Verna and Bob's Weblog

Bob

Phainopepla

Phainopepla

While we were walking the dogs this morning, Verna spotted this Phainopepla perched atop a dead mesquite branch near the road. She did not have her camera at the time and all I had was my little Canon pocket Elph 140. Regardless, I got a fair photo of the little guy watching us.

From Wikipedia:

The phainopepla or northern phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens) is the most northerly representative of the mainly tropical Central American family Ptiliogonatidae, the silky flycatchers. Its name is from the Greek phain pepla meaning “shining robe” in reference to the male’s plumage.

The phainopepla is a striking bird, 16–20 cm (6.3–7.9 in) long with a noticeable crest and a long tail; it is slender, and has an upright posture when it perches. Its bill is short and slender. The male is glossy black, and has a white wing patch that is visible when it flies; the female is plain gray and has a lighter gray wing patch. Both sexes have red eyes, but these are more noticeable in the female than the male.

December 1, 2015 by Arizona Critters Photography

Throwback Thursday

Verna in the Great Room

From September 8, 2010: Verna posed for this photo while we were visiting Arizona and checking the progress of our new house. Click on the image to enlarge.

Today, we had our Thanksgiving Dinner on the table currently sitting approximately where I was standing when I took this picture over five years ago. Happy Thanksgiving!

November 26, 2015 by Arizona Family Home & Garden Retirement

The Sam Adams Guide to Seasonal Changes

Winter LagerIt is sometimes difficult to tell the seasons in our part of Arizona since we’re in a temperate zone where we can have a cold spell as we did in early November and, like today, we have spring-like mid 70’s temperatures and clear, blue skies.

But we can tell from what we see in the cooler at the supermarket that when Samuel Adams Winter Lager shows up, that it is well into the fall and winter is nigh. We’re transitioning from Samuel Adams Oktoberfest (the last three bottles today) to the Winter lager that is in the fridge and ready for tomorrow. We look forward to, regardless of the weather, having Samuel Adams Cold Snap and then Summer Ale to be followed with Oktoberfest next fall and Winter Lager thereafter.

Of course, another positive indication of winter is when the snowbirds fill the RV parks in our area. They are back now, and the roads and stores are busier than the lighter traffic months of spring and summer.

November 21, 2015 by Climate Food and Dining

Wickenburg Bluegrass Festival

bluegrass-pan.jpg

Verna and I went to the 36th Annual Wickenburg Bluegrass Festival today. We didn’t stay long, but we enjoyed the music and shopping at the concessions set up on the rodeo grounds.

I took several images of the performance area with the crowd enjoying the music as the performers played. I stitched the images together to make this panoramic view of the event. Click on the image to view the full sized panorama.

November 14, 2015 by Arizona Entertainment Leisure Panoramas

More Hummingbird Feeding

Hummingbird Feeding

Despite cooler temperatures and some of our summer birds migrating south, our little hummers are still coming around to sample from Verna’s feeders by the back patio. This little guy paused to sip several times before flitting away. I was out the back patio door taking pictures of other birds at the other feeders out back when the hummer showed up. Click on the image to enlarge.

November 10, 2015 by Arizona Critters Home & Garden Photography

Water Under the Bridge

Railroad Bridge across the Hassayampa River

This is a rare photo of the BNSF Railroad Bridge spanning the Hassayampa River seven miles south of Wickenburg where there is water flowing above ground in the riverbed and going under the stately bridge. Verna took this photo from US 60 on Wednesday while we were on our way to do some shopping in the northwest metro valley.

We have had a considerable amount of rainfall over the last week, with thundershowers in the mountains and below producing enough precipitation to flow down from the headwaters of the river in the mountains northeast of town. Today, the showers have subsided and the forecast is for partly cloudy and mostly sunny weather until the next unseasonable thunderstorms hit, maybe as a consequence of hurricane Patricia, now situated in the eastern Pacific off the coast of Mexico.

Meanwhile, it looks like good weather to prevail for tomorrow and the weekend.

October 22, 2015 by Arizona Climate Photography

Avalon 1998

Categories

Archives