Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Vernal Equinox

Vernal Equinox

The first day of spring is finally here, although we already have longer days than nights (12hr, 10min of sunlight today) and the temperatures have been spring-like for weeks. The wildflowers and cacti are in bloom and the garden flowers are open. The Red Bird of Paradise shrubs in the courtyard are sporting their seasonal growth. We expect to see their colorful flowers as early as May or June.

The image above is a screen capture of the dynamic depiction of the grand octal earth orbital clock at Archaeoastronomy.com. I captured the image when planet Earth paused briefly at the Vernal Equinox position in the orbit. Click on the image to enlarge (slightly).

20 Mar 2014 by Astronomy Environment

Back Lot Panorama

Back Lot Panorama

I took a couple of images from approximately the center of the back property line in the “unimproved” part of our property this afternoon. I combined the images into this panoramic image using Canon’s ZoomBrowser Photo Stitch software.

The image from left to right shows the west corner of the house at the left and gradually sweeps to the right to cover Damsel’s cactus and rock garden, the southwest property corner, the little wash with all the natural desert vegetation and the several neighbors buildings in the distance. The northwest property corner (circled in red) is just above the bottom of the wash below and approximately halfway between neighbor’s house on the hill (right of center with the flags) and the house with the Spanish tile roof on the right side. Click on the image to enlarge.

19 Mar 2014 by Home & Garden Panorama Photography Retirement

Beavertail Madness

Beavertail Madness

This beavertail transplant sure is going crazy in its new place in the rock and cactus garden. I suspect that it benefits from some nearby citrus trees irrigation runoff. It is one of several we transplanted a couple of years ago from the unimproved part of the lot and is, by far, the most prolific in terms of paddle and flower production. Click on the image to enlarge.

17 Mar 2014 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Wildflowers In The Desert

Wildflower

Wildflowers are popping up all over the desert according to what we see locally and read in Arizona Highways. We see them growing along the roads, in the hills and in some very unusual places, like this poppy in a block wall down the road from our little desert cottage. Nature perseveres in natural and unnatural places. Click on the image to enlarge.

We may take a drive one of these days to where the flowers are known to grow in abundance in order to get a wildflower photo-op. Stay tuned.

14 Mar 2014 by Arizona Flowers Photography

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