Southern Arizona Desert Museum + Snakes in the RV Resort!

Rattlesnakes lurk under shrubs and in the shed.  That is a simple fact of life here in the Southern Arizona.  My husband and I were raised in a small town in the eastern part of Oregon.  The little community was situated in a small valley surrounded by sagebrush covered hills that held the heat in the summer and shaded the valley from most of the suns warmth in the winter.  It was a rattlesnake kind of place.  So when a rattler comes crawling across the road on a hot October evening, we don't run for cover and call the police...we don't like them and I would chop them into a million pieces if I had my way.  But we just take care of it and we are very careful.  My husband is not for killing them and will return them to the desert where they belong.  It scares me but he does it without much thought.

Many of our neighbors from the mid-west have never seen a rattler and so they have a hard time wrapping their minds around the fact that my husband will take our "reacher tool" and actually pick the snake up and throw it out into the wash as far from our homes has he can get them  We think it is ordinary but they are absolutely awestruck!!!  And that is exactly what happened today!

Javelina

Living in the desert or anywhere close with nature takes a certain amount of getting used too.  Here in Southern Arizona,  our RV resort is situated on the Pantano Wash and is bordered on the south by a large vacant area we call the desert.  Houses will fill this one day but for now the lizards, Javelina and snakes share their land with us.  Javelina wander in and out of the park and have chosen the underside of our neighbor's park model as a place to go at night.  They have eaten our flowers and, when they come in a herd, they can put up quite a racket.  They stink really bad and you usually smell them before you see them...I guess that is why they are often called a "skunk pig".  They are just part of our life.  We try to remember who was here first.  Incidentally, the Javelina are hunted here in Arizona.  While they look like a pig they are actually from the pecarry family.  

If you are a visiter to Tucson,  beautiful Southern Arizona is on display out at the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum  located west of the city.  We have been to this zoo/museum/botanical garden.  I will have to say that Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum is one of the most interesting place we have ever been.  For most people in our country, the exotic nature of the creatures that live here is fascinating.  Everything from Gila Monsters to beautiful Anna's Hummingbirds grace this ferocious yet beautiful country.   We absolutely treasure every minute we spend here.  


NOTE:  Be sure to check the Groupon coupons for the Desert Museum...I see they have a 50% off coupon in the google search page.  You can use the search function at the side of the blog to find more information.


Back here at the resort we are hoping there will be no need to toss anymore snakes over the fence.  We will plant flowers tomorrow and clean up after our Saguaro fell over.  Hopefully the critters will behave themselves tonight so we can sleep...the breezes are lovely.


Be well.


bwhile longer.  It will cool down soon and we will move the chairs into the sun!  Did I tell you I love being retired.