After touring both sides, I realized how much Saguaro Cacti are like people! They start out small and as they grow some have better figures than others and some are really big dudes!
As they get older, two come together and then a new one starts -- sometimes twins!
Some have really big families, father's have to talk to son's, and some of the kids break their arms!
Grandmothers are always around to cuddle and watch over everyone and eventually they are laid to rest.
Then there are all of the weird relatives, like grouchy old Uncle George and his wife Betty who thinks she is a Kayan Lahwi from Myanmar. Their three daughters are also strange -- one runs around all day singing "Y-M-C-A," another thinks she is a Disney Mouseketeer, and the youngest likes to wears feather hats!
Their son Vinny wants to be a dancer with Cirque du Soleil, son Willy is a klutz that is always playing with matches, and little Joey still has a Beatles haircut!.
Then, of course, there are all the weird cousins! At some dividing point the Saguaros try to separate themselves from the walking dead Chollas that are always trying to scare you to death! Of course, the live ones don't look much better and they always try to jump on you when you get close!
Some of the cousins are in a sticky business and like to play dead, when in fact they are just sleeping on the job, and others like to get directly to the point! Their favorite song is "You can look, but you better not touch!"
There are numerous other cousins and distant relatives in the area; but after having a prickly encounter with one of them, I decided to call it a day and enjoy the sunset!
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is located adjacent to Saguaro National Park West and is a "must-see" attraction when visiting Tucson! People come from all over the world to "experience one of the world's most unique ecosystems and explore the lushest desert on Earth." There are over 56,000 plants on display in 16 individual gardens, 230 animals with three animal demonstrations, a walk-through hummingbird aviary, and my favorite, the Raptor Free Flight program. We were fortunate to have one of the most knowledgeable docents and his wife give give us an outstanding personal tour of the facility that will long be remembered! Thanks Fred and Mary!
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| Chihuahua Raven |
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| Great Horned Owl |
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| Prairie Falcon |
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| Ferruginous Hawk |
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| Mexican Gray Wolf |
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| Mountain Lion |
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| Costa's Hummingbird |
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| Anna's Hummingbird |
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| Costa's Huminbird |
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