Cactus Fruit

I have posted several photos of the red claret cup cactus that I have in a big pot in my yard. This year it put on some nice fruit or seed pods. I am hoping they ripen so I can collect the seed and to try to grow some from the seed. 

Clouds

Peacock Flowers

There flowers are called Acidanthera or peacock orchids, or peacock iris so I just call them peacock flowers because they are as beautiful as a white peacock in full feather. They do come from bulbs that bloom in mid summer. I grew mine on my sunroom and they have done great. They are an inexpensive bulb that can be found on sale in the early spring. They do have long, strappy type leaves that are almost like a thick leafed grass and needed to be staked so they wouldn't fall over. The center of the flower has a arrow shaped deep shade of purple or burgundy red shape on each petal. The flowers don't seem to last very long and I don't think they would make good cut flowers but have made a bright splash of color in my indoor garden. I took some photos of the flowers at night with a flash against a dark window and I am very pleased with the outcome. Need to try some other flowers this way.

More Flowers

Morning Glories

Vitex Bush

 Blanket Daisy

Wild Sunflower with mountains

Sandia Mountains

Geranium Flowers

 Some kind of bulb flowers, name forgotten

Sunset

Pets

Some recent photos of my pets. Twinkie, the cat, Tuffee, the Border Collie,

 Tuffee, and Ziva playing.

 Twinkie, and Murphy trying to out do each other on getting up in the world.

Wiley

Twinkie and Murphy again.

 Ziva wanting in.

 Traveler, the pinto, and Stormy, the mini.

 My Quarter Horse mare, Bonita,  and in next photo is
Bonita, and my mustang mare, Star

Notice in this one of the ponies and dogs how I caught Ziva with her rear end in the air since she and TTuffee had been running around the outside of the pen while ponies ran inside the pen.

Wild Things

Their hard to see 'cause the little critters don't let me get close to them. Photos were taken through the window. First one is of a Harris Ground Squirrel flattened out on the ground in the shade trying to stay cool in our heat. Second is of one by a pot of flowers. These look kind of like a very pale colored chipmunk like is found in the mountains. 

A scaled quail coming in for water.

 An English house sparrow.

This roadrunner has been coming in ever day at about 2pm. Here he drank, jumped on post and across to another where you can only see his tail. We have had lots of rabbits, and some large rock squirrels, as well as coyotes, and lots of other birds. An owl calls every evening and part of the night.

Summer Flowers

 The best of the few flowers that have bloomed in my yard this summer in this drought. Blanket Daisies, wild sunflowers, wild 5-o-clocks (pink), white daisies, gourds, golden rain tree.