Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Rosemary Orchids

All of these tiny blue flowers that appear several times a year on our rosemary bushes attract bees and other pollinators. Today, they attracted me and my new Macro lens, to wit; an EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens. The image above is of one of our several rosemary bushes behind the retention wall north of the RV Drive. The image below is one of the tiny flowers up close using the new Macro lens.

I was not in optimum lighting for the above shot since the sun was getting low in the sky, but I managed to get a pretty good look up close at one of the flowers on the bush. Additionally, the wind was a factor and the image may have a slight blur due to motion of the subject. Nonetheless, I am pretty satisfied with the new lens and its close up performance. I am still learning to use the correct camera settings, and as time and experimentation go on, I’m sure that I can improve with it.

I can’t get over the little flowers resemblance to some orchids we see in other photos of flowers. Click on either image to view enlarged.

08 Jan 2026 by Arizona Home & Garden Notions Photography 0

Lemon Tree — Fruit and Flowers

For the many years we have had this tree, we thought it was a “Lisbon Lemon,” but now, we discover it is actually an Improved Meyer Lemon (Citrus × meyeri). We made the discovery when we uploaded some photos to AI asking why we were simultaneously having new blossoms and ripening fruit on the tree. It turns out that this is normal behavior for this species.

While most citrus trees follow a seasonal cycle, Meyer lemons are unique for their “everbearing” nature. It is very common to see fruit in various stages of maturity (green, yellow, and ripe) alongside fragrant white blossoms all on the same branch at the same time.

Here are some close-ups of the blossoms and fruit:

The last two photos were taken using a newly-acquired Canon EF-S 60mm 1/2.8 Macro lens. We bought the lens specifically for close-ups of our desert flora and fauna. These two photos turned out to our satisfaction and we are pleased with the new-to-us (very slightly used) lens.

As for the lemon tree, we anticipate harvesting the fruit within a month.

07 Jan 2026 by Home & Garden Photography 2

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I’ve been fooling around with some AI lately and I understand that some users have been using AI to write code. So, I tried my hand at asking it to write a script for a countdown to the new year. I asked for JavaScript to be embedded in HTML and it produced the result seen below. The AI (Google Gemini) produced JavaScript, HTML and the Style Script (CSS). All I had to do was provide the HTML Header and Body and, voila, the counter worked right off the bat. Link to Gemini code.

If you see “Happy New Year” instead of the counter, then It is already (MST) 2026.

I’m posting this some 32 hours or so before the new year so visitors to the site can see the counter. I may (just for grins) change the code to countdown to 2027 after the new year.

So, from both The Damsel and I, we wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year in 2026!

UPDATE: I changed the target to St. Valentine’s Day 2026!

30 Dec 2025 by Cyberspace Entertainment Holidays Technobabble 0

Merry Christmas 2025

Wow! This year has gone by so quickly! I guess that’s what happens when you keep busy in retirement, travel a lot and get caught up in everyday routines. At any rate, it’s time to wish everyone a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year in 2026.

The Birth of Christ according to the Gospel of Luke (summary):

The account of Jesus’ birth in the Gospel of Luke is one of the most famous narratives in history, focusing on the humble circumstances of His arrival and the celestial celebration that followed.

The Journey to Bethlehem
The story begins with a decree from the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, calling for a census of the entire Roman world. Because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the city of David, to register. He traveled with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was pregnant.

The Birth in a Manger
While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth. Because the town was crowded with travelers for the census, there was no guest room available for them. Mary gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped Him in cloths (swaddling), and placed Him in a manger—a feeding trough for animals.

The Shepherds and the Angels
Nearby, shepherds were living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.

The Message: The angel told them not to be afraid, announcing “good news of great joy”: a Savior, the Messiah, had been born in Bethlehem.

The Sign: The shepherds were told they would find The Baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

The Heavenly Host: A great company of angels appeared, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The Visit to the Child
Once the angels left, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem. They found Mary, Joseph, and The Baby exactly as they had been told. After seeing Him, they spread the word about what the angel had said concerning the child, leaving everyone who heard it amazed.

The chapter notes that while the shepherds returned to their fields glorifying and praising God, Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

24 Dec 2025 by Holidays Religion 0

122nd Anniversary of Powered Flight

Just a quick one here to acknowledge one of the most iconic technological feats in history that occurred in the early 20th century; to wit: the Wright Brothers first flights. I did a detailed post on this topic in December of 2022. In that post, I referenced an old photo, a display replica of the flyer and occupant. I asked the GEMINI AI to colorize and noise enhance it and the (clickable) image above is the result.

17 Dec 2025 by Aviation Classics Technobabble 0

2025 Cops Who Care
 Classic Car Run

Today, we attended the annual Cops Who Care Car Show and Toy Drive. The weather was great and the show was well attended by both cars and visitors. The toy table wasn’t doing too bad either — gonna be a lot of happy kids this Christmas.

When I was a kid in the late 1940s, my folks had one of these Ford Coupes modified with a bench seat for their three little boys to sit behind the driver/passenger seat. It’s a 1933 Year Model, same as Dad and Mom’s.

Also, when I was a kid, there were a lot of these Studebakers on the road as I recall. This Convertible is a member of the local Studebaker Club in the Hassayampa Valley.

We enjoyed the time spent at the Wickenburg Community Center today and look forward to attending again next year.

07 Dec 2025 by Arizona Charity Classics Nostalgia Notions Photography Something Shiny

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy and blessed Thanksgiving! We enjoyed our Turkey Dinner this afternoon consisting of good breast of turkey with Dressing, Veggies and Cranberries. We had gravy on the turkey and dressing, of course.

We’re thankful for our home, our family, our neighbors, our friends and our country. May the Lord bless you on this special day and on every other day.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.

Psalm 100:4-5

27 Nov 2025 by Arizona Food & Dining Holidays

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