Bit of an Intro

Alright, so, I just moved here to Tucson from Sacramento (or as I call it, "Suckramento." Why? Because it sucks. I've lived there for 19 years and it sucked) and now I will be giving my thoughts and opinions on Sacramento vs. Tucson for a while. I'll also throw in some random blogs on random thoughts. Yay.

So anyway,  I'll start off with one of the things that first got my attention: the wildlife. Sac's got some birds here and there, plenty of squirrels, and teeny little groundhogs in some areas. Other than that, you really have to search for areas to find any significant, or diverse, wildlife. Not to mention, the only birds you ever hear in Sac are crows, seagulls, geese, and scrub jays, and that isn't too common. However, Tucson is teeming with wildlife. Instead of hearing the squawk of scrub jays throwing a fit at a squirrel or getting bombed by seagull poo, your are awakened each morning by the songs of mourning doves, chirps from finches, and the cute little "whoop whoop" sounds from scurrying quail. But wait, there's more. Javelina (pig-like creatures that aren't actually pigs, but look like them and are REALLY cute as babies, but kinda ugly as adults. Oh, and it's pronounced "Ha-ve-leena, not "Ja-ve-leena"), coyotes, snakes, tortoises, and various lizards all roam the area as well. Just sit outside for a little bit and you'll see things moving around quick. And the best part is that you don't have to be in the middle of nowhere to see it. You just have to be in your own backyard. Or front yard, if you don't have a backyard. My dad lived here in Tucson before California, and he tells of this random wild tortoise that used to scratch at his back door and ask for food each morning. My grandparents even have lizards the hang on the side of their fence in the afternoon and coyotes that bark at night nearby. And all this is right in the middle of the city, folks. No need to travel long distances to see desert wildlife. Just travel about ten steps to your yard, sit, and wait.

Another thing you don't need to travel far to see is the stars. Sacramento is NOT the place for stargazing. For one, you get lots of clouds through the year. I like clouds, but not when I'm trying to see stars. Suckramento is also a decent-sized city, which means lots of lights and tallish buildings, and lots of lights and tallish buildings means you'll see about 2-30 stars. Weeeeeeeee. Tucson, however, is quite different. The skies here are pretty darn clear most of the time, which is probably why the University of Arizona has observatories here, and why Arizona is fairly big on astronomy and astrobiology (a course that Sac doesn't seem to really pay mind to). There is also a law that street lights must face downward to keep light away from the sky and makes viewing the stars easier. There are also  few tall buildings here, which also helps. Even right in  the middle of the city, you can see a decent amount of stars. Nothing astounding, but a good amount. Not to mention it really doesn't take long to get to the mountains and more rural areas. There is the Kitt Peak Observatory on Mount Lemmon as well, which has public tours. Does Sacramento have all that? No it does not.

There are many many many other comparisons to make, but I certainly can't make them all at once. I'll give more in my next post. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go see how many constellations I can find (and actually name).