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Posts from the ‘Sonoran Desert’ Category

Aug 2

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Ya-BOO-hoo!

I’m almost back….did you miss me? I missed you!!! The reason I made a move to another host is that Yahoo Business is not upgrading to the latest database process required by WordPress. WordPress is constantly looking out for security leaks and as such continues to upgrade. If I stay with Yahoo, I’m leaving myself open to potential problems. Yahoo has known for quite some that they needed to upgrade but Yahoo Business support told me, that although they will eventually upgrade, they have no plans in the immediate future. (Their last update was 2003!)

Anyway….the transition is almost done. The only negative thing that happened is that permalinks had to be altered so if you happened to save a link to a particular blog post, it won’t work. But…just enter the title or other search word and you’ll be able to find everything you’re looking for. If you’ve never tried the search box, please do. Looking for tortoise photos? Type “tortoise” and up pops related posts.

Jul 27

Under Construction

I initiated a drastic move from one internet host to another this morning. Supposedly, my entire website will be transferred intact with no ill effects BUT I’m very nervous. So…if you’re still seeing this image in the next couple of days, you’ll know I’m still in transition.

Jul 23

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Prickly

Stuck for a photo this morning so here’s a photo I took a few months ago. I shook my camera at a Prickly Pear cactus and thought the result was pretty cool!

Jul 20

Gall Midge at Work

Looking for a photo yesterday, I came across a few Creosote Galls in the making. When finished, the galls will be twice this size and the green will dry out to brown. A tiny Gall Midge (Asphondylia aurinila) is the architect behind this cool little ball.
The soft background is courtesy of my Canon 180 Macro.

Jul 19

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Dehydrated Queen

Unfortunately, my suspicion regarding the buds on the Arizona Queen of the Night being dehydrated was correct. My friend Joni and I went out first thing this morning and although the buds were still there, some were already detached and when the plant was bumped slightly, the rest fell off. Thankfully, the plant is really healthy so there’s always next year!

Jul 8

Dust Storm Sunset

I remembered yesterday that I did get one shot of our monster dust storm! The sun actually managed to get through the dust lighting up this tree. Eerie! Dust was still blowing hard so I took the photo from the safety of the garage. I knew the scene probably wouldn’t last long so I didn’t take the time to get my tripod. I set my ISO to 800 and fired off a few shots. This had the most in focus. Canon 7D with 24-70mm lens. 1/50th sec at f/5.

Jul 7

Hosing Everything Down

My car window shows the amount of dirt and sand Tuesday’s monster dust storm left behind. A rainstorm typically follows dust storms but not this time so I spent this morning hosing everything down. And I mean EVERYTHING! Not just the normal things like the car, patio, etc, but I also hosed down the plants, trees, and even my rocks 🙂

Unfortunately, I didn’t get any photos of this recording breaking Haboob! Neither the TV or radio was on or I would have rushed down to see it! But…we had just returned from a road trip and I was busy unpacking, downloading photos, etc. I saw the storm coming, of course, but because we’re 1000 feet higher than the valley, we don’t see them rolling in. We just get enveloped. I quickly realized it was bigger than any we had experienced since moving here but had no idea just how large it was. In case you missed it, here’s a link to a local newscast: http://www.youtube.com/user/pphh97

 

Jul 2

Morning Face

I pass this spot almost every day on my morning walks but I had never noticed this Saguaro. Lighting is key to seeing faces in the desert and I was out a little earlier than usual yesterday OR he might just have moved into the neighborhood 🙂
Droidx Capture

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