This interesting barrel cactus grows up on the back part of our Arizona lot. It is past its flowering season, but you can see the circle of flower buds around the south-pointing crown of the cactus. Many species of cacti are sensitive to their compass orientation, especially if they are transplanted. This one is growing naturally in our back yard.
I took a pair of photos of the wash that runs in back of and to the west of our house. I combined the pair into this 3D image of the wash and where it crosses the RV drive. I was standing by the back gate of the courtyard when I took the photos.
Image: Our Desert Wash in 3D. Click on the thumbnail image to enlarge.
If you happen to have a pair of 3D glasses, you can see the slope of the wash and drive with respect to the courtyard. When the landscaping crew placed the rocks, they made certain that water flowing down the wash would divert to the road and not into the courtyard.
Of course, you will need 3D glasses to view the red/cyan anaglyph. If you don’t have a pair of 3D glasses, you can view the 2D image here.
Just as we pulled onto our road on the way home from shopping today, we saw this cute little family of quail scurrying across the road. Later in the day, we had another quail family with two chicks atop our courtyard wall. They were gone before I could get the camera. We have seen a lot more quail families on and around our property this year than last year. Click on the image to enlarge.
Two of the three eggs in the thrashers nest hatched sometime between last evening and this afternoon. I peeked into the nest and saw these two almost naked chicks. We believe the third egg is left over from the last brood and is not going to hatch. If it does not hatch, I will get a pair of kitchen tongs and take it out of the nest after these two chicks are fully-fledged. Click on the image to enlarge.
UPDATE: The third chick hatched today (7/6/12).
We seem to have plenty of things to keep us occupied in retirement. One such chore is to replenish the bird feeders every once in a while. Today, I carried a seed bell and block plus two Nijer seed bags up to the hill behind the RV drive. I also took the “anti-squirrel” spray and treated the garden crooks so the little fuzzy feeder thieves stay away.
The left panel shows me up on the hill with the goodies. The right panel is the feeders shortly after I climbed down. Click on Verna’s images to enlarge.
I drained the spa a couple of weeks ago to flush the pipes out and clean the filter. Today, I went to refill it and accidentally let it overflow. Verna came to the rescue and bailed out a bunch of water to put on her garden plants and some of the shrubs around the house and courtyard.
The level in the picture is about five inches higher than it should be. Click on the image to enlarge.
