Mountain Horny Toad

Steve and I saw four or five horny toads while we were hiking the Carrie Nation Trail in Madera Canyon. Notice how this fellow's salmon and olive camouflage is just right for his environment. Quite different from his desert cousin, whose photo can be seen on the July 23, 2012 blog post.

Price Reduced on a Lovely Home

Lovely family home in a desirable neighborhood. Well maintained and nicely upgraded. Gorgeous, soaring open-beam ceilings.
Two-sided fireplace is open to living room and family room.
Dining ell has a view to the back yard through the bay window.
Solid masonry construction with high block wall for privacy. Light and bright kitchen with oak cabinets, cheery blue counters and desk.
Big closets and sweet built-in storage. Dual cooling. Raised planter bed, mister on the spacious covered patio, plus ramada and storage shed.
Laundry room inside next to roomy storage room/workshop. Three blocks to Mesa Village Park, and about the same distance to Park Place Mall. See interactive floor plan here.

Sold for $138,000 on December 14, 2012. What a deal. All the foreclosures and short sales in the neighborhood dragged the appraisal down way below what this house is worth. 

Life Imitates Kitsch

Space Shuttle Endeavor

Like mating dragonflies, space shuttle Endeavor sailed over Tucson riding a 747 this morning on its way to its final resting place in Los Angeles. The fly over honored our former Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, and her astronaut husband, Mark Kelly, who was commander on the Endeavor's last mission in May 2011.

I am disappointed that there was no advance publicity about this once-in-a-lifetime event. Hence, all I got was this sorry photo with my phone.

Short Sale Pain May Hurt More in 2013

Unless Congress acts quickly, people who lose their homes in short sales may be hit with a tax bill for the "income" they received in the form of forgiven debt.

Tarantula: Five on the Left and Three on the Right

I encountered this unusual tarantula while hiking in Madera Canyon over the weekend. It was about the size of my hand and fingers. It seems to have lost its right front leg and pedipalp, but it can still get around okay. When it moults, it will grow new appendages. It may have even eaten its appendages if a predator didn't make off with them.

I was not concerned that I could get hurt by making this video, but I should have been. Tarantulas can throw hairs at their attackers, and the hairs can create an irritating rash. They can even cause permanent eye damage.

By the way, Madera Canyon is only an hour south of Tucson in the Santa Rita Mountains. It is 3,000 feet higher and at least 20 degrees cooler than Tucson. Birds I saw there: Broad-Billed, Rufous and Black-Chinned Hummingbirds, Acorn Woodpeckers, Green-Backed and Black-Backed Lesser Goldfinches, Mexican Jays and a Bullock's Oriole.

Like the Views from Desert's Edge? Buy My Neighbor's House

I have spent many hours watching and listening to the wildlife in the back yard of my home, Desert's Edge. Many of the photos in the Urban Wildlife section of my blog were taken there. If you would like to share my extreme good luck in owning a home on the edge of the desert, here's your big chance. My neighbors have hired me to sell their wonderful home.

Let's start with the back yard, which is adjacent to 65 acres of common area owned by the home owner's association. Before you say "Yuck! Homeowner's association!" let me tell you that the dues are $41.50 per YEAR, which mainly pays the taxes and insurance on the common area.

The owners have created a wildlife viewing paradise, with a porch that extends 55 feet, all the way across the back of the house. They built this porch strong enough to support a deck, from which you would be able to see the city lights, and four mountain ranges. On the roof is the solar water heater panel.

The inside of the home is also a delight. Bright and well-maintained, it has four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The floor plan is here.
The kitchen and living room floors are polished saltillo, and the rest of the floors were recently tiled with a decorative saltillo-look-alike ceramic. Close to Tumamoc Hill and only 10 minutes to downtown.

Solid masonry construction and all work done by professionals with building permits. If you know another neighborhood where you can own this kind of view for this kind of price, please let me know about it, because I've never seen it.

Sold for $145,000 in December 2012.