Life on the Vine

Last month I went to a daylong Introduction to Nature Journaling workshop led by Roseann Beggy Hanson of Exploring Overland and hosted at the Amerind Museum . I knew nothing about nature journaling ahead of the class. It just sounded like something that might complement my own personal journaling and the House Journal I've been keeping since we moved into the new house in February 2023.  In my House Journal I record seasonal observations from Dalrymple Ranch, as my girlfriend Sydney calls our place. Since I walk the pups 2-3 times a day, I notice when a type of wildlfower first appears or when a particular cactus blooms. I also try to note when we have snow or a big rain storm. And while I don't do it as regularly, I do record some wildlife observations too. Thanks to keeping my journal last year I learned that there is an order in which our cacti tend to bloom. Hedgehogs bloom before the prickly pear. Cholla bloom after the prickly pear have started and then barrel cactus ...

To the north of the temp house is some vacant acreage that has some dirt paths crisscrossing it.  Bikes, dirt bikes and quads are out there sometimes, as well as horse riders and folks just out for a walk.  Colt and I walk on these trails almost every day.  It's a nice open area where I can let him run around without being on a lease.  He chases after quail, rabbits and lizards and we see the occasional hawk and deer.  I keep a close eye out for rattlesnakes and thankfully haven't seen one yet. Road to dirt trails - our property is in the foothills of the mountain On one of our walks A couple days ago I noticed a tent set up near one of the areas we normally walk through.  We skirted around the area.  Yesterday morning we passed by the area and found a mass of trash left behind.  Clearly the campers have never heard of the concept of leave no trace.  It made me really angry.  I don't understand how people can just leave their tr...

Today is officially the first day of Summer but it's been summer in southern Arizona for about four weeks.  Highs this week were around 106 and 108 degrees.  If I start complaining about the heat Tom reminds me that I have a car with a good A/C; I work in a comfortable office indoors, and I don't work outside.  So, honestly, the heat doesn't bother me too much, especially during the work week.  It is impacting my walks though that I usually like to take on my lunch break. It has really dried up here but this Spring I took more pictures of the flowering cactus and other interesting plants I came across.  I'm thinking ahead to the property and what I might want to plant so I find myself noticing plants and flowers more than usual.  I thought I'd finally take some time and download the photos from my iPhone and camera and share them on my blog. I hadn't seen or noticed a flowering prickly pear on any of my previous visits to Arizona.  The flowers re...