Pure Gold

The Lesser Goldfinches are one of the most common birds in our yard and yet I love them, they always make me smile. So much gold I feel very wealthy!

Hello Sunshine

We have been blessed with a very mild winter unlike most of the rest of the country so many of our smaller lizards have been putting in regular appearances throughout the months when we would normally expect them to remain dormant underground. They, like us, are very happy to enjoy the warm sunshine.

A Happy Rock

Lichen is quite fascinating, fungus and green algae growing together in a symbiotic relationship. Apparently 6% of the earths surface is covered in lichen. This one appealed to me because it made the rock look like it is smiling.

Coming of Age

The Saguaro has to be between 50 and 75 years old before it develops its first limb. We have one at the end of our driveway that appears to have just reached this landmark. When walking past it last week I happened to notice this tiny bobble on the south side of it. In another twenty or thirty years it should have a big impressive limb. No instant gratification where Saguaros are concerned!

Somebody's Watching..............

You know that feeling, when you are doing something and you suddenly get the feeling that someone is watching you? I was washing dishes at the kitchen sink and I suddenly got that sensation. I looked up and there were a pair of very fierce eyes staring in at me. No wonder I never get jobs finished in the kitchen!!

Put On Your Boots.

The Saguaro is a familiar part of the Arizona wilderness, it is also a wonderfully secure home for numerous species. But what do those nesting cavities really look like? It is a long time before the Saguaro reveals this secret, when they die they can remain standing for many years. Eventually when the skeleton is revealed the lining of the cavity also appears. These are known as Saguaro Boots, it is the cactus way of protecting itself. When creatures make holes in the cactus, the Saguaro produces a lining in the cavity. Over time it hardens so when the Saguaro dies and the soft material withers away, the boot is left (or right!)