Introducing the Saguaro Cactus

Did you know the Saguaro cactus can only be found in the Sonoran Desert?

Saguaro cacti are everywhere!

But, they were especially intriguing in the wild on the side of the highway.

The Saguaro cactus is the largest cactus in the United States. They need very little water and lots of heat to grow well. You can find them in Arizona or western Mexico.

Allison even found one on a cupcake! Check out her blog post to read more about her Saguaro cactus cupcake adventure.

Cactus Desert: One Small Square
Read this book to find out more about the Saguaro cactus!

Sunflowers Again

Our sunflowers are growing again...

...and, Chloe is going to help me keep record of how big they get and how fast!

New Mexico Rains

Rain falls in New Mexico quite strangely. Sometimes I can smell it, but don't see it. Usually it rains lightly or very heavily for short periods of time. We almost never have a good old fashioned thunder storm like Texas gets.

This evening, rain came from seemingly nowhere. We heard the rain, and looked out to see sunshine and blue sky.

Our front yard, however, revealed a gray sky.

We see rainbows pretty frequently here in the summer.

But my favorite rainbows are the ones that arch over the mountains.

Another New Friend

As I sat out on my back porch this afternoon enjoying another summer day, I spotted an unfamiliar bird. He stayed just long enough for me to go inside and grab my camera! My bird watching friend and son helped me identify him as a ladder-backed woodpecker looking for insects. I hope he finds some next time and stays around a little longer.

Go To the Ant

Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise,...

I'm not a fan of ants, but here in ABQ we see some of the biggest ones I've ever seen! Chloe and I saw this ant yesterday on our walk. It was very busy along with the rest of its friends. I was amazed at how fast this one could scurry with such a huge load to carry!

Old Friends and New

This summer, we are seeing some old friends....

...and some new!

I recently posted some pictures of these little guys. We weren't sure why our house finches had yellow streaks on their wings until Grant discovered today that they are pine siskins! They are a type of finch and are almost identical to the female house finch except for the streak of yellow on their wings.

What fun to watch Grant get interested in the birds with me. He identified three new birds today that he saw in our backyard. While I cooked dinner, he read to me out of the bird ID book, and told me all about the birds he'd seen right in our own backyard. I'm glad I have a buddy to watch birds with!

Summertime Birds

We have been watching baby finches for several weeks now at our thistle feeder. They are really cute to watch, and they are not afraid of us at all. I was able to get pretty close to them to get these pictures.

We aren't quite sure why they have that streak of yellow on their sides. I'm pretty sure they are house finches which are either all brown and white, or in the case of a male, they have lots of red on them.