“Use soft words and hard arguments.” — English Proverb
“You cannot move away from something without moving toward something else.” — Andy Stanley
“The fishermen knows that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.” — Vincent Van Gogh
“When a man tells me he’s going to put all his cards on the table, I always look up his sleeve.” — Leslie Hore-Belisha
Followers of JBRish have seen a good number of flower pictures I have posted and many of them were desert natives or xeric varieties. One of the amazing qualities of Arizona is the variety of ecosystems and scenery the state has. Naturally there is the beautiful and very different Sonoran Desert, but we also have the high country which includes Flagstaff and serves as a summer retreat and winter skiing destination.
Last weekend we did something a bit different and very special as we celebrated the birthday of my best friend. It was a surprise getaway weekend that we planned with another very special couple-friends.
As we arrived at the door of the “birthday boy,” we saw a very interesting cactus in bloom in the front yard.
A cactus blooms after recent rains in the Sonoran Desert
I admit it is hard to believe that the flower pictured above is real, but it is. The color is so vibrant and “hot.”
Less than a few hours later we arrived at our northern destination and escaped the grasp of the 105 plus temperature for a much more moderate 75 degree atmosphere. This moderate climate enabled us to stroll the grounds of our hotel where we enjoyed the blooms of plants we don’t often see in the Phoenix area. I thought you would like to see some of them.
One of the first interesting sights we came across was a leaning evergreen tree.
It is difficult to conjecture why this tree is growing at such an angle. Perhaps it is the result of a rainy period followed by a strong wind storm that pushed it from its vertical posture.
Along the path Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan) had been planted which an insect found very appealing.
Shasta daisies were putting on a show for passersby as well.
Ratibida or Prairie Coneflower enjoyed their home in the nearby meadow. I believe this variety is also known as Mexican hat (Ratibida columnifera)
Several Blanket flowers (Gaillardia) were basking in sunnier locations. This plant also feels at home in our desert environment with proper care.
The last floral display we saw as we left the wooded area was, what I believe, is a cultivar of
Sambucus canadensis known as Elderberry or Common Elder.
While the wildflowers and cultivated gardens were left behind, we did enjoy one more floral display later that evening.
See previous posts about gardening-related topics here HERE
Equisetum hymale is an interesting wild, yet ornamental segmented grass. It is also known as Horsetail or Scouring rush. The sun filtering through the woods illuminate the stalks so they appear to be lit from within. They are very pretty in this presentation.
The photograph was taken during our hike around Mirror Lake at Yosemite.
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.
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Meta Data – Day 55 YOY – Year of Yosemite
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“A golden cage is still a cage.” — Anita Krizzan
“We all become great explorers during our first few days in a new city, or a new love affair.” — Mignon McLaughlin
“An advocate who has been well paid in advance will find the cause he is pleading all the more just.” — Blaise Pascal
“When your mind stops working, don’t forget to turn off the sound.” — Vikrant Parsai
The day was overcast and less sunny than previous outings, but still beautiful!
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.
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Meta Data – Day 54 YOY – Year of Yosemite
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pun; (noun)
“a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.”**
**https://www.google.com/#q=define+pun
At JBRIsh, which really is not gibberish, we enjoy a good pun as much as anyone and perhaps a bit more. Our readers, friends and others send them to us all the time. I thought it was about time that we shared those puns which we find most amusing. Of course your mileage may vary, but we do hope at least some of them bring a smile to your face. A good pun is a gem, but one that is not so good is just PUN-ishment!
Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, ‘I’ve lost my electron.’ The other says, ‘Are you sure?’ The first replies, ‘Yes, I’m positive.’
A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
The fattest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
Do you have a favorite pun or a real groaner? If so, send it along in the comment section and perhaps it will make our most appreciated list!
“If a patient dies, the doctor killed him, but if he gets well, the saints have saved him.” — Italian proverb
“If you want to touch the past, touch a rock. If you want to touch the present, touch a flower. If you want to touch the future, touch a life.” — Unknown
“In the age of information, ignorance is a choice.” — Donny Miller
“Luck is everything… My good luck in life was to be a really frightened person. I’m fortunate to be a coward, to have a low threshold of fear, because a hero couldn’t make a good suspense film.” — Alfred Hitchcock
Brodiaea elegans a beautiful purple wildflower
While hiking at Hetch Hetchy along the Wapama Falls Trail we saw a number of pretty wildflower. These purple Brodiaea elegans blooms against the backdrop of the brown hay-like growth created a lovely scene (IMHO).
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.
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Meta Data – Day 53 YOY – Year of Yosemite
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“Don’t cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it.” — Unknown
“I do not hold that we should rearm in order to fight. I hold that we should rearm in order to parley.” — Winston Churchill
“You cannot create experience. You must undergo it.” — Albert Camus
“Trust him not with your secrets, who, when left alone in your room, turns over your papers.” — Johann Kaspar Lavater
NOTE: Two pictures are posted today because they are related to the “story” below. These will only count as one of the YOY picture posts, i.e. Day 52. There will be no YOY post tomorrow, but will resume on 8/15/16 (+/-).
While hiking along the Taft Point Trail, it was unusual (at least for me) to look up and see what was mounted on the tree above. Did you notice them? I must confess that I am just speaking from conjecture here, but I interpret these as being ski trail markers. The blue sign (see below) definitely has a skier on it.
I am also going out on a limb (pun alert) by suggesting that the yellow marker (see below) is also a trail marker of sorts and is intended to stick out from the tree as it appears that there is a mounting flap that is broken which would be able to hold the sign horizontally so it can be seen from a distance.
If any readers know for sure, please confirm via a comment below. If my assumptions are incorrect, please help me clarify for JBRish readers.
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.
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Meta Data – No Metadata today as these are just simple jpeg snapshots to report