Another Bucket List Item ~ Part 2

 The birds.

Parakeet Perch

Our cup of food contained a stick with bird seed glued on the end. We were to put the stick through the wire wall and the parakeets would fly to the perch to nibble on the stick of bird seed.

when they were done eating they turned their back to me

another colored parakeet

Pekin Ducks

we chose not to feed them

There was also a pen of chickens where young and old could enter and interact with them. We did not visit that pen either, as we were running out of time.

Our second food cup contained a small plastic covered container of nectar for the Rainbow Lorikeets.

I was told to leave the cover on the container as the birds would take it off. I was so busy getting my camera ready to take a photo, I missed them removing the lid.

OK. Now I'm ready!

two birds were on my left hand drinking away

the one on my right shoulder kept squawking in my ear

the one on my left arm just stayed put

there was no shoving or changing positions for these two

they just stayed put and emptied the cup

it was a neat bird experience, right up there with the macaws 

in Costa Rica

sign in the gift shop

I couldn't resist!

It's all fun until someone gets pooped on

(Then it's just plain funny!)

Another Bucket List Item ~ Part 1

The trip to Tucson last week was three-fold: Picacho Peak to see the flowers, Tucson for some geocaching, and a stop at a place that has been on my Bucket List for 15 years...The Ostrich Farm. I checked the website the night before for hours of operation and pricing. I was certain Hubby would scoff at the price and the animals, but to my surprise, he enjoyed it as much as I did.

Because there was so much to see and do, I am dividing the visit into four parts. I was most interested in the ostriches, but the other animals were much more entertaining. Part 1 is about the donkeys, deer, goats and sheep.

the official name

The World Famous Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch

The $12 or $14 entrance fee covered 2 cups of food for the animals: green pellets for the big animals, and special food and tokens for the other ranch animals.

lots of signs to help us remember what to do

Miniature Sicilian donkeys 

lots of pushing and shoving happening at the donkey pen

Fallow deer from Europe

This big horned one pushed the others out of the way when we were trying to feed them the green pellets.

Boer goats from South Africa in the penthouse

(double click on the photo to get a larger readable photo)

Green pellets were placed in the white cups on the conveyor belt and then we cranked the belt to bring the food up to the penthouse where it was emptied into the feed trough.

waiting...

...and waiting, often not patiently

because it is too hard to read, but rather interesting...

• developed in South Africa for their meat rather than milk
• males can weigh up to 300 pounds
• births are usually twins
• Boer goat craze in the 1990s in the US brought the price of the goats from $25,000-$80,000 a piece!
• Boer goat means farmer goat

Kissing Boer Goats

If a green food pellet was held between the thumb and forefinger, the goats would move their lips to reach the food, imitating kissing. Entertaining for young and old!

St. Croix Sheep from the US Virgin Islands

• raised for their low fat meat
• do not need to be sheared as they shed their long hair in the spring
• their milk is high in butterfat
• their coats shed water

they were just as eager for food as the other animals

Nigerian Dwarf Goats

• miniature dairy goats from West Africa
• produce up to 2 quarts of sweet milk a day
• blue eyes are dominant
• brought to the US on ships as food for large cats in zoos
• playful, gentle and only 21 inches tall

not a penthouse, but a two story 

Picacho Peak

The World Famous Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch is located at the base of Picacho Peak, north of Tucson along I10. Well worth the trip. Adventures for young and old. More to come tomorrow.

Spring Flowers in AZ

 All the winter moisture has produced an exceptional display of wildflowers, now that the temperatures are finally near normal rather than the 10º-20º below normal of the last month or so. Hubby and I did a road trip to Tucson earlier this week and made a stop at Picacho Peak State Park. My photos are from the road outside the park. Not that I wasn't willing to pay the entrance fee but because the line to enter the park was from the Interstate off ramp. It was a one-car-in when one-car-leaves. We did not have the time to wait.

clumps of poppies along the road

fully open in the sunshine and warmer temps

poppies and lupine

the poppies appear to follow the water flow along the hillsides

lots of poppies in the park

daisies in the ditch heading to the park entrance

daisies and something red that looks like poppies

Texas mountain laurel at a Tucson business

the flowers smelled so good

March ~ in the Beginning

 It has been rather quiet and laid back after returning from our 15 day cruise. March, however, has started with a filling calendar as it usually does when our winter stay is on the downward side.

Wednesday, March 1 was the annual winter gathering of Java SD at San Tan Flat.

3:00 PM where is everybody?

Forty-two people registered by 5:00 PM. Good food and lots of visiting just before the rain started.

It started as rain, but by midnight it had become snow. There was a light layer on the vehicles in the resort. The next morning Superstition Mountain was covered in snow to the base. My photos didn't happen until early afternoon, so it was beginning to disappear in the low 50º temperature.

The top of the mountain still had snow on Friday morning.

the field of African Daisies

There has been LOTS of moisture this fall and winter, but the daytime and nighttime temperatures are 10º-20º below normal. Usually by this time in the winter season, the flowers are at their peak; not this year.

bad photo, but this is how the daisies look when they are open

very few were open when we stopped on Thursday

I hope to get back to the field this week when it is warmer

And finally on Friday, our friend Sherry called in reinforcements to help with the finding of a geocache. Unfortunately, we did not find it this time either.