Cactus Bloom with Stamen and Pollen

I planted a new cactus in my yard this winter and it has produced some fabulous blooms.

Here is one of them. You can see the pollen on the petals.

The details are so interesting. Sadly, this flower only lasted a few short hours and then it went away.

I believe this cactus is called the giant flowered hedgehog pink cactus or echinocereus enneacanthus v. stramineus.

Mirrored Hornets

This glass art creation by Chihuly is called "Mirrored Hornets." 

They appear to be designed to look like agave cactus growing out of the ground. They mix in well in one of the cactus gardens at the Desert Botanical Gardens.

Chihuly's: Nature of Glass art exhibition at the Desert Botanical Gardens ends tomorrow. I have taken many photos to place on my site during the next year. 

Click Chihuly below to see more photos and don't forget to click the older posts as well under the Chihuly label.

Palo Verde Tree in Bloom

We have been enjoying the blooms on the Palo Verde trees in the Valley. They only bloom for a short time around April to May. The rest of the year they are only green.

When they bloom, I call it popcorn popping on the Palo Verde tree. It does look like popcorn. 

I like the bright yellow contrast with the blue sky as I drive around Scottsdale and see these big trees in bloom.

The second photo shows how the little yellow flowers turn into carpet for the desert floor. They cover cactus, granite and dirt.

The area around these trees becomes awash with this yellow glow. 

Palo Verde trees need very little water and thrive in the Sonoran Desert environment in which we live. It is the one tree you can count on for shade when hiking in the desert.

Yellow Flower Ball in Grass

I went out to water plants and take care of the yard and I saw this funny, little yellow flower ball that had fallen off of one of my neighbor's Desert Acacia trees.

It looks very interesting.  It has so many yellow balls springing out of the puffy center. I liked it so well, I took a photo of it amid the blades of grass.  

It sort of reminds me of Dr. Seuss's "Horton Hears a Who." Remember that story where each of those yellow knobs could represent a world of people and living things and Horton tried to save them. 

Now that takes me back to my childhood books of "The Cat in the Hat" and "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish."  Did you read Dr. Seuss?

Gorgeous Pink Cactus Flowers and Buds

I really enjoy seeing all of the cactus in bloom in the Spring. These cactus flowers and buds were so colorful.

The flowers look like they are made of tissue paper. 

It is starting to get hot in Arizona, which means no more cactus flowers, except for night blooming cactus. You must go out under the moonlight to enjoy night bloomers.

This cactus is called Opuntia basilaris, but is also known as the Beavertail Prickly Pear Cactus.

Little Ducks at Indian Bend Wash

As described yesterday, Indian Bend Wash has lots of lakes. Lakes means ducks and geese.

The little ducklings are swimming so close to their mother. It is fun to watch the chicks learn to swim.

The Canadian Geese, however, are rather mean and territorial. The geese migrate to Indian Bend Wash each year. There can be 40 or more at a time in a particular area. They will chase you and attack occasionally. 

I do like the ducks.  We have Mallard ducks that fly into our pool area at times to try and make a home. 

It is sort of funny that we live in a desert but have this seven-mile long recreation greenbelt that has now become a home for ducks and geese. We actually have duck crossing signs in some areas of Scottsdale.

Biking at Indian Bend Wash

Indian Bend Wash is an amazing seven-mile long park that is also one of the nation's best flood control projects.   

Scottsdale at times could experience ravaging floods that would split the city in two. Water would flood homes. 

In 1959, the initial design by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was to build a concrete channel that would divide the city.  In 1964, the Scottsdale Town Enrichment Program (STEP Committee) met and developed a recommendation to turn Indian Bend Wash into a greenbelt recreation area, instead of a concrete channel. It took until 1966 to start obtaining funding and the first section developed was the first federally funded project in Arizona called El Dorado Park.

These folks had a lot of foresight and Indian Bend Wash is still one of the highlights of Scottsdale. You can bike, walk, and enjoy the lakes, grass, golf courses, pools, tennis, dog park, sports, and more at Indian Bend Wash. It has over 1200 acres and 300 of those acres are city parks. A problem flooding area turned into a wonderful recreational area.  More cities should consider this option.

Library with a View

Here is the Scottsdale Civic Center Library. You can see the McDowell Mountains in the background behind the palm trees.

And yes, that is a big quill pen statue in front of the library. It is rather cool looking.  

The Scottsdale Civic Center Library has over 800,000 items and circulates over 2 million items pr year.  It is located at the Civic Center Mall.

The architect was Bennie Gonzales, who designed the majority of Scottsdale's municipal buildings, including city hall. He was recognized with over 131 architectural design awards.

Join a book club or just check it out at Scottsdale Civic Center Library. The phone number is 480.312.READ (7323). The address is 3839 N. Drinkwater Boulevard. Scottsdale has five city operated libraries.

Indian Fry Bread

A favorite local food in Arizona is Indian Fry Bread. You can always find it at Native American festivals and events.

The first photo shows how the fry bread looks when it is browned and takes shape and is being turned over to cook the other side.

The hot oil is dripping from the fry bread as the cook turns it over to brown the other side.

You can see the flames heating the oil underneath the pan.

The dough is hand rolled out and then laid into hot oil to fry, as shown in the second photo.

The third photo shows the dough cooking in the hot oil.

Fry bread is so good with either honey, powdered sugar, or with refried beans lettuce, tomato, cheese, and salsa as shown in the last photo. I like it with all of the fixings!

I have made Indian fry bread from scratch numerous times for my family. I use a wok filled with oil to cook the fry bread.

The oil is very hot though. You can easily get burned from the splattering oil since you slide the rolled out dough into the hot oil by your hands.

This deliciously tasting food is not necessarily a healthy choice, but it is yummy.

Chihuly Orbs at Night

Another taste of Chihuly for you! Since we have been taking a lot of night photos lately, I wanted to share this Chihuly glass orbs photo I took at night.

These colorful glass spheres are part of Chihuly: The Nature of Glass Installation currently at the Desert Botanical Gardens. The art exhibition ends May 31, 2009.

You may recognize the green orb at the lower right as the Earth Day Orb I posted on Aril 22 for Earth Day.

Click Chihuly under labels to see more of his gorgeous glass art work.

Close up of Blue Fiddleheads

Chihuly and blue is my choice for today's daily photo. 

This photo captures a close-up of the Blue Fiddleheads that are integrated in with the tall, Old Man cactus at the Chihuly installation at the Desert Botanical Gardens.

I like the dazzling blue glass and the light sparkles. 

To see more Chihuly and the full size photo of the Blue Fiddleheads amid the cactus, just choose Chihuly under Labels. Enjoy!

Boulders and Clouds

The Boulders area is in far north Scottsdale and is a great place to hike. 

The rocks are interesting and my hike this particular day had blue sky and gorgeous clouds. 

I like to have lunch at the Boulders Resort and Spa when I hike in the Boulders area, or you can go to El Pedegral to enjoy food, live music, and shopping.

Get out there and take a hike and take your camera, of course!

Silhouette of Mountain's Edge at Nightfall

For our final photo in the nightscapes series, we took this photo of the edge of Camelback Mountain and you can see the saguaro cacti and plants silhouetted against the night sky. 

If you enlarge the photo, you can more easily the stars. I really like this photo and am going to take more night sky photos in the future. 

You also can see the night glow of Phoenix backlighting the mountain and causing the edge to be more pronounced.

Full Moon Over Scottsdale

Here is the gigantic full moon just rising over the horizon. I love it when the moon looks oversized when it first rises at the horizon.  And then, the moon quickly goes to its normal size. Supposedly this is an optical illusion, but here is the moon larger than life.

Our full moon photography class did give us tips that we used during this nightime photo series. This photo is unretouched and just as we took it.

We have one more night photo to share with you tomorrow.  

Keep in mind we then had to climb down Camelback Mountain at night and dance with a snake on the rocky path going down. Luckily, we did not get stung by any scorpions either.  We did see the magical bats at nightfall flying just above and around our heads. I think bats are fascinating and don't mind them at all.

Moon Rise

We waited a long time for the moon to rise and started to wonder if it ever would.  The full moon rise was very dramatic.

It is difficult to capture the moon at the right exposure as it is so bright. I liked this photo because of the profile of the Superstition Mountains in the East Valley and the glow basking over the city. 

The moon at the horizon is filtered through the dry desert air and dust in the desert, and it creates a glow similar to a sunset.  Similar light dynamics occur at sunset.  

This is a milder version of what occurs at sunset. This photo exaggerates the light effect as we overexposed the photo a little so we could show the outlines of the mountains and the city even while dark. 

You can see the top of the  Scottsdale Waterfront Project in the foreground. The 101 Freeway runs through the middle of the photo.

Tomorrow is a good photo with details of the full moon and all of its glory shining over Scottsdale.  

Saguaro Cactus and City Lights

We took this photo just after sunset while we were waiting for the moon to rise. You can see the saguaro cactus and the Scottsdale city lights. The cactus was in complete darkness.

We used the technique of painting the cactus with light.  We set a long exposure time on the camera and used our large tripods that we had hauled up the mountain. 

How do you paint with light? My husband laid down on the desert floor with a flashlight and he slowly painted the cactus with the light from the flashlight while our cameras were capturing the scene on a long exposure. 

Of course we had not heard the rattlesnake until after we finished these shots; otherwise he would not be laying down on the ground with a rattler nearby. Look next for the full moon photos we took while on Camelback Mountain that same night.

Vibrant Pink Cactus Flower

This gorgeous pink cactus flower bloomed on one of my cactuses in the backyard. The middle of the flower looks like tiny dancers with glowing lights.

I was so excited and so grateful that I had been watching it so closely so I could photograph it. Sadly, it only bloomed for one hour and then started dying.

Today is Arizona Theme day and our theme is Desert in Bloom. Please check out the other Arizona Theme Day participants.  Tomorrow will be more nightscape photos.

Phoenix Daily Photo

Chandler Daily Photo

Flagstaff Daily Photo

Prescott Daily Photo

Tempe Daily Photo

Scottsdale Daily Photo

Chandler Daily Photo

Nightfall Over Scottsdale

Yesterday you saw a part of Camelback Mountain, and  this photo is taken from the East side of Camelback Mountain, about one-third of the way up the mountain. 

This photo looks out towards north Scottsdale and the McDowell Mountains. We regularly have visibility of mountain ranges that are 50 miles (80 km) in the distance. The McDowell Mountains are about 20 miles (30 km) away.  Click to enlarge for details.

Other than the Arizona theme day post tomorrow, for the next few days I will share a few photos of nightscapes using the lessons we learned from our Full Moon Photography class last Friday night at the Desert Botanical Gardens. I hope you enjoy this series and the fabulous Moon rise we captured.

Clouds and Camelback Mountain

This photo is taken from my master bedroom and focuses on the glorious clouds and sky. It also shows you slice of the beautiful view I see each day of the majestic Camelback Mountain.

The mountain changes colors and is wonderful to see each day from our house.

I thought I would start my nightscapes series with a photo of part of the mountain we climbed last Saturday night to take the night photos we are going to show you over the next few days. 

And yes, this is not an easy mountain to hike, but the photos were worth it. It is snake season and I did encounter two snakes on the way down the mountain in the dark, but the photos and experience were worth it.  One was a diamondback rattler who rattled its tail four different times while we were starting to walk down the mountain trail in the dark.

Arizona Sunset

An Arizona sunset for you to enjoy. It is complete with cactus, latillas, and a mountain.  

I took this photo when I went to my full moon photography class last Friday night.  At the class,  I learned how to do long exposures using a new tripod and how to paint with light to take photos of objects in complete darkness. 

I also learned some tips for taking photos of the moon and night sky.  I am trying to hone my skills as I am going on a trip in July to photograph the solar eclipse from a very remote location. I hope I am able to take good photos of the solar eclipse. I will post some of them this summer even though I obviously will not be taking them from Arizona.  

Hedgehog Cactus Flower

Happy Monday!  Feliz Lunes!

Here is a photo of a gorgeous Hedgehog cactus flower. It is currently in bloom in my backyard. 

That cacti can produce such vibrant colorful flowers always amazes me. 

This cactus is officially called the Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus or echinocereus triglochidiatus.

Mexican Fence Post Flower

Here is the bud of the flower from the Mexican Fence Post. I think it is very interesting and is a pretty color and texture.  

The photo below shows the flower when it opens for a very brief period of time.

The photo yesterday showed the tall Mexican Fence Post and at the base you could see black items, which are these flowers when they fall to the ground.

I will be posting lots more cactus and flowers over the next few weeks because of all of the cacti currently in bloom. If you would like to see other interesting cactus and flowers, click the labels "Cactus" or Flowers" and enjoy!

Mexican Fence Posts

This is a photo from my backyard and shows Mexican Fence Post cactus and golden barrel cactus. I like the angle because it shows how tall Mexican Fence Post cactus can grow and also shows how close you can plant cactus.  

You can see the two new Mexican Fence Post cactus pups growing from the base of the older and established cactus.  

I am very excited to see pups growing as this is the first time I have actually had Mexican Fence Post pups.  We had several hard freezes in a short time two years ago and it harmed many cacti in our area. One of the consequences though is that many cacti started producing pups in order to ensure survival of the cactus through offshoots.  

When cacti are damaged from a frost, it does not necessarily die right away.  To save itself, it can throw out pups and flowers for seeds.  In the photo you can see the black spots on the ground and those are the flowers from the Mexican Fence Post that fall to the ground and hopefully grow new pups.  I will show you the weird looking flower from this cactus tomorrow.  

Shopping in Old Town Scottsdale

This photo shows the colorful and inviting shops to stroll through in Old Town Scottsdale. 

There are shade structures through most of Old Town Scottsdale so you can enjoy the afternoon, look for gifts and Southwest art or Native American jewelry, and stop at a cafe for lunch or dinner. 

Oftentimes, there is live music from a Peruvian band on one of the street corners in front of Bischoff's store. You can also take a carriage ride through the streets of Old Town, which has a Western style and feel. Tourists love to walk through this area and the adjacent Scottsdale Mall, which is an outdoor area.

The Amber Glass of Chihuly

As the sun was slowly setting when I was hiking around at the Desert Botanical Gardens, I spotted this gorgeous section of amber glass.  It is part of "The Sun" installation by Chihuly: The Nature of Glass. 

I like this photo because the sun light captures the glass and textures in such an interesting manner. Check out more Chihuly by selecting Chihuly under labels.  

Gumby Cactus

I planted this cactus a few years ago next to the wall of my house. This cactus belongs to the Opuntia family (prickly pears). 

It looks so much like Gumby that I call it the Gumby cactus. It also looks like people raising their arms so we could call it "Up With People." 

It is a funny cactus and thin like a credit card.

Agave Cactus Flowers

I love my beautiful agave cactus. I have many in my yard and they grow very, very large.  

As part of the life cycle, however, once they grow a main stalk from the center of the agave and bloom, the agave dies.  

The strong stalk grows straight from the center of the agave and reminds me of Jack in the Beanstalk. The stalk can grow 8 to 12 feet high. And then once the stalk reaches for the sky, you get these gorgeous flowers that pop out. 

These flowers also drop little baby agave shoots that start the cycle over again. I have been able to grow numerous agave in my yard from the cactus pups that have started on their own in my yard.  

Desert Boulders

One of my favorite places to hike around is near the Boulders Resort and Spa and El Pedegral. I just love rocks of all sizes, shapes, and types. 

Growing up in Arizona, it was a regular hobby as a kid to hike and look for colorful and interesting rocks. I always brought home interesting rocks in my pockets to add to my yard. 

The geology is wonderful in Arizona.  Happy Monday!

Garden Room Seating

This photo shows part of the Garden Room, which opens up to the Garden on the East and the vast horizon on the South.  

The Garden room at Taliesin West is visually interesting, comfortable, and is a place where many guests have been entertained.  

In this photo, you can see many items of furniture that Frank Lloyd Wright designed. The butterfly chairs he designed are quite sophisticated and comfortable. 

The nesting tables he designed are very practical. Note the ceiling with the canvas coverings.    

The second photo shows the garden and gives you an idea of how large the room is and how light and airy it is.

The statue is art sculpted by Cornelia Brierly, who has been involved at Taliesin West since she arrived as an apprentice when it started.

The glass sitting area opens to the private garden and is very nice.  You can see the Native American pottery in the window.  Click Taliesin West under my labels for more photos.  I hope you have enjoyed the tour of Taliesin West, a special Arizona treasure. 

Personal Living Quarters

Frank Lloyd Wright's personal living quarters at Taliesin West were opened to the public in 2008. 

The first photo is of Wright's library. Wright studied Japanese design, as well as many others. You can see and feel Asian influences throughout Taliesin West.  

These living quarters were finished in 1940 and consisted of a living room, dining area, bedrooms, private garden with Moon Gate and workspace area.  

 
The second photo shows Olgivanna Wright's bedroom.  You can see it is very colorful and the view opens up onto the private garden.  The doors could be opened so you were virtually sleeping in the outdoors.

The third photo shows the sitting area of Ms. Wright's bedroom and it is called "Swan Cove."  You can see the beautiful Japanese screen in the room.

Frank Lloyd Wright annually modified and rebuilt the private living spaces, just as he did most other spaces at Taliesin West. He regularly experimented with materials and design.    

Wright would take down walls and structures and try out different methods. He was very intelligent, creative, and restless.  He was always planning the next design.

For more photos and information, select Taliesin West under my labels.  

Shadows and Flowers

I like the way the shadow reflects the fine details of the iron fence on the stucco. The Spring flowers and blue sky add color.   Happy Theme Day of Shadows!

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