Verna and Bob's Weblog

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Our 3D Courtyard

3D CourtyardI took a pair of images of our courtyard a couple of month back in an attempt to get a three-dimensional anaglyph image. Using a couple of software tools, I merged the two images into this red/cyan monochrome 3D image. I had to render it in “shades of gray” because our house is too red and the sky is too blue for comfortable viewing using a red/cyan color image.

2D Courtyard in ColorI cropped one of the image pairs to render the color 2D version at the left. As you can see, the sky is very blue and the house is Sedona red. Also, the flowers in the garden are red and yellow.

Click on either image to enlarge.

Of course, you will need your free pair of 3D glasses to view the anaglyph image

December 10, 2013 by Bob's 3D Stuff Home & Garden Nerdliness

Finch Feeders

Finch Feeders

I went out back and climbed up the little hill where we keep the bird feeders. I took the finch feeders up that Verna just filled up. When I was just ten feet away from the feeders after hanging them, the first goldfinch showed up. He was followed by several other goldfinches and house finches a short time later. Click on the image to enlarge.

December 9, 2013 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden

Lemons Soon?

lemon blossom

This is one of many tiny blossoms on our lemon tree. I think that there may be winter lemons from this tree if the freeze doesn’t take them out. We will be covering the tree in the morning in anticipation of forecast frost tomorrow night. Click on the image to enlarge.

December 4, 2013 by Arizona Home & Garden Photography

Ring Around the Saguaro

Ring Around the Saguaro

During the fall and winter months, the sky is frequently covered with high, thin cirrus clouds. At that high altitude, clouds are mostly composed of ice crystals which act as little prisms to refract sunlight. A couple of days ago, the sun was surrounded by a halo demonstrating this effect. I took a picture of the phenomenon using our big saguaro cactus to block the direct sunlight. Click on the image to enlarge.

December 2, 2013 by Arizona Home & Garden Nerdliness Photography

White-tailed Antelope Ground Squirrel

Squirrel

I was replacing the bird seed bell and block up on the hill behind the RV drive, when this bold little white-tailed antelope ground squirrel (ammospermophilus leucurus) came up to within a few feet of me. It seemed to beg for some of the bird seed, so I spilled a few seeds on the ground which it promptly consumed. We see a lot of these around the yard and they, along with cottontails and jackrabbits, drive the dogs nuts. We keep our distance, however, since these cute little guys have been known to carry harmful diseases.

Wikipedia details more about these squirrels:

The white-tailed antelope squirrel, Ammospermophilus leucurus, is a diurnal species of ground squirrel found in arid regions of the southwestern United States and the Baja California Peninsula of northwestern Mexico.

This species of squirrel has an average home range of 14.9 acres, and utilizes approximately 4 acres in its daily activities.

Ammospermophilus leucurus is omnivorous, feeding primarily on foliage (10%-60% of its diet), seeds (20%-50%), arthropods, and to a lesser extent, vertebrates (mainly lizards and rodents; predatory behavior by ground squirrels has been noted).

November 6, 2013 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography

Quail on the Seed Block

Quail on the Seed Block

I went out back to test my big camera since I haven’t used it in a while. We have a road trip coming up and I wanted to make sure it was working OK. Just as I pointed it up to where the seed bell and block are located, a female Gambel’s Quail hopped on the block and posed. A cactus wren has it’s backside pointed at the camera on the seed bell located just below the block. Click on the image to enlarge.

October 15, 2013 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography

Avalon 1998

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