Well, maybe that’s not the official name, but it is near “big” Casandro Wash and it runs right in front of our little house. When the monsoons come, runoff from the local hills all collects and runs down the little river that serves as our access road.
I took this panorama during the aftermath of the monsoon downpour of July 22. Click on the thumbnail to see the full-sized panorama.
Verna fixed this sumptuous Steak Tostada for dinner today. Delicious salad featuring chunks of avocado, diced tomatoes, refried beans, cheeses and chunks of New York strip steak. Of course, there was also an obligatory Birthday Beer. 😉
You can see many new flower pods on the red bird of paradise shrubs out in the courtyard. There will be many, many more to come as summer progresses. Anyone who reads this blog will know that these are my favorites. Click on the image to enlarge.
Another lovely Arizona sunset. Image taken while walking the dogs this evening. Click on the image to enlarge.
This is a blackhawk that I saw soaring over the hills this afternoon. These birds are similar in size to turkey vultures. Blackhawks mostly have the same underside markings as the vultures, giving them some advantage in catching their prey. Vultures are numerous and almost always overhead looking for carrion. Small birds and animals have nothing to fear from vultures, which only scavenge dead critters. If the live critter sees a blackhawk, it could mistake it for a turkey vulture, therefore giving the bird of prey an advantage.
The Cimarron Sage shrubs along the driveway have many of these colorful sage blossoms after the rain last week. Click on the image to enlarge.
Delange has more:
Cimarron Dwarf Sage
Leucophyllum zygophyllum, Figwart Family: ( Scrophulariaceae ), Cimarron Dwarf Sage: Also called; Blue Ranger ‘Cimarron’ Sage, Blue Texas Ranger.
Leucophyllum langmaniae is an evergreen shrub and it is the smallest of the Leucophyllum`s. It has gray – green, cup-shaped leaves with masses of blue – purple flowers that bloom intermittently throughout the summer.
Height: Up To 3 feet tall and wide. But, we have seen plants almost six feet tall in the wild.
Flowers: Cup shaped lavender flowers.
Blooming Time: March to November. Bloom best after summer monsoon rains.
Leaves: Oblong to oblanceolate gray-green leaves up to 3 inches long.
Found: Native to the Chihuahuan Desert. Northern Mexico.
Elevation: 0 – 3,800 Feet.
Habitat: Sandy desert soils, hot, sunny areas, good drainage, to 3,800 feet’.
