This was tonight’s lovely Arizona sunset. We get a lot of these during the fall and winter months and the occasional spring and summer sky and cloud shows around sunset.
The weather is starting to be what we call “second spring,” or that time between summer and fall when the weather resembles that of April and May. Still warm, mid nineties highs and mild lows. We should have a great weekend coming up! Click on the image to enlarge.
We stopped in Wickieup, AZ on Thursday to walk the dogs and stretch a bit. Along the roadside there is this barrel cactus in bloom. I like the pinkish flowers on this one. Second Spring has arrived in Arizona. Click on the image to enlarge.
Among the main reasons I wanted the Red Bird of Paradise shrubs in the courtyard was to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. I am not disappointed since both species frequently browse the flowers of not only the red birds, but the sage flowers as well, when they are present. With second spring coming, the sages should also have more flowers to attract the critters.
In addition to the hummers and butterflies, this year we began noticing Sphinx Moths, sometimes called “Hummingbird Moths” browsing both the red birds and the rosemary bushes out back. Interesting little critters, they are about ⅓ the size of hummers but act quite the same.
I photographed this encounter with a very pretty black butterfly about to descend upon one of the clusters of flowers on the red bird closest to the middle of the courtyard. Click on the image to enlarge.
Now that the daytime temperatures are regularly below 70° and the nighttime temperatures are going below 40°, it’s time to winterize the patio spa. I took one last dip in it today only to get out of the 100° tub and feel the 66° chill before toweling off and going into the house.
We will drain the tub and evacuate the water from the tub and the jets this weekend. We look forward to spring when we refill the spa and get ready for another spring/summer/second spring/early fall season in the spa. Click on the image to enlarge.
Second Spring is upon us. The Cimarron sage bushes by the driveway have erupted with tiny purple flowers. I took this photo this afternoon as the sun was getting low in the western sky. I look forward to a lot more flowers, not only on the sage, but cacti and elsewhere before fall sets in. I’ll be taking pictures, of course. Click on the image to enlarge.
This cactus flower is blooming on a large barrel cactus in the old downtown part of Wickenburg. There are still a lot of flowers on cacti opening up as we are almost a week into August. I hope to post many more before “second spring” ends and fall begins. Click on the image to enlarge.
