The Astrophytum Ornatum cactus by the back patio offered another beautiful flower today. They come and go so quickly that I was lucky to get this shot when the flower was completely open. In the morning, it was still just a bud, but by early afternoon it had closed up again. It may open again tomorrow, but we will probably be on the road to see our newest grandson.
Late last night, the newest member of our family arrived to the outside world. “Baby G,” is the firstborn to our son and his wife. He was born at 11:02 PM last night in California, weighed in at a petite 5Lb 2oz and is healthy, cute as the dickens and already developing his personality. We can’t wait to meet him.
We are planning to visit with the family out there in September, with other stops planned in order to see the rest of the extended clan. We can hardly wait!
Update: We decided we couldn’t wait to see the new little guy since if we go this weekend we can see him while he is at his other grandparents place in the Coachella Valley, i.e. we don’t have to go into the LA Area swamp.
We had some business down in the northwest valley today. We had an appointment for a follow-up procedure for Bob’s waterworks, the result of which was completely good news. Prior to that, however, I got to do some shopping at Walmart.
We are expecting another grandchild, so I bought a bunch of things for the baby boy who is due next month. We did some early Christmas shopping for the kids in our clan – nieces, nephews, etc. We also bought birthday presents for our great-grandson, whose first is in September. I always have fun shopping.
On the way back home along US 60 northwest of the metroplex, I took this photo of our beautiful desert cacti, sky and mountains. We thank God every day that we are out here in this splendid place and thank Him for our good fortune and health. Click on the image to enlarge.
We were lucky enough to have watched these Arizona Queen of the Night flowers steadily growing on the host cactus since a few weeks ago. Tonight, I walked out to see if the buds were open yet, but they weren’t. They definitely looked as if they would open, so later, I ventured out again, well after dark, and saw them fully open. Click on the image to enlarge.
I took this photo from the courtyard looking east toward the Hieroglyph and Wickenburg mountains. There were still a lot of thunderclouds built up in the distance which I thought would be nice to frame behind our ocotillo and saguaro out front. Click on the image to enlarge.
The weather looks to still be likely thunderstorms in the area tonight and perhaps tomorrow, but the rest of the week looks like it should be sunny and warm (100°). I, personally, am hoping for lower humidity since the monsoons have the desert feeling more like a sauna bath or an old Navajo sweat lodge.
I was sitting in the great room when I noticed a black spotted butterfly browsing on one of the red bird of paradise shrubs in the courtyard. I grabbed my camera and went out front hoping to get a shot of the butterfly and flower.
When I got outside, the butterfly flew away at first. After a few seconds, it circled back to the same shrub it had been browsing and resumed. I took several shots of it while it did its thing, this one being among the best photos I got. Click on the image to enlarge.
We bought this “star” or “monk’s hood” cactus at a succulent show in California about eight years ago. It cost four dollars and was in a three-inch pot at that time. It has been transplanted to larger pots and is now in an eight inch pot sitting behind the patio adjacent to the RV drive.
Two flowers opened this morning and are the first ones to open since we have had the cactus. The flowers are about four inches in diameter. There are three more flower buds on the cactus that should also open.
Astrophytum Ornatum is native to Mexico, but seems to like it here in the Arizona desert. Click on the image to enlarge.
