December 2014

New Years Eve Snowfall

Snowfall

According to the Wickenburg Book of Face page, the town has not had a snowfall like this in twenty years. We didn’t measure the depth of snow, but it seems to be the better part of an inch deep. Very slippery on the concrete driveway – we both had our feet quickly replace with our backsides. No harm, though, just a broken nail and wet clothing.

The dogs don’t seem to mind the snow. They just think it’s something new to sniff and explore. We adults played in the snow a bit as well.

I took this photo of the house showing snow still falling with accumulation on the ground, courtyard wall, saguaro and cholla cacti. Click on the image to enlarge.

Late Afternoon Panorama of the House

Panorama

Late today, I realized that Damsel’s wide-angle lens that she has had for years would likely fit my new camera. She brought it out to me and it did fit the new rig. Just for a subject to try it out, I went out front and snapped three wide-angle images which I later stitched into this super wide-angle view of our little house and lot.

I’m going to save this image to compare to another that I will take in the not to distant future after our contractor installs retaining walls and paves the RV drive with concrete. The house and lot should look more complete then, although we’re a work in progress for landscaping and other home improvements. Click on the image to view the full panorama.

Hummingbird Feeder

Hummingbird Feeder

I stood by the patio trying to keep myself concealed from some quail on the hill behind our house. I was going to try and capture some wild bird photos from this slight cover when a hummingbird approached Damsel’s feeder not three feet away and commenced to get some of the nectar.

With the new camera, it only took a matter of a second or two to reacquire the target at close range, deploy the flash and capture the shot seen above. I sure like the new camera. Click on the image to enlarge.

Another New Camera

Canon SL1As sort of a late Christmas present to myself, I acquired this Canon Rebel EOS SL1 SLR camera. I have used the little point-and-shoot cameras for years, but thought that this would be a good time to upgrade to some serious hardware.

The package I bought included a Canon 75-300mm telephoto lens in addition to the standard 18-55mm lens. One really good thing is that all the lenses are interchangeable with Damsel’s Canon EOS T2 camera.

The new camera has a lot of advanced features that I hope to learn as I transition away from point and shoot. I still will carry the pocket sized A1400 Power Shot when it is not convenient to carry the new camera since it is possible to get some good shots with the point and shoot.

I expect that I can use the new camera to supplement Damsel’s outstanding talents with her camera, perhaps as having the telephoto lens installed when she needs a long shot on one of our planned excursions into the scenic west. Having the second camera ready just may help us to document our travels just that much better.

Vendela Roses

Vendela Roses

Our regular shopping schedule has been perturbated by the holidays. Today, we shopped for the weekend a day later than usual.

I bought a dozen of these pretty cream-colored “Vendela” roses at the flower concession in the supermarket today. I put them in a vase where I already had some white Asian lilies. I expect that they will look very nice together as the roses and lilies begin to open up.

The Vendela is a very popular rose according to FiftyFlowers.com:

Vendela Ivory Rose is our #1 selling cream rose. Its very large head opens into a cup-shaped bloom with well defined, slightly curled edges. Vendela is greatly admired for the hint of pink found on the petal edges. This champagne ivory rose would add a special touch to a wedding bouquet, table centerpiece or flower arrangement.

Merry Christmas

Xander First Christmas

Our Granddaughter posted this charming photo of our first great grandson on social media for us to see. It is Alexander David’s first Christmas and we are proud to send this festive image of him along to you as our wish for a joyful Merry Christmas to all.

Winter Solstice

winter-solstice.jpg

ephemeris.jpgHappy First Day of Winter! Although the seasonal temperatures are going to continue to be cool or cold, the good news is that the days from this point forward (in the northern hemisphere) will be getting longer until the June Summer Solstice.

I got a screenshot from Archaeoastronomy dot com showing the position of the Earth in our orbit today. In ninety days when we arrive at the vernal equinox, the weather should be warm and the flowers on the cacti will be opening.

I also put a screenshot from the ephemeris on our family blog to the right, showing the less than ten hours of daylight that we get here on this day. As I mentioned above, the days will now be getting longer. The times shown in the graphic are Arizona local.