Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Progress Report – Landscape and Sun Screens

We completed our landscape and sun screen milestones yesterday and today, respectively. The landscape crew finished cleaning up the vegetation and spread the rest of the rocks yesterday. They also lined two small washes that run through the west side of the lot with river rocks to avert erosion. One of the washes runs across the RV pull through, so they dug a small ditch across the road and leveled it out with large river rocks.

The sun screen man came out this morning and installed the screens on all exterior windows. He was done with the job just a couple hours after he arrived in the “screenmobile.” He constructed all of the screens on site.

Although it wasn’t a milestone we named before, Damsel’s unique rural mailbox design is also complete and installed. We got our first mail delivered to it today.

Watch the slideshow below to see the entry arch (gate coming soon), one of the sixty six rosemary shrubs planted on the “wall” behind the house, the new mailbox, both washes with river rock, the RV pull through and one of the newly-installed sun screens. Roll over the image with your mouse to stop the slideshow and roll out to resume.

10 Mar 2011 by Arizona Retirement

Curve Billed Thrasher

curve-bill-bell.jpg

Every once in a while, I get lucky with my Canon SX110 IS camera and get a shot that rivals Damsel’s excellent work with her Canon Digital Rebel XTi. I was sitting on the patio today and observed a curve-billed thrasher helping itself to Damsel’s seed bell on the other side of the RV drive through.

The bell was about twenty-five feet from me when I snapped the shot using both the built-in optical and electronic zoom features. Click on the image to enlarge.

09 Mar 2011 by Arizona Critters Photography

Harris’ Hawk

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We were relaxing in the back patio today when this young Harris’ Hawk made a low pass over the house. Harris’ Hawks range in desert scrub and mesquite woodlands, which is exactly where we are. It was hunting for wood rats, rabbits, lizards and some birds. Sorry, no larger image available.

06 Mar 2011 by Arizona Culture Photography Retirement

First Spring Cactus Flower

We brought several cacti with us from California last week. After we get the landscape ground toppings in place, I’m planning to plant most of the cacti that are currently in pots.

One cactus didn’t wait to get into the ground before it produced a nice pink flower. I don’t know the name of this little round cactus but it is about the size and shape of a tennis ball, has inch-long quills and the flowers grow on stalks. Click on the image to enlarge.

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05 Mar 2011 by Arizona Home & Garden Photography

Progress Report – Desert Landscaping Now Underway

landscape.jpgWe made a deal and signed a landscaping proposal yesterday. That afternoon, a dump truck brought 50 tons of river rock and another 50 tons of Sedona red crushed rock. The former will go on the slopes around the front part of the lot and the latter will cover the flat places and the RV driveway. Eight more tons of quarter-inch gravel will cover the non-paved portions of the courtyard and dog run.

Damsel’s image – River rock on slope behind a trimmed-up native palo verde tree – inset is the Sedona red crushed rock – click on the image to enlarge

This morning, the landscape crew showed up and immediately started clearing off the area, installing the irrigation system, removing unwanted vegetation and trimming up those trees and shrubs we want to keep. This afternoon, they began placing the river rock on the sloped areas. When they left this afternoon, the front yard had been transformed from scruffy to presentable.

04 Mar 2011 by Arizona Home & Garden Retirement

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