I don’t have any shots of the landscape crew (2 guys) digging up the cactus in nearby Congress, AZ, but I think that the slideshow should depict the arrival, the root system and the process of placing it into the ground.
Bob
Saguaro Happens
Notice anything different about our little house?
Verna took this (clickable) image this afternoon after the landscaping crew installed this 13 foot saguaro cactus in front of the house. In a couple days, I will post a slideshow of how they transplant a huge cactus like this one.
When they pulled up the driveway and I saw the cactus on the back of the truck, I turned to Verna and all I could say was “holy s–t!”
Verna is very happy with the new saguaro – there are several buds where new arms will eventually appear. There are also a bunch of flower buds where this cactus will produce several copies of the Arizona State Flower later this spring and summer.
Pepto Bismobile
Verna took this picture today of a God-awful pink Smart Car® as we were running errands and shopping. All I could think was it’s not smart and it reminds me of Pepto Bismol. No larger image available.
Sunday BBQ: Lemon-Pepper Chicken Breast
“When you’re retired,” an old friend and neighbor who lives in California once said, “everyday is Saturday, except for Sunday.” How true that seems now that we’re in the retirement stage of our lives.
The weekend is our time for preparing our special meals. We will bake, roast or grill something, have it for the weekend entrée, and use the leftovers for meals for the rest of the Saturdays in the week. 😉
Today, I grilled a couple of chicken breasts with lemon-pepper seasoning and two ears of corn. Verna prepared the rice and okra seen in the image above (click on the image to enlarge). The leftovers will provide us with an encore of this meal, plus a southwestern chicken salad in the coming week.
Chuckwalla
On Thursday, Verna spotted a large lizard basking in the sun atop the rock where we were checking out the native American petroglyphs near Salome, AZ. These diurnal lizards emerge in the morning and, before seeking food, bask in the sun until its optimum body temperature of 100 – 105 degrees F. is reached. Their diet is fruit, leaves, buds and flowers.
From Arizona Leisure:
The Chuckwalla, sometimes called “Chuckawalla” is the second largest lizard in the United States, second to the Gila Monster.
Unlike the Gila, the Chuckwalla is not venomous. Although there are other species, the “Common Chuckwalla”‘ is primarily found in the southwestern desert areas including the Mojave Desert in California and the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. They are also found in Sonora, Mexico close to the Arizona border.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Mom’s Pink Geraniums
Today, April 23, 2011 is Mom’s ninety-first birthday! We drove to her house this morning and spent a couple of hours visiting. Verna took this picture of a geranium flower cluster on one of the bushes in Mom’s yard. Click on the image to enlarge.
