Maybe tomorrow the first of my courtyard red bird of paradise flowers will open. The flower buds are growing larger and the lower ones that typically open first are showing the colors of red and yellow already.
We get these all summer long, so expect to see a lot of photos with red birds. After all, they are my favorite desert flowers. So pretty. Click on the image to enlarge.
UPDATE: Just as we thought, the first of the flower pods opened this morning.
My tomato vine in the courtyard garden has had several tomato blossoms, one of which produced this one-inch green tomato. I am hoping that there were be several of these growing on the vine soon.
I have had varying success with growing vegetables in the courtyard; some of the plants simply fail in the desert conditions, while others are eaten by varmints like squirrels and rabbits. With the new courtyard gate at the rear of the wall separating the yard from the rest of the property, I am hoping that the pest problem will be minimized.
We shall see. Click on the image to enlarge.
This little guy was feeding on seeds from the bird block and bell we have up on the hill behind the RV drive. This photo is of him on the ground under the feeders as he crushes seeds in his beak. Click on the image to enlarge.
There seems to be several pair of reproducing cardinals in and around the vicinity of our house. Wikipedia cites the Northern Cardinal as being of the least concern when it comes to endangered species. It is estimated that there are more than 100 million individual cardinals in their North American range of over 2.2 million square miles.
I went out behind the patio and was immediately greeted by this hummingbird gathering nectar from one of Verna’s feeders. It didn’t seem to be disturbed by my presence because it repeatedly poked its beak into the little yellow plastic blossoms on the feeder.
The feeders are recent replacements for the old plastic ones which became quite weather worn in our harsh desert environment. The new feeders (other than plastic blossoms) are all glass and metal construction and should last longer than the ones we had before.
The Canon SL1 photo parameters: F6.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 1000, 300mm Focal Length. The bird was approximately fifteen feet away.
Only three this time (I think the record is 20), but they’re as pretty as ever. Click on the image to enlarge.
This cactus started in a two-inch plastic pot and we purchased it in Chandler, AZ, way before we decided to move to Arizona, about eighteen years ago. This is for sure the oldest member of our cactus collection now that we’re living here.
Some of our old cactus collection were lost when we sold the California place, but we’re planning on replacing those with new cacti as we continue to refine our Arizona courtyard and rock garden. One day at a time, we’re getting things done.
I am so excited that we’re going to have my favorite Red Bird of Paradise flowers in the courtyard very soon. There are already some more mature Pride of Barbados shrubs here in town and down in the Valley whose flowers are already open, but ours here in the courtyard are showing the promise of those elegant flowers appearing soon.
I took this image of a flower stalk with numerous pods emerging from the fastest growing shrub in the courtyard late this afternoon. Take note of the little green bug to the left of the fourth pod from the bottom. Click on the image to enlarge.
