We had a short downpour. If you enlarge the picture you can see the water on the ground.
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Storms a coming. This was last evening from the front gate. Cactus garden by the front gate. You can see the three trailers in the back lot, the neighbors three trailers. Hopefully in time my trees and garden will provide some privacy.
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And now there are four. Luchia has been ambivalennt about setting. Yesterday she was setting then last night she went to her roost as normal but had been frightened off the nest by the thunder. Today she is back on the nest. Hope she knows what she's doing.

And now there are two. She looks like she may have another one getting ready. I'm wondering if she gets three if she will start to set. She is keeping close eye on these eggs.

Luchia has laid an egg among the squash. She has two eggs in the henhouse a hen is setting on because the roosters bothered her too much. Now I'm thinking she's going to set as peahens love to hide in the bush.

Putting the hat up and working in the kitchen this morning. I'm grating zuccini to put in the freezer and cooking swiss chard. Cooler today, hope we get rain.

Part 2: Water Harvesting and Biodiversity: Sustainably Reveg

Here is the second video of Brad Lancasters rainwater harvesting.

My desert jungle. The watermelon is growing up over everything. I'm just amazed at the growth. Next year I am going to have a much larger garden with more variety, I'm so encouraged by this small patch.

I've always loved this picture. It is my sons pig Sweetie, taking a bath and smiling. Click on the picture to enlarge it. Nothing like soaking in the tub.

Peacocks in the garden. Lil Carlos hanging out in the garden where it's cool.

An Experiment in Back Yard Sustainability

This is an excellent but long film on backyard sustainability. A man growing most of his food on rental property. very infirnatuve,

Part 1: Water Harvesting and Biodiversity: Sustainably Reveg

A video with Brad Lancaster showing waterharvesting technics.

Land Regeneration -

Here is another video about land regeneraton. I believe there are 4 parts to this series so you can go to you tube and watch the other 3 if you find this interesting.

Greening the Desert

Here is one of my favorite video's on how gardening can reclaim land and life.

Slithering under Heidi's chair. Click on the picture to get a larger view.

Mohave Green at Heidi's house. This snake has been living under her house for who knows how long.She came across it one evening when she was out watering the dogs at the back of the house. She hadn't even noticed it but it was sitting right by the dogs water dish. During the day it slept under the house close to the waterpump. My son-in-law often reaches in there to turn on and off the water pump.

I went over last evening with the camera and we sat out waiting for it to come out from under the house. We could see the head poke out and then it quietly slid out and headed for the front of the house. Heidi sits in the chair many evenings and if we hadn't been watching for it she could have easily been sitting here. Mohaves often strike first than rattle. They are the most deadly rattlesnakes in the US. It has a greenish tint but it is the wide white band by it's rattles that makes it clear this is a mohave green. Diamond backs will have a very narrow white band and wide black band. Mohave greens can be brown or tan like the diamondback. Pretty design on its' skin. Heidi has been calling the fish and game and others who might be concerned but no one came out to move this snake. Sadly my son-in-law had to kill it as it was a threat to their well being . Coming round to the front of the house and where they live made it far more hazardous than living under the house and in the wood pile, where it had been seen for the past week. We felt this may have been a female who was pregnant. The back part of it's body was very thick and swollen compared to the front part of the body. They have live birth.

Andrea Bocelli-melodramma

I love this video of Andrea Bocelli in the country. The photography isn't the greatest but the scenery and mood appeals to me.

This picture was taken from my backyard. Those are the Hualapai Mountains where we went hiking.

Behind my house I can see the beautiful Hualapai Mountains. Yesterday my daughter, grand daughter and great grands all went up to the park for a picnic. It is amazingly close to be so forested and ruggedly beautiful. Following are some pictures of our day, that I'm putting up so my daughter and grand daughter can see the pictures I took.

Amy riding spring pony in the childrens playgrounds. They are safe, fenced areas with sand and a nice variety of play ground equiptment. They have volley ball courts and baseball fields at this park too, along with great picnic areas, cabins, big party areas and lots of hiking trails.

Nice playground at the park, lots to do and enjoy.

Fun in the playground

Time for a cupcake break. Neo with a big chunk in his cheek while Amy eating like a little lady.

We checked this cave out for snakes before the boys went in. They thought it was great and were ready to move in. They had fun playing in the cave.

Grandma Heidi with Amy, Neo and Dethin on the hiking trail. Beautiful rugged mountains.

Dethin, looking a bit flushed and tired after reaching the parking lot after our hike up the trail. He's wearing Great Grandma's hat and carrying her water bottle. Great little hikers, none of them whined or complained and loved the nature hike. Dethin did say, " It feels like I'm melting," and it looked like it too with his fair skin. That's when we gave him a hat and water bottle.

Neo taking a shade break under the Pinion Pines sporting Great Grandma's hat. It's hard to believe these beautiful trees are so close to home. It's a 12 mile drive from the center of town to the Hualapai Mountain Park. Beautiful views from the top and wonderful trees with pine scent. There are white oak, small desert oak, black walnut, manzanita, and more growing that support and feed, elk, deer, bear, mountain lions and more. I carried a golf club as a walking stick, just in case. It was hot in sunny spots but reasonably cool considering it was 114 in the valley.

A long hike up the hill, in the mountain hike.

It's a big job but somebody has to hold these rocks up. Dethin and Neo playing in a rock cave on our mountain hike.

Grandma Heidi, my daughter, her daughter Leah, and Amy, Dethin and Neo, on a hike in the Hualapai Mountains.

Mama hen and chicks in the garden.