It was a nice morning to be out and about. If you look about dead center, you can see a black dot. That's one of a group of ravens that were riding the thermals and enjoying the day. They are such good flyers. They'll go up, and then slip sideways. We just love watching them.
After a bit, they moved away from the mountain so we could see them better.
This is the skeleton of a dead saguaro. He's been like that for quite awhile. Eventually he'll fall down.
After lunch I went over the wall and picked up construction debris that a previous owner had decided to pitch in the wash, rather than disposing of it properly. When I was done with that, Jim decided to move some of the agave bits down the hill and take them out. After being stabbed three times by the incredibly sharp tips of the agave, he decided perhaps he would wait until removal had occurred.
This is the spike. The top part that broke off weighs about five pounds. It's no wonder the base was pulled over. It wasn't due to agave snout weevils - the roots were not up to the task.
This is the source of tequila. They cut the leaves off, press the juice out of the main ball of the plant and ferment. The ball is amazingly heavy, it's full of water and fiber.
Two and a half hours later after the landscaper arrived, we were left with this. I can not believe one man, working alone, was able to complete that task. It would have taken us weeks; and then there is the dreaded issue of disposal. Jim and I trimmed the big agave next to the driveway. Using google translate, I got the words to ask could I put the leaves in his truck. Apparently my Spanish accent is even more abysmal than I thought it was. Anyway, at least he knew I had tried to ask for permission to put a few leaves in the back.
So a hike and bank maintenance were the activities for the day. Soon there will be another cactus post. I'm saving them up for maximum impact.
And that is why my dead agave is still intact. They weigh a TON!!
ReplyDeleteI wondered if perhaps it fell over as a result of growing on a slant. I have a small one in the front flower bed that the husband planted there (I would have planted it over at the shop where there is plenty of room and in full sun). it's going to have to be moved being so close to the rose bush. I go out several times a year and cut the thorns off the tips of the leaves. no stabbing allowed here.
ReplyDeleteThe only intelligent thing I can say abut agave is wow! On the topic of language, have you seen ads for the little hand held device into which you can say some succinct thing like "where can i buy water to drink"?, and hand to to or hold it in front of the Japanese school girls and the device repeats the question in Japanese and they all giggle. Being intuitive young things, they tell it the answer in Japanese and the little device tells them where to find water to buy.
ReplyDeleteI saw a similar commercial, except it a some young man somewhere in Europe looking for his ancestors. I really wished I had that yesterday.
DeleteIt's a shame about the agave -- I'm sure that bloom would have been impressive. But glad you got rid of it OK!
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