Jojoba nuts (Simmondsia chinensis) are ready for harvesting and I picked a bagful last night. They look and taste a little like filberts. They’re described as being a little bitter which I noticed with the first few I ate but now I think they’re delicious! They have a very long shelf life and won’t go rancid like the many tree nuts we know. Click here for an excellent description.
Category Archives: arizona
bee
Flowers are still showing up! This weekend it was the Echinopsis huascha (aka red torch cactus) and it was loaded with blooms. I took one document shot (below) and then switched to my macro lens to capture this bee. (180 macro with 500D added. ISO 400 wide open. Handheld)
Echinopsis candicans
We were treated to two more blooms yesterday. This time from our Argentine Giant (Echinopsis candicans).
I just relocated our specimen because it didn’t seem happy where it was. So far so good and we’re hoping it becomes a monster bloomer like the one next door. It took our breath away the first time we saw it!
pink
So far our Mammillaria grahammii have been blooming twice a year (July and October) so I’ve learned to hunt for them at those times. This shot was late yesterday so they are right on time. The tiny cactus typically grows at the base of other shrubs and since the flowers only last one day, they are very easy to miss.
soaked
The red spines of this Barrel Cactus are an indication of the great soaking rain we had last night.
red sky at morning
This may be a warning for sailors but a morning red sky is good news for the desert!
promise of rain
Some cool clouds this morning and a promise of rain. We can hope!
(Canon 5D-IR, Canon 50mm 1.8 lens)
did we hear birdseed?
Gambels Quail chicks responding to the sound of birdseed.
liquid sand
I had a very early errand this morning so I grabbed this shot from my car window.
What you’re looking at is a sandy wash with some debris and small shrubs.
(ISO 100, 1/4th sec at f/27, 200mm)
cats and cactus
When I’m stuck for a photo of the day, I head for a cat or a cactus. Here are both in this photo of Chris walking Cleo. Walking him usually means a lot of waiting as you can see.