In early February Sherry and I spent a week in the Tucson area. She was involved in one of the many gem and jewelry shows that go on in Tucson in February, while I checked out the local golf courses. When my arms got too tired to swing the golf club another day I grabbed the camera and checked out the surroundings. Most of the pictures were taken at Saguaro National Park, which is in the mountains both east and west of Tucson. On the way there I also visited Mission St. Xavier which is on an Indian reservation south of Tucson. Here's what I saw.
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Mission St. Xavier, built in 1783.
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Inside the mission church.
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It also has a very colorful cemetery next door.
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... and a guard standing watch.
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A roadrunner, the ubiquitous bird of the southwest. The ones that hang out at the golf courses are practically domesticated. They'll walk right up to you looking for a hand-out. |
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With roadrunners so plentiful, could Wiley C. be far behind?
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Another desert predator.
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This pig-like character is called a javalina. They roam wild in the hills. Fully grown, as this one appeared to be, they tip the scales at around 75 lbs.
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A saguaro cactus. Their normal life span is 150 years, and they usually don't begin to grow arms until the 75th year.
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More desert fauna.
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More desert fauna.
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More desert fauna.
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More desert fauna.
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More desert fauna. |
