Why would sailors move to Arizona? There are rattlesnakes, gila monsters, scorpions galore, kissing bugs, not to mention javelinas, bears, and even mountain lions. Birds, of the snow and flying variety, flock here in the winter, clogging the arteries.

 

If you live in Arizona you need to shake out your shoes before putting them on (scorpions love dark places) and you take care putting your hand under carpets, stacks of towels, and in drawers.

One of our neighbors was bitten by a rattle snake last spring.

We hope we have convinced you this is not a good place to move, or even visit. But if you love the sea, there are some attractions. We’ll start with the first photo on the previous page which is the view out the office windows. You can typically see the horizon, just like being at sea.

The weather is varied, and can be violent at times. You can go from snow capped mountains (the photo above was taken last week from our deck) to luxurious sunshine in a day (the latter being the norm). During the summer monsoon a cold tickle of air warns to get the spinnaker down or the patio furniture secured because a squall is imminent.

Sailors and sailplanes go hand in hand. Of the civilized locations to soar on this planet, it can be argued that Tucson has the best year-round conditions.

There is a wonderful soaring club just 45 minutes from our domicile.

And for those of you who think sailing is a buzz on an poor day in the air you can get a greater thrill than on the best day afloat. On a good day soaring the high is beyond description. If you are into chasing records Tucson offers an early start to the record setting season, which typically lasts from early May until the monsoons start in July, when you move to Nevada. Although nobody has (yet) done a 1000km flight from here it will happen (the current motor glider distance to a goal record is 729 km and the longest flight about 900km).

Once you have thermaled with a gaggle of hawks, ravens, or buzzards, you will be hooked forever on soaring in this part of the world. You can be flying the highest performance ship with perfect skill and these raptors will out climb you like you’re anchored to a tree.

The Sonoran desert is rich in flora and fauna. The former are of low density so you have a better chance of seeing the latter.

The plants require protection, so you walk with care. In the spring cacti are covered in blooms, and if there has been a little rain, the desert comes alive with wildflowers.

Water is a precious commodity – it rains about seven inches (175mm) on average, half in the winter and half during the summer monsoon.

This is our friend Bob, with whom we share territory. He occasionally comes by for a drink.

Pancho hangs out at the neighbor’s (he is a cotamundi and somewhat shy).

Southern Arizona is the bird watching capital of North America. There are a wide variety of species throughout the year. At the end of this blog we’ll drop in a series of photos.

When we take early morning and late afternoon walks our feathered friends are relaxing on top of their territorial perches.

Our favorite visitors are the raptors, of which there are a variety. Above and below are Harris Hawks, that hunt as a family unit, under direction of Mom.

We not only love to fly with raptors, but to watch them hunt.

Sandhill cranes and snow geese hang out here in the winter too.

These photos were taken a few days ago, in poor light, during the middle of the day, an hour-and-a half from the office. The dry lake “playas” have a bit of water during wet winters, and these migratory snow birds chill between trips to local fields to chow down.

The view to the east from the office with a full moon, shot with a Canon 500mm F4 telephoto.

The high desert is a tough environment, so stay safe and stay away. In the meantime, we’re a little more than two months from being back at sea aboard Wind Horse .

Post script: the original version of this blog did not include the photos of the rattler, gila monster, or scorpion. We took so much heat from our neighbors, who accused us of painting an unrealistically bright image of this poor state, that we added a dose of reality.