cool with a slight breeze… sweatshirt
weather. That is, until we started hiking on Esperero Trail, which is up a
small mountain/big hill…maybe considered a foothill in the Catalina Mountains. Sun
peeked out once in a while, but it was the climb that had me sweating. Map says
we gained 350 ft elevation over the .7-mile hike, but it sure felt like more. Trail
intersected with Rattlesnake Trail, then it was mostly downhill. Out on the
main road, there were a couple more up and down sections on the way back to the
visitor center that made my legs and lungs question what they did to deserve
this kind of workout. Hiked/walked over 3 miles on uneven terrain.
Of course, going uphill afforded some great views of canyons and the surrounding
mountains, so the hike had its good points, too. It wasn’t all sweat and sore
muscles.
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Sabina Canyon is a popular
place. Lots of people out enjoying nature today. One spot that’s a must see for
me is the biggest crested saguaro (Cristate) that I’ve ever encountered to see how
much it’s grown. I compared this year’s picture to last year’s and I can’t
really tell how it’s changed. Last year it was sunny, which created shadows and
today it was cloudy…no shadows.
Saguaro cacti usually bloom during May and early June, producing white
flowers with yellow centers. Well, it’s not May yet, but today I found blossoms
at the top of a cactus. While most were not open yet, there was one that was
flowered already, with another being close. Wonder why it’s early.
Trivia: Saguaro flowers bloom for less than 24 hours. They open
at night and remain open through the next day. They only have that very short
time to attract an animal to be pollinated.
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Went to Arizona
Pizza Company for a late lunch consisting of a calzone and a sandwich. This was
also our supper, thanks to the generous portions and a take-out box.
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Zipped right on
by the exits for the campground because there was a guitar in Casa Grande that
was of interest to Kim. Inexpensive as far as guitars go, but it has a nice
sound.
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The sky is clear,
so Kim is putting his plan into action for determining what part of the imaging
chain is responsible for the shadowy area on his last two images. I saw it on
the Soul Nebula but not the Heart Nebula. He thinks he saw it on both. Tonight,
he’s targeting the Monkey Nebula for a half hour or so, then is going to flip
the camera upside down and target it again for the same amount of time. If the
shadow appears on both sets of images, then he knows it’s the camera. If it only
shows on one, then it might be time to very carefully take apart the telescope to
make sure all relevant parts get cleaned. Sounds a bit dicey to me, but he’s
done it before.
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