Wildlife and Update in Oro Valley, Arizona

When we decided this past winter to change our winter home location to Oro Valley, Arizona which is just north of Tucson, we thought by moving into the city we would lose the ability to be around and experience nature.  Boy, were we wrong!  Of course, with the COVID19 among our midst, we used this summer to work on the place making upgrades and changes.  Things we were going to do this coming winter but since we are here, lets get them done so hopefully next summer we can get out of Dodge.  

Great Horned Owl visits every night

Coyote spotted while walking around

Morning mist blankets out mountains

King Snake - a 'good' snake

Oh my!  That's rain!

The summer was horrible - we hopefully won't spend another summer here.  Record setting temperatures for almost every day in August - every day was 105 plus, nothing lower.  Night temperatures never dropping below 80.  Not fun.  We are the kind of people who like shades open to let the light in as well as having windows open.  Not during the heat.  Found by 8am we were closing the shades (windows could never be opened since it was way too hot) to make the interior darker.  Ugh.

Lizards are common

Tarantula - big boy

Pic from internet - Mexican Grey Wolf 

Another wildfire - a week ago - thankfully
put out within 3 days

Dave would go for early morning walks (out by 6am) while I did the stationary bike.  I had broken my foot in May while out on one of our morning walks, so I decided that biking was better.  When he got back, we would and have coffee on the patio out back and he would show me pictures of animals or birds he saw along his walk.

Pusche Ridge - view looking from our patio

Javelinas - view from our front side yard

Almost every evening at dusk and during the night, then at daybreak, we would hear the coyotes howling away, sometimes the pack racing by us.  The Great Horned Owls (we have seen 3 at one time) would come sit on our neighbor's chimney right across the street from us, hawks zooming in and out, so many different birds visiting the back yard, javelinas strolling by or coming onto our front porch, Mexican grey wolf strolling by, Dave has seen a number of bobcats and I have seen one in our back yard fence, snakes, tarantulas, lizards, so much wildlife here.  We never imagined this.

Quails come by to see what's to eat

Got a visitor the other night - skunk tracks

Quail - cute, very social, noisy!

So, we plod along, have done so much already inside -  things we thought we would be doing this winter, but got it done now.  Like new hot water tank, total inside window treatment, bug screens and sunscreens installed outside, all the windows were serviced - some we could not open, the pergola in the back has new drop down shades, inside completely painted included cupboards and closets, plumbing upgraded, windows replaced (inspection showed where 3 windows had failed), new ceiling lights throughout, Dave installed ceiling lights in the kitchen where there was none at all and also installed a light over the kitchen sink, new fridge and microwave, a/c checked out and tweeked, man-door in garage replaced, reinvented the kitchen closet so now it is a true pantry where before it was a catchall junk closet, garage door tweeked. I am missing many projects but you get the jist of what we have been doing - Home Depot, Lowe's and our neighborhood ACE Hardware have consumed a lot of our money!

Looking up to Mount Lemmon's Observatory - from front porch

Moon rise near Mount Lemmon

The big project Dave is working on right now - making an indoor garden with LED grow lights out of a small den. This is major - the room was originally supposed to be for washer/dryer but instead previous owner used it for a den - not big enough for a single bed, it's that small. Dave has upgraded most of the lights inside throughout the house - wiring was crazy in some rooms. We have not tackled anything outside - figured that will be our winter project - and it's been too hot to be outside.  Plans to make the backyard into a serene desert garden space.  

We were glad we were here during the heavy rains - we saw were we need to install some type of drainage away from the house in the back and direct it away.  Puddled water near the house is not a good thing.  I am sure we will be doing so many more projects - you always want to make your space your own!