Uninvited Guest

So the other night, I am hanging out here with some friends. I walk outside to look for a couple of them, and on my way back I see the BIGGEST most DISGUSTING bug EVER!!! It's like this huge roach looking thing, but it's walking sort of slowly along, and from my vast roach experiences (I lived in New Orleans, dont forget), they don't move very slowly, ever. So I run into the house and start yelling for everyone to come look, while I am trying not to barf b/c the thing turned my stomach. They all go outside and of course, it's gone. I am frantically describing it and imitating it walking along with it's antennae moving around, and they're just laughing at me, thinking I'm exagerating. Suddenly it steps out from behind a friggin boulder or something and everyone screams. Are you ready???

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i hope you're not eating


I am warning you!!


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OK, these things grow up to 6 inches long!! The one I saw was bigger than a cigarette lighter. AND *gulp* they FLY. Imagine getting hit by one of those while you're riding your bike? Nasty. Check it out:

"Borer Beetle Looks Like Giant Cockroach"

"Newcomers to the Phoenix area are sometimes horrified when they get their first glimpse of a huge bug that, for some, resembles a monstrous cockroach. Yes, this adult bug can be up to six inches long. Even worse--it flies.

It is the Palo Verde Beetle. More specifically, the Palo Verde Root Borer (Derobrachus geminatus). They have long antennae and spiny collars. They come out each July, and are most active in the early evening. The young Palo Verde bugs fed on the roots of distressed trees and shrubs, particularly the Mexican Palo Verde tree. After a few years, they leave the tree roots. You'll be able to see the exit holes around the roots of the tree. It does no good to spray inside the holes after the Palo Verde beetles have already left.

Adult Palo Verde bugs are attracted to light, so turn off outside lights if you don't want them visiting you. They won't try to get into your home, but might end up there if the light attracts them. They don't harm humans, but they do have the ability to bite if they are provoked. The best advice is to leave them alone, or be swift in your own attack."

So it probably like lives outside my door, right? I don't understand why things have to be so much BIGGER in hot places. Why?! What eats these suckers? I will invest in snakes & iguanas to get rid of insects of unusual size!!

Needless to say, I have now locked all my doors & windows and have retreated into air conditioning mode. That thing could open the screen door!

The Desert Museum

Today Brighid (lil sis) and I visited the Tucson Desert Museum, which is a zoo, botanical garden & museum all in one. V.cool place. It was friggin hot, got up to like 104 at least today, but there's lots of shady spots and indoor exhibits mixed in along outside trails, so it was all good. We tried to go early but of course by the time we got there. most of the animals were already sleeping. Except for these crazy Mexican Wolves...


They just ran around & around this loop and panted a lot. They're almost extinct.



White-Tailed Deer loving each other. Or eating bugs off each other, not sure.


Black Bear. He was awake, too, we got to see him scratch himself on the rocks. These animals are all in the mountains around here. The elevation changes so quickly in the mountains that the vegetation and wildlife change rapidly as well. I learned today that in just 200 feet up a mountain you will see climate changes that are represented from Mexico straight up to Canada. Does that make sense? I think I'm not being very clear...why am I talking like Yoda suddenly?




He looks like my mom's dog, Finnegan.


Baby got Back


Mountain Lion. I went hiking one day in a national park and they hand you a warning flyer about encountering Mountain Lions while out on the trail. I didn't see any. Dang.


This really big, loud bug, I think it's a type of locust. Eew.


The valley from the Tucson Mountains. We had to go up over a mountain pass to get to a museum, crazy windy roads going up and down...can't wait to take my bike there.


Sleeping Bobcats


Sleeping Grey Fox. He had a lttle blanky he was sleeping on!


Sleeping something...I think it was an Ocelot or something like that?


Sleeping some other type of mountain cat


Javelina! I have been dying to see one of these dudes b/c they roam around Miraval and I haven't seen any yet!! They're of the Peccary family.


They are like a hairy pig, but they're not at all related to the pig family. They are really rodents with hooves.


More like a giant rat? But they make oinky grunting sounds. And they smell.


So the best way to descibe them would be to say they are truly ROUS, Rodents Of Unusual Size (if you've seen The Princess Bride, you'll know what I mean).


Coyote--we saw one last nite, fo real! I was driving home, it was dark, and as we came around a corner, the coyote had just crossed the road and was trotting towards me. It was littler and scrawnier than I thought it would be. Then later we heard a pack howling again...I had to mute the tv to listen to them, they're so loud. I mean, I could hear them over the tv and then I muted it to listen to them. Maybe I got a little brain-fried today.


Baby Big Horn Sheep!! So cute!


Hiding behind Mama


They roam around a lot of the places I have been hiking, but I haven't seen any.




Hanging with Pops


Female Cardinal


Crazy duck


Hummingbird!!


It's a little blurry, but check out his awesome colors.


We and then everyone who walked past as we were checking this guy out almost stepped on him. He was not even an exhibit!


He blended right into the stones on the ground.


Pretty flowers. They're something like Bird of Paradise, but not at all...I forget what they're called! Drain bead fo real.


Inside the Hummingbird Aviary.


There are tons of different species here, where as there's only the one kind in NE.


Can you find him?


This one is called Black Throated


A nest with an itty bitty egg! No bigger than a navy bean. It said that at the museum, I would never compare anything to a navy bean.