Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Arizona

R10 Panoramic Mode

Panoramic images have always been an interest of mine. Early on, I used to take a series of adjacent , overlapping images and would “stitch” them together using an old application that did the job. Now, the function has been integrated right into some cameras.

My Kodak PixPro FZ152 has a panoramic function, but it can be kind of picky in the stitching process, and frequently will overlap in the wrong places. Maybe that is due to the way I used it, but regardless, it seemed clumsy to me.

I took the panorama above with my Canon EOS R10 in its panoramic mode. It works much better; all I have to do is press the shutter button and hold while I smoothly pan from left to right (optionally the other way too) to get what my eye perceives as a smooth and seamless image. Click on the image and pan using the image viewer scroll bar at the bottom.

I took the image from our courtyard looking west; the image spans the west leg of the RV drive sweeping from the road across the west cactus and rock garden, mesquite and paloverde trees, the lemon tree to the back gate of the courtyard.

I will try and get some more interesting panoramas as the opportunities arise.

22 Jun 2026 by Arizona Home & Garden Notions Panorama Photography Technobabble 0

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox).

This is a very common and widespread species in our part of Arizona (Sonoran Desert around Wickenburg). Key visible features that support the ID:

  • Body pattern: Light tan/grayish-brown background with a series of dark diamond/hexagonal blotches along the back that often have lighter centers. These are classic for C. atrox.
  • Tail banding: Very distinct alternating black-and-white rings on the tail (visible toward the upper right in the photo). This is one of the most reliable field marks for Western Diamondbacks.
  • Overall build: Heavy-bodied with a relatively broad head and the characteristic rattle.

Safety note for your area
Western Diamondbacks are responsible for most rattlesnake bites in Arizona, though they’re generally not aggressive unless provoked or cornered. They’re common in rocky desert yards like ours, especially near structures, water sources or debris.

Recommendations:

  • Keep your distance and give it space — it will likely move on if left alone.
  • Be cautious around the garden/rocks at dawn/dusk when they’re more active.

I took this photo today when this evil-looking critter slithered into the yard. I kept my distance and used the camera’s 210mm focal length to get this (clickable) close-up.

Eventually, the snake kept on going as there wasn’t anything interesting for it in our yard.

19 Jun 2026 by Arizona Critters Photography 0

Garage Door Opener Repair

After fifteen or sixteen years or so since we built the house, the original garage door opener (pictured, clickable) developed a quirk such that if the sun was shining in the door, the obstruction detector would “think” that there was an object blocking the door and would refuse to close the door. This condition progressively got worse and eventually wouldn’t close regardless of the amount of sunlight. We had to press and hold the indoor control to get the door to close. This was very inconvenient, especially if we were departing, since one of us would have to close the door manually and come out the side door to get into the truck.

Yesterday, enough being enough, I called a repair facility to come out and fix the problem. The technician offered to clean and align the sensors, or to replace them both at our option. We opted for the latter, assuming that zero-time sensors would last longer.

To make a long story short, the tech replaced the sensors in ten minutes or less, and the door worked fine. Same-day service call, reasonable rates and problem solved.

Click on the links below to see the new sensors:

Sensor Transmitter Unit

Sensor Receiver Unit

Bottom line (literally) — stuff is going to wear out in the desert. We already need new exterior paint after only nine years or so. More on that later.

09 Jun 2026 by Arizona Home & Garden Notions Technobabble 0

Rare Sighting — Caterham R400


The Damsel took this (clickable) photo of a Caterham Seven Superlight R400 (or simply “Caterham R400”), a lightweight, high-performance British sports car. We were pulling out of the parking lot at our local Basha’s and saw this beauty parked on the street in front of St. Anthony’s Church.

It seems that there are only a few hundred of these in the entire United States, so it is extremely rare (a.k.a. Sasquatch sighting) to see one of these in Wickenburg, a town known for it’s Cowboy and retirement cultures and not too many sports cars, let alone this rare beast.

About this car:

The Caterham Seven is a modern evolution of the classic Lotus 7 from the 1950s. It’s an ultra-minimalist, open-top, two-seater roadster designed for pure driving thrills—think raw handling, minimal weight, and maximum engagement. The “R400” (or Superlight R400) is a performance-oriented variant from the mid-to-late 2000s, known for its excellent power-to-weight ratio. The “400” name comes from its ~400 bhp per ton power-to-weight figure, which gives it supercar-like acceleration despite modest horsepower.

Caterhams like the R400 are legendary for telepathic steering, razor-sharp handling, and go-kart-like agility. They’re track weapons that are (barely) road-legal. Expect wind-in-the-face excitement, a loud exhaust note, and a firm ride. They’re not for commuting or comfort—getting in/out is a gymnastic exercise—but they’re addictive on twisty roads or circuits.

More at this SuperGrok link.

03 Jun 2026 by Arizona Classics Notions Photography Something Shiny 0

Desert Cacti and Mountains

The Cap’n and I happened to have an appointment in Surprise, AZ today. As usual on any trip in the truck (or any other vehicle – think RV), I brought my camera to document the trip. On the way home, I took the photo above of the desert with the mountains in the background. It’s nice to live in a place where you can see the naked desert just a few miles from home. Anyhow, this view is looking northeastward toward Castle Hot Springs, AZ, from the Morristown Overpass on US 60 near mile marker 120. Click on the image to enlarge.

02 Jun 2026 by Arizona Environment Notions Panorama Photography 0

Tourist Traps

Grand Canyon

Throughout the entire National Park there have been an average of two to three visitors falling into the canyon each year (excluding suicide attempts). With the annual number of visitors to the park exceeding five million annually, this is not surprising given the idiocy of some people stepping across barriers to get selfies at the canyon edge. Add that to the carelessness of folks stepping on areas of slippery or crumbling surfaces and those who feign falling in and actually do. Still, the casual visitors observing the parks recommendations about safety have little to worry about.

Horseshoe Bend

Before the recent addition of additional safety rails and observing platforms, the number of falls into the 1000 foot deep canyon at the bend were on the order of less than one fatality per year. Now, the numbers have dropped such that between 2010 and 2022 there have been only four fatal falls and those due to not observing the safety rails and rules. Horseshoe Bend gets far fewer visitors than Grand Canyon although that number has risen to about two million visitors per year.

The conclusion here is that no persons observing the rules and safety rails/barriers should have any worries about falling in. Those sane folks will no doubt observe other, less sane folks, doing exactly what gets them into harms way.

Damsel and I haven’t been to either of the locations above recently, but may do so in the coming months or years, depending on circumstances. Our lives have become a bit more complicated recently, but more on that later.

Images: top courtesy of USNPS Yavapai Point Webcam and bottom from SuperGrok AI

01 Jun 2026 by Arizona Environment Notions Travel Wanderlust 0

Torch Cactus Flowers
  a.k.a. Cherry Red

It’s once again the season for the bright red flowers of our “Torch” or “Cherry Red” cacti. One flower opened today and two more buds look like they’re ready to pop open tomorrow. Click on the image above to view enlarged.

Trichocereus Grandiflorus

T. grandiflorus is sometimes called the Red Torch Cactus or the Desert’s Blooming Jewel because of its signature blooms, which are produced in the spring. When in bloom, this species produces vibrantly colored funnel-shaped flowers at the end of the stems.

In nature, red is the most common color for the flowers, but yellow and orange may also be found in some areas of their habitat.

Mature Red Torch Cacti can grow up to three feet in height and about four inches in diameter. They are a columnar cactus with branches sprouting near the base. These cacti have sharp spines lining their 12 to 18 ribs. The spines themselves measure between one and two inches in length.

We may post the opening of more of these on our social media as they occur. Watch for that.

07 May 2026 by Arizona Home & Garden Photography

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