Cool, Gray December Day---2008

Front walk twins.

No sun today for this backyard grouping--pansies, petunia, poinsettia, and gourds. In background, San Pedro cactus, pencil cactus, and their drought resistant pals.

Cyclamid standing tall on a cool, gray December day.

Curve-bill thrasher sitting on an arm of our neighbors cactus. Curve-bill is the most resourceful and cunning of the neighborhood avians. Their eponymously named bill serves them well as they work for seeds.

December means not much direct sunlight for hibiscus. Notice how shorter days and less sunlight threads more red into the bloom. Scroll down for a bloom that gets more direct sunlight. Same bush.

Here are the Cards hitting the field in their state of the art, Taj Mahalesque stadium. Note the cheezy, third-strung heavy-metal indoor flame throwers. Does the NFL need this kind of stuff? Guess so. But for us guys who grew watching the game while adjusting the aluminum foil the black & white's rabbit ears to get the best picture possible, the game's enough.

Wins have been spare throughout the Card's history. Nonetheless, the Cards are proud of Hall of Famers who have suited up in the Cardinal Red and White. Our nosebleed seats faced the ring of honor nameplate for Number 81 - Dick "Night Train" Lane.
Night Train was traded to my beloved Lions in the early 60s. His legend lived during his Lion Years and then beyond.

My dad grew up while in the army in WWII. He met plenty of tough guys during those days. We watched plenty of grainy black & white Lions games. He had certain way that say the names of guys who meant business on the field; guys who were tough guys. This tone was reserved for guys like Joe Schmidt, Night Train, Bobby Layne, Jim David, Lou Creekmur, guys who gave it and took it all day long.


Lion fans of the day will always remember Van Patrick's voice telling us, by his very tone, that number 81 Night Train Lane had REEEHEEALLY knocked Willie Gallimore out of bounds. Lions Fans! Van Patrick Fans! Check This!

We went to the Cardinals vs Buffalo Bills game this past Sunday. The Cards thumped the Bill 41-17 much to the local's pleasure. The picture above is one of the many murals that hang throughout the Card's swell new stadium.


The Cards logo says that the team has been playing, in some form, since 1898. Who am I to argue? The boys above show that they've been at it awhile. The names and dates aren't posted.


Hail to these guys!

Here's a closer, inner view of another bloom on the same bush. Friggin' outrageous.

Hibiscus bloom from Friday, the 25th. Note the red swirl near the center of the flower. I have not explanation for how this happens. Googling an explanation will go on the list. As I said in an earlier post, sometimes the red stuff is green stuff. How that works for flowers spawned by the same bush is beyond me. Perhaps it's seasonal. I'll have to pay closer attention.

Anyway, very cool stuff, right?

I am back, for now anyway. I have a new camera which I got when I cashed in some bonus awards. The picture above, taken at dusk of our hibiscus, is record. Not bad for a barefoot hacker, right?

The mighty hibiscus doddered near death after a few wicked winter frosts. In late spring I cut it way back and hoped for the best. Hibiscus thrived during the hot dry part of the summer and feasted during our warm, wet monsoon season. The ground remains warm as the air has dried and nights longer. Now, hibiscus is throwing off buds like no one's business.

The specimen above displays the majesty of the hibiscus bloom. Notice the white ring around the epicenter of the bloom. The same bush will throw blooms that have a green ring in the middle or a red ring in the middle. Freaking spectacular!