Refugio visitors...
"What do you like about Tucson?" Lindsay asked. My immediate response was: the Catalina Mountains, the uniqueness of the Saguaro cacti and the multitude of other Sonoran Desert fauna and inhabitants, the clear blue sky, the pure night sky and its many stars, the sunrises and the moon-rises behind the Catalinas, and of course the sunsets which last a half hour and spreads it's palette of colors across the sky. Pastels, filmy as can be, or bright neon orange/red/purple against the cornflower blue sky. They are just breathtaking!The variety of bird songs and calls is captivating as well. This morning as I was re-installing my drip system for my patio plants I heard the most beautiful song up in the tree...There it was---my wanna-be-friend, the Northern male Cardinal. They have 28 different songs, but this time he was singing to my Hapa songs. I guess he likes Hawaiian music too!
This is such a pretty time of year here. There are pops of little color all around, and trees wearing their flowerful canopy or bright yellow! And of course the tall Ocotillos are vying for attention. Here are a couple pictures taken down Rancho Vistoso Blvd on the way to Honey Bee Ridge where we live.
The Ocotillos, with their waving arms and orange-red toppers can get to be two stories tall.And then there are the huge hot pink flowers on these cacti on the median of the Blvd as well. And Jon Skaug has some in his front yard going on their 2nd round of flowers. Though they only last one day, they are show-stoppers! 
We have had a couple of Javelina herds and a trio of coyotes all in the same morning. They came to put on a show for Mike and Kathy Miles who were here to visit us and the Spring Training baseball games. Sure enough, while we were in the office in front of my window I noticed a trio of coyotes -- Wiley?? I think so. And I think it was Wylette, and their teenager Willie. I have never seen more than two here, so that's my big excitement out here in the desert! A half hour later there came a family of javelinas with their wee ones. They were followed just a bit afterward by a small herd of javelinas. They were all just passing through, not stopping to much on our prickly pear and other cacti and agaves. Whew -- just providing entertainment (as Laurell says!) for me and our guests. It's too bad they don't "perform" for all our other guests who so earnestly want to catch a glimpse of them. Well, they'll just have to come back!!
