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Wow! It’s been a while since our last update. Some of you have wondered what happened to us, well, everything is fine—we’ve just been extremely busy (more about that soon). I’ll pick the story up right where we left it, the end of Spring. We took advantage of the last of the coolish weather here in Tucson by organizing a clean-up of a favorite haunt of ours: Sweetwater Wetlands. As the name implies there is water, and any time there is water in the desert, wildlife will find it. Though it is a working part of the city’s water treatment plant the area is open to the public. As you might have noticed we spend a good amount of time there wandering the trails and watching wildlife, so we’re very glad that the Wetlands exist.

After contacting the powers-that-be (and fellow do-good birders) we arranged for an early morning clean-up near the end of April. The morning was a complete success! Though we had fewer people than hoped for we still managed a complete sweep around the perimeter of the Wetlands. We filled twelve 45-gallon bags with garbage—the resident pack rats will not be happy as we took many of their shiny things away. Beer bottles and cans were the most prevalent items with plastic bags (shopping, snacks, and bread) coming in a close second. Other items picked up included clothing, shoes, an eyelash curler, and two glass “pot” pipes. Clearly, the area gets many visitors who have other things on their minds besides watching birds.

It was a warm yet slightly breezy morning and we were treated to a close-up view of a Bobcat, a two-foot-long Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, a five-foot-long Gopher Snake, and two Pond Sliders laying eggs. Along the way we scored five golf balls, a softball and three pennies (we’re still not sure where all the balls came from…). All in all it was a great morning and Sweetwater looks a heckuva lot better!

The next evening we attended a book signing event where Amy Goodman, the host of Democracy Now!, gave a speech about the function of media. Amy was about 30 minutes late but nobody in the packed house was worried—we all knew it would be worth the wait. The emcee explained that Amy was wrapping up a busy day that had started with a breakfast speech in Los Angeles, a lunch meeting, another speech and book signing in Phoenix in the afternoon, and would end here in Tucson. Though not everyone will agree with all her views no one can deny that Amy is a tireless crusader for independent journalism, something she considers crucial to a free and just society.

Her speech was powerful and moving; Amy could have gone on all night expounding on the potential dangers of a for-profit media that neglects to tell all sides of the story. The audience was eager to listen for as long as she was willing to talk… Lance and I had seen Amy once before and then, as now, we left invigorated with plenty to think about.

A few days later April ended, and with it, Spring. Though many people joke that the Sonoran Desert has two seasons, hot and not hot, there are actually five seasons and the one that May ushers in is Dry Summer. There are many amazing things that occur during these two months (saguaros bloom and birds migrate through) but it is my least favorite season. May and June are typically hot and dry—residents of Tucson celebrate if they see a cloud, plant life drops leaves and turns brown, wildlife resorts to munching on cactus (spines and all), and the desert seems to be holding its breath, waiting for July to come and bring with it the Monsoon Season.

During the first weekend of Dry Summer was the Tucson Folk Festival, a free annual event downtown that draws hundreds of acts from all over the country. This year’s headliner was none other than Todd Snider—one of my favorite performers. He’s a singer-songwriter with a sharp wit and some pretty strong political opinions. Of course, he prefaced his concert with a short disclaimer—he isn’t trying to change anybody and most of his lyrics don’t have a point, they just rhyme (yeah, right). As to be expected, Todd put on a stellar show, a few of the old faves with some new tunes mixed in. Sounds like we’ll have to pick up his new album…

We squeezed in some Letterboxing, venturing out early in the morning or late in the day to avoid the worst of the heat. I picked up a new Hitchhiker and dropped off a couple along the way. I still have one or two that are awaiting the next leg of their adventure. I’m hoping that my sister and I can grab a few hours to Letterbox soon.

Lance received one of those dreaded jury duty notices and as luck would have it, he was selected to serve. We both know how important it is for us to do our civic duty but I do wonder why it is that we get called up at the most inconvenient times. Following the instructions to the letter Lance refused to talk about the case. After days of testimony and hours of deliberation the case ended in a hung jury, from what little Lance mentioned there was just not enough evidence for a guilty verdict.

After Lance’s emotionally charged week we figured a night out was in order so we headed over to Top Hat Theatre to catch Agatha Christie’s Mouse Trap. As with most of Christie’s work the perpetrator was not the person that the initial clues pointed to. It was a small troupe of actors but they did a great job, and we had a wonderful time.

There is no shortage of free and interesting events in Tucson throughout the year and it’s nice to be here to join in on the fun. Lance took a pass on attending the Historic Miracle Mile Tour but I think he missed out. I love learning about hidden stories and the forgotten past of areas, and this was no different. Miracle Mile began life as a humble dirt road that early car owners would travel on their way westward, following not maps but the directions of locals which included such waypoints as windmills and saguaros.

By the 1930s the dusty path had been converted into U.S. Route 80 that connected Tucson to Benson and Casa Grande. 80 was once known as the Broadway of America and brochures bragged that the road connected “the citrus groves of Florida and California.” A small section in Tucson—the first divided highway in Arizona—received the name Miracle Mile and Arizona Highways magazine called it “an almost perfect piece of roadway.” Back in the day it was the northern entrance to town and the road was lined with motor courts built with the utmost in modern conveniences to serve the needs of the motor age¹.

Miracle Mile’s glory days lasted until the interstate blazed through on the western side of Tucson in the 1960s. Travelers no longer motored through town looking for a quaint motor court that advertised amenities such as Pool, Color TV, and Refrigerated—instead they started zipping around the town, using off ramps at exits that had more convenient lodging. Business dried up and the motor courts slowly fell into disrepair. Some were demolished while others were re-purposed into less than reputable establishments; the name of one, the No-Tell Motel (which rents rooms by the hour) should give you an idea.

In 2004 the city, area residents, and local merchants formed the Oracle Area Revitalization Project with the goal of reclaiming Miracle Mile and its 85 historic motels. The group seems to have made some progress—the La Siesta Motel has been renovated in a fashion that celebrates its place in America’s motor story, and the Ghost Ranch Lodge (which I talked about last year) is in the process of becoming affordable senior housing.

I learned all of this while on the informative tour—a wonderful way to introduce people to the story of a long neglected yet still treasured area. Afterwards I joined others in the shady courtyard of La Siesta motel for a tasty meal, cool drink and concert. Looking at the sparkling pool, the stereotypical saguaro signpost, and the neon sign it was easy to imagine Miracle Mile’s glory days.

The following week contained two very important dates, one of which was Lance’s birthday. To celebrate we gathered together some family, good friends, games, and food for an evening of fun in the park. Thankfully the weather cooperated and it wasn’t too hot, always a concern in May. I think it’s safe to say that a good time was had by all…

As for that second important date? I’ll get to that story next time. Hang in there—we can’t wait to tell you all about it…

Photos: View our photographs for And Now It’s Dry Summer and for Lance’s Birthday Party.

Notes:

¹ Tucson’s long love affair with cars began back in 1899 when Dr. Hiram Fenner took delivery of the first automobile in Arizona Territory. Fenner’s car was called a “Locomobile”, a steam-powered vehicle that could reach speeds of 35 miles per hour. Dr. Fenner was the first person in the territory to possess a driver’s license and according to local lore, he also has the dubious distinction of having the first car accident. It is rumored that Dr. Fenner ran into a saguaro within minutes of climbing in the driver’s seat. ↩