Busy is better than bored

Between trips to 8 hours south of here to get the boy situated and settled in his new abode and working all the rest of the days for the past couple weeks, (not cheap having a kid in medical school) I haven't been blogging much.

Here he is with his white coat for clinical rotations. All the incoming students received one at a very special ceremony.

the city of lost wages

Even though the hotel had a complimentary shuttle, I never got to the lights of the casino district this trip. Too much else to do going on. But, by hanging out a 4th floor window I got this shot of the Stratosphere, which is the strip's farthest North establishment. Pretty good considering we were located 2 miles South of the southernmost end of it.

Sometimes I use my camera as binoculars to later figure out what it was I couldn't quite see in the far distance.
Of course, the pictures usually come out horrible, but, that is some fine magnification for a pocket camera.

Returned from the Reunion

It was a bit too hot in Las Vegas, and I didn't feel like taking many pictures. But, just before she had to load up and leave, one of the teen nieces endeared herself to my heart forever by noticing and being enamored with this sight. I promised to photograph it for her.

Because, we all know how much Sunny loves puddle pictures.


( flipped upside down so the reflected flowers look right side up.)

This next photo is from the road on the trip South. Sunbeam was quite taken with the reflection of the mountains on the vehicle in front of us. She was driving so I got the picture.
Got to love those reflections. Like mother like daughter. Of course, she was already endeared to my heart forever-just by taking her first breath-no, even before that!

Later on the 4th

we had decided to skip the crowds and ended up

at this pretty place,

where we weren't the only ones

seeking solitude.

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