Ramirez nicely captures Al Sharpton‘s legacy as a race-baiting liar:
Add the Obama administration to the hanging tree, with both the President and Attorney General jumping on the bandwagon of lies.
Our Miniature Pinschers
Before we finished building our Arizona Home, we applied for adoption of our little Cabela (yes – she is named for the outdoor equipment retailers). Several months later, after the house was completed, we applied for adoption of Beethoven, who already had a name and we decided not to change it (he answers to “Bay Bay”).
Cabela (left above) has her ears cropped and tail bobbed – her previous owners had that done before they lost her. Bay Bay’s ears and tail are natural.
Contrary to the popular belief that Min Pins are miniature Doberman Pinschers, the two breeds are not related. Min Pins are a cross between Dachshunds and Italian Greyhounds. From Wikipedia:
The misconception that the miniature pinscher is a “miniature Doberman” occurred because the Doberman Pinscher (a breed developed by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann around 1890) was introduced to the US before the miniature pinscher. In 1919 the miniature pinscher was introduced to the AKC show ring. At the time, not knowing that it was referred to officially in Germany as the zwergpinscher (little biter), the AKC referred to the breed as simply “pinscher” and listed it in the miscellaneous category. When the Miniature Pinscher Club of America (MPCA) was created in 1929 (the year of the breed’s official introduction into the AKC), they petitioned for miniature pinschers to be placed in the Toy group. The AKC’s description, that the dog “must appear as a Doberman in miniature”, led to the misconception common today that this breed is a “miniature Doberman pinscher”. The original name for this breed in the US was “pinscher” until 1972 when the name was officially changed to miniature pinscher.
Queen of the Night Opening
The first of the three “Queen of the Night” flowers opened tonight. We went up the little hill where the cereus cactus is growing and took several images of this beautiful flower. There are two more buds that should open in the next day or so. Looks great, smells great! Click on the image to enlarge.
UPDATE (7/20/13): The other two cereus flowers opened last night. I captured this image of the two open flowers and the remnants of the frower from the night before. Click on the image to enlarge.
Cereus Flower Update
After a couple of days having monsoon weather and showers, I noticed that one of my little cacti had developed a couple of flower stalks. That made me think of the “Queen of the night” cereus cactus on the hill above the little wash. Upon inspecting the cactus today, we noticed a great deal of growth on the flower stalks. A while back, we feared that they might have gone dormant, but thought that the monsoons might have something to offer for flower growth. Now, it looks like we might have been right. We will be checking after dark every night from now until they open up.
Image above: Composite view of the three flower stalks today. Click on the image to enlarge.
Roadrunner on my Birdbath
Otherwise known as geococcyx californianus, meaning Californian Earth Cuckoo, this handsome roadrunner was drinking from my birdbath near the little wash out back. The bird has been seen hanging around for a few days, sometimes nefariously trying to catch a goldfinch at my thistle feeders out back. We wish it would leave the birds alone and keep on catching and killing the neighborhood reptilian population.
In any case, it is interesting to watch nature in the desert. Click on the image to enlarge.
Monsoon Day
Contrary to forecast for 105° and mostly sunny, the weather has been rain, thunder and lightening and gusty winds since noon today. The rain has been heavy at times and the clouds to the south have all but cut out satellite TV.
The closest lightning strike so far today was about a half mile away according to the time from flash to report. It is after 3PM now and the thunderclaps and rain continue. Looking at the radar on the NWS, it appears to be one big stationary mass of precipitation. “Little” Casandro wash, the road in front of our house is flowing with the runoff from the canyon to the west.
And, of course, the rain flushes out the anthills. I took the Ortho sprayer out a few minutes ago and laid a band across entrances to the patio, house and garage.
In spite of all this, we still love our little desert home.
Bishop Flowers Keep on Coming
It was another beautiful summer day in the desert today! I went out to the courtyard this morning and noticed that the Bishop’s Cap Barrel cactus was literally crowned with uncountable flower buds. This afternoon, I took this photo of them mostly open. I think this cactus likes its native Arizona. Click on the image to enlarge.