~ Dust Storm Sunset at Saguaro National Park TMD~

They're called Haboobs ~ rolling dust storms that suck the dirt from the face of the earth, throw it high into the atmosphere, and move it miles away before dropping it back down again.

We're not talking a dust devil or two. A haboob can move hundreds of tons of earth, and when it rolls over you, the sky becomes black as night.

I took the photo on the right last Friday afternoon at 5:00 pm, the end of the day for Saguaro National Park's Red Hills Visitor Center. You can see that the wind was whipping the flag as we lowered it.

Fifteen minutes later, I took the photo above. I had no problem pointing my camera straight into the sun.

Remember seeing cowboys in the old western movies carrying bandanas? They're still a western fashion accessory. Bandanas served a utilitarian purpose when a cowboy was caught out in the open in a dust storm--they made it possible to breathe.

There's a stretch of Interstate 10 just north of Tucson near Picacho Peak where the open desert stretches for miles to the west. Other places have tornado warnings and severe weather warnings. We have dust storm warnings, and the visibility can go from severe clear to zero in a matter of minutes when one of these storms rolls across the desert. Here's one recent story from last month:

Fatal accident closes I-10 at Picacho

_____________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson Arizona Mortgage Lender

NMLS #223495

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE LLC ~ Correspondent Mortgage Bank
Offices in Mesa, Tucson, Sierra Vista & Nogales

I don't copyright my photos. It's okay for you to use them.

Right click on my image, copy and use it!

~ Tucson's Most Fantastic Ice Cream! ~

Domenic and Isabella Johnson have the coolest ice cream truck I've seen in my life. What you can't see in this photo is that the top of this truck is coated with solar cells which provide the electricity that keeps the freezer and all of that scrumptious ice cream cold.

Isabella served up the cold stuff at National Geographic's Bio-Blitz, here seen in the parking lot of the Red Hills Visitor Center of Saguaro National Park West.

My favorite flavor was Isabella's 'Brazilian Coffee.' Mmm... Scrumptious!

_____________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson Arizona Mortgage Lender

NMLS #223495

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE LLC ~ Correspondent Mortgage Bank
Offices in Mesa, Tucson, Sierra Vista & Nogales

I don't copyright my photos. It's okay for you to use them.

Right click on my image, copy and use it!

~ Self Portrait of a Hiker ~

The Hugh Norris Trail is one of the premier attractions of Saguaro National Park's Tucson Mountain District. I didn't hike the entire trail last night; I started at 5:30 and hiked to an elevation where I could capture some of the last rays of sunlight.

The granite steps you see in the photo above were cut and places by men working for the CCC in the 1930s.

One generation's work is a blessing to the next, and I like to think of those men who worked to cut and shape the rock beneath my feet when I'm hiking this particular trail.

The Hugh Norris Trail overlooks the Red Hills Visitor Center from the ridge in the photo on the left. It's a magnificent view, looking down on the saguaro forest below, and it's something you might just want to add to your 'bucket list.'

_____________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson Arizona Mortgage Lender

NMLS #223495

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE LLC ~ Correspondent Mortgage Bank
Offices in Mesa, Tucson, Sierra Vista & Nogales

I don't copyright my photos. It's okay for you to use them.

Right click on my image, copy and use it!

~ Welcome to Tucson Mountain Park ~

~ East Entrance to Tucson Mountain Park ~

~ Kinney Road Welcome Sign ~

Tucson Mountain Park

~ Vandalism in Pima County's Tucson Mountain Park ~

(The Park abuts Saguaro National Park's Tucson Mountain District)

You may never have visited Tucson Mountain Park, but chances are that you've watched a John Wayne Western or two. It's probably the first time you saw a real (not neon) Saguaro Cactus.

That's Old Tucson Studios in the photo on the left. Old Tucson Studios is located within Tucson Mountain Park, and attracts visitors from around the globe. If they enter the park from Speedway and Gate's Pass Road, that graffiti-covered welcome sign above will be their first impression of this magnificent park. What a shame!

Towering over Old Tucson Studios is Golden Gate Mountain. You'll remember seeing it in the background at some time in every John Wayne Western. It's the mountain I see in my backyard every day.

Vandalism is a symptom of the lack of emphasis we as a society place on personal responsibility. Hey, it's not mine... I didn't pay for it...

Today I posted these photos and more on the Facebook Page "Tucson Mountain Park." Click the link and go there. You'll find the phone number for the Office of Pima County Supervisors and their email address. Call them and leave a message. Send an email. Make a difference!

If you ever watched a John Wayne western, or if you've ever visited the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum (also within the confines of Tucson Mountain Park) please go there and express your outrage at the desecration of something which belongs to you.

_____________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson Arizona Mortgage Lender

NMLS #223495

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE LLC ~ Correspondent Mortgage Bank
Offices in Mesa, Tucson, Sierra Vista & Nogales

I don't copyright my photos. It's okay for you to use them.

Right click on my image, copy and use it!

~ Peace ~

~ And Quiet ~

It was one of those days peculiar to mortgage lenders. I had put my heart and soul into solving a problem for a borrower, only to have the first-time homebuyer jump ship because someone promised an eighth better on rate for a mortgage that had yet to be locked.

You know what? If that's the worst thing that happens today, we'll be all right.

I just needed a little peace and quiet...

_____________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson Arizona Mortgage Lender

NMLS #223495

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE LLC ~ Correspondent Mortgage Bank
Offices in Mesa, Tucson, Sierra Vista & Nogales

I don't copyright my photos. It's okay for you to use them.

Right click on my image, copy and use it!