The Saguaro

The saguaro cactus has been called the monarch of the Sonoran Desert. In its old age, it is has majesty and personality, with odd, somewhat human shapes ~ shapes that inspire all kinds of imaginings, especially in such a harsh climate.











The Sonoran Desert is a surprisingly lush region, full of life: cacti, animals, birds, trees and shrubs. Still, it is one of the hottest and driest places in North America. During most years, less than 30 cm of rain falls here annually. Summer temperatures often exceed 40 degrees. It is not unusual for several months to go by without a drop of precipitation. Temperatures during winter nights often reach freezing.


Life for a saguaro is difficult. It begins with a seed no bigger than a pinhead. One saguaro cactus can produce tens of thousands of seeds every year; as many as 40 million in its lifetime, which could be 200 years.



Out of the millions of seeds produced, only a few survive to adulthood. In most cases, young saguaros have the best chance for survival if they grow under or near other trees, shaded from intense sunlight, blanketed from the winter cold, and hidden from rodents, birds and humans.

Saguaros grow slowly, and mostly in spurts during the summer rainy season. After one year, a seedling may measure only 5 mm. After 15 years it may be 25 or 30 cm. At about 30 years saguaros begin to flower and produce fruit. At 50 years the saguaro can be 2 metres tall, and after 75 years it might begin to produce its first branches, or arms. These branches begin as balls, then extend out and upward.




At 100 years of age the saguaro could be 8 to 10 metres tall. The grandest sizes are reached after 150 years when they tower over most other things in the desert, at a stately 15 metres. Give or take.













Woodpeckers and flickers drill nest holes in the trunks or branches. Sometimes they make and reject several cavities in one season before settling in one to raise their family. This  provides holes for other birds and honeybees, unable to drill holes in the cactus. Insulated, the holes are up to 10 degrees Celsius cooler in summer than the outside.


























Saguaros die naturally of old age. They also die of other causes. Animals eat the seeds and seedlings. Lightning and wind kill large saguaros, and droughts weaken and kill all ages. Humans have been a problem for the saguaro too. Livestock grazing, widespread for one hundred years beginning in the 1880s, devastated some cactus forests. Poaching has been an issue with the theft of saguaros for use in landscaping the yards and driveways of the wealthy.

All photos by Jim Murray. 
Copyright 2013.

Sunrise over Saguaro National Park

It is cold at night in the desert and when we awoke before dawn on December 30 we saw heavy frost on the car's windscreen and a air temperature of minus two Celsius.

We were not alone as we walked along one of the trails of the Saguaro National Park. Others were walking, some jogging and still others on horseback.





The air was still and cold. To the north and north-west the mountains reflected the first rays of the sun. We were still in the shadow of the Rincon Mountains to the east; the sun not yet above the peaks.









The colours were beautiful, but we were waiting for the sun to warm our faces and hands, and thoughts. When it came, the sun bathed us in its light, and smiles came to all present.

Photos by Jim Murray.
Copyright 2013.

Raging Sage Coffee in Tucson

It took time and effort but we found a great little coffee shop here in Tucson. It's not an easy thing to do, as this city is designed around the automobile; there is little action in the downtown and few people walk, so finding a good coffee here relies on Google and trial and error.

Raging Sage is located along busy Campbell Avenue, not too far from the university. It has an inviting atmosphere, with inside and outside seating (under some orange trees no less). 

Raging Sage features its own small batch roastings, and it shows in the taste and quality of the coffee. The baristas know how to make a proper macchiato and their go-to preference is to put the coffee in a proper mug or cup, not in a paper cup.

Opened in 1998, the coffee shop is a family owned and operated business. The staff is friendly, helpful and so are the customers; there is a sense of community at Raging Sage and we overheard conversations about politics, religion and the environment. I'm guessing football comes up in discussion, but not this day. Absent too are phones and big screens. We've been here twice and will be back again.






Photos by Jim Murray.
Copyright 2013.

No weapons allowed...

Arizona has some of the most "liberal" firearms laws in the entire Excited States:

• No permit is required to purchase a weapon.
• There are no restrictions or prohibitions on assault weapons.
• No magazine capacity restrictions are in place.
• Proof of ownership of a gun is not required.

• In Arizona, any person over age 21 may legally carry a concealed firearm or deadly weapon without a permit. As well, the same such person may openly carry a firearm or deadly weapon, as in a holster on the hip, or stuffed into the front of his or her jeans I suppose.

Of course not all Arizona citizens agree with the gun laws, or the lack of gun laws in their state, and there are probably many people who never take their handguns out of the car's glove compartment, or from the dresser beside the bed. Still others probably don't even have guns.

A law has been passed in Arizona allowing people to display a "no weapons allowed" sign at the entrance to their business or institution. This will alert those with guns to perhaps find another restaurant, a different church, or maybe a new coffee shop. In fact, we have seen few of these signs, and what does that tell us I wonder.

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2013.

Serenity Guest House in Tucson

Our home in Tucson is the Serenity Guest House. It is a small, comfortable bungalow near the Saguaro National Park; in fact, it is only minutes to the Park's entrance.






Most roads in this area are unpaved and subject to washouts during rains. The neighbourhood itself is known as The Notch, because a property of one square mile was notched out the north-west corner of Saguaro National Park. Most lots within The Notch are four or more acres in size (1.5 ha or more). It is a somewhat secluded, and because of the absence of street lights, amazingly dark at night.



We've seen a bobcat near the house, some coyotes and many birds, including hummingbirds. So far no sightings of snakes or javelinas (a collared peccary), though they are here. Somewhere.

Two Welsh Corgi pups live in the big house nearby, along with their owners, and our hosts, Claudia and Ken. They are all well socialised and love people as much as they love digging and chewing. That last bit might refer more to the dogs than to Claudia and Ken.




It's a wonderful sanctuary, close to town but away from the traffic and noise of the city. The sky is truly brilliant and the sound of the desert is a wonderful constant. I could get used to this place.

Photos by Jim Murray.
Copyright 2013.