valplumlee's photostream  

Getting up early can be glorious, even in the cold. This photo was taken on 21 December in Tucson, AZ.

We have a lovely family of neighbors. Alright, we give them a wide berth, but they are so beautiful that we always enjoy their presence. This is one of a pair of twins enjoying the shade of our lime tree August 2011.

Vigna caracalla, has some of the most oddly shaped flowers. The Snail Vine is in the pea family. Ours have been hardy into the mid-twenties. At that point the outer leaves all burn. Vigna caracalla can become big enough to cover a medium sized arbor. I usually plant the Snail Vine about every ten feet along a fence. They can be sheared back and look better for the hair cut. Otherwise the weight of Vigna caracalla can drag down even a sturdy fence. The Snail Vine will grow in light shade but there will be significantly fewer flowers. The Snail Vine will bloom much of the Summer and through the Fall.

We were walking along a ridge in Catalina State Park in Arizona, below us was a wash. We were thrilled when a red-tailed hawk came up out of the wash riding the thermals along the ridge. At one point, we were almost at eye-level to it. Thanks goodness, again, for zoom lens.

Not a shy bird, this roadrunner came around during our picnic at Catalina State Park in Catalina State Park to say "hi," and "anything for me?".