The Quest to Find Arizona Wildflowers

It’s Easter Sunday and while some kids were up early looking for Easter Eggs, I was up at 6:30 a.m. searching for wildflowers in the Sonoran desert.

I was determined not to miss them this year just in case I only got to spend one spring in Phoenix. Besides, they always say you should take the time to stop and smell the flowers. That time was today.

Of course, I couldn't just pick the desert area where I live. I had to pick some place new – which usually comes through intense research and planning.

Ha ha ha ha…as if I did any research or planning.

CHOOSING THE PERFECT HIKING TRAIL

Basically, I got up at 6:15 a.m. and being lazy, I didn’t feel like putting my bike in the car like I had planned to do. Instead, I opted for a hike.

After a quick one minute search on Google and I had decided on my wildflower destination of the day.

On arizonahiking.org, they have all these great hikes listed out. The one that caught my eye was the San Tan Mountian Regional Park around Queen Creek. I hadn’t been to Queen Creek yet (it’s about an hour away from me) so that was one of the selling points. The second thing that tempted me was that the hike was 7.8 miles – which means it would be worth the drive, and the third thing was that the hike was listed as quiet.

I’m learning quickly in Arizona that if you want a quiet hike on some the popular trails and mountains like Pinnacle Peak and Camelback, you’ve got to get there at sunrise or else the trails are packed -- not that there's anything wrong with that.  But for me, hiking and climbing is my version Sunday morning yoga. I’m looking for peace and tranquility – not a whole bunch of people.


SAN TAN IS A HAVEN FOR SOLITUDE SEEKERS

If you are looking for solitude and a scenic walk, the San Tan Mountain Regional Park is the place to go.

I got there about 7:45 a.m. and there were only a couple of cars in the parking lot. You do have to pay $6 to get into the park, but it’s worth it.

In the 2.5 hours it took me to hike the 8 miles, I saw only a few people on bikes (this trail is fantastic for mountain bikers) and only ran into a couple of hikers at the end when I was leaving. This could because I was there early or maybe because I choose the longest trail to hike. They do have shorter ones that are only 1 or 2 miles long for those of you who a new to hiking.

Here’s the San Tan Mountain Regional Park website for details.

There were also tons of wildflowers everywhere so my quest was finally complete. 

Brittlebrush (yellow flowering bush) was the most prominent and they were filled with bees. Every time I stopped to take a picture the bees would get annoyed and buzz even louder. But then again, maybe they were buzzing because I was wearing this Hawaiian Tropic lip balm that I love because it has 45 SPF and smells like coconuts.  Hmmm...might have to think about getting a scent-free one for hiking.

My favorite flowers were from the Hedgehog cactus. They are the purple/pink ones. They were closed when I first got there but the blossoms opened up as the sun got hotter.

I also saw my first coral snake. He slithered into a hole in the dirt and I didn’t stop to take photos as I didn’t want to bother him.

Address for San Tan Mountain Regional Park
6533 West Phillips Road
Queen Creek Arizona 85242

Opening night of Jason Koster's portraits

Flyer for Jason Koster's show

Art is never simple. There's always a story behind it, and the story behind Jason Koster's portraits is fascinating.

I attended his opening at the Walter Art Gallery in Scottsdale tonight and was blown away.  I had seen his work online, but when you see it in person, it's really personal and raw.

But, he also told me the backstory that helped create his art -- and because a picture, especially in this case, is worth a thousand words, I'm going to tell you what it is.

The portraits when you look at at them are clear and feel honest.  The models are gorgeous in their natural skins without needing makeup -- but the kicker is they are not models. And these portraits were not shot in a studio with fancy lighting. They were shot in a box.

Yes, a box. 

Jason showed me the box at the opening and it looked like a foamcore structure covered with silver insulation. That's because these amazing portraits were shot at Burning Man in the middle of the desert and the "models" were just people willing to get into the box.

Jason Koster's bike towing the portrait box

"At first it was a black box, but it became an oven in the desert so I added the insulation," said Jason. "I also needed to make sure it was collapsable so I could move with it."

Oh...and I can't forget my favorite part of the portraits. It's the eyes.   

The gazes are mesmerizing in their honesty - so much so that you can't turn away and don't want to. But that's when you notice the rectangular light in their pupils.

It's there you can see the box...and Jason.  In a way it makes the portrait even more personal because you can see the artist creating the work within the work.  

Artist/photographer Jason Koster in the box

You really need to go see it for yourself. The whole thing is kind of interesting and if you check out the show (which runs until April 3), you may see the bike Jason rode at Burning Man parked outside the gallery along with the box where the portraits were taken.

And I'm not the only one who found the box portraits incredible.  Senator John McCain also loved them and had to have his portrait taken in the box.

So I'm asking...would, could you in a box?

Wild Wild West Steampunk Conference merges old and new worlds



Wild Wild West Steampunk Conference 2013

Apparently I am into Steampunk, but I had no idea until this weekend that I was. In fact, I didn’t even know that much about Steampunk except for the glimmers that you see on shows like “Castle” or in the new “Oz, the Great and Powerful” movie.

So how do I know I’m into it? I attended the Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention yesterday and totally loved it.

MORE STEAMPUNK PHOTOS

Finally, I was with a group of people who knew what Doctor Who and Torchwood were and could actually talk about it in-depth instead of trying to fake the conversation. Yes, there are more people than me out there that watch the BBC on purpose and get excited when they hear the Doctor Who theme song.

NOTE: I actually do the Craig Ferguson Doctor Who dance.  Watch it here so you can dance with me!

Wild Wild West Steampunk Conference

I also really loved that Steampunkers love tea. And they take their tea with biscuits very seriously. They even do tea duels. Don’t worry if you don’t know what this is. I had to ask too as I was a Steampunk virgin and had no idea what any of their traditions were.

It seems a tea duel is between two people who sit down for tea. They choose their weapon of choice (their biscuit/cookie) and then they have to dunk their biscuit in the tea for set amount of time – the longer the dunking time; the harder the duel. The person who can successfully dunk and eat their biscuit without it breaking, crumbling or falling on their clothes wins the duel.

Being raised on tea and arrowroot cookies, I think I may have been training for this duel all my life. I wonder if they do something with toast and marmalade. That would be perfection!



While I admit I wasn’t really into really into the “western” part of it, having the conference at Old Tucson was a brilliant choice. The old movie set made perfect backdrop for the costumes.

Wild Wild West Steampunk Conference

Would I go again? Definitely.   There is so much more to learn – like why did some of the people have little creatures perched on their shoulders like stuffed octopuses, frogs and winged furry things?  Also, everyone there comes in character -- some of the characters they make up and others are famous from the Steampunk culture. Very cool.  Just being there stimulated some ideas for future writing projects and I am into the gadgets and speculative fiction. 

Plus, next time I'm going to wear an outfit (that's the best part).

But I think I may be more Steampunk UK or Canada than Steampunk USA (or maybe because this was the Wild Wild West Convention so that's why the Western theme was so big).  The cool thing with Steampunk is that it can be anywhere from traditional Victorian or Wild West -- to more sci-fi to more Goth meets Old World. In other words, think more of the dark gadgety side of Sherlock Holmes, The Dresden Files, Doctor Who, Warehouse 13 and Jack the Ripper. 

If you’ve ever wanted to experience a world of fantasy that exists within our world, I highly recommend it.

Here are some Steampunk groups I found in case you were interested in checking it out:

• Steampunk  Arizona/Phoenix
• Steampunk UK
• Steampunk Canada

Oops…I did it again and ran a Ragnar

Del Sol Ragnar - 202 miles from Wickenburg to Tempe

If you live in the Phoenix area and were out on the roads this weekend, you may have noticed a couple hundred decorated white vans either driving down the road or parked in long lines in the middle of the desert. These vans were part of the Del Sol Ragnar – and I was in one of them.

If you’ve been following my blog, then you know I did my first Ragnar this past fall as my 2012 bucket list item (read about my Vegas Ragnar).

You would think running one 202 mile relay across the desert would be enough for someone to do in their lifetime, but apparently not for this crazy adventurous girl becauase I did it again. And you know what? I’ll probably do a third one eventually because the people you meet are just so fun – AND next time I want to wear a crazy outfit. Yes, I’m expanding my wild side.

JoDee in her costume

“What I love about Ragnars is that you don’t have to be an elite runner to do them,” said Brynn Tinker Campbell. “You just have to do them.”

I met Brynn during my Vegas Ragnar. She’s this down-to-earth teacher/cattle rancher from Wyoming who’s just as crazy as I am. Okay…maybe more crazy as this was her sixth Ragnar and she’s signed up for the Utah one in June. She drove hours and hours from Wyoming to Phoenix to run on our Pink Flamingo team.

“You do one and then you end up doing another one,” said Brynn, who like me didn’t know anyone else on the Pink Flamingo team. “You start off as strangers, but by the end, you are family.”



And she’s not the only crazy one. Our entire van was filled with amazing people. We had JoDee Braaten, our fearless leader, who ran all her legs wearing a pink flamingo outfit – complete with feathers, two Stephanies, Missy, Brynn and me.

Pink Flamingo van- our mobile hotel for the next 33 hours

“The first year I was only going to wear the costume at the exchanges – and not the actually running part. Then I wore it for my first leg. Then the second leg and then I figured I might as well wear it for the third,” said JoDee.

This was the third year she was wearing the costume. She says after this year, she’s going to retire it. It was beginning to molt, plus she hadn't washed it -- so it had three Ragnars worth of sweat on it.

Then there was Stephanie Maxwell, a mother of 2 who ran an ironman in the fall and was planning on running the Phoenix Marathon the following weekend. While most marathoners would probably be treating their bodies with kindness the week before a big race, Stephanie was going to push hers to the limit.

“I wasn't planning on doing the Ragnar because of the marathon, and then I looked at my legs and I had 13 miles the first day, then 4 miles and then 3. I would have been running that for training anyway,” Stephanie said.  

Me hugging a guy in bear coat

See? These women are just as crazy as me which goes to show you are never alone in your quests. And when you do find these kindred spirits, it’s like you’ve found this strange supportive family – well in this case we were a sweaty, smelly and tired family as we took turns running the 200 mile race all night long.

But that makes the connection special because surviving the struggle is part of the Ragnar experience. It’s not easy. It hurts.

“I love coming out and seeing first-timers and people who are giving it their all,” Brynn said. “Sure there are some athletes who are good runners, but the ones I love are the people you know don’t do this everyday. You know the ones who really have to push themselves to get it done.”

These non-athletes are the real “super stars” of the race. You can’t help to cheer them on and when they reach their goal, you feel like you’ve watched something special.
 

The line to the potties

For example, there was this one guy who running on the 13.5 mile leg, which was the longest leg of the Del Sol course. We noticed him struggling already at mile 6 when we drove to the exchange to meet our runner, and when he neared the finished line, he was suffering. I mean really suffering. Suffering so much that he could barely run.

Still he was giving it everything he had.

The whole crowd had to cheer as he crossed the finished line. It was just so inspiring – but worthwhile.

No one ever said reaching your dreams would be easy, but when you do reach them, it’s magical.


FIVE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT RAGNARS:


1) The people - You meet people of all ages, fitness levels and sizes.

Being part of the scenery - priceless

2) Running at 3 a.m. when it's so dark all you can see is the light from your headlamp and your breath in the cold night air.

3) The challenge - It's hard. Really hard to run that long on that little sleep.

4) Being part of the scenery (not watching it from a window)

5) The atmosphere - Think of it as a healthy Burning Man because we really are a mobile village where everyone lets go of reality just for the weekend.  

Last minute art submission

In addition to being a writer, I’m also an artist.  Although, I’m a bit like Justin Timberlake in that I only focus on one domain at a time.

Justin either acts – or creates music. I either write or create art – but never at the same time; or never really well at the same time.  Don’t ask me why. It’s just the way it works out.  Maybe one day my brain will multi-task my talents so I can be amazing at everything at once, but whatever.

Anyway, I have this art sitting around my apartment that only my friends have seen. I’ve never bothered putting it in a show just in case I sucked, and really, the last thing I want to hear is that I have no talent. It would be like Grade 6 all over again.

So when a friend mentioned this exotic art show coming up at the Alwun House in Phoenix, I figured it was about time I faced my art-rejection fear and submitted something.  Besides the show promised to be "the nation’s longest running exhibit of erotic and exotic art."  It could be cool...or at least the artists submitting would be interesting.

I'm making it sound like I had been planning this for weeks, but actually it was a little more spontaneous than that.

On Sunday, I checked website just to see when the show started. At this time, I hadn't thought about submitting -- only attending. Then I noticed the art submission link. 

On a whim, I called up the organizers and asked them if there was still time to submit.  They said yes, but I needed to have it to them by 6 p.m. that day.  (aahhh!!) They would tell me on the spot whether they would accept or reject my piece for the show. (double-aahhh!!!)

I looked at the clock. It was already 3:30 p.m.  

Thankfully the piece I had was already framed. I immediately wrapped it bubble wrap, drove down to the gallery and handed it in. There really wasn’t any time to worry about if they would think the piece sucked or else I would have backed out…again.

They did accept it. The gala opening is Feb 8 with the show running Feb 12 to March 8.

If only getting my next book published was that easy.

To do list: Complete a half marathon

It’s 2013 and time to start crossing more things off my bucket list.  First on the list: run a half marathon.

Considering all the fitness things I do, it’s hard to believe that I’ve never run a half marathon (or a full marathon). I’ve done 5 km races, 15 km runs, mud runs, color runs and chocolate runs.  I’ve even done a Ragnar Relay (doing another one this February – yay!). But an actual half marathon? Nope.  I had not done one….until now.

TRAINING – UM…NOT REALLY

I signed up for the Phoenix Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon on December 15 thinking I would have tons of time to work up to running the 13.1 miles. Ha!! There were the Christmas holidays, then I got sick and then it got cold in Phoenix. 

Needless to say I never made it up to the full 13.1 miles in practice.  I did do one 12 mile run two weeks before the race and figured I could probably fake my way through the rest.  Little did I know those last 1.1 miles would be killer.

RACE DAY

Let me tell you something about the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. It’s fricken big.

A couple of weeks before the race, I started getting these emails from the organizers asking if I wanted to pay extra for the “warm zone” or “closer parking.” It was then I started to worry.  Just how big was this thing?  Naturally, I’m a sucker for sleep and warm potties so I signed up and paid extra for everything.  

Turns out there were approximately 40,000 runners in the various events.   I didn’t expect to come in first, but my personal goal (that I pulled out of the air and has no scientific backing or research) was to come in the top 100 in my class of women between 40 and 44 – and to complete the 13.1 miles in less than 2 hours. However, when I made up these imaginary goals, I had no idea there would be 2,000 women just in that class running the half marathon with me.   



Proof that I ran, but haven't bought the photos yet.

Now I’m going to tell you something that you should not do before running a big race. Never, ever attend a wine and cheese party the night before. It's a bad idea.

Yup…instead of sleeping early and carbing up the night before like real runners, I attended this fabulous wine party.  I’m not saying I would have done better in the race if I didn’t attend, but I probably won’t do that again the night before a long run.  I did cut myself off at two glasses, but still...

So how did I do? I made it…barely. I completed my 13.1 miles in 1:54:54 (just under 2 hours) and came in 97^th in my class.   

Completing a half marathon is officially done. So what other things should I cross off the list this year? 

Mescal Trail Rave Run - right this minute

Photo from Runner's World - not me running

One of my sister shows at E.W. Scripps is called “Right This Minute.”  While the show has nothing to do with me, except that their social media person and I are planning to share ideas sometime soon, the name of the show is kind of how I live my life.

Yup, I’m the “Right This Minute” girl – especially now that I have a car.

 Last night, I was looking through the January issue of Runner’s World and saw this amazing photo.  It’s their Rave Run of the month. Gorgeous, right? And check out the caption “Snow-capped cacti and the red hue from the nearby sandstone mesa make for a fleeting yet dramatic spectacle as daylight hits the Mescal Trail.”

Now normal people would look at this, think it’s nice and turn the page. Me? I’m not normal. There is no page turning for this chick. Remember…”I’m the “Right This Minute Girl.”

In seconds, I’m on Google thinking, “Cacti? I just moved to Arizona – the land of Cacti. Where is this heavenly place with snow-capped stuff?”

A couple Google searches later, I find it. It’s in Sedona.

For those of you who haven’t been to Phoenix, that’s a little less than 2 hours away.  I sketch out the route to the trail in case my GPS fails me, dig out my gloves and warm running hat, fill my camel pack with water, and set my alarm for 5:30 a.m.

My goal is to be in Sedona by 7:30 the next morning. Forget just looking at the Mescal Trail in the magazine, I was going to check it out in person.

MORE PHOTOS OF THE MESCAL TRAIL

If you are planning to go, there is a hard way and an easy way to get to the trail. The easy way is to go to Sedona and look for Dead Man’s pass. The hard way is to follow the instructions I found on the internet that say: “From the "Y", proceed west on State Route 89A three miles and make a right turn on Dry Creek Road. Follow Dry Creek Road to the end (about 3 miles). Turn right on Long Canyon Road and proceed 0.6 miles to the parking on the left." I took the hard way.

I found the parking area okay, but there were no signs for the Mescal Trail. Thinking I was lost, I parked and started walking the trail to Dead Man’s Pass for the fun of it. At 7:30 a.m. I was the only person in the parking lot and the trail was covered with frost -- exactly like the magazine promised.

About a half mile along Dead Man’s Pass I saw a little sign leading up a hill that read, “Mescal Trail.” Happy day! I accidentally found it.

Compared to the “Dead Man’s Pass” trail, the Mescal route was much less traveled – but there was a vague path. Following the 2.6 mile path, all I heard was my crunching shoes on the frost.

Total peace and quiet (except for me). And so worth the drive – right this minute.

Photo Moment: Holiday Light Tour from a plane

There are many ways to check out the lights during the holiday season.  This year I decided to see them from the air with a group called Desert Splash Adventures.

Bucket List: Completing a 200 mile running relay (ragnar)

You would think I would run out of bucket list ideas, but the answer is “no.” There are just so many cool things to do and experience in this world.   I tend to do a couple little things every year, but there is always that ONE thing that requires planning and is my special quest of the year.  Two years ago it was a volunteering on a surgical mission, last year it was cycling across Ireland...and this year.... it's something a little crazy.

For 2012, the one thing I really wanted to cross off my bucket list was “Complete a Ragnar.”
 

WHAT’S A RAGNAR?

Some of you are probably wondering what a Ragnar is.  It’s basically a running relay where a team of 12 runs 200 miles all night long.  Yes, that’s right…200 miles. 

Here's how it work: There are two vans per team with 6 people in each van.  When it’s your turn, you run the miles for that leg. The van drives to the exchange and when you get there, you pass the relay band to your team mate. Then you try to rest until it’s your turn to run again.

Sound fun?  Um…yeah…none of my friends thought it sounded fun either, which is why I had to do it solo or not do it at all.

 HOW TO GO SOLO WHEN YOU NEED A TEAM

There’s just one problem with going solo on a ragnar: you need 11 other people.  Turns out, finding a team is easier than you think. 

STEP 1: The first thing I did was choose the ragnar I wanted to run in by visiting:  http://www.ragnarrelay.com

They have a bunch of them throughout the year. Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but there are many crazy people like me that do these.  

You can run from San Francisco to Napa or run through Key West or run through scenic Cape Cod.  They are even doing their first ragnar in Canada in 2013.  It will be around the Niagara Falls area in June.  Gorgeous.

 I decided I was going to the Vegas ragnar where you run through the desert and end up in Vegas as your final destination.  Can’t beat feeling beat in Sin City!

STEP 2: Now I needed to find a team looking for a runner. 

So I did what every social media person does -- I went on Facebook and tried to find an event page for the Vegas Ragnar.  When I found it, I posted my name saying I was willing to run.

 Then I learned there was a much easier way.  On the ragnarrelay.com site, there was a spot where you could post your name as a runner looking for a team. Yay! 

Within 20 minutes I had my first email back.  My team was found.  I was assigned as Runner 9. Whoohoo!

STEP 3: Find the van in Nevada on race day and run like the wind – again and again and again.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

My entire team was from Utah so I didn’t know any of them when I met them at the starting point.  Thankfully, two other people were ragnar virgins too, which helped alleviate some of the stress.  Plus, I admit my three legs of the race weren’t bad. 

Leg 1 -- 3 miles all up hill

Leg 2 --  4 miles flat - but at 1:30 in the morning in the freezing cold.

Leg 3 -- 9.9 miles – killer, but I saw my first wild tarantula. He was as big as my palm and was crawling across the desert trail I was running on by Lake Mead.

While I knew I could pull off the running without a problem, what was hard for me was the cold temperature -- and the lack of sleep. 

I really didn’t expect it to be near freezing at night and it was not much warmer during the day.   While you warmed up a bit when running, you were then sweaty and wearing wet clothes – and you had to sleep in the van as we ran all night. No sleeping in a comfy bed after a hot shower.  Nope, I slept with my running shoes on and my jacket.  

Freezing my butt off, sleeping in a van and eating Lunchables and squished peanut butter sandwiches: For a city girl like me, this was as close to camping as I had come in years.  It was a blast!

Our team started running at 9 a.m. Friday morning and we were finished the final mile around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.  We ended up coming in 52nd out of over 500 teams (yes, we totally rocked). We were tired and starting to feel sore, but we did it.  Plus, my average pace on my final leg was 8:11 a mile which is better than the 8:30 a mile I usually do - Whoohoo!!

Cross another one off the list!

Facing my fears on a Scorpion Hunt

I’m not sure if I was getting to know my enemy or facing my fears, but when I heard White Tank Mountain Regional Park was doing their last scorpion hunt of the year after the sun went down on Friday, I had to check it out.  Not only did it sound cool - I mean, what's cooler than seeking out scorpions in the middle of the desert at night, but I would be learning something.  Plus, the event was only $6 - so can't beat that.

Since I moved to Phoenix, people have been freaking me out with their scorpion horror stories,  such as how they like to hide in your shoes and how you can’t put your dirty clothes on the floor as they will hide in there.  Others have told me how they stepped on one getting up at night and going to the bathroom and a woman at my hair salon said she found one in her bed. Ugh!!

I’ve heard that you shouldn’t squish them (not that I had planned to do that) as their babies will squirt out and then you’ll have a scorpion infestation in your home.  And I’ve heard that they are immune to bug spray, but they don’t climb.

My co-worker, who moved here from Texas and is new to the whole scorpion thing too, is convinced they are bees without wings – which you know must  be the premise of some sci-fi series somewhere or maybe Spider Man’s next villain.  He won't go anywhere near a place that could have scorpions (or bees). Of course, in Arizona scorpions are everywhere.

Now that I was totally paranoid and dumping out my shoes every morning, it was time to see what scorpions were all about.  Plus, it gave me an excuse to buy a black light flashlight, because apparently that’s what you need to see them at night.

What did I learn on my scorpion hunt? Lots of cool stuff like:

1.       Scorpions glow under black light, but it’s not the purple glow like they show on the flashlight package.  Instead, they glow whitish-green – like glow in the dark T-shirts.

2.       They can climb – at least the bark scorpions can.  These are the smaller scorpions that are brown.  These guys are usually hanging out in trees and hang upside down so they can sting their prey as they go under them. (Yes, I was itchy the whole time and no longer run or hangout under trees).

3.       They are fast, but not as fast as roaches.  This is good news as that means I can catch them or get something to trap them with.

4.       Their sting won’t kill you – unless you happen to be allergic or elderly.  They say less than 5 percent of people stung require medical attention, which is good to know. The larger black scorpions (Desert Hairy Scorpion) that tend to hang around under bushes and rocks have a sting that will hurt as much as a bee sting.  The little bark scorpions will hurt more.

So did I see any scorpions on my hunt?  Yup.  I saw over 30 in just a quarter of a mile.  I had no idea there would be so many and will never be able hike in Arizona without knowing they are there – and watching me from the bushes, trees and rocks.

Links:
Events at White Tank Mountain: http://www.maricopa.gov/parks/white_tank/EventsDetailPublishers.aspx
 

Arizona Ostrich Farm: Best $5 I’ve ever spent

I’m not really one for crowds so try to avoid amusement parks, cheesy tourist attractions and fairs.  I’ll even forgo wine festivals – however, I will keep track of the wineries and restaurants participating and will go check them out when they are less busy.

But I have been known to randomly drive by something touristy and check it out just because it’s there. 

And the Ostrich Farm I drove by on the weekend was there…AND it had real live ostriches. How could I not stop? I mean, I've never driven by that before.

FIVE DOLLARS FOR ALL THEY CAN EAT    

O.M.G…you need to stop by this place if you need a quick pick me up.  I had no idea what to expect and it turned out to be amazing – and cheap.  Just so you know, it’s not fancy and it won’t take you long to go through the grounds, but it’s super fun.

Here’s how it works: You go through the gates and pay $5. This gives you a bucket full of green food bits, a gold coin and a container full of syrup.

I must have had the “now what?” look on my face as the cashier laughed and asked if I was a first timer. Um…yeah. I was an ostrich farm virgin.

PHOTOS: Ostrich Farm

Turns out the farm has more than ostriches and you get to feed all the animals from the yummies in your $5 bucket. 

First up were the donkeys.   As a wandered up to their fence they all lined up in row down it - waiting as patiently as donkeys can.  Again, I had the “now what” look, but thankfully they had a sign.  It read: Put one piece of food in your hand and hold your palm flat.

Really? Won’t they eat me? 

Nope. I followed the directions and one by one the donkeys gently ate the food out of my hand.  Cool.

But that was just the beginning. I did the same thing with the deer who were even more fun than the donkeys (and a little more slobbery).  They didn’t just line up in a row, but once you finished giving them their treat, they ran to the end of the line to get seconds!

Then there were the goats.  I LOVED the goats, because these aren’t just any old goats. These are “goats in the wall.”

What? You don't know what "Goat in the wall" are? Don't worry. I wasn’t sure what this was either, but it’s hilarious.  As you walk around the grounds, you’ll see this wall with round holes in it.  The holes are just big enough for the goats to pop their heads through.

While this is funny enough as you have a dozen goat heads looking at you, what pushes it to hysterical is that the goats make kissy lips at you in an effort for you to give them treats.  Hee hee hee hee!!

Of course, I was talking to all the animals like some sort of crazy person. Good thing there was no one else around.

Then it was time for the ostriches, which  I admit were kind of scary. 

After dealing with all these friendly kissing animals, it was strange to see these tall birds. There was no friendly sign saying, hold your palm flat. Instead their sign read: Yes, ostriches bite. We're not responsible for accidents.

Yeah, I’m just going to toss you the food from a safe distance - and keep my fingers safe.

Finally, they had Lorikeets.  While the goats were my absolute favorite, the birds were amazing too.   They are located in a little hut off to the side.

You go through the door and it’s peaceful - except for the chirping.  Looking lost, the woman inside told me to pick a place in the room, hold out my hand and open up the syrup in the container.  The birds would fly over to me.

And they did. 

In seconds I had 3 Lorikeets sitting on my arm with their cute little claws wrapped around my thumb and fingers (by the way, their claws feel warm).  They licked they syrup out of the container with their little bird tongues and I almost wished I had more to give them.

It was a fantastic, impromptu trip. Totally recommend it.

If you want to find it online, it's the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Farm (I didn't see any roosters there).

Crawling over Flatiron Mountain (also known as "Ow...my legs")

I have one word for Flatiron Mountain: KILLER. 

Flatiron Mountain is about an hour out of Phoenix by Mesa.  I had heard about this place from my long-time friend Dave who works at the TV station I was at in Sacramento. He had climbed it in the past and when he learned I was moving to Phoenix told me I had to check it out if I got the chance.  He also told me it was hard. Naturally, I didn't believe him.  I assumed he thought I was wimpy or something.

Little did I know he was right and my legs would hate me for three days after climbing the thing.

So here's the scoop in case you want to try it yourself -- because you know, misery loves company and right now I'm needing the company.

The Siphon Draw Trail at Flatiron starts at Lost Dutchman State Park and it is 6 miles long  – which sounds like nothing until you actually do it.  This is because, the higher you climb, the harder it gets – and my friend and I also went when it was 106 degrees.  Yes, it was hot.  Way too hot to be climbing a mountain, but whatever.

If you go, at first you are going to think I’m a wuss because the first mile of the trail is easy.  It’s well-maintained and marked.  But keep going.  The farther you walk up the trail, the more rugged the path gets. 

Soon the dirt path disappears and is replaced with small loose rocks and the higher you climb, the more narrow and rough the path gets.   There are giant boulders to climb over and a large smooth stone basin which probably has water in it part of the year, but was completely dry when we went in September. By the time you get to the basin area, you've already reached a 1,000 foot elevation gain.

From there, the trail (if you could call it that), leads towards Flatiron, which is the flat plateau on the top of the Superstition Mountain. It's another 2,000 foot elevation from the basin to the top and the brochure recommends that only experienced hikers in good shape should attempt it.

I was considering to do this mountain alone, but was glad I went with a friend.  The path is kind of marked (you have to look for faded blue spray painted marks on the boulders), but even with that, we got lost and made up our own route for part of the way. 

Then there’s the climbing. This is what was challenging for me. I’ve hiked, but never actually had to climb and pull myself over giant rocks before.  Of course, I’m wearing normal sneakers and not hiking shoes as I had no idea the climb would be so intense.   And then just when you think you’re done and can see the top, there is a 12-foot vertical rock wall. 

I admit, I didn't get that far. I had to wimp out about 10 minutes before reaching the top. 

This is because just before giant vertical wall was a slightly smaller (yet, still too big for me) boulder area and I couldn’t pull myself over it.  Yes, the mountain defeated me and if they hidden cameras in the area, I would totally be on the blooper reel as I am not a graceful climber.  I'm more like the people on that show "Wipe Out" with arms flailing everywhere and hanging on any which way possible.

But what I really needed to make it to the top was two people: One to pull my arms and someone behind me to push my butt up from behind -- or maybe catch me as I slid back down.

My friend (who went on ahead) tells me that if I would have been able to scale the 12-foot rock wall, I would have been at the top of the mountain. Sigh...so close, but not close enough.

I don’t have any regrets though. I was exhausted just getting to where I got to, and going down was just as hard as going up. 

You see, going up you can use your hands to claw and clutch your way up, but going down, there is no clutching.  There is only scary sliding down on your butt and hoping your feet find a little hook in the rock to stop you. I swear, I crab-crawled my way down the mountain and was glad I had my biking gloves with me or else my hands would have been shredded.

So will I do it again? Yes. But here’s what I would do differently:

        

-- Bring more water

        

-- Start earlier and not at 11 a.m. when it’s super hot

  
-    -- Do more upper body training so I can make it over the rock wall

- Buy some sort of repellent to deter the giant wasps that live up there.

   If you want to go, Flatiron Mountain is in Maricopa County in the state of Arizona (AZ). It climbs to 1,693 feet (516.03 meters) above sea level and is located at latitude - longitude coordinates of N 33.570037 and W -112.832399.