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.