Friday, July 8, 2022

Shades of Green

Corona de Tucson

July 8, 2022

Early morning walks just seem to get the day started around our house and have become a part of our daily routine.  We have several choices for routes thru the neighborhood/cart path for a 2.5 - 3 mile loop. 




One thing about Joe and I, if we don't get up and go...the get up and go usually fades away.  It's not uncommon to see hawks enjoying their breakfast, coyotes (sometimes 2-3 at a time) on the move, and bunnies out for a morning hop.  My favorite is the early morning glow.













And thank goodness, we have received enough rain to turn the ocotillos green...it doesn't take much water for the leaves to burst out.  


Speaking of rain, we have only had a few showers this month. Some of those showers have been windy, heavy downpours that flooded our street.  Some of those showers have been nice, long steady rains...the kind of shower we can enjoy  sitting on the patio.


It is still early in the monsoon season, and I remain hopeful.  

The backyard has definitely seen a drop in birds.  The babies are all gone.  The butter bites still go quickly, but the oranges last through the day.  The regulars...Cactus Wrens, Cardinals, Gila Woodpeckers, Curved-bill Thrashers, Sparrows, and Finches still keep us busy.  




Occasionally, the Orioles make a stop.


And this week we have enjoyed a new visitor at the feeders.


It's real name is Pyrrhuloxia, but that is a mouth full to say so I just call it a Desert Cardinal.  All About Birds describes them as "closely related to the Northern Cardinal".  They are a "crisp grey and red with a longer elegant crest and stubby yellow bill".  Out little visitor is a juvenile...hence, less red highlights and a darker bill.  The crest caught my eye first. 












Fourth of July was quiet.  Baked beans and burgers...sort of a tradition for us...were on the menu.  I made the best baked beans ever.  The old family recipe calls for molasses and brown sugar among other things and they are slow cooked...about 2 1/2 to 3 hours in the oven resulting in a yummy glaze on top.  Truly a meal all by themselves.  We watched The Patriot on TV.  Thank goodness for pause as I found myself running out to see the fireworks about half way thru.  Someone in the neighborhood put on a colorful display, but my favorites were the ones from town way off in the distance.   


Last weeks post was all about family. I had a few pictures I wanted to share, but didn't.  Beautiful shades of green from Madera Canyon...




















That's a wrap for this week.  If the stars align we will have family flying in next Wednesday...Felix and Edith and their sweet mama and daddy.  Stay tuned !  Until next time, 



 











HAPPY TRAILS !

12 comments:

  1. Rains are so needed this year! Nice to see the ocotillo leafing out and your desert showing some green. Who's that little bird mooning us in your last photo? cute!

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    1. Good morning Jeff! That sweet little bird is the female oriole that was on the feeder. Good chance of thunder storms this afternoon…fingers crossed!

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  2. Love that last picture, perfect for the end of your post! We don't get to see cardinals or orioles very often so it nice to see them through your lens.

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    1. Thanks guys! I know the male oriole is quite snowy, but I just love the sweet little female who doesn’t draw attention to herself. The cardinals and orioles add a lot of color to our desert backyard.

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  3. Love your "the end" photo! And the green in the desert. I was filling feeders once a day but it's warmed up and my bird population has decreased. Don't know where they go when it gets warm. Exciting to have family coming again!!

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    1. Hi Janna! I always think of Judy, the bird lady, who we had the pleasure of meeting when she was volunteering at Anahuac NWR in Texas, when I post “the end” photos. What an awesome day that was…oh the memories, right? Way excited to have more family heading our way next week.

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  4. how hot is it when you walk? Box Canyon Mark

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    1. Hi Mark! We are usually out the door between 5:15 - 5:30 am with temps between 68-74. It does warm up fast!

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  5. Yes, morning exercise is a must in the desert. We usually head out around 7:15. We are up but I do enjoy having my coffee first and a little reading. Since we are usually biking, we can take a little more heat since we have the low humidity breeze as we ride. But it heats up quickly for sure. We like to be back near town by 9:00 because that's when they turn on the wind. That's quite a crest on the Desert Cardinal. Love that last photo! Enjoy more family time!!

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    1. Thank you Pam! Hoping for a nice visit with the little grandkids. We haven’t seen Felix since Feb 2020 ( right before the lockdown) and we have not met Edith ( she will be 2 in October) so we are way excited!

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  6. green is always welcome in the desert !

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