Month: March 2017

Spring Cactus Bloom in Arizona – The Claret Cup

Jeff

We have had a wetter than usual winter and early spring and thus we are having a beautiful wildflower bloom. Our landscape cactus are showing their appreciation as well with a living bouquet for our enjoyment.

One of our courtyard features is a round planter that has hosted a Claret Cup cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) for more than ten years. At one time it had plenty of room, but as you can see below, it will need to be divided and replanted within a year or so.

Claret Cup Cactus

In years past, it wouldn’t have this many blooms open at once, but its stinginess vanished this year and we are being treated to a full orchestration of its floral beauty.

Upon closer inspection you can see the juggernaut of thorns it sports that will present quite a challenge when it comes time to move or transplant it. We have a long pair of tweezers or tongs that we use to remove spent blooms or any debris that gets caught amid the needles.

Claret Cup Cactus

In the photo below, the pollen can be seen on top of the stamens. While this adds color to the picture and pollen to the air, it also seems to attract woodpeckers. For some reason they like to eat the center of the flowers and my assumption is that it is because of the pollen. After inspecting where they have been, the pollen sacks are gone — who knew?

Claret Cup Cactus

You can read more about Claret Cup cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus) by clicking HERE.


JBRish.com originally published this post
All photographs are Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved

 
See more JBRish gardening and desert gardening posts here HERE

Lembert Dome Cairn Art- Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 252

Jeff

Artistic cairn layout at Lembert Dome

Artistic cairn layout near Lembert Dome Trailhead

Near the trail head of Lembert Dome, some hikers showed their artistic side by creating a grouping of cairns. These rock formations are ostensibly used to guide others in areas where the path may not be clear. There is some “controversy” about these unofficial guide posts primarily because they are unofficial. There have been times when not-so-funny jokesters deliberately mislead others.

A grouping like this may cause confusing since they appear in a rounded formation without a clear direction. There were others in the area that did point the way, however.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
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 252 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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STATUS QUOtes — 20170324

Jeff

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

 

“To have a grievance is to have a purpose in life.” — Eric Hoffer

“I’m lazy. But it’s the lazy people who invented the wheel and the bicycle because they didn’t like walking or carrying things.” — Lech Walesa

“When the tongue is silent, the heart has a hundred tongues.” — Rumi

“I had one guy at a gas station in New York say to me, ‘Hey, you look like that Hugh Grant… no offense.’” — Hugh Grant

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

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Pickleball – You Make the Call – 20170323 – Take It for a Spin!

Jeff

Team X and Team Y are engaged in a back-and-forth rally when at one point, a player from team Y hits a ball with much backspin over the net onto team X’s side of the court. A player from team X runs toward the ball, which is close to the net, but cannot quite get to it before the ball bounces back over the net onto team Y’s side.

Recap of essential points: – A player from team Y originally hit the ball with backspin and it was not touched by any player on team X before the ball bounced back over the net.

According to the official pickleball rules, what happens in the above scenario? Is there a fault? Is it a do-over? Does any team score a point?

Leave your answer in the comment section! The answer will be presented next week (+/-) in a follow-up post.

 

To See Pickleball Videos Covering Many Aspects of the Game Click Here

Check out Additional Pickleball Info and Videos!

Lembert Dome Trail Beauty- Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 251

Jeff

Lembert Dome Trail's beauty

Another stream in the woods

As we continued our hike back to the parking area, we came across a number of scenes like that above. There appears to be so much beauty to enjoy that even this rather common Yosemite sight of a meandering stream, reveals wonderful colors of green, brown and gray amid the bubbling waters.

Who could encounter such a place with dappled sunlight, gurgling water and not be happy to be among the mountains?

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
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 251 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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STATUS QUOtes — 20170323

Jeff

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

 

“If you wish your merit to be known, acknowledge that of other people.” — Oriental Proverb

“In a way, we are magicians. We are alchemists, sorcerers and wizards. We are a very strange bunch. But there is great fun in being a wizard.” — Billy Joel

“On the pinnacle of success man does not stand firm long.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Miami Beach is where neon goes to die.” — Lenny Bruce

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Thousands and thousands of quotes delivered since 2011!

Lembert Dome – Last Look Back – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 250

Jeff

Last look back at the dome

One last look back at Lembert Dome

While we were working our way back down the mountain and basically retracing our steps, we took one last look back at Lembert Dome through the wooded mountainside.

I know that not all domes are created equal, but there seems to be a family resemblance. Lembert Dome does a look a bit like Half Dome if you look quickly!

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
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 250 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

 

STATUS QUOtes — 20170322

Jeff

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

 

“Wisdom comes with winters.” — Oscar Wilde

“Doing more things faster is no substitute for doing the right things.” — Stephen Covey

“Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy.” — Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

“Whoever put the letter ‘b’ in the word ‘subtle’ deserves a pat on the back.” — Unknown

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Thousands and thousands of quotes delivered since 2011!

Pickleball – A Ball Well Served

Jeff

A recurring discussion in several of my pickleball groups is wether the serve of certain players is legal or not legal. Of course nobody is lifting up shirts to see where waistlines, belly buttons, etc. are located and some players toss the ball and hit it so quickly that it is hard to see if the paddle is below the required mark prior to the ball being hit. Short of getting a high speed camera, most of us just watch and conjecture.

In a clubhouse, i.e. non-tournament, setting not too many of us worry about this particular aspect of the game. We generally have a play and let-play attitude. It is the same philosophy that we adopt when we don’t question a line call on the opponent’s side of the court. They are generally closer to the ball and players almost always let the call stand.

It is nice to know, however if a serve is legal or not. Especially if there is any expectation that one day you might want to head to tournament land!

Mark Renneson of Third Shot Sports has provided us with a video quiz to see if we can determine which serves are legal and which serves are not.

As a refresher, here are the rules according to the the International Federation of Pickleball (USAPA):

“Serve Motion. The serve must be made with an underhand stroke so that contact with the ball is made below waist level (waist is defined as the navel level). (revised Feb. 1, 2013)

4.A.1. Underhand Defined. The arm must be moving in an upward arc and the paddle head shall be below the wrist when it strikes the ball (paddle head is that part of the paddle excluding handle. The highest point of the paddle head cannot be above any part of line formed where the wrist joint bends). (revised Feb. 1, 2013)”

To me, this is the tricky part for some of the questionable serves: “The highest point of the paddle head cannot be above any part of line formed where the wrist joint bends)”

Here’s the video; see what you think:

Lembert Dome to Dog Lake – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 249

Jeff

A view of Dog Lake

Dog Lake

As we were making our way to the top of Lembert Dome, several hikers approached us and inquired as to the location of Dog Lake. They were not native English speakers so we did the best we could in communicating that they were on the right trail, but had to veer to the west at some point to reach Dog Lake.

As we returned from the dome, we decided to head to Dog Lake ourselves. The lake was very pretty with the snow covered mountains in the distance. The picture above was taken from the southwestern shore which was quite soggy.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
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 249 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Canon PowerShot A590 IS