5 for friday on earth day

Here are five photos of all things nature-y on this Earth day Friday!

Hello little lizard surprising me while watering one of my plants.

                           

                            Hello big jelly fish we saw in an aquarium in Spain last fall.

                                   Hello really cool trees we also enjoyed while in Spain.

                                   Good morning little hummingbird splashing in the fountain!

                   And a big buenos noches to these beauties that opened during the full moon last night!
     (Buenos noches -good evening/good night in Spanish. This is an Argentinian cactus and since our Leah is in Argentina being all Spanish-like with her vocabulary, I thought it fitting to say it like that.)
                                               Photo credit goes to Austin on this one.

                         These are just five things that  made me smile!

I hope, wherever you are, on this beautiful earth today, you can get out and enjoy a little fresh air and green grass. See if you can count five (at least) little things that make you smile!


                                                        HAPPY EARTH DAY!

what's black and white and hides in a hole?

A king snake!

Oh my murgatroyd! 

Whatever that means. It sounds better than the word that might have came out of my mouth as this guy passed in front of me on the path to the studio. Seems a popular place for me to run into SNAKES!  I had been watering...back and forth across the same path and decided to get my camera to take some photos of the cactus that are blooming. I headed back with my camera in hand and bazooka! There he was... slithering across the path I had just walked moments before.

I called Austin to come out and take a look at what I spotted...he was... thrilled! He is his mother's son when it comes to snakes and spiders!Ha!! As he was in front of me taking a picture, I had a fleeting thought to tickle the back of his leg. But the fact that I can scare the heck out of myself...all by myself, just backing into the branch of a plant...I thought better of it. Plus, just thinking about it set me into a nervous giggle which clued him in pretty quickly. He jumped just with my giggle! We watched it creep along as it went from one plant to the next... completely trailing out of sight. So, for those of you daring enough to be in our yard...trust that there might be something hiding. And for those of you not daring enough to ever come visit me, because I have scared you so much with my photos and true tales...know that you are missing out spending time with me here in Arizona AND really...if you can't see it...you don't know it's there. That's my motto.

See...just a big giant agave that has such sharp spines you really aren't going to get very close to it anyway. That's why all the dried leaves are around the base of it. 
I'm not sticking my hands in there! Especially now that I know he was there and I couldn't see him at all!

As I went over to take a photo of the blooming cactus that I had originally gone out to photograph, the snake had made its way out from under the giant agave and I thought partially hiding under the leaves. But, when I looked closer, I noticed it was heading down a hole!

We have holes here and there and always wonder..."just what makes those holes?" We've suspected lizards, pack rats and rabbits but, we never thought snakes!  I'm pretty sure all of those other creatures are down there too and when I told Chuck what I'd seen, he said..."no, the holes aren't that deep. I've stuck a stick down some of them, but it doesn't go in that deep."  I'm just now thinking..."well...did it ever occur to you that there was actually something down there keeping the stick from going all the way down"??? HA!

So, there he was and there I was...just watching. He would pause for a bit just like this...

           and then he would move on in a little farther. Inch by snakeskin inch he began to dissapear.

 I wondered if this would be as far as it went...you know..the ol' theory 'if I can't see you, you can't see   me!' Problem was, I could see him! Cool as it was...I still don't like snakes!!!

                            It was about now that I was hearing all the people recently ask me...
                                                    "So, Norma...see any creatures lately?"

                                                 "Ummm...yes. Yes I have! Darn it."

So, do you suppose there is a big den-like space down there or just a long tunnel? Better yet...does the snake back its way out or is there an opening somewhere else...at the end of the tunnel? Good thing I didn't think of that then...you know...the exit hole could have been right next to my foot?!?!?

  And just like that. Gone! Out of sight. As if it had never been there. I know there are things lurking in the dark shadows of the night but, hello...underground now too?! Like, it could pop out at any second when I am raking up some of those leaves!  Or pulling those rogue weeds. I didn't get any closer to look at that hole because...well would you?

But I did snap a photo of one of the other holes I was talking about. These are always in this area of the yard. We have filled them in with a little dirt before, but they appear again. I can say for certain, this one is much bigger in circumference than the one that the snake disappeared down. Let's just think about that for a moment...shall we?

I don't have video on the camera I was using, so I made a little GIF, which actually sped up the whole process of him sneaking his way down that awesome hidey-hole!

Berle and Melanie...if you happen to read this entire post... please know that I'm a really good friend and I will walk in front of you when we are in our yard WHEN you come to visit me. I will do my 'clapping-hands-here-I-come' routine that I do really well.  I also promise, if I spot something before you do, I will not push you out of the way to get into the house first.

I will be a really gracious hostess and just scream..."RUN!"

Also note...most people that come to see us never see an animal or creature other than a bunny or a bird. Some people wish they would see these cool creatures and never do. Some people have lived in Arizona their entire life and have never seen such things. Some people wish you'd feel ok about visiting!


Spring tally: 
1 rattlesnake (flattened in the middle of the road)
1 javelina (on the other side of the fence)
1 coyote (in my headlights crossing in front of my car)
1 king snake ( in the underground system)

cooper's hawk

      Everyone asks me if we have had any wildlife sightings lately. My reply is.. not really.

However, just this morning, as I was walking through the yard, I saw a javelina up behind the fence on the hill. Just one, but I'm sure there were others, as they travel in packs. And now that I typed that, I remembered I saw four pretty large deer a couple of weeks ago. They were in front of a house around the corner, just munching away on their trees. I'm not sure if this counts or not, but yesterday I passed a flat rattlesnake that didn't quite make it across the road around the corner from our house too. So, now that I'm thinking about it..."why yes, I have seen some wildlife!"

Oh...and I forgot about that rat that interrupted my sleep a week or so ago! How could I forget that one!?? Maybe I've become used to these interactions that now I don't really think so much about it?
I better not be letting my guard down!!

As I was going through my photos, I saw this group of shots that I forgot about. Last November, I saw this guy out on the fountain in front. I looked it up and the best that I can tell, it's a Cooper's Hawk. I'm not sure if it is a male or female, but what I do think, is that it had a wounded leg. foot. claw? You can see how it held it up close to its body.

He (just because it looks like a he) sat there for about an hour. I periodically looked out the window and he was just there. Resting. You can see his eyes were closed.

Now open. Even though I was taking the pictures through the window, I think it could here the shutter click on the camera. He would sometimes even look my way.

                                                  It looks pretty peaceful here.

  Soon, he started looking out towards the driveway and the sky. I kept watching, at this point, wondering if he was going to take off. His foot was still tucked up towards his body.

                               He started to make a move and hopped over to his left a little.

               And then swoosh...faster than my finger could snap a photo...he was on his way out.

But, instead of taking flight all the way out, he landed here for a bit. Maybe contemplating his next direction or maybe the first small flight was just a test to see if all systems were go.

                             A subtle move made me think he was ready. Nope, he just sat there.

                                                                          Observing.

                                      He was looking back and forth with his foot still tucked.

 I missed the photo of it flying off. It sat there so long I had gone on with my day. When I looked back out it was gone. It was pretty fun to watch it for awhile that morning.

Yes...I guess I have had a few wildlife sightings. Just not as exciting as some. Thank goodness..


And yes, a little gentle wildlife is an ok thing.

quote Monday

We could certainly use a few more good springs in our world!

Our Easter yesterday was a beautiful one. We got to spend it in the backyard, with family, and a pretty blue sky. A little house finch has made a nest up under the eaves on the back patio. The mama and papa were keeping an eye on all of us sitting right below their nest of babies. As things were winding down with our festivities, I got up on a chair with our cousins phone and snapped a photo, so we could see what was up there. I want to say it was a beautiful nest like the one above... however...this is what was up there...

Babies yes!
Poor things were a little fooled thinking I was bringing them something to eat. I saw mama come back a bit later tending to them while papa helped her out.

What is puzzling, is amount of "glue" they have used to build this nest.

I've watched mama birds with other nests clean the babies droppings from the inside to the outside. But I think this is more than that. When people build log cabins, the mortar or materials they use to fill between the logs is called chinking.  I guess, technically, the filler between the sticks and grass would fall into the "other" category, although I realize this is a nest and not a log cabin. Yes, that's a lot of chink for sure! This won't be a nest I try to keep after they all fly away. I prefer a cardinal's nest.

They are birds that are more weavers than chinkers.

Happy Monday everyone!

in bloom

Yesterday, I took a tour around the yard and snapped a few photos of some lovelies in our yard. Without a doubt, this is the most beautiful time of year here in Arizona. I won't be saying that in about four months...but now...in all caps...

THE BEST TIME OF YEAR IS RIGHT NOW!!

The bees are back and lovin' life at the moment.  They have abundant pollen at the tips of their bees knees, and with all the citrus trees in bloom and a little fresh water from the fountain, they are fat and happy! I don't even worry about getting stung right now because, honestly, I don't think they are interested. Drunk on pollen without a care in the world. Take a gander at the one that is in flight and blurry at the bottom of the photo. A good surprise when I uploaded the photos. Every day, the edge of the fountain is loaded with bees!

The bees don't have to wander very far, as the lemon tree, which is in full bloom, is right next to the fountain. Easy nectar! They smell wonderful and if the front door is open, I can smell them inside the house. Sweet!!                                                                    

  We had a mild winter, without a really hard freeze this year, and this bougainvillea couldn't be happier. I'm pretty happy myself because, many things that freeze to the ground with our occasional freezing temperatures, survived this winter and are now full and robust! Oh happy Spring!!

Some of the early cactus bloomers are putting their best petal forward! This one is always a favorite!

   Raise your hand if you agree!! I'm always still amazed that these sharp, prickly, sometimes quite ugly cacti can produce some of the most beautiful, delicate, lovely smelling flowers!

                                              The roses are on the verge of roseplosion!

 And yes...the orchid tree is exploding now too! Without the hard freeze to nip its branches, we are enjoying branches full of these pretty flowers. It was fun when we first moved here to have all of these new plants and flowers that we didn't have in Colorado. I still miss many of my favorites that can't stand the heat here, but this one has certainly taken a good spot on my Arizona favorite bloomer list.

Of course, the bright fuchsia color is what makes this so spectacular...but, I edited this photo to black and white. Sometimes I just love a nice black and white photo to emphasize the details.

We put this lavender plant in last year. It is taking off and looks just perfect right now. See the bee?

                                                                    More roses.

                                                      I liked the back of this one.

The blooms on this tree are abundant this time of year. I always warn Chuck...when the yellow is blooming outside you are going to sneeze!  Oh...see the bee? A ginormous carpenter bee!

 This little potted plant is full of color right now. You know what? This plant was teeny tiny when Austin gave it to me when he was in second grade. His teacher had little cuttings from her house plant that she had each student plant and give to their moms for Mothers Day. Priceless!

The season for bunnies...the real ones love to torment Chuck by eating his little grass lawn!

And finally, this is my Colorado planter. I typed pot first, because it is a plant pot, but now...with the Colorado Pot law I can't really say "this is my Colorado pot",  because some might be surprised to find out I'm growing pot and of course, being that it wouldn't be legal here in Arizona, I might get into some trouble. Or be very popular, who knows.  Ok...now that the pot tangent is over...let me just say that this planter was potted (a verb now) when I left my yard in Colorado. I dug a slip of Columbine and a few Iris bulbs, all that  I could in the December cold, and stuck it is this pot and put it in the back of my car. To my thill...it grew and sprouted that first spring and each spring since. Every year, right about now, I think of that yard and one of my dear friends that I shared my love of gardening with. She has a yard that I always wanted . At the very least, the yard I most loved to stroll through. Jeanne, you know I'm thinking of you! 

While typing this post I've had music playing from my iTunes library. Just as I was finishing the sentence about my friend and her beautiful yard, a song came on. I'm a sappy girl. I just sat and listened and thought it ironic that the title of the song is Flor. It is about a flower. It is written and composed and sung by Leah. I tried to load it here...but am not having any luck. It's a pretty one and since she is so far from home right now I got a little nostalgic for her voice. 

These kids of mine sure make me my heart bloom!!

And these blooms sure make my face smile!

Happy Spring!

quote monday

          Spring 
              translates earth's happiness 
                                       into colorful flowers.

                                                                                                         -Terri Guillemets

We need more colorful flowers...don't you think?

I took a break...just to do a little of nothing for awhile.

All is well and I'm back with colorful flowers blooming everywhere.

I know it does't look or feel like Spring in everyone's neck of the woods.

Soon it will!

Have a Happy Monday!

~norma~

for the sake of tradition

 for auld lang syne

 for old times sake

                        Did you know that's what Auld Lang Syne means? 
        Loosely translated...it's for days gone by, for old days, for the sake of old times. 
                       Or in the case of my family...for the sake of tradition.

     We get together, as many of us that can, every year between Christmas and the new year. We celebrate it in a big way, as in... a big amount of people. It grows bigger every year, with the addition of new members, in the way of spouses and new babies. Each one gets represented with a stocking hung on the chimney mantle. Those that forget to bring their stockings with them, get a make-shift one, or simply...a bag with their name on it. There were a number of those bags sitting on the floor below the hanging stockings. We stuff the stockings with small treasures, treats or trinkets...just a little token of fun! 
A small gift, from each "Santa" family, as a reminder that you are being thought of.



                        "Should auld acquaintance be forgot 
                              and never brought to mind? 
                         Should auld acquaintance be forgot 
                              and days of auld lang syne? 

                             For auld lang syne, my dear, 
                                     for auld lang syne, 
                           we'll take a cup of kindness yet, 
                                    for auld lang syne."
                                             -  Robert Burns, Auld Lang Syne 

This song is sung every New Year at the stroke of midnight all over the world. Did you know it is an old Scottish poem? A poem based on an old song set to the tune of another old folk song? I started thinking about what auld lang syne really meant, so I looked it up and found all these little tidbits of information.  Such things as remembering old friendships. Days gone by.  Bidding good-bye to the old year... and just for the sake of old times. There are many verses to the song, the first being the one that is sung at the stroke of midnight. So, if you didn't get the chance to hum the tune or recite the lyrics, because your head was busy slumbering on your pillow... take a moment now. 

A shout goes out to my sister Helen and her husband David, for graciously hosting this family event every year and bringing everyone together into their cozy home. 

I lift my cup of gratitude for your kindness... for old times sake!