It's been an emotional roller coaster this week; my friend Marilyn is experiencing a severe reaction to her chemo treatments and her condition is grave . But yesterday we celebrated the 70th birthday of a newer friend Denny and I met on the road, our tax return came in, we spoke with both our parents on the phone and they seem to be doing okay and it looks like the part to the stupid couch may be in. So many of the things we experience in our lives are beyond our control no matter how badly we want to fix it or go back for a "do over". Sometimes all we can do is enjoy the here and now and pray that everything will work out.
The world's biggest hummingbird. Okay, so it's a Gila woodpecker. Actually, there were two on the feeder at the same time but one flew off before I had a chance to grab the camera.
This saguaro cactus appears to be wearing a wreath at its crown. The saguaro doesn't start to grow "arms" until it reaches about 15 feet in height and is about 75 years old.
The buds of the saguaro arms on this cactus encircled the entire top of the stem which is very unusual.
Notice the fan formation at the top of this saguaro? It's not known if this is a genetic anomaly or caused by damage to the plant such as a lightning strike, but it only occurs in about 1 in 250,000 cacti. This crested cactus is located on the grounds of the Superstition Mountain Museum.
While we're on the subject of cacti, this is the teddy bear cholla, or jumping cholla. The cactus looks rather soft and fuzzy from a distance, but is covered with a thick mat of spines and if you brush up against the plant a small segment of the cactus will attach itself to you, seeming to "jump" off the body of the cactus. I've heard that if you step on a segment the spines of the cactus will pierce your shoes. I give them a wide berth, regardless.
I'm not quite sure if this is parking for a handicapped horse or a handicapped rider. Both? This hitching post and sign can be found at the Superstition Mountain Museum.
Okay, this is another one of my "when I win the lottery" purchases. This home has a terrific view of the Superstition Mountains and is currently far away from the hustle and bustle of the suburbs of Phoenix. I suppose that won't last long, given the current rate of new development in the area.
The world's biggest hummingbird. Okay, so it's a Gila woodpecker. Actually, there were two on the feeder at the same time but one flew off before I had a chance to grab the camera.
This saguaro cactus appears to be wearing a wreath at its crown. The saguaro doesn't start to grow "arms" until it reaches about 15 feet in height and is about 75 years old.
The buds of the saguaro arms on this cactus encircled the entire top of the stem which is very unusual.
Notice the fan formation at the top of this saguaro? It's not known if this is a genetic anomaly or caused by damage to the plant such as a lightning strike, but it only occurs in about 1 in 250,000 cacti. This crested cactus is located on the grounds of the Superstition Mountain Museum.
While we're on the subject of cacti, this is the teddy bear cholla, or jumping cholla. The cactus looks rather soft and fuzzy from a distance, but is covered with a thick mat of spines and if you brush up against the plant a small segment of the cactus will attach itself to you, seeming to "jump" off the body of the cactus. I've heard that if you step on a segment the spines of the cactus will pierce your shoes. I give them a wide berth, regardless.
I'm not quite sure if this is parking for a handicapped horse or a handicapped rider. Both? This hitching post and sign can be found at the Superstition Mountain Museum.
Okay, this is another one of my "when I win the lottery" purchases. This home has a terrific view of the Superstition Mountains and is currently far away from the hustle and bustle of the suburbs of Phoenix. I suppose that won't last long, given the current rate of new development in the area.
1 comment:
Loved the photos, especially the woodpecker at the feeder.
The cacti are so beautiful. We don't see many of them up here. :-)
I am so sorry to hear of your friend not doing well. I hope she is feeling better soon.
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