I was happy to see that Red and Mrs. did not abandon me while we were out of town. Maybe it’s because I put a seed block out called a “Cardinal Block” to keep everyone well fed including quail, finches and sparrows.
A few photos of Red and Mrs, plus a few buddies, that I took this week:
Red looks back to make sure I knew he was here. I heard him chirping in the distance and he came when I called him!
I think he associates my “Hey Red” chirpy voice with meal time!
Red was hanging out in a tree. The little tuft of feathers below him is the crest of Mrs.
Mrs. wants to know where Red is going.
Red wants to know why I allowed the White-Winged Dove on his rock.
Mrs. is staking out her spot on the rock.
Red and Mrs. together. Probably chatting about what to do about their photographer.
I think they want a little privacy from me constantly taking their photos.
I was walking out the door for my morning walk when I spotted a mighty saguaro that fell down and landed against a tree. That makes four that we’ve lost. I was afraid it was due to overwatering which can cause saguaro to rot and fall.
This one was completely dry at the base. My husband said it looked like the base rotted out. I looked it up, it’s called root rot.
Some of the saguaro are native while others are transplants:
We are thinking this one must be a transplant. It obviously didn’t have a great root system.
Transplanted saguaros often have a more damaged or less naturally formed root system, and may be tagged or have a history of being moved. Native saguaros, on the other hand, will have a more natural, established root system.
Root system:Transplanted Saguaros typically have their roots trimmed during the transplant process. While they can regenerate roots, a lack of extensive, naturally developed root structure might be noticeable.
Damage from transplanting:Look for signs of scarring or damage to the base of the cactus, especially if it was moved recently.
Lack of natural habitat features:Saguaros in their natural desert habitat often grow on slopes or in valleys. A Saguaro in a perfectly flat, manicured lawn, for example, might be an indication of transplant. –Google AI
Another thing I learned about native versus transplanted saguaro is the transplanted ones can be discolored at the base. Native saguaros stay a healthy green.
The gardener came the very next day and said he’d get it out of the tree, but it couldn’t be saved. He said he’d cut it up with his chainsaw and would let it dry out before he hauled it to the dump. It weighed more than 1,000 pounds and was too expensive for him to deal with.
Here are two photos of the saguaro in it’s new shape:
It is interesting to see the insides of our saguaro.
I took a few photos of prickly pears while I was out on the driveway taking pics of the saguaro’s demise. I hope you enjoy them.
No surprise. Red is at the top of my list. I was getting a little worried. Mrs. and Red didn’t show up for most of the week. I sent my husband to the hardware store for sunflower seeds. Their favorite. Voila! They both arrived, although separately which makes me believe there is something going on in the nest.
Mrs. made a few appearances. The sunflower seeds did the trick!
Red sharing his favorite rock with a quail. Did you notice I caught a bird in flight? It’s a blur in front of the saguaro.
A male quail keeping watch over his family. Momma and baby below the bench.
A Cactus Wren on a cactus! This is the state bird of Arizona.
What a surprise. Yesterday two cacti bloomed.
Aren’t these gorgeous flowers?
This cactus is next to our driveway.
I had to get photos of the flowers because they only last for a day.
We planted a few bougainvillea. This one is purple and the others are pink. I can’t wait to see how they grow throughout the years
The bougainvillea add such a nice touch of color.
One more favorite photo of Red.
Do you have a favorite photo? If so, which one is it?
Any exciting plans for the weekend? We’ll be celebrating our 40th anniversary!
Red continues to be the star of the show. What I noticed this week is that Mrs. and Red visit for birdseed at different times — no longer together. They take turns. Does that mean that one of them is in the nest? Does that mean there are babies or eggs?
Mrs. showing off her back and tail.
My new birdbath is seeing some appreciation.
It must be lizard season. I’m seeing them daily running across the yard.
We now have more quail families than I can count. From newbies to teens.
Quail always have a male on guard stationed above the others. This one is on a bench on a raised platform where he can watch over the clan.
Mrs. enjoying a snack.
Red flitting around the back yard from a cactus statue to the real thing.
Happy 249 birthday to our nation! What plans do you have to celebrate?
My husband took this photo of our saguaro with his iphone. It’s amazing to watch the changes the season brings to a saguaro. Here’s a growth chart that I found to guess the age of this saguaro in our backyard. It has its first arm and is taller than 15 to 16 feet, so I bet it’s 100 years old or older.
Here’s another photo my husband took:
The birds are loving the flowers! The flowers look like the inside of a pomegranate. Before the flowers turned red, the blossoms were white and looked like crowns. Here’s a photo when the saguaro began to bloom.
The saguaro with more blossoms. Unbelievable how they turned red!
Here are saguaros I took with my iphone from across the pool, while writing my morning pages. I thought this would give some perspective of how majestic and tall they are.
Did I mention birds? Yes, the birds are always landing on the saguaro and have also built nests inside. You can see the holes in the saguaro in the photo above that have had nests and baby birds. Once a bird abandons a next, another bird may move in.
A White Winged Dove enjoying the view.
A Curve-Billed thrasher on a saguaro before it bloomed.
Two much water can kill saguaros and with our last gardener we lost three. Over watering can cause root rot and collapse. Saguaros have accordion-like ribs and a stem succulent that allows them to store hundreds of gallons of water during rainfall. As more water gets stored, the skin of the saguaro starts to expand to make room for more storage.
To be fair to the gardener we had, two saguaros were over-watered and fell on their own. One was rescued and it survived, one died. Two others were infected with some sort of disease.
We hired a cactus doctor who inspected all our cacti and told us to remove the two diseased ones or it could spread to others. Then we were told before you can remove saguaros you have to get a permit from the county! We had a knock on the door and a county inspector arrived. The cactus doctor had called him. After we got the permit, we were told to hire a crew to remove the saguaro. After the entire ordeal, my husband thought he could have handled it on his own. However, there were two men taking down the saguaro. If my husband decided to do it — I would not volunteer for the chain saw — nor making sure the saguaro fell in the right place by holding a rope around it.
What an ordeal. We didn’t know much about saguaros when we moved here, but we are learning!
What are some special native plants where you live?
Friday I went to see my surgeon and she removed my cast! YAY! Then she put me in a heavy duty boot and told me to use my walker and walk around the house and outside with 50% weight on my right leg. The other thing she said was I could take a shower beginning Sunday with no huge plastic sleeve topped with saran wrap on my leg. WOOHOO!
It’s the little things like semi-walking and taking a shower that are making my days!
Part of my morning routine, after coffee and writing three pages, is to venture outside. I sit for about 45 minutes to an hour watching and listening to my birds. I also listen to the Hallow app on my phone. I’m listening to a podcast on it called “Bible in a Year.” I’m on day 180. I find this to be a peaceful and helpful way to approach my day. I was so over being laid up last Thursday that I didn’t want to do anything. Getting outside plus listening to this app and my birds has helped me over the hump.
Here are a few sights from my backyard:
Here’s a honeysuckle I took with my iphone while sitting outside.
Here’s a selfie of me in my sundress and boot with my walker.
Aloe in bloom next to honeysuckle.
One lone blossom on top of a saguaro.
What little things or moments in your day make it special?
I have been taking photos out my casita window with my iphone. I don’t feel up to using my Nikon with my heavy telephoto lens. So, the photos may not be as crisp and clear as they could be. But I’m happy to spot Red and take his photo any way I can.
Today, I have my first post op appointment with the orthopedic surgeon. There was a hint that at two weeks post surgery she would take off the cast and I’d be in a boot. I sure am hoping for that. I’m feeling confined and restricted in my cast. It itches under there! Plus, I am bound to a knee scooter and getting around is not that easy. I discovered something that I never noticed before. Every single doorway or sliding glass door we have, has a step or a barrier to entry to the outside world. With two good feet, I completely missed that. Now it’s quite a challenge, for example, to get to the car for a ride from hubby to a doctor’s appointment.
Red on a barrel cactus next to my pink flamingo.
I learned from new friends who live two doors away that our casita was an add on. They’ve lived here since our development was built close to 20 years ago. Our husbands were chatting at a neighborhood social night in our neighborhood park. They discovered they had a friend in common. The neighbor went to the Naval Academy and my husband’s best friend went there, too. The neighbor was friends with my husband’s best friend’s older brother — who also went to the Naval Academy. Isn’t that a small world?
I veered off track for a moment. Back to the casita — it was built for the prior owner’s mother, who must have been old and needed her space, but also something suitable for someone needing a secure and safe space. I’ve found it to be ideal for me while I’m recovering. For example, the shower is made for handicapped — which I am right now. It has a bench and bars strategically placed for me to hang onto for dear life.
I’m hoping for the best in my healing adventure. I’ll give an update next week after visiting the doctor this morning.
