June 2: The first day of trimming the thousands of palm trees in the park. I saw a nice truck on scene and watched the driver as he single handedly is tackling the bucket and driving the truck. He is hustling!!
We spoke briefly and I am now a fan. Robert was so excited at getting this job at Palm Creek. Said he has been looking forward to the task for two months. He and his crew plan on doing 110 trees per day and want to have all the debris cleaned up by the end of each shift. He had a 3-man crew on cleanup duty this morning. It was so nice to talk to someone who is enthusiastic about their job although he admits he is probably going to be pretty tired at the end of the day until he gets in the swing and hires more help. I'll have more photos later.
I thought it was quite unusual to see so many cactus flowers on the saguaro at 1017. Normally there is only a handful of flowers at the top of the stem but this year there are many. I didn't give it much more thought until I saw this in Sunday's paper.
TUCSON (AP) — Cactus experts are
tracking an unprecedented outbreak of
“side blooms” on saguaros across Southern Arizona this year.
Typically, the giant cacti sprout flowers only around the tips of their arms and
trunks. But a large number of saguaros
also are pushing out buds farther down
their stems this year.
Research ecologist Bill Peachey told
the Arizona Daily Star that he has received
reports of saguaros blooming in strange
places from the Phoenix area to as far
south as San Carlos, Mexico.
“It’s a big phenomenon,” Peachey said.
The exact cause is unclear, but experts
agree the rare display is a sign of distress.
Ben Wilder, director of the University
of Arizona’s Desert Laboratory, said last
year was the driest on record in Tucson
and he suspects this year’s strange bloom
is a response to that.
Our summer heat causes small dirt devils to appear without warning. A word to all our residents who enjoy the pools.............please crank down the umbrellas when you leave. An abrupt gust of wind sends the umbrella and tables flying. In the past, we've seen an umbrella and table out in the street. Please be attentive and lower the umbrellas when not in use....even if you weren't the one who cranked it open.
I forgot to go to the Tapas Tuesday event last night! I am so mixed up with Monday being Memorial Day that I missed the event entirely. I've chatted with friends this morning who said it was GREAT to see everyone again. Food was delicious and plentiful. Newcomers introduced themselves. There were between 60-75 people present. Some were masked and others are roaming free. I'll get pictures next week.
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Kat is resting after a vigorous work out with his favorite toy.
