We were at our new home site in Arizona today doing some business. We went to the lot we recently purchased just to have a look around and make some decisions about how we want to direct our contractor to proceed with the new home construction. Just before we departed, I noticed a birds nest in the palo verde tree on the roadway in front of the lot. As I prepared to photograph the nest, a tiny verdin emerged and lit on a branch in the tree. At first, I thought it was a hummingbird being so small. After it perched in the tree, I took this photo. Click on the image to get a closer look. Click here to see its nest.
Vacation
Red Bird of Paradise
We’re on the road again and staying near Blythe, CA on the Arizona side. I was delighted to see one of my favorite “Red Bird of Paradise” a.k.a. “Pride of Barbados” shrubs growing along the frontage road. The shrub doesn’t do well in cooler climates like the California coast, so I always look for them when we’re in warmer areas. I went out a while ago and got this close-up shot. Click on the image to enlarge.
More about these from Desert Tropicals:
The Red Bird of Paradise is a relatively frost sensitive Caesalpinia, and it is generally better to trim it close to ground in winter. This keeps it more compact without seeming to delay it in spring. The canes tend to freeze in all but the warmest areas, and even if they don’t, the new growth in April is somewhat ungainly. For this reason many gardeners cut the bush to the ground at the end of November, and it will grow back green and compact in mid spring.
Walking Vulture Mine Trail
The hoomins took me to an abandoned desert gold mine. I got to go with them on an above-ground walking tour. I liked it – there were lizards to chase and birds too. We went up and down hills and stairs and walked through some of the old buildings. There was a lot of junk too. It was fun but we walked a long way and I got tired. When I got back in the SUV, I got a drink and took a nap. Click the picture to see us big.
Vulture Mine
This is a photo of one of the old buildings located at the site of the Vulture Gold Mine near Wickenburg, AZ. I took this photo while we were on a self-guided foot tour of the old mine area. Click on the image to enlarge. Bob showed a similar image to my Mom and announced “We bought a home in Wickenburg.” She did a double take and then Bob showed her a real picture, much to her relief. Click on the image to enlarge.
New Dockside Catalina Webcam
Catalina Express installed a new webcam on Avalon’s landing dock. The new camera shows the dock, any vessels that might be there and the Casino in the background. You can view the image here. This is an image I captured this morning:
Thanks for the Rain
When we were in Wickenburg, AZ a couple of weeks ago, we visited the old western downtown area. The storefronts and the general appearance of the town are in the 1880s western architectural style.
The bronze sculpture in front of the Desert Caballeros Western Museum is called “Thanks for the Rain” and depicts an old cowpoke kneeling in front of his horse.
I captured a pair of images which I later merged into the 3D image. Click on the thumbnail to see the full-sized 3D image. If you don’t have your free pair of 3D glasses, you can see the 2D version here.
