108 by next Friday!!!

I don't ever remember it being 108 degrees in May before, but that is the forecast for next Friday.  OYE VEI!  That's too hot, too early!!!  The last of my sweet peas are struggling right now and by mid next wee, they will be FRIED.  Oh, well, at least they are putting nitrogen into the soil and next year's crop will be better (I hope!)  Bye, bye my little friends!

More saguaros

I figured I might as well post the rest of my saguaro photos, since I had quite a few (for me, at least) comments about them.  No, they aren't native to our desert.  Yes, they have to be purchased and brought in.  I often see huge flatbed trucks with them.  I have no idea what they cost, but I've heard they are VERY expensive.  I read something once about saguaro theft...

They only bloom at night (we read a story about them in our reading textbook).  Moths, bats, bees and even doves will help to pollinate them.  They only bloom in our desert in May and then the blossoms are gone, so I'm going to enjoy them now!

Saguaro and desert sky~SkyWatch Friday~050914

We have some imported saguaros up Highway 74, at the Bighorn Development or whatever it is they call it.  They aren't very friendly there.  My friend and I were chased off one afternoon while we were taking photos.  Oh, well...They have planted saguaros at various places along the highway and there are some at their entrance, but OF COURSE you can't stop there to photograph them.  And, there is a bike lane both going up and down from the mountain.  So, I stopped there and quickly leaned out my window and snapped a couple of photos last weekend.  The only other saguaros in our desert are some over at the Living Desert Reserve, where everybody is much friendlier!   :-)  SkyWatch Friday for May 8, 2014.   To visit SkyWatch Friday, please go to:    http://skyley.blogspot.com/

California poppies~Nature Notes~050814

I found these beautiful California poppies right at the corner of Highway 74 and Highway 371.  The latter is the road down to Anza, CA.  I saw them a couple of weekends ago, but last weekend, they were in full bloom and I just had to stop and admire them!  Aren't they cheerful?  Nature Notes for May 8, 2014.   To visit Nature Notes, please go to:   http://ramblingwoods.com/

Mountain road

I don't often get a chance to stop at a turnout and take photos of the mountain road, Highway 74, but on this day, I did.  That's the curvy road way up ahead.  I even got a shot of the moon on the top one!

Mountain windows and doors

I love to drive around the little community of Pinyon Flats on days when I have extra time.  It is such a cute little community and it is nestled in, well...pinyon trees!  Duh.  I have a good friend who lives up there and at night, you can actually SEE the Milky Way!  There's a nice forest service campground up there, Pinyon Flats, and I see this year it is actually being used.  Some years it is pretty much vacant, but every weekend I see people camping there this year.

Anyway, I was driving around one weekend not too long ago and I took these photos of some of the houses up there.

Double tragedy up at the horse ranch...

I didn't make it up to the horse ranch last weekend.  I was just too worn out.  It's a 45 minute drive each way, up a killer highway.  No, I'm not kidding.  It IS a killer highway.  There's at least 2-3 accidents on it a month.  It's a very narrow, curvy, two lane highway and a lot of IDIOTS drive on it from Palm Desert to San Diego.

So, I went up this morning, knowing that one of the ranch owner's pregnant mares had to be put down last week.  She was lying down and broke her leg.  The vet had to come out and euthanize her.  The foal was lost, too.

What I didn't know is that the momma to the little pinto colt was also lost.  I had no idea.  The owner didn't tell me, so when I got up there, and saw the baby alone, I asked her what happened.  Turns out the mother got a twisted intestine...that was it.  Same thing that happened to my beloved palomino mustang filly, Cali, in December of 2012.  Once twisted, only surgery can possibly save the horse, and it is a $10,000 surgery.  Neither of us has that kind of money, sadly...

Then she told me what Sunni did.  Sunni stayed with the little colt for 3 days.  He stayed right at the corral line with the little guy, acting as a babysitter, or protector.  The little colt is now very attached to Sunni (my gelding)...I took Sunni out today for some R&R down in the arena and the colt nickered to him the entire time!  I guess I'll have to rename him "Uncle Sunni".

So, it was a heartbreaking for Cathy up at the ranch.  Oh, and it was also her 65th birthday...what a sad way to remember it.

I thought I'd post these pics of the colt with his mom,  RIP.  He was her first foal.  He's doing fine...he gets a formula mixture and wet hay with some kind of foal food.  And, he has Sunni to watch over him.