Over waffles at breakfast, some of the RV'ers who have been in the area a while, gave us some tips on what to see. They recommended the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch in Picacho, AZ, so we gave it a try. It turned out to be a lot of fun! There was much more than just ostriches. We started with donkeys and deer before feeding the goats. The goat feeding shed had feeding windows on two levels. When some of the goats did not get enough attention, they would stick a leg through the window and start stamping their hoof against the wall.
There were tubes and trays set up for feeding the ostriches. You were supposed to drop the feed into the tube and it would roll down into the feeding tray on the other side of the fence. I thought I could be a bit more adventurous and feed them from my open hand. Sometimes it was alright and sometimes they overshot and whacked your hand pretty good. Sometimes they got your whole hand! After really looking these creatures over we decided they were just not what you could label a "pretty bird."
The signs tell you to try feeding them with an open hand if you dare. This guy took a bit of my hand along with the feed.
Check out the gams on those chics!
At one point they played me. While one was nipping my right hand, another grabbed the whole cup of feed and pulled it from my left hand and over the fence. They all dove for the cup and there was complete bedlam until it was emptied. I have this feeling ostriches eat as long as someone is willing to feed them - they just do not get full.
The prairie dogs were not very active, although they would munch on a peanut if you threw it close enough. No feeding from your hand - these guys were behind a double fence to maintain a good distance. I wonder how they keep them from tunneling out?
The young goats were in a separate pen they named the "Cabbage Patch Kids." They have such strange eyes with those horizontally elongated pupils. I also thought it was unusual that the eye color was so varied.
One baby goat was actually small enough to get through the feeding window in the fence.
Apparently, "Sherbert" does this all the time.
The ducks were surprisingly competitive. They were also pretty bad aim with those bills. It took a few times getting pinched before you realized they couldn't really hurt you with those snapping orange feed pincers.
I think the most fun was inside the Larakeet house. These were not shy birds. They knew everyone entering the house had a cup of nectar and they wanted it. As soon as you raised an arm, they flocked to it expecting you to have the cup open and in your hand. When there was no more room on your arm they staged for their turn on your shoulders and even your head.
David capturing me capturing the Larakeets.
I'd love to know what he is thinking!
On the way back home we stopped in Eloy where they have a skydiving facility. They have a large indoor vertical wind tunnel where you can free-fall without a parachute. This would be the only way I would ever try the sport. I cannot imagine the terror that would accompany jumping from an airplane 13,000 feet above the ground and then depending on a few pounds of silk and lines to deploy correctly to save your life.
SkyDive Arizona is world renowned. Though, I was a bit disturbed when I Googled "eloy skydive arizona".
Would you jump out of this?
It appeared they slow from maybe 40 mph to lightly stepping onto the ground in the last 3 or 4 seconds. Most of them landed with just a few steps before coming to a complete stop and gathering their chutes. They cleared the field quickly so the next guy could land.
Of course, everyone liked Sam, but eventually, someone informed us dogs were not allowed in the drop zone, so we left. There were no signs, we checked again on the way out, but we had seen enough and were ready to leave.
She just jumped from a plane, but took the time to scratch Sam's ears.
