Sabino Canyon

January 26, 2024 to January 27, 2024

Well, last month I said I was planning to take some time off from the blog down here in Tucson, so it’s not quite too late to make good on that. Let’s just blitz through the last two days, OK?

Yesterday

Rachael wakes up this morning realizing that her 45 mile bike ride yesterday might not have been the ideal way to nurse her infected tooth and decides that she needs the day off the bike. That still leaves open the possibility of a relaxing 12 mile hike, but I talk her into taking her bike back in to Fair Wheel instead so they can look into why it’s skipping gears just a few days after they tuned it up for our upcoming nine month tour of Europe. She bikes it over there first thing, and returns on foot an hour later with the report that they apologetically agreed that they missed a few things - small things, like it needs a new rear cluster and brake cables. Luckily they have the right cluster in stock and agree to hop right on it and get the bike back to her by the end of the day, charging her only for the parts.

I wait around until she returns so I can hear her news, and then leave for an out and back to Del Rio, the ride I had planned on yesterday but ran out of time for. I completed it this time, but don’t have a great deal to say about it - just a nice 42 mile ride on a very pleasant day.

A nice view of Mount Lemmon from Coachline Road.

Today

Last night I settled on the plan of taking a ride to Sabino Canyon today, thinking I’d get some nice riding in the Catalina foothills on the way there and back. And, of course, there’s the hope that I might pick up a last bird or two before we leave town Wednesday. Last winter I walked through the park and came away with a western bluebird, a gnatcatcher, and a solitaire.

In the middle of the night though I wake up realizing I’ll really have a better time if I drive out there and walk instead. I share this thought with Rachael this morning and she perks up at the thought that she can come along too and walk somewhere more interesting than around the neighborhood.

Were out there fairly early, maybe around nine thirty. We’re planning to see a film later in the afternoon, so we want to get our walk in while there’s time to get back for it. When we arrive I start out with a walk through the short nature trail while Rachael checks out the visitor center for walking ideas.

I’m enjoying the cacti and desert plants when suddenly I see a deer sprinting lickety-split through the cacti like a halfback in a broken field. There’s just time for me to whip the camera out for a few shots before she’s gone; and a few seconds later I hear Rachael calling my name. She’s just arrived on the scene and is undoubtedly what triggered the doe to run for it.

Our favorite crested saguaro, which of course we’ve seen several times here already.

With her work done here, Rachael soon speeds off on her way to the nine miler she’ll end up with. I take my time on the nature trail and then strike off rather aimlessly, with no specific plan other than to keep an eye and ear out for the birds. It’s a bird bust though. I see exactly two ravens, one red-tailed hawk, and one little grey bird that could easily have been a gnatcatcher. Unfortunately, the same instant that it flew nearby a chatty party of four walked up the trail and scared it off.

Great walk though, as was Rachael’s - as you’ll see below from her slideshow.

The real highlight of the day though, and the thing we’re most likely to remember from the day, was the film: American Fiction. We had plans to see it with Susan when she was here but unfortunately scrapped them when I got sick. It’s really a wonderful film, and the first we’ve attended in some time that earned a round of applause from the audience while the credits rolled. It’s nominated for the Oscar for best picture, best actor and best supporting actor, and I hope it wins all three. Go see it.