In another sign of early spring, we found three or four new flower buds on the Argentine Giant cactus in front of the house. This cactus has reliably given us flowers every spring since it has been here. The flower buds are the fuzzy, swirling prominences on the crown of the cactus. Click on the image to enlarge.
The little blue flowers on the rosemary bushes behind the house are very popular these days. There are usually a lot of honey bees and a few occasional goldfinches browsing. This is a very pretty black and gold butterfly that was one of several different varieties of butterflies gathering nectar yesterday. Click on the image to enlarge.
More images: a bee, a goldfinch and another butterfly.
Several of the beavertail cacti around the property have sprouted flower buds, even though the first day of spring is over a month away. We have been fortunate to have spring-like temperatures for most of the last three weeks.
The beavertail cactus in the photo above was transplanted from the back of the property around four years ago and is usually the most prolific flowering cactus we have. We can hardly wait for the vivid pink flowers that are coming soon. Click on the image to enlarge.
The replacement flowering plum tree has been in the ground for about a month now, and it’s doing great. In a month or two, it will come out of its winter funk and start producing the beautiful purple leaves and delicate pink flowers that we enjoyed with our old plum tree which was snapped off at the bottom of its trunk when we had the monsoon microburst last summer.
When we asked David, our landscaper, to replace the tree, we asked for a more substantial, mature tree, that would withstand our harsh monsoon weather when, and if, we get it. David’s crew chief, Rigo, adjusted the irrigation so the tree could adjust to the transition to its new home.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Today was a warm, spring-like day here in Wickenburg. We think, but are not sure, that the colder winter days are behind us now.
As soon as you walk out of the back door onto the patio, you can hear the buzzing of the honey bees gathering nectar from the seventy-or-so rosemary bushes that line the RV drive. I took my camera over close to the the rosemary and took several photos of the bees doing their thing.
The bee in the photo above had lighted on a blossom and I managed to get a shot of its stationary transparent wings. Click on the image to enlarge.
Just before giving Cabela and Bay Bay their breakfast dishes, I like to hand feed them some veggies (it’s good for them). This morning it was asparagus bits and carrots. Cabela gets so excited she jumps a couple of feet off the floor in anticipation. Click on the image to enlarge.
