USAF

Yesterday R and I conducted a Ajo Mountain Drive tour, one of the last ones.  With dwindling numbers of visitors and volunteers the program are tapering off too.  I hate this.  It's much more fun when it's busy, when things are happening.  It is really too bad because the desert is coming alive right now.  People come here in the winter because of the sun and warm ( warmer than where they are from) weather.  But to the desert, it is winter too. 
     Now is the time that the plants are growing, the cacti are blooming, the birds have returned and are nesting, the reptiles are out and about.  Now is when you see change every day.  The daytime temps are in the 80's but it still cools down to the 50's at night so jackets or sweaters are needed.  Sleeping with the window open is just right.
     But I digress. 
     Yesterday, on our tour, we were outside of the van and were standing at a very large specimen of a  Organ Pipe.  When I noticed the low-flying jets.  The Barry Goldwater Bombing and Missile Range is not far from here so it is not unusual to see military craft.  This area of Arizona is in a commercial no-fly zone so the jets have room to play.

Almost floating over the nearby mountains were two A-10 Warthogs coming toward us.  As the second ship came over us I waved to it as he flew by and disappeared over the next ridge.  The teaching lesson resumed when the two planes reappeared and the number one plane headed straight for us at a low level.  Just as he got near he banked his craft so that we had a great look at him and he had one of us.  I don't know how many people waved, I was too busy saying hello myself.  All teaching