Thursday, March 28, 2024
March. I spent a day survey with Brent northeast of Tucson. A 12.5 hour day. Looked at one previously identified site and that the most interesting thing. Lots of wildflowers, so that was nice to see.
Walking along US 70, north of Mount Graham.
In mid-March I took Matt to India Twist for his birthday supper. Afterward he got a store-bought cake (I know, bad).
Matt, 47.
I put out some decorations for an Egg Day Party.
Mother made me the knitted ducks and chicken.
I made a cake and cookies.
Chocolate and raspberry cake.
A small group showed up to dye eggs, eat sandwiches and potato salad, and hang out.
Eggs.
Mark, Matt, and J.P.
Ruby had a nice time. John played Ball with her for a long time.
Sunday, March 10, 2024
I asked Matt to go to Catalina State Park. Unusual, I am not the best hiker. We did three miles and I almost fell down once.
Catalina State Park.
Snowball is getting elderly. Losing weight, breathing harder, wanting to eat mostly milk and cheese. I also realized that Snowball is actually 14 or 15 instead of 13 like I thought.
Matt and Snowball.
Meanwhile, Clyde continues to be a handsome puss.
Clyde.
On Wednesday at work I was eating a piece of bread with cheese on it and the corner of the left mandibular second molar decided to break off. The next day I got it repaired.
The broken tooth.
My fifth article in American Ancestors magazine. I am already working on the next one.
Sunday, March 03, 2024
I went to the Santa Cruz River with a group to pick up trash. First we had a meeting where we talked about the history of the river and the De Anza trail. There were about a dozen folks, young and older (I am one of the older).
Tucson Wastewater is putting treated water into the river at this location. The vegetation is lush in the riparian area.
Tree tobacco.
Unfortunately, when it rains water carries trash from the washes that empty into the river. Unhoused people live in those washes and under bridges. The trash they discard is carried downstream and the vegetation in the riparian area catches it.
So much trash. I found:
- 4 syringes (luckily no needles)
- styrofoam, a lot of it from broken up Polar Cups
- cigarette butts
- food wrappers
- plastic bags
- three toys
- a coat
- lighters
- plastic silverware
- plastic bottles and aluminum cans
I filled up a big bag. I had brought a bucket and just sat on the ground and collected trash, then moved a few feet and collected more. It is important to do so because endangered fish and Sonoran mud turtles are in the riparian area and you don't want them ingesting plastic.
My collected trash.
In all, we recovered 17 huge bags worth of refuse.
17 bags.
I felt like a did some good today.
Garbage man Homer.
