AZ Nature In Focus

  I have lived in Arizona for over sixteen years and in that time I have visited the Pacific coast many times.  During my visits, I typically see many pelicans.  They are usually flying over the water in large groups or standing on the top of buildings resting.  Where I have never seen pelicans is around my home in the Arizona desert...until recently.   I have written about wintering birds that I have found at my local riparian preserve before but on a recent trip, I saw a pelican.  That feeling of seeing a new bird never gets old but seeing a pelican so out of the normal environment that I associate with pelicans made me doubt what I was seeing.  This guy was not terribly close to where I was standing and was simply much bigger than other birds as I scanned the water.  It wasn't until I zoomed in with my camera that I realized that this stately fellow was a pelican.  Even then, I will admit that I snapped off a few photos and then lo...

  For anyone who thinks that the Arizona desert doesn't experience seasons, I would like to assure you that we certainly do though not in the traditional sense.  Summers are oven-hot and if you are not in a pool it is wise to be in air conditioning.  Spring and autumn are very similar to each other with very comfortable temperatures for shorts and t-shirts.  We will hover in the upper 80's and 90's for most of spring and autumn with warm evenings.  Winter mornings call for jeans and typically a light jacket though there are times when I break out my scarf and hat.  Winter is the perfect time to visit the Phoenix area though if you want a great deal on lodging, summer is your best bet if you prefer heat to cold.   Valley of the Sun I live in the outskirts of Phoenix which is nicknamed "The Valley of the Sun".  It has this name for a very good reason.  We get plenty of sun in fact we get almost 300 days of sun on average most years. ...

First I should say that Silly Mountain isn't a description but the actual name of the park.  Silly Mountain Park to be exact in Apache Junction, Arizona .  This is a short 30 minute or so drive from where I live so it is far enough for me to disconnect with my world for a short time and spend a pleasant morning on the trail.  This small park contains several trails for hiking or a short casual meander along the bottom of the mountain.  I combined a few trails on my morning journey and probably carved out a two-mile or so walk among the cacti and scrub brush.  My goal for this outing was to recharge for the morning and clear my head.  Lucky for me I was almost the only one on the path though there were several cars in the rather huge lot at the bottom of the hill.  As I climbed, I became more and more relaxed as the car traffic sounds died away and were replaced by the sound of my footfall on the path and the birds setting about their morning dipping a...