Florida: Night Blooming Cactus!

Cactus Blooms Ready to Open

Cactus Flower Extravaganza at Night

Blooms on Snake Vine Climbing up Palm Tree

Night Blooming Cactus Pair of Flowers

Our night blooming cactus was in its full glory this week – 30 HUGE flowers opened at once!  It was spectacular!   In the old days of Florida people would have parties in the evening centered around the blooms.  Our snake vine cactus (Selenicereus pteranthus – Princess of the Night) was grown from a cutting planted only 6 years ago!

Arizona: Spectacular Slot Canyon! Wow!

Approach to Antelope Slot Canyon X

Entrance to Canyon X

Doorway to More

Slot Canyon Curves

Kissing Rocks

Narrowed Walkway

Triangle Window Crawlway

Sculpted Walls

Crack to Sky

Sky Glow

Author in Awe

Glowing Chamber Beyond

Antelope Slot Canyon X is a photographer’s dream!  It exceeded expectations!  The colors and lighting are an ever-changing panorama.  The canyon is named after the pronghorn antelope that roamed the area years ago.  It was sculpted by rainwater that eroded the sandstone over time.  At times thunderstorms and flash flooding close the canyon.  This beautiful and spiritual place must be seen to be believed!  Info about this Taadidiin Navajo photography tour near Page, Arizona is at:  https://www.antelopecanyon-x.com/?fh-u=b9e5dd6e-70a2-456d-b8be-4fb3f0d00ba7

Arizona: Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Sunset Crater Volcano

Bonito Lava Flow

Yellow-Orange Juniper Mistletoe

Beautiful Weathered Juniper Wood

Tiny White Spider on Lava Flow

Yellow Newberry Twinpod Growing on Cinders

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is a beautiful place to visit just north of Flagstaff, Arizona.  The sunset colors reflect the volcano’s composition of silica, iron oxide, and gypsum.  The volcano erupted about 1040-1100 AD .  It is amazing how life returns and survives on the tough conditions of the lava flow!  Information about visiting is at:  https://www.nps.gov/sucr/index.htm  and https://www.livescience.com/50237-sunset-crater-photos.html. 

Arizona: Horseshoe Bend and Glen Canyon Dam

Horseshoe Bend Overlook

Horseshoe Bend Photography Viewpoint (click to enlarge)

Prickly Pear Cactus with Flower Buds

Hedgehog Cactus Flowers

Glen Canyon Dam Visitor Center

Glen Canyon Dam Overlook

Glen Canyon Bridge (at completion in 1959 it was highest arch bridge in world)

Squares are Support Rod Tips Piled Deep into Sandstone Canyon Walls

Dilophosaurus Dinosaur Tracks Found Nearby

Chuckwalla

Horseshoe Bend and Glen Canyon Dam in Page, Arizona, are spectacular sights!  Both are located just past the eastern edge of Grand Canyon National Park.  Horseshoe Bend was formed by erosion from the Colorado River over millions of years.  The meander formed when water flowed around harder stone.  Since water flows fastest on the outside of a curve, the meander gets more pronounced over time.

Glen Canyon Dam was completed in 1964 and provides daily hydroelectric power to 5 million customers over 7 Western states.  After the dam was built, the newly backed up water of the Colorado River formed popular Lake Powell.  This desert landscape is beautiful!

Cute Baby Raccoons

Baby Raccoon Climbing Tree

Baby Raccoon in Bird Feeder

Baby Raccoon Face

Mama raccoon in our Florida backyard now has four little babies – what a handful!  The babies play, wrestle, and roll around together.  They are like puppies, except they climb.  One time I caught them swinging in the hammock at night for fun!  I was surprised to go outside recently and see this baby raccoon inside the bird feeder.  Even so, they are really cute.

Purple Martin Nesting Time!

Purple Martin Gourd Rack by Pond

Five Eggs in Nest

Ten Eggs in Nest!

Six Newly Hatched Martins Hugging Egg

Five Newly Hatched Martins

Bird’s Eye View of Babies in Nest

Babies are Hungry!

Older Hatchlings Darken as Feathers Grow In

Our purple martins are nesting now.  So many birds – it is the best year ever!!!  Purple martins are here in Florida from about January to July, and spend the rest of the year in Brazil.  Current totals are 20 nests containing 63 babies, 50 eggs, and 42 adult birds (one pair is on the verge of laying eggs) — grand total 155!  Wow!  Many of the babies are in the process of hatching, and a couple of nests contain older nestlings.  The tiniest babies are called pinkies, for obvious reasons.  One stumper is the nest containing 10 eggs; normal is 4-6.  We don’t know if it is a re-nesting attempt after the first eggs didn’t hatch, or another bird laid in there too.  Love this time of year!  More info is at:  https://www.purplemartin.org/

Florida: Our Orchid Collection

Purple Phalaenopsis Orchid

Orange and Yellow Sunset Phalaenopsis Orchid

Yellow and Purple Golden Phalaenopsis Orchid

White and Purple Tiger Stripe Phalaenopsis Orchid

Pink, White, and Yellow Brilliant Smile Dendrobium Orchid

White and Purple Angel Moon – Love Letter Dendrobium Orchid

Lady Slipper Atticus Orchid

Fragrant Fringed Star Orchid

Recently we became very interested in orchids and now have a collection on our back porch here in Florida.  Orchids are fascinating on many levels and produce the smallest seeds in the world.  Besides the tropica flora already on our porch, we recently added a tree rose to the area and will soon add a fragrant gardenia.  Our goal is to turn the pool deck into a beautiful lush atrium and relaxing retreat!