Winter Canyon Memory

Atascosa Peak with a healthy dusting of snow.

En route to Sycamore Canyon near the US-Mexico border.

January 29, 2013.

Entrance to a snowy Sycamore Canyon.

The snow lingered long in the early shadows of the canyon walls ...

... but faded quickly under the midday sun.

The little ones played in the sunshine.

Desert Bighorn Sheep

Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) in a canyon north of Tucson.

Close-up of a juvenile from several hundred feet below.

The ram observes the observers.

Pull Tab Beer Can

Budweiser pull tab can. Discontinued in the late 1970s.

Esoterizona Stones 3

Obsidian (Greenlee County)

 Outside of a geode found embedded in an ancient lava flow (Cochise County)

Inside

Cherry Canyon

Entrance to a watery canyon east of Tucson

Cattails (Typho latfolia) in the desert

Golden walls

Sun-drenched exit

Mine and Yours

Mine Exploration near Silverbell, AZ.

Former copper and silver mine that was active from the late 1800s until around 1950.

Music by: Subject to Change

Boom

Choices

Picacho Petroglyphs

Petroglyph site in the Picacho Mountains

Boulder panel

Panel detail

Horned animal

Another panel - one of many

A circle in the belly is thought to indicate pregnancy

A horned deity?

Fluorescent Hunting

Certain minerals react with unexpected colors when exposed to various wavelengths of ultraviolet light. A lead and tungsten mine abandoned in the late 1940s.

Esoterizona Stones 2

Chalcedony with malachite and chrysocolla (Pima County)

Dendrite (Pima County)

Wulfenite (Pima County)

Border Patrol Chopper Stop

BP helicopter re-supply on Ruby Road near the US-Mexico border.

Desert Tortoise

Young desert tortoise mowing some greens. (Gopherus morafkai)

Arizona Giant Centipede

Arizona giant centipede (Scolopendra heros)

Esoterizona Stones 1

Fire Agate (Pinal County)

Malachite (Pima County)

Azurite with malachite (Pima County)

Fern Garden

Hanging fern gardens in a deep desert canyon near Tucson.

Sibley Mansion

A once-lavish residence on the outskirts of an abandoned mining district.
Produced as an assignment for an archaeology course.

Canyon Cliff House

House Guests

Built by a young cowboy during the early 20th century in a remote mountain range west of Tucson, this cliff house still stands as a testament to the ingenuity and tenacity of the early settlers in this region. Sturdy walls of native stone, arched doorways, round windows with real glass, and once-upon-a-time running water are just a few of the features that, along with the stunning beauty of the natural surroundings, make this old house one of the desert's amazing hidden treasures.