Prolific Prickly Pear

We have one prickly pear growing by our garage.  It is quite prolific this year, with one pad producing 22 flower buds!  I took a photo five days ago, before any buds opened, and again today with lots of flowers.  Gorgeous!

 

Carly's Birthday Party

Carly celebrated her birthday yesterday with a barbecue at their house.  Her parents came from 

Cave Creek and more family and friends joined for burgers and more.  Papa and I were happy 

to be part of the celebration.  Happy Birthday, Carly!

Saguaro Blooms

I associate May with saguaro blooms in the Sonoran desert and this year has not disappointed.  I was in Tucson yesterday and took these photos.  I have written about them here and here in years past.  The blooms are delicate and beautiful.  Their seed pods must be candy to the birds. 

Cowboy Gather in Early Morning

With Colter not able to get on a horse for several more weeks, we have been fortunate to have his Dad, Granddad, brother Tayrell, sister Savannah and hubby Will (visiting from Texas), and Colter Lee, up early to move cattle from one pasture to another.  They arrived early, just after the sun came over the mountain.  They wasted no time, and they were off!

Cholla Blooms

Cholla are blooming across the desert this month.  These hot pink blooms are covering a cholla near our Rock House.  Cholla are covered with barbed thorns and aren't particularly a sought after plant to have around.  They redeem themselves with their beautiful blooms in spring. 

Papa's Birthday

We celebrated Papa's 68th birthday yesterday!  Mary came to Tucson yesterday morning to spend the day with us.  We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Tanque Verde Ranch.  We then drove over to the University of Arizona campus to see a photography exhibit at the Arizona State Museum.  After a siesta at home, we had tapas and sangria at Casa Vicente for dinner.  Throughout the day, Papa enjoyed calls from all our children and some of the grandchildren (Emily and Greta).  A good day!

Papa and I are still enjoying the memories we made in April, in France with our family. 

Blooming Prickly Pear

Thousands of prickly pear cactus are covered with yellow blooms all across the ranch.  The blooms are delicate, bright, and incredibly beautiful!

Colts on Neighbor Ranch

Our nearest ranch neighbors raise horses and they have several new colts this spring. They are adorable!

Ranger Travel

Colter is getting out on the ranch a bit more, with Carly driving their Ranger.  The whole family came by late yesterday afternoon, after checking on new calves.  We were glad to see Colter up and out a bit.  Broken legs take time to heal. 

Neighbor Party

We hosted a Neighbor Party at the ranch.  About 20 people braved our road to arrive at our house by 4.  The party was a potluck, so we had an assortment of dishes for dinner.  Everyone chatted and caught up on neighbor news.  After dinner, kids and parents went out to fly kites.  

Solo Saturday Morning Hike

Papa left early this morning to ride, checking for new calves.  I hiked about three miles into the Buck Knob pasture.  As I got closer to the drinker, I noticed a cow getting a drink, along with a dozen deer.  They were friendly with each other, but I spooked them.  After a few minutes, the cow ran away, but the deer stayed until they all got a drink.  One jumped away from the others and after a few minutes, they went down the canyon.  The lone deer leapt to join them.  All fun to watch!

I met Papa riding Oscar, as I hiked toward home.  Its a beautiful day!

Blue Agave Blooming

I have been watching the bloom on this blue agave for two months, as it made its way higher and higher toward the sky.  The flowers opened this morning.  A hummingbird quickly found the blooms.

Another Softball Game

Madilyn plays softball on two teams, with games on Mondays, Wednesdays, and some Saturdays.  These are photos from her Monday game, playing with the Pink Pistols.

Checking on New Calves

Over the past ten days, there has been an assortment of people checking on our new calves.  As Colter won't be riding for the next several weeks, Carly rides almost every day, with Colter's Dad, Granddad, Colter Lee, and Papa riding at different times, and some riding twice daily. 

Happy Mother's Day

Madilyn's Softball Game

Madilyn had her first game with the travel team, Khaos. I picked her up by 7 this morning.  All the girls arrived and warmed up.  Madilyn pitched the game for her team, and they won!