Saturday, June 29, 2013

In search of water, 113 today

Just somewhat hot today.
Only 113 !



Morning at my home 

Following photos taken through my studio window, Friday.
One of the water dishes that I have placed in the wells of the citrus trees.
When the bubbles go on the dishes fill up.

Northern Cardinal

Round Tail Ground Squirrel.
I leave the new growth on the base of the Orange tree for the extra shade
 in the hot summer.

Roadrunner

Quail Mum and her younglings.
The newly hatched babies are so small they look like pebbles
so every photo I take of them never comes out.
These are somewhat older and they grow very fast.
By the end of summer all but 2 or 3 of the 10 to 12 hatched
will be left.

Sunrise over the Rincon Mountains.
We are getting some moisture, monsoon possibly start tomorrow.
The grey haze is smoke from the New Mexico wildfires.
The winds are circling east to west.
We need the winds/monsoons coming up from the south west off the Pacific.

Another wild animal in search of water !

help. . . parsnip
music. . . Lose Your Soul,  Dead Man's Bones
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Friday, June 28, 2013

Square Dog Friday... It was only 107 today

Well we know what day it is 
and we know who is happy about it !
So lets woof it.
.......
Negotiations are over finally and the new addendum to paragraph 2  sub section 5
are now in place.
As usual the Square Ones didn't need a lawyer.  Who needs one when you have big sad booboo eyes and crawl up on the management lap and fall asleep.
I was putty in their paws.
The chicken strip clause has been renegotiated, in their favor of course.
yert !
..............


Hot hot hot hot hot !
I, Watson wanted to sit by nice tall person who feeds us, when she exercised in the pool.
It was hot, too hot 107 on Thursday, for a Little Black Square Dog.
Plus no clouds in the sky, so much sunlight.

Mum made a shady spot for me to sit so I didn't get too hot or sunburned.


yesh i gud dug thehamish is doing that
sitting in the shady spot mum made for me
first I gots to sit first firstfirst
mememememememe me first

sqiuirrrrellllllll !
yert !


i is alway helpin' clean pool i  gud dug thehamish


yert


but old gud dug Watson havenin' to take a nap after the sunndyday
and that's gud he is gud dug and needs nappin'

and we is gud friends gud gud gud friends

....................
Here is your pretty to start the weekend.

On these very hot days, 112 today 113 tomorrow monsoon storms starting Monday,
the look and sound of water is so needed and quite lovely.
I will be putting water out in shady places for the birds and critters.
 The citrus tree timers will be turned on earlier in the morning to help.



Echinopsis

Depending on the hybrid, they can be called
Hedgehog, Sea-urchin, Easter lily or even Peanut cactus.
Small clumping cactus with usually a long stem
with large bloom. Can have smaller blooms covering the whole cactus.

burning. . . parsnip
Walking On The Sun. . . Smashmouth

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Wednesday In Japan. . . Omiyage

Omiyage
Small gifts that you give to family and friends in Japan when you visit or come back from a trip.
Every time I travel to Japan I take a suitcase full of small gifts.  Some items that have been requested, special foods, clothing, kitchen items books and movies.
Or... when son goes to see his brother two six packs + of some special micro brewed beer.


Son brought back some great gifts, left to right
Awamori (Okinawa Shochu),  Umeshu  (Plum wine),  Ume Niguri (Plum unfiltered sake)
Yuzushu (Yuzu wine)

I think this is the most beautiful label and soft color of the wine.
is just amazing !

Gifts from my son's wonderful Mother in Law.
Yuze Ponze, Red Chile  flakes in fish sauce and Pickled Daikon radish.

Great paper napkins with Origiri (rice balls) and a (empty) Perssiom Cider drink bottle.
What a interesting label.


Umeboshi (plum) tea from my son's Mother in Law

When you take one plum and put in on hot water it opens up like a flower.
When I try it later I will take some photos.
More gifts photos to come an later posts.
........................

Two comments asked about the flowering cactus from Mondays post.


Echinposis Oxyonia,  Easter Lily Cactus


Joe,  asked about the small cactus.
Yes, it is a very large bloom that comes from a small clumping cactus.
The blooms are about 6 + inches round, the stem is about 6 to 8 inches tall.
They bloom May to June,  at sunrise and last a day.


Here are some photos from last year.


Denise asked how do I grow them ?  well, I don't do anything.
Cactus+Arizona= good !
Sun, splash of water, and some cactus food in summer and that's about it, neglect  helps.
But...
The pack rats have been eating this cactus and I have been moving it around, trying to find a place it likes and away from the *^&#$;%*#^*  pack rats !
So the blooms are not as nice as former years.

................
Here is your pretty for the day.


Photos taken from my pool of the wispy clouds that look like a Jellyfish.
I should have gotten out, I was doing my exercises and really didn't want to stop.
I guess I should have, since the clouds where so ethereal, it was an impossible cloud to focus on.


The wind was really whipping the clouds around that afternoon.

umeboshi. . . parsnip
music. . . Cloud Age Symphony,  Okino Shuntaro
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Monday, June 24, 2013

parley view parsnip... inquiring minds


Many inquiring minds wanted to know Dr. Watson's fortune from Fridays post.
"Change your thoughts and your change the world"
Were chicken strips involved ?

Weaver asked if he had four cookies ?
No, he only gets one cookie. But I broke it in my hand so I could take more photos.
Holding a camera trying to focus the shot and feeding Dr. Watson,
 one needs two more hands.

He always reads his fortune.

 
 
 

His last three fortunes.
"Others take notice of your radiance"
Fits him the best.

.............................

I only have a small point and click but I thought I would try to take some "Super Moon" photos Sunday night.
I kept changing the setting so that explains the color and size difference.
And even though I wasn't able to get some fabulous photos, I had a wonderful time sitting outside and watching the moon rise over the Rincon Mountains.

 
 
 
 


..........................

It has been very warm here in Tucson 102 to 108.
The birds love the fountain.

I have posted photos of Mrs, Blanding and many of her friend who come to visit
my fountain.
She is always waiting for me every morning to turn on the fountain.

It has been so hot that she has taken to laying in the water.
It might get to 110 this week.... too hot for everyone !


When I moved into this home, I didn't want to look out to a  blank wall in part of the back yard.
So I had a bench built and a "window" cut into the wall for the fountain to flow out of.

Twilight and the lights come on.

...........................

Here is your pretty to start the week.

One of my cactus blooms.

evening. . . parsnip
music. . . Moondance,  Chris Botti
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Friday, June 21, 2013

Square Dog Friday... Dr. Watson

Goodness, Friday already ?
Well we know what day that is, the best day of the week.
Especially if your Two Little Black Square Dogs !
You know the drill so lets woof it !

Dr. Watson loves carbs and sweet things. He loves sourdough bread,  Bisquick pancakes
and his most favorite, Fortune cookies.

He can have one.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

And then we read his fourtune.
Gud Old Dug Dr. Watson, I lurve him !
......

ohpleaseeeees tehhamish is soooooooooooobored

boooooooooooooooooooored
booooooooared
boooared

yert !

...................................

and just because I can,
here is your pretty for the start of the weekend

Son found these lovely flowers at Trader Joe's
Some times their mixed bouquets are a bit strange.

But these flowers are so very lovely.

Update on Wednesday post.
When you make pottery, it has to be dried before fired.
So we could only guess what the staff said when putting my strange seed pod in for firing among all the cups or bowls that everyone usually makes.
As usual we let our imagination run wild !


pancakes . . . parsnip
music. . . Look After You,  The Fray

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