I walked out across the road today and snapped a series of images that I merged into a single panoramic image of the Arizona house and yard. We received some of the office furniture this week and are working on acquiring the rest of the home furnishings in a week or two. We’re getting closer to our completion of the interior and are just a few steps closer to the completion of the landscaping. Click on the panoramic image to see full-sized.

We took a scenic drive today up the Hassayampa river. We saw beautiful scenery and an occasional critter. This rock squirrel climbed up a fifteen foot saguaro cactus to feast on some of the fruit. Click on the image to see the full context.

When the Governator signed the California ammo microstamping bill, we knew we had to be out of there. Our other focus, of course, was the insane green policies endorsed by this P.O.S.

Ramirez seems to share our latter viewpoint with his latest . . .

My second saguaro flower opened up today. I can show you the center of this flower, unlike the first one I posted. Click on the image to enlarge.

We drove to town today to do some shopping. We stopped for gas at a place where these red bird of paradise (a.k.a pride of Barbados) flowers were in bloom. I got out of the truck and walked over to the bush to get some pictures while Bob pumped the gas.

We bought three of these a couple of weeks ago for the courtyard at the new house. I can hardly wait for them to have flowers too. Since Wickenburg is at a higher elevation, the red birds start to flower a few weeks later than in Phoenix. Click on the image to enlarge.

From Phoenix Tropicals:

The red bird of paradise is one of the most colorful and easiest to take care of plants for Phoenix. It is deciduous but blooms continuously through the summer. Neither heat nor frost are a problem for this plant in the lower desert.

I spotted these flowers on a barrel cactus up the slope on the neighbor’s property. I had the wrong shoes on to go up the slope to get a photo, so Bob climbed up and took this photo. I’m not sure of the exact species of this ferocactus, although it might be F. wislizeni. For sure, it sure has pretty flowers. Click on the image to enlarge.

Update: Crotalus told us the variety of this cactus in comments . . .

This is Ferocactus cylindraceus, the California or Compass Barrel.

Thanks, Crotalus!

Well, last night, actually. When I went out front this morning, I saw that my first saguaro flower had opened overnight. The flower is up at about the eleven foot mark on the cactus, so I will be unable to get an image of it face on. Not to worry, though, there are plenty of buds on the lower arms that will continue opening this spring and summer. Click on the image to enlarge.

Ramirez’ insight into the false sense of security seen by Osama and Obama . . .

It’s another beautiful day in our little half-acre of paradise. After a sumptuous meal of Oriental broccoli and beef on a bed of rice, the family (us and the dogs) took a walk down our unpaved road. On the way out of the courtyard, I paused to get this shot of the moon rising over our saguaro. Click on the image to enlarge.

We frequently see these turkey buzzards (Cathartes aura) soaring over our neighborhood in search of food. I took this photo of a low flying buzzard from our patio this morning. Click image to enlarge.

The proper common name for these scavenging birds is turkey vulture, even though buzzard is commonly used. It is called “turkey” because of its slight resemblance to the red-headed game bird.

I cannot remember seeing turkey buzzards over our California home although their summer range supposedly includes SoCal.

From Wikipedia:

The Turkey Vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion. It finds its meals using its keen vision and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gasses produced by the beginnings of the process of decay in dead animals. In flight, it uses thermals to move through the air, flapping its wings infrequently. It roosts in large community groups. Lacking a syrinx—the vocal organ of birds—its only vocalizations are grunts or low hisses. It nests in caves, hollow trees, or thickets. Each year it generally raises two chicks, which it feeds by regurgitation. It has very few natural predators. In the United States of America, the vulture receives legal protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.