Biosphere 2

In 1991, four men and four women sealed themselves into a $150 million science project called Biosphere 2. (Biosphere 1 is the Earth.) Their goal was to spend two years in an airtight, self-contained environment, growing their own food and recycling their air and water. The experiment didn't go exactly as planned--an unusually cloudy year resulted in reduced photosynthesis, and oxygen from outside needed to be pumped in. Still, the Biosphere 2 is considered a modern engineering wonder.

White Dove of the Desert

I took this photo a few years ago of Mission San Xavier del Bac, but I doubt it's changed much. The mission, also referred to as "The White Dove of the Desert," has been undergoing renovations for years now. Unfortunately, though, I believe there's funding problems, and this portion of it still needs repairs.

San Xavier is located just south of Tucson. It is one of the missions founded by Father Kino.

Tohono Chul Park

I wrote a post today for Arizona Travel and Adventure on Tohono Chul Park, so I thought it was only fitting to post a photo here as well. Check out the blog at www.arizonatravelandadventure.com.

Cactus Needles

Here's a fun photo. I thought I was seeing things when I noticed these colored needles on some of the saguaro at Tohono Chul Park in Tucson. No! Each year, they've marked the growth as part of a botanical experiment. (The docents couldn't give me any more detail than that.) One of the interesting things I noticed is the growth on each saguaro seemed to be different, leaving you to wonder if the saguaros all grow at their own pace.

Potted Plant

After the dude ranch, I visited Tohono Chul Park, a botanical garden in Tucson. I liked the colors of this arrangement: the blue pot, the red stairs, the white walls and the green plant.

Horse

This is one of the Tanque Verde Ranch horses. The ranch has 168 geldings (mares have a mind of their own and distract the males). Most of the horses are between 5 to 7 years old, and they tend to be bigger-boned, larger animals suitable for riders of any size (under 250 lbs).

Tanque Verde Ranch

I visited Tanque Verde Ranch yesterday and got to take a horseback ride through the desert. Here's a photo I took as I was riding.

DeGrazia's Mission in the Sun

DeGrazia's Gallery

I rediscovered these photos from my visit to Ted DeGrazia's studio and thought they'd be great to share. DeGrazia painted angelic figures in bright colors. I'm sure you'd recognize the artwork if you don't recognize his name. Above is the entrance to his studio. Below the actual studio. To learn more, please visit my other site, The AZ Traveler, at http://www.greatescapesaz.blogger.com/.