This is a sunset view from my driveway earlier this week. I took this photo with my iphone.
This photo I took with my Nikon as rain was beginning to sprinkle.
I’m posting photos to celebrate the end of the election. I will be so thankful to never hear another ad for years. Living in a battleground state, it’s been unbearable. It doesn’t matter if my candidates won or lost, or when we’ll find out. I’m just glad it’s over!
Sunday we had clouds, rain, thunder and lightening. The sunsets have been spectacular! The sunrises are gorgeous too. Now the sky is bright blue. Everything looks washed clean and sparkling.
Look at that blue sky!
Sunrise in our back yard.
One more sunset photo. This one is from my husband’s iphone a year ago.
This owl was hanging out in a tree all day and then before sunset moved to the fence.
It was awe inspiring to spot an owl in the tree outside our bedroom. I spent a great deal of time observing him. He’s a Great Horned Owl and he could spin his head around to look at us.
This was where the owl hung out most of the day. I’m looking out our bedroom sliding glass door.
Then something surprising happened. A battle of the raptors began with Harris Hawks appearing on a tree, then the fence.
The hawks moved from the tree to the fence. Five hawks strategically perched on the fence on both sides of the owl. The owl was surrounded. Talk about intimidation!
The owl gave up and flew away. Harris Hawks for the win.
I looked up owls and hawks and it turns out they are both fierce predators and don’t usually interact with each other. Let’s just say they don’t get along and they like the same prey.
Here are some links if you want to read more details about hawks and owls:
Next time, I’d like to share better, clearer photos! I haven’t used my Nikon since we moved and it’s been tucked away in my closet. I’ll try taking photos with the camera versus my iphone and see which looks better.
So…the owl came back. I took photos with my Nikon and they are dramatically better! However, I’m not able to transfer them from my camera to my laptop or phone. The camera software is not compatible with either. Even after downloading new apps from Nikon, I couldn’t get it to work. I ordered a card reader which according to You Tubers is the easiest method. I’ll share the new photos soon!
This is a video of the last of the Harris Hawks flying off our neighbor’s chimney after they scared away the owl.
Which do you find more fascinating and why? Great Horned Owls or Harris Hawks?
Wednesday morning on our walk before sunrise was stunning!
“As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see.” — Vincent Van Gogh
Now that our beach days are behind us, we’re back to desert life. We’re walking before sunrise to avoid the heat. But the past few days, the weather has cooled down. It’s been in the low 60s during our walks! Maybe we don’t have to leave quite so early.
On the other hand, it’s a gorgeous time to be outside. The first thing I saw was a wily coyote dashing across the street. Then I noticed the moon high in the sky with balloons rising in cool air.
This guy has been a frequent visitor to our backyard. We’ve got both Roadrunner and Wily Coyote.
Finally, the sun peeked over the horizon.
What is your favorite time to walk? What sights do you see?
Look at how beautiful this cactus in bloom is! Photo taken Thursday.
I am discovering flowers where we have never had flowers before. Take the cactus above for example. It hasn’t bloomed in the three years we have lived here. But this year, plants I didn’t know could flower are bursting with blossoms.
This is what the cactus looked like Wednesday:
It’s beautiful with buds. But I wasn’t ready for the next day and how spectacular it would be (photo above.)
What about invasive plants?
The front page article for my community newsletter was a request to get rid of invasive plants. The two species to eradicate were Globe Chamomile (also known as Stinknet) and Desert Broom. Although Desert Broom is native to the Sonoran Desert, it’s aggressive and takes over, hence the need to get rid of it. I researched Stinknet and Desert Broom and found photos online for the newsletter.
One of our neighbors received a letter from the Scottsdale Fire Department to clean up their yard and to get rid of Globe Chamomile. Apparently, it can be a fire hazard as well as taking over land from native plants.
I haven’t seen Stinknet in real life but I’ve read about it from Erin on Existential Ergonomics. Also my graphic designer friends who make up my “lunch bunch” talked about Stinknet at our last lunch. I’m keeping my eyeballs peeled for it. I mistakenly thought brittle brush was Stinknet.
I keep hearing, “It’s the little yellow balls.” Well, brittle brush looks like yellow balls, because the petals are falling off with hotter days.
Imagine my surprise when I was taking photos of the beautiful cactus blooms and looked at a pot next to it and saw this:
Stinknet took over a planter in my backyard!
I sent the photo to my lunch bunch and got this reply:
“It’s insidious and will grow anywhere….
“Masquerading as a plant worthy of a pot 😂 is taking it up a notch!”
Since yesterday, I’ve found it growing next to our trash bins. The plant originated in South Africa, made it’s way to Australia and Riverside County, California before heading to Arizona. I never heard of it when I lived in Riverside County — it must not have made it’s way into the Coachella Valley.
I’ve been instructed to wear gloves, dig it up, throw it in a plastic bag, tie it up tightly and throw it away. I want to thoroughly inspect our yard for Stinknet. But then I just got an email from my next door neighbor that he found a large rattler in his backyard! Yikes!
Have you heard of Stinknet before? What invasive plants do you have?
Yesterday on our walk, we saw a huge coyote walking down the wash. He stopped and we stared at each other for a minute. Then he sauntered away. He was too far away for a close photo, thank goodness!
I also captured a bobcat on my outside camera. This guy paid us a visit at 4:30 a.m. and stopped by last week around 10 p.m. one night. (Video below).
I found my favorite photos of wildlife to share:
Javelina on the sidewalk enjoying prickly pears.
Mule deer in the side yard.
Coyote on the wall behind our house on a snowy day.
Outside our bedroom sliding glass door. This bobcat climbed a tree, ate some birds and then napped in this spot.
Below is the Bobcat Video:
The bobcat walks by at about 6 seconds. After he disappears behind the tree, you can stop watching. Sorry, I don’t know how to edit the video from our Cox Camera.
I’m on the App Next Door, and a lot of people are posting wildlife photos. It must be another sign that Spring is in the air. What I don’t like is the rattlesnake photos. One I saw this morning was a rattler on a workbench inside a garage. Yikes!
I love all the wildlife we have around us. I enjoy watching the animals way more than worrying about the homeless guy who moved into our yard and said he bought our house in Palm Springs.
If you read my post on Monday, ASU won their first Men’s NCAA swimming and diving championship after almost cutting their program in 2008. I wrote about how the team’s success was due to Head Coach Bob Bowman (who was Michael Phelps longtime coach) and Assistant Coach Herbie Behm, who was one of my daughter’s coaches at Utah.
Then within 48 hours of winning the number one spot at NCAAs, social media went wild. Announcements were made from the University of Texas that Bob Bowman was named their head coach to replace retiring Eddie Reese. That came out of the blue, because amidst speculation, nobody thought Bowman would leave ASU.
At first everyone was convinced it was an April Fools’ joke.
Next, ASU announced that Herbie was being promoted to head coach. Congrats to Herbie!
That pretty much made the changes for real. Not a joke.
Now the swimming world is waiting to see what happens next. Do swimmers follow Bowman to Texas? Or, do they stay at ASU with Herbie? Time will tell.
Here are a few photos from my walk yesterday and of blooms in our neighborhood:
Did you see or hear something on Monday that you thought was an April Fools’ joke?
What are some of the fun April Fools’ joke you experienced?
In case you haven’t figured it out. I’m on TEAM HERBIE! The one who came back to his home team for his dream job. The one who isn’t ditching out after of 48 hours of a team championship to leave everyone else behind for the next step up in his career. Or worried about the next legacy or career about all him.
Walking around our yard yesterday, I noticed that flowers are peeking out around me. We’ve had a super wet winter with thundershowers most evenings. I haven’t been outside to appreciate that the rain has brought us tiny blooms. Spring is in the air!
Beautiful colors add to my daily joy.
I need to learn the names of my plants. I think these are aloes?
Sometimes it’s just a single blossom, but it still adds a pop of color.
Another favorite of mine is the beautiful Cardinal couple who hang out daily in our yard. I think they like my Birdbuddy bird feeder. I’ve learned to appreciate their chirps and beautiful songs.
This is the female Cardinal. Her husband is below.
