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DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz.

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DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. - OldFightersatRest.jpg

Freight Depot Shot in 1980

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This was taken with a film camera at OLD TUSCON, AZ. Old Tuscon is used to make many western movies.

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:13:09 MST

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum - Willhebite4583-1.jpg

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz.r

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DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz.r - OldFightersatRest-1.jpg

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz.r

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DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz.r - PimaAirandSpaceMusium4793-1.jpg

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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TYUCSON, AZ

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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WHAT IS THIS

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Seen on the Road

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Mission San Xavier del Bac

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz.

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DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. - LetusFly.jpg

-- "Training", the main pillar of discipline our Airmen use in honing the lethality of our nation's Air Force, has always been at the forefront of building and sustaining a successful military. It is a critical part of our Airman culture, now more than ever, as our Air Force charges us to engage current and future challenges with a leaner, advanced footprint. The core goal...to develop America's Airmen today, for tomorrow.

BEARDED PRICKLY PEAR

blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:12:00 MST

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BEARDED PRICKLY PEAR - IMG_4577.jpg

Prickly pear cactus represent about a dozen species of the Opuntia genus (Family Cactaceae) in the North American deserts. All have flat, fleshy pads that look like large leaves. The pads are actually modified branches or stems that serve several functions -- water storage, photosynthesis and flower production. Chollas are also members of the Opuntia genus but have cylindrical, jointed stems rather than flat pads. Video - Prickly pear cactus are found in all of the deserts of the American Southwest. Most prickly pears have large spines on their stems and vary in height from less than a foot to 6 or 7 feet. Click to see Video Like other cactus, most prickly pears and chollas have large spines -- actually modified leaves -- growing from tubercles -- small, wart-like projections -- on their stems. But members of the Opuntia genus are unique because of their clusters of fine, tiny, barbed spines called glochids. Found just above the cluster of regular spines, glochids are yellow or red in color and detach easily from the pads. Glochids are often difficult to see and more difficult to remove, once lodged in the skin. The fruits of most prickly pears are edible and sold in stores under the name "tuna." Prickly pear branches (the pads) are also cooked and eaten as a vegetable. They, too, are sold in stores under the name "Nopalito." Because of the glochids, great care is required when harvesting or preparing prickly pear cactus. Both fruits and pads of the prickly pear cactus are rich in slowly absorbed soluble fibers that may help keep blood sugar stable. Prickly Pear Nectar is made with the juice and pulp of the fruits and is available from our online store. Click Here Range & Habitat Prickly pear cactus are found in all of the deserts of the American Southwest, with different species having adapted to different locale and elevation ranges. Most require course, well-drained soil in dry, rocky flats or slopes. But some prefer mountain pinyon/juniper forests, while others require steep, rocky slopes in mountain foothills. Description Most prickly pear cactus have yellow, red or purple flowers, even among the same species. They vary in height from less than a foot (Plains, Hedgehog, Tuberous) to 6 or 7 feet (Texas, Santa Rita, Pancake). Pads can vary in width, length, shape and color. The Beavertail, Santa Rita and Blind Pear are regarded as spineless, but all have glochids. In addition to the North American native prickly pear cactus listed below, there are many varieties, non-native imports and hybrids, so identification can often be difficult. Information on the 15 species below is based on wild, non-cultivated samples. There has been medical interest in the Prickly Pear plant. Some studies have shown that the pectin contained in the Prickly Pear pulp lowers levels of "bad" cholesterol while leaving "good" cholesterol levels unchanged. Another study found that the fibrous pectin in the fruit may lowers diabetics' need for insulin. Both fruits and pads of the prickly pear cactus are rich in slowly absorbed soluble fibers that help keep blood sugar stable. There are on going studies and at this point there are no proven results on humans. You can make your own study and see if works for you, which is the only test that really counts. More... What is that white stuff on my cactus? The cochineal covers much of the lower elevations in the western United States and Mexico. It feeds almost solely on the pads of selected prickly pear cacti species. More information and BEARDED PRICKLY PEAR Opuntia strigil

PRICKLY PEAR

blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:12:00 MST

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PRICKLY PEAR - IMG_4579.jpg

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:11:59 MST

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So, you only have a few days to visit Tucson and you're thinking about where to go? The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum should be at the top of the list. To start, the drive to the museum is gorgeous. As you leave Tucson driving west, you pass through about 10 miles of unspoiled desert over rolling hills and a small mountain pass. The entirety is spotted with saguaro, prickly pear, cholla and ocotillo cactus. It's like a little preview of what's to come. The museum itself is more zoo than museum, offering a unique view into the rarely-seen animal world of the Sonoran desert. Want to see a gila monster (a poisonous beaded lizard) up close? You got it. Coyotes? Mountain goats? Pumas? Black widow spiders? Mexican Wolves? Mule deer? Scorpions? Otters and beavers? Rattlesnakes (a dozen varieties)? Sure. All of that, plus desert plant and mineral exhibits are offered along a meandering pathway through the desert itself. The highlight for my family was the underground cave exhibit. Half of it was a model of an old mine. The other half was a very realistic replica of a sonoran cave, beautifully done, complete with stalactites, stalagmites, limpid pools and faux stashes of artifacts from ancient indians. The kids found a small spelunking pathway just for them, taking them on a long, narrow, snakelike course over and around part of the exhibits. Of course I had to follow, and at one point had a very tight fit with my day pack on. Needless to say, the kids travelled this path several times before moving on. At lunchtime the cafeteria was clean, and the food quite good, for what is was. They even have a decent-looking sit down restaurant, which we did not try. All in all, the AZ Sonora Desert Museum has been the highlight our trip. I would go there again in a heartbeat.

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:11:58 MST

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:11:54 MST

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:11:53 MST

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San Xavier del Bac Mission..Tucson, AZ

blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:11:52 MST

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Mission San Xavier del Bac is situated in the Santa Cruz Valley nine miles south of Tucson, Arizona. Framed in the warm browns of the surrounding hills and the violet shadows of more distant mountains, it rises, brilliantly white from the desert floor of dusty green mesquite and sage. The imposing dome and lofty towers, the rounded parapets and graceful spires etched against the vivid blue complete a skyline with a graceful enchantment. San Xavier del Bac Mission History From the earliest times, the Tohono O'odham settlement in which the Mission is located was called Bac, "place where the water appears," because the Santa Cruz River, which ran underground for some distance, reappears on the surface nearby. The celebrated Jesuit missionary and explorer, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, first visited Bac in 1692. Eight years later in 1700, Father Kino laid the foundations of the first church, some two miles north of the present site of the Mission. He named it San Xavier in honor of his chosen patron, St. Francis Xavier, the illustrious Jesuit "Apostle of the Indies." In 1768, Fray Francisco Hermengildo Garces, a man of outstanding personality and prodigious accomplishments among all missionaries in Arizona, established his headquarters at San Xavier. From here this Franciscan Friar set forth on his many missionary explorations. Fr. Eusebio Kino The present church was built from 1783 - 1797 by the Franciscan Fathers Juan Bautista Velderrain and Juan Bautista Llorenz. Little is know about the actual labor of the construction of the church, who was the architect, who were the artisans, but many believe it was the Tohono O'odham who fufilled these roles. Why the one tower was never completed is still a mystery, but hopefully one day this question will be answered. San Xavier Mission is acclaimed by many to be the finest example of mission architecture in the United States. It is a graceful blend of Moorish, Byzantine and late Mexican Renaissance architecture, yet the blending is so complete it is hard to tell where one type begins and another ends. The church is a series of domes and arches that create enclaves for themes of painting on the various walls, domes and rooms. The area behind the high altar is a dazzling gilt of colors. The wall paintings are all original, but over time have needed to be touched up. Time and the harsh desert weather have taken a toll on the the beauty that is within the church and the entire mission complex. Currently the church is going through an ongoing restoration that tries to clean, repair and preserve as much of the church as it can. Outside the church, the restoration is even more extensive, and for this we have the gracious donations of visitors, patrons and the Patronato. After more than two hundred years, the Franciscan Friars are still here serving the needs of the faithful. San Xavier del Bac Mission is a fully functioning parish church within the Diocese of Tucson. It is a church that primarily serves the Tohono O'odham, but is open to all.

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blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:11:51 MST

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Bungay Buckaroo

blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:11:50 MST

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Bungay Buckaroo - BungayBuckaroo.jpg

Serial #: 44-44175 Construction #: 1470 Civilian Registration: N7866 Model(s): B-24J B. VII Name: Bungay Buckaroo Status: Static Display Last info: 2002 History: Delivered to RAF as KH304, 19?? Delivered to Indian AF as HE877, 19??. - Retired & Stored Poona AB, Dec. 31, 1968. Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ, 1969-2002. - Donated to museum by Indian government. - Ferried from Poona AB to Tucson, Mar. 28, 1969. - Carried markings of 446th BG/444175/Paisano/Shoot You're Covered on one side. - Carried markings of Indian AF/HE877 on other side. - Name later changed to Bungay Buckaroo.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert

blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:11:49 MST

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The Arizona-Sonora Desert - DeathofSaguaros.jpg

The Story Behind the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Filed under: History & Outdoor Adventures by Erin on 3/6/2008 Occasionally circumstances bring together people from opposite walks of life who join forces and create a masterpiece. Such was the case when Arthur Newton Pack met William H. Carr in 1951. But first some background. William H. Carr was born in New York in 1902. His was a modest family headed by his father who was a school principal. Early in life his mother encouraged his interest in nature. His father’s early death forced William into the workforce at the age of 17. As the only child, Carr dropped out of high school to help support his mother. Carr’s Boy Scout career (he eventually achieved the esteemed rank of Eagle Scout) led to an encounter with Benjamin Talbot Babbitt Hyde who worked for the American Museum of Natural History. After a brief stint of volunteer work with the organization, Carr found himself in their employ. A hard worker and curious man, Carr soon moved up to the position of Associate Curator of Education. In 1926 Carr was offered the opportunity to establish a revolutionary nature trail-side museum at Bear Mountain Park in New York. Carr devoted the next 18 years of his life to that endeavor before health issues forced him to seek a new home in drier climes. In 1944 a magazine article enticed him to Tucson; he arrived in Arizona with little more than “four suitcases and $400.” Carr fell in love with the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona (indeed, who wouldn’t) and was dismayed by the locals’ complete disregard for, and ignorance of, their environs. The fragile landscape around Tucson was being trampled, mined, plowed under, and trashed to death. Carr’s sentiments were shared by another newcomer to Tucson, Arthur Newton Pack. Pack was born in 1893 in Cleveland, Ohio. Pack’s father, Charles Lathrop Pack, was a very wealthy man who made his millions in the timber industry. Ironically, the man who amassed a fortune by clear-cutting forests became a leader in the conservation movement. In 1907 Charles was appointed to the Conservation Commission by none other than the great conservationist, President Theodore Roosevelt. The elder Pack went on to found the Charles Lathrop Pack Forestry Foundation, the American Tree Association, and head the World Court League. After graduating from Harvard in 1915, Arthur Pack, also a conservationist, founded the American Nature Association with his father and became editor of the association’s Nature Magazine. In the 1930s Arthur Pack fell in love with the high desert of northern New Mexico which led him to purchase the storied Ghost Ranch. Pack moved out the ranch and devoted his time and energy to opening a dude ranch for guests from the east. One of his visitors who eventually lived in a cottage on the ranch was the rising artist Georgia O’Keeffe. At Pack’s wedding in 1936 to Phoebe Finley, O’Keeffe presented the couple with a cow-skull design. When the Packs opened the Ghost Ranch Lodge on the outskirts of Tucson in 1941, O’Keeffe’s cow-skull design was incorporated in the entrance sign. By 1946 the Packs had permanently moved to Tucson, only visiting their land in New Mexico on vacations. Pack’s love affair with the Sonoran Desert translated into action. Pack was soon a member of the Pima County Park Commission working on issues of protection and conservation in the Tucson area. In 1951 Carr and Pack met and realized that they shared a vision for helping people love the Sonoran Desert. They immediately combined their talents and resources and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Trailside Museum was born. Working with the Pima County Park Commission the men secured land around the Mountain House on the west side of the Tucson Mountains. The Mountain House was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps but had lain idle since WWII. The location was ideal since it bordered both the Saguaro National Monument (now a National Park) and the Tucson Mountain Park. The museum opened on Labor Day 1952, and even though there were no paved roads in the area, over 1,000 people visited that day. Though the name has changed (“Trailside” was dropped within the first few years), the museum’s mission to conserve the Sonoran Desert by helping people understand and appreciate it, has not. It is quite a mission since the Sonoran Desert stretches across southern Arizona into California and through the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California. The non-profit museum is much more than just a museum, it is also part zoo and part arboretum. We recently toured the museum with family and as always we had a wonderful time. There is quite a bit to explore and since the exhibits are designed to resemble the natural environment, the experience is one of a kind. There are over two miles of trails that lead the visitor past reptiles, birds, mammals, rocks, fossils, and plants—all of them native to the Sonoran Desert. The museum showcases over 300 animals and 1,200 species of plants, truly a remarkable collection. In keeping with its mission the museum continually seeks to improve and expand not just its collections but its research and education efforts too. Though the two men came from entirely different backgrounds, they shared a passion for the Sonoran Desert and for conservation. Pack and Carr continued to work together on other projects, including founding the Ghost Ranch Museum in New Mexico with a similar goal. They made a good team since Carr had the know-how and Pack had the money. In describing Pack, Carr once said, “Having been born with a silver spoon, he used it to feed others as well as himself.” The world renowned Desert Museum is an important part of Tucson’s cultural legacy and is a testament to the foresight of both Pack and Carr.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert

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The Arizona-Sonora Desert - Donotgettoclose4594.jpg

Prickly Pear Cactus

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Prickly Pear Cactus - Flowerpods.jpg

BEARDED PRICKLY PEAR Opuntia strigil

OLD TUCSON FREIGHT DEPOT

blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:11:47 MST

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OLD TUCSON FREIGHT DEPOT - 397126060_92bb090f23_o.jpg

This photo was shot about 27 years after the first one in the 80's. Big change

Indian Dance

blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:10:34 MST

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Mission San Xavier del Bac

blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:10:33 MST

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Mission San Xavier del Bac 1950 W. San Xavier Rd. Tucson, AZ 85746 Phone: (520) 294-2624 Web Site: www.sanxaviermission.org "The White Dove of the Desert." Located nine miles south of Tucson in the Santa Cruz Valley on the Tohono O'odham Reservation, the Mission is acclaimed as the finest example of mission architecture in the United States. San Xavier was built by the famed Jesuit missionary and explorer Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, who first visited Bac - "place where the water appears" - in 1692. The foundation for the first Bac church, located two miles north of the present Mission, was laid in 1700. The present church - an active parish - was built from 1783-1797, and is currently open every day of the year, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mission San Xavier del Bac

blubman_photos — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:10:32 MST

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Mission San Xavier del Bac

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Phyllis Marie

blubman_photos — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:20:09 MST

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JEEP MOUNTED

blubman_photos — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:15:59 MST

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TUCSON, AS

blubman_photos — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:14:10 MST

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TUCSON, AZ

blubman_photos — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:35:57 MST

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Jeep Mounted WW II

blubman_photos — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:05:00 MST

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