While in California last week, I collected some more wind chimes and other trinkets to bring to the Arizona house. I put some of them in my “musical mesquite” tree. When spring comes, the tree will again bear leaves and seedpods. Click on the image to enlarge.
Bob transplanted several paddles from a beavertail cactus that was growing up on the hill behind our house. It has been about a year and a half and all of the transplants seem to be doing well. This individual has grown from a few paddles (maybe four to six) to all of these paddles in that time. The cactus is about a foot and a half tall and is spreading nicely on the area by the RV drive west of the house. Click on the image to enlarge.
There are a pair of curve billed thrashers who are expressing an interest in nesting in our big saguaro. When the crew installed the cactus in August, it had a couple of abandoned bird nests in the arms. Today, the thrasher was on the cactus singing a different tune. Instead of its usual wit-WEET call, it was making a warbling, squeaky, hurried song, which we think is a mating call.
We had thrasher chicks last spring and summer in a nest in a nearby cholla cactus. It was low enough that we could walk over to it and take photos with eggs and then chicks, in the nest. The saguaro is a different proposition; this nest is eight feet above the ground, so we won’t be able to get a camera up there. Click on the image to enlarge
Last week, I posted about four red trumpets after all the flowers opened on the first flower stalk of my red amaryllis. Now, the second stalk flowers are opening. They’re just as red and just as pretty. Click on the image to enlarge.
I cleaned up one of the mesquite trees up on the hill above the RV drive last week. During the trimming, I noticed some deadwood still attached to the tree. I would have removed it, except the shears I was using weren’t big enough to get around the largest part of the deadwood.
Yesterday, I went into the hardware store and bought a hand saw. Today, I was on the hill hacking through the deadwood. Verna stuck her head out the back patio to catch this image of me between hackings. Click on the image to enlarge.
Since I already have the great room vase filled with Asian lilies, I brought the other vase with a dozen of these beautiful Vendela Roses into the office. We have often bought this variety of creamy white roses. So pretty. Click on the image to enlarge.
