I found something out about myself on Sunday, March 25, 2012: I am not a runner.

Let me back up a bit and explain. My good friend Matt, who had enough with his sedentary lifestyle, joined Team in Training in August of 2011 with the goal of running a marathon. Over the course of a few months, Matt came to the realization that not only was the training good for him, but that he truly loved it. So, when I told Matt that I had started a new exercise routine, he urged me to join him for the upcoming Arizona Distance Classic.

Around this same time, my wife, along with some friends, signed up for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k. So with both my friend and my wife hitting the pavement, I decided to give it a try and signed up for the AZ Distance Classic Quarter Marathon (just over 6.5 miles). While I am an avid cyclist, I never thought I'd run unless I was being chased by a large animal with sharp teeth. But despite my trepidation, I downloaded a handy "Couch to 5K" app for my phone, and with the help of a good music playlist, began to jog around my neighborhood with my wife.

Fast-forward a few months of a busy schedule and not enough training. The morning of the race was beautiful, and I enjoyed the drive up into Oro Valley, where the race is staged. I was greeted by enthusiastic participants, volunteers, motivating music, and an incredibly well-organized venue. The butterflies in my stomach changed slightly from fear to anticipation. I found Matt at the Tucson Team in Training tent and we proceeded to stretch along with his other team-mates. Sooner than I expected, a booming voice came over the speakers telling us to line up. I trusted Matt's experience and let him lead the way to a spot in the milling, excited group of athletes. I barely had time to think before they said "GO!" and we were off.

Once again I trusted Matt to set the pace and just tried to be steady, while passing some folks and being passed by others. The course was very well designed, with ample signage and plenty of very friendly Police guiding us and stopping traffic when needed. There were large signs announcing each mile, and frequent aid stations with restrooms and volunteers handing out water and encouraging words. The course itself is slightly rolling and as always, surrounded by incredible Tucson scenery and weather.

Sooner than I expected, we reached my turnaround point, and my nervous butterflies returned. Up to this point, I had contentedly jogged along with Matt, knowing I was well within my training distance. But Matt had signed up for the half-marathon so with a friendly "good luck" he continued on while I turned and began my way back. I was now in unknown territory. I had never jogged beyond three-miles while training and I was only halfway done!

I tried to keep the same pace, didn't push myself to be competitive when someone passed me, and made use of the aid stations with water. I was definitely feeling it but with each passing mile marker, told myself the finish was just around that next corner. There were times when I just wanted to take a break and walk, but I pushed on. And as I kept telling myself, I rounded a corner and there was finish line, bordered by an encouraging, cheering crowd! I stepped up the pace slightly (which wasn't much at this point) and watched the clock at the finish. It was a wonderful feeling to cross that line, encouraged by so many people, and even more of a high when I was handed my medal for finishing. I couldn't believe it! I just ran a quarter-marathon for the first time!

Enjoying a little runner's high, I enjoyed some complimentary bananas, bagels and water to aid recovery. As I waited for Matt to finish his half-marathon, I really had a chance to take in the entire venue/expo and was very impressed with everything they do to support and entertain both the athletes and the spectators. Eventually, I meandered over to the sidelines to wait for Matt, and sure enough, I saw Matt's bright purple Team in Training jersey. Matt turned in a fantastic time, and even shaved a few minutes off from his previous best.

A few days later (with plenty of sore muscles), I checked the Arizona Distance Classic Website to see my results, and was surprised that I placed mid-pack with a good time of 1 hour, 12 minutes. Not bad for my first time!

So, when it was all said and done, I had a really great experience. I have an immense amount of respect for all those that run, and especially for those like Matt, who have made such a positive impact in their lives (as well as those they choose to support through organizations like Team in Training). I can honestly say that while I am happy to have participated and I recommend it to anyone looking to improve their fitness and try something new, I don't think I'm much of a runner. I just don't get the same connection with running like I do with cycling.

I feel everyone should find some sort of fitness that speaks to them to keep both their mind and body healthy. I also think that the Arizona Distance Classic is a fantastic event for beginners and advanced runners alike. Next March, consider taking a few hours to go up and either participate, volunteer or just sit back and watch the Arizona Distance Classic.  And if you're a local athlete looking for more training opportunities in Tucson, please take a look at the Winter Training Capital website.

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Visiting Tucson? Welcome to the Sonoran Desert! You've landed in a region that encompasses all of the world's biomes. In the Sonoran Desert region, you can find tundra (in the mountains near Flagstaff), coniferous and temperate deciduous forests (in the mountains and foothills), grassland, chaparral, thornscrub, tropical forest (if you travel into Baja California), and, of course, desert.

Before you start exploring any of this region, be sure that you have stocked your RV with plenty of water, sunscreen, and hats for everyone. Additionally, before you plan your trip, be aware that many Arizona state parks will take online RV reservations. You may want to stay at Catalina State Park, which is ideally located and even offers the Pusche Ridge Stables for those who are interested in riding. But, if you plan to stay at Catalina (or any Arizona state park) this summer, keep an eye on weather conditions in the Tucson area. When there is a fire risk in the Santa Catalina mountains, Catalina State Park will be closed. Another option is Kartchner Caverns State Park in Benson, which is less than an hour away (and a wonderful destination in its own right), but you will have to keep an eye on the fire risk there as well.

Day 1

• Plan to be up early your first day in Tucson, so that you can make it to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum early, while the animals are still active before the sun gets too hot. To get there from Tucson, take I-19 to the Ajo Exit, and follow Ajo Way west for about eight miles until you reach Kinney Road. Turn right onto Kinney and follow it to the Desert Museum, which will be on your left. The Desert Museum is a natural habitat zoo, botanical garden and museum of natural history. To see the whole museum, you'll have to hike through almost two miles of paths across 21 acres of desert. To really get the most out of your Desert Museum experience, plan to be there when the museum opens (7 a.m. in the hottest months of the summer). You'll not only get to see gila monsters, prairie dogs, mountain lions and javelinas in their native habitats, but you'll also have a chance to climb thro ugh a cave (save the cave for later in the day, when you are ready to cool off!). If you are bringing along toddlers who love to grab and touch things, you may want to have a stroller with you – the Desert Museum paths are lined with cacti.
• Toward mid-afternoon, as you drive back toward Tucson along Kinney Road, stop at Old Tucson, an old Western movie set. You can see mock gunfights, stunts, and watch musicals. Kids will enjoy having the chance to drive miniature antique cars, ride a train, and pan for gold. If you are here in April, you can enjoy Old Tucson's Wild West Days, a festival focused on the movie Tombstone, which was partially filmed at Old Tucson.
• When you get back onto Ajo Way, start watching for Junction 386, the Kitt Peak turnoff. Highway 386 will take you onto the Tohono Oodham Reservation, through more of the area's beautiful saguaro forest, and up into the mountains, to the Kitt Peak National Observatory Visitor Center & Museum. Find out in advance if the observatory is having a Nightly Observing Program – if so, you will want to make a reservation. If you do have the chance to stay at Kitt Peak (which normally closes at 4 p.m.) into the evening, be sure to bring warm clothes. It is always about 20 degrees cooler at Kitt Peak than it is in Tucson, and at night even the desert temperature will drop significantly. Bring warm hats and gloves.

Day 2

• Take some time this morning to visit the Pima Air & Space Museum, one of the largest aviation museums on the planet. If you can make it here by 10:30 a.m., you can start a walking tour at the Wright Flyer. The Pima Air & Space Museum also operates tours of Davis-Montham Air Force Base's "Boneyard," otherwise known as the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group. One of the unique features about this museum is that pets (on a leash) are welcome to come along (but not on the Boneyard tour bus or tram). The museum's Hangar 1 has several hands-on areas for very young children, who can climb into the cockpit of a plane and work the flight controls, or operate a runway control tower by turning on runway lights and listening to radio transmissions. If you run out of time and want to come back later in the day, you can do so – just get a hand stamp before you leave.
• From the Pima Air & Space Museum, it is a short drive to Colossal Cave Mountain Park, the perfect place to cool off for an afternoon after walking around outside all morning. Just take I-10 east to exit 279 and drive north – you will see the signs for Colossal Cave. Bear in mind that the cave is not handicap accessible or stroller-friendly. The usual guided tour will take you about half a mile into the cave, and takes less than an hour, but if you are feeling adventurous, and are able-bodied and over the age of 18, you can sign up for a "Wild Cave Tour," which will take you on a two- or three-hour long excursion through what the cave website describes as "unlit, unmarked, and rarely seen passageways that extend a quarter mile into the depths of the earth." The park also offers a candlelight tour (for ages 10 and over) after hours (you will need a reservati on). The candlelight tour takes about an hour and a half. But you don't have to spend all your time at Colossal Cave actually IN the cave – you can also visit La Posta Quemada Ranch Museum, which has a gemstone sluice, butterfly garden, and tortoise exhibit, or explore the nearby hiking trails.
• To get to Kartchner Caverns State Park, continue east on I-10 toward Benson, and take exit 302, following the signs for Fort Huachuca/Sierra Vista. Then turn right at Park Srv Rd. If you aren't tired of spelunking (cave exploring) after Colossal, you can get your fill of it at Kartchner, where you can see the longest stalactite in the world. You may want to make reservations in advance for a tour of the caves, as these tours sometimes sell out. Check the website for the dates of Kartchner's Star Night Events, especially if you are thinking of camping at Kartchner.

Day 3

• From Benson, you can follow Arizona Highway 80 southeast to Tombstone (the "Town Too Tough to Die"), where the famous "gunfight at the OK Corral" took place. In Tombstone, you may want to just poke around and see what you discover -- you can have "old time" photos taken, visit a shooting gallery, tour an underground mine, take a spirit walk through Tombstone's old cemeteries or a ghost tour through town, ride an old stage coach, or visit any of Tombstone's small historic museums.
• From Tombstone, take highway 80 west. A two hour drive will get you to the border at Nogales. You may want to take some time to cross the border and explore both sides of Nogales. Otherwise, head north on I-19. About 25 minutes will get you to the 18th century Spanish mission at Tumacacori, where you can still see much of the original church and outbuildings.
• Keep going north on I-19 for another ten minutes, and you will come to Tubac, a former Spanish fort which has become an art colony. You can still see the adobe ruins of the fort at the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park. But you will also want to allow time to visit the town's many unique art galleries.
• Completing your tour of southern Arizona's Spanish American colonial history, you will want to stop at the Tohono O'odham reservation on your way back to Tucson (it's just off I-19), to visit the "white dove of the desert," Mission San Xavier del Bac. San Xavier Mission is even older than Tumacacori -- it was founded by Father Kino in 1692 -- and is much better preserved. Mass is still held at San Xavier regularly, so you may want to note the schedule before driving out to the mission.

You'll probably find that there is much more you would like to do in the Tucson area, such as hiking in the mountains, exploring the University of Arizona campus, or just drinking in the beautiful scenery. My advice is, make a list for your next trip -- you'll be back!

Joe Laing is the Marketing Director for El Monte RV Rentals. For other great RV camping vacation ideas see the Monty's Musings RV Camping Blog or the new Monty's RV Vacation Photo / Picture Gallery.

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It's a good thing I like to cycle so much, because it seems that all of my blog posts are about eating. Tucson's culinary options are getting more and more mouth-watering (especially downtown) and my slowly-expanding waistline is beginning to prove it. I'd better ramp-up the miles on the bicycle if I plan to continue eating out like this!

My latest culinary venture was an evening meal at award-winning Janos Wilder's DOWNTOWN Kitchen + Cocktails. Tucked away on the east side of 6th Avenue, just south of Broadway Boulevard, DOWNTOWN Kitchen + Cocktails is something you really don't want to miss.

We showed up for a friend's birthday, and I was immediately struck by the great atmosphere. It's definitely urban-trendy but not too over-the-top. I was told that they're also known for their fantastic drink menu and that is not an exaggeration. If I had sampled all of the drinks that appealed to me, my poor liver would have been pickled quite quickly. Despite the temptation to be carried home because of over-indulgence, I stuck with a pre-dinner cocktail entitled "South 6th", which was a taste-explosion of Gin, cucumber, basil, simple syrup, and homemade ginger beer.

I had a very difficult time choosing my dinner entrée, but settled on the Coffee BBQ Beef Brisket, which was served with green chile grit cakes, sautéed greens and cucumber sambal. I don't even know what half of those words mean, but they certainly proved why Janos is award-winning. It was simply delicious, along with a glass of great red wine. My wife went with the Chicken Ras al Hanout and we both were equally impressed with her choice. I really don't think you can pick anything bad off this menu, though if you're a picky eater you may struggle a bit. No generic cheeseburger with fries will be found here.

Our particular waitress was attentive but a bit "distant" acting at times. I can't say that I would complain about the service, because she was around and making sure we were comfortable, but I just felt she was rather indifferent and odd-acting. Maybe she was having an off-night. On the other hand, Janos himself came by, and we were impressed with obvious passion for presenting a good meal.

I should mention that Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails has a few great events, including weekly Tuesday wine tastings, and a great "Summer Menu Around the Globe" which is a location-specific menu. Food inspired by Hanoi, Barcelona, and Tokyo are just a few examples.

As we were winding down our dinner, a band was beginning to set up, which is part of their "After Dark" live music and specials. Although we didn't stick around (my food-coma was setting in), I certainly plan on heading back, listening to some good music, and enjoying a couple more of those interesting cocktails. I've promised my liver I won't overdo it.

All in all, the experience was a very good one, with the exception being a slightly odd-acting but nevertheless attentive waitress. I'm adding this to my list of downtown restaurants to bring visitors to, because it certainly is a gem for both downtown and Tucson in general.

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Recently, we used the AMTRAK train from Tucson to LA on our outbound journey to New Zealand and were very pleased with our experience. We purchased our tickets at their website www.amtrak.com. The Tucson to LA Train is a combined train of the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle. Because of this, check the fares as they may vary between trains on the same route and also fares can increase depending upon the number of seats available. The train departs Tucson (west bound) on Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday @ 10:30 P.M promptly from the AMTRAK Station on Toole Street. AMTRAK suggests arriving 40 minutes prior to departure. You should have flexibility in your schedule in case of delays. Bring on your online ticket voucher to the kiosk or check-in with the counter agent to finalize your ticketing and received your boarding pass. Each person can check up to 3 pieces of luggage weighing no more than 50 lb. each. You can have 2 carry-on bags each. Boarding is easy - as you make your way to the conductor who assigns you a seat (coach) & instructs you on seat location.

The trains are double deckers so when you book your ticket specified whether you want the lower level or upper level. Bathrooms are on the lower level. So if you are on the upper level, be aware that the stairwell is quite narrow & steep. The dining car and lounge car are on the upper level. The cafe car is on the lower level. Having a seat on the lower level, may mean less aisle traffic. Most seating is a reserved coach seat which is a comfortable reclining seat with foot and leg rest. There are also options available such as sleeper rooms available but are very expensive. The lounge car has panoramic windows for an excellent view and comfortable seating. Tables are available for playing cards, or socializing in this common area. The dining car (restaurant service) is open for select meals with full menu service with reserved seating times. The cafe car's hours are limited as well and has snacks, sandwiches, beverages, etc.

The train ride was smooth and relaxing. The staff was very friendly and knowledgable. Scheduled arrival into LA was 8:30 A.M. We arrived 40 minutes early! We were impressed that AMTRAK required positive verification of ownership before checked bags could be claimed. The LA Union Station is very picturesque and reflected the ambience of bygone years. Our through travel was from Los Angeles International Airport and we found a convenient express bus departing regularly from Union Station directly to the airport. Other transportation services such as city bus, metro lines, and taxis were available. We would recommend this alternative mode of travel to those individuals seeking a more relaxed and leisurely journey.

Jared and Patrice Ross
Tucson, AZ

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Tucson is the perfect place for outdoor festivals, especially during the wonderful, cool weather during Spring. Doing a bit of research, I found out that the Fourth Avenue Street Fair began in 1970 when Fourth Avenue merchants put tables in front of their stores to attract customers before the holidays. From that beginning it has developed into one of the premier street fairs in the nation, drawing crowds of 200,000 to 350,000 and ranking as one of the top visual arts fairs in the country. No kidding!

One misconception about downtown Tucson is the "lack of parking." Remember, all parking is free in the evenings and on weekends, there is parking available at Pennington Street Garage, and there will soon be another garage completed right at 4th Avenue and Congress Street. If you park in Pennington, they provide a free shuttle to and from the festival. So with all this, we had no problems finding a nice parking spot across from the train station, which is within a 5-minute walk under the new 4th Avenue Underpass and which links 4th Avenue to downtown.

The day was unusually warm, and I did regret not bringing my hat.  While there are trees alongside the sidewalks, most of the fair is fairly exposed and as with any outdoor event in Tucson, come prepared with sunscreen and dress appropriately. There was plenty of water and other beverages for sale along the fair route. If you do forget your hat, there always seem to be a few vendors selling them, along with finely-decorated parisols.  

I personally was impressed with the growing number of food vendors that set up along the cross-streets. With the vendors, shops, various restaurants along 4th Avenue open for business, visitors can find anthing they happen to be craving at the moment. And don't forget about the 4th Avenue Trolley, which is a restored trolley line that runs from Main Gate Square (more great food and shops!) near the University, to 4th Avenue. It's cheap to ride, and a lot of fun for the kids.

It took us a bit of an hour to walk the entire length of the festival, including stopping at a few booths and watching the performers on both stages. Though I imagine you can make this an all-day event if you want!  This year I picked up a small, fun metal sculpture that is now sitting on my desk at work. Because I'm such a cycling fanatic, I thought this little guy demonstrated (too accurately) how I ride mountain bikes.

The Fourth Avenue Street Fair is just "one of those things" you do when you live in Tucson. If you happen to be visiting during the festival, make sure to block out some time and walk the fair... you won't regret it. And if you're into cycling, don't forget to check out the 4th Avenue Bike Swap Meet, too.

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On March 19th, MTCVB joined with Tucson Clean & Beautiful, which promotes and develops community environmental education & participatory programs in waste reduction, recycling, litter abatement and prevention, beautification, resource conservation, solar and alternative energy, and much more. I, along with over 10 other MTCVB staff, as well as staff from our accommodation partners, cleaned litter along Kolb Road from 22nd Street to Speedway, as well as two washes nearby.

We gathered early on a beautiful, sunny and mild morning and donned our high-visibility vests, hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen. With arms full of empty trash bags, and some toting tools, we split up into groups to tackle the litter along Kolb Road in East Tucson, knowing we only had 4-hours to get the job done.

Myself and my three litter-killer partners from the Bureau were assigned a long, nearly two-mile stretch of wash from 22nd Street to Speedway Boulevard. It started off easy enough, along a wide and fairly clean area, though we realized early that if we stopped to pick up every cigarette butt, we'd be cleaning up for centuries. Which brings me to a gentle reminder to those of you who smoke: Please, please, please use your ashtray!

As our noon cutoff loomed, we picked up the pace and continued to gather trash as we worked our way deeper into the wash. All of us enjoyed chatting with a few of the residents whose homes backed up to the wash. They were very friendly and grateful for our help, which shows how Tucsonans are all about Real Caring.

Just as I was beginning to get a bit tired and grumpy, we saw the end in sight. Of course, the end came with an especially large amount of litter that had been pushed up against the Speedway culvert by our strong Monsoon storms. We slogged through and managed to collect at least a dozen large bags of litter from the wash. Dirty, and feeling a bit worn-out, we finished up with an amazing sense of accomplishment and happy that we could contribute to helping keep Tucson clean.  I will definitely be participating again next year, and I encourage you to do so, as well.

If you're interested in knowing more, check out the Tucson Clean and Beautiful website.  Tucson is also packed full of volunteering opportunities, no matter what your interest. You can view the MTCVB's Clean and Beautiful photos, and don't forget to "LIKE" VisitTucson on Facebook, too.

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Our sunny Sunday morning drive to Sunglow Ranch was a snap! The scenic valley drive provided the perfect transition from bustling Tucson to the serene and cool high desert (at 5000 ft.) near Pearce, AZ.

Set on 475 acres of gently rolling desert grassland with view of the mountains beyond, Sunglow Ranch, exudes peace and relaxation. The tranquility of this special place greeted my companions and I (coworkers from the MTCVB) the moment we opened the car door . . . as did Lacey, the uber-friendly resident ranch golden retriever. In the distance we could hear the geese chasing one another down by the small lake. Owners Mitch and Chrissy Sayare have attended to every detail of their renovation of this ranch/resort. Each of the six beautifully appointed casitas includes "surprise and delight" features like gorgeous murals on the walls, Ralph Lauren bedding and pristine bathrooms. Our tour included a stop at the cozy room used for family movie nights, business meetings or yoga studio. The lush views from the brand new pool and spa seem like painted scenes from a movie set - but then a Jackrabbit moves in the distance and you're convinced once more that it's real!

Our delicious lunch was served in the Sunglow Café on vintage mismatched china and included a complete tea service a la scones and chocolate dipped strawberries. Birding, hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding are among the activities available to guests-but the stargazing is a special treat of this dark-sky location. Side trips to area wineries, the Amerind Foundation, Wilcox and Kartchner Caverns make Sunglow Ranch an amazing spot a weekend getaway or a week-long family reunion.

Laurie, Anne and I couldn't stop recounting the wonders of this Southern Arizona gem as we retraced our route back home to Tucson.

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Downtown Tucson continues to grow in popularity, as shown by the expanding number of events, restaurants and businesses opening their doors. One which has been generating quite a bit of buzz lately is HUB Restaurant & Creamery, located on the South side of Congress Street, across from the new MLK building and just a short walk from the Rialto Theatre.

My wife also works downtown so we recently took the opportunity to check out HUB on our lunch hour, which turned out to be their second day of business. The doors were wide open on this balmy February day, and both music and the chatter of friendly patrons met us as we walked inside. The atmosphere of HUB is casual and modern, but also incorporates the age of the building with original wood flooring and rough brick walls. Low-slung, comfortable booths run along one side of the restaurant, as well as within the open bar area, while a window to the kitchen and their scrumptious ice-cream bar along the opposite wall. You can view their construction/remodeling photos on their facebook page.

We were greeted warmly, and waited in the bar/lounge area while a table became available. Considering it was HUB's second day of business, I was surprised at how busy they were, so it's probably best to get there early if you're looking for a lunch-break meal. After being shown to our table, we looked over the menu, which had a great selection of soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and vegetarian options. They even advertised pot pies, macaroni and cheese, and world-famous hot dogs. Their dinner menu looked even better, and they have a nice selection of wines and draft beers. I felt the prices were very reasonable.

After spending way too much time trying to choose, I ended up selecting the French Dip with turkey instead of beef, and it was truly quite tasty. My wife chose the rotisserie chicken with cranberry sauce, and both were served with uniquely-seasoned fries. Despite my full-stomach, I wanted to try some of their home-made ice cream. All of their selections looked great, but I was curious to try the salted caramel ice cream, and was not disappointed.

Overall I was very satisfied with my first experience at HUB, and I'm very happy to see another quality establishment find a home in Downtown Tucson. If you're downtown for an event at the Rialto or Fox Theaters, or the Tucson Convention Center, definitely consider HUB for a pre-show appetizer and drink, or for a post-show ice-cream dessert.

I'll definitely be dining there again.

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We returned from our summer vacation and found we had lost part of our flock of fine-feathered hens at our Alta Vista Bed & Breakfast Inn. While sad, we counted our remaining flock, picked up the eggs and moved on. Several days latter our next-door neighbor reported our resident bobcat was hanging around and being very bold, but not aggressive. They heard a sound that they could not recognize. Turns out our bobcat is a SHE and she was a mother!

One of her kittens slid down a gutter of our neighbor's rain-harvesting system. The mother apparently had her den on their roof, which would explain all the thumping noises the neighbors heard. Anyway, the gutter goes directly underground to the water tanks. Tom, our neighbor, called the wild animal rescue folks and they came out to survey the situation. The rescue group and our neighbor had to cut a big section out of the pipe to get to the bobcat kitten. As the rescue people pulled it out with funny gloves, they saw another kitten. It slid farther down the pipe, but our neighbor used water to push the kitten back to the opening.

The rescue team thought they were through, when they heard a noise coming from another downspout. Soon our neighbor had to cut a section from that downspout as well. Sure enough, there was a third kitten! The rescue team put the kittens in a box and put the box on the roof of their house. The mama bobcat came back and got the two kittens that were strong and frisky. We were all worried about the third one, which was very lethargic. But mama eventually came back to get the third one. We don't know quite where she took the kittens, but this morning our neighbor heard one of them up on the other side of his roof. And this evening we saw the mother going down an embankment close by.

Update: Mother has kittens up on the neighbors' roof again! Every now and then one of the kittens sticks its head out of the hole in the downspout that services a roof scupper. Mama sits on the parapet roof wall sometimes and watches the activities below.

We are not housing the animals. We are just observing and working with nature where we can! Many thanks to Tom and Beverly for sharing photos and filling in the wildlife gaps.

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To Whomever It May Concern At The Tucson Visitor Center,

On August 25/10 I ended up in downtown Tucson and, lo and behold, I saw the sign "Visitor Center". Walking in, I was immediately struck by the cordiality of the lady working the late afternoon shift, the vast number of brochures to be found, and the great advice given to myself by the wonderful lady (whose name I unfortunately never got to know). She not only gave great suggestions as to where I might find a suitable hotel within my budget range, but she also put me in touch with Michael Foltz -- owner and operator of Reisen Arizona Day Tours.

That Michael Foltz is extremely knowledgeable about all of Arizona goes without saying. After all, that is his job and the sort of thing one would expect from a tour guide. But unlike most tour guides (and I've had a few over the years), Michael is possessed of a certain charm, wit, and wisdom that can turn even a seemingly mundane exercise (such as standing on a street corner in Tombstone) into an exciting intellectual adventure.

Stated differently, Michael is not someone who merely goes through a series of perfunctory motions in his role as tour guide. To the contrary, he bubbles with the sort of enthusiasm which suggests that, even if he were not being paid, he would gladly inform individuals about Arizona out of sheer enthusiasm and willingness to help people. In fact, while guiding me through Mission San Xavier del Bac, we encountered a stray truck driver who was hopelessly lost and who, despite his predicament, saw fit to step inside the church after Michael gave him the proper directions in addition to telling the driver that he had mistakenly strayed onto the parking lot of the oldest church in the United States.

Quite clearly, then, Michael comported himself with the sort of cheery enthusiasm about Arizona that I found both quite remarkable and contagious. Indeed, because I enjoyed the first tour so much (Tombstone), I felt the strong urge to go on yet another tour with Michael. Unlike most guides, Michael was able to offer social, political and cultural commentary which, for a Canadian such as myself, proved to be indispensable in enabling me to tap into the "pulse beat" of Arizona. Had I been able to stay for another week I would in all likelihood have taken another two or three tours with him. Alas, I had to fly back to Toronto on the first of September.

Once again, therefore, I must thank the Tucson Visitor Center for having provided myself with such sound advice and such a remarkable tour guide in the person of Michael Foltz. I will tell others. Cheers from Toronto! jvk.

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