A backlit bunny showing off his ears in the morning light.
I’ve been trying to capture the morning light with backlit sea glass for my photography project. I’ve been observing how light changes throughout the day.
The past two days, I walked with my camera in the early morning. Normally I take photos sitting down at home. The camera is a little bulky to carry on my walks compared to my iphone. But I managed because I was inspired to capture a gorgeous Texas Purple Sage in the morning light that’s on the other side of the neighborhood from me.
It’s a massive plant. Since I was using my macro lens that is for closeups, I couldn’t get far enough away to photograph the whole plant. Also, the sage is on the west side of a two-story house and was in the shade when I walked over.
Along my walk to the sage, I spotted so many beautiful instances of backlighting on plants like the Firestick cactus above and the Staghorn below.
My favorite is the following series of an agave. I took a photo of the whole plant and then got closer — and closer.
Last but not least, a chipmunk munching away on a blossom of a Golden barrel cactus.
Do you notice changes in light throughout the day and throughout seasons?
We had to dress our cacti in styrofoam hats in anticipation of freezing weather.
We’ve had a relatively mild winter so far. But this week, the temperatures at night will hit freezing. That’s why it’s time, once again, to get out the styrofoam cups to protect our cacti. The styrofoam protects cacti from freezing. I do wonder how they made it through cold freezing temps out in the wild, without the help of humans? Maybe they didn’t make it.
The one thing we haven’t had this winter is rain. There was a high pressure area that moved rain up north. My kids in the Bay Area had a very wet winter, but as you know So Cal did not. Rain missed us, too. February is the wettest month of the year, so I’m hoping we get rain then.
I’ve read the next two weeks will be very cold for most of the country. Thirty states will experience a Polar Vortex, bringing unusual weather with many areas below zero. Our coldest temperatures will be around 32 degrees, so we’re not in any danger. I just don’t like cold!
This cactus is part of our community landscaping along the street. The HOA has attractive green cups rather than my white styrofoam cups. FYI, it’s a pain to take off the cups. I often end up with stickers in my hands.
What is your weather forecast? Are you going to experience extreme cold? How do you prepare for it?
My favorite pool at Bella Sirena Resort in Mexico.
On our last trip to Mexico I wrote “Run for the Border.” You can read it HERE. There were two odd things that occurred on that long weekend that made me question our favorite vacation spot four hours south of home. First was getting pulled over by cops at the Mexican border town and being shaken down for $160.
But something else was odd. I noticed at least 1,000 military-aged men from all over the world, lined up on the Mexico side, waiting to walk into the United States. There were no women or children.
Then on the news yesterday in Arizona, we learned the border crossing at Lukeville is closed because the Border Patrol has such an influx of these military-aged men from Asia, Egypt and Africa to process — that they can no longer accommodate legal Americans or Mexicans crossing the border — either way.
Here’s a snippet from local Arizona news:
Lukeville border closed: How to get to Rocky Point and how much longer it will take
Esme Hernandez, a local business owner who enjoys traveling to the Mexican beach town of Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point, didn’t mince words in reaction to the closure of the Lukeville-Sonoyta port of entry.
That border crossing provides the most direct route between Phoenix and Puerto Peñasco.
“I just can’t imagine the effect it’s going to have on Rocky Point and the economy. They’re already in the slow season,” she said in a TikTok video and Instagram post about the border crossing’s temporary closure, which U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Friday, Dec. 1.
Why is the Lukeville border crossing closed?
U.S. Customs and Border Protection closed the Lukeville port of entry on Monday, Dec. 4, citing an increase in migrants at the border and a need to assist U.S. Border Patrol with taking migrants into custody.
CBP did not say when the border crossing might reopen.
With Lukeville closed, you have to drive to other border crossings that are not closed and are several hundreds miles away and are said to be more dangerous areas to travel. Rocky Point is 62 miles south of Lukeville. I hope this is temporary and for the sake of people who need to cross the border — and the economy of the beach resort — it reopens soon. Personally, I can skip the beach vacation, although it will hurt the Puerto Penasco economy.
We had a tenant in Phoenix who had open heart surgery and went on disability. He decided to move out of our rental unit and move into his mom’s house in Puerto Penasco where he could live for free. But he has continued his medical appointments in the US. He can no longer travel here.
Then, we met a restaurant owner in Puerto Penasco who said they bought most things to run their business like meat, liquor etc. in the US. They can’t get here, either.
The town of Rocky Point, also known as Puerto Penasco, will have no tourists. It’s a shrimp fishing village and a tourist town. The people are going to suffer economically.
The closest town to Lukeville on the US side is called Why. It was “Y” based on the road going from Tuscan to Phoenix and Mexico with a Y turn. Arizona decided all towns had to have three letters so now it’s called Why.
There’s a border station. It’s on the other side of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument a few miles from the border in Why. The monument is gorgeous and home to two species of indigenous cacti found nowhere else. The migrants are camped out there because there are facilities. Border Control in Why has all its cages full of migrant men. (Have you ever heard about this?)
The migrants camping out in the National Monument are burning the cacti to stay warm.
We stopped at a gas station in Why on our last trip home (Population 30?) There was a brand new gas station and a family running it. It was a husband and wife with a baby. They were excited to tell us of their plans for a coffee shop and restaurant and welcomed us to come back soon.
This is so wrong on so many levels.
I’m not sure if anyone out of the Phoenix area has heard about this.
Have you? If so, was it on local or national news? Why do you think young men by the thousands are traveling here without any women or children?What do you think could be done about the border being closed to Mexican and American citizens?
This is a banner photo from the National Monument website.
This year is fascinating with all the blooming cacti and plants. This is my third spring in Arizona and it’s truly amazing. I’m sure it was the rainy winter we had that is encouraging all the plant life to come alive with flowers. Right now the saguaros are blooming, something I didn’t see much of the past two years.
We have a nature’s preserve across the street and it’s gorgeous to see saguaros topped with white flower crowns. They remind me of the floral crowns we swim moms ordered for my senior day for my daughter’s college swim team.
Saguaros topped with white crowns of flowers at the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
A saguaro in bloom at a neighbor’s house.
In our back yard.
What unusual plants, flowers or wildlife have you seen this spring? Did you have more rain or snow than in the past few years?
A common theme this week is the color yellow. There are yellow blossoms on trees, cacti and bushes.
My week included enjoying my Bird Buddy. This is a juvenile Cardinal. His coat is getting hints of red. Males are brilliant red while females are brown.
Blooming yuccas at our neighborhood park.
This staghorn cactus is bursting in blooms.
Mourning doves have been dominating my Bird Buddy.A view of yellow blossoms in the neighborhood.
Palos Verde trees are common in our neighborhood. They are in their full glory of yellow blossoms.
I can’t help but remember my daughter who loved the color yellow but called it “lallow” as a toddler.
Our house guests are gone, we have friends visiting from Seattle who arrive today. We swam and walked, I cooked, I was productive in my new space. We made it to breakfast last weekend at our favorite cafe and I had a delicious latte and bagel with lox and cream cheese. It was a good week!
A yucca in bloom at the entrance to our neighborhood.
On my morning walks, I’ve noticed some beautiful blooms. We had a temperature swing of 30 degrees the past few days and I wonder if the flowers will wilt immediately in the heat? I decided yesterday to take photos to share the blooms while they are here.
A hedgehog cactus in bloom.
The hedgehogs have different colors of blossoms.
I hope all these buds bloom in the next day or two and it’s not too hot for them to make it.
According to my desert plant guide, these yellow flowers are Lemmon’s Ragwort.
I think Spring is my favorite season with all the wildflowers and the neighborhood coming back to life.
