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First Rose and Pets

miniature rose

First Rose of 2019

The first rose in my yard in 2019 is the miniature rose ‘Child’s Play.’ This rose often has perfect form and overall general health. Other roses are about to bloom, but this one made it first.

miniature rose
Miniature Rose ‘Child’s Play’

Pets

These images are from last year. I never got them posted. This seemed like as good a time as any… All the pets belong to the Prices. Many of you will recognize Spunk. But first is a parrot, who can come out with some pretty funny things when he is listening to people in another room. He is rather shy in person, but one day let me make a few images. He is quite handsome.

Spunk, the perfect photographer’s model: handsome, loves to pose when he is in the mood.

Here, Spunk the model:

garden cat
Spunk

“OK, that’s enough. I’m bored now…”

garden cat
Spunk

Spring seems to have really arrived, and everything seems about to bloom. Enjoy what promises to be a beautiful weekend.

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Spring Blooms

spring blooms

On this weekend of many different celebrations, religious observances, and good weather, is there a better time to celebrate spring blooms? Probably any time flowers are blooming is a good time to celebrate them. I photographed these in my yard this weekend.

Here in the high desert roses are beginning to have buds. However, they will not bloom for a few more weeks. Therefore I have planted flowers that bloom earlier – and later – than roses.

‘Nelly Moser’ is a well-known clematis that grows up one of favorite roses, ‘Mermaid.’ The rose provides good support for the clematis. In addition, it provides shade for the roots. The two coexist quite happily.

spring blooms
Clematis ‘Nelly Moser’

Earlier this year I showed some blooms of the dwarf peach, ‘Bonanza.’ The peaches are now forming. You can see how many tiny peaches are packed onto the branches. If I want good-sized peaches and healthy branches, I must thin these out this week. Otherwise, the peaches would be very small, and so many could weigh down the branches.

dwarf peach 'Bonanza'
Baby Peaches that Need to be Thinned

Pansies are remarkable flowers. They grow well all through autumn, go dormant in the colder parts of winter, and joyously burst forth in spring. They come in so many different colors. Each bloom seems to have its own expression.

spring blooms
Wake-Up-Bright Pansies
spring blooms
Magenta Pansies

The weekend has been beautiful in Albuquerque. Wishing you a beautiful week wherever you are.

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Spring Flowers on a March Morning

spring flowers peach blossoms

Spring flowers are everywhere around town this week. The temperatures have warmed considerably.

Neighborly Dog

First, however, my neighbors’ dogs, Sampson and Inoki, greeted me this morning, as they always do. Sampson decided this would be the day he would try posing.

dog
This is the first time Sampson has allowed me to get a full picture of him. His ears are like that, not back because he is unhappy. He and his brother Inoki are really sweet dogs.

Pansies

Now, to spring flowers…Around this time in March my pansies begin to wake up. Within about two weeks they will be overflowing their containers. For now I am happy with a few bright faces here and there.

spring flower pansy
Pansy

Pear Buds

Bradford pears are blooming all over town. I do not know what my pears trees are. They were here when I bought the house. But, they bloom much later than the Bradford pears. One produces pears that people enjoy. The other is the required pollinator. It produces small hard pears loved by birds but not people. Works out perfectly… My pears are only in bud today, but some will have fully open blooms by the weekend.

spring flowers pear buds
Not quite flowers yet, but some will be out by the end of the week.

Dwarf Peach ‘Bonanza’

The dwarf peach ‘Bonanza’ is at peak bloom today. It has been spectacular this year. If we don’t have a hard freeze later, I should get peaches this year. If I thin them, I will get good sized peaches. If I do not thin them, the branches will become weighted down with small peaches that make lovely spiced peaches (canned) for the holidays. But, for now, I’m enjoying the beauty!

spring flowers peach blossoms
Peach Blossoms

Finally, thanks for taking a stroll through my yard and looking at some spring flowers and a neighborly dog.

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Colorful Crocus

crocus

With more sun and warmer days, the different colors of crocus are all blooming. In my yard, the yellow ones always bloom first. But, with increasing light and warming temperatures, all the different variations are showing up.

These are some that brightened my day. I hope they brighten yours, too.

crocus
The white crocus looks so fresh in early spring.
crocus
A colorful sign of early spring.
crocus
The striped blooms certainly attract attention!
crocus
With the arrival of warmer and sunnier days, the full range of crocus colors can be seen.
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Dwarf Peach ‘Bonanza’ Bloom

Dwarf Peach 'Bonanza' Bloom

Although we had winter weather last week, Spring is here this week! Trees all over town are beginning to leaf out, and the fruit trees are beginning to bloom. In my yard, the dwarf peach ‘Bonanza’ is always the first fruit tree to bloom. Some years we get a freeze and no peaches. But I always enjoy the blooms. The are such a fresh, vibrant way too usher in spring.

Dwarf Peach 'Bonanza' Bloom
Dwarf Peach ‘Bonanza’ Bloom
Dwarf Peach 'Bonanza' Bloom
Dwarf Peach ‘Bonanza’ Bloom 2

The roses are leafing out, reminding me I need to be pruning them. In May I’ll plant sunflower and cosmos seeds. In the summer, those flowers will attract bees and butterflies, and many birds will eat the seeds later in the season.

I’m really glad to welcome spring this year! 🙂

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Orchid

orchid flower

Orchid

This phalaenopsis orchid came from Costco two and a half years ago. I did not know what to expect from it, it just looked like fun. This is the third bloom for this plant, and I know next to nothing about orchids – except that this one makes me smile. 🙂 It isn’t particularly attractive. I picked it for the unusual color. In the time that I have had it, I have become particularly fond of “the orchid angel” of each bloom. This is actually made up of three parts, the column (the part that looks like a head), the throat (the part that looks like the arms), and the lip (the part that looks like the body).

orchid flower
Orchid

I hope this gives you a smile today, too.

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Stormy Sunrise

A Stormy Sunrise

stormy sunrise
Stormy Sunrise

A stormy sunrise had accurately been predicted by the Weather Service for several days. The prediction was correct. Although the sun was trying to peek out between the clouds and mountains, the clouds soon won out. As predicted, we had showers later in the morning. The sun broke through in the afternoon. Now, however, a light rain is falling again. Those of us who live here are happy for the rain!

The neighbors behind me have two friendly, wonderful dogs, Sampson and Inoki. They always greet me when I’m out. Inoki is a born model, and I have posted images of him before. Sampson is a little camera-shy. This image is not sharp, but it is the only one I have. Sampson brightened a stormy sunrise!

dog
Sampson, My Neighbors’ Friendly Dog. He and his brother, Inoki, always greet me when I am out.

Just an ordinary day in New Mexico…

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Crocus, a Sign of Spring

Crocus

Crocus, a Sign of Spring

Crocus
Crocus, an Early Sign of Spring Approaching

Crocus, early blooming bulbs, are a welcome sign of approaching Spring. January and February weren’t particularly bad, except for three little storms that left a lot of ice. But, the temperatures have warmed somewhat now. Of course, the usual sign of Spring here in Desert Southwest,the wind, is here in full force. Sunday we return to Daylight Savings Time.

Some of those signs of Spring bring mixed reactions.

But who cannot help but smile at the sight of bright little crocus appearing almost overnight out of the earth to welcome the coming season of rebirth here in the Northern Hemisphere?

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Northern Flicker

northern flicker
northern flicker
House Finch and Northern Flicker
northern flicker
Northern Flicker
northern flicker
Northern Flicker
northern flicker
Northern Flicker

The New Year brought snow to Albuquerque and much of New Mexico before moving on to Texas, Oklahoma, and beyond. One good thing about snow is that many birds are attracted to feeders. They often will hang around the feeders long enough for photographs. This Northern Flicker was a great model on the morning of January 2.

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