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Posts from the ‘cactus’ Category

Apr 7

Lady Finger Cactus

This Lady Finger Cactus (Echinocereus pentalophus) is another of my discount finds. It was 1/4th this size but as you can see, it’s responded really well….especially since I fenced in Javelina Cafe. I knew it was about to bloom yesterday so in between doing taxes, I set my timer and went out every two hours to check on it. These photos were taken about 11am. It was heavily overcast yesterday which might explain why they didn’t open all the way but I was happy that I didn’t miss it totally like I usually do 🙂

Captured with Canon 180mm Macro

Apr 6

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Home Depot Hedgehog

I rescued this Hedgehog from Home Depot. It was under a bench with a price tag of a few dollars and it looked nearly beyond help. I had no idea what color the bloom would be but I felt sorry for it and took it home. To my delight, the blooms are an amazing soft pink! I used a filter called Pixel Bender on it to give it even more softness.

Apr 2

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Owlet

On a recent hike, I came across a mother Owl with 3 Owlets. What a treat! Only one of the babies was turned toward me but I could see the other two moving. I was carrying my Canon Compact camera that day and thought it did a great job considering how far away I was.

Mar 31

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Spring Memories

An infrared capture from the Spring of 2008. What caught my eye first in this scene was the huge Chainfruit Cholla Skeleton (fire). I positioned myself low in order to include Poppies in the foreground and a nice Saguaro specimen in the background.(False color introduced by swapping channels.)

Mar 16

Hedgehog on Sunrise Trail

I led a Wildflower/Photography hike yesterday morning on the Sunrise Trail. No wildflowers to speak of, unfortunately, but we did see two Hedgehogs in bloom which made everyone’s day! All along the trail, every Hedgehog we came across was loaded with buds so there is bound to be a spectacular show in the next week or so. (Captured with my trusty Canon SX1)

Mar 8

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A Search For a Queen

Arizona Queen of the Night is very common in our area but extremely difficult to spot. It looks like a stick or dead branch, doesn’t it? Click the link at the beginning of this post to see the amazing flowers this unassuming cactus produces! I’ve been wanting to find one on the future Marcus Landslide trail so Chris and I went out on there yesterday morning with a goal of locating one. Two and a half hours of searching and success! (NOTE: finding one in the open is not typical. They prefer the support of a shrub like a Creosote but a 1995 fire destroyed almost everything). Anyway….I was excited but also disappointed because it wasn’t easily accessible (at least until the trail is done). It’s OK, though, because where there’s one, there are more so the search goes on. I welcome the challenge 🙂

Mar 7

Sounds of Spring

Cactus Wrens and other birds have been nest building for the last few weeks and I’ve been hearing lots of peeps/chirps recently. It reminded me of a photo I took last year up in the North Access area of the Preserve. I set my compact camera to shoot an exposure bracket sequence of three shots; turned off my flash (didn’t want to freak the babies out!) and positioned the camera slightly inside the nest opening. I then used Photomatix to blend the exposures. Not perfect or in sharp focus but very cool! (By the way…..I had second thoughts afterward about disturbing them so I haven’t done it again).

Feb 23

Photoshop Filters

The addition of software filters makes this Prickly Pear heart look extra prickly. (Combination of Topaz filters and Lightroom Presets)

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