Some Like It Hot

The Phoenix farmers markets usually feature a variety of locally grown peppers, ever popular in our Latino cuisine that is so important in the Southwest.  How hot can you take it?  Starting in the top center we have jaloro (yellow jalapeno) peppers which measure from 2,500 to 10,000 units on the Scoville scale, the defining measurement of chile peppers.  And then clockwise are the jalapenos, the world's most popular chile pepper which likewise measure 2,500 to 10,000.  And then are the beautiful red habaneros, which creep up to the Scoville scale to 150,000 to 300,000 units.  And then lastly in the small basket on the left are Caribbean red peppers, twice as hot as the habaneros and 80 times more fiery than jalapenos, measuring a whopping million plus Scoville units!  And you thought jalapenos were hot!

New York Pizza in the Desert

Another great thing about my new home is the fact that I live less than a mile from one of the best little pizza dives in the city - Isa's at 7th Street and Thunderbird.   Weekday lunch special:  two giant slices and a drink - a whopping $5!  I rarely can finish two slices of this pizza.

51/100 Dogs - Old English Sheepdog

A new friend invited me to a dog show on Sunday so I felt this was a good opportunity to work on my 100 Dogs series, a category I haven't contributed to in quite some time.  It was my first attendance at a dog show and since I love dogs, it was a very fun time.  I especially enjoyed watching the canines being groomed pripr to their performance in the ring.  Here an Old English Sheepdog get the final touches on his hairdo before going out to compete.

My Neighborhood

This photo does not show the rooftop of my house but it is located two blocks behind the school on the right.

My New Neighbor

Meet my new friend, Redman, who lives just down the street in my new neighborhood with his roommate and human, Rose.  Redman is sporting his summer look and he reminds me of the Lion King in Ugg boots!

I'm finally pretty much settled in to my new home although I still have a few furniture purchases to make and some accessories.  But at least I'm able to find almost all my stuff, although a few things will have to be reorganized as time goes on.

I found the absolute perfect house, a small ranch style just 2.5 miles from my daughter and grandson.  It was totally remodeled with all the bells and whistles, wood floors, farmhouse sink, etc., and everything is brand new.  Plus I have a killer laundry room and pantry, an oversized garage with tons of storage, and even a workshop/tool room.  I'm primarily busy now with doing some landscaping (there was little to none here when I arrived) and summer is fast approaching and soon it will be too hot to do outside work.  We've already hit ninety plus on several days.  My garden this year will be limited to tomatoes and herbs which I've planted and I intend to add a lemon tree, some bougainvillea and other flowering plants and shrubs but that will probably happen next winter.

I'm ready to start taking photos again .  For several weeks I couldn't find my spare camera batteries or chargers but they've now been located and have a place of their own.

I'll try to get around to visiting you all in the next few days.  It's going to seem really strange not seeing the daily photos of our friend, EG Camera Girl.  I was stunned to learn of her death.  She was one of my first blogging buddies.  She answered so many questions for me and I could always count on her for a comment on every post I did.  We will all miss her dearly.

Linking to Saturday's Critters

A (Big) Bundle of Love

Truman, my granddog, a sweet boxer, decided he wanted to help me do my proofreading but unfortunately he pooped out after the first page!

I closed remotely today (Wednesday) on the property in Texas after a five-month escrow!  Amazing.  Think twice before selling a property in which the government might have an interest (this one was the USDA) if you want a quick close.  Tomorrow I have the final walkthrough on the new house in Phoenix with closing scheduled for Friday (a five-day close).  I'll be returning to Texas on Wednesday to retrieve my trusted Truck since she will come in so handy in this move and of course that means another three-day drive between East Texas and Arizona.  So I'll be scarce for the next few weeks as I move into a new house and get settled but I'll try to visit as often as possible and perhaps will have time for a random posting.  Don't forget me!  I shall return!

A Trip to Mesa

Our trip over to the suburb of Mesa was occasioned by my daughter's desire to visit Design Lab, a unique retail shop full of stuff just worthy of checking out.

It's located in a beautiful old red brick building right in the heart of the arts district on Main Street in downtown Mesa.  The trappings are warehousey and you can spend a couple of hours just browsing the one-of-a-kind items, writing implements, papers and journals, lamps, pillows, doodads, furniture, and a little bit of just everything you might want to decorate your home.

I loved the rustic doors located down the hall toward the corner of the store.

The hallway leading to the entrance is lined with posters, signs,  photographs, and other pieces of framed art.  This is one of my favorite quotes.

There are also some shops upstairs in this building and I believe some professional offices but we didn't veture up this shiny metal staircase.  Maybe next time.

Blue Shoe

Last Saturday my daughter and I drove to Mesa, a Phoenix suburb on the east side of the metropolis, to visit a boutique she was interested in seeing.  Mesa has become a somewhat "artsy" town and we both loved this giant blue shoe on a sidewalk corner right in the middle of the Art Walk in downtown Mesa.

Support Group

Even the giant saguaro cacti of our native desert occasionally need a bit of support.  I spotted these giant saguaros which have been propped up and are being supported near the entrance to a home.  These saguaros are quite tall - I'm terrible at estimating things like that but these cacti have been known to grow up to 40 to 60 feet. A 10-year-old saguaro may only be 1.5 inches tall so I think these guys must be great-great-grandfathers by now.  Maybe that's why they need this support.  When fully hydrated and when rains have been plentiful (average annual rainfall in Phoenix is 8.03 inches per year) saguaros can weigh between 3200 and 4800 pounds.

Little Red

During my wandering this past week I stumbled upon this little red building sitting off to the side of a house not far from where my daughter lives.  It's in an area of horse properties so I'm imagining that it's some sort of tack shed.  It's a little worse for the wear but provides a pretty spot of color among the palm trees and desert landscaping.

Autumn in the Desert - Fire Bush

One thing that's usually missing in the desert is autumn.  I've been here about three weeks and although in most parts of the country it's midwinter, the desert is still showing fall color.  I don't remember these bushes when I lived here before so I don't know if they're a new implant or if because of the rains Phoenix has experienced this fall they're just showing an unusual brilliance, but I like them a lot and have dubbed them "fire bush."  If anyone knows what the real name is, would you clue me in?

P.S.  I bought a house today!  We're opting for a quick close to take place in a couple of weeks so hopefully I'll be able to take some photos very soon.  I need to return to Texas to get my beloved Truck, who I left in capable hands, but now that I'm priming for a move, who can move without a reliable truck.  I'll probably fly back the first week in February, spend a day visiting relatives and then head back to Phoenix to start the grand move.  Maybe I'll even find a courthouse I left behind.  I'm very excited to get into my own place again, get a dog, plant a garden and get some new furniture!

Just Like Texas

While driving around yesterday through a neighborhood which had a lot of horse properties, I came across this rusty tractor posing as yard art at a home.  For a moment I thought I was dreaming I was back in Texas!

Farmers Market at Roadrunner Park

I'm staying with my daughter until I find a new home and she lives less than a half mile from one of Phoenix's farmers markets which is open every Saturday year round.  So yesterday I braved the cold and went a bit early because parking can be a problem due to the popularity of the market.  I arrived 15 minutes before opening and grabbed one of the last nearby parking places.  I bought fresh bread, lemons the size of oranges (5 for $1), garlic and red, yellow and purple heirloom tomatoes .  The vegetables from this particular vendor are grown on a farm on the south side of the city.

When I left Phoenix a little over five years ago, there were only a handful of vegetable vendors at this market, but the market has grown tremendously and now there are probably a dozen local farms represented, along with many other food and craft items.  I for one think that colorful vegetables make an incredibly beautiful subject matter for camera buffs.

This little lady was struggling with arranging these butterfly garden ornaments just the way she wanted.  I'm sure her fingers, although covered with gloves, were frozen from the inordinately cold weather we've had the past week.  It was a mere 42 degrees when I left for the market and I think the temp fell a few more degrees before the sun finally started warming us up.  I know some of you probably think 42 is subtropical for winter temperatures but for desert rats who don't even own a heavy coat, it's FREEZING!

I'm fascinated with this Romanesco broccoli, which is really cauliflower.  I suppose that means that broccoli and cauliflower are related.  When I went to the Internet to explore this rather unique vegetable, I learned that its striking form is a natural approximation of a fractal.  And what is a fractal I said.  Well, a fractal has a pattern which is a natural representation of the Fibonacci (huh?) or golden spiral, a logarithmic spiral where every quarter turn is farther from the origin by a factor of phi, the golden ratio.  Oh, now that you put it that way, I get it!  Wrong.  I don't have the foggiest idea what that is saying so I'll just chalk it up to being ignorant in certain subjects!  If you Google the word "fractal" and then go to images of fractals, you will see some of the most beautiful designs imaginable.  This veggie is almost too pretty to eat but I may try it one of these days soon.

Cardinals Fans

I've been spending quite a bit of time recently driving through neighborhoods looking for the perfect place to live.  A few days ago I spotted this big blow-up Arizona Cardinals player in the front yard of a house.  The owners must be big fans.

Denizens of the Desert - Sweetness

More than a dozen varieties of hummingbirds visit Southern Arizona.  Guest photographer Emerson captured this stunning little black-chinned hummer on our trip to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing some of the critters we saw that day and the beautiful landscape of the Arizona desert.

Denizens of the Desert - Raptors - Harris' Hawk

Harris' hawk is only one of two known raptors who hunt as a group with the matriarchal female being the head of the group and the first to partake of the meal.  Just like mammals, some members of the team flush out the prey and chase it toward the hunters who go in for the kill.  Most family groups consist of about seven individuals although some groups comprising as many as fifteen members have been observed.  These hawks have visual abilities some eight times greater than we humans.  They have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years.

A beautiful coppery color with legs and beaks of yellow, they have a magnificent wingspan of almost 50 inches and are easily identified while in flight by the white markings on the tail.

On a different subject, the saguaros in the second photograph are youngsters.  They have not yet sprouted arms.  The first arms usually make their appearance at 75 to 100 years of age!

Denizens of the Desert - Raptors - Gray Hawk

When we entered the 21st century 15 years ago there were only 80 known pairs of nesting gray hawks in the Southern Arizona.  Today, through riparian conservation efforts and wise use of land, the numbers have increased to almost 200 nesting pairs.  Predominantly found in Mexico and South America, these beautiful birds are fearless hunters, preferring reptilian prey, primarily lizards.  The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is the only AZA-accredited (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) facility to display a gray hawk.

This photo was taken by guest photographer Emerson, my grandson.

Denizens of the Desert - Raptors - Barn Owl

One of the primary reasons for driving the 115 miles to Tucson to visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum was to experience the free flight of the raptors.  If you've never seen birds of prey up close,they are among our most amazing creatures.

The birds are summoned by hand signals to a meaty treat usually placed on a branch so that the audience can get a good view of each bird, and it's amazing to feel the quick swoosh of air as they fly just above your head at incredible speeds.

We only saw three birds during the afternoon show, although we were expecting at least five, but they were so astounding we didn't feel cheated in the least.

The common barn owl easily finds a home in the desert where the food source is plentiful.  Nature's own mousetrap, one of these owls can dispose of 2,000 mice a year.  They employ silent flight, low-light eyesight and incredible hearing to catch their prey.  A barn owl can catch a mouse in a totally dark room simply by listening.

Denizens of the Desert - Predatory

We're all familiar with the wily coyote who has taken up residence throughout the Northern Hemisphere of the Americas.

Coyotes do not exist on the European or Asian continents and now, having been spotted as far south as Panama, it is believed that someday they may take up residence in South America.

FYI, the coyote in the last photo appears to be very close to the netting which separates their habitat from the museum visitors, but the image is quite deceiving.  I was much closer to the netting (which I couldn't even see) than the coyote.

Denizens of the Desert - Slithery

As soon as we got our tickets to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum my grandson was itching to visit the reptile and amphibian exhibit.  Isn't that just like a 12-year-old boy!  The next thing you know, he'll be wanting to check out girls!

This coachwhip snake was one of the prettiest of the museum's specimens.  Growing up to six feet in length, it's known for its terrific speed.  Although nonvenomous, they are fierce and known to bite.

The Desert Museum is not only a zoo but a botanical garden, an aquarium, a natural history museum, and a research facility.  The rare and endangered San Esteban chuckwalla, or desert iguana, occurs naturally only on the island of San Esteban in the Gulf of California.  The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has had a successful captive breeding program in place since 1977.

Tucson Road Trip

My grandson and I took off one morning this week for a day trip to Tucson to visit the Arizona-Sonora Museum.  This photo has a bit of reflection through the windshield.

We elected to go into Tucson for a bit of lunch so we approached the Saguaro National Park at the south entrance.  I was glad that we went that way because the drive is much more scenic than the north entrance.  The road is somewhat narrow and the elevation drops dramatically on the route.

It's a land of thousands and thousands, maybe millions, of saguaros.  

They're like snowflakes.  No two are identical.  

But unlike snowflakes, they have a rather long lifespan.

Under the right conditions, they can live between 150 and 200 years.

Mountain vistas, plenty of desert vegetation and dramatic skies are all part of the trip.

These photos were taken by my guest photographer, Emerson.  

He did a great job of handling an unfamiliar camera while I kept my eyes on the road.

Happy New Year From Arizona!

Happy New Year Blogger Friends!  I have finally made to move back to Arizona, although I am far from settled.  I am staying with my daughter and grandson until the property in Texas closes -- which should be this next week, although working with a federal agency on a real estate transaction is a lesson in patience! -- and I can find a new home.  Real estate inventory is small this time of the year but it should be picking up in a month or two.

I've taken few photos since my arrival a couple weeks ago but earlier this week my grandson and I went to Tucson to visit the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.  We had a great time and for the next few days I'll show you mostly the animals we saw there, including some fabulous birds.  But to welcome the new year, above is pictured what I believe is the Santa Catalina Indian Paintbrush, which to me is an example of nature's own fireworks, a fitting start for a new year celebration!