what is worse than a cactus in your foot?

One in your throat.

These little cacti volunteer themselves to grow just about anywhere. Do I dare say they come up like weeds? Almost. We find them in the most random places. Like, the gravel walk path. Or, potted plants. The bottom of your foot. Ouch. In my throat. Ok, not literally. But, the sore throat that I had on saturday felt as though I had one stuck in there. What's worse than a summer or winter cold? An autumn cold. Even though it still feels like summer, I feel like it is a cold day in the middle of winter. Complete with the cactus in the throat and everything else that goes along with a whopper of a virus. Enough about the cold, I'll live, but it did give me a chance to compare a cactus to a sore throat!

 These little guys are quite cute and somewhat tiny. This one is about an inch tall in this photo.

Last summer, I plucked one out and stuck it in a pot of soil. I figured it would grow, but I had no idea how big it would get in such a short amount of time! It already looks a little silly in this pot. Perhaps it is time to stick it back in the ground somewhere. However, you need gloves of steel to get anywhere near these bad boys.

And, like I said, they pop up everywhere! This one can't decide what it wants to do. 

Ok. What is worse than feeling like you have a cactus in your throat?

Having one in your foot!

Yes, she was wearing sandals. Evidently, these are some kind of crazy cactus that we have heard jump up at you and stick themselves into your innocent flesh. When we first moved here, I was told to carry a small black men's comb with me whenever I went out walking or hiking... or something like that. Because, (I was warned) these cactus balls will leap out and poke themselves into you. The only way to get them out is to use the comb to gently "comb" yank it out. The comb teeth will grab it and save your fingers from further stabbing. While the girl was having a heck-of-a-time trying to get this painful thing out of her heel, I was recalling that little bit of Arizona Survival advice I had been given and was wishing I had listened. Well, you know, I do listen...

 1. Get a laser pistol for the rattle snakes.
 2. Wear closed toe shoes.
 3. Carry a small black comb with you.
 4. Don't pull weeds without looking and probe with a stick in said weeds first.
 5. Get a big dog.
 6. Get big dog rattle snake trained.
 7. Jump in the pool if a Gila monster has latched on and won't let go. (However, I see a problem with this one as the venom that they release while chewing is a neurotoxin which I think would render one defenseless in a pool. Especially the deep end).
 8. Put the four legs of your bed in buckets of water so the scorpions can't crawl up.
 9. Always check your bed (and shoes) for scorpions.
10. Carry oven mitts with you for the hot car handles and steering wheel.
11. Don't feed the bob cats.
12. Be sure you can out-run a Javelina.

Like I said, I listen, I just haven't completely acted on that advice.

fall flowers

Today we woke up to a cool breeze and rain. I have had the doors and windows open all day and it has been glorious. A glimmer of hope that fall has truly arrived.

And again, opposite of most places, where flowers start to die off getting themselves ready for the winter hibernation, here they are waking up from their summer-heat-induced-slumber. The leaves are turning green again and the flowers are daring to show their faces.

It is like spring in autumn!

Even the hummingbirds are celebrating that summer is over!

The air conditioners are quiet for now, the birds are chirping again, and I am wondering...where are all the falling leaves? I'll take what bit of fall I can get. Even though I'm still wearing shorts and sandals most of the time.

This quote says it best:

"Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower." ~Albert Camus

two pictures of a snake

Well, two different snakes actually.

One picture of each, because that is all I can muster the strength to take. My body goes all weak and chill bumps run rampant across my skin. My hands start to shake and in the case of the first photo, my foot pressed down on the gas pedal and I zoomed away. This giant rattler was slithering across the road in front of my car as I was driving through the neighborhood.

I thought, oh great, the temperatures are cooling off a bit which means these lovelies will start to come out of hiding. 

Not cool!! 

And then, the next day, as I was heading out to the studio to talk to Chuck, this was on the path in front of me! I did do that "get the heck out of dodge" move that I do so well. Thanks for asking. It's comical looking I'm sure. But whose laughing?

So, instead of a face to face visit with Chuck, I dialed directly to his Reptile Wrangler number on my phone! It went something like this..."get out here right now there is a huge rattle snake on the path by Leah's window right now not in a minute but stay back but bring your shovel but don't get too close but  it's right here it's the biggest one I've seen except for the one on the road but this is in our yard and it is the biggest one I've seen in our yard are you coming it's starting to move ok hang up your phone cuz i can see you be careful it's right there hurry up wait stay back chop its head off no just toss it over the fence do you want me to get those grabber thingies wait... let me get a picture first"... and Reptile Wrangler says... "oooh that is a big one. I wonder where it was an hour ago when I was trimming the bushes?"

And so it goes.

I have to suit up before heading out to the backyard.

And I don't mean my swimsuit.

sixteen photos of a bobcat

Recently, the two bobcat youngsters were enjoying a comfortable morning in  their our yard. The word comfortable is not an understatement. These first few were snapped while this one was lounging on the brick column by our bedroom patio. I was standing in the doorway, with the sliding door open, snapping photos for about fifteen minutes. It was not bothered a bit by my presence.

He spotted his sibling on the roof of the house. I have heard them walking around up there before. I'm used to it by now, but the first time, I'll admit...I paused in wonder and fright imagining what could be walking around on the roof .

He just pawsed in wonder.

The second one jumped down off of the roof, and meandered along the fence. This one finally decided to get up, stretch and follow his sibling to the back yard. They are able to walk along the top of the fence like tight rope artists.

Later on, Chuck came in and said, "get your camera... it's a two headed bobcat. "

I was able to snap a couple of quick pictures before one climbed up to hide in the tree. The other one sat here for a long time. It is the same one that I had been taking pictures of earlier. It is not shy at all. In fact, later on in the day, Chuck actually came in the house saying he was a little nervous about it. The bobcat kept following him around, right on his heels, just like a certain orange cat used to do in our Colorado yard. Chuck tried to scare the bobcat off, but it just kept following him. So, his nerves got the best of him and he put his yard work away for the rest of the day. If you look very closely, you can see the second one hiding up in the tree. If you put the cat on the brick at about 5 on a clock face, the other one is at about 11.

Like I said, not shy at all.

Here it is watching Chuck who was in his line of sight doing yard work.

When you see this look on its face and his little ear tipped down, you really can forget that it is a wild animal can't you?

And then this happens. 

And you wonder why at that moment he decided to lick his lips and you decide that the photo op is over.

That concludes sixteen photos of a bobcat.

sing it

 Last Saturday, the Reptile Wrangler and I went to a vintage market. "La Laaa"!  There were plenty of old goods to see and some of those goods were pretty... old. There were a lot of old things re-purposed into new things, which is a trend right now and something that sparks my creative side. You know... reduce, reuse, recycle.  I'm a lover of rusted metal, chippy wood and worn out paper. So, I had plenty to look at. We (I) only bought a few things as I was there mostly to look. While I was browsing in one small booth, the Wrangler spotted something in another booth and managed to make the purchase without me noticing. As we were walking back to the car, he pulled it out of the bag and said "here, I bought something for you."

An old book. That was the first nifty thing about his purchase because I enjoy old books. A red book at that and I do love the color red. The second nifty thing was the fact that my name was on the cover! 

It is the Opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini. Now, my name IS Norma but I never knew there was an opera with that very name, nor have I ever heard of Vincenzo Bellini. But just how nifty is that? 

"Pretty nifty", she sings in a soprano voice. Wait...you're saying "You sing?" 

Only when you can't hear me.

I checked Wikipedia to see who Vincenzo was. (Click his highlighted name if you want to read about him). A pretty good guess was confirmed; an Italian Opera composer. I thought I might have to have my Italian mother-in-law read the words for me to see what this is about.

And, I still might have her translate some of it, but I did further looking and discovered, like most opera's, this one is sad. Not that I'm an opera expert, in fact, it's not my favorite music, but aren't most of them tragic or sad?  So, if you want to read about Norma the Opera , click on it.

And then I went to i Tunes and searched for the opera. Guess what? Lots of selections. Who knew?  I purchased one of the songs for .99 cents, with the hopes of embedding it here for all of you to hear. Well, at least for the two Italian sisters that I know who might enjoy it. But alas, without college girl1 here to help me out, I wasn't able to do it.  I think you might have enjoyed it... or possibly thanked me for not having the skills needed to share. Either way, this opera book is pretty neat and I'm thinking a certain nephew of mine just might have to play it on the piano for me some time. Would that make your special request list? Would that make your day?

Reptile Wrangler made mine when he surprised me with the find of the day!

Now, just imagine my name belted out in a soprano opera singing voice . Go ahead, try it and roll the r just a bit. I dare you to keep it stuck in your head all day.

It's been in mine.

sunflowers on a rainy day

A certain nice guy brought home some AMAZING sunflowers for me! And I do love me some sunflowers. Especially on my table. Well, I really love them the very most when they are growing wild... by the side of the road. Yep, all that gold is lovely, lovely sunflowers.

When I took college girl2 to college, the sunflowers were blooming abundantly in open fields and along the edge of the highway. We were all smiles to see them, as they are a favorite of not just mine.

See what I mean? All smiles.

Today it has been raining. A welcome sight. After all, it is the monsoon season so we should be happy to see some rain. So much better than the dust that is less than delightful during the monsoon season here in Arizona. I've even opened the doors and windows this morning... just to tease me that it is fall. At least for today.

So happy to see sunflowers on my table.
So happy to see the rain.
So happy all three of the college kids are enjoying their fall semesters!

Happy friday!

P.S. Just a shout out to some of my Colorado friends. The cute red 'doily' under the sunflowers on my table was handmade by my friend's Mom. She makes them to be used as kitchen wash cloths, but I tend to love them on my counters under bowls, or on my table under blue pitchers full of sunflowers. I just love them. The doily's and my friends! And the sunflowers. But, I said that already.

phone photo & a painted pig

I was looking through the pictures on my phone and found this. I took it, once again, out the window of the car. (Yes, I was in the passenger seat.) It was taken along the highway between the towns of Telluride and Ridgway, in Colorado this summer.

When I see the quality of the pictures, taken on a phone for crying-out-loud, out the window of a moving car, I wonder how long the point and shoot camera will be in use? They don't call them smart phones for nothin'!  The view isn't half bad either.

I imagine the  mountain colors are starting to change to their fall splendor right about now. Fall is coming to this part of Arizona too, I'll prove it later.

I think the man should put this view on canvas and preserve it in oil forever. Don't you?

Speaking of paint on canvas.

The pig painting on the wall was done by Rachel. She painted it and gave it to the owners, her bosses,  at the BBQ restaurant she worked at for the summer. It was her thank-you gift to them for giving her the opportunity to work there. They loved it and hung it right by the register! The gallery owner next door has already approached Rachel to do some paintings to hang and sell in her gallery. She likes to promote young, new artists in the area. Wow... that made the college girl smile! Since she has been back to school, we have heard that customers have asked about some commissioned paintings. So, in her spare time, after her homework and studying is done, I think she will be painting.

Very nice!