June 2012

More Eggs in the Thrasher Nest

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Much to our surprise, there are three new eggs in the nest where we watched the curve billed thrashers fledge two chicks this spring. I was out in the front of the house taking pictures when I peeked in the nest in our cholla cactus and saw the eggs. In the photo, note the white strands of dental floss; we recycle our floss in the outdoors just for the reason that birds will build nests using string, floss and anything else they can find.

I’m not sure if thrashers raise multiple sets of chicks in a year; the bird book and Wikipedia were silent on that issue. We will be watching to see if these hatch in the next couple of weeks and get more pictures of thrasher chicks if we can. Click on the image to enlarge.

Voodoo Roses

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This bunch of “Voodoo” roses, consisting of orange and yellow hues, is in the vase today after we finished our trip to the supermarket. I don’t know how they got the “Voodoo” name, but they sure are pretty with the baby’s breath accent flowers. Click on the image to enlarge.

Date Palms

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We decided to return to Arizona today after a couple of days at the old house. As we drove through Blythe, I took this photo of a date palm orchard next to the interstate. Click on the image to enlarge.

Golden Poppy

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This poppy was growing out of a crack in the patio sidewalk of the California house. No kidding! Just before we left here in April, Bob sprayed Roundup® all over the backyard to kill the weeds that grow out there. Somehow, the poppy seeds managed to find the cracks in the sidewalk where this pretty flower is growing today. There are several places where poppies are growing, literally, like weeds, out of the cracks. Click on the image to enlarge.

Tiny Orchids

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We were cleaning up weeds and stuff in the California House back yard today. I paused a moment to snap this photo of one of the tiny orchid clusters still in bloom. Click on the image to enlarge.

Travel Day

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Cabela, Bear and Bay Bay rode to the California house today. For the most part, they were OK with the commute. Bay Bay still has a bit of anxiety, but settled down after a while and everyone rode OK. We stop twice during the six hour trip to let the dogs stretch and do whatever comes naturally. Click on the image to enlarge.