Mike Breiding's Epic Road Trips: November ~2019~

Perch Party at Bob's

Tucson Estates

A Lofty Time

Saturday: 09 November 2019
Perch Party at Bob's

I first met Bob 4 years ago at a porch (not perch) party. Since then Bob and Betsy and I and and various neighbors and visitors have spent many pleasant hours on what I call Bob's Lofty Perch.

Bob is a retired professional pilot. He started flying in 1968 the same year I was smoking dope and dropping acid in San Francisco.
In 1969 Bob went solo and then in 1971 started flying commercially - mostly bush flying in Alaska and Africa.

Since that time he has spent 20 thousand hours in the air flying mostly single engine wheel and float planes.

bob with glider

Not everything Bob flies has an engine. Here Bob is with a glider he flies at the El Tiro Gliderport which is about about 20 miles northwest of Tucson. His flight log for gliders sits at 75+ hours.
On March 9th of 2016 Bob took me on my first glider flight. Fun!

A rough landing in Mozambique

A rough landing in Mozambique.

Now Bob is flying (along with unknown 1000s of others) a drone. He takes pictures with it and the change in perspective is quite amazing

Click on the photos below for a larger image.

Photo by Mike Breiding - Click for larger image

Photo: R. Reinaker

Here we are at one of Bob's Perch Parties. Bob can be seen on the ground operationg the drone controls.

Photo by Mike Breiding - Click for larger image

Photo: R. Reinaker

When Betsy and I saw this photo our jaws dropped! This is why we ended up in Tucson Estates.
On the right is Big Cat Mountain and to the left is Little Cat. In the middle is Starr Pass - our gateway to many miles of hiking in pristine Sonoran desert.

Photo by Mike Breiding - Click for larger image

Photo: R. Reinaker

This shot was taken at about 350-400 feet up. Down there somewhere is one of the white "candominiums" Betsy and I spend the winter in. The distant mountains are the Baboquivari and Quinlan mountain ranges.

Photo by Mike Breiding - Click for larger image

Photo: R. Reinaker

Perch Partiers: (clockwise)
Bob, neighbor Doris, Betsy, neighbor Cheryl, Esther - visitor from South Africa, Mary Ann - visitor from Alaksa, neighbor Franz, me.

Perch Partiers are not all that is seen from on high. Recently while spending a quiet evening on his perch Bob saw two Great Horned owls land in nearby Italian Cypress trees.

Great Horned Owls as seen from Bob's Loft Perch

Photo: R. Reinaker

The Great Horned owls have been very vocal over the last several weeks and we hear them every evening and during the night as well.

Great Horned Owl

Photo: © Don Baccus

A closer look at the Great Horned owl



Click the play arrow to hear the haunting call of the Great Horned Owl.


I think the "Italian Cypress trees" mentioned above are actually Junipers but I have not confirmed that.

See you next time... at the Perch?
Mike and Betsy


~~~~~~~~ BONUS ~~~~~~~~

This graphic shows examples of the 3.19 million pounds of minerals, metals, and fuels the average American will need in their lifetime

MineralsEducationCoalition.org

A good reason to stop reproducing and encourage others not to.
And what about pet food?

 

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