Real?

 On Sunday we did a mini hike called an Extended Walk.  The normal daily walk is one hour around "the Brooke".  This one was two hours and goes out towards the perimeter of the compound.  It was really fun.  We came near these two matching cacti high on a hill.  Can you figure out what they really are?

Mountain Lions

 For  the past four days we have been receiving messages about people spotting a pair of mountain lions within a half mile of our house.  Dave went out in the golf cart to scout them out.  I am only interested in seeing them if I am driving by in the car.  No sightings for us yet.

However, our neighbor shot this quick video of a bobcat family this summer.  Apparently the mother and three kittens were living in our backyard.  They are playing in his water feature in this clip.

Tucson Botanic Garden

Many usual Christmas events have been canceled in Tucson.  However, the Botanic Garden has Christmas lights in the garden for an event.  Turned out to be a really nice evening for a stroll and not too cold.

 

Morning walk

Christmas Day was pretty bad weather.  Cold and rainy all morning.  This weekend, however, is going to be sunny and in the 70s.  We took a nice walk up a big hill.  Dave and my sister don't look happy getting their portraits taken.

This little cactus is unusual in the length of his needles.

Unnatural desert palm tree.

 

Local Animals

Still working on getting some good shots of the "big five" - coyote, jack rabbit, javelina, cardinal, and rattlesnake.  Well, I don't really care about rattlesnakes.

Ubiquitous bunny.

This is a Cooper's Hawk that was patiently sitting on a branch of our next door neighbor's tree.

This violet throated hummingbird was in our backyard.

 

Fair weather pickleball

 With my sister visiting we had to go to the neighboring property, The Ranch, to play pickleball.  I reserved a court and we went there.  However, it was a cloudy day with highs only about 58.  And windy.  Which is a death sentence for pickleball.  The Ranch is notoriously windy, but we are having a bit of stormy weather in all of southern AZ.  We'd love to have courts like this in Tualatin.

How Retirees Spend Their Time

Here are some usual sights we see around the neighborhoods this time of year.  Some people will still keep this going into late January.

 

Arizona Christmas

Some of these decorations are at the Clubhouse, which is quite spectacular.  Some are at homes here.  A few residents really love to decorate!

There's no such thing as too many Santas.

 

Seen Around the "Brooke"

 Almost a week here and we are now adjusted and settled in.  The weather has been about 10 degrees above average so that means we've already spent time swimming outdoors.  So lovely.

We have seen lots more wildlife than normal; coyotes, huge packs of deer, cardinals, and javelinas.  We have seen a lot less cars and people out and about.  Maybe there is a correlation.