Wild Bird Wednesday!

I had some success this past week!  Just from the yard...but next week I will have some, I hope, from our two days in Madera Canyon, as well.  Joining in with Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday!

White winged dove on the saguaro blooms at the top of the saguaro cactus in my yard.  On a photography level I am SOOO happy with this shot!

The saguaros are blooming and I hope to get some more photos soon.

He kept dipping into the flower to eat something, and I could never catch him with his head inside the bloom.

When I went outside, all the goldfinches and housefinches left the thistle feeder and flew into the trees.  This little guy landed on the Palo Verde and made a lovely shot!

Here he is, well-camoflaged! :-)

Another pretty Lesser Goldfich flew into the pine tree.

A hummer at the hummingbird window.

He sat on a branch of the bouganvillea for a few minutes before going to feed.

Another hummer feeding in the Palo Verde tree.

And one feeding on a very scant poinsettia bloom (this plant is trying to rejuvenate after it died back after Christmas--apparently it has some nectar!)

My Mother's Day Weekend...and Today's Flowers

So much has happened in the last few days, I couldn't wait to share it all with you!  First of all, less than a week ago, hubby and I gave ourselves a very much needed early Mom & Dad's day present (and early anniversary present)! :-)  We got a new bed!  I can't tell you how much better I am sleeping now on my gel-infused memory foam!  It's like heaven!  No picture, but I did want to share.:-)

Then on Saturday morning was the Ladies Luncheon at church at 11:00.  Those in charge of setting it up went ALL OUT!  It was just delightful!

I left early because Yvonne had made 2:00 reservations at Chantilly Tea Room for an early Mother's Day tea for us!  Such a sweet thing to do and we had an amazing time! You may remember me posting about Chantilly before. Check Chantilly out HERE   We've been several times and it's always wonderful!  I couldn't have had a more wonderful sharing time with my sweet daughter!

Yesterday, actual Mother's Day, then was kind of quiet.  It was a good thing because I had sprained my ankle the day before watering the sage bush out front! :-)  I spent the day with my leg elevated and using an "ice pack" filled with three cups of water and one cup of rubbing alcohol.  It gets really COLD but doesn't freeze solid so you are able to mold it around the area where needed more easily.  It's still sore, but getting well fast! :-)  I am a dufus!  All week I got some great flower photos that I want to share, and I also managed to get some bird photos I will be sharing for Wild Bird Wednesday.  Go by and visit Today's Flowers to see many more wonderful blooms from so many places!  Mine are desert flowers a la late spring....we are actually moving into triple digits this coming weekend! :-( It isn't the spring most people have, but it also celebrates Mother's Day week.  So enjoy! I hope every Mom out there had a lovely Mother's Day, as I did!

My hibiscus continues to bloom...I also love the little lavender-colored flower but don't know its name.

Salvia in a neighbor's yard.

My geranium.  The iron washpot next to it belonged to my grandmother.

A branch of my bougainvillea

Branches of the Palo Verde tree out front.  Notice the little orange parts of the flower.

And my Epic cactus bloomed again right before Mother's Day!

Five Things For Friday

Even though we have lost our meme, we can continue to post five things on Friday!  Here are my five for this week:

1.  Every spring I hang this wreath on my front door.  It reminds me of brighter springs of my past.

 2.  But I do love the ambiance of the desert landscape.  Yards in every neighborhood embrace the influences of the southwest with appropriate vignettes.

3.  Wednesday of this week was Richardson Elementary's end of year concert.  Our grandson did well and we enjoyed it....a nice family event.

 4.  In the desert, the sunsets are sometimes spectacular!

 5.  I recommend this book so highly to everyone.  It is such an important biography.  Read about it on my sidebar.  It is readable and hard to put down.  But it also covers important issues that we all need to understand. 

Wild Bird Wednesday (Again at Long Last!)

I haven't been out birding much this spring, but now I am trying to get caught up!  Joining in with Wild Bird Wednesday...check it out!  It's a wonderful meme and I have missed it.   Thanks Stewart for your great meme!  First of all, the Lesser Goldfinches and House Finches loving my thistle sock! :-)

 

 

And, the Mourning Doves and White-winged Doves always visit the yard.

Using the birdbath for a perch. :-)

May Day Delight!

Well, it actually bloomed two days ago but I am posting it today, on May Day--what a lovely delight in my front yard!

This is a Tricharean hybrid called Epic.  I bought it a few months ago at Bach's Nursery and the woman who helped me that day assured me it would bloom this spring!  I am happy to say she was absolutely RIGHT!:-)

Isn't it beautiful!  Just brightens the entire front yard!

This is Bach's Nursery where I bought the cactus.  It's on N. Thornydale Rd. near Hardy.  It's a delightful place to browse!

And also I would like to share the agave that is blooming in a neighbor's yard.  Look how tall it is when the spike shoots up!  They only bloom after several years, finally sending up the spike that sends out little arms with flowerettes.  After this plant finishes blooming, it will die.   Agave leaves are used in the manufacture of tequila. I am sharing this post with the other flower lovers at Today's Flowers.  Check them out, and I would like to thank the hosts for this wonderful meme.  For more cactus blooms, check out my previous post, also.