Of all the birds that come around to the feeders, the male cardinal has the poorest camouflage in our Sonoran desert environment. When he does show up, we ask each other, jokingly, “Where’s Waldo?” The goldfinches feeding on Nyjer seed bags in the foreground aren’t much more subtle with their bright yellow breast feathers. Click on the image to enlarge.
I bought six stems of stargazers yesterday at the flower concession at the supermarket. I am not disappointed in the first of the flowers to emerge last night. Click on the image to enlarge.
We had a semi-surprise visit from my son and his girl friend today. I gave them a tour of the house and grounds since this was their first visit. My son remarked about the rock garden where I stacked up several flat rocks beside the RV drive. I took this photo of my stack and some of the other yard decorations. Click on the image to enlarge.
I collected some more rocks from around the lot and placed them along the road to shore up the rocks I placed there on Wednesday. Damsel came out to help also. She took this picture of me working on the project when she brought the dogs out for their run.
I took the panoramic image seen above after the day’s work was complete. I still want to move more of the one-inch red gravel to cover some of the bare spots. Click on the image to enlarge.
About three weeks ago, I posted an item about some erosion along the front of our property. Today, since the temperatures were in the comfortable range of mid-eighties, I started transporting boulders from the back property and placed them along the edge of the path that the runoff takes when we get our summer gully-washers.
I still have a way to go before I will be done. I have some more one-inch red gravel to place on the bare strip on the right end of the area. I also will be transporting more medium-sized boulders to place in front of the ones I brought down today. I also intend to extend the rock wash at the right end a couple of feet to the confluence with the runoff coming down the road.
Click on the image to enlarge.
Last year, we rescued some wild Beaver Tail Cactus from the north forty in our lot and planted them in several places in the red rocks along the RV drive and out front. I’m glad to say that they are doing great (minus a few squirrel and rabbit munchings). We hope that these will have their trademark bright pink flowers come springtime. Click on the image to enlarge.
Sadly, I can’t seem to get this to grow in Arizona, although “they” say it is possible. On this trip to California, the timing was right to enjoy this beautiful cluster of flowers with a nice delicate fragrance. Click on the image to enlarge.
Crassula falcata, known by the common names airplane plant and propeller plant, is a succulent plant endemic to South Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope. The foliage is gray-green with striking texture, on plants that grow to 2 feet tall. The flowers are tiny and scarlet red, that rise in dense clusters above the foliage for a month in summer. Crassula falcata is cultivated for use in drought tolerant and succulent gardens, and in container gardens.
