We are currently enjoying a dozen of these Vendela Roses in the great room. Click on the image to enlarge.
August 2012
More Erosion
We had a really heavy downpour last night. It looks like I’ll have to shore up the front of the property with big rocks to avoid losing more of the landscape. Click on the image for the full sized panorama.
Monsoon Evening
We had a pretty good rain shower this afternoon. It quickly came and went without much impact other than raising the humidity in our part of the Sonoran desert to an astounding 65%. Who ever said that Sonoran summers were a DRY heat?
All jesting aside, the rain this summer has brought a badly needed increase to the ground water plane here, regardless of the minor discomfort of a little mugginess. Tonight’s radar weather map indicates a lot of shower activity along the lower Colorado river and north of I-40 in the Kaibab plateau. The Sandia mountains and a lot of new Mexico are also enjoying a rainy evening.
There are a few flash flood warnings in all the heavy rain shower areas.
Carrion Flower
We brought one of our stapelia gigantea plants from California to the Arizona High Desert. I didn’t know if this south African succulent would like the climate here, but apparently it is OK. This is the second flower that opened on this plant since it has been here. The flowers on this plant are smaller than the ones we used to get in California. They also are blooming earlier than the September California blooms.
From Dave’s Garden:
Stapelia gigantea — Interesting succulent, olive green and erect. Lots of branches. 4-sided spineless stems average up to 9 inches and about 1 inch thick. Cactus-like appearance.
Grown mostly for the starfish-shaped flower. Flowers are pale yellow with reddish stripes, covered with white hairs. Flower can average 8 to 12 inches across. It is said to look flesh-like, also reported to have a rotting meat odor, which attracts its main visitor, the fly, for pollinating
This plant which is usually grown in pots is known by several common names which include the following: starfish flower, Zulu-giant, carrion flower and giant toad. It is native to southern Africa and Mozambique.
By the way, Dave’s Garden is one valuable resource when trying to learn about plants and flowers
The Wickenburg Express
I took this photo of the antique AT&SF locomotive and caboose on display on Frontier Street in old downtown. We do live in a picturesque place in the high Sonaran desert in a beautiful and historic little western town. Click on the image to enlarge.
Monsoons at the Grand Canyon
I can’t take credit for this image of the Grand Canyon taken from the webcam at Yavapai Point on the south rim. The National Park Service operates a system of webcams around the country at selected NPS sites. Click on the image to enlarge.
