Filmed in Ajo

You will need lots of popcorn to watch this.

Another Mountain

Tomorrow, Thursday four of us are going to hike/climb to the summit of Mt Ajo.  The temp is predicted to be in the high 70's so that will be great.  Look for a follow-up story later.

USAF

Yesterday had a special moment.  Thanks to the Air Force. 
R and I were conducting one of the driving tours of the Ajo Mountain Drive.  We had just stopped at a wonderful specimen on an Organ Pipe and R was telling its story, when I heard and then saw a couple of jets loafing over the nearby mountains.

 A-10 Warthog

The pilots must have seen us because they came over for a look.  As the second one passed, I waved and they were gone.  The lesson resumed.  A few minutes later they appeared from behind the another mountain and headed straight for us, flying low and slow.  As the first plane got close the pilot banked the aircraft so that he got a good look at the group and we all got a good look at the top of the plane.  I don't know what the others did, but I gave the pilot a smile and a wave.  It was a great moment.

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

A link to an article on Organ Pipe

http://www.nps.gov/getaways/orpi/

Hunting?

Here is a Headline from a local paper.  Tell me how sporting is it to use dogs to hunt for you!!!!!!!
Jaguar spotted in Cochise County Arizona

2011, November 28 - 10:02am — desierto



Jaguar in Arizona, Nov. 2011 (©Chasin Tail Guide Service)The newest confirmed jaguar sighting in Arizona comes from a mountain lion hunter who's dogs chased and treed the animal in Cochise County Arizona south of I-10. The hunter called AZ Game and Fish immediately. The jaguar took off and was again chased and surrounded by his dogs, which the hunter was eventually able to call off after a tense confrontation in which some of the dogs were slightly injured. The hunter business, Chasin' Tail GHuide Service, released only 2 photos of the incident to the public, but says he took many more including videos of the cat running away.



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Gila "Monster"

   Yesterday was an exciting day.  While working in the VC one of the volunteers came up to me and announced, "You need to go over to the Admin office right away.  There's a Gila Monster over there!"
I hopped in the truck and went over to get R and our camera and headed to the Admin office.  Following several other volunteers, I saw it lurking along the edge of the garage. 

   The guy was about 14 inches long and beautifully spotted.  Notice the usually spots.  No two are alike.  They are omnivorous, which means that they eat almost everything; bugs, worms, small lizards.  The Gila Monster is considered poisonous, but only if he chews on his prey.  The poison is injected when the prey is biten.