The toritos have come and attacked our mesquite trees, which is a sure sign summer is ending. This year there didn’t seem to be as many as years past.

Interesting bugs. Just girdling the ends of mesquite limbs and then dying in vast numbers on porches. I wonder what our countryside would look like if we didn’t have nature’s pruning crews trimming back the mesquites every year?

The pig weed is reaching its maximum seed production, to ensure it will infest the vacant lots of the future. Another interesting aspect of life in our area. The plant is also known as ambrosia, and in its infancy is actually edible. But then it gets nasty with prickly seeds that get in the paws of dogs and stuck on socks.

If allowed to grow to full maturity, the tough six-foot tall woody stalks almost need a chainsaw to cut. As usual, I waited too long to attack the pig weed forest on the property and it will take many runs to the dump to get rid of the piles.

Summer is fading fast. Around Tubac we got lots of rain this monsoon, but it looks like everyone else got less than normal. Funny monsoon. Nothing normal this year. Global warming?

Saw the first flights of geese headed south down the Santa Cruz River valley the other morning. We know what that means. The buzzards are coming.

Just like the swallows that return to San Juan Capistrano every year, the buzzards return to Santa Cruz County every Fall.

I remember the first time I noticed the buzzard migration. I was headed into Nogales and saw thousands of buzzards circling City Hall. The old-timers told me it was just the annual buzzard migration, and of course the buzzards would hang out at City Hall. For obvious reasons. Like is attracted to like.

As part of their economic development efforts, many cities hold festivals to commemorate something they are famous for. Towns are known as the onion capital, the musical instrument capital, the hummingbird capital, and hold events to attract tourists.

Nogales has the distinction of being the drug smuggling and people capital of the state, but I doubt that would make a good theme for a festival. Though the potential for competitions in jumping fences, running from Border Patrol agents, and devising the cleverest way to smuggle would make for great reality show television.

But the buzzards do return to Nogales every fall like clockwork. Nogales could celebrate the return of the buzzards and hold an annual Buzzard Fest. Maybe thousands of bird-watchers would attend.

Anyway, waiting for the first buzzard to start circling City Hall. The official arrival of fall.

(Holub is a resident of Tubac and the editor/publisher of the Frumious Bandersnatch, www.bandersnatch.com. His opinions do not reflect those of the Nogales International or Wick Communications.)