On the 4th Day of July

During the daywe decided the lakes would be too crowded so we did our own BBQ and pretty much had family time at home.

First photo: was actually from the previous weekend.

Second photo: is not of our house, just a house that looks appropriate for the holiday.

Native Plants

The neighbor's garden was alive with activity when I dropped by this morning. A baby bunny was scared away by my arriving. Bees and other small winged things were buzzing about. And, various insects were crawling around on the flowering desert weeds, or, "native plants", as the man kindly corrected me, that he cultivates so beautifully.
Prickly Poppy plants are so poisonous that even cattle don't eat them. That does not deter whatever sucking parasite those black spots on the petels probably are.
And, isn't that the remains of some kind of living critter in a Desert Globemallow?
He doesn't have to worry about me snitching his posies for a bouquet or anything. I'm not that into nature!

From the neighbor's yard

A desert milkweed-complemented by a bee and the requisite milkweed bug.

Isn't he cute?
He's happily doing what milkbugs do*. Until...

"Hey!"

"Don't bug me."

*see link above

I'd like to direct attention

to the blog of Sleepy Cat Hollow. She has really nice photos. Please enjoy the one of her adorable "mini burning man".* (scroll way down.) I'd like the background story on that one.

This guy is not him.

Think he's OK with that?

*burning man

People who Prefer Pink

Can find it many places: A tinge on the clouds at sunset...

Pink weeds and plants...

Pink roses in particular.

Someone who prefers pink had occasion to reflect on the value of variety recently. Yes, there is a story to that. No, it won't be told here.

Yellow roses

and flowers

good too.

Summer isn't even technically here yet, and it is already speeding by. I have been too consumed with wall painting to be blogging-figure no one wants to hear about that. The photos prove that is not ALL we've had going on. We did have a graduate. Here he is with his aunt and grandfather.
And pie. With all the sunbeams in town we've had lots of pie. They make lovely fruit pies, cream pies and even pizza pies. Here is the number one Sun with a pudding pie he created.
Mr. Sunny had opportunity to obtain cute Korean clothes (mostly for me and the Sunbeam), in time for the above-mentioned graduation. This picture sums it all up. On the mirror is the spattered paint before it got cleaned up (but, notice how nice the wall looks!) That top is the favorite of the ones from Mr. Sunny (but, not the one worn to the graduation-that was another favorite). And the bulge around the middle? That is the result of the pies.

More of the Local Scene

One thing I like to do with this blog is to showcase some of the natural scenery around here. Of course, sometimes the same spot is more scenic than other times. For example, this is how one of my favorite perches by the river looked a few weeks ago before the weather warmed up.


And
THIS
is
how
it
looked
today!

(If that doesn't boost my readership, probably nothing will!)