St. Philips Plaza Market

Corona de Tucson

October 7, 2022 

The historic St. Philip's Plaza is a Tucson landmark...well known for the beauty of its Spanish-style cobblestone patios complete with fountains, rose gardens, and towering eucalyptus trees.  In addition to boutique shopping, galleries and restaurants, there is an open-air market every Saturday and Sunday year round.  The summer market is small and doesn't get much attention due to the hot temperatures.   The winter market (10:00-3:00 every Saturday and Sunday), however, has over 100 canopies filled with tables celebrating "everything Tucson"...potters, painters, photographers, silversmiths, metal art works, woodcrafters, rock, mineral and gemstones collectors, jewelry, plants, and clothing.  We are always looking for "westernie" things to use in our home and the market offers lots of choices. 

Last year, we met Scott Carlson, a local potter, at the market when we purchased a utensil caddy and spoon rest from him for the kitchen counter.  The launch for the winter market was this past Saturday and his was the first canopy we looked for.  

Scott had an all new collection with all my favorite colors and amazing textures.  We bought a couple of mugs to add to the collection and a vase we couldn't walk away from.  

Randy had never been to the plaza and Randy had never had a Sonoran Dog...oh boy, oh boy...you know what that means !  He picked us up and we all enjoyed the beautiful morning, laughs, and perusing the plaza.  Afterwards, we were off to BKs.  I'm pretty sure he liked the dog...

 Monday morning, Joe and I both had appointments at the dermatologists...Joe goes every 3 months and I am on a 6 month schedule.  Joe faired much better this visit with only 3 biopsies (and my fingers are crossed they are all negative) and to my surprise, I had 1.  We were done with our appointments around 9:15 and it was off to breakfast at Baja Cafe.  Once again, we were too late for their famous liege waffles.  So Joe settled for pancakes and I really splurged with a cinnamon roll French toast.

One of those pieces was boxed up and went home with us...

Both (pancakes and French toast) are served with two eggs cooked to order, your choice of bacon or sausage and hash browns.  We waddled to the jeep !

Back at the oasis, Tuesday was a windy/rainy/stormy day as Orlene made its way north from Mexico and brought much needed rain.  

I have had fun trying to photograph hummingbirds this week.  It seems the sun is never right to capture their shimmer...I only get a glimpse and then they are off.  It is definitely a challenge to get a decent hummingbird photo in focus...shimmer or no shimmer. 

Just look at those tiny little feet.  Did you know that hummingbirds come from an order of birds called "Apodiformes"?  The term comes from a Latin word meaning footless.  They do have legs and feet, it is just that their feet don't stand out as a visual feature of their anatomy.  Because they are such excellent fliers, they don't need to walk and hop like many other birds. They have four toes on their short, knee-less legs. Their toes are quite lengthy compared to their legs and are used for perching, scratching themselves, fighting and building nests. 

Hummingbirds are remarkable in many ways, and one of them is that they have exceptional eyesight.  They can even see colors undetectable by the human eye...

A good look-out perch is important to hummingbirds.  They also perch in safe and secure places at night.  At night they enter into a state called torpor...an inactive state in which their heart rate and breathing rate are reduced to conserve energy.  They may even find themselves upside down...their legs and feet are sufficient to allow them to stay upside down clinging without falling.

On many of our morning walks, we see a male Vermillion Flycatcher.  His brilliant orange-red color is easy to spot.  This week, this stocky, generally solitary little fellow appeared on our fence during coffee.  I was so excited as it was so unexpected.  Flycatchers feed on insects...often catching them in midair by quick flights called sallies.  

We offer a nice variety of seeds, nuts and suet...

...but the insects are scarce.  He was only there a couple of minutes or so before he flew to the bush on the other side of the fence.

 

On one of our walks this week, we rounded a curve on the cart path and there stood a huge mama javelina in the middle of the path.  We stood still...she stood still...and then she figured that perhaps we were not a threat.  She had three babies enjoying their breakfast on a large prickly pear plant a few feet away.  We could barely see the tops of their heads as she walked toward them.  I don't carry the big camera when we walk and was so surprised by the encounter (I always walk in front) that I couldn't get my phone out of my pocket to get a decent photo on the path.  She had moved on when I finally got a not so good picture.

The pups are all well.  Sally and Dover had rabies and yearly shots this week. 

 

   

And Jack held down the oasis while they were gone.

The days fly by...and another week is already in the memory bank.       

So, until next time...

HAPPY TRAILS !

A Cooper's Hawk

Corona de Tucson

September 30, 2022

It's just been one of those weeks.  Our only outing was to the doctor for our annual medicare check-up.  It's always nice to get that checked off the list.  It's September and that means a flu shot for each of us and this year we both had a pneumonia shot.  I have never had any ill effects from a flu shot (which I have taken for so many years I can't remember), but this year we got a senior shot...it has an extra dose. It must be new for Medicare because I don't ever remember any one telling me that I was getting a senior shot before...and yes, both Joe and I passed the cognitive test that goes along with the exam.  Anyway, you probably guessed, both our arms swelled at the shot site and were warm to the touch and both of us had headaches that night and the following day.  Maybe it was having taken both shots at the same time...we don't know, but next time I will choose not to do that.  

Sally also had an outing...spa day with Cynthia.  She loves spa day!  What a cutie she is!  A good haircut and bath always lifts her spirit...and adds an extra skip in her step.     

Last Friday as Joe and I were enjoying our coffee on the patio, we had a visitor.  Back in July 2021, a bird that looked exactly like the one that visited on Friday was pictured in the blog.  I didn't make an ID, but guessed it might be a Sharp-Shinned Hawk.  That was incorrect.  We spent more time searching this week and finally found a photo that was a match. 

This handsome bird is an immature Cooper's hawk.  One of the things that threw me off on the first search was the eyes.  Cooper's Hawks are described as having red eyes, yellow legs and feet, and about the size of a crow.  

These raptors typically fly at cruising speeds of 30 to 40 miles per hour.  Hawks are named for their hunting style: they perch on trees or poles and wait for prey to pass by before swooping down in a short arc (at speeds over 60 miles per hour) and grabbing it with their talons. This technique is called "hawking". It often takes less than 10 seconds from the time it first spots its prey until it captures it.  Cooper's Hawks are the third smallest hawk in North America with an average wingspan about 3 feet.

Cooper's Hawks are the only bird of prey that live in all the 48 contiguous states. They are usually seen perching on telephone poles while hunting for small rodents, squirrels, and gophers.  They are monogamous...sharing food with their partner as well as sharing responsibilities of incubating eggs and feeding nestlings cooperatively.  They will only seek a new mate if one of them dies.  

These incredibly fast birds are diurnal creatures.  They hunt for food in daylight hours and use the heat of the sun to help them see more clearly and identify possible food sources more easily.  It was such a treat to have a Cooper's Hawk visit again.  He returned the next two days and we haven't seen him again. 

I was happy to see the Flicker again this week. 

And the Cactus Wrens continue their shenanigans.  This week they added tossing the rocks out of the cactus planter to their list of activities.  Silly birds...I planted the cactus and placed it there for them to use as a perch.  That hasn't happened yet.

The Lesser Goldfinch frequent the yard and we see them often at the bird bath.  But we never have more than two at a time at the thistle feeder...patience I guess.  

We have enjoyed several rain showers this week.  One afternoon the thunder and lightening was very close and loud and our electricity went out.  

I love sitting on the patio and watching the storm clouds.

The rains held off long enough to get home...

We only got in a couple of walks this week.  One thing the doctor suggested was for me to carry a backpack with waters (8 pounds) for strength training  (Joe and I haven't been to a gym or lifted weights in over a year.) to help prevent bone loss.  I have known that for many years and it is one reason I walk, and I also know that just walking is not enough.  Trying to be/stay healthy isn't easy ! 

Jack continues to enjoy early morning naps in the sun.

Dover is always close.

And Sally regularly keeps dibs on the backyard.

It's October already.  The early morning temps have dropped a few degrees and I saw some high 50s forecast for the lows at the end of the week.  Maybe next week will be a little more exciting...maybe not !  Life is good and If I could still do cart wheels I would !  

Until next time...

HAPPY TRAILS !