A red-tailed hawk peeks out from its large nest in the rocks high above the Sonoran Desert. When the eggs hatch and it is time for the young redtails to learn to fly, there will be no soft landings if they aren’t successful on their first attempt.
Author: boolie
I Am the Desert
I am the desert,
endless sky and stone.
I am the desert,
flesh and blood and bone.
Finding Purchase
A Coulter’s lupine finds purchase in the cracks between rocks up above the Sonoran Desert on the way to Sunrise Peak.
Bugs for Breakfast
This canyon towhee had a mouthful of bugs, perhaps it had a nest nearby full of hungry youngsters.
The Desert in Bloom
First light falls on the California poppies and Coulter’s lupines blooming in front of the rock formation I call the Guardian. Haven’t had much time and/or energy for hiking the past few weeks but thankful I was able to get out for a few hours last week to see the desert in bloom. This was my first time seeing the Sonoran Desert bloom like this. The picture below is from a few minutes earlier in a slightly different position, clouds in the east mostly blocked the sunrise light but a little bit of red light fell upon the landscape before coming on strong for a few minutes as shown above. I like them both.
We arrived in Arizona a year ago today, how thankful I am we ended up in this wonderful place.
With My Arms I Will Shelter You
A turkey vulture stretches out a wing over its mate in their nest in massive boulders high above the desert floor. The seemingly romantic gesture was only a momentary stretch while preening.
This Is Also What Happens When You Eat the Dog’s Medicine
Your young sister will discover her hero is in the deepest of sleeps and snuggle up face-to-face as she prefers, but you do not.
This Is What Happens When You Eat the Dog’s Medicine
Sunday morning Sam ate one of Ellie’s pills so we called the ASPCA poison control hotline (1-888-426-4435) and verified he’d be OK. For a few hours he could see through time but mostly he just slept deeply through the afternoon. By dinner time he had perked up and with an appetite in full song he was ready to eat his food and everyone else’s.
Thankfully not as much as an adventure as last year at this time.
This cat and his sunbeams …
Moving On
After the movers packed up our belongings, I took a quick picture with my phone before leaving the rental house for the last time. Or almost the last time, I was back yesterday to let the carpet cleaner in. As excited as I am about our new house, I was a little sad pulling away from the rental house as it was a great home for us during our first year in Arizona. That’s my Crosstrek out front, its utility proved itself multiple times both on the move a year ago and in this last move, even if I replace it with something a little better suited to my current commute I will always love this little Subaru.
At the back of the large backyard was this old bird feeder, it provided endless entertainment for both me and the cats during our year there. I saw 30 bird species over the year, many of which fed at or below the feeder. The most surprising visitors were the boisterous rosy-faced lovebirds, they aren’t native but a population has established itself in Scottsdale.
