Yahoo has updated my ‘blog site and, of course, that means becoming acquainted with a new method of doing things. (Quite frankly, I sometimes feel that I’m past it as far as learning is concerning.) Anyway, this Huernia flower is so different, you had to have an opportunity to see it.
It’s been quite some time since posting anything at all so here are some super photos Katie took of our Vitex in the side yard. These beautiful blooms are more numerous than in any other year since we’ve been here.
The secret is MORE WATER – something we’ve been learning ever since arriving in Moab. Years ago, when we first lived in Moab, there were a peach tree and two apple trees in our yard. One afternoon an elderly neighbor of ours leaned over the fence and asked if we liked apples and peaches. He recommended MORE WATER, as apparently he was keeping track of our watering methods. After that, peaches and apples were juicy and delicious.
Our next adventure is coming up in September when we will be visiting as much of Italy as we can in three weeks. Each of us, John and I, have some different interests so we are deciding on some balance of art, architecture and history, food, and vegetation, not to mention cities each of us would like to see. Part of the excitement will be flying standby and using EuRail plus public buses and spur lines to see our chosen destinations. You’ll be reading all of the gory details when we return. Meanwhile, we’re trying to learn some basic Italian in case there are no English speakers in smaller towns. We are assured that language is not that big a problem.
Would love to have your comments on my blog!
Katie and I had a great pilgrimage, called that because this is the third time we’ve made the trip, to Tucson. We met some of Katie’s Cactus Forum friends and toured the Sonora Desert Museum with them. Ed, his wife Linda, and John, members of the forum, were a pleasure to visit with. Their knowledge is vast and there is definitely no lack of enthusiasm where plants are concerned. We did, absolutely, choose the right time of year to go as so many cacti and succulents were in bloom. There was a visual overload. It was stunning, also, to watch a cactus wren venture out of her nest in a cholla right next to the walking path, get food and return to her brood. We spent the morning at the museum and then headed out for Phoenix as we wanted to avoid rush hour traffic.
We were in Phoenix two nights. While there, we were lucky enough to add several birds, seen only in that part of the US, to our life bird lists. Each of us added a Phainopepla and I added a gray hawk which soared over our heads while we were driving from Tucson to Phoenix.
Pictured above are some of the many installations of Dale Chihuly’s glass art. To see them among the plants of the Phoenix Botanical Garden was amazing. It was an unforgetable experience! Before seeing these particular creations, the only Chihuly glass I’d had any experience with was a large “sculpture” in the lobby of symphony hall in Salt Lake City. It goes from floor to ceiling and is orange in color. Apparently there is a chandelier in the casino at Bellagio in Las Vegas, which is also beautiful. We’ll definitely have to stop for a look on our next trip to Vegas.
Of course, when Katie and I hit the road, we’re also looking for good food. This year we returned to Cafe Istanbul in Phoenix for more of their scrumptious lamb kebabs, baba ganoush, and gyros. We were not disappointed; everything was the same as we remembered. Baba ganoush with toasted pita bread would definitely be a great treat for guests and I just happen to have two recipes.
All in all, this was another super adventure. We’re already looking forward to the next trip!
Thanks for checking out my ‘blog. Hopefully the photos will enlarge when you click on them. Uncertainty is still the name of my game when posting pictures. I always enjoy receiving readers’ comments so feel free to let me know what you think.
As a plant person, the performance of this particular plant has been disappointing. I don’t want to be ungrateful because the flowers have been magnificent. It’s the rest of the plant, which looks droopy and battered, that is not up to par. As you can see the leaves are hanging when they should be really perky, without crimps in the tips. After checking information about this Adenium obesum, it seems likely that it’s one of those picky/not -so -picky plants. Plant people will know what I mean. Guess the temperature on the window sill was just a little too chilly. Will have to check into that. Anyone interested in further data on this plant can check the internet using the name given.
It’s a good thing I allow Katie to access and bother my ‘blog, because I have important things blooming at home, and I am on the east coast, blissfully unaware of said goings-on.
I have a Stapelia grandiflora blooming at home. It has a lovely (but very stinky) dark red flower. The flower smells like rotting meat, because in nature, it needs to attract flies to pollinate it. Here are some photos (and luckily they have yet to figure out how to convey smell across the internet):
This is the fifth spring and summer we’ve been living at our current address. We’ve been surprised with the arrival of a black throated sparrow who stayed to raise its family. They’ve provided great entertainment in that the fledglings are following mama around and asking to be fed. She’s trying desparately to ween them; however, they’re still trying to avoid fending for themselves by plumping themselves on the ground and waiting for service. Here are photos of the little guys actually on their own.
Earlier in the year, while ordering poker primroses for Katie, I stumbled across pineapple lilies in the catalog. In my effort to have new plants each year, for educational purposes, of course, this plant couldn’t be passed up. Now that the blooms are almost full, I thought you might like to see what they look like.
Hope you find these photos of our newfound flora and fauna fascinating.
It’s been a while since I’ve been able to say anything via my ‘blog because we have a new computer which is taking me a while to become accustomed to.
There are two mystery plants, which I’m hoping someone can ID. The first is a plant from the florist’s (the green shiny leaves with white flowers) and the cute blue bells, which are wild flowers I photographed along side Lake Oowah in the Lasals where we spent the fourth of July sitting in the shade and enjoying the cool.
We were prepared to catch dinner and there’s John holding a lovely rainbow trout. Delicious!
This spring, after swathing my Asiatic Lily with chicken wire to prevent squirrels from chewing on the tender buds, we got this lovely group of very fragrant flowers.
The last photo is of what John likes to call the Desert Nasturtium. The Sensenbrenner family seems to have a penchant for nasturiums. This is an Adenium obesum, called a desert rose. This one has made me proud because it actually survived my care for a year to bloom.
That’s the current news. Next week we’re headed for Idaho and the Lolo Trail and Bitterroot Mountains to follow some of Lewis & Clark’s trail. Should be very interesting.
I am posting some nice things that are around here this spring. I hope everyone enjoys them!
First, here are my blooming Geraniums. They spent their winter in the garage, keeping John company. They are blooming beautifully!
Next is a small cutting from Katie’s Crassula ‘Morgan’s Beauty’, which is growing really nicely. Katie says it looks a lot better than hers.
Here is my ‘desert cabbage’ (Kalanchoe thyrsiflora), which I am putting outside every day, to try to get it used to being outdoors. I am hoping for a little red color as it gets more sun!
This is a Lithops. I have 3 of them. This one shed last years leaves in January, and it’s finally ready for water and growing!
Last but not least, John’s little fruitless mulberry trees in the back yard have been accepted by the bird community, it seems. It’s surprising that the little tree held up this nice, big raven! The second picture shows the raven in flight.
Hope you all enjoy the first installment of spring stuff!
