plant jungle

There are a few areas in our yard that are thriving. Green and lush, without too much effort on our part. Then, there are areas that are dry and brown,  barely hanging on with the lack of rain and high temperatures that we have been experiencing.  It is, of course, the green lush spots that we savor and enjoy. Like this one in the first photo below.

It is a small corner off the back patio. You will note the plant in the foreground, a snippet off my Hoya that Leah planted in soil and we are experimenting with it outside this summer. Many of you know that I have a large plant that is a cutting from my moms plant. I have had it for years and have never planted it in soil. It lives in water and has always bloomed. Until I moved it here to Arizona.  Leah has a couple snips that she has planted and they are doing quite well outside. I'm planning on snipping a bit more, rooting it and then planting it in soil. I want to  keep it outside after she takes hers back to Flagstaff with her in August. I'd like to see how it does compared to the big one inside.

Oh...goodness...were you distracted by the Hoya in the foreground and miss what was peering through the plants in the background? I did too the other day when  I was out watering my plants! I watered all of them on the patio and then moved out in the yard. It was when I was out there that I happened to notice a different pattern of color under these plants!

Well...hello! 

Sneaky little thing. It has been around for a few weeks. I have seen it just "passing through" on the patio but, had not noticed that it was tucked up under these plants. It's not real big and its spots are faded which makes me think it is a young one. Chuck said he has noticed a few feathers here and there, so he/she is most likely having lunch now and then. I was able to get pretty close to snap a few pics and he never took his eyes off of me (and vice versa) while I continued to water. I know things are lurking out there more than I ever notice, although I still keep a keen eye checking wherever I walk. And, I'm always careful about sticking my hands down into a plant or stepping near something I can't see under.

Because... it's a jungle out there!



Meanwhile....later that night. Chuck and I were outside cleaning the pool after a windstorm blew through (it's haboob season) and looked around to see him scooting around the yard. A few minutes later Chuck looked up and saw him up on the fence and snapped this photo. He looks a little more menacing posed like this on the fence. YIKES!

Speaking of menacing...our neighbors were just telling us they had seen a Gila monster around the cul-de-sac and we commented we hadn't seen one in a year or two. Chuck took the trash can to the curb Thursday morning and look what he saw...Gila!!

Wild jungle.

happy Independence Day

                                                 
Chuck is working today and I have plans to do this...poolside... with a friend. Seems like a good thing to do since it is suppose to be a hot one today!  Cheers to celebrating the red, the white, and the blue! It's time we get back to honoring our country and all the goodness it has given us.

                                                            Happy Fourth of July! 

quote monday/manak monday

Let us dance in the sun, 

wearing wildflowers in our hair.

             -Susan Polis Shutz

Yep this is me. At age one. I just brought this framed photo home with me from Texas. The only resemblance to me now is that I part my hair on the same side. Although, I have sometimes felt like it should have gone the other way and hair dressers always want to part it on the left. It tends to fall naturally the opposite way from where I part it...cowlicks in the back and such. But, obviously, it's been this way a long while and any time I've tried it to the left it felt strange. So, right it stays. 

Happy Monday!

Happy Birthday to me!

~norma~

quote monday

                           Flowers don't worry about 
                               how they're going to bloom.
                           They just open up and turn 
                             toward the light and that 
                                  makes them beautiful.
                                                        -Jim Carrey

Happy Monday!

Make it a beautiful!

~norma~

note: Peonies on my table that I picked up at Trader Joe's.

adenium obesum

or... Desert Rose

I was gifted one a couple of years ago but it didn't last long. I thought it was finicky and come to find out I was somewhat right. My neighbor has a huge one in a pot on his patio. I marvel at it when I plant sit for them occasionally and wonder how his grew and my small one didn't. His has a very pale pink flower. I learned that they are a little hard to find in the stores and they can be a little pricey. 

I also learned recently, that my boss, besides being a Christmas magician, interior decorator deluxe, and a good cook... he is also a master gardener. A few weeks ago, he excitedly showed me some pics on his phone of his newest "adenium obesesum". He uses correct botanical names for all his plants, even the  beautiful artificial ones in the store. So, when he showed me the pics I said..."oh, a desert rose?" He got so animated and said "you know what it is?"  A conversation followed about my attempt at one and how I was so puzzled by them. (I will add, now that I have been reading and watching videos on the internet, I ask myself why I didn't read about them before?) They are very interesting and the more I read the more I think that the botanical name of adenium obesum really is adenium obsession. Because, I think you could get obsessed by these!

Anyway, back to Paul the Master...he told me Lowes had them for 18.98, which he said was shocking and "they must not know what kind of plant these really are because usually this size is 40.00"! Naturally, because I'm like a sheep and tend to flock towards things, I went to Lowes the first chance I got. Actually, It was the day before Mother's Day and I told Chuck I'd like to get one. 

So, as you can see, I didn't get just one...I got three. Although, one is going to be a housewarming gift for a friend. Also, I'm not sure I should compare myself to a sheep, as I believe they are not the brightest animal. Side note to back up that statement: when we lived in Montrose and the open farm land was still all around our house, the farmers would bring sheep in during the fall to eat down all of the old crops. More often than not, one sheep would start to run and they would all join the crowd and run like crazy to follow the first one who seemed to know where he was going. The first one would run himself right into the corner of the fencing while all the others plowed into him. This wasn't just a few either. Like maybe a hundred! Boom, boom, boom, they all just piled into each other and then would look around and finally the last ones "in" would turn around and mosey off allowing the others to follow. I can't tell you how many times we would see that happen.  So, as I said, comparing myself to a sheep might be a baaad idea.

These desert rose plants however, I'm hoping are a good idea and I hope I can keep them alive!

Now, I grabbed a few photos off the internet because I want you to see how magnificently unusual these can be. They are native to Africa and people grow them like a bonsai tree. I find the trunks weird and interesting.

  Look how big this one is. You are suppose to cut them back each spring to encourage the elephant like trunk to grow bigger and more gnarly.  I'm guessing some of these are prize possessions when they achieve such a grand trunk and blooms that are so full!

                                  Isn't this crazy?

Here are some in Africa. Native to the desert there.

We'll see how I do with mine. Paul says he waters them EVERY day. Our air conditioner repairman who was here last week (I'll share that story later) spotted them on my table out front and he got so excited! "You have adeniums?"  He pulled out his phone and started showing me pics of his! He gave me a quick lesson on caring for them. Told me mine needed water immediately and said he waters his every OTHER day. Every day. Every other day. My neighbor says a good soaking once a week. So, I'm a little confused about the watering. Mine have already lost a few leaves that turn yellow overnight. A sign of stress and not watering properly. Paul says, just have fun and don't worry about it. If you kill it, "which you will" he said, you just try again. So suddenly, adenium talk is all around me. Well, who knew? It's like I just found out a secret underground club or something.
I'll let you know how it goes. If any survive. I can't imagine cutting them down at least half way next spring if they are still hanging in there. That will be a curious event.

Adenium obesums.

Learning something new all the time.

read about them.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenium_obesum

norma

quote monday - getting back into it edition

                            To be a person 
                       is to have a story to tell.
                                                                                 -Karen Christence Dinesen


MY stories ended for awhile. At least here they did. I didn't feel I had much to say and my days got filled with other things. Other people's stories. But in reality they are my stories too, I guess. And now I feel like getting back to me. Well, that sounds selfish. I don't mean it's all about me...just meaning, getting back to my routine. If there ever really is one. Life's routines are always changing. Sometimes taking you by surprise, sometimes just not being surprising at all.

But...SURPRISE...I'm back!

Now, I wonder if you are there. Or here.

Are you?

Happy Monday!

~norma~


photo of an Argentinian cactus in our yard. these bloom in the spring. a night bloomer. as soon as the sun hits them in the morning they begin to wilt. the blooms are so beautiful and fragrant and last just briefly. they pose the ever-wondering-question..."how does something so prickly produce something so beautiful?"     

quote monday

Sunset on the coast in Costa Rica.
We spent a week there.
Some parts were beautiful.
I love the ocean.
It does not feel like December at all.
Here or there.
My heart craves winter.
Just a little.


Happy Monday!
~norma~