parley view parsnip. . . prickly pear

As many of you know I live in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains of Tucson, Arizona

which is in the Sonoran Desert.

This is a very green desert not to be mixed up with the Sahara Desert.

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Our winter this year was nonexistent and spring has been short. 

All the plants are getting ready for a super hot and dry summer.

Today I am posting some photos of the Prickly Pear Cactus.

Paddle cactus, nopales, tuna are all names of Opuntia. 

(had to look that family name up)

Besides Prickly Pear the other most common name is Indian Fig.

The fruit of the prickly pear called cactus fig, can be used to make candy, jelly or vodka.

The young pads are called nopales are edible and  used in Mexican cuisine. 

The taste is fine but can be too slimy and drippy for me.

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Here are just a few of the Prickly Pear Cactus around my home.

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 Love this photo because of the water drops.

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  Buds all lined up ready to bloom.
You can see a new smaller very green and tender pad peeking out on the left.
The Javelinas love to eat the new pads.

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 I love the way this yellow bloom starts out pale pink.

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 Paper thin petals, so delicate, set on pads with spiky thorns. 

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 I loved this one and the friggin pack rats ate the cactus and destroyed it !
Whoops wrong cactus bloom but it is a favorite

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 Here are a few pads and fruit from last year.

Aren't they beautiful.

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A few of my torn paper Prickly Pear cactus note cards.

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This is one of my colored pencils drawing of my violet prickly pear 

that always has yellow blooms.
The family name is Opuntia Violacea Santa Rita.
Beautiful name for a lovely cactus.

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And here is your pretty for the start of the week.

I love when I look over at The Square Ones and find them doing a mirror pose.

They are a hoot !

I never know what is going on in their minds.

yert !

woof !
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prickly. . . parsnip

music. . . Good Golly Miss Molly,  Little Richard

Square Dog Friday. . . thehamish

My Goodness it is Friday already,

where did the week go ?

If your a Little Square Black Dog it is your day.

But, really lets get serious here, what day isn't their day !

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Watson had a post last Friday so now it is thehamish's day.
bwahahahahahahahahahaha woohoo let me catch my breath here.
What day doesn't threhamish's think is his day.

He is so photogenic and quirky it is hard to pick out just a few.

I feel like because he has such a short muzzle 

that he will always look like a puppy.

Even when he is 95, grey and with a pot belly.
Lets woof it.
yert !

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 hello

i am cute thehamish my new name is kaiju from 

the pacific rim movie i am a monster gurrrrerrr

kaiju
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 i helpin' mum with art

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 i good helper building stuff

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 lookin' gud when done helpin'

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 i lookin' like racoon after lens replacement eye surgery on both eyes

 hopin' to see better

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 gettin' better

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 oh woe is me

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 woe woe woe

needen' chkikin' strip

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iam thinkin' this photo would be better with thehamish in it

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 stickers

old art guy person eat your heart out  igud lookin'dug

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 ackkkkkkkk whot happenin' to this square dug

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 needin'to hide

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 hahahahahahaha be afraid veryafraid hoohahahaha

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 i

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 am

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 gud dug

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now i  goin'

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 to chomp

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 this jumpin' water not likin' it

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 phiff

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hey no lookin'  bath here

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Here is your pretty for the weekend

One of my note cards.

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Have a lovely weekend

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thehamish. . . parsnip

music. . . Lucky To Know You,  Blue Merle

Wednesday in Japan. . . Totoro Crazy

The week is zooming by with so much still to do.
Just a quick mid week post.
If you have read this blog for any time you know my love of Totoro.
So just a few quick photos.
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While waiting at the airport for my plane

 I saw a Totoro looking at me from the Merry Shop.
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Yes, he came home with me.
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 From a bakery, they where calling to me.
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 They came home with us...
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and were eaten !
They didn't make it on the plane home !
I love the expression on his little face.
Oh No !
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   Here is your mid week funny.
I am obsessed with  Japaneses green phones.
I keep stopping to have my photo taken with them.
Still trying to figure how to get one on the plane with me.
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green. . . parsnip
music. . .  My Neighbor Totoro, OST

Parley view parsnip.... haboob

Well it was that kind of week.

The tie down your garbage cans and small dogs type of week.

Lots of wind, dust and packrats !

Crazy haboob type of weather.  

There are several wildfires burning in Arizona and one is east of 

Tucson at Redington Pass.  It was human caused and has consumed  125 acres so far.

Crews are using a helicopter, three heavy air tankers and one attack plane in addition to ground crew working hard to contain this fire. 

The winds and the dry conditions are not helping.

As I write this post Sunday night at 10pm it is 80 degrees with the high at 96.

Monday will be the same and the hot winds will be back on Tuesday.

Wildfire weather.

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Another of my Lilly Cactus was blooming on Friday.

Beautiful.

 That night the packrats climbed over the wall 

and ate all the blooms and new buds !
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 So pretty and now are all gone.
F#@*^%#* packrats.
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 Here are the gud dug being very quiet for a second.
Why ?
Because I told thehamish to drop the toys because he stole Watson's.
He had both of them in his mouth, naughty.
Just look at him, so sweet so innocent and yet and yet so naughty.
Innocent thehamish is on the right.
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 A second later.....
sorry, blurry action photo.
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 ummmmmmmmmm but Mum it sounded like we had to kill it and eat it.
Watson loves to rip the toys apart and pull out all the insides.
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 They took green pig to another room and proceeded to destroy it.
Life is gud !

yert !
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Here is your pretty to start the week
Thursday morning was windy but by the afternoon the wind had dropped.
The dust particles in the still air  diffused the light.
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Twilight at my backyard.

dusty. . . parsnip
music. . . Passing By,  Ulrich Schnauss