The Adams Family Road Race

It's the morning of the Adams Family Road Race. From all across the United States the Adams Family has gathered. Kathie flew in on Saturday, July 5 in the morning. That evening it was back to Bradley International Airport to pick up Alex as he flew in from Ft. Lewis in Washington State. Alex has just returned from a 15 month tour of duty with the army in Iraq. It will be the first time some of the family has seen him in 4 years. For his mother, Kathie, it was her first time seeing her son since he arrived home. Renee, Alex's older sister arrived on Tuesday night, and Gus arrived around 10:00 a.m. today.

Stephen, the middle brother and founder of the race has been here since last month. The Adams Family Road Race was his idea over 11 years ago as a way to keep his aging siblings, including himself, in shape. Stephen first conceived of a web page to chronicle the Adams Family Road Race. From his efforts with that first page TriFind.Com was born. Largely self taught, Stephen created the American Triathlon Calendar out of frustration when he went searching for triathlons to compete in as training for the Adams Family Road Race and couldn't find any to sign up for. He could only find race results. TriFind.com has now grown to be the largest Triathlon Calendar on the Internet. Stephen is very competitive and he wanted to beat all of his siblings in the race. A look at the statistic will reveal the year he lost 20 lbs and did just that. Kathie suffers from no such delusions and is quite happy to even finish the 2.8 mile run.

The Road race has become such a family tradition that our old high school cross country coaches have even attended and help keep time. Mr. Lander and Mr. Long were both teachers and track coaches from Bacon Academy in Colchester. Now retired, they may show up once again tonight to time the race and watch their former students and athletes run (or walk as the case may be). When the race is finished the family and friends will gather at Stephen and Donna's new cabin for hotdogs and hamburgers grilled over a firepit. Race Results will be posted here and on the Adams Family Road Race web page.

Gus will be the photographer of the event, and Janice Adams, the matriarch of the family will watch her gaggle of children, grandchildren and great-grand-children as they race around the lake and sprint panting for the finish line.

On a personal note I must acknowledge how proud we all are of my Mother who raised the five of us by herself after my father abandoned her with 5 kids back in the 60's. My oldest brother was 10 and my youngest was only 2. My mom didn't even know how to drive a car, but she learned, went to college to become a teacher, got a job and got off welfare. She taught first grade in the Lebanon Elementary School System for 25 years until she retired. You're the best, Mom!

Hello From Connecticut!

I was greeted by gray skies and humidity when the plane landed on Saturday. I saw my first birds before we even got home--3 Canadian geese on someone's front lawn in Glastonbury and a great blue heron that flew over Rt. 2 on our way to Colchester. My son, Alex, who is just home from Iraq and on leave flew in Saturday night. He's the most important bird I have seen so far. What a sight for Mom's eyes to see his smiling face as he walked down the hallway in Bradley International Airport. You can bet I hugged the stuffing out of him after his 15 months in Iraq.

On Sunday we drove out to Lake Hayward where my brother, Stephen just bought a cottage. Every year for the past 12 years our family has gotten together to run the Adams Family Road Race. All 5 of us siblings ran cross county in high school and it was my brother Stephen's great idea to get us all together once a year to run the old cross country course. Of the 5 of us, he is the middle child and currently the fasted. I'm second oldest and the slowest, but I plug on anyways, determined to be included. My skinny little sister can run circles around me, and I am very proud of her. However, all bets are on Alex to win the race this year. He ran with Stephen on Sunday night and that kid can run like the wind!

At Stephen's new cottage I saw a rose-breasted grosbeak and 6 tufted titmice. A ruby-throated hummingbird politely appeared at my sister's hummingbird feeder just so I could see it! I counted birds sitting eating my breakfast outside my Mother's house this morning, and then I walked the Airline Trail off Old Hartford Road while my sister ran. I heard more birds than I saw but it was a pleasant walk anyway, and I photographed some wildflowers to boot. However, the moths were as thick as fleas and most of the oak trees were denuded from the tent caterpillars before their metamorphosis.

This evening I took yet another walk about the streets in town. I found myself being observed as much as I was out to observe the birds. I walked behind a nearby restaurant where there is a wooded area along the edge of the parking lot in my search for birds. As I stopped to photograph a squirrel lying along the branch of a tree I happened to look up at the building behind me. It was actually a 2 story house and a man was leaning out the second story window watching me watch the birds! I jumped back, startled and apologetic. I didn't know there was a house there and I was technically standing in his back yard. He didn't seem to mind, though, and cautioned me to watch my step as I cut though to yet another parking lot down a small embankment.

From here I walked through the town office and police station parking lot. The manicured lawns are surrounded by tree where I often seen birds. Tonight the robins are out in force and before the night was over I would count 28 of them. I guess the people of this town must not get too many birders passing through because I got such stares and even questions about what I was doing. One gal asked me what I was taking pictures of and if it was my hobby. A child asked if I was a photographer. A man sitting on his porch drinking a glass of red wine asked what kind of birds I was looking for. Another man wanted to know if I was lost and needed help! (I really think he wanted to know what I was up to. As soon as I told him I was trying to identify a bird in the thicket he lost interest!)

My route took me past the schools I went to when I was growing up. So many memories fought with my desire to spot and count birds. A pair of Killdeer ran across the parking lot of a new school that has been built in the field that formally held our highschool race track when I attended here. So many changes, but the old skating pond is still there on Halls Hill Rd. Only tonight it is ice free and full of lily pads with a Canadian goose family on the shore. As twilight starts to descend I look out over the water trying to find a few last birds. The geese walk towards me, begging for food I assume. When I offer none, the mother goose starts to hiss and snake her head at me. I stand my ground. Is she concerned for her goslings safety, or is she just mad that I didn't feed them? Finally she and the rest of her brood walk away and continue to graze on the tender shoots of grass that grow around the pond edges.

As I continue down Halls Hill rd I come to the corner of Pleasant Street where I will turn towards home. Suddenly I spot something flying rapidly above my head. There are six of them and I am trying to decide if they are birds or bats. Their flight is swift, their bodies dark and chunky and their wings pointed and boomerang like. They remind me of the Vaux swift I have seen in Arizona and I realize that I am seeing the Chimney swifts of the east coast--lifers for me! So, my evening ended in triumph as I head back to my mother's house which was once my grandparents home. Like all family homes, it is chock full of memories, along with the accumulated stuff of 70 years of life.

Just a note: I have read everyone's comments and I thank you all for your well wishes. I will come and visit you when I can. As you can see, I can get into my blog, but I don't know if I will be able to post photos until I return. Rest assured, the camera is snapping away, and Gus was finally able to get rid of the dust spot from the lens, so all photos from here on out should be free from distraction!

The Birth of a Blog

( Rock Wren photo by Gus Jan 5, 2008)

A year ago on July 3rd, in the midst of chaos, Sycamore Canyon was born. I was in Connecticut at the time visiting my family. My mom had invited my brothers and sister and all resulting children and grandchildren over to the house for a good-bye celebration. Amidst the jumble of babies and bodies my youngest brother, Chris and his partner, T accompanied me to my mother’s room where her computer stood in a dark corner between her dresser and her bed. A dim yellow light cast a warm glow on the slanted ceiling that cramped the space even more. Chris and T had been telling me for months that I needed to start a Blog. Now T sat at the computer, logged onto Blogger, and started the process. I stood behind him, dazed and confused.

(Costa's Hummingbird photo by Gus Jan 3, 2008)

We named the Blog Sycamore Canyon, but when we tried to get that name as our URL it was already taken. In the rush of everyone wanting to leave and me in my ignorance and under pressure of time, I chose coronadetucson, figuring no one would have that URL. I was right and Sycamore Canyon was born. The info was emailed to my home email address, Chris and T left with the rest of the family, and the next morning I drove to the airport at 4 a.m. and was home to Tucson by 10. It was the morning of the 4th of July.

(Male Lesser Goldfinch by Gus, January 3, 2008 Nikon D80)

It took until July 27 for me to get brave enough to get online and try to figure the whole thing out. I was a babe in the waters, not knowing anything about how a blog works. T had said he couldn’t wait until he saw a long blog roll in my side bar. I didn’t know what he was talking about. I stumbled and fumbled my way through, reading Blogger Help articles and clicking on this and that, always fearful that I would do permanent damage to something and I wouldn’t know how to fix it.

(Gilded Flicker phot0 by Kathie May 2007 Nikon D80 70-300mm lens)

My early attempts at blogging were mostly the written word. I love to write and I only knew I wanted to write about birds, nature and wildlife and my experiences of living here in Sycamore Canyon. Then I learned how to add pictures. I remember the first day someone commented in on my blog, and the first day someone other than a family member or friend did. I was ecstatic and I think I cried with joy. Now, a year later, I know how to upload photos, format and, just 2 days ago, I finally figured out how to create a scheduled post! Woo Hoo!

(Burrowing owl photo by Kathie February 5, 2008 Nikon D80 70-300mm lens)

Today I’m leaving on a jet plane for CT and Maine. While there I hope to be able to get on my mother’s new computer, which is still in a dark corner of her bedroom, and post to my Blog from there. However, if you don’t hear from me within the next 2 weeks, I’ll have lots of stories to tell when I return.

(Roadrunner photo by Gus, January 20, 2008 Nikon D80 70-300mm lens)

The blogging baby is growing up! I might be considered a blogging teenager now!

(Sycamore Canyon photo by Kathie March 18, 2008 Nikon D80 70-300mm lens)

If you want to read my very first post, which tells how we came to Sycamore Canyon click on the Introduction.

(Cactus Wren Photo by Kathie March 18, 2008, Nikon D80 70-300mm Lens)

Skywatch Friday: The Monsoon in Arizona

(Photo taken 7-1-2008 by Kathie with the Nikon D80: see shooting data below)

A Monsoon is described a seasonal shift in the wind. Here in Arizona, it is when the prevailing winds shift from the west, northwest to the south, south east. On these winds the tropical moisture from the Gulfs of Mexico and California ride bringing us daily thunderstorms and humidity. Until this year the Monson was always marked by three consecutive days of a dew point of 54 degrees or higher. However, this year the National Weather Service has decided on a more fixed measurement. For the first time ever the official Monsoon starts on June 15 and ends on September 30th. Any rain that falls during that time period will be attributed to Monsoon rain.

For us, it really doesn’t change anything. The monsoon starts and ends when it wants to, and the rain falls where it will. During the Monsoon we have the most exciting skies of the year as thunderstorms roll in and curtains of rain fall. A Monsoon sunset is spectacular and never the same twice. This week’s Skywatch photo was taken Tuesday night, July 1 during one of those storms.

To see More Skywatch Friday photos just visit our host, Old Wom Tigly at Wigger's World.

To see my other Skywatch post visit my art and Poetry blog: Kathie’s Poet Tree.

To see Gus’ Skywatch Friday post visit Gusto!

Shooting data:

Nikon D802008/07/01 19:32:01.3

JPEG (8-bit)
NormalImage Size: Large (3872 x 2592)

ColorLens: VR 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 G

Focal Length: 78mm

Digital Vari-Program: Landscape

Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern

1/125 sec - F/6.3Exposure

Comp.: 0 EV

The Clock is Ticking

The clock is ticking to Save the Scenic Santa Ritas. Imagine this area as a clock.

To the North, where the 12 would be is the town of Vail, Az.

One o’clock you have Cienega Creek Preserve.

Two o’clock: Davidson Canyon

Three o’clock: Andrada Ranch and The Hilton Ranch Road Community

Four o’clock: Las Cienegas National Conservation Area

Five O’clock: Sonoita

Six o’clock: Greaterville Road and Box Canyon

Seven o’clock: Madera Canyon

Eight o’clock: Florida Work Center and Florida Wash

Nine o’clock: The Santa Rita Experimental Range

Ten o’clock: Sahuarita

Eleven o’clock: Corona de Tucson and Sycamore Canyon

Then, dead in the middle of all this beauty and wildlife, right where the hands of the clock would be, is Rosemont Junction where the Rosemont Mine wants to open.
Please tell me why this makes sense to anyone?

In 2004 there was a Proposal to Preserve The Santa Rita Rosemont Ranch area put before the Pima County Government. Click on the link to read the history of Rosemont Ranch, the proposal and to see a map and photos of the area. Question: How did we let this opportunity slip away?

A Damp Night in the Desert: the Rat Saga Continues

It is 75 degrees and moist this morning when I step out the back door onto the patio. A shelf of clouds obscures the morning sunrise, a remnant of yesterday’s afternoon thundershower. It is only 6 a.m. and I decide to take a walk and clear my head from the events that transpired late last night. But the story really started on Sunday Morning and yesterday’s rain only exacerbated the problem.

Late in the afternoon on Tuesday another thunderstorm rolled in from the southeast. It started with the rush of wind like a train sandblasting the house. The rain soon followed in a downpour that turned the road into a river. Lightning flashed and thunder cracked as water poured out the downspouts of the roof the covers the patio. The water drained into the corners where the drainpipes caught it and carried it away. The birds in my backyard often take refuge from the storms here and I saw this little goldfinch hiding in this piece of driftwood upended against the block wall behind the mesquite tree. I’m sure it didn’t care to know that this piece of driftwood came from Wilson Pond near Moosehead Lake in Maine. He only cared that he had found a refuge from the storm.

As evening fell and the storm tapered off the sun set behind a bank of storm clouds. It became a golden orb sinking into a sea of watermelon and blue. Soon the dark night settled upon us and just before bedtime, around 10 p.m., I decided to turn the patio lights on and water my plants and fill the saucer with water for the birds who would arrive early in the morning before I awoke. I wandered beneath a star studded sky enjoying the damp desert night. The scent of creosote bush, so prominent after the rains, wafted in the cool night air. As I drew near the corner where the sitting wall and the stone wall meet, to fill the saucer I use as a bird bath and waterer, I was surprised by the sudden stench that assaulted my nostrils. My first thought was that there couldn’t be that many bird dropping to raise such a stink. Then another whiff permeated my brain and I knew what I was smelling.

It was the smell of decay. I didn’t want to believe what I my brain was telling me was true. Here in the corner where I am attempting to fill the bird bath and water my Lily of the Nile plant is also the corner where the drain is: the drain that leads to the drain pipe the rat was living in. We disposed of the rat on Sunday and thought our trial was over, but now I knew what I dreaded was true, she must have had a nest inside and the stench of dead rat offspring is rising with a vengeance!

I dropped the hose and hurried inside to find Gus, who was busy empting the weekly trash. When he was finished with that task he came outside and we pondered how to solve this newest problem. With the help of a hose, a flashlight and a shovel, we spent the next hour or so in the dark under the star studded skies of the desert flushing a rat’s nest from the drain pipe in our patio. Eventually all the debris floated from the end of the pipe. I could not bear to see it, so I manned the hose while Gus used the shovel to get the dirty stinking water to drain away from the house. We even dumped a box of baking soda down the hole to freshen it up. It was after 11 when we finally came inside. This morning the only sign that we had done anything last night is the newly dug trench that leads from the exit hole towards the decorative drainage block in the block wall that encompasses our yard.

The birds, of course, are oblivious to all of this. On the north side of the house where the water drains out the feeders are full of birds. The juvenile quail have almost attained adult plumage as they clamber on the walls and fences vying for the best feeding spots.

Out the back door the house finches alight on the block wall contemplating which feeder to attack fist. Their bedraggled feathers suggest a wet night or a molting process, I’m not sure which.

In the corner the mesquite tree is sprouting new growth. The new lime green leaves stand out like neon from the dark and dull older foliage. On the tips of some branches I can still see the damage down by the blister beetle invasion of 2 weeks ago. Soon the evidence of that day will be gone. The mesquite is flourishing once again.

As for the Arizona wildfires, I can see the smoke from a new fire burning in Saguaro National Park from my house. Started by lightening over the weekend, it is called the Chimenea Fire and it has only burned about 92 acres, much less than the larger Distillery Fire that scorched almost 8,000. For more information on the fires, click on the highlighted links.

As for my back yard, it is now officially rodent and odor free and I am enjoying my newly blossomed Lily of the Nile.

Photographer's Note: All of today's photography is by Kathie taken with the Nikon D80 within the last 24 hours. The 18-70 mm lens was used for the scenery and sunset shots and the 70-300mm lens was used for the birds, tree, and flowers. I used various settings from the Landscape button to Sports mode. Most photos have been sharpened but the sunset and sunrise are unaltered. Bird photos have been automatically enhanced on the computer. The quail shot was taken through shutters and a rain and dust covered window this morning. The goldfinch in the driftwood has been cropped and enlarged.

Art in the Yard

Javalina: Acylic on Sandstone by Garnet Myers

Saturday Morning was hot, but we still had errands to do. On our way into town I asked Gus to stop by the Rincon Valley Farmer's Market as we have not been in quite awhile. The Farmer's market was abuzz with activity. People were milling about and negotiating prices left and right. There was produce for sale and information from the Forest service about eradicating buffle grass as well as preventing wildland fires. While I was conversing with the agents from the Forest service Gus wandered off by himself. When I found his later he was stopped at an artist's booth looking at art work to hang on the walls under the covered patio. The artist is Garnet Myers. Gus liked his work so we bought a couple of pieces and brought them home to hang in the backyard under the covered patio. Have a look!

Collared Lizard by Garnet Myers

Come set a spell!

Gambel's Quail by Garnet Myers