This Week...

Its summer in Arizona and its hot. Its windy. It kind of feels like we are living in a hair dryer. In fact, I can dry my hair faster standing out on the patio than I can with a hair dryer. Hard to imagine if you live in the northern states.

We are patiently waiting for the monsoons to start. Our wet and stormy season. We live in the mountains now and it will be more of challenge dealing with the flash flooding. We will either get stranded at home or away from home. Hopefully not in the middle of a wash. So officially, the monsoon season starts today. Its 102 degrees and partly cloudy but no storms coming. Usually that doesn't happen until July but we will see.

The animals around the house are very busy. We haven't seen the Javalina in a while but I think they are more active at night. The only place I've seen them the last few weeks are on the trail camera. The coyote have been quiet. Maybe I'm getting used to them I actually like listening to them at night.

The saguaro fruit is ripening and the birds have been so happy. They sit up there with their heads buried in the fruit. Sometimes the Saguaro in front of our window has quite a few birds eating away.

Did you see the full moon on Friday the 13th? I did and it was beautiful. I'm not sure it lived up to the hype though. Just in case, I kept my eyes open for any werewolves.

The deer have been in our yard almost every day this week. Jim almost hit one doe as she jumped right in front of him in our driveway.

We haven't seen a buck yet or any babies. They have been eating the mesquite pods off the mesquite trees.

I just love having deer on the property. It just seems so peaceful to look out of the window and see them eating peacefully. The slightest sound and they are off into the brush.

This Desert Spiny Lizard thinks he looks fierce but I think he is gorgeous. He's been living around our front entry patio and often times I open the front door and there he is.   Jim watered to potted plants and he jumped out.  He glared at him and then ran away across the driveway.

A visit by the family of quail. The babies declared that they needed a nap and bunkered down for a little snooze.   I'm sorry I couldn't get good photos of them but they were right outside our living room window and I couldn't get to a good spot without scaring them.

A visit from a Purrhuloxia.  This is a relative of the cardinal but a little different.  They are very cool birds.  This guy decided to get a good look at me but landing on the living room window sill (outside).  I think he liked looking at his reflection in the window.   I don't blame him, he is very beautiful.

We've been having people over for dinner on the weekends. Not this weekend though because its Fathers day today and most people are busy. I think that's the highlight of the week though and I don't even have any photos to show you. We love our friends and the joy they bring into our home.