Mike in the Wild

As spring unfolds in the desert, some of the first plants to bloom in my Phoenix backyard are aloes.  I grow several varieties, the largest of which is the aloe vera, a succulent native to the Arabian Peninsula.  A few especially big individuals sprout blooms that tower close to five feet in height. The viscous pulp in the aloe's thick arms is the main ingredient in many ski moisturizers and burn salves, but the scientific evidence on the actual efficacy remains inconclusive.  However it's clear that the flowers of the plant sustain a variety of bird and insect life during the yellow blooms' month-long appearance.  The "kwack-kwack-kwack" of Gila woodpeckers and the "tweet-tweet-tweet" of verdins alert me to the presence of the birds in my garden.  They are most likely feeding on the nectar of the aloe vera blooms and the insects attracted to the sweet liquid.  In fact, I even see Anna hummingbirds that when not imbibing in the nectar also hunt for tiny

Back on the catamaran a  fellow snorkeler commented that the water we had just exited was shockingly cold.  I agreed.  But I also noted to myself that the water temperature might have been the only big difference in my snorkeling adventure at Santa Maria Cove that day compared to the previous time I had visited the site.  Of course there were a few other contrasts in the visits.  More than three years ago, I had visited on a morning tour off of the Ruby Princess anchored in Cabo San Lucas's bay.  More recently, it was an afternoon outing off of the Majestic Princess, a much newer and larger ship in the cruise line's fleet.   The temperature difference was almost certainly because of the times of year for the visits: the first occasion in late November, this one in late February.  While the weather seemed about the same - warm and sunny - apparently the winter season brings more dramatic changes to the sea, when the water reaches 70 degrees versus 80.   Despite the chilly water,

Mazatlán is known for its near perfect winter weather and its wide, golden-sand beaches, making it a popular destination for Americans during the cold months.  Within sight of its tourist zones, its large commercial port reminds you Mazatlán is also a center of fishing and agriculture for the Mexican state of Sinaloa.  In addition, a large brewery and two power plants signal that industry of all varieties fuel the local economy.  However I disembarked my cruise ship with a much less lucrative activity in mind: birding. The ports on Mexico's tropical west coast attract many species of seabirds.  Magnificent frigatebirds, brown pelicans, cormorants, brown boobies, and sea gulls are just some of the birds that greet arriving ships in these harbors.  From Mazatlán's own port, I boarded a small boat with twenty-five of my Majestic Princess passengers shortly after the cruise ship's arrival.  We were setting off to explore the bird life that inhabit the estuary that separates the

As my cruise ship moored, the forays of the flycatchers in the park beyond my stateroom balcony should have been a hint that I was in store for something completely different in Puerto Vallarta.  And the hooded oriole poking through a tree's pink blossoms as I walked to my tour's excursion boat on the next pier was yet another clue.  A short time later, the brown boobies diving in the motorized catamaran's wake confirmed that this visit to the Mexican Riviera's most popular vacation spot was going to be unlike any other before. I've been to Puerto Vallarta at least a dozen times, staying in guest houses, hotels, and stopping for day-long visits off of cruise ships.  The city is most famous for its Zona Romantica, a charming neighborhood of bridges, trees, and red tile-roofed adobe buildings that house art galleries, bars, and restaurants close to the shore.  Sprawling north is the long Malecón leading to mega resorts, while south lies vacation homes nestled in verda