January 2013

Overtures to Spring

Curve Billed Thrasher

Over the last couple of days, we have noticed a curve billed thrasher or two, hanging around our transplanted saguaro cactus. When the crew installed the cactus in August, it had a couple of abandoned bird nests in the arms. Today, the thrasher was in one of the nests singing a different tune. Instead of its usual wit-WEET call, it was making a warbling, squeaky, hurried song, which we think is a mating call.

We had thrasher chicks last spring and summer in a nest in a nearby cholla cactus. It was low enough that we could walk over to it and take photos with eggs and then chicks, in the nest. The saguaro is a different proposition; this nest is eight feet above the ground, so we won’t be able to get a camera up there. Click on the image to enlarge.

Giant Asian Lilies

Giant Asian Lilies

The lilies we bought last week have opened up and to my delight, they are HUGE. The span across the petal tips is about nine inches. Like lilies on steroids, or something. I wish we could transmit the wonderful fragrance of these pink beauties over the internet. Click on the image to enlarge.

Road With A View

Hieroglyph Mountains

Today, we went on our usual Monday (senior discount day) shopping trip to the discount store in town. As we pulled out on the unpaved road that connects us to the outside world, we were treated with our usual view of lower Casandro Wash with the Hieroglyph Mountains in the distance. Click on the image to enlarge.

“Contemptible Ray” Nagin Indicted

Contemptible Ray, the anti-gun mayor of New Orleans has been indicted on a host of charges. You remember Nagin, who confiscated legally owned weapons from New Orleans citizens in the wake of hurricane Katrina. Despite a court order to return the weapons, he and his police squad stored them in barrels and squatted on them until being found in contempt of court. By then, many of the guns were rusted and rendered non-functional.

Now, he may finally get the jail time he so richly deserves . . .

From The Patriot Post:

Ray Nagin Indicted

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray “Chocolate City” Nagin was indicted last week on 21 counts of fraud, bribery, money laundering and tax falsification related to kickbacks he took from businesses looking to rebuild the city after Hurricane Katrina. The indictment accuses Nagin of using his office to enrich himself and business associates through wire transfers, free travel and other illegal means. Nagin’s indictment is no surprise, considering the corrupt history of New Orleans politics and Nagin’s own reputation. It’s also no surprise that only one major news outlet reporting of the event identified Nagin’s party affiliation. In case you were wondering, he’s a Democrat, through and through.