Arizona

A Troubling Gap

saguaro-gap.jpgA troubling gap appeared at the base of our giant saguaro cactus. The gap between the cactus and the ground is on the north side of the root. Verna noticed it yesterday but we don’t know for sure how long it has been like that.

Image – the gap at the base of the saguaro – courtesy of Verna. Click on the image to enlarge.

Needless to say, I immediately placed a call to the garden shop that sold us the saguaro. The owner indicated that he would get in touch with the expert from the cactus farm and that they would have a look at it tomorrow. It’s troubling, but they assure me there’s no reason to panic.

Pistol Rack for the Safe

rackem.jpgThe “RACK’EM” pistol storage unit for the safe door arrived today. It only took a half-hour to install and load it up (after I charged up the half-flat 18V Battery pack for the power drill).

The manufacturer supplied the screws to secure the rack to the safe door but I replaced them with some better sheet metal screws that I had on hand. The rack itself is coated with a pliable plastic that won’t mar the weapons.

I loaded the rack with our two Smith & Wesson 686 revolvers (Jerry Lee and Bubba), the unnamed 9MM S&W 908’s, Verna’s Warthog (Miss Piggy) and my Glock 26 (Little Boy) with IWB Holster. You don’t see my Glock 30 (Fat Man) and Verna’s S&W 442 (Rosie the Riveter) because we carry those guns most all the time.

Image – rack with all sixteen hooks loaded with guns and accessories – click on the image to enlarge.

Below the pistols, I loaded the other ten hooks with our other holsters and gun carrying cases. Suddenly, there is a lot of room on the shelves of the safe for other stuff. Verna and I are both pleased with our purchase.

The Big Guy

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This is our giant saguaro cactus we call the “Big Guy.” I took this image of the Big Guy from the road in front of the house this afternoon against the cloudscape and the natural vegetation on the hill to the east of our house. Click on the image to enlarge.

One Year Ago Today

Exactly one year ago today, we stopped at a rest stop along I-10 near Whitewater, CA, on our way back to the California House. The Arizona house would be scheduled to start construction in a couple of days, so this was a short visit before heading back to Arizona. I posted this story and image of a roadrunner we saw at the rest stop. We have seen several roadrunners at the Arizona house, but I have yet to capture an image of them.

We were at a rest stop today among Interstate 10 when this handsome road runner darted across the dog area. I guess it should be labeled “dog and road runner area.” The species in this picture is called Geococcyx. I think they look like prehistoric birds, but here he is. Click on the image to enlarge.

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Ebbing Twilight

I had been threatening to get this image for a while now. I wanted to take the tripod and the little Canon SX110 Power Shot down to the road after sundown to capture the accent lighting we placed under the “Big Guy” 13 foot saguaro cactus. I think I succeeded and got some bonus items in the image. You can see one of Verna’s dark-sky-friendly sconces, the blue neon glow from the “Route 66” clock in the garage, the courtyard gate and a couple of stars among the passing clouds. Taken around 8:15 PM. Click on the image to enlarge.

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