The sign was originally installed in June of 2012, but time and the fact the original sign was plastic, it deteriorated and finally came off the post. Verna ordered the new metallic sign which I installed a couple of days ago. Click on the image to enlarge.
More Javelina stuff at this link.
After discovering some “termite tracks” in our garage floor a couple of weeks ago, we contacted a local pest control company to come out and evaluate our situation. The man that did the inspection found that there was a serious infestation on the north wall of the garage where we had some cardboard stored. He gave us a quote and we arranged for him to return today to resolve the problem.
The termite exterminator took a couple of hours to drill several holes through the concrete floor and pump the termiticide into the areas beneath. He did all that, patched up the holes and presented us with a reasonable bill for the services. We have a one-year guarantee should the little critters resurface, but the man says that statistically, they should not return for years to come.
We’re glad that that little annoyance is over and done with and we may now get on with the other important things in our lives. Clickable image of the pest control truck and trailer above.
Once again it is fall in the desert and with it comes the beautiful flowers on our Devil’s Tongue Barrel Cactus. This trio, along with several others, was open today after a nice rainfall yesterday. Click on the image to enlarge.
Ferocactus latispinus is the binomial nomenclature for what is commonly called the Devil’s Tongue cactus. Wikipedia offers the following information about this cactus:
Ferocactus latispinus is a species of barrel cactus native to Mexico. It grows as a single globular light green cactus reaching the dimensions of 30 cm (12 in) in height and 40 cm (16 in) across, with 21 acute ribs. Its spines range from reddish to white in color and are flattened and reach 4 or 5 cm long. Flowering is in late autumn or early winter. The funnel-shaped flowers are purplish or yellowish and reach 4 cm long, and are followed by oval-shaped scaled fruit which reach 2.5 cm (1 in) long.
One of our favorite local birds, the Cactus Wren, perches next to the seed block feeder in the back yard. Click on the image to view enlarged.
From the link above:
The Cactus Wren is a large chunky wren with a long heavy bill, a long, rounded tail, and short, rounded wings. The Cactus Wren is the largest wren in the United States and is similar in size to a Spotted Towhee.
The Cactus Wren is a speckled brown bird with bright white eyebrows that extend from the bill, across and above their red eyes, to the sides of the neck. They have pale cinnamon sides and a white chest with dark speckles. The back is brown with heavy white streaks, and the tail is barred white and black—especially noticeable from below. Males and females look alike, but juveniles are slightly paler and have a brown eye.
Unlike other wrens that typically hide in vegetation, the Cactus Wren seems to have no fear. They perch atop cacti and other shrubs to announce their presence and forage out in the open. They do not cock their tails over their back the way other wrens do. Instead they fan their tail feathers, flashing white tail tips.
If I understand the propagation of the Saguaro Cacti in the southwest correctly, the seeds in the fruit are eaten by various critters and deposited along with bird waste randomly in the desert, where a young cactus may eventually grow.
In any case, I photographed this Curve Billed Thrasher dining on some of the fruit on the big saguaro in our yard today. Click on either image to enlarge in the image viewer.
These are a couple of candid shots from around the property this morning:
The Pride of Barbados shrub, also known as Caesalpinia pulcherrima, is a beautiful and fast-growing plant native to tropical America. It can grow up to 10 feet tall as a shrub. Our three in the courtyard have been with us for about thirteen years and still going strong. We trim them to the ground in late fall and they come back in the spring boasting flowers in May through late fall when they get trimmed back again.
Overall, the Pride of Barbados shrub is a stunning addition to any garden, with its vibrant flowers and fast growth rate making it a great choice for those looking to add some color and texture to their outdoor space.
The white-tailed antelope ground squirrel (Ammospermophilus leucurus) is a small, diurnal species of ground squirrel found in the southwestern United States and the Baja California Peninsula of northwestern Mexico.
From AI:
The name “white-tailed antelope squirrel” is somewhat misleading because the tail of this species is not entirely white. Instead, the underside of the tail is white, while the outer surface is brown to gray with two white stripes from the shoulder to the hind end. The white stripes on the sides of the body and the white underside of the tail are distinctive features that help identify this species.
