No, he wasn't singing!

Tucson/Lazydays KOA
Tucson, AZ
December 13, 2014

Dec. 6th full moon early in the morning...

Our Tan Clan waiting very patiently for a walk.

 We have no blog worthy news, but I do like to stay in touch. Not a lot is going on around here in Tucson. That's not to say we haven't been a little busy. Shopping is done, presents are wrapped and on their way to grandchildren. Christmas cards were addressed and actually  mailed on Dec. 8th. And the biggest thing to check off the list...drum roll please...is that all our storage inside and out has been cleaned out and reorganized. That's right, our closet, under the bed, drawers, all cabinets, and basement are spiffy clean and neatly packed.    


A rainbow this morning...first full arch I have ever seen.

 We woke up to sunny, gray skies this morning. And it wasn't long before the rains came. A rainy day in Tucson is quite special. We have enjoyed a lazy, cuddly day on the sofa with the pups, Christmas music and the wonderful smell of chicken and dumplings cooking in the crockpot.  

 I did manage to get out for a walk with each of the pups during a break in the rain this afternoon. We have never spent December in Tucson...usually January or after. I was quite surprised to find the trees so full of fruit.



Grapefruits...

oranges...

The grapefruits are huge!

 

 There are lemon trees too. So far all we have picked are the oranges...very juicy and sweet!

The flowers on the picnic table were happy. I am pretty sure they enjoyed a rainy day too. Did I mention that all my flowers froze before we left Moab on Nov. 1? Well, they did. I have replaced the kalanchoe ( Red is my favorite!), the geraniums and got a Christmas Cactus too. I haven't replaced my cacti garden yet.

 Those beautiful hummingbirds were zipping and squealing all around the patio today. This brings me to the title for the post today...he is a fussy little thing and very selfish when it comes to sharing his food.

No, he wasn't singing!

Ah...the simple pleasures in life!

 

 

Our day started out with a perfectly arched rainbow and ended with a beautiful Arizona sky.

 So until next time, take care and...

happy trails!

Anna's Hummingbird

Tucson/Lazydays KOA
Tucson, AZ
November 30, 2014

 After just putting out the feeder the day before, imagine how excited I was to have visitors for Thanksgiving. Anna's Hummingbirds don't migrate. In fact, it is the only hummer that stays in the West for the winter. Being one of the most common hummingbirds here, they are quite spectacular and anything but common with their iridescent emerald feathers and sparkling rosy-pink throats.

According to allaboutbirds.com they are no larger than a ping-pong ball and no heavier than a nickel.  

 The iridescent throat of the male is called a gorget. The Anna's gorget extends over its head making it more of a balaclava (o.k., I had to look that one up...its a fancy name for a ski mask...) than a bib.

All hummingbirds have tiny legs and can not hop or walk. They can scoot sideways when perched.

Anna's Hummingbirds
 enjoy nectar from many flowering plants. They also feast on a wide array of insects...smaller ones like whiteflies and leaf hoppers.

In the 1930s, Anna's Hummingbirds were only found in California and Baja California...but thanks to widespread feeders and introduced trees such as eucalyptus, they can be found all the way to Vancouver, Canada.

So who was Anna? She was Princess Anna de Belle Massena (1802-1887).

Joe and I have enjoyed sitting on the patio and watching these amazing and beautiful birds. Today there were 3 of them sitting in the lemon tree beside us. We can always hear them before we see them.

So until next time, take care and...

happy trails!