Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Flower Sprays

Everything in nature has its beauty - bugs, snakes, trees, cacti, mammals, birds... everything.  In the flora world, however, nothing can beat natural sprays of flowers such as these.

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Praying Mantis

Suppose these guys are found just about everywhere; pics here of some encountered in Taiwan and Japan.  This one was reposing on the front door of the kids' house there in Chandler.  They are pretty scary looking - even more so if you've seen them lightning-strike prey with those forearms.  And the way they cock their head up and swivel around to look at you seems a bit too personal...

It's in family lore that Bob, my oldest brother, when he was a little tyke, saw one on the handlebars of his tricycle and was terrified enough to scar him for life.  Will have to fact-check that one.

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Palm Seed Pods

The seed pods on some sort of palm tree they have over there.  Koko ate some of these after they'd shriveled and fallen to the ground, which created a bit of a scare, but they turned out to be harmless.

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Ornamental Yard Cactus

Another bear of a cactus.  Had to be very careful with Koko on walks, as she would want to get close to sniff and identify these strange new plants.

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Prickly Pear Cactus

These grew everywhere where I lived down in Mexico ('80 & '81), and my friends there introduced me to the tunas, those red things that are actually quite tasty.  Unfortunately, they left me a little bit estreñido (you translate)...

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Disappearing Rain

One thing interesting about being in the high-and-dry desert is this phenomenon.  The sun is shining at an angle that allows us to see this rain falling from the could above.  It's pretty obvious that it's fallen about halfway to the ground.  I tried to trace its fall downward, but it didn't seem to change at all, even after the usual three minutes it takes rain to go from cloud to ground.  Why is this?  Well, as it turns out, it is so high and dry in the Sonoran desert that it never makes it all the way to the ground.  Yes, in some cases the rain evaporates completely before reaching terra firma.  Don't see that in Houston...

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Pima Park Willow Tree

 

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Succulent from Above

Like pictures of plants taken from this perspective, which remind me of this post, a favorite from the Houston Zoo.

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Sotol Cactus

I remember seeing these things in peoples' landscaping in Orange growing up; think maybe we even had one in our back yard.  Evidently this species of cactus thrives in humid, sub-tropical as well as dry desert climates.  Scientific name is Dasylirion graminifolium, commonly referred to as sotol or grass-leafed Dasylirion.  Not that I knew this while growing up...

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Family Portrait