Ho hum, nothing new here. The Arizona "audit" continues to embarrass the rest of us. Now that the voting machines and tabulators have been in the hands of the great unwashed masses, they can't be used for future elections. It will cost millions to replace them. Thanks!
This is a cute wild life picture. I took it through a glass door, so
it's not great. Look how cute his ears are.
Things are not good in the desert. The saguaros are blooming out of their sides, and too much at the top. "The plants have fewer new spine clusters — known as areoles — from which flowers typically sprout, so they are “reactivating” old, unused budding locations farther down the stem." This is bad. It's not likely that the flowers on the sides will set fruit, so the saguaro is expending energy for no payback. There is an article about it here. The rumor that they're blooming excessively because they think they're about to die, and want to reproduce first is not true.
Saguaros are in trouble. The ones that have been dug up and moved to traffic islands are in particular danger because they don't have the root structures to find water. Young cactus are unable to get enough water due to their smaller root structures. "Unlike most plants, saguaros (and other cacti) open tiny pores on their skin at night when temperatures are cooler to take in carbon dioxide. But with these warmer nighttime temperatures we’re now seeing, the amount of carbon dioxide the plant can take in is reduced, so it has a harder time growing and thriving." The other problem they have is the presence of buffel grass. It's an African grass that was brought here for cattle feed (they won't eat it) and erosion control. It's everywhere now, way too much to pull up. Anyway, it burns so hot that saguaros growing in clumps of it boil and explode. There is another article here.
Things are bad, and if we don't get monsoon this year, things will be worse.
It has been very windy for the last two days. I don't know why because local television never talks about the why, just the what. It's annoying, I want to know about fronts, low pressure, high pressure, what is causing this much wind? The saguaro on the bank is rocking a little (that's him in the above pictures). We're going to put a hose on him for 4 - 6 hours a month and dribble water on him. I have a 10 year old up against the wall in the yard, I think he needs shade cloth. A ten year old wild saguaro is about 1.5 inches tall. This is the queen palm being bashed about below.
Other than this, I know nothing and have nothing of import to say.
that's sad to hear about the saguaros but we are in a mostly human caused extinction cycle. climate is changing and it will take thousands of years for new plant and animal life to emerge.
ReplyDeleteit gets windy here a lot too. when we were house hunting and looked at this place in June there was a nice breeze coming across the open pasture behind the property, a big plus, something we didn't get in the city, but it's often so windy you just have to get out of it sometimes.
I hadn't heard about the saguaros, but as Ellen said, it's consistent with the changes we're seeing all over the world. We've had a very blustery May here, but fortunately including lots of rain.
ReplyDeleteThe great Arizona audit is such a joke, and ruined voting machines is a travesty.
ReplyDeleteLook at the rabbit, one ear forward, one ear back.
It's amazing how much damage humans do when they try to fix ecosystems. Irony in the true sense of the word.
ReplyDeleteOur Fraudit in Maricopa County is a disgrace and an embarrassment, hiring that Grifter firm to 'punish' our Voters who voted in a Responsible Leadership, that's all, they know there's no fraud, but they are perpetrating fraud and getting paid for it at the Taxpayer's expense. Pisses me off, it should have been shut down immediately, they know what they're up to, it's no secret. I too have concerns about our fragile Ecosystem here in the Desert and those Winds, not natural here. Everyone is getting quite Sick from it too... I've never been as Sick as I have gotten this Spring. I really do Hope we get a decent Monsoon this Summer to give Relief to Nature... Man has really disrupted things badly Worldwide.
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