Grandkids Soccer-Double Header Style!

On Saturday I watched and cheered on my grandchildren, Piano Man and Desert Princess play in their doubleheader soccer game. While they ran up and down the field and defended their goal, little Baby Iris looked on with a mixture of curiosity, however with with some detachment as she played with grandpa's cap and keys and spent time in her mom's arms.

La Fiesta del los Vaqueros-The Tucson Rodeo

Tucson's Rodeo has a rich history, going all the way back to its conception in 1925. This was a time when Tucson was just a small frontier town, just a short time removed from the days of the Pony Express and the whistling of the first intercontinental railroad.

Back at the beginning, as today, a parade was used to kick off the rodeo. Early on there were just a few events, such as steer wrestling, steer tying, calf roping and saddle bronc riding. It is often been said that the sport of rodeo is the only American sport that is tied to a specific occupation, that being a cowboy. Now, that is something to think about!

Cell Phone Numbers Go Public This Month!

As a public service announcement, this is a reminder that all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies this month and that each of us can expect to receive calls from telemarketers in the near future. Not only are most of these calls unwanted, but billing for these calls will also be our responsibility.

To prevent this, one can call 888-382-1222. This call on your part will take about 20seconds and will place your cell phone number on a National Do Not Call list that will block all telemarketer calls for a period of 5 years

Wet Winter Energizes Seven Falls!

Seven Falls lies in NE Tucson and is a prized wonder in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. Over the past five or six years, the falls has withered to a trickle due to recent drought conditions. This month, with above average precipitation and snow melt, the falls is now at full splendor. With this vision in mind, I set out this afternoon to visit the falls, but was slowed by the heavy stream flow and the need to ford the stream in a number of places. In the pictures, you can see how the trail begins as a paved road, than a major path that than narrows to a footpath. Along the way, I spotted one lady putting plastic bags around her shoes to wade through the water. How ingenious I thought, as I went forward with my shoes tied around my neck! Perhaps next time!

Rainwater Harvesting in Arizona!

One of the interesting things that I noticed on a recent visit to the Tanque Guest Ranch was a basic system of "rainwater harvesting" for a herb garden, which is used to produce herbs for the local restaurant on site. Looking closely, you will see 1/4" tubing running from the barrel to the plants. In addition to the garden, I also took some pictures of a few old relics from our frontier days.

Rainwater from what I know is exceedingly clean and of course the saving of water is just good public policy. With time, we will all need to do more to conserve our water, especially in a state like Arizona, where we have so much outside irrigation. There is every reason to make a community effort to utilize the water from interior use for outside irrigation. This would include water from our showers, bathroom sinks and even our washing machines.

Spring has arrived in Arizona and Flowers are Blooming!

The weather has just been wonderful in the Tucson area these past three days. So nice, that I took a little trip over the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch in East Tucson. There I saw some of my horse friends as well as some beautiful flowers in bloom. Couldn't help but to think of the contrast we enjoy with the rest of the country at this time of the year. The pictures above, certainly tell the story.

Welcome to Roy D. Drachman-Aqua Caliente Regional Park!

Just Northeast of the city limits, lies the Roy D. Drachman-Aqua Caliente Regional Park. This park of 101 acres is named for the perennial warm water spring of 87 degrees that supports many California fan palms. It is truly an oasis in the middle of the Sonoran desert, and the spring has served as an attraction for over a century. The ponds are fed by spring water and support diverse wildlife and fish populations. The park is the home to many butterflies and birds, including the great blue heron, vermilion flycatcher, snowy egrets and ring necked ducks. On any given day, one might see tilapia, blue gill, bass, and grass carp as well as several different species of turtles. In short, the Aqua Caliente Park provides a dramatic setting that is rare in a desert setting

Predacious Beaded Lizards of the Southwest and Mexico!

No two lizard species have spawned as much folklore, wonder and myth as the Gila Monster of the Southwest and the Beaded lizard of southern Mexico and Guatemala. These are the only two venomous lizards in the world today and also the only lizards that are beaded. The Gila monster is the smaller of the two and has a lighter appearance with beads of orange and pink in appearance. Like the beaded lizard it spends more than 90 per cent of its time underground, and has a diet based on small birds and reptile eggs. Both lizards have the ability to climb, but are rather sluggish in their movement. Today, both species are protected under the laws of the countries mentioned. Most promising is the fact that the venom of these reptiles contain enzymes that hold promise for the treating of type 2 diabetes.

Super Set Tennis for the 21st Century!

Later today, I will be having my go at a tennis tournament called "Super Set for the 21st Century at the Randolph Tennis Center here in Tucson. This is my first tournament in awhile, so I am a little anxious, but like they say, “I’m staying in the game.” The way "Super Set" works is that one plays three single matches, one set per match, and if you win, you advance, with non-elimination for all. In other words, all participants play at least three times, which makes it alot of fun.

Actually, the Randolph Tennis Center is the largest tennis facility in the Southwest consisting of 25 lighted courts, having its start way back in 1961 with ten courts. Prior to that time, the property was a driving range and was peppered with little white dimpled balls.

Just last year, the center was renamed in honor of Jim Reffkin, who was the first tennis professional hired by the City of Tucson and who later became the Director of the center, a position he still holds today. Over the years Jim has been instrumental in bringing National Tournaments to Tucson and in promoting positive changes in our game such as the "Adult Super Set." To say the least, the center has enjoyed a colorful history and will proudly continue to be the heartbeat of tennis here in Tucson and the Southwest for many years to come.

What is QuickStart Tennis?

Did you know that tennis is the fastest growing sport in America? If you were surprised, so was I. The reason for this growth is because of a new program called QuickStart, which is sponsored and supported by the United States Tennis Association throughout the United States. QuickStart is the new way that kids ages 5-10 learn the game of tennis. The new format changes the court size from 78 to 36 feet, reduces the net height down to 2 feet-nine inches, shortens racquets by 5-6 inches and substitutes foam balls for tennis balls. All these changes help kids to easily achieve success while learning and loving the game of tennis, even if they have never picked up a racquet before. In the photos, you'll see some of the activities and skill games that the children are involved in as they move through the QuickStart Program. There is also a video supplied by WLOX News in Mississippi that provides more background information on QuickStart. The ultimate goal of the program is to having kids when they come home from tennis to be saying, "I WANT TO PLAY TOMORROW!"