Back from Vacation!!

[Nanci]

PS, :-offtopic how's little Boone doing???

Nanci

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

PS, :-offtopic how's little Boone doing???

Nanci

I thought about sending you a PM, but decided maybe someone else wants to know too... :shrugs:
Boone is doing well - he eats regularly for me, although with his little tiny head, he really can't get his mouth around anything larger than a small fuzzy...so it is going to take a while to put some weight on him! I think I might move him from sterlite to a glass viv as well as he is a cruiser and likes to sit out in the open where he can be seen.
Thanks for asking about him!! I will have to post some more updated snake pics as soon as I finish these vacation shots...

 

[Nanci]

:-offtopic again...

I had trouble with Inez a couple times ago- she tried twice to swallow a not that big fuzzy, and kept puking it back out, so I put her back on two pinks for a while, and just go by the total prey weight.

I read in Jay and PJ's forum that they are going to try to find, photograph and collect a gravid female Eastern Milk this spring.

Nanci

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

So is everyone totally tired of seeing my pics already? Hope not 'cuz I still have a lot left!!

These next posts are all photos from Tonto National Forest in the Superstition Mountains along a drive called the Apache Trail. Most of it is unpaved but can be done in a midsize car. We did it that way last time, but it was much better in the jeep!

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

 

[diamondlil]

More stunning pictures! Thanks for sharing

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

Thanks everyone for the comments. Arizona is just such an amazing state in my personal opinion. There is so much to see and do and in these past two trips, Joe and I have barely scratched the surface.

These next two posts are also along the Apache Trail. I have a few more to edit when I get done with work tonight and that will finish this segment! LOL!

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

We also got quite lucky in the fact that there had been some rain while we were there so some flowers were actually in bloom.

 

[Nanci]

My sister from Minnesota has a second home there- they will retire in AZ. The people who gave me Choco and Addy and Krusty went there on vacation and now want to move! I think I'd miss the trees and grass and water and humidity and rain, though, but not the hurricanes.

Nanci

 

[Cflaguy]

Never get tired of great fotographie...

The pic of Joe in the orange shirt has me chuckling. I can see you saying, "Joe don't look at the camera."
Love the bird pic as well.

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

Thanks Craig - I do seem to take a lot of pictures of Joe while we are on vacation. My favorites though are the ones where he doesn't know I am taking his picture!!

This bridge is over Roosevelt Lake near the Roosevelt Dam at the end of the dirt road portion of the Apache Trail. The overlook is called Inspiration Point. It is absolutely beautiful!!

This little hummingbird is one of two that frequents the feeders at my Aunt's house.

 

[Savvy19]

Awesome pictures. I've lived in AZ all my life, and I'm not that fond of it, but I LOVE seeing how people view my home-state. I'm glad you were able to beautify Arizona, and it's desert. I think it's pretty, but after 21 years, I decided I really prefer TREES. haha I went on a tour across the bottom half of the USA, and I saw things that we dont even think of in AZ... like green grass, and water actually being UNDER a bridge. Here, we have bridges, with empty canals. haha

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

Awesome pictures. I've lived in AZ all my life, and I'm not that fond of it, but I LOVE seeing how people view my home-state. I'm glad you were able to beautify Arizona, and it's desert. I think it's pretty, but after 21 years, I decided I really prefer TREES. haha I went on a tour across the bottom half of the USA, and I saw things that we dont even think of in AZ... like green grass, and water actually being UNDER a bridge. Here, we have bridges, with empty canals. haha

Thanks. Having lived in Ohio for most of my life and now in Florida for the past 7yrs I do have a fondness for green trees and grass, but I find something extremely appealing about the starkness of the mountains and deserts around the Phoenix area.

And we actually got to see one of those canals running full of water!!

One of my favorite things besides snakes and photography is birds - especially birds of prey. I am fascinated by their beauty and grace. My aunt took us to the Arizona Renaissance Festival while we were there and they had a wonderful Birds of Prey show that we stopped to watch. Had a good seat and with my telephoto lens I pulled out some pretty decent pics of the birds. The sky was a little bright so I had to do some creative editing to make the birds stand out a little, but here are the results:

Harris Hawk (we actually saw some of these in the wild as well but were not able to get photos of them):

Red Tailed Hawk:

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

Great Horned Owl (this is the one used during the show. He was raised from a chick by people so does not realize he is an owl. He imprinted on people as a baby so still only uses baby calls and has never learned adult owl calls):

White Backed Vulture:

This girl cleaned this chicken bone clean in less than 10seconds. A large group can completely clean a wildebeest carcass in Africa in less than 20minutes:

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

Great Horned Owl (this is a younger one that is just used for display and pics after the show):

Lanners Falcon (from Africa - they didn't have a Peregrine but it is believed this is the 2nd fastest bird in the world after the Peregrine. - which has been clocked at over 200MPH!! I tried to get shots of her in flight but it was just not possible! FYI - she weighed about 2 pounds!!):

And this is my Aunt Wanda who we stayed with in Phoenix. She and my Uncle Jeff are my favorite Aunt and Uncle:

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

These photos are from Saguaro National Park

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

Notice the petroglyph on the big rock on the right:

Only a handful left to edit....should have those done tonight or tomorrow....

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

Mission San Xavier Del Bac outside of Tucson:

See the little white dot on top of the mountain?

Here is a close up - that is the Kitt Peak Observatory:

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

Random photos - moutains, cactus and sunset: