Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Hidden Hedgehog Cactus Flowers

Hidden Hedgehog Cactus

I don’t usually hike up into the hill behind our house, but today, Bob told me that one of the “hidden” hedgehog cacti up near the back property line had open flowers. So, I took my camera and foraged my way through the rocks and desert brush to get to a spot under the two palo verde trees up there to take this photo.

This is one of two clusters of hedgehogs still up on the hill (we brought one down to the front of the property last winter). There is a third, but it is actually on the neighbor’s property to the north. The other hidden cluster has buds on it, but is not in bloom yet. There are also many unopened flower pods on the cactus in the photo. Click on the image to enlarge.

26 Mar 2016 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Scenic Saguaro Forest

Saguaro Forest

One of the more scenic highways in Arizona is State Route 74 which connects US 60 in Morristown (10 miles south of Wickenburg) and Interstate 17 at New River, near the north end of Phoenix. The highway runs through an area dense in growth of the iconic saguaro cactus. The road goes through some flat desert and then at the east end through gentle hills and across the Agua Fria River just below Waddell Dam at the south end of Lake Pleasant.

It was a beautiful day today with temperatures in the mid to upper 70’s and a little breezy with gusts to around 15-20 mph. High thin clouds and mostly blue skies. The image above is somewhere in the middle of the road but typical of the scenery you can enjoy when out here. Click on the image to enlarge.

22 Mar 2016 by Arizona Environment Photography Wanderlust

Vernal Equinox

Vernal Equinox

I got this screen capture this morning over at Archaeoastronomy.com which has probably the best depiction of the orbital stations of the Earth relating to seasonal changes. The animated graphic nicely illustrates the concept of the Earth passing through the eight stations as it orbits the sun.

Coincidentally with the advent of spring, one of the hedgehog cacti I wrote about yesterday has two flowers open this morning. Damsel took this image of one of them. Click on the image to enlarge.

Hedgehog Cactus Flower

20 Mar 2016 by Astronomy Environment Flowers Home & Garden

Spring in the Outback

Hedgehog Buds

By the term “Outback,” I mean neither the vast wilderness in Australia nor the not-so-well-known Arizona Outback, but the part of our little plot here in town up on the hill behind the house. Our outback is mostly still virgin desert with flora and fauna indigenous to the wild areas of this region.

I took a hike up there this morning to see if some of the flowering cacti were sporting spring buds – sure enough, this hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus) near the north property line has quite a few flower buds getting ready to open.

We seem to have several varieties of hedgehog cactus around the property. Two of the hedgehog depicted are in the outback and several that were either natural or transplanted to the lower part of the lot among the landscaping rocks. Most have pink flowers but some have flowers that are darker pink or purple. The Damsel will be sure and photograph the ones on the lower property and I plan to venture into the outback to capture photos of the ones up there. Click on the image to enlarge.

19 Mar 2016 by Arizona Home & Garden Photography Retirement

The First Cactus Flower of Spring

Beavertail Cactus Flower

In what is getting to be an annual tradition, here is the post recognizing the first spring cactus flower in our xeriscape garden. Of course, this is a Beavertail Cactus Flower (opuntia basilaris) growing just behind the wall out front by the road. The pink flower bud we saw this morning opened into this nice flower this afternoon and it already has attracted bees and other pollinators.

This is the last year for this cactus since it is one of those that developed a fungus or something that gives the paddles a circular depressed area that is discolored. We have other beavertail cacti, including one we imported from California, that are planted in the rock and cactus garden, so there will undoubtedly be more of these brilliant pink flowers next spring as well. Click on the image to enlarge.

16 Mar 2016 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Ducks Along The Colorado

A White Duck Ducks Dunking

I took my Canon SL1 and the telephoto lens down to the Colorado river where we camped last night to see if I could get some photo ops of whatever the river and its occupants might have to offer. I was fortunate enough to have a pair of ducks floating near the California side shoreline that were dunking for whatever goodies the river bottom might contain.

The white duck and her mate were about two or three feet from the riverbank when I snapped these shots. They let me approach them without retreating to a range of about fifteen feet so I could get these images of them doing their thing. There were also several other ducks and a number of coots or “mud hens” in the area. Click on either image to enlarge.

15 Mar 2016 by Arizona California Critters Photography Wanderlust

A White Egret

White Egret

This weekend, we are camped in Palm Desert, California on the latest of our several recent visits to visit our grandson. This campground is really more of a desert oasis and resort that features golf putting greens, a driving range and the usual things found on golf courses, including water features (hazards?). We were walking the dogs yesterday when I spotted an egret in the pond near the front gate. I had my camera handy and managed to get this photo just as this magnificent bird was taking off from where it was wading. Click on the image to enlarge.

13 Mar 2016 by California Critters Photography Wanderlust

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