Verna and Bob's Weblog

Arizona

Lawyer’s Tongue Cactus Flower

Lawyer’s Tongue Cactus Flower

This is a flower that opened today on our “Lawyer’s Tongue” cactus near the west edge of the lot. Although this cactus was started from a rescued paddle that we picked up off the ground at a local park in town, it can be considered natural native vegetation to this area since there are many others of this variety of prickly pear cactus growing within walking distance from here.

This cactus originated from a paddle small enough to fit in a red solo cup. I planted it in a pot filled with local soil and within two years it had sprouted enough paddles that I had to put it into the ground. It is now over three feet tall and has numerous more paddles that will continue to produce flowers and fruit and more paddles as this cactus grows. Click on the image to enlarge.

May 1, 2015 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Why Won’t the Dogs Look at the Camera?

Bay Bay   Cabela and Verna
Lizard

I tried to get the dogs to look towards the camera yesterday when Verna had them both out in the courtyard. The were both too distracted by something that kept their attention away from the camera. After I took the photos, I pointed the camera toward the ground only to see the source of their distraction: a six-inch long brown lizard.

Click on any image to enlarge.

April 30, 2015 by Arizona Critters Family Photography

Saguaro Buds

Saguaro Buds

Everybody loves spring, including us. The “big guy” saguaro out front loves spring so much that it is budding up like never before. The large bud near the center of the image above will likely open up in May while the smaller bud to the right may not open until June.

This cactus was transplanted here from our friend’s place in Aguila, about 25 miles west of here along US 60. The same guys that planted the original “big guy” planted the new one in August of 2012 and it has been healthy and happy since.

The cactus has had flowers for the two spring seasons in 2013 and 2014. This year looks to be no exception other than maybe having many more flowers than in the previous two years. Click on the image to enlarge.

April 28, 2015 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Ocotillo Flowers

Ocotillo FlowersThe first flowers are opening at last on our new ocotillo. The landscape guys replaced the old one last year when it died. The new one is finally getting flower buds, some of which are opening.

The ocotillos are sometimes completely without leaves or flowers. After the winter rainy season, the canes are covered with leaves and in the spring, the flower buds develop at the tips of the canes. We currently have two canes with flowers on the tips, one is a double where there are flowers on two branches near the tip.

If you click on the image to enlarge, you can see several flowers open with yellow stamens extended from within. The rest of the buds should open shortly.

April 27, 2015 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Throwback to June 2011

Throwback to June 2011

In the interest of providing a benchmark to what the house looked like a bit under four years ago, I’m posting this picture taken back then. Since this photo was taken, the house and grounds have taken a bit of abuse from the elements as well as some measures we have taken to correct the problems.

This image was taken from the neighbor’s driveway up the hill across the road looking north. The image features some things worth noting:

  • The old “Big Guy” saguaro cactus sits at the top of the driveway – it gets replaced after root rot took it down
  • The rosemary shrubs behind the house (on the hillside behind the garage on the right) are little more than the 1 gallon size of the shrubs originally planted
  • The creosotes along the road in front of the house have been well-trimmed but will get out-of-hand as the years go by and eventually be removed altogether
  • The yellow paloverde next to the driveway (below and to the right of the big saguaro) will flourish as we supervise the growth

When the time comes, I will post a similar image (after the work currently in progress) taken from the same vantage point as this photo and describe the differences that are in the works and will be shown later. Stay tuned!

April 26, 2015 by Arizona Home & Garden Photography

Turkey Buzzard Aloft

Turkey Buzzard Aloft

In the winter time we seldom see any turkey buzzards overhead, since we are on the northern boundary of their range during the colder months. I was out with the camera today taking pictures when I saw this bird flying much lower than normal.

I took a lot of pictures of the buzzard and this one was about the best of the bunch. Click on the image to enlarge.

Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) roam over most of the Americas. Excerpt from Wikipedia:

The turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), also known in some North American regions as the turkey buzzard (or just buzzard), and in some areas of the Caribbean as the John crow or carrion crow, is a vulture that is the most widespread of the New World vultures. One of three species in the genus Cathartes of the family Cathartidae, the turkey vulture ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. It inhabits a variety of open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts.

The turkey vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion. It finds its food using its keen eyes and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gases produced by the beginnings of the process of decay in dead animals. In flight, it uses thermals to move through the air, flapping its wings infrequently. It roosts in large community groups. Lacking a syrinx—the vocal organ of birds—its only vocalizations are grunts or low hisses. It nests in caves, hollow trees, or thickets. Each year it generally raises two chicks, which it feeds by regurgitation. It has very few natural predators. In the United States, the vulture receives legal protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

April 24, 2015 by Arizona Critters Photography

Avalon 1998

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