There are still a few flower buds on my ocotillo out front. I had hoped for more, but the monsoons have not come yet. I have been watering around the base lately with limited amounts of water. Maybe the ocotillo will kick in to high flower gear and (hopefully) get a few green leaves too. Click on the image to enlarge.
The 2012 annular solar eclipse is just over two weeks away. We are still scheduled to witness this magnificent event from Page, Arizona, almost exactly on the centerline of the annular eclipse path. The eclipse will occur about an hour before sunset, so the sun will be low in the western sky at the peak of annularity.
I took a minute this afternoon to check the SOHO website for active sunspots and found that large spot 1472 is currently showing midway between the center and the limb of the sun. I went outside with the SX-40 and the solar adapter to take some practice shots. For the image at the right, I used the filter (of course) 1/1600′ shutter speed and F8.0 aperture with a film speed of 3200. Sunspot 1472 shows up at about 7 o’clock on the solar disk in the image.
I wanted to make sure that my earlier experiments would work when we are in Page on May 20th. I think that using the filter, a very fast film speed, a fast shutter speed and a normal aperture will enable me to capture the lunar/solar images just fine. Now, if the weather will cooperate, we have it made. 😉 Click on the solar image to enlarge.
I’m thinking it should be “DOWNWARD.” Notice the taxpayers – both present and future – hauling the pharaoh’s temple stones . . .
Democrats and the president don’t want you to look BACKWARD to view the massive spending and debt, the scandals and the two VERY BAD SCOTUS appointments made by the socialist bastich.
Today, we went to do our weekly grocery shopping. I picked out a couple of bunches of flowers for the great room. Thse are nearly-white Vendela roses and white carnations. Both look and smell pretty. Click on the image to enlarge.
Many of the saguaro cacti in the area have started to bloom. The saguaro flower is the state flower of Arizona. I took this photo at the shopping center at the west end of town this afternoon on the way home from the dog park. Click on the image to enlarge.
John McCain and I don’t agree on much these days, but today he denounced the president’s obvious attempt to take credit and to capitalize on the work of the Navy Seals true heroes who brought the ultimate punishment to Usama Bin Laden one year ago. McCain characterized Obama’s overt ploy as “bragging” about the mission. I’ll give McCain props, as an actual hero, for calling it like it is.
Image: phony cabinet photo attempting to dramatize the administration’s lame efforts
Ever since the UBL takedown, the administration has been trying to trump their hand , starting with the staged dramatic photo seen here supposedly of high-level cabinet members witnessing the operation, and ultimately, with the president using his position as commander in chief to travel to Afghanistan for some phony meeting with Karzai (two presidents, both enemies of America, together) to sign us up for more bullsh*t agreements on the UBL death anniversary.
The man is truly disgusting . . .
At the end of spring 2011, the landscaper planted shrubs and a small tree in the courtyard. Now that spring 2012 is here, the courtyard is dominated with the blue blossoms on the three Cleveland sage bushes. The little pink blossoms on the plum tree are all but gone and soon the vivid red and yellow flowers on the red bird of paradise shrubs will dominate. Click on the image to enlarge.