Monarch in the Making ~

I was delighted to spot this caterpillar in my garden and thought it seemed very late for a Monarch butterfly to be forming. But I learned that now, in October, the "4th Generation" monarchs are hatching and migrating to Mexico and California. Learn more at this link. THESE live for six to eight months versus the livespan of just two to six WEEKS that Generations 1, 2, and 3 have.  I wanted my garden to be a "B" garden - attracting birds (espeically hummingbirds), bees, and butterflies. 

Tall Cowboy ~

That's a mighty tall cowboy standing sentry at the Hacienda del Sol Resort! And it looks like he has a big heart....    :)   (Yes, the Tucson sky really is that blue!)

HA! I laughed out loud ~

SO! Do you remember Tang - "The Astronauts' Drink" ? One of my neighbors has a great sense of humor to tag her orange car with this witty license plate! Click here for a short funny bit about Tang from "Groovy History." And, once again (as always!), Buzz Aldrin had to be the complaining spoiled sport...

Old World Charm ~ Tucson style

This pretty tiled fountain and lovely courtyard with its arched doorways is one of the delightful views you can enjoy at Hacienda del Sol Resort. This was taken at high noon so the sun washes out the color but you can still enjoy the shapes and the serene feeling. 

Dried Fruit ~ aka Proboscidea Paraviflora :)

This devil's claw is rendered in epic proportions in this striking cast bronze sculpture ("Large Devil's Claw") by Spencer Kane Edgerton. It is placed on the grounds of Hacienda del Sol Resort in Tucson, on loan from the R Kessler Collection. To learn more about this flowering Southwest plant and its fruit, go here. 

Another one - this time poisonous~!

What is it with the snakes this week? Here's another one that found his way into my backyard. But this one is a rattler and I had him removed by a proper snake wrangler. My humble push broom is no match for this vile viper! This photo shows him at the bottom of a removal bucket. He was taken to a galaxy far far away - yay!