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My apologies, I had to upgrade the site theme to a more modern one since the old one isn’t supported anymore. I don’t like the look of the new theme but it might take me a while to figure out how to fix it or find a better theme. I’ll delete this post once I’ve got things more to my liking.

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Just Like Heaven

A female house finch stands on a large amount of saguaro fruit on the Latigo Trail in McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 25, 2023. Original: _RAC7811.ARW

When the saguaros explode with fruit it must feel like heaven to birds like finches as the fruit is thick with seeds and the fruit is so large they can almost walk into them. And this was just one arm of an old saguaro in an area thick with them! Between the bees and it being too hot for Bear I haven’t been into the desert much this spring but when I did go there wasn’t much fruit to be seen, perhaps the feeding frenzy will be more muted this year.

📷: Sony A6600 | Sony 100-400mm + 1.4X
🗓️: June 25, 2023

Baby Hedgehog

Our dog Ellie lays on the hardwood floor with a baby hedgehog dog toy beneath her chin on

From 2013, a simple portrait of Ellie and her beloved baby hedgehog, after we bought her one she stopped playing with her other toys.

📷: Canon M | Canon 18-55mm
🗓️: August 3, 2013

Tall Tail

A river otter sits on a fallen tree with its tail in the air in Bower Slough on the auto tour at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Ridgefield, Washington on December 31, 2013. Original: _7D_4688.CR2
A river otter sits on a fallen tree with its tail in the air in Bower Slough on the auto tour at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Ridgefield, Washington on December 31, 2013. Original: _7D_4688.CR2

In the long ago times I was sitting in a pullout in Bower Slough when seven river otters came frolicking along. Was happy to catch this one with its tail in the air, one of the reasons they are such powerful swimmers. Five raccoons came along and the otters treed them before getting bored and continuing their circuit of the refuge.

📷: Canon 7D | Canon 500mm f/4L IS USM + 1.4x III
🗓️: December 31, 2013

Copy, Desert Joy

The saguaro I call The Green Elephant has fruit at the ends of her arms as the sun rises on the Latigo Trail in McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 25, 2023. Original: _Z726574.NEF
The saguaro I call The Green Elephant has fruit at the ends of her arms as the sun rises on the Latigo Trail in McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 25, 2023. Original: _Z726574.NEF

My favorite time to be in the desert is sunrise but I haven’t managed it much the past handful of years. A few years ago I was up early and made a beeline to my favorite saguaro, catching her with arms full of fruit, before hoofing it back to the car so I could get Bear for a hike before the heat rose up.

I’m off for the week and was hoping for some early hikes with Bear but my sleep has been dreadful so I haven’t managed it yet. With retirement looming this summer, looking forward to more opportunities for hikes as a night owl in an early bird’s world.

📷: Nikon Z 7II | Nikon 24-70 f/4
🗓️: June 25, 2023