It's only April and we've already hit 102 here in glorious Tucson, AZ.  Bloody Hell.  The record-breaking 102 was about a week ago; this week the temps 'cooled' down to the mid 80s, giving us a respite until global warming proves the naysayers wrong and settles to stay until late October.  I'm not ready for summer; I still have winter sweaters ( Read more... )

It's really easy to miss the sign, especially when trying to avoid rear-ending someone in busy  weekend traffic.  I almost drove right past it.  My friend saw it first, just off to the right, planted in the wide dirt shoulder of N. Thornydale Road.  "Bach's Cactus Nursery" it proclaims, and a white arrow points down a narrow, dusty strip of dirt ( Read more... )

Do you remember my post of a few weeks ago, entitled “It’s All About the Nails”?   Well, I’ve been gardening a lot lately and, while I use good quality gloves, I tend to scrub around in the dirt and rocks with my fingers rather than use my hand trowel or rake.   You can imagine how hard I am on gardening gloves.  In fact, I think I might have set a ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

Look  at this beauty !


( Read more... )

 Actually, I don't have any fingernails.  They are paper-thin and refuse to grow.  But, what itty, bitty, bit of nail I do have is pretty much encrusted in dirt.  Lovely picture, that, isn't it ?  Here's a nicer one.  My haul from the Tohono Chul Plant Sale this morning: all desert, arrid-land plants.


( Read more... )

 It's been a crappy week - both D & I have been down with the flu the whole bloody week.  Lizzie is bored to tears with both of us and has now perfected the pathetic head-between-the-paws & eyes-rolled-upward stare.  She's ready to run an ad for new human companions because these two slugs won't even get out of bed any more to take her for a walk ( Read more... )