Verna and Bob's Weblog

D-Day Eightieth Anniversary

From The Patriot Post:

Today marks the anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of France codenamed Operation Overlord, which commenced in the early hours of June 6, 1944. It was the beginning of the end for Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist Workers (NAZI) Party and its reign of terror across Europe — an epic battle in defense of American Liberty and, by extension, that of all mankind.

On that day, and many bloody days that followed on the European and Pacific fronts, American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines purchased Liberty for the next generation at a very heavy human price. It is our sacred responsibility now to extend that inheritance to the next generation.

Join us as we pray for the American Veterans of that war and the preservation of the Republic for which they fought.

June 6, 2024 by Military Nostalgia

A Visit to the Vet

We took the dogs to the vet today for their annual exams and immunizations. Three year old Tucker and fifteen(!) year old Cabela were pronounced healthy by the doctor.

The flags out front of the Vet and many other businesses in town are there to commemorate Armed forces day. Our local American Legionnaires plant hundreds of flags around town on patriotic and other holidays and collect them when the day is over.

May 18, 2024 by Critters Holidays

Cholla Cactus Growth

A couple of years ago, a Cholla Cactus sprout appeared in the xeriscape on the west side of the house toward the front. At the time, we decided to let it grow where it sat. I took the first photo below about a year ago and posted a 3D picture of the little cactus then.

Cholla Cactus One Year Ago

Today, as I walked around the property, I took the next photo below of the growing cactus. It seems to be growing quite rapidly, and a closer inspection of the cactus shows more “branches” beginning to sprout.

The Cholla As It Looks Today

From the other blog:

Opuntia acanthocarpa – buckhorn cholla

The main trunk of this tree-like cactus is short and erect; branching open and low to ground. Branches are cylindrical; the joints light green.

Habit: native perennial shrub; succulent stems, in segments 4-20 in (10-50 cm) tall by 0.75-1.25 in (2-3 cm) diameter; new growth is gray-green to purple-green; old growth has rough, scaly, brownish black bark.

Flower: delicate, lemon yellow to copper to red to pink, 2-3 in (5-7.5 cm) wide.

May 15, 2024 by Arizona Home & Garden

Buckhorn Cholla Cactus Flower

Verna sent me up into the wash behind our house on the west side to fetch a plastic water bottle that had blown in or washed in from the construction up on the hill behind our house. I did as she said and retrieved the bottle but while I was up there, I saw this nice cactus flower. I used my Samsung Galaxy S23 phone camera to catch this photo of the flower.

The flower is blooming on a Buckhorn Cholla Cactus, which is growing in the wild in our back yard. There are a lot of these open today on the several Buckhorn Cacti, but this one seemed to be the prettiest.

Click on the image to enlarge in the image viewer.

May 4, 2024 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Spring Flowers Opening

Since we were late to the grand flower opening at home this spring, we may have missed some of the cactus and other blooms in our xeriscape garden, but, not to worry – there are plenty more flowers coming soon. Verna snapped this photo today of a prickly pear cactus flower on the west side of our yard near the fence line. There were several flowers open today and there will be many more over the next few weeks.

Keep an eye out for more flowers when they show up here.

April 25, 2024 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Avalon 1998

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