We just sat on the back porch today, called our Moms to wish ’em Happy Mothers Day. I heard from my kid, wishing me the same. I must have taken upwards of 400 pictures of the birds and critters out back. There were so many, it was hard to decide which one to post today. At any rate, I hope that Mom enjoys these red birds, a house finch and a cardinal, at our feeder. Image taken this afternoon – click on the image to enlarge.
I am also disappointed if what I’ve read about bin Laden’s final send-off is true. Was the creep’s corpse actually washed, wrapped in a white sheet and had an Islamic prayer read over it before it was dropped into the sea? If I remember correctly, bin Laden played a major role in the murder of 3,000 Americans, forcing a number of them to leap from skyscrapers because their option was to be incinerated, and we’re giving him a respectful burial? If it had been up to me, I’d have wrapped his cremated remains in a pigskin and then had a midshipman punt him off the poop deck. – Burt Prelutsky
As we sat on the patio today, this colorful Gilded Flicker (colaptes chrysoides) helped himself to some of the seed bell we put out this morning. His mate (without the red cheeks) also helped herself to both the seed bell and a nearby seed feeder. We seem to go through a bell a day but the feeder lasts a few days before reloading. Click on the image to enlarge.
After the Navy Seals accomplishment on Sunday, Obama tried to take part of the credit. The president has done nothing to root out the real problems in the middle east, namely identifying actual sources of hostility and CUTTING THEM OFF FROM US AID! Pakistan is no friend of ours, to be sure.
This time of the year, the ocotillo flowers come out at the end of the canes. This variety of ocotillo is fouquieria peninsularis, according to Desert Tropicals and is native to Baja California. Click on the image to enlarge.
This is probably my favorite desert shrub. The shrub is called “Red Bird of Paradise” or “The Pride of Barbados.” They are native to Central America, parts of South America and the West Indies. Desert Tropicals, a Phoenix based garden information website, has information on cultivation and care of these pretty shrubs. They recommend planting them six feet apart and after summer in November or so, to cut them almost to the ground to keep them compact. In mid-spring, they will grow quite rapidly to between six and fifteen feet high.
I took this photo today while we were in Glendale, AZ, doing some shopping. Very soon, we will be having our landscape contractor install several of these around our house. Click on the image to enlarge.
Obama was more than an Hour Late showing up to make his remarks regarding Bin Laden at the Whitehouse last evening. Trying to sober up enough to read his teleprompter, I guess . . .
Here’s Ramirez’ visualization of the event . . .
