Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

April 2014

Train Wreck

trainwreck.jpg

It’s too bad that Obamacare can’t be permanently derailed. Firing Sebelius just ensures that another disposable Obama shill will occupy that cabinet post until the make-excuser-in-chief needs another scapegoate to take the blame in the REAL war on women.

Our congressman, Paul Gosar (R-AZ), released this statement regarding Sebelius’ “resignation:”

I join with many of the American people tonight in happily accepting the resignation of Secretary Sebelius. Under her watch, and through her incompetence, our nation’s healthcare system has been harmed, hundreds of millions of dollars were wasted, 5 million people lost their chosen health insurance, and the country was far worse off than it was when she started. She directly supported the “Lie of the Year” by falsely claiming people could keep their insurance and their doctors. Under her watch millions saw their policies cancelled, many saw their rates increase, many have lost their physicians. Her departure is welcomed by Americans everywhere.

Gary Varvel cartoon via The Patriot Post.

15 Apr 2014 by Beltway Kabuki Humor Whacko Politics

Triplet Argentine Giant Flowers

Argentine Giant Flowers

Beautiful! My Argentine Giant (echinopsis candicans) cactus flowers have opened this evening. I took this photo at a little after six this evening. These flowers will still be open in the morning, but will fade soon after. This is our once-a-year blooming for this cactus we installed shortly after having the place landscaped in 2011. The three pods last evening were still unopened, but the flowers showed up late today. Click on the image to enlarge.

14 Apr 2014 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Agave Flower Stalk

Agave

There is an agave flower stalk about four hundred feet east of our driveway. I don’t know the timing on agave flowers, but I imagine this will be sprouting flower pods in the near future. We have been watching the flower stalk grow over the past several weeks and today I estimate it to be about fifteen feet tall. I will be sure and get flower pictures when the agave finally starts producing them. Click on the image to enlarge.

13 Apr 2014 by Arizona Flowers Photography

A Really Weird Queen of the Night Cactus



While I was up on the hill at the back of our property last week, I found several more of the Arizona Queen of the Night cacti. This one, in particular, is very weird; the woody part of the cactus comes out of the ground at the lower left of the image and winds up and across the branches of a palo verde, then descends toward the right side of the image before splitting in two and connecting to two fleshy stems rising upward. Roll your mouse over the image to highlight the strange routing of this specimen.

Realizing that the image above is lacking in detail, I uploaded a larger highlighted image here. I also uploaded images of the other three queens I found up on the hill here and here.

Since I know that this variety of cactus has a ball root, I imagine the big one must have a whopper. I read somewhere the roots could weigh in at hundreds of pounds.

09 Apr 2014 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Ocotillos in Bloom

Ocotillo Flowers

The ocotillos all over town are in bloom. I finally found an ocotillo near our favorite Mexican restaurant with canes low enough for me to get a close-up of the little red flowers. Click on the image to enlarge.

We had the landscaper install an ocotillo a couple of years ago, but sadly it seems to have died. The plan is to get them to replace it this summer. Hopefully I can take this kind of picture next year in our yard.

08 Apr 2014 by Arizona Flowers Photography

Transplant Candidate Hedgehog Cactus

Hedgehog Cactus

When I learned that it is legal to move protected native vegetation on our own property without permission from the Arizona Department of Agriculture, I selected this nice little hedgehog cactus up near the north property line as a candidate to move to the lower lot. It has only four lobes and will probably be light enough for me to dig up and carry to its new location. Succulents can be quite heavy since they consist of hydrated flesh and can contain several quarts of water in each lobe.

As soon as this guy stops flowering in June, I will carefully dig around it to be able to lift it out of the ground and into the wheelbarrow for transportation to the lower lot. I took this photo this morning. Click on the image to enlarge.

07 Apr 2014 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden

More Bishop’s Cap Flowers

Bishop’s Cap Flowers

I get these flowers for most of the year. It seems that the venerable little Bishop Cap cactus keeps on producing these after nearly seventeen years since we adopted it in a three-inch pot just before we got married.

The cactus had been transplanted three times and has lived with us in both California and Arizona and just keeps on giving us flowers. Click on the image to enlarge.

06 Apr 2014 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

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