A Culinary Tour of Arivaca

Today we did varied our plans. This morning we power walked 4 miles out north of our campsite in the brisk cool desert air. I forgot to take a photo of this because we were walking so fast but I did manage to shoot this of my office scene in the RV

My home office

After breakfast we decided to tour Arivaca. First stop was Gadsden Coffee company west of downtown. The owner roasts his own coffee which is surprisingly good.

Sraddha had a second cup of coffee for the day from their Indo-African roast and I had a double mocha made with Mexican chocolate which was qute tasty. We spent over 2 hours there visiting with locals, using their wifi too.

Wow a second cuppa coffee

Nearby was Sweet Peas restaurant and RV park. Hmm. We sat out in back enjoying fresh curried vegetable soup and fresh greens salad. Most of the ingredients we locally sourced. The RV park was empty but we made note for future visits that they did have ability to dump waste.

We met some other locals at the post office who were returning from a little bike trip out in the desert. Apparently lots of open roads to bike. We noticed this too out in the refuge although haven't biked due to winds and doing other things.

Off to the Mercantile to check gas prices (about 20% higher than Tucson as expected), food stocks (not much we would buy, except for emergencies),

Then walked by the La Gitana Cantina, alledgely the longest running Cantina or tavern in Arizona.

Great stop for locals in search of cool beverages of alcoholic nature, which we were not but the dancing girl atop the cantina caught my eye. She turns around in the wind. Research told me that Esquire magazine rated this one of the best 100 bars in USA. Certainly had character but I am not a frequenter of bars so don't really know.
Next door is Virginia's open air Mexican-American food truck. She features daily specials. We had already eaten so didn't imbibe today but tomorrow she will feature Chile Rellenos, one of our favorite dishes so we might have to try it out in the morning when visiting the Saturday farmer's market.

After I finish this in the library, we will head back out to the Arivaca Cienega for a little late afternoon birdwatching and then our campfire. We collected the wood earlier in the week but winds prevented us from doing this.

Tomorrow we will depart to find a new place to explore.

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Arivaca Cienega

Anticipating high winds today, we ventured out early this morning to walk around one of the better birding places in area just west of beautiful downtown Arivaca.

Looking west through Arivaca to the Bobquivari Mountains from the Cienega

Anticipating we would see some little birds, I decided to try out the big 200-400mm zoom lens and camera. S had returned from Oregon with it's strap and assembled on the lens which weighs 8 pounds (11 with camera). I was excited to head out in search of prey to shoot (with my camera of course). I shot most of these at 560mm fully zoomed in with 1.4 extender enabled. Most were 1/1000 or more, ISO 1000 or so. F5.6.

Note: that these photos were all jpg's processed on my iPad so they aren't as rich as usual. Check my flickr page for some better ones.

As we began our walk we spotted a couple Kestrals high up in the cottonwood tree, their backs to us. As we cautiously approached they looked around, the finally the male Kestral darted over to the female and before I could raise up the camera to shoot, the mating season was over. He flew off to have drink wiht his mates no doubt, while she put her herself back together and adjusted her makeup before flying off in search of a nest.

{Photo of kestral to go here.}

Further along the path we heard the melodious sounds of a Bewick's Wren. He darted all around us, eventually landing in a high snag where I finally shot him singing merrily away. S remarked with wonder as to how so much joy and beautiful song could be sustainably emanating from such a little tiny creature tinier than a housefinch.

Bewick's Wren singing in a high branch

My mistake was not taking the monopod because, upon viewing some of the photos, I immediately saw they were not as sharp as I could have liked. As we strolled, ever so slowly, around the trails of this refuge, we saw at least 15 different species.

Bewick's Wren singing in a high branch

Song Sparrow

Photographing little birds is difficult. They hide in the thickets and behind trees. ID through binoculars easier but catching them in open to photograph takes patience. I was hunting a green tailed Towhee for 20 minutes and finally spotted him out in open (see shot below) where is flitted for a bout 4 seconds. Just enough time to raise up the camera and photograph into the darkened woods.

Song Sparrow

Green Tailed Towhee in thicket

We saw Red Tail hawks, Cooper's Hawk, Grey Hawk. We saw several little birds in thickets.
Even a pair of Coyotes hunting the tall grass for breakfast. We happened onto this pair out in the tall grass. Heard them yipping and digging and scurrying around. They didn't see us at first but when I popped off 4 shots in quick succession, the noise made by the high speed camera clicking alerted them we were present and they bounded off. This shot below was the only decent one I got and then some tall grass blurred its face a little.

Coyotes hunting in tall grass

We saw these really cool butterflies, too. Can't you tell I don't know butterfly names? They fly fast and dart around in the Willow trees so it is hard to catch them. Finally one landed to feast all alone on the willows seeds and I was able to get a decent shot.

Cool looking Butterfly

A fun 2 hour walk. next time I bring my Monopod.

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New Paintings!

Betcha didn't know I could be an artist let alone a painter did ya!

Our Campsite at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge

I have discovered a new technique that cannot fail. Just take some good photos. they don't have to be great, just good. Add them to your iPad, then open in either Waterlogue or Brushstroke app. ($3 each).

Wildflowers on the open plains

Three Pots at Tohono Chul

I have lots of time these days while waiting around for that late afternoon sunsets here in the desert, so I began playing around with these apps using stuff in my camera roll. Only one photo was with my iPhone, rest were with a bigger camera. Here they are. Let me know what you think?

Arch in Alabama Hills. Mount Whitney in background

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Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge

Imagine packing your home in 30 minutes, driving 90 minutes, parking, unpacking and being in a place that has no people and is totally quiet?

Well, here we are in a wide open spaces of the wild, Wild West.  About 12 miles north of the Mexico border with only the birds, butterflies, border patrol and occasional illiegal drug runner nearby.  This place gets busier in other seasons,  like hunting season and holidays.

Entering on the north end from Tucson, we found an introductory kiosk with information about the refuge and a primitive map of campsite locations.   Campsites are identifiable spaces with campfire rings but no toilets or tables like you would find in a National Forest.  This is pure boondocking at its best.  We are self contained and set up for this so we hunted around and easily found a campsite, actually the first one we came to on the first dirt road on which we turned.  Hmm.  Might there be better ones further up the road?  Maybe, but no one else is here, we are 1/4 mile off the main drag, so to speak. (Main drag is a relative term, in this case meaning the blacktop highway that occasionally has a motor vehicle passing by once every hour or so).  My philosophy here is "a bird in the hand".  

This location offers 360 vistas, is elevated a little,  flat, wide open, so we pulled in, adjusted the direction and put down the levelers and slide outs.  What a view out the window.  Nothing to hook up today.  Full tanks of propane and fresh water, full fridge of yummy food, empty waste tanks so we are good to stay here for 5-7 days.  Elevation is 3700 ft (1000 ft higher than Tucson) so cooler.  Temps in the 70's and 40's rather than 80's and 50's this time of year.

While I set up the interior and putzed with things, Sraddha went in search of fire wood and found a bunch of leftovers nearby campsites.  Easy peasey, although we chose not to have a campfire last night due to the late time of day and we were pooped.  Had spent the morning at Desert museum while waiting for a package from Amazon to arrive then packing up.

This morning, we set up the solar panel to replenish the house batteries and now we are heading out to scope out the visitors center, then over to Arivaca to find wifi, then Tubac to meet Steve and Vicki for late lunch.  

The benefits of the wide open spaces but nearby to fun things.  How great is this.  

Bonus.  It is so so quiet here.  Our place in Tucson was great, however, set against the din of city traffic, and trains.  There is a marked difference.  We have our cell phones turned off and limited internet connection which is fine as we just sit outside meditating on the natural surroundings and enjoying the view. 

Today the weather changed a little with winds coming up.