Verna and Bob's Weblog

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

Full Moon Rising

Full Moon Rising

I just posted about sunset a couple of days ago, so today I am posting the full moon rising just after sunset over the neighbor’s house with our lovely little cottage in the foreground along with saguaro and ocotillo. It was another gorgeous day today with a few scattered clouds and beautiful blue skies. We sure love it here. Click on the image to enlarge.

November 24, 2015 by Arizona Photography Something Shiny

Sundown

Sundown

I love when the clouds turn those wonderful shades of yellow, pink, orange and red after the sun goes down in the west. I pointed my camera west several days ago to get this photo of the nice colors. Click on the image to enlarge.

These past few days have had very little in clouds overhead and the temperatures have been nice – in the 70’s during the day and over 50 at night. It has been what I call the “tweener” weather – in between fall and winter when you dress warmly in the mornings and have to shed layers by the afternoon for it being too warm. The same tweener thing goes for transitioning from winter to spring.

We’re having warm days this weekend, but by Thanksgiving next week, we will be having much cooler days with highs in the fifties. Time to get out the sweaters and hooded sweats.

November 22, 2015 by Arizona Photography

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

Avalon 1998

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