BIG cactus bloom

Whoa!  I was riding down Oasis Drive yesterday when I spotted this cactus blossom in front of 1867.  I had to slam on the brakes and turn around to take a closer look.  WOW!  I never saw a plant like this one.  It looked like curly strands were peeling from the edges of the stalks but on close inspection, they're NOT soft and curly...........they're stiff and picky!  Then inside the center of the plant is this HUGE white bloom.  Owner (Dave and Joan Barber) have been watching the blossom open more each day.

Stop by to take a look.  It's really very unusual.  Anyone know what kind it is??

 

That's Dave in the red shirt.  He was outside chatting with a friend but they're both very camera shy and tried to run away before I could get a picture.  Ha Ha guys.....not fast enough.

Meanwhile.....up at the ballroom a committee was setting up tables for the Quilters and Sewers Guild as they were having their annual "High Tea".  I took some photos of the tables and set up to share with you.  What an awesome arrangement at each table.  Lots of  man lady hours involved in all the preparation!

 

I'm guessing that someone sewed these cute doll dresses too.  They'll probably post more photos on their blog soon so we'll stay tuned for more.  Do you check out all the club/activity blogs?  Each group posts some fun information.  Go to:  www.palmcreek.blogspot.com

 

 

Digging continues in the new area for more homes.

 

The trees in front of the main building are coming into bloom.

 

Check out the new item at the top of my blog where you can put in your email address and you will be notified whenever I put up a new post.  Always something new to try.

 

That's all for today.  Too much fun stuff to do.

 

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This is India......where your technical support team operates.  LOL

 

 

 

 

 

Hot Air Balloon Rides are Available!

I just heard from the Activities Dept that there are still two balloon flights available this Saturday at the cancer awareness event.  If you haven't had a ride yet, HURRY to sign up.  John Ross gave me a ride last year and it was FANTASTIC.  You can see our resort and surrounding area from a spectacular vantage point.  It was lovely and I took hundreds of photos.  You can see them if you follow this link:  Aerial Views of Palm Creek

ALSO  if you don't want to stray too far, you can take a tethered ride on Sunday Feb 9 for only $20.  All proceeds go to our local cancer charities.  Sign up in Activities NOW.


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Remember these photos of the bush I couldn't identify? 

Thank you to Bill Rowan who kindly stopped by today to let me know this is a Pyracantha bush. 

 

 

 

Here's what I learned from friendly Wikipedia:  Pyracanthas are large shrubs that offer sweetly fragrant, flat, white flower clusters in spring and early summer. Also known as Firethorns, Pyracanthas are laden with small, fiery red, orange or gold berries from late summer to winter. These dense shrubs retain their deep green leaves in winter, making them a visual delight throughout the year. For color and beauty all season long, consider planting Pyracnathas.

Pyracanthas berries are not poisonous as many people think although they are very bitter to taste, they are edible when cooked and are sometimes made into jelly.

 

 

 

 

Monday Morning Tour

Hi Everybody--
Same old boring news here.....beautiful sunshine and 70+ degrees.  :) 
I took a morning bike ride with camera in hand.  Spotted this shrub at site 1366 and had to stop to study it a bit.  Does anyone know what this is??  It is LOADED with little red berries.  Wow.  There was no one home at the time so couldn't ask for info.

 

 
I stopped over by the new pickleball courts and watched a few matches taking place.  Mark Nelson stopped by and said I should tell Wendell that they'll be asking for more courts soon as all 24 courts were reserved and occupied all morning.  We certainly have a LOT of players here and they love our new courts.

There was lots of action at the softball field too.  I watched the practice session for quite a while.  I'm really impressed with how hard these guys can hit a ball.  I cheer for the batter when he gets a beautiful hit and then I cheer for the outfielder who manages to catch the ball.  Good work, guys!

Mark your calendars for some time on Thursday and come cheer for our Palm Creek teams.  Come around lunch time and get a good burger at the grill while you're at it.  Here's the Thursday schedule...you can always read the current times by checking into their blog at:  http://palmcreekballteams.blogspot.com/


THURSDAY JAN 30-

 9:00 AM Palm Creek Roadrunners vs Palm Creek Copperheads
10:15 AM Fiesta Rancheros vs Palm Creek Rattlers
11 30PM :Palm Creek Sidewinders vs Fiesta Grande Scoprions
12:45 PM Sundance Colts vs Sundance Mustangs
 2:00 PM Palm Creek Diamondbacks vs Robson Ranch Rangers

                               SEE YOU A THE BALL FIELD 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
While riding back home, I stopped by to check on another big patio being built behind the Wheeler residence on Oasis. 
 

 

Across the golf course, I viewed another home in progress.  Looks very nice behind that wall that Ernesto and crew built this past summer.

 

 

AND.....another new home is being installed.  Nancy Paupst from the sales office says they've sold 23 new homes along the course already.  I'm getting quite envious.

 

 

Next I went home to get Don and we scurried over to the Bistro for our usual Monday lunch.  We like to make a habit of going up there on Mondays to enjoy the fresh burgers and a great chance to chat with old and NEW friends.  It's a great place for socializing while enjoying good food.

 

I'm glad we're retired and weren't in a hurry to get through the line though as it was LONG.   

 

 

We took advantage of the wait and met new friends along the way. 

The new seating area is really nice! 

 

That's the morning tour.  Enjoy your day.

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P.S.  Someone sent me a photo of the two feet of snow in Chicago.  LOL

 

 

 

 

 

It's a Sunbow Day

It's chilly outside today with winds out of the north bringing a gray overcast sky and temps only in the mid 60s.  That's quite a difference from the usual bright sunshine and upper 70s we've enjoyed for the last several weeks.  It's a good excuse to stay indoors and catch up on some computer work.  No special news or stories to tell you ............BUT..........Lee Ingram called me early this afternoon and said I should be sure to go outside and see the "Sunbow".  The what??

Wikipedia describes it as:    (Physical Geography) a bow of prismatic colours similar to a rainbow, produced when sunlight shines through spray.

Sure enough, there was a large circular rainbow surrounding the sun up high in the gray sky.  Of course you had to wear sunglasses to see it or go blind....but it was quite a marvel to see.  I wanted a photo but if I pointed my little camera up there, I'd probably burn out the lens so I called Laurel Wineinger.  Laurel is one of the gurus from the Photo Club.  She mounted a special lens on her fancy camera and got a lovely photo for me.  Thank you, Laurel.  Now we can share it with all of you.  I love the way she cleverly shielded the bright ball of sun with a palm tree.  Awesome!!

Patio Lunch every Wednesday

Wednesday -- Just another beautiful day in sunny Arizona at 75 degrees.  What are you folks back east and up north doing today?  We're here having a fantastic lunch on the patio in the warm sunshine, mingling with friends, listening to music, watching the birds, and perhaps watching the gang playing water volleyball in the pool.  Thank you to our kitchen staff for another great meal.

 
Thank you to Dolores Forbis and Larry Marik for entertaining us once again.

 

It's a lovely day for this event.  Soak up that sunshine! 

 

It was TACO SALAD day......second to none.  Awesome! 

 

I took a round about way home after lunch to take some photos of Wednesday activity.  The pool room was in full use. 

 

The rigs were lined up to check in.  The more the merrier! 

 

I spotted some of our devoted deadheaders busy at work keeping our gardens beautiful.  Thank You!  I hear they have about 30 volunteers in this group and are still looking for more help.

 

 

 

Dee Dee was busy teaching a couple's dance.  It was fun to watch. 

 

The sewing room is always busy.   

 

Pottery folks were working at their favorite craft. 

 

 

 

 

The Stained Glass studio was busy too as everyone was diligently working on a project. 

 

 

Of course, the card room is never empty.  Afternoons are reserved for Hand and Foot or whatever card game you and your friends should choose. 

 

Lawn Bowlers were enjoying the sunshine. 

 

ALL the tennis courts were busy. 

 

 

 

The wonderful thing about Palm Creek is that you can stay just as busy as you want.  Some of us prefer more solitude and this looks like fun too!

 

 

Have a GREAT day!

 

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