Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Torch Cactus Flowers
  a.k.a. Cherry Red

It’s once again the season for the bright red flowers of our “Torch” or “Cherry Red” cacti. One flower opened today and two more buds look like they’re ready to pop open tomorrow. Click on the image above to view enlarged.

Trichocereus Grandiflorus

T. grandiflorus is sometimes called the Red Torch Cactus or the Desert’s Blooming Jewel because of its signature blooms, which are produced in the spring. When in bloom, this species produces vibrantly colored funnel-shaped flowers at the end of the stems.

In nature, red is the most common color for the flowers, but yellow and orange may also be found in some areas of their habitat.

Mature Red Torch Cacti can grow up to three feet in height and about four inches in diameter. They are a columnar cactus with branches sprouting near the base. These cacti have sharp spines lining their 12 to 18 ribs. The spines themselves measure between one and two inches in length.

We may post the opening of more of these on our social media as they occur. Watch for that.

07 May 2026 by Arizona Home & Garden Photography 0

Cabela 2008-2026

Just short of her 18th birthday (in August), Cabela crossed over the Rainbow Bridge this morning to be with all the other frolicking denizens of the other place. She passed peacefully in her sleep while napping on the loveseat sofa.

We’re already missing her.

There are a lot of posts referencing her in this weblog and some photos of her from her stay with us in the past several years. Click here and here.

Happy frolicking, little one . . .

03 May 2026 by Critters Family 2

BELTANE

We enjoyed a feast today based upon the traditional Celtic/Scot/Irish celebration of Beltane, the beginning of summer. Our bill of faire was the classic Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner served with lower-carb veggies (we’re still on the modified Keto Diet). It was all wonderful.

Now that spring will soon give way to summer temperatures, we’re preparing ourselves for the days to come. We’re going through some medical therapies over the next months and hope that the temperatures won’t affect the treatments and the side effects. Wish us luck, good health and throw in a prayer or two. Thanks.

02 May 2026 by Ancestors Food & Dining Holidays Notions 0

Happy April 15th!

Maybe you’re happy like the couple on the left, but woe to those still scrambling to get their return postmarked before the deadline. In days long gone, we actually might have been like the desperados on the right, but thank the Lord and some preparedness and common sense, we’re past that now.

Enjoy the rest of this happy (or gloomy) day.

15 Apr 2026 by Humor Money and Business Politics 0

Potpourri Post

Last week I posted about a cactus flower and this week (am I doing weekly posts now?) I am going to ramble on about a few things going on. First of all, There is plenty going on in our lives these days, some quite boring things and some a little more attention getting. Let me elaborate a bit:

  • We continue to live in a peaceful, tranquil place which does little to generate exciting headlines.
  • There are some background issues (mainly healthwise) that take up a little bit of time to accommodate what with professional visits and other things to do with growing older.
  • Life goes on with the usual business of running a household (max kudos to Damsel) with our flock of dependents (2 dogs and numerous cottontails, squirrels, birds, etc.)
  • The yard and garden are looking good this spring, but there is always some little chore that pops up. If it’s a big chore, we have our Landscape crew deal with it.
  • There are the hobbies and other time-consuming activities to relieve some of the boredom and/or excitement that comes along.
  • Food and Dining are a major item in our lives; we’re both on special needs diets and almost exclusively prepare all of our meals at home.

First, here is a photo I took this morning of a squirrel and a peanut. Note that the animals we consider as “dependent” don’t really depend as it were; we just like to treat them now and then.

I used the Canon SL3 camera for the above photo. Part of the hobby thing mentioned above. Our main cameras (my 2 and Damsel’s Canon T6i) continue to provide us with entertainment and some good photos now and then. Click on the image to enlarge.

I recently upgraded my everyday carry from the one I have carried for years to a new, easier to rack semi-auto S&W M&P Shield 9mm EZ. The old muscles and ability to operate the old Glock were getting to be incompatible.

Tomorrow, we will be taking the dogs for their annual exams and immunization updates. We will renew the County licenses afterwards.

This week, I need to make time to get a haircut. Due to other commitments, I have fallen out of sync with my regular trim schedule.

On Tuesday, I have consecutive visits with the General Practitioner Doctor and the Ophthalmologist, neither of which is other than a regular visit for checkup. I also need to reschedule a checkup with the Nephrologist which I had to cancel due to a conflict.

So, we’re still here doing things that you might expect for “generians” (septi- and octo-) to encounter in our lives. We will continue in this regard as long as it takes.

12 Apr 2026 by Comrades in Arms Critters Entertainment Firearms Food & Dining Home & Garden Notions Photography Retirement Second Amendment Technobabble

Buckhorn Cholla Flower Season

Not exactly an Easter Lily, but . . .

This is one of the many flowers or flower buds on the various buckhorn cholla (Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa) cacti around the yard. Some are open like this one and some are still in the bud stage waiting for their turn.

I was finishing filling the bird feeders today and stopped to snap this shot with my Samsung S23. (I know, I have better cameras, but this one turned out OK, didn’t it?) Click on the image to enlarge.

We have been a little slow on getting blogs to post, and there is a good, but, undisclosed for now, reason. We’ll try to do better over the next several weeks as the disturbances are abating somewhat.

With the season of Easter upon us, may we wish you and yours a very Happy Easter!! HE IS RISEN!!

04 Apr 2026 by Arizona Environment Flowers Home & Garden Photography Religion

Camera Comparison

On a whim and a notion or two, I added this Canon EOS R-10 Mirrorless Camera to my small collection of cameras, lenses and and accessories. I wanted to try it out and see if I might be able to get better pictures and performance above my Canon EOS SL3 DSLR, with which I am still very much pleased.

It’s purely a hobby thing for me, with a side interest in support of blogging and posting on social media. We also post photos taken during our vacations and other travels. We have a full complement of lenses for the DSLRs, and now, an adapter to fit the older lenses to the new camera, so there is still a lot of experimentation and futzing around to be done, so the jury is still out on making any judgement of one camera to the other.

The one most noticeable aspect is the weight of the new camera and lenses are considerably lighter than the DSLR and it’s assortment of lenses. Comparing similar capabilities, we have this:

  • Canon SL3 equipped with an EF 55-250mm – 2lb 5oz
  • Canon R-10 equipped with an RF 55-210mm – 1lb 12oz

Since birds are the most prevalent photogenic life form in the area, we will use a couple of those photos (both are candid snapshots) to show off each camera’s stuff. Click on either photo to view enlarged.

First, this is a photo of a Curve Billed Thrasher atop the big Saguaro by the garage:

I took the above photo with the SL3 during my morning walk. The bird is sort of back/side lit by the sun, but there is still enough ambient reflected light available to render the feathers, beak and eyes without any real difficulty. The cactus spines are sharp (both photographically and otherwise) and the blue sky serves as a nice backdrop to the bird.

And then there is this one I took with the R-10 this morning of a Cactus Wren perched on the tip of one of the Ocotillos out back:

I am very satisfied with this photo. It was good fortune that the bird perched on the top of one of the canes on the ocotillo. It was further good fortune that as I encountered this shot, the bird wasn’t too far away from where I was shooting. The wren is in very good focus and the background bokeh serves as a very pleasant backdrop nicely framing the main subject.

To be honest, the R-10 may have some weight and operational advantages over the SL3, but both cameras exhibit one very important set of characteristics when it comes to amateur photography: luck, providence, good fortune and subject matter. A little bit of good judgement is also rewarded.

Bottom line: I’m not going to stop using either camera as I pursue some more interesting photo topics – astro, action, macro, panoramic, and a host of others.

21 Mar 2026 by Blogosphere Cyberspace Entertainment Notions Photography Wanderlust

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