The Critter

Some critter has taken to eating the cactus buds just before they open so I am back to using cages on these low growing cactus during the flower season.

I spread some river rock to create a backbone for additional plantings.

What could be more stunning than a brilliant yellow flower on a purple cactus?

Tux Update: She's been eating two or three good meals a day.

Pictures from the garden

We're usually gone before the garden starts blooming so I'm excited to see all the color.

Local burro visits 

Deadly spines

Tarantula Hawk wasp on blooming milkweed

Has the most painful sting of all North American insects.

Bug in flower 

Palo Verde humming with bees

Tiny pincushion flower and fruit

Bee in cactus flower 

Purple 'Santa Rita' with yellow flower forming

Back to the Wheel

Strawberry hedgehog

I'm disappointed and not with my latest firing. Very disappointed that several of the pieces bloated despite a slow bisque firing to Cone 04. Disappointed that the glazes ran too much and sealed several pieces to the kiln shelf or the catch plates and really damaged the bottoms of otherwise nice work. But, I am pleased with the glaze combinations on this clay (Sedona red). Just need to play around with glaze density and firing temperature. The glaze fire was set for Cone 6 with a ten minute hold and appears to have gone to Cone 7. I'll reduce to Cone 5 next time. Not sure what happened with the bloating. The bad pieces were all on the bottom shelf which wasn't overloaded, but maybe the air circulation was inadequate to allow all the gases to escape since this clay has more organics to burn out. I'll try increasing the venting next time. So I have a lot more yard art. Bob says it's a good thing we're going to have two yards, the smart ass.  So, it's back to the wheel for me, and we'd better get serious about finding a place in Washington with a really big yard.

Chalet Tires

Bob found strange wear on one of the Chalet tires. We'll need to take care of that before heading to Washington. Also noticed the shock cords are badly frayed and need to be replaced. The white flakes of material we'd been finding on the trailer floor last year were apparently flakes of the bungees. Pictures below.

So this is another delay that provides a little more time for Tux to stabilize before we head out. I'm afraid the stress of traveling will be too much for her. The medication to increase her appetite is working but there is something that turns her away from the food. Maybe a strange taste in her mouth. Seems like when I am able to get some yogurt into her she becomes ravenous for a short time.  I cram as much food into her then as she can take. Poor dog. Can't seem to make any progress on this disease.

Wear on inside of tire in this area...

...but much less wear here. Same tire. 

Definitely time to replace the bungees!

Another day another plant

A trip to town calls for a few more plants for the garden. I added a grass and trailing rosemary near the bench, and two drought resistant shrubs: feathery cassia next to the trellis, and a Texas ranger, Green Cloud, at the far side. They should both quickly grow to a large size and provide some shade for the garden.

A flycatcher posed for pictures yesterday.

A New Garden

There is plenty of room for a cactus garden in the pool and it was hard not to pick up a few Trichocereus grandiflorus hybrids while at Lowes yesterday. They have amazing flower colors. So this is how they looked yesterday after planting.

And this morning they looked like this! Wow!

So off I went collecting plants from around the yard, the ones that weren't doing so well in their rocky locations, and picking up some clay art to fill in the spaces between. Now we have a good start on a cactus garden.

Here is how it's looking with the rose trellis from Oregon (that looks like an ocotillo). We moved a bird bath down for whatever critters are missing the pool. I'm sure the digger bees will swarm the water.  I want something green and leafy to climb the trellis so will be on the hunt for a drought tolerant vine or shrub, and I'll put the potted cactus in the ground in the fall after it's put out some roots. Keep fingers crossed that we can keep the critters out and the cactus will grow and multiply and give me lots of spring color in the coming years.

Friday Stuff

This fish has been laying around the yard since we bought the place. Finally found a new life for it as a windchime.

Hooper snoozing

 

 The Mirtazapine has improved Tux's appetite and she is eating again. I hope now she will have the energy to fight off this fungus and even put some meat on her bones.

Our big yellow barrel cactus is flowering.

Lambs!

It's spring. The ewes showed up with their lambs today, flowers are blooming and the wild burros are gathering.

Desert Big Horn females and lamb

Three lambs and three ewes

A verbena, I think

Trailing four o'clock 

My favorites, the dark burros

Neat Neighbor

I believe this is a Desert Banded Gecko Bob found under a stepping stone in the yard! It has moveable eyelids and no toe pads. First gecko I've seen here.

Dog Update: Tux finally ate like she was hungry Sunday, after a week of only taking a bite of yogurt or hamburger now and then, then Monday nothing. She actually left the house when I brought her bowl. Vet gave me something for nausea, which she might have been feeling with all the meds she was taking, and an appetite stimulant that I hope will get her back to eating regularly. She did want breakfast this morning. 

The BCs are feeling their age. It's difficult for them to negotiate the rocky trails now and the afternoon heat is getting to them, so our walks are getting shorter, slower, but they still demand to go twice a day. Tux is taking so much of my attention that I feel I'm missing their last good days. 

And the Pool is Gone

Hard dusty work on the Bobcat. The hole is filled. Now to let the dirt settle and decide on a final layer of material. Small gravel maybe. Voila! A nice pad to park an RV.

Another Sunny Saturday

Work on the pool is progressing. Two or three more loads of fill will be delivered tomorrow and that should fill her up. We're going to miss the nightly show of bats and nighthawks that were attracted to the water.

Here is our Valley Fever girl. She has eaten little for almost two weeks and looks awfully skinny again. The antibiotics are altering her taste and she has no interest in the most delicious foods I offer. That should correct after the meds are finished tomorrow -- then we'll only have to deal with the Fluconazole messing with her appetite. I'm not feeling good about her survival at this point but we are keeping up the battle.

  

Below is the new staircase Bob is working on. We had to disassemble the old staircase when we replaced the rickety old deck with the roof overhang, so those materials are being used to rebuild the new. These are narrower, less intrusive in our small yard and out of the damaging sunlight in this location on the north side of the house.