Red Barrel Cactus

Last year we "rescued" some barrel cacti that a neighbor was getting rid of. They were redesigning their front yard landscaping and the 3 cacti were destined for the landfill.

By the time we got them, they had been dug up and baking in the sun for a few days. We carefully transplanted them into our yard, and made simple cardboard sunblocks to protect them from any further sun damage. We weren't sure how they were going to do.




We kept a close eye on them, but there didn't seem to be much change or growth.

Then, about a month ago one of them started to bloom.










Over the course of the last few weeks there has been a steady display of beautiful red flowers around the crown.





























"The flower which is single need not envy the thorns that are numerous."
~ Rabindranath Tagore

Another Deluge

This morning we had a monster rain storm, very similar to the one we had almost exactly one year ago. It poured buckets, with thunder rumbling from the heavy grey clouds. Judging from the rise in the water level of our pool, we got over 4-1/2 inches of rain in 2 hours.

Unfortunately when the rain comes down so hard and fast in the desert, it doesn't get a chance to soak very deep into the parched soil. Much of the rainwater runs off into nearby washes.

Momma Wolf Spider

We took a dip in the pool after an early morning walk today, and noticed something large at the opposite end of the pool. Swimming closer, we could see it was a huge spider clinging to the slippery tile just above the waterline.

Thinking it was in imminent danger we jumped out of the pool to grab the skimmer net, in case it dropped into the drink.


By the time we got back the spider had carefully navigated across the tile and was resting comfortably between two waterfall rocks.

It wasn't until we took some close-up pics that we saw the spider was a female, carrying hundreds of tiny baby spiderlets on her back.


She spent the next half hour or so tucked between the rocks. When we checked back, she and her babies had moved on to a safer spot somewhere else in our yard.

Return of the Palo Verde Root Borer

We were cleaning up in the front yard this morning, and came across a recently deceased Palo Verde Root Borer Beetle.

The one I found back in March was scurrying for cover, and I was only able to get two photos before it disappeared.

This one was much easier to photograph.

Close-up photos show the spikes on the carapace ...

... and the impressive chomping mandibles.

If these things were the size of a German Shepherd, they would probably rule the world.

Cereus Blooms

Over the last couple of weeks, our desert temperatures have been creeping steadily up into the low 100's during the day.

As the weather warmed, the cereus cacti in our neighborhood all started to bloom.












For about a week we enjoyed the sight of these delicate - and huge - flowers on our morning walks.



Here are a few of our pics, with a big THANK YOU to our neighbors and their desert native landscaping.

Artichoke Flower

This artichoke plant is growing in a neighbor's front yard.

We've been keeping an eye on it as we pass by on our morning walks.

Recently it bloomed, and the flower is beautiful.


















The smaller flower on the left is what you might buy in the grocery store, and cook up for dinner.

"These things are just plain annoying. After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual 'food' out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or 40 postage stamps. Have the shrimp cocktail instead."

~ Miss Piggy

Palo Verde Root Borer Beetle

I was taking advantage of the cool morning weather to do some weeding and clean up in the front yard. As I grabbed a handful of dead leaves from under a cactus, I felt something move in my gloved hand.

Palo Verde Root Borer Beetle

Glancing down I saw I was holding what looked like the most ginormous cockroach in the world.

Startled, I dropped it.

As it lumbered off, I saw it wasn't a cockroach at all.



It was a Palo Verde Root Borer beetle.




These beetles are BIG - up to 3" long or more, not including the antennae. They have pinching mandibles that can give a nasty bite if handled. The thorax has spikes along the edges. This particular beetle was a dark reddish-brown but they can also be brown or black.

Palo Verde Root Borers have an interesting life cycle. After mating, the female lays her eggs in the soil near a palo verde or other host tree. The eggs hatch and the larva burrows into the roots of the nearby tree where it begins eating. Over the next 2-4 years, the creamy yellow-white larva will continue feeding underground on the roots of the tree, and then pupate.

The adult beetles normally hatch out after summer rains (we had a brief shower on Wednesday). They are clumsy fliers and may travel from their hatching area in search of a mate.

Palo Verde Root Borer Beetle

Adults only live for about a month above ground.

During this time they do not eat, in spite of the impressive jaws. Those chompers are used for mating and fighting.

The beetle will die soon after mating.








In addition to Palo Verde trees, the Palo Verde Root Borer may also feed on olive trees, some cottonwoods, and citrus in some areas. These beetles should not be a threat to healthy trees, which can outgrow any damage the larvae may cause. The best defense is to make sure your trees are healthy by providing adequate water, and fertilizer as needed. You can also turn off exterior lights to avoid attracting adult insects.

Although they are formidable-looking, Palo Verde Root Borer beetles are eaten by roadrunners, coyotes and owls.



"When a blind beetle crawls over the surface of the globe, he doesn't realize that the track he has covered is curved. I was lucky enough to have spotted it."

~Albert Einstein