good-times-rollin

Sunday, January 15, 2023

Patagonia Lake State Park

Corona de Tucson

January 15, 2023

Friday morning we packed a picnic and headed south on Scenic Highway 83 towards Patagonia.

Our destination...Patagonia Lake State Park... is about 50 miles from home and has been on the "lets go there" list for awhile (even before we bought a home here).

Patagonia Lake was created by the damming of Sonoita Creek back in the 1960s when a group of locals had hopes for water-related recreational opportunities. Boating, water skiing, camping, fishing, swimming and picnicking along with a mild climate and the scenic qualities of the Sonoita Creek made their efforts an instant success. So much so, the group quickly realized that they didn't have the capital to meet the demand for the increasing numbers of users or to provide for health and safety requirements. After working through lengthy and complex negotiatios for several years, the State Parks Board acquired Patagonia Lake and officially opened Patagonia Lake State Park in April, 1975.

Patagonia Lake is in the heart of Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve. which is home to one of Arizona's permanently flowing streams, endangered fish, butterflies and birds and rare Fremont cottonwood trees.

We enjoyed a leisurely walk along Sonoita Creek on the birding trail.

It was well after mid-morning so we didn't see many birds...a few hummingbirds, verdin, and cardinals.

The footbridge over the inlet near the Visitor's Center was built in 1974. Picnic tables and benches on the other side offer a quiet spot to enjoy lunch, the Coots, the warm sunshine and everything blue and gold.

Saturday morning had us headed in the opposite direction...north to Tucson. We had plans to meet Jamie and Andra at The Lost Barrio Historic Warehouse District. I always enjoy meandering thru Gather and the other stores located there.

And it is always fun hanging out with the kiddos !

We can count on Gather having unique things...lots of things. And the staging of those things is what makes it so much fun to peruse. I walk thru twice and could probably walk a third and fourth time and still not see everything.

For lunch we headed to Historic Fourth Ave. BOCA Tacos y Tequila has been on the "lets try this" list since I read about Chef Maria Mazon last year. She was a semi-finalist in the 2020 and 2022 James Beard Awards...America's most coveted and comprehensive honors for chefs. Its definitely a fun and yummy stop for lunch. Chef Mazon creates new, fresh salsas daily with ingredients she grows behind the restaurant. She says there are no rules when it comes to salsas and I definitely recommend the chips and salsa flight with the guacamole duo. Both the guacamole choices were yummy, but the flight of salsas included five varieties ranging from slightly hot to hot. The flight changes daily...we enjoyed a banana salsa and my favorite had dijon mustard and I don't remember what the other three were. The chips are always fried to order and served warm in a brown paper sack. It's not only yummy, its just a fun !

For lunch I had a Mole De Pollo taco on a flour tortilla...chicken tossed in a traditional mole poblano sauce topped with sesame seeds... and a side order of rajas...fire roasted corn, anaheim and poblano chilis in a cheese and cream sauce served on a white cutting board just like I have in my cabinet.

There are a lot of choices on the menu so I know we will go back. The outdoor patio is a great option and it is doggie friendly. Afterwards we strolled down Fourth Ave, perused a few shops, and had a DQ blizzard for desert.

Back at the oasis...it was just a really nice week. The sun was shinning and the temps were very pleasant.

The girls are so nosey.

The birds are so busy.

My Christmas Cactus finally has a few blooms.

Smiles come easy.

The afternoon glow is magical. From this...

to this in a matter of minutes.

And my little buddy is still keeping a close watch on HIS feeder.

So, until next time,

Another Tucson mural...this one located on Park Ave near The Lost Barrio.

An early morning drive to the dentist for me.

HAPPY TRAILS !

Saturday, January 7, 2023

Back at the Oasis...

Corona de Tucson

January 7, 2023

Our new year/week started off with a couple of rainy days. The birds didn't seem to mind and neither did we. We can always find something to do...or not. Joe has been busy in the garage rearranging, organizing, building shelves, cleaning and filling the trailer with Good Will items. I managed to stay busy inside by dusting all the window blinds, scooting around on the floor wiping/dusting all the base boards, making a pot of homemade beef/vegetable soup and cornbread muffins, baking a spinach quiche, painting the inside trim around the patio door, and watching the birds. All the regulars were busy at the feeders and to my surprise, we had a few birds in the yard we haven't seen in awhile. Quite a few Gambles...

a pair of Curved-bill Thrashers...

and a beautiful Desert Cardinal. We don't know where they have all been, but it was great to have them visit.

The highlight though, was an immature Black-chinned Hummingbird.

These cute little birds are widespread and found from deserts to mountain forests.

He put a smile on my face as he flew from the yard chair, to the feeder, to a plant on a shelf under the patio and back to the yard chair.

I read that female Black-chinned hummingbirds are larger than the males and that young birds were larger than their parents.

And did you know that they extend their tongues thru a nearly closed bill at a rate of 13-17 licks per second?

The female lays 2 eggs (about the size of a coffee bean) in a compact nest with a deep cup made from plant down, spider silk and cocoon fibers. The nest we found last year had some foam from a chair cushion. As the babies grow, the nest stretches into a wider, shallower cup...amazing !