Cardinal~Living Desert, Tucson, AZ

This little fellow followed us around on our visit to the Living Desert outside of Tucson, AZ. We don't have cardinals here in our Southern California desert, so it was a real pleasure to see him! Isn't he colorful?

Spring in the mountains~That's My World for 042809

Spring has finally come to the mountains above Palm Desert, where I board my horses! The almond trees' blossoms have come and gone and the sycamores are getting new leaves. The horses have been all brushed and groomed and they've lost most of their winter coat. You can still see some of Cali's winter coat, but her beautiful palomino summer coat is beginning to shine! Ah, spring! That's My World for Tuesday, April 28, 2009. If you want to visit my horse blog, please visit: http://deserthorses.blogspot.com/. That is where I talk ONLY about my 5 rescue horses.

Bird on saguaro~Scenic Sunday for April 26,2009

I caught this dove on the saguaro on one of our visits to Tucson. Scenic Sunday for April 26, 2009.

Bobcat! Camera Critters for April 25, 2009

A couple of weekends ago I drove around the mountains. Hubby was working and I wanted to get out and take some photos. As I was driving around with my window down, I glanced down into a little gully with a culvert. There was a bobcat! Right by the side of the road! So, I quietly sat very still, and reached for my camera, but he went UNDER the road, through the culvert. I knew that sooner or later he would come out the other side, so I very quietly tiptoed over to the other end and waited. Sure enough, out he came, turned and looked right at me, and scooted off into the bushes! This is the second bobcat I've seen up in our local mountains in 30 years. The first one I saw much lower on the mountain, almost to the desert. Hubby was driving and I looked out into a wash and there it was! Camera Critters for Saturday, April 25, 2009.

Morning sun and saguaro~~SkyWatch Friday 042409

Hubby and I found this saguaro outlined against the morning light on our trip to Tucson a few years ago. What a way to start the day! SkyWatch Friday for April 24, 2009.

Hay~~That's My World for Tuesday, April 21, 2009

When I went to the feed store on Saturday, they had just received their hay delivery and the bales were neatly stacked! The gal who boards my horses buys her hay a truckload at a time, so she won't need any for a couple of months. I LOVE to see and smell hay! It's so ... earthy! So, for Earth Day today, I thought I'd post some pics of the hay delivery. There are actually two feed stores in town where I board my horses, but the other one is CLOSED (can you believe it?) on Saturday! Most of the alfalfa grown in California is grown in Brawley, near the Arizona border, and I see many hay trucks on the freeway every morning on my way to school driving up from the Imperial Valley. My cousin's wife's father used to grow his own alfalfa down in Thermal, on his 40 acre ranch years ago and he would give me a bale every now and then for my home garden. One time I opened up a bale, pulled off a flake and screamed! 8 little eyes were staring and screeching at me! MICE! I screamed at them, they screamed at me, and ran off as quickly as they could! I sure learned a lesson about opening up bales of hay! Have a Happy Earth Day!

Unable to upload photos

I've exceeded my free storage space on Google, so I bought 20 G more this morning, but until then, I'm unable to upload any photos! And, I eliminated one blog...Musically Motivated, since only 3 people visit it a day! So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow? Hopefully? Anybody have any ideas/suggestions?

Zula's Restaurant, Nogales, AZ

Hubby talked about Zula's Restaurant in Nogales, AZ for years, so in 2004, when we drove to southern Arizona, we just HAD to stop there for lunch! It was John Wayne's favorite lunch spot, so hubby insisted we stop and eat there, too! The food was delicious! After driving all day through Arizona, it was nice to sit and eat and have a cold ice tea!

Saguaro in morning light~~Scenic Sunday for 041909

I was sitting at my computer last night going through some photos from my old computer (the hard drive crashed, but the tech was able to retrieve my photos!) and I found this folder from our trip to Tucson in 2004. Can you believe I forgot about these photos? We headed out toward the Living Desert near Tucson one morning and I took this photo in the morning light. We love the saguaro cacti with their arms reaching toward the sky! Scenic Sunday for April 19, 2009, my final day of spring break! Back to work tomorrow (ugh!)

Purple flowers

On our way to Ramona on Thursday, hubby and I got off the highway and went wandering down a dirt road. These beautiful purple flowers were growing there and I have no idea what they are! Does anybody know? Aren't they pretty? They were just in one spot along a dirt road!

Mockingbird on a wire~~SkyWatch Friday 041709

When I ventured outside early the other morning, this chatty fellow was above me on the telephone line, singing his beautiful morning song! We have several mockingbirds in our neighborhood and it is fun to watch them. SkyWatch Friday for April 17, 2009.

Snow in an hour!

Yesterday hubby and I drove up to where we board our horses in the mountains. It was a cold, windy day and we were waiting for our vet to come give our horses their yearly shots. For desert dwellers, like us, the mountains are a complete environmental change. From the warm desert air to the blasting, frigid mountain air is a shock to our systems! We've learned to keep sweaters, jackets, and work gloves in my car at all times! There was a light dusting of snow on the Santa Rosa mountains when we drove up to the horse ranch, but...when we headed home, an hour later, it had snowed again! In an hour! Our vet made the comment that because the air was so dry, it was like a day in Montana...the winds made the air temperature that cold! And, our horses are all shedding out! Poor babies! We gave them some extra feed yesterday afternoon and I see the temperature up there right now is 31 degrees. We'll drive by today on our trip to Ramona, to eat lunch at the Ramona Cafe.

"M" is for mountain lion~~ABC Wednesday 041509

This is a photo of Reno, one of the mountain lions at the Living Desert Reserve in Palm Desert, CA. Reno lived to an old age and died just last year. Isn't he magnificent? I used to love to walk by and watch his antics in the afternoon. He was in an enclosure with a female mountain lion and they didn't always get along! She was younger than he was and more energetic. Reno just wanted to be left alone! Sometimes when she pestered him, he would take it out on her and she frequently had "boo boo's". You can see the two lions playing in the bottom photo and Reno in the photo on top. ABC Wednesday for April 15, 2009.

Coyote~~That's My World 041409

Our desert has a lot of coyotes. Our local mountains do, too, but the desert ones are thinner and leaner and lighter than the ones that live in the mountains. I often see them in the mornings as I drive to work on the Interstate and they frequently do NOT make it across the busy lanes of traffic. They wander the fields in the desert, looking for their meals. The bound across the road in the mountains, oblivious to traffic. This young female ran across the road I was taking out to look at some barns in Sky Valley, an insolated community here in our desert. She wasn't moving fast and I pulled over, grabbed my camera, and took some photos before she realized that she should get moving into the brush. That's My World for Tuesday, April 14, 2009.

Little yellow flowers~~Mellow Yellow for 041309

Well, we cancelled our trip to Arizona. The weather was just too uncertain and we really need to stay home and clean the house and yard. But, yesterday morning, since it was crisp and clear and bright, I went for a drive while hubby slept in! I saw some little yellow flowers and decided to finally stop and investigate them. They are tiny, but aren't they cute? Mellow Yellow for Monday, April 13, 2009.

North Rim, Grand Canyon~~Scenic Sunday 041209

Perhaps I should call this, "Where we AREN'T going for spring break?" No, we aren't going to Arizona. Darn. The weather just isn't cooperating and hubby and I need to clean up the yard and house! We cancelled our reservations and decided to just stay home, but we DID visit the North Rim in 2007. Maybe this summer we will return. Scenic Sunday for April 12, 2009. Happy Easter!

spring wildflowers, 2006

Hubby and I are heading back to Arizona for a few days. We LOVE Arizona, its mountains, deserts, and points in between! I took this photo a couple of years ago, in early summer. Aren't the wildflowers pretty? Have a Happy Easter! I'll be posting from Arizona next week!

~~Cheryl Ann~~

Woodpecker on an early morning~~SkyWatch Friday 041009

Last weekend I woke up early, got up, and drove from the desert to our local mountains. Since today is my first day of spring break, I slept in! (until 6:00 a.m.!!!) However, on this particular morning, the sky was clear, the air was cold, the wind was blowing, and I was alone in the forest. This little woodpecker and his buddies were my only companions. And, they were busy calling to each other, so it was quite a symphony! I got out my big Olympus camera, but this was the closest I could get before this little fellow moved on. Skywatch Friday for April 10, 2009.

wagon wheels

The same day I was out driving in Garner Valley, I followed a road which winds around almost to the Anza-Borrego state park, but on the western end of it. There were many ranches out there. I stopped at one house where the lady of the house was out doing her morning gardening chores. I asked her if I could take a photo of her wagon wheels and she shouted, "Sure!". It was quite windy and her words were nearly drowned out by the winds, which are also forecast for this weekend, my first weekend of my spring break. I thought they were interesting. What do you think? Sorry for the photos being lopsided~~it was so darn windy that I literally hopped out of the car, snapped the photos, and hopped back in! More wind and a rain shower is scheduled for this weekend, again.

Old barn~~That's My World for 040709

As I was driving around Sunday morning, I took a road less traveled (literally). I'd never been on this road before and I was looking for barns (Yes! Can you believe it? Part of my "barn quest"!) And, look what I found! I'm not sure if this ranch is even occupied anymore. The house looked deserted and the barn has seen better times. This next weekend, I'll return (with hubby) and we'll take another look! That's My World for Tuesday, April 7, 2009.

mountain wildflowers~~Mellow Yellow for 040609

I drove around the mountains yesterday, looking for barns, and I found some, but I also found these delightful yellow wildflowers. Some fields are just covered with them! Mellow Yellow for Monday, April 6, 2009.

Another barn!!! Scenic Sunday 040509

I was driving around Garner Valley a few weekends ago and I spied this GORGEOUS barn! Isn't is a beauty? I drove up there early yesterday morning, but...unfortunately...I accidently hit the wrong button on the camera or I touched it while getting it in and out of the camera bag and it was on a different setting. Thus, ALL my photos from yesterday were overexposed! I never thought to check them as I was clicking away and now I've learned an important lesson: ALWAYS check your camera settings! This is the "new/old" Olympus that hubby handed down to me (he has a new Nikon and even he is still figuring it out...), so he knows the settings on this one, but I don't! So, as soon as I finish my coffee this morning, I'm heading back to the mountain to retake the photos I took yesterday and I'll be sure to check my camera settings! Scenic Sunday for April 5, 2009.

Around the neighborhood

Wednesday afternoon I took a walk around my neighborhood and took these photos. Good thing I did it then because Thursday and Friday were very windy and dusty days! I heard on the news that this morning over 1,500 residents of Palm Springs are without power because the telephone poles on one street snapped like toothpicks in our winds yesterday! Our daughter lives in PS, but she does have power! Phew! March and April are our windy months here, as well as October and we lost a 30 year old eucalyptus tree last year during the spring winds. So, that spot is where I planted my sunflower garden! Hey, when you have lemons, make lemonade, right? Anyway, these scenes are from my neighbors' yards. Enjoy your weekend!

~~Cheryl Ann~~