Wednesday, November 27, 2002
SKP Saguaro Co-op, Benson, AZ Oct 30-Nov 27
Now we're back at the co-op getting re-acquainted with people plus making new friends in the area where we hope to have a lot some day. The place is as lovely & appealing as ever, and our name has dropped from 212 to 108 on the waiting list since we put it on two years ago. Typically people in the 40-60 range get lots that become available, so it won't be too much longer!
We have gotten back into the routine of twice-weekly bridge games and other activities at the clubhouse. We have driven up to Tucson to visit Doug's dad almost weekly, and have visited the nearby San Pedro River National Riparian Area, managed by the BLM, to do some birdwatching. Cochise County has the second highest diversity of mammals in the world (#1 is the rain forest of Costa Rica). It is amazing that so much thrives in such a desert-like environment. The many nearby mountainous areas certainly add to the diversity.We also visited Saguaro NP East: Rincon Mtn District one afternoon. We had time to view the excellent orientation film at the visitor's center, take the scenic 8-mile driving loop, plus do a 2-mile hike through the cactus forest. Formerly a Natl Mon, it became a Natl Park in 1994. The city of Tucson has stretched out to meet both the Eastern and Western portions of the park, and it is an ongoing struggle to maintain the quality of the park. The hike gave us a close-up view of many types of cactus, especially the giant Saguaro in all stages of its life, from just a few years old to tumbled down & rotting.
While we have done some birding at all the places we have visited, we have not as yet seen any new species. It is nice to visit some of the areas and get re-acquainted with old "bird friends".We are enjoying the AZ weather -- warm days & pretty cool nights. At 3500 ft, this is not one of the warmer places for wintering. The days get up into the high 70s, so it's plenty warm then! The cats enjoy sleeping in the sun puddles and have occasionally been out on leashes.
# posted by Doug and Willie @ 7:17 PM 
