Arizona

Spent 3 weeks in southern Arizona--Phoenix, then Tubac, which is south of Tucson. Cool in the early mornings, then a 30 degree temperature swing during the day. March is beautiful there. The desert is just coming into bloom, and the cottonwoods along the Santa Rita river are shedding their blooms so it looks like it's snowing. Played a lot of golf. Saw birds, coyotes, lots of cacti. Blue skies, wonderful colors of the rocks and the desert. Ate a lot of Mexican food. We were 30 miles from the Mexican border at Nogales. The Border Patrol maintains a very visible presence, with a checkpoint north of Tubac, and an occasional helicopter overhead chasing the illegals. The local news from Tucson includes(almost every day) stories of gang wars reaching over into the US, or drug seizures of marijuana or meth. One story told of a seizure of 2 pounds of meth strapped to a guy's buttocks, and discovered( with the ever-present drug-sniffing dogs) at the checkpoint near us! Nonetheless, we did a lot of the usual touristy things--bird watching, golf, shopping, hiking in the Desert Museum and Madera Canyon. Went to an old Mission--Tumacacori--founded in the 1600's and now a museum.