Corona de Tucson
April 3, 2025
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| I can hardly believe it's April already! The ocotillo only bloom once a year...what a beautiful sight to see. |
Our week was busy and fun with the crazy weather changing day by day. We spent some time washing windows, dusting blinds, and cleaning out and organizing our closet. In between, we had a nice walk around Sahaurita Lake one morning and a fun play day with Lucy at the doggie another morning. A few errands here and there and another week is in the memory book. The weather has been warm, windy (as in a little breezy and/or very windy with 50 mph gusts), rainy, pleasant, and chilly, but I'm not complaining. Folks in other parts of the country have had much worse !
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| Sahaurita Lake... |
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| a nice breeze at the doggie park... |
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| and an afternoon nap. |
I spent some time getting accustomed to a camera that has been in the closet for a few years. Why has it been in the closet? I'm not really sure except that is bigger and heavier than the "go to" camera I have been using for many years. It doesn't have a familiar "feel" even though it is a Nikon like the other one. The "go to" camera and big zoom lens have finally bit the dust. One of our errands this week was to Tucson Camera Repair. I was correct in assuming the old camera and big, zoom lens were history , but it's always nice to know for sure. The owner, John, and his wife were very helpful.
He spent a good 45 minutes answering questions and
familiarizing me with the Nikon 850 camera. It is much sharper and faster. We haven't been birding, but I snapped a few shots from the patio.
Back at the oasis, the Bottlebrush tree is blooming,
the Desert Willows are leafing,
the torch cactus has lots of buds.
the Christmas Amaryllis puts a smile on my face every time I walk in the kitchen...
and a watercolor sunset...
The three of us enjoyed a nice drive through Saguaro NP East this week. Ocotillos (oh-koh-TEE-yohs) were at the top of the list.
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| What a gorgeous day! |
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| Pops of orange/red swaying in the breeze against a brilliant blue sky is a beautiful sight. |
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| Ocotillo buds... |
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| The cluster of flowers at the stem give this hearty desert plant its name. Ocotillo means "little torch" in Spanish. In Arizona, the blooms coincided with the northern migration of hummingbirds as these tubular flowers provide a dependable food source for them. |
We are happy to report that the saguaros have buds...
and so do the prickly pear cacti.
Back at the oasis, the Bottlebrush tree is blooming,
the Desert Willows are leafing,
the torch cactus has lots of buds.
the Christmas Amaryllis puts a smile on my face every time I walk in the kitchen...
and a watercolor sunset...
wraps up the past week and a half. A most pleasant week indeed !
Happy Spring to everyone ! Until next time...
Happy Trails !
Very nice photos and especially Lucy with her tongue hanging out .
ReplyDeleteVery cute pup !
Thank you so much. Lucy is definitely one of my favorite subjects to photograph these days. She is growing so fast and changing everyday.
DeleteYour close-ups were especially enjoyable for me. Looking closely certainly adds a lot.
ReplyDelete(Although I had trouble signing in with Google to make this comment, all I had to do was turn off the "Shields" in my Brave browser, by clicking on the lion symbol on the right end of the address bar.)
Thank you so much for checking out our blog. And thanks for such a nice comment. I love close-ups…especially with flowers…because there are so many details we don’t notice at a glance. I learned a lot years ago from the Travel With The Bayfield Bunch blog…Al is a wonderful photographer!
DeleteYou closet camera is working very well! Still chilly up here, but next week has the promise of temps in the 60's!
ReplyDeleteHi Jim…I am embarrassed to say that it is chilly here too for the next couple of days. It’s so funny that the 60s are chilly to us and you are looking forward to those temps. I can’t wait to get the camera and new lens out in the “wild” for some photos.
DeleteI would say the new (old) camera is working quite well--those shots of the birds and ocotillo are so sharp and crisp! Love the "watercolor" sunsets--a perfect description. That Lucy is adorable, she looks as if she is a big girl?? Perfect week at the oasis!
ReplyDeleteHi Janna…I think I will like the camera…it has a fast shutter and great focus. Actually only the two birds and the bunnnies were taken with that camera. All the ocotillo blooms were photographed with my phone. Lucy is growing so fast. She will be 8 months old on April 20 and already weighs in at 15.2 pounds. I can’t scoop her up with one hand anymore!
DeleteNot that you're very big yourself, but Lucy sure looks like she's grown sitting there next to you. Those golden eyes are such stunners. I'm loving the gorgeous flames of the ocotillos here. I love the shape of your bottlebrush plant (silly I know). Gorgeous skies :-)))
ReplyDeleteHi Jodee…thank you! I will be sure to pass the compliment on to Janie as he is the tree trimmer at our house. I love the shape too…sort of like a weeping willow effect. But what I like most of all is being able to watch the birds in it thru the kitchen window. Lucy has grown. It comes in spells as you well remember. Her estimated weight was 16-24 pounds and she is 15.2 at 71/2 months. Trust me, she sure knows how to use those eyes to melt our hearts!
DeleteHi Gay It’s Anon Jeff here
ReplyDeleteIntermittent cell service as we explore Borrego
Your trusty old Nikon is still capturing great pics of those birds … Or is it the skill of the photographer?
Hi Jeff…Hope you are having a great time ! Wish we were there too! I can’t say I have any skill…just lucky as I discard way more than I keep! Tell Fran “hello!”. And thanks for checking in 😃!
DeleteHaving a camera makes you see and appreciate the small things around you. Especially Miss Lucy!
ReplyDeleteHi Sue…I can’t imagine not having a camera in my hands or near by at all times! Thank goodness for phone cameras which is what I use most all the time except for birds?
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